Susan and What We're Writing: Time to Make the Books

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Hello from New Orleans and Bouchercon '16! Delighted to be here. This is the view from my room:

My Bouchercon panel is on Friday (tomorrow), called YOU ALWAYS HURT THE ONE YOU LOVE: Messing with Your Protagonist at 11 a.m. in Mardi Gras E with Jeff Abbott, Laura Benedict (fan girl moment!), Cara Black (my Paris BFF), and Michael Wiley. I'm trying to remember things from novels already published to talk about, because it's spoilery to talk about yet-to-be published books. I have to say I'm getting old enough where this is all a bit much to keep in my head. But, my goodness, poor Maggie Hope — she's been through a lot, I'm sure I can find something to talk about....


THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE, book #6 in the Maggie Hope series, comes out on October 4th—just three weeks away! So I'm busily approving press materials, and writing blog posts and articles to support the launch. 

And watching as the reviews come out. Thank heavens they've been uniformly excellent. Publishers Weekly says: "Echoes of classic crime meet international espionage in MacNeal’s accomplished sixth WWII mystery ... MacNeal’s engaging characters, vivid scene-setting, moments of romance, and rich historical detail offer plenty to enjoy." (Full review here.)


And I have a book tour coming up. Do I know where I'm going? 

NO! 

Or—not really! 

My publicist says there are possibly more appearances in the works — but would prefer I don't say anything until they are officially confirmed. Here are the confirmed events:

New York, NY

Library at the Cosmopolitan Club – Talk & Signing – 10/5

Middleton, CT

Wesleyan University / Mysterium: Mystery! Novel Conference – Panel, Talk, Signing – 10/8

Lititz, PA

Aaron’s Books – Talk & Signing – 10/11

Thank goodness I'm at the point in my career where I have "book tour clothes" and can just throw them in a suitcase with a prepacked toiletries bag.... But still. STILL. It would be nice to know where I'm going to be in the next few weeks....

And then, on top of that, THE PARIS SPY, book #7 in the Maggie Hope series, is due October 15, ONE MONTH AWAY! Is it done? 

NO! 

I've given Noel pages to read and edit. He's returned them to me, marked up with blue pencil. "I'm ready for more pages!" says he. 

Me: "Um, that's great — but they don't exist yet." 

Yes, the whole ending to the novel? Not there yet. I have some ideas and need/want to write, but....

I'm at Bouchercon! Yes, it's great! I love seeing people! It's NOLA for heaven's sake! But it's not conducive to writing. AND it's hubby's birthday TODAY! I'm missing my husband's birthday. Yes, we will celebrate when I get home. But still. I'm having All the Guilts.

Also, I'm at Bouchercon and it's Kiddo's second week at his new middle school. He is having the expected growing pains. AND I'M NOT THERE! BAD MOMMY! 100 MOMMY DEMERITS!

This is the balcony of the amazing New Orleans restaurant where I phoned home last night to talk to Noel and Kiddo. They were fine. I was a mess.


Sigh....

So I'm trying to write something for you guys, something amazing and inspiring and enticing.... and, well, drawing a blank. 

I'm thinking about my husband and kid. 

Thinking about the novel I'm supposed to write. 

Thinking about the novel coming out. 

Thinking about where I may or may not be going on tour.

And that, folks, is my post. 

I love you all, but I have to go back to work. 


xoxox Susan


P.S. Does anyone remember the Dunkin' Donuts commercial with the guy saying, "Time to make the donuts"? (You can see it here.) Well, time to make the books.

P.P.S. Donuts.... (Or doughnuts, as my copy editor would say.) Either way, mmmmmm......

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: So, Reds and lovely readers—what's your favorite donut? 

Since I'm in New Orleans, I suppose I should try a beignet, right? Cafe du Monde? Black coffee has no calories.... 

And I can bring my laptop, yes?

How's Your Summer Going?

Lucy with Hannah and David

LUCY BURDETTE:  Since amazingly enough Labor Day is less than a month away, I thought it might be fun to check in and ask about the highlights of your summer so far. We have been on a whirlwind of family events – two weddings and a new granddaughter. Oh, and two trips to California. The first was to Malibu for my darling nephew's wedding. It was a glorious weekend with lots of family time. 

Beautiful Dorothea

We thought we'd be going back to California in August after our daughter's baby was born, but nature had other ideas. On July 21, all 5 lbs. 11 oz. of her made her dramatic appearance. Her name is Dorothea, after John's mom, and baby and her fabulous parents are all doing well. Tired, but that's to be expected with these new creatures. 

We careened directly from Venice CA to North Carolina to participate in my sister's wedding. The most amazing part of this

Cousin Joan with Richard and Martha

celebration was connecting with Joan, a cousin I hadn't seen in 40 years, the daughter of my mom's oldest sister. Those three sisters and all of us cousins spent many holidays and summer vacations together, but Time has a way of changing things. She was so lovely, and has many memories of my grandmother from living with her that I can't wait to hear. And we learned that my cousin Tom Isleib on the other side has an amazing talent for limericks, and my brother emerged as a limerick master as well. I will leave you with one example. You'll see the topic can be anything... And stay tuned for more limericks on Friday--and a contest!

Cousins sent their men out to fetch lunch.
"Bet it's Subway," said Steve on a hunch.
Well, we gobbled that goo
While the flies had some, too,
Now we're lying around in a bunch.

RHYS BOWEN: What lovely family time, Lucy. I'm so glad you got to enjoy all of these events. My summer seems to have been going on forever. I keep hoping there will be at least one moment to take a book under a tree and relax. So far I've been to England, saw the premiere of the play of my children's book, taught a workshop in Tuscany, visited the hotel where John's parents spent their honeymoon in Santa Margherita Liguri, did research in Stresa, visited friends in England. Then worked like crazy to finish first draft of next Georgie book. Was on the faculty of the Book Passage Mystery Conference and have just returned from a workshop in Kansas City and a book event for Crowned and Dangerous in Scottsdale. Next up is an event on Mackinac Island in two weeks. I'm planning to watch Olympics and catch my breath for a couple of days before I do anything else!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  After that? I am going to skip my turn. Rhys! You are astonishing, but it makes my Tanglewood-attending, (Mozart and Mahler) and cataract surgery (life-changingly amazing) and book tour planing for SAY NO MORE (November!) pale in comparison. Still! I am having a very nice summer. Working working working. Today I reached word 55,555 in UNTITLED. Yay!

HALLIE EPHRON: When I'm not on the road (right now I'm in Portland OR at the Willamette Writers Conference - a fabulous conference!) I'm chained to my desk editing two books and missing deadlines. When my kids show up I drop everything for family time, but my poor husband who's off for the summer is very much flying solo, poor guy, for a few weeks yet.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I've managed to make a few of my summer bucket list items already: I've gone to see the Sea Dogs play ball in Portland AND the Rockies play the Pirates in Coors Field in Denver. I've had a fresh haddock sandwich at a lobster shack in Midcoast Maine. We've hosted friends for cookouts on our built-last-year patio, and I've spent the day up at Theatre of Monmouth seeing one of their excellent Shakespeare productions.

I've also been traveling quite a bit - although all of us will sound like stay-at-home recluses compared to Rhys! I went to Syracuse to spend time with my parents, went to Colorado Springs to stay with one of my best friends. Along with the ballgame, we also rode the cog railroad up Pike's Peak, explored historical sites and spent an afternoon in an outdoor hot tub drinking wine spritzers. Bliss.

The best thing so far? We just got home from Chicago, where we saw The Boy graduate from basic training at Naval Station Great Lakes! We stayed at the BEST hotel - the Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest. It was the perfect place to hang out and catch up with our son, and that had three separate restaurants, so we never even had to leave to find a meal. It was great seeing him again and seeing the positive changes the Navy has wrought on him already.

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: It's been a summer of lots of travel — to Hudson, NY and Providence, RI. Now we're back in NYC (with the heat) and Kiddo is going to an engineering camp he really loves. I'm trying to write, as well as do the usual accompanying blog posts that come with a new book (THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE drops on October 4). Did I mention it's hot? It's really hot. We're watching the Olympics in the air conditioning.

And did someone say limerick? The town we stayed in in Rhode Island is called "Pawtucket." 

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I think I should skip my turn, too. I have spent my summer writing. I finished my book (only a year late) on July 18th. I collapsed for a couple of days, then spent a week madly gathering material for Laura Maestro, the wonderful illustrator who does the endpaper maps. THEN I started revisions. The book went to copy edit on Friday. While I wait for the copy edit, I'm working on revisions for the German version. That is it.

And it's been very, very hot. 107 here on Friday, but thankfully we've had a little cool front. But on Friday I'm going to Kansas City for the weekend with daughter and granddaughter to see my best friend, so that is my big much-anticipated treat of the summer! (Assuming copy edit doesn't arrive before Friday...) 

Lucy: Red friends, how are your summers going?

Susan on What We’re Writing and an ARC Giveaway of THE QUEEN’S ACCOMPLICE

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: It’s summer, and I’m desperately trying to balance family time and working on THE PARIS SPY (Maggie Hope #7). This basically consists of taking my computer on our family vacations to Hudson, NY and Providence, RI. 

So far I’ve worked — and missed going on a water park adventure, a hike, to a horse show, and a barbecue.

And I've also played hookey from work (don’t tell my editor!) — to go to the horse stables to watch kiddo, have a lunch date at an amazing French place with my husband, and go swimming with all the kids and then take a nap in a hammock.

I think the solution is to be fully present in whatever mode I’m in — family or work— but it’s hard. This summer, especially, I seem to be struggling. Whenever I’m doing one, I’m worrying about what I’m missing on the other side. There’s just always this feeling of not having enough time.

Right now we’re driving from Hudson, NY to Providence and I’m writing this blog post from the backseat of the car, with my computer propped up on my travel bag, while kibitzing on the conversation going on right now: “Why Aren’t Eleven-Year-Olds Allowed to Drive?” (Kiddo is saying that they should; Daddy is providing the counter argument.)

I don’t know that there’s a solution to this work/life dilemma. But I have been lucky enough to have a loyal writing buddy, Zola, on this leg of the vacation. She’s an elderly black lab mix who likes to curl up and sleep near me as type. When her family's around, she loves them. And when they're gone, she naps (her "work"). I love her. “Be like Zola” is perhaps the wisest thing I’ve come up with so far. It's my new mantra.

Hey, we’re getting closer to the October 4 release of THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE! Here’s the description from Penguin Random House:

Spy and code-breaker extraordinaire Maggie Hope returns to war-weary London, where she is thrust into the dangerous hunt for a monster, as the New York Times bestselling mystery series for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd, and Anne Perry continues.

England, 1942. The Nazis’ relentless Blitz may have paused, but  London’s nightly blackouts continue. Now, under the cover of darkness, a madman is brutally killing and mutilating young women in eerie and exact re-creations of Jack the Ripper’s crimes. What’s more, he’s targeting women who are reporting for duty to be Winston Churchill’s spies and saboteurs abroad. The officers at MI-5 quickly realize they need the help of special agent Maggie Hope to find the killer dubbed “the Blackout Beast.” A trap is set. But once the murderer has his sights on Maggie, not even Buckingham Palace can protect the resourceful spy from her fate.

 And the first review, from Kirkus, lauds THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE: "Maggie ... is a thoughtful spy whose dangerous escapades never disappoint." Thank you! To celebrate, I’m giving away an autographed ARC to one lucky reader, who posts in the comments.

In the meantime, here's the prologue of THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE. Enjoy!

The winds were changing.


They were blowing in from the east now, Vera Baines noted, from the East End. Even though the air raids had stopped for the moment in London—as Hitler turned his attentions toward Russia—the docks, railroads, and factories were still burning. Through her open bedroom window, she could smell cold wind scented with smoke and destruction. She watched as it ruffled the bare black branches of the trees of Regent’s Park, rustling dead ivy. 

Since the war had begun, the park had become a desolate expanse of meandering walkways, overgrown shrubbery, and long air-raid trenches—an ideal location for crime. But not on her watch.
As an ARP warden for her section in Marylebone, Vera Baines knew not only the winds but the intricacies of light and dark. Sunset in London in late March 1942 arrived after six, but the violet shadows began to lengthen at least an hour earlier. This evening’s sunset was extraordinary—bright red, with crepuscular rays piercing wispy clouds.

Despite barely clearing the five-foot mark and a slight figure, at eighty-three, Vera was a redoubtable woman. She was more wiry than frail, her energy giving the impression of her being much taller than she actually was. She had impeccable posture and moved with a force and confidence her friends and family hadn’t seen since her husband died ten years ago. And her face, with its high cheekbones and clear blue eyes that missed nothing, radiated strength.

Vera hated the war, hated the loss of innocent lives—but she couldn’t deny it had brought a certain clarity to her existence. As an ARP warden, she now felt she had a purpose: She would protect her own. As she surveyed the park’s deepening shadows from the window of her bone-colored Georgian terraced house, Vera felt responsibility, plus a fierce sense of love and pride. This was her London. These were her people. Nothing would happen to them on her sentry.

It was time to begin her shift. Vera took one last look at the fad- ing light, listening to the forlorn cries of the birds, then picked her way downstairs, leaning on the railing. At her door, she put on her ARP tin hat, dark blue wool overcoat, and gloves, and reached for her walking stick—with a silver British bulldog on the handle. Then she went down the outside stairs and onto the icy flagstone pavement, bracing herself against the wind. She paced the street with her usual vigor, the pale symmetrical Nash architecture reflecting the last light of the dying sunset. The temperature was dropping and the air smelled of imminent storms.

A passing white-haired man tipped his black bowler hat, and she nodded in return. “Oh, Mr. Saunders—” she called after him, her breath making clouds in the chill air.

The man stopped and turned. “Yes, Mrs. Baines?”

“I noticed a chink in your blackout curtain on the second floor last night. Please see to it no light is visible from now on.”

He took a few steps forward and frowned down at her. “We haven’t had an air raid in months, dearie.”

Vera was not deterred by his bulk, his height, or his condescending tone. “And the Luftwaffe might be choosing tonight for a return visit, Mr. Saunders. Let’s not give them any light to guide them to us, shall we?”

She strode on, chin high, taking her usual route past the charred remains of Regent’s Park’s brick wall. The last of the sun’s light melted away, but Vera didn’t mind the dark; she liked being out alone at night. Without electric lights to pierce the darkness, the nighttime took on a new beauty in the icy bright moonlight. Her shuttered flashlight illuminated the strips of white paint on the curbs and tree trunks, giving off a ghostly glow.

In the distance, she could hear the sounds of the city: the faint rumble of motor traffic, the clip-clop of horses’ hooves on cobble- stones, the screeches and flaps of bats off to their night’s hunt. The wind picked up once again, causing the ancient tree branches to sway and creak, the dead leaves and lipstick-stained cigarette butts in the gutters to dance.

Without artificial light, Regent’s Park at night could have been any era in London—from the time when ancient Britons painted themselves blue, to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, to the period of Victoria and Albert. Even the clocks obliged: When the Nazi bombs exploded, all nearby timepieces ceased to function, paralyzed at whatever time they were at the instant of impact. These comatose clocks were another reason Vera could imagine time telescoping—the suspended present creating an atmosphere where time travel seemed no mere fantasy. Really, anything seemed possible, especially in the shadows of night. It even smelled as it could have hundreds of years ago—the same stink of urine against the crumbling brick walls as there would have been in Pepys’s day.

In the darkness, Vera tripped and nearly fell, saved only by her trusty walking stick. “What the—?” she muttered, her grip in leather gloves tight on the silver handle. She righted herself, glad Mr. Saunders hadn’t been there to see.

She looked down at a long blanket-wrapped bundle. Leaning over, flashlight in one hand, she lifted and pulled back the wool covering with the tip of her cane.

Vera gave a sharp inhale, but didn’t cry out when she saw the butchered body of a young woman. The body looked to have be- longed to a girl in her early twenties—healthy and athletic, hair curled. Her throat had been slashed so savagely her head was nearly severed from her body. Her belly had been slit through her ATS uniform, which was soaked through with blood.

Vera felt as if she’d been struck dumb. But she swallowed, braced her shoulders, gathering her strength. “Murder!” she managed to croak. “Murder!” she cried, louder this time. “Someone— someone fetch the police!”

A blond boy in a tweed cap walking past stopped and stared. “What the devil’s going on? Are you all right, ma’am?”

Vera lifted her chin, squared her shoulders, and deployed the stiff upper lip she’d perfected over a lifetime of practice. “Yes, yes, of course I am,” she reassured him. “But I’m afraid she isn’t,” she added, pointing to the woman’s mutilated body with the silver tip of her walking stick.

The boy squinted in the darkness, eyes following the flashlight’s beam When he realized what he was seeing, he tore off his cap and crossed himself, whispering, “Bloody hell.” He looked from the body back to Vera. “She’s been ripped, ma’am.” He shook his head, his hands worrying at his hat. “Looks like she’s been done in by Jack the Bloody Ripper himself.”

“What are you going on about, young man?” Despite her occasional daydreams—or night dreams—Vera had no patience for macabre nonsense. But the boy was looking past her to the park’s brick wall, gaping at lettering.

With a shaking hand, Vera raised her flashlight. The words scrawled across the wall were painted the same ghostly, glowing white paint as the curbs.

They read, JACK IS BACK. 

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Reds and readers, what do you do when you're feeling town in two (or more!) directions in life?

Please remember to leave a comment to be in the running for the ARC giveaway of THE QUEEN’S ACCOMPLICE.

(Winners chosen in a totally arbitrary and often subjective way by Kiddo.)

Susan's April in Paris

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Bonjour, Reds and lovely readers! Er, hello... Still walking on air after the Paris trip, to research Maggie Hope #7, THE PARIS SPY. 

But meanwhile, no rest for the wicked. The ARC (Advance Readers Copy) of THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE is out! Huzzah! (And if you're a book blogger and would like to request a NetGalley copy, please contact publicist Alex Coumbis at acoumbis@penguirandomhouse.com.)

Meanwhile, it's my job to go over the ARC, to make the last corrections. As you see, I have Lola, trusty editrix extraordinnaire, at my side during the process....

But back to Paris!  I went solo, for ten days, with a primitive grasp of French and a long list of sites I wanted to visit for my research. I'm happy to report that I made it through the whole trip speaking only French — with just a bit of Spanish thrown in. (Studied Spanish for eight years, so comes out sometimes when I try other Romance languages.)

For this trip, I wasn't doing "tourist Paris" — it really was all about researching the Nazi occupation during the spring of 1942, a few months before the infamous July 16 Vel' d'Hiv roundup of the Jews.

To that end, one of my first stops was the Musée de la Armée — the Army Museum. Where most people beeline to the tomb of Napoleon, I spent my day in the World War I and World War II sections, as well as the Charles DeGaulle exhibit.

I took photos of the parts I found most interesting:

and:

But it was this graffito, part of a preserved wall — V for Victory plus the symbol of the Résistance — that really was a game changer for me. With every book, I've found a place or a thing that's the catalyst to making it all come alive for me. This was it. Whoever wrote this symbol risked certain death if caught. And still, she or he did it, as part of the fight, no matter how small. 

I found it powerful.

Of course, not everything was quite so serious. Here's a gorgeous Elsa Schiaparelli dress from 1942, which I saw at the Louvre Mode and Textile Museum. (It was probably made for and worn by the wife of a high-ranking collaborator or the mistress of a Nazi officer.)

It was part of an exhibit of French fashion throughout history:

And here are some chic chien:

And hey, isn't that Aimee Leduc's detective agency's sign, from Cara Black's fantastic series? (If only Maggie and Aimee could meet....)

On the darker end of the spectrum, I did visit Avenue Fochs, home of Gestapo Headquarters in Paris:

The fifth floor, what used to be the servants quarters, is where the Gestapo kept Résistance workers and captured British agents, while "interrogation" took place in the cellar. 

However, I found this early-blooming iris, the "fleur de lis" and symbol of France, growing opposite.

SUSAN: I hope you enjoyed the photos! Is Paris the setting of any of your favorite books? I recently reread Dickens' A TALE OF TWO CITIES and remembered why I loved it so much in high school. And, of course, I'm a huge fan of Cara Black's Aimee Leduc novels. 

What are your favorite novels set in Paris or France? Please tell us in the comments!

Susan on What We're Writing: "Once More With Feeling"

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: There's good news and there's bad news.

The good news is that I've finished the first round of copyedits on THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE (Maggie Hope #6) and sent everything back to the Powers That Be at Penguin Random House. Also, there's also a gorgeous cover to reveal — but they won't let me show you just yet!

And the bad news — you know all that research I was doing on yet-unnamed Maggie Hope #7? The one set in Paris? And how I'd started writing?

Well, as it turns out, it was a good story. But it wasn't my story. It just didn't work for me.

I have a lot of insomnia and usually curse it — but there, one night in the dark, at about 2 a.m., I realized, "This book is just not working."

And, so, with a heavy heart, I scrapped endless notes and about 30K worth of words.

It hurts, people — it hurts. I mean, yes, it's a so-called first-world problem, of course. But still.... ouch.

However, there's a bright side.

Initially, yes, I was upset. Angry, even. But then, after some time passed, I realized that what I was feeling was ...  relief! Like, my subconscious had known this for a while and it took that long for the message to get through.

At any rate, the news isn't all bad and is in fact (ultimately) good: I've found the right plot now, with the right characters, and have found fantastic first-person research books to read. And so, I'm starting again!

I don't want to give away too much; but, as always, I'm using some real people as inspiration for fictional characters, including Maurice Buckmaster of Special Operations Execute (SOE, Churchill's secret army); Vera Atkins, also of SOE; and then a Frenchman named Henri Déricourt. Déricourt is a polarizing figure — he may have been a double, or maybe even a triple agent — working for SOE, the Gestapo in Paris, and, allegedly also for MI-6. No one agrees.

Questions about Henri Déricourt's loyalty's persist to this day, with historians on different sides of the fence. (Which makes him a fascinating, but difficult, figure to research).

It's important to note that the files that would have shed light on Déricourt and his (allegedly) being a double or even triple agent — burned in a fire at SOE in 1946, the day before they were supposed to be moved to storage.

That fire and all those records it consumed — it's like the burning of the Library at Alexandra for those of us consumed with curiosity about what happened to the SOE agents in France and their betrayal to the Gestapo. Something happened, something horrific. 

But whether it was SOE's incompetence, an SOE double agent working with the Gestapo, or even a triple agent, betraying both SOE and the Gestapo to MI-6 — no one knows. The facts are so obscured now that Anthony Cave Brown reported a historian saying in BODYGUARD OF LIES: "[the disaster that happened to the agents of the SOE Prosper network] is a skein so tangled, so convoluted, attitudes of mind so Byzantine, as ... to defy rational analysis."

And so — unless something turns up, a diary, perhaps or something that was misfiled and thus survived the fire — it will remain a mystery.

Which, Reds and lovely readers, makes a great premise for a novel.

Have you ever put a lot of thought and work and energy into a project, only to realize it's just not working? What happened? How did you work through it? Tell us in the comments!

What We're Writing — Susan's Editing THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: I know I wrote just earlier this week about starting Maggie Hope #7, set in Paris during the Occupation, but wouldn't you know it — just got back copyedits for THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE. So it's a bit of "two steps forward, three steps back." 

Add caption

THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE is Maggie Hope novel #6, and set in London. It's my first serial killer novel, based on the real-life murderer who terrorized London during the Blitz Blackouts. It's also my most "traditional" mystery — since the murder victims are female SOE secret agents tapped to be dropped behind enemy lines in Europe, Maggie is chosen as the special liaison to MI-5 and Scotland Yard, who are working jointly on the case.

This particular novel was also influenced by the Wellcome

Collection in London's exhibit, "Forensics: Anatomy of a Crime" and the accompanying book by novelist Val McDermid. The trick to writing about a murder set in the winter of 1942 is to make sure the forensics used are historically accurate and the exhibition and book were amazingly helpful.

Aside from the murders and mystery, one of the things I love most about this novel is that we're back in London and get to see a lot of old friends: David Greene, of course, who's still head private secretary to Mr. Churchill. We also catch up with ballet dancer Sarah Sanderson, who's hung up her pointe shoes for a Sten gun, joining the SOE and preparing to be dropped in Paris. Joining her is Hugh Thompson, Maggie's former boyfriend, who's going to be her partner undercover. In MRS. ROOSEVELT'S CONFIDANTE, Maggie made a deal with Mr. Churchill to help her half-sister, Elise Hess, escape from Ravensbruck concentration camp, where she's being held as a political prisoner — and we see how that's going....

For copyedits, I really like to leave home for a few days. Just really

need absolute silence. "Honey, what's for dinner?" and "Mommy, can I play with Johnny?" really break the concentration. So with any luck, a friend will need apartment or housesitting and I'll be able to get away on my own for a bit. (Hank, is the top floor apartment still available?)

I am excited — and also overwhelmed. 

Please wish me luck!


Reds and lovely readers, when you need to perform a task that requires total concentration, what helps you? Silence? White noise? Coffee? What else? Please tell us in the comments!