D.E. Haggerty's Blog, page 23

March 16, 2018

What amount of research goes into writing fiction? Don’t we just make it all up anyway? #AmWriting #AmReading

Readers (and friends and acquaintances and strangers you meet during tennis matches) often have ‘funny’ ideas about what it’s like to be a fiction writer. These ideas are mostly so far off base it isn’t even funny (No, actually, I don’t spend the entire day staring at my screen trying to think up things to do!). Take researching a novel as an example. Most readers understand that writing historical fiction involves hours and hours of researching. But what about chick lit or other guilty pleasure type novels? Surely, no research or perhaps only a bit of research is required to write one of those? Um, no. I think most readers would be shocked by the amount of research writers put into their writing. (Of course, there are always exceptions. I, for one, almost never read a novel with a hero or heroine who is a lawyer as most writers have no clue what a day in the life of a lawyer looks like. Hint: No one litigates all day, every day.)

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I readily admit I’m obsessed with details (And yes, twenty years after my discharge from the U.S. Army, I’m still blaming them for this obsession. I can hold a grudge for-freaking-ever.). For example, I’ll check things like the time of sunrise and sunset at the location of my novel to ensure I don’t have a heroine driving to work in the dark when the sun would have already risen. This is actually a huge pet peeve of mine. People often have a vague idea about things like the length of days during winter, the amount of rain a location receives, etc. As writers, we need to avoid using our generalized feelings and use facts in our writing. It’s not that hard. You can find almost any information online. Sure, it takes time but so does writing a book. It’s just part of the process.

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I only wish my desk looked this clean while I’m researching!

What kind of ‘things’ am I talking about? Here are some examples of research I’ve done for my upcoming novel (a funny mystery which features romance and a bit of suspense):

My heroine is a librarian. I ensured that the local university in her town had a library science program. As she works at a high school library, I also read several blogs on what it’s like to be a librarian in a school.
As my heroine’s husband walked out on her only a few months ago, I researched divorce law in the state to see how difficult the divorce proceedings would be and how long they would take.
I also spent the better part of one morning researching jewelry appraisals, specifically diamond evaluations just so I could write one ( 1! ) paragraph in my manuscript regarding the evaluation of a diamond the heroine found.
Of course, I know how to go completely overboard as well. I spent 30 minutes researching meerkats as I wanted to make a joke about one of my characters acting like a meerkat. (Yes, I do need help. Thanks for pointing that out.)

What about the rest of you writers? How much of your writing time is spent on research? (The stuff that leads to actual writing and isn’t just a procrastinating tactic.)

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Published on March 16, 2018 06:24

March 15, 2018

Introducing a red-hot new series from @katee_robert The Last King #contemporaryromance #excerpt #giveaway

A First Look at THE LAST KING!

Ultra wealthy and super powerful, the King family is like royalty in Texas. But who will keep the throne? New York Times bestselling author Katee Robert introduces a red-hot new series.

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Pre-order THE LAST KING and add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! Then keep reading to get a sneak peek excerpt and enter the giveaway for one of five (5) print copies of THE LAST KING![image error]

Title: The Last King

Author: Katee Robert

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 3, 2018

Publisher: Forever

Series: The Kings

Page Count: 336 pages

Format: Digital

ASIN: B074M69QLF

ISBN: 978-1455597109

~ Blurb ~

THE MAN SHE HATES TO LOVE

Beckett King just inherited his father’s fortune, his company-and all his enemies. If he’s going to stay on top, he needs someone he can trust beside him. And though they’ve been rivals for years, there’s no one he trusts more than Samara Mallick.

The rebel. That’s how Samara has always thought of Beckett. And he’s absolutely living up to his unpredictable ways when he strides into her office and asks for help. She can’t help wondering if it’s a legit request or just a ploy to get her into bed. Not that she’d mind either one. After all, she likes to live on the edge too.

But soon the threats to the King empire are mounting, and the two find family secrets darker than they ever imagined and dangerous enough to get them both killed.

Praise for The Last King:

“Top Pick! Beckett and Samara are a fantastic, modern couple. They clash in the boardroom and the bedroom, are total equals, and their bring-it-on spirit makes every interaction lively and exciting — whether clothes are on or off. … The heart of this romance is the development of trust between Beckett and Samara, and Robert expertly unfolds it, revealing the emotional connection on both sides under the flash and fire of their irresistible chemistry. 4 1/2 stars.”—RT Book Reviews

Grab a copy!

Amazon: http://bit.ly/TheLastKingAmazon

B&N: http://bit.ly/TheLastKingBN

iTunes: http://bit.ly/TheLastKingiTunes

Kobo: http://bit.ly/TheLastKingKobo

~ Giveaway ~

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Enter to win one of five (5) print copies of THE LAST KING !

ENTER HERE http://bit.ly/2DmFQb8

~ Excerpt ~

Copyright © 2018 Katee Robert

What were you thinking about just then?” His gaze fell to her mouth. “Never mind. You don’t have to tell me. It’s written all over your face.”

She licked her lips as he stepped closer, as he backed her against the wall and bracketed her in with his hands on either side of her head. He felt bigger in this position, as if his shoulders could block out the very sun. You have to get him to back off. You’re too close. She leaned against the wall, the move arching her back just a little. Beckett’s gaze dropped to where her breasts pressed against her blouse, and he dragged in an unsteady breath. As if he was using every ounce of willpower not to touch her. He dragged his eyes up to meet hers. “You were thinking about that night.”

She could deny it, but it would be pointless. “Yeah.”

Slowly, oh so slowly, he moved one hand to sift his fingers through her hair. When she didn’t immediately answer, he leaned closer yet. “I think about it, too.” He trailed his fingers through her hair until he reached her shoulder and his thumb dipped beneath the fabric of her shirt. “All the fucking time.” He dropped his hand farther, the tips of his fingers tracing over her breast in a touch so light she was half sure she imagined it.

Might have convinced herself she imagined it if her entire body wasn’t tuned to his in that moment.

Touch me.

As if reading her thoughts, he shifted closer, his leg sliding between hers. The move forced her skirt up as she spread her legs to accommodate his thigh. Higher and higher until he was firmly pressed against her clit. It throbbed in time with her heartbeat, and it was everything she could do not to rub on his thigh like a mindless version of herself.

She felt mindless. Samara gave up her determination not to touch him. She couldn’t wrap her legs around his waist because of her damn skirt, but she ran her hands up his chest. “We can’t.”

“I know.” But he didn’t stop. He slid his hands down to her ass, urging her to grind against his thigh. Slowly, so incredibly slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. He dragged his mouth over her collarbone, the faint rasp of whiskers drawing a whimper from her lips.

Samara dug her fingers into his hair, and he went still. Waiting. She pulled him up and took his mouth the way she’d wanted to since she’d snuck out of that hotel room six months before. She flicked his tongue with hers, teasing him even as he resumed the delicious movement between them again. Yes, yes, do that, don’t stop.

Beckett let her have control for all of two seconds, and then he deepened the kiss, pressing her more firmly against the wall. He took with his mouth even as he gave with his body, hitching her higher until her toes barely touched the floor and she was completely at his mercy. Pleasure sparked through her, and she kissed him harder. It wasn’t enough, might never be enough, but she couldn’t stop.

Not when she knew that, as good as this was, what came next was even better.

~ About Katee Robert ~

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New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it ‘a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension.” When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads | Instagram

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Published on March 15, 2018 06:30

March 14, 2018

What should you do if a reviewer obviously didn’t read your novel? #WriterWednesday #AmWriting

There is a lot of discussion amongst writers about what to do if you get a bad review. Spoiler alert: Do nothing (except dip into that bottle of wine). But what should you do if a reviewer obviously didn’t read your novel? Should you even care? A review is a review, right? And if it’s a positive review, then it’s all good, isn’t it? No, not exactly.

First of all, let me explain what I mean by a review that makes it obvious the reviewer didn’t read the novel. I’m not talking about a review which is very short or generalized. Those types of reviews are fine. In fact, I often think those reviews are more genuine as they tend to be from readers who purchased the book and not bloggers/reviewers/writers who read the book as a courtesy to the author. I’m also not talking about reviews that quote the summary and then end with ‘awesome book’. Yes, that does seem suspect, but it’s not blatantly obviously the reviewer didn’t read the book.

There are two situations in which I feel it’s obvious a reviewer didn’t read a novel. And both are, well, obvious. In the first instance, facts regarding the story (plotlines, character names, locations, etc.) are misquoted. The second situation is one in which the reviewer refers to a different author in the review. Can you say ouch? Here’s an example of a review for my novel Searching for Gertrude:

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I don’t need to tell you that the remainder of the review was extremely general and could have been written about any historical novel. There is no reference to the time or place of the novel, the characters, nothing to make it seem as if the reviewer actually read the novel. Normally, I’d be somewhat okay with that. Not everyone can be a great review writer. It’s hard! Especially if you write a lot of reviews. How do you keep each review sounding fresh? So, yes, I get it. But using the wrong name for the author? That I’m not okay with. I fear it gives potential readers the impression that I’m buying reviews, which is an impression I definitely don’t want! What should you do?

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And because I’m a recovering lawyer, my answer is … it depends. If this review were on Amazon, I’d probably spend a week or two coming up with some witty reply to the reviewer, because it could just be an honest mistake. If this review were on Goodreads, I’d send the reviewer a private message along the lines of:

‘Thanks for reading my novel! And taking the time to write a review. I really appreciate it. Just thought I’d mention my name is actually Dena. I know it’s confusing as I use the initials D.E. as my author name. What was I thinking?’

But this review was part of a review tour that I’d paid a blog tour company to organize. Should I say something in this instance? After all, she did post the information about my novel on her blog. I can’t force her to read my novel. I can encourage, sure, but force – no. In the end, suffering from a horrible bout with bronchitis, I decided to do nothing. At that moment, I couldn’t come up with any quick action and I was, frankly, too sick to deal with it. By the time I’d recovered three weeks had passed and I felt it was too late to take any action. I’m mostly okay with that decision. She didn’t post the review on any other site than her blog, so it’s not like potential readers will see and go ‘What the heck?’

What about you? What do you do when a reviewer obviously didn’t read your book?

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Published on March 14, 2018 00:46

March 12, 2018

Would you still write if you had a million euros? #MondayBlogs #AmWriting

[image error]On Saturday, my husband and I were walking in town when we saw a sign advertising the current Dutch lotto, which had a jackpot of more than 18 million euros. I sighed when I saw the sign and mumbled something about never having to work again. My husband looked at me with surprise (or was that anger?) and responded: “I’d be really pissed off if you quit writing just because we won the lottery.” (Or something to that effect.) He equated my writing with working. I, however, was thinking more along the lines of all the other stuff that comes with being an indie author: the author platform, the marketing, social media, etc. etc. I told the hubby I wouldn’t quit writing, but I’d definitely hire a PR firm. “And you can quit reading all those review books as well.” I kept my mouth shut as I’d still be reading other authors books for review even if I were a multi-millionaire. (Full disclosure: I would probably DNF a lot more books, though.)

This conversation got me to thinking. Would you quit writing if you had a million euros? I think most writers I know wouldn’t. They write because they love it. It’s their passion. To my utter surprise, I’ve come across several writers who don’t even market their work. Sure, they publish their work, but that’s it. They don’t make ads, do sales, and they certainly don’t spend half their lives on social media trying to build up a readership.

I admit that the first time a writer told me she did no marketing whatsoever I was shocked. I’d read her novel as part of a goodreads writer group, and it was good. It was a fantasy novel, and I’d never liked fantasy before. I went into the read without a lot of prejudiced ideas about fantasy stories and came out a convert. So, when she told me she didn’t market, I had no response except to sit with my mouth hanging open in my best imitation of a fish.

This was several years ago when I’d just started reading other indie authors’ novels. Now, when a writer tells me they don’t market or they just write for the love of writing, I don’t gape like a fish. I nod in understanding. In fact, I find it kind of brave, even altruistic. I may even wish I could be like them, because however much I continue to deny it, I do want people to read my novels – hopefully after they’ve purchased a legal copy of one!

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So, heck yes, I’d continue to write if we were millionaires, although I assume my writing would slow down with all that traveling the world and exploring cultures and stuff going on. How about you? Would you still write if you never had to work another day? Even more to the point – would you continue to publish and market your work?

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Published on March 12, 2018 02:18

March 9, 2018

Taxi Adventures in The Netherlands #ExpatLife

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Taxis in The Netherlands don’t look like this, but it’s such a pretty picture!

Americans are known for their ability to talk to anyone anywhere about just about anything. If they have even a tiny connection with you, they’ll take the opportunity to stop for a gab. I think this is especially true for Americans traveling or living abroad. I’ve been stopped by Americans at the strangest of times in the strangest of places. Once in Beijing to ask if I knew the outcome of an election. I’ve also been practically jumped upon by an American in a small town in Germany who was so happy to hear English she nearly cried.

I, on the other hand, have perfected the ability to slink away when a stranger starts talking enthusiastically to me just because she hears me speaking English. My husband and I have been known to spontaneously switch languages. It’s not that I don’t want to talk to other Americans. And it’s not that I’m a total bitch. The operative word there being ‘total’. No. It’s just that after spending the vast majority of my life living overseas, I’m not always in the mood to yet again tell a stranger I will never see again my life story. Also, I don’t identify very strongly as American (but that’s another blog post). I do love meeting and hearing stories from others. I do. Really! But a quick two-minute interaction in a market on a back street in Beijing doesn’t lead to the interesting life revelations that I can steal borrow for my writing.

Also, I have been conned more than once by someone speaking English acting overenthusiastic and excited to hear me speak English when, in actually, it was a conman trying to get me to buy a fake Rolex or visit their cousin’s shop or take a day trip in their taxi or whatever. This has made me extremely cautious. Before I can find out what con they are pulling, I’m out of there!

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Somewhat accurate depiction of me before entering a taxi.

It’s more than a little surprising then, that I seem to come home from every, single taxi trip having had an in-depth conversation with the driver. In all honesty, this may be somewhat due to the fact that I tend to take taxis when I’ve had a glass of wine or two. Wine makes me mouthy, apparently. But why does this keep happening – even when I’m sober? I’ve come to realize that taxi drivers are one of the most diverse groups of people in my city. I’ve met just about every demographic you can image.

Yesterday, I had another lovely conversation with a taxi driver. As soon as I walked up to the taxi, he reached forward and moved the passenger seat back indicating that I was welcome to join him upfront. Naturally, I took him up on that offer. We immediately fell into conversation when he heard my name and declared it meant valuable jewel or something flattering like that. It was obvious from his use of Dutch that he wasn’t a native speaker. I asked him where he was from. After he told me he was a refugee from Afghanistan, I asked how he liked Holland. He told me: I’m safe. He then declared his appreciation for the government for taking him in. As a guest here, he plans to adopt to the culture and learn the language. I asked how he felt about Dutch (he speaks Afghan, Persian, Russian, Arabic and a bit of English, he said). When he said he had problems with understanding when to use which definite article, I proceeded to give him all my tips and tricks.

And that’s how a quick taxi ride lead to me giving an impromptu Dutch lesson to an Afghan refugee. Maybe I shouldn’t always run the other way when strangers introduce themselves…

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Published on March 09, 2018 05:20

Review of Long Road Out of Ur #HistoricalFiction from Joel Thimmel #amreading

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Title: Long Road Out of Ur

Author: Joel Thimell

Genre: Historical Fiction

Published: August 25, 2016

~ Blurb ~

Something is rotten in Mesopotamia. A troublesome priest has been murdered; the pagan New Year’s rites defiled; a royal tomb is robbed; and a would-be grifter, Lot, is in the wrong place at the wrong time. His father, grandfather and cousin are each likely suspects and Lot doesn’t know who he can trust. Everyone thinks Lot knows where the loot is hidden and someone wants it all–even if it’s over Lot’s dead body. “Long Road Out of Ur” retells the familiar story of the calling of Abraham and Sarah to the Promised Land through the voice of Lot. Yes, that Lot–the one who barely escaped the destruction of Sodom with his daughters–his wife wasn’t so fortunate.This is not a Sunday school version of their lives, and they are not alabaster saints. Instead, it’s a lively coming-of-age adventure tale crossed with a murder mystery and a heaping helping of social satire. Think of it as something like “Huckleberry Finn” combined with “North by Northwest” but set in the Bronze Age. Lot’s comical attempts to con his way out of danger only entangle him deeper and deeper in a web of greed, betrayal and murder. From the fashionable society of Susa through the murky waters of the Great Swamp to the stone huts of Elam, Lot tries to run but he can’t hide. Searching for any way out, he battles evil giants, fake princesses and blood-thirsty pirates but his greatest struggle is finding himself. Can a two-bit con man change his spots? Or will his past destroy him? Can a prodigal son and his prodigal father ever forgive one another? Or are some wounds just too deep to heal?

Grab a copy!

Amazon

~ Review ~

I jumped into reading Long Road Out of Ur without having much of an idea what I was getting myself into. I was more than slightly surprised to find myself in ancient Mesopotamian reading a story written from the perspective of Lot. Unfortunately, this is a time period with which I – as a self-proclaimed history geek – do not have much knowledge or affinity. Because of this, I struggled with the story. There were also tons of characters whose names were similar enough to cause confusion (there is a cheat sheet included).

The novel was full of adventure and intrigue. Lot couldn’t miss an opportunity to cause trouble to save his life (quite literally). The story takes us to various ancient locations. These are described in detail as are the different types of peoples and the smells – yikes! The dialogue is often witty, although it tended to get a bit long for my liking.

I had two problems with the novel. The novel is told from the perspective of Lot, and I couldn’t stand the guy. He was selfish, conniving, and more than a bit spoiled. As the story was told in first person, I couldn’t escape the guy. I was also not as invested in the story as I didn’t care what happened to Lot. I have to wonder if telling the story from a different perspective would have increased my enjoyment.

My other issue with the novel was the use of modern language. While I understand that absolutely no one would read this story if it were written in Sumerian (or whatever ancient language would be appropriate), the use of extremely modern words such as awesome, blather, and whopper was disruptive and jarring.

A copy of this book was given to me by the author. All opinions are my own.

~ About the Author ~

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Passionate about writing, food and travel, his love of adventure led Joel to hitchhike from Kenya to South Africa, whitewater-raft the Zambezi River, canoe the Okavango Delta, explore the Ngorongoro Crater, climb Mt.Kilimanjaro, and hike the Chimanimani Mountains. The thrill and terror of those first-hand experiences are brought to life in Lot’s own adventures. Joel began his career as a government bureaucrat and erstwhile journalist and is now making amends to society as a starving author. He shares his non-existent garden in Tennessee with endless hordes of mosquitoes, six squirrels, three jack rabbits, a ravenous herd of deer and an elusive mole named Darwin.

Stalk the author!

Blog

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Published on March 09, 2018 01:41

March 6, 2018

Extraneous information in book titles: Yea or Nay? #WriterWednesday #BookMarketing

First of all, what the heck do I mean with extraneous information in a book title? How can there be extraneous information? It’s a title! Actually, there can be more information than necessary in a book title. I’m referring here to the current trend to add a description of the novel after the title itself. Not to be confused with the series name, the descriptor is more general and often refers to a sub-genre or popular trope. How do you identify this extraneous information? Amazon puts the name of the series into parentheses after the title, but extraneous information is usually found after a colon in the name itself.

Here are some examples:

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The list could go on forever.

I recently listened to a podcast that recommended authors use this approach to creating a title as a type of marketing. I’m not a fan for several reasons. First and foremost, when you peruse the top lists of a genre, the entire title does not appear either on a desktop or the mobile app. (So, sue me! I like to troll the top 100 lists to find novels to read.) What’s the point if it’s not immediately seen? As a reader, I find it a bit off-putting as well (this is my polite way of saying I think it looks tacky). Do you think I can’t figure out what your novel is about? But the biggest problem I have with this approach is that the extraneous information always refers to some type of hot-for-now trope.

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There is absolutely, positively nothing wrong with writing guilty pleasure novels in hip and happening genres. I will even admit to reading some of them. And if that’s how you want to market your books by adding as extraneous information ‘a stepbrother romance’, go for it! But look at the definition above: ‘common or overused theme.’ My husband claims there are no new ideas. I admit (when he’s not around), he’s right about that. Still, I don’t want my novels to seem common or use an overused theme. (They probably do, but I can pretend, can’t I?)

What about you? Do you use extra information in your book title? Why? Why not?

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Published on March 06, 2018 23:59

Tensions rise worldwide and threats of war loom in Conflux #action #thriller from @authorWbrazzel

Action, Military Thriller, Thriller

Date Published: January 2018

Publisher: Balboa Press

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A new threat to the United States has emerged within its own borders. Deutsche Christen, a powerful paramilitary organization, led by a ruthless ex-Special Forces Officer, Carl Dietrich, is threatening to overthrow the U.S. government and assume absolute power over the country.

Bolstered by the overwhelming support provided by two foreign governments, Dietrich believes his forces to be invincible, and his future rise to power inevitable.

Hoping to garner additional members for his organization, he demands an interview with Sean Carrol, an ex-Special Forces officer and an investigative reporter for the New York International News. Dietrich orders that their meeting be held at one of the Deutsche Christen paramilitary camps. To assure Seans cooperation, he kidnaps his niece and nephew.

Understanding Dietrichs rationale for the meeting and further realizing that his niece and nephew arent going to be released, Sean develops a plan to rescue the children. Desperate, he along with Colonel Gannon, his ex-commander, reorganize his old Special Forces team and create a rescue mission.

While tensions rise worldwide and threats of war loom, panic takes center stage, as the prospect for cataclysmic destruction promises to annihilate civilization as we know it.

Grab a copy!

Amazon ~ B&N ~ Kobo ~ iTunes ~ indieBound ~ Google Books ~ Books a Million

Praise for Conflux: Threat from the Troika:

“Written in the style of Patricia Cromwell, the author has you in the middle of the story from the first few pages. Bound to be a favorite on the beach this summer with it’s fast page turning tempo.” – John Lunde (Reader)

“…Conflux explores how panic and hatred, power and violence can cause chaos and pain, with real emotional stakes and a spark of hope for a better tomorrow. Brazzel’s skill and style makes for an enjoyable read for a wide audience of readers who enjoy living vicariously through fictional characters exhibiting strength, valor and the commitment to children’s safety.” – Pacific Book Review

~ About the Author ~

William Brazzel has been a property and casualty insurance agent for over thirty years. Dreaming of writing a novel has been a long term goal in his life. Finally, after many years of raising a family and nurturing his career, he has written his second novel “Conflux Threat from the Troika.” Unique and exciting, this novel projects a contemporary view of current day world threats that haunt and endanger all of us. With the creation of fictional characters and original scenes, he has fashioned a truly engaging and enjoyable but thought provoking storyline. Currently, he is busy working on his next project and hopes to complete it within the next year and a half.

Contact Links

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Promo Link

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Published on March 06, 2018 01:32

March 5, 2018

Vermeer and an unusual occurrence of Serendipity #MondayBlogs #Vermeer #Mauritshuis

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One of the interesting aspects of living in a foreign country is not only meeting exciting and totally cool people who’ve had adventures of which you can only dream but also seeing how your life intersects with these cool beings. (And no, you don’t have to be cool to have an occurrence of intersection with a cool person – thankfully!) I recently experienced an awesome case of this type of intersection. Let me explain.

In November 1995, I was lucky enough to attend the Vermeer exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington. The exhibit was a super show of twenty-one Vermeers, which had been coaxed from various private and museum collections throughout the world. It had been 300 years (!) since that many Vermeers had been seen together. My husband, like thousands of unemployed pilots to this day, was a flight instructor to the privileged and happened to have a director of the National Gallery as a student. Knowing my husband was Dutch, she offered us the opportunity to attend the exhibit early on opening day.

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The Girl With A Pearl Earring, (c) Mauritshuis

As a lowly member of the US Army at the time, I was excited to be invited to the museum before it opened. When we arrived, however, we were held back at the entrance as the President of the United States decided to attend as well. So, the first time I saw The Girl with a Pearl Earring was in a room full of Disney cartoonists and secret service men. Although I’ve always had good experiences with the secret service (way better to work with than the FBI who are jerks!), I wouldn’t recommend visiting an art museum with a bunch of Disney cartoonists, because they take forever studying each painting!

Naturally, when I attended an art class given by a woman who is a docent at the Mauritshuis (the permanent home of The Girl with the Pearl Earring), I had to tell her my story about seeing the girl for the first time. She was already working at the Mauritshuis then and remembered the event well. Why did she remember it? It turns out the exhibit, when it reached the Mauritshuis, was attended by tons more people than they had expected. Why, you ask? Well, it turns out the exhibition at the National Gallery was more than a bit of a disappointment.

You see, in 1995 the government had shut down not once, but twice, and there was a blizzard for which no one was prepared. Between the shutdowns and the blizzard, 19 of the 90 exhibition days were lost. On top of that, the gallery estimated that 60,000 to 70,000 visitors were deterred from attempting to visit due to the governmental shutdowns. (Just an aside here – as a member of the military at the time, I don’t remember anything about shutdowns. Shutdowns? No, we (wo)men in camouflage don’t do those.)

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The Mauritshuis in The Hague, The Netherlands

Due to these issues in the US, the attendance of the exhibit when it reached Dutch shores skyrocketed. They had to put a tent up in the forecourt of the museum to accommodate waiting visitors, and the museum stayed open until midnight to accommodate the additional visitors. They even served breakfast! My acquaintance remembers the museum turning down European heads of state who wanted to visit as they simply couldn’t meet their security requirements due to the overwhelming number of visitors.

More than twenty years after the exhibit, my memories of that time have been refreshed by a chance discussion with another American about Vermeer. And that, folks, is the very definition of serendipity.

FYI: I’m super excited to take part in another ground-breaking Vermeer event this week. The Mauritshuis is conducting research on the girl, using equipment adapted from the medical world, and is holding lectures to discuss what they are hoping to find and their techniques. Can. Not. Wait.

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Published on March 05, 2018 04:12

Theodosia Browning investigates a Charleston steeped in tradition and treachery in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from Laura Childs #cozymystery #giveaway

Plum Tea Crazy (A Tea Shop Mystery)

by Laura Childs
About the Book

Plum Tea Crazy (A Tea Shop Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

19th in Series

Berkley (March 6, 2018)

Hardcover: 336 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0451489609

Digital ASIN: B071K4DPRH

While viewing the harbor’s Gaslights and Galleons Parade from the widow’s walk of Timothy Neville’s Charleston mansion, local banker Carson Lanier seemingly tumbles over a narrow railing, then plunges three stories to his death. But a tragic accident becomes something much more sinister when it’s discovered that the victim was first shot with a bolt from a crossbow.

At the request of the mansion owner, Theodosia investigates the tragedy and is soon neck deep in suspects. An almost ex-wife, a coworker, a real estate partner–all had motives for killing the luckless banker, but one resorted to murder to settle accounts.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

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About the Author

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fundraising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.