Charmed and Fabulous: Rhys Bowen's New Book!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Trying to remember when I first met Rhys Bowen--it was at the St. Martins party at...Bouchercon? Or somewhere. And I've never told her this, but she was a vision. I mean--sorry for being sappy, but there was an aura around her. A real glow--of happiness and joy and genuine engagement. And we chatted, and clicked, and laughed and laughed, and there might have been wine involved,  and the next day, she was a Red. (Where was this photo taken, anyone remember? )

Since then, we have been real sisters--sharing success and disappointment and writer's craziness and family rites of passage--and always always, Rhys has a genuine enjoyment and appreciation and gratitude for everything that happens. Even the downs--she faces them with high sprits and optimism.

And her new book? Crowned and Dangerous comes out tomorrow! (Yay! Pre-order here, just saying)   Wow, Rhys--I have never read such glowing reviews! Except for your other books  :-) but anyway, one reviewer (in a  starred review!) called you a combination of Agatha Christie and PG Wodehouse. Well, that's quite a tribute. What do you think about that, dear Rhys? And --if this is even possible--was that a conscious decision?

RHYS: I have a confession to make, Hank. I was in awe when I met you. I mean so chic, not a hair out of place and those impossibly high heels. And then we clicked instantly and becoming one of the Reds was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. You guys are the sisters I never had.

HANK: Aw. xoxo. Meant to be.

RHYS: As far as Christie and Wodehouse. Wow, that is a little humbling and gobsmacking! I don't set out to write like anybody. Every book I have written has been a book I wanted to read and it wasn't on the shelf. I'm flattered that anyone should compare me to such giants but I think I still have a way to go!

HALLIE: Darcy and Lady Georgie are on their way to Scotland get married when Darcy's father is murdered, and so the book takes us to Ireland instead. And what an Ireland it is! Can you tell us about the wonderful settings for the book?

RHYS: Those who read the last book in the series (Malice in the Palace) will know we left Georgie and Darcy in a cliff-hanger, on their way to Scotland to get married. We know the course of true love never does run smooth in books so they run into a blizzard in Yorkshire and then Darcy sees a headline in the morning newspaper that sends him rushing to Ireland and leaving Georgie behind.

I adore Ireland. it's so fresh and green and the people are so warm. So I set the book in horse country, where there are lush meadows with thoroughbreds in them and sweeping hills and old castles. I've visited quite a few of those old castles, had a medieval banquet at Bunratty and even kissed the Blarney Stone (actually not really kissed it. Kissed air about an inch away. Think of all those lips who went before me!)

LUCY: Two questions for you Rhys. First is about lady Georgie's voice, which is one of the things I love most about the Royal spyness series. Did her voice just come to you, or did you have to work on imagining who she was first?

And second is a question about how to maintain such a grueling schedule and exceptional career over the long haul. It was so exciting to hear about your early children's book being fashioned for the London stage. Any advice for writers looking to stick this out through thick and thin?

RHYS: Lady Georgie's voice came to me when I first started to write. I didn't stop until I'd written 25 pages and she still won't shut up. I just listen to her and write it down.  I saw her and knew her instantly and she's been a joy to spend time with. It's such fun to sit at the computer and chuckle.

Second question: 2 books a year. Yes, I'm a crazy woman. The problem is I have two publishers and they both want a book a year. But then what would I do if I didn't write? I think the way for a writer to have a long career is never be satisfied, always wanting to do better than the last book, and being prepared to reinvent yourself. Oh, and to see the play of my book in London was such a thrill!

DEBS: Rhys, I am in awe of you. Two (at least!) very different books a year, and both so good. But I wonder if you look forward to Georgie when you're writing Molly, because Georgie is just so much fun? And another question, the Georgie books always seem so effortless. Do you ever find yourself struggling with the plot or lost in the middle? (And of course I'd ask if you'll ever let Georgie marry Darcy, but I don't think you'll tell us...)

HANK: Oh, that's such a good question! And yes, they do seem effortless. Rhys, do you work solidly on one, and then the next?  Or back and forth?

RHYS: Debs, when I'm writing Molly I always dream of writing Georgie, and the other way around. The grass is always greener, I guess. But I could never switch between them. When I'm writing Molly I am in New York, 1905. I sometimes snap at John because Molly is mad at Daniel! And when I write Georgie I am completely in her world. In fact it's hard to switch off. I do plenty of lying awake, staring at the ceiling and muttering to myself! I have to wait a few weeks before I am ready to switch to the other. I can tell I'm ready when I start getting little ideas for plot twists.

HANK: Let me sneak in a little about CROWNED AND DANGEROUS--and yes, let's see that wonderful cover again!

 Nothing is simple when you’re thirty-fifth in line for the British crown, least of all marriage. But with love on their side, and plans to elope, Lady Georgiana Rannoch and her beau Darcy O’Mara hope to bypass a few royal rules...

With Darcy driving me out of London in a borrowed motor car, I soon discover that he isn’t planning to introduce me to the pleasures of sinning in secret—as I had hoped—but to make me his wife!

Of course, there are some quibbles to be dealt with, such as my needing special permission from the King to marry a Roman Catholic and the question of where we might live after the honeymoon. Though he will inherit a title, Darcy is as broke as I am. Even his family’s Irish castle has been sold to a rich American who now employs Darcy’s father as a hired hand.

Throwing these cares to the wind, nothing could deter us from our mission—except perhaps the news that my future father-in-law has just been arrested. It seems the rich American was murdered and Darcy’s father had more than enough motive to do the deed. With the elopement postponed, we head for Ireland where he insists he’s innocent, and it’s up to us to prove it—for better or worse.

JULIA: No question - just pure admiration. I adore the Lady Georgie books and have put so many in the hands of readers. I simply say, "Imagine one of those sparkling 1930's comedies crossed with Agatha Christie" and bam! Who could resist?

I'm also, like Debs, in awe of how Rhys manages two wonderful books a year, traveling with John, book tours and conferences, close relationships with her grown kids, grandkids, and granddogs...and still stay eminently sane and healthy. One begins to suspect a portrait in the attic.

(Rhys: not so sure about the sane part, Julia!)

Congrats on Crowned and Dangerous, Rhys!

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Let me add my congratulations! Rhys, I've never met you in person, but have nothing but respect for your writing, not least the speed at which you write not one, but two series! Hearty congrats on CROWNED AND DANGEROUS!

HANK: Cannot wait or the entire Red contingent to be together, Susan! Whoa. Pick a date--our house! 

So, dear Reds and readers--what questions do you have for Rhys? About when she met the Queen? When she sang with --who was it, Rhys?  And what--can you tell us?-do you love the most about writing CROWNED?

RHYS:  Thank you all so much for this, darling Reds. I feel so blessed to have you all.  One thing I loved about writing Crowned was some new and very eccentric relations. I loved how Georgie and Darcy's relationship is almost shattered and hangs on anyway. And a really complex plot!

And I'll give a signed copy to one lucky commenter!

Covers, Titles and Spoilers

RHYS BOWEN: This week my lovely editor at Berkley contacted me to see what I wanted on the cover of next year’s Royal Spyness novel. I realize how lucky I am to have a publisher that takes my wishes into consideration so that we have a shared vision of the cover of my books. My new Royal Spyness book comes out in four weeks and as always I am delighted with the cover: the Irish castle, the horse racing... all perfect. And the enigmatic man with his back to us. But I thought you'd like to see how the cover evolved. First draft:

We felt that the raincoat needed to pop a little more and the man in boots looked as if he had unnaturally skinny legs. Hence the second draft:

I am all too aware that it is the cover and title that sell the book to new readers. A dreary, boring or wrong cover can doom the best novel. I’ve had friends suffer from a major spoiler on the cover (such as the murderer holding a gun???) A friend’s legal thriller came out with a spaniel on the cover once, because the art director liked spaniels. Doomed as far as male readers were concerned.

I also find that I have to fight from time to time to stop the cover copy from giving away clever plot points. I’d rather it didn’t say “she goes to work for an unpleasant and arrogant millionaire. When he is found murdered…..”  I don’t want my reader to know in advance who is going to die. I want the reader to observe the main characters interacting and to think “something bad is going to happen here” but then be shocked and surprised when it does.  So I’m often hesitant to read cover flaps.

And as for titles: it’s often the title that comes to me first. I find I can’t write with confidence and enthusiasm unless I have a title, even if I know it’s only a working one. Sometimes I have discussions with my publisher about the title. We throw suggestions around and always come up with something that satisfies all of us. But I am always conscious how important the title is. I have to confess that I have been lured by an intriguing title into buying a book. The Thirteenth Tale. Loved it.  Anything with the word Garden intrigues me. And water. The Shape of Water. 

At the moment the fad seems to be to use the word GIRL in the title. Or the word GONE. Or COLD. Or TRAIN. So my next Georgie book will be called COLD GIRL GONE ON THE TRAIN.  Or... GIRL GONE ON THE COLD TRAIN , or TRAIN GONE, GIRL COLD. Future bestseller, do you think?

Above all, the cover should tell you what kind of book you are getting. I once put together a selection of covers that really missed the mark. Here are some of them!

So do share your experiences: writers, have you ever been stuck with a title you didn’t like? Have your editors come up with a title you thought was brilliant? And readers, how often do you pick up a book because the title intrigued you?

And what about covers? Ever bought a book because you couldn’t resist the cover?

AND do you want to know what’s going to happen, who is going to die when you read the cover flap?

What We're writing: RHYS CAN:T REVEAL....

RHYS BOWEN: I was about to post a snippet from the new Royal Spyness book I have just finished, but I realized that I couldn't do it without giving away major spoilers. We left Georgie and Darcy with a cliffhanger at the end of Malice at the Palace, and I really want the next book to be a complete surprise. A punch-in-the-gut surprise. No doubt some reviewers will give away the whole story, and the major plot points will be there on the book jacket, but I'd like to keep readers in the dark for as long as possible.

But I do have a cover to share with you. It's still in progress but this is the latest version. I think it's perfect and you'll see how well it fits the story. (Am I giving you some clues?)

And as to what I'm working on next.... I can't tell you that either. It's a big secret.
So....
I'm going to share a seasonally appropriate excerpt from AWAY IN A MANGER, my new Molly Murphy book.

Macy’s windows lived up to Bridies’s expectations. She stared at each one, wide-eyed, her nose pressed against the glass until her breath steamed it over, hiding the scene inside. In have to confess if I hadn’t experienced the shop windows in Paris earlier in the year I might have been equally impressed. There were mechanical rabbits eating carrots, figures skating on a frozen pond, an old toymaker sitting at his bench making toys. They were wonderful automatons with the toymaker’s eyes moving and his toys coming to life as he finished them.

            Bridie would have stood there all day, I suspect. “Come on, my dear. We still have the toy shop to visit,” I said.

            She had just torn herself away reluctantly to join us when a strange thing happened. Daniel gave a shout. A skinny youth looked up and took off at great speed with Daniel hot on his heels.  It was a mercy that Liam had just started fussing in Daniel’s arms and he’d handed him over to me or I don’t know what he would have done. If it had been an out and out running race I suspect that the boy would have gotten away, but he was hampered by the crowd dawdling along the sidewalk as they examined the windows, then a trolley, coming to a halt made him change direction and slow enough for Daniel to grab him.

            ‘Got ya, my boy,” Daniel said, twisting his arm up behind his back.

            “Let go of me,” the boy shouted. “I ain’t done nothing.”                                                     

“If you haven’t done anything, why were you running away?” Daniel demanded as the boy squirmed and fought.

“Wouldn’t you run if a crazy lunatic started chasing you? Get your hands off me.  I’ll call the police.”

            “Oh, that’s a good one. I am the police.” Daniel almost looked as if he was enjoying himself. “Captain Sullivan. So I’m not only the police, I’m one of the most important policemen you’re likely to meet.”

            “I ain’t done nothing,” the boy insisted. “Let go of me. You’re hurting.”

            “I saw your hand going into that lady’s bag,” Daniel said.

            “Go on then, search me!” the boy said belligerently. “You won’t find nothing.”

            “Of course I won’t. I stopped you in time. One more second and you’d have slipped her wallet under your jacket and been off through the crowd with her none the wiser.”

            “You can’t prove that,” the boy said. “And you’d better be careful, going around and accusing people of things they didn’t do. There’s such a thing as wrongful arrest, you know.”

            “Constable Macarthy!” Daniel boomed and a stout man in uniform forced his way through the crowd toward them.

            “A spot of trouble, Captain Sullivan, sir?”

            “Do you recognize this young ‘un?” Daniel asked.

            “Never seen him before, sir. What’s he been doing?”

            “Helping himself to people’s wallets,” Daniel said. “No, there’s no point in searching him. I spotted him in the act of lifting a purse, but I suspect he’s smart enough to have tucked others into hiding places to be retrieved later—just in case he was ever caught. Is that right, young fellow?”

            “I said to get your hands off me,” the boy snarled. “You’re going to be sorry, you know. I got friends.”

            “Oh no, I think it’s you whose going to be sorry,” Daniel said. “I never forget a face and my men will be on the lookout for you now, all over the city. If you’re smart you’ll stay indoors until after Christmas.  Handcuff him, Constable.”

            “What do you want me to do with him, Captain?” the constable asked as the pair of them wrestled handcuffs onto the struggling and cursing youth.

            “Take him to the nearest station house and get his name, address and finger prints,” Daniel said. “If he gives you any sauce you have my permission to lock him up for the night until he can learn some manners.”

            “You can’t do that. I told ya, I ain’t done nothing,” the boy said, looking slightly more worried now.

            “If you cooperate like a good boy, then you’ve got nothing to worry about and you’ll be free as a bird in a little while,” Daniel said. “But if any of my men catches you picking pockets again, remember we’ll have your finger prints on file and you’ll be heading straight to jail. Understand me?”

            A crowd had gathered, standing not too close but watching with interest.

“What’s the boy done?” a thin clergyman in a black suit asked.

“Pick pocket,” Daniel said. “There are too many of them around this year. You should all make sure you keep a watchful eye on your cash.”

“But he’s only a boy,” the clergyman said. “Surely handcuffs aren’t necessary. If you’d let me have a word with him, I know I could make him—“

His speech was cut off by a scream from somewhere in the crowd and a woman cried out, “My money is missing. Someone’s taken my purse.”

AND TWO NEWS FLASHES TO SHARE:

THE TWELVE CLUES OF CHRISTMAS is currently on sale for $1:99 on Amazon. If you want something to get you into the holiday mood download, make some hot chocolate and enjoy.

AND if you are feeling cold and sun-deprived....

There are only two slots left on my workshop in Tuscany next summer. If you know someone who is a fledgling mystery writer or you'd like to know details, please check it out at: www.Minervaeducation.net