Britbox!

 RHYS BOWEN: Remember when TV was three or four channels. Remember when we waited with anticipation for the next episode of our favorite drama? Now it's all about streaming. We've adapted to it slowly, first Netflix then Prime. During the Pandemic I discovered the joy of binge-watching. When I was sick and on a clear liquid diet it was the Great British Baking Show. One of the most comforting shows on Earth, right?

One of the things I discovered during the pandemic was Britbox. All my favorite British TV shows in one place. Heaven! I have binge watched ever since, rejoicing in new crime series, like Murder in Provence and Val McDermid's brilliant new one.

Another fun benefit has been that Britbox has teamed up with Jungle Red Writers to share about new shows. What fun! And now they have told us about a fantastic contest happening right now, over the holidays.

Here is what they say:

LIGHTS, CAMERA, PLAY DEAD! GIVE THE GIFT OF BRITBOX AND BE ENTERED TO WIN A TRIP TO LONDON, VISIT THE SET OF A BRITBOX FAN-FAVORITE SERIES, AND BE AN UNDERSTUDY TO AN ON-SCREEN MURDER MYSTERY VICTIM

 

BritBox hosts first sweepstakes “One Way Ticket”, offering fans up-close and personal access to the idyllic locations of its beloved series

 

From the lush rolling hills of The Cotswolds to the buzzing streets of London, there’s no shortage of stunning British destinations on display in BritBox’s series. This year, BritBox is giving fans the chance of a lifetime through its One Way Ticket sweepstakes. With each purchase of a gift subscription*, gift-givers will be entered to win the ultimate fan experience: a trip to Britain to visit these locations and a live set!

 

The grand prize winner will receive a trip for two to London and the Cotswolds, including round trip airfare, lodging, and planned excursions. Best of all, the winner will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the live set of an upcoming BritBox series during filming. Second prize winners will receive an exclusive BritBox item.

 

Gift-givers will be automatically entered to win with each purchase of a one-year gift subscription on BritBox.com. Those who choose not to participate will be given the ability to opt out—just uncheck the designated box.

 

For shoppers looking for a quick, easy, or even last-minute gift, a BritBox gift subscription is a thoughtful solution that will always be in stock. For $79.99, get 12 months for the price of 10 and give the best of British TV, all year long.

 

Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ov2g4u5ktoio54g/AAAq1ZAbbZDUCTjVZTKmxi_-a?dl=0

 

*Entrants must be 18 years or older and a legal resident of the U.S. or Canada. Sweepstakes ends at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on January 5th, 2023. Must travel summer 2023. Purchase not required for entry. See official rules for details.

 

BritBox is available for $7.99 per month/79.99 per year—after an introductory free trial period—on Roku®, Amazon Fire TV stick, Apple TV 4th Gen, Samsung, LG and all iOS and Android devices, AirPlay, Chromecast, and online at https://www.britbox.com/us/. BritBox is also available on Amazon Channels for Prime members and on Apple TV Channels on supported devices.

About BritBox

BritBox is a digital video subscription service offering the largest collection of British TV in the U.S. and Canada. Created by two British content powerhouses—BBC Studios, the subsidiary arm of the BBC, and ITV, the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster—the service features iconic favorites, exclusive premieres, and current series and soaps—most available within 24 hours after their UK premiere. BritBox also offers expert curation and playlists that enable fans to easily find programs they know and discover new favorites via the web, mobile, tablet and connected TVs.   

 

 

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 RHYS:  How can you resist? Worth every penny. The contest closes soon. So if there is someone for whom you haven't found the right gift yet... here it is! Good luck

And what streaming services do you watch? What have you binge-watched? I've done that with Alone, Bridgerton, the Crown.... what else?

I Wish Mom Could See This

Mom at age 20 or so...

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  My mother died a few years ago—you know that, right? And I still think of her, of course. The times when I roll my eyes at something, and know she’d be doing the same thing. Or when I have a big realization, and want to give her the opportunity to say I told you so. Or when I need to make a decision about a crisis. Or a dress.

Though I became “Hank” in 1967—thanks to some unremembered classmate in college—she ever called me that. Not through all my years as a reporter with my name “Hank” on the screen.  She called me Ann, unwaveringly. Or Harriet Ann, if I was in trouble.

 It wasn’t until my first book came out, with the name on the cover, that she embraced “Hank,” It was--and this is just between you all and me—as if I had finally done something that was good enough.

She was quite the character. Brilliant, and stylish, and funny, and artistic. Generous.  And, um, opinionated.

I laugh every time Mother’s day comes around, too. Every time, when we were kids, we used to whine: “Why can't there be kids' day?”

Mom would inform us "Every day is kids' day. You just don't realize we're celebrating."

Anyway, Mom loved that I was writing, although once it led--almost--to a battle royal. I had sent her the galley of Face Time. I was all excited, I knew she'd love it.

She called me, soon after she received it, and said (please imagine a somewhat imperious tone here), "I have just read the first ten pages of Face Time. Would you like to know my reaction?”

I was all excited, even though I should have realized that question was a sure sign of imminent disaster. Silly me said, "Sure!”

Mom said: "My emotion is… rage.”

Rage? I thought--rage? How could that be?

So I said, all conciliatory, "Mom, Mom, I don't understand. Rage? Why?"

And she said (please still imagine the tone of voice) "Charlotte McNally's mother is going to Boston for a face lift. Now everyone will think I did that!"

I tried not to laugh. I explained to her, as gently as I could, that it was fiction. That Charlotte McNally was fiction, and Charlotte McNally's mother was fiction.

"You're not Charlie's mother," I tried to assure her.

My fifth birthday

There was a pause. And then she said, "Of course I am, dear."

(And now I must confess. She was kind of right. But I could never admit that. Oh, not the coming to Boston for a face lift part. But other parts.)

Anyway, finally we made a deal. 

She promised to read the whole book, and then let me know how she felt.

She did, and called me a day or so later. Crying.

Mom said, "Oh, honey. I loved it! And this is the first time I've ever cried at the end of a murder mystery. It's actually a mother-daughter love story!"

And indeed, it is. And that's exactly how I meant it.

As Mother's Day draws near, I wish Mom could see this gorgeous brand new edition out today from Forge. Like all Charlie books, you don’t have to read them in order, and if you’re a fan of Serial and Making a Murderer, Face Time is just the book for you. And your mom.

So, Reds, here's a contest! If you buy Face Time in any format and send me proof of purchase you'll be entered to win. Two lucky fans will receive a $100 gift certificate to the bookstore of their choice. And five lucky entrants will win a copy of PRIME TIME. It's easy to buy and enter. Click the following link for all the info - https://a.pgtb.me/8cxcN4

And Happy Mother's Day to all. (Wouldn’t FACE TIME be a great gift to your favorite mom? Let me know if you need a signed bookplate!)

And Reds, and readers—did your family or friends or classmates have a nickname for you? I was Pook for a while (thanks, Dad!), then Ann, or Annie.  How about you?  

A Writer’s Bucket List; a guest blog by Jenny Milchman

Don't forget to check out Jenny's Writer's Wish List Contest!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I'm not sure Jenny Milchman needs much of an introduction. Her first suspense novel, COVER OF SNOW, won the Mary Higgins Clark award and, like her second book, RUIN FALLS, was an Indie Next pick. If you like your mysteries cold, moody and set in the Adirondacks (and really, who doesn't?) she's your go-to girl. 

Yesterday, I talked about the prison break from NY's northernmost maximum security facility. I thought the escapees - still on the loose! - would make a great story. Well, look at the description of Jenny's upcoming thriller, AS NIGHT FALLS:

Sandy Tremont has always tried to give her family everything. But, as the sky darkens over the Adirondacks and a heavy snowfall looms, an escaped murderer with the power to take it all away draws close.

In her isolated home in the shadowy woods, Sandy prepares dinner after a fight with her daughter, Ivy. Upstairs, the fifteen-year-old—smart, brave, and with every reason to be angry tonight—keeps her distance from her mother. Sandy’s husband, Ben, a wilderness guide, arrives late to find a home simmering with unease.

Nearby, two desperate men on the run make their way through the fading light, bloodstained and determined to leave no loose ends or witnesses. After almost twenty years as prison cellmates, they have become a deadly team: Harlan the muscle, Nick the mind and will. As they approach a secluded house and look through its windows to see a cozy domestic scene, Nick knows that here he will find what he’s looking for . . . before he disappears forever.

Opening the door to the Tremont home, Nick brings not only a legacy of terror but a secret that threatens to drag Sandy with him into the darkness.

Is getting out ahead of a national news story a "you made it" moment for writers? I would say so. Here's Jenny to tell us a few other items on her list of made-it moments.

On my blog—which isn’t the phenom Jungle Red is, of course, but home to a loyal group—I have a forum called the Made It Moments. About 300 authors have appeared, sharing the moment when they knew they’d made it. The entries vary wildly. (Come on over and read them! They’re a font of inspiration). But my point in sharing this today is that the message of the Moments is that we’d better pay attention to the small ones. The ones that could get missed. Because if we sit around waiting for John Steinbeck to walk up and say, “OK. You’re a real writer now…” Well, that may never happen. And not only because he’s deceased.

In that spirit, I thought I’d share 10 Moments I’m striving for that I hope are attainable. They’ll let me know I’m on my way…even if I never quite feel I’ve made it.

• A reader quotes one of my lines to me. You know the words we pour over, and lovingly caress? How great would it be to know that those words spoke back to someone? This is my Taylor Swift moment. Before she got famous, Taylor said how great it would be to hear fans singing her lyrics at a concert. Now, millions do.
  
  
• I see someone reading one of my books when I’m out and about. This happened to craft mystery writer, Lois Winston, on the subway, I believe. How cool! I think I’d walk up and hug that person. They’d think I was a nutcase and never read one of my books again.
  
  
• I see someone reading a review of one of my books when I’m out and about. This is close to the above. Except that in this case, I sidle over to the person, all clandestine-like, and intone solemnly, “You should really buy that book they’re reviewing.” Unless the review is a bad one. Then I would sidle over, all clandestine-like, and mutter, “Ignore it.”
  
  
• I go into a library and somebody is taking one of my books off the shelf. Another variation on the same theme, I suppose. Except that I remember being that kid in the library for whom each book was a precious jewel in a treasure chest. I couldn’t afford to buy books as a child, and libraries saved me in many ways (the least of them financial). To know that my work is now part of that chain would probably make me weepy.
  
  
• Somebody recognizes me. I waited so long to be published—it took thirteen years—that my brother finally gave up and decided to fill the role of #1 fan. Now when we are together, he’ll periodically break into this croggy, lifetime smoker voice and say, “Hey! Aren’t you Jenny Milchman?” I’d like for this to happen…and it wouldn’t be my brother. 
  
  
• At a book event, they need to bring in extra chairs. Some Reds readers may know that I do a lot of book events. (Like, a real lot. Of the past 24 months, I spent 11 touring, and we’re about to head out again). So needless to say—but I’ll say it—I’ve entered my share of empty rooms. Comes with the territory, and a night spent talking to booksellers is always a night happily spent. Or rooms with 1, 2, or 10 attendees, and I like those, too. Truth to tell, I love ’em all, or else I probably couldn’t do so many. I’ve even had a smattering of events with triple digit attendees. I remember going to see Louise Penny at The Tattered Cover in Denver and it was SRO. Louise walked up to the podium and said something gracious and Louise-ish, like, “I want you to know that I don’t take a single one of you here for granted.” I never will either. I’ll even get you a chair.
  
  
• My books are in bookstore windows. OK, this has actually happened already. As I mentioned, I do a lot of events, and booksellers are smart about using their real estate. (Thank you, Malaprops, in Asheville, North Carolina! You rule!) But it’d be super cool if it happened so often that I didn’t run over to the window, press my face against the glass so I looked like a smushed fish, and jump and down, screaming, “That’s my book! That’s my book!”
  
  
• Two generations in a family read my work. Maybe I have to write a lot longer for this to happen. But Lois Duncan—who was celebrated as a Grand Master at this year’s Edgar ceremonies—was and is my favorite YA suspense novelist, and introducing my own daughter to her work was and is one of the great joys of my reading life. Oh, and once I even got to introduce my daughter to Lois in person! And that put things all kinds of over the top.
  
  
• Somebody sends me something. Not in a creepy way, like hand-delivered to my house. But you know, maybe in care of my publisher or agent? And not something creepy, like a finger. But it could be a cake. I like cake. Or a miniature, which I collect. Or a book they love. Or a picture of him or her reading my book. Which would bring this whole list full circle.
  
  
• But wait! There’s more. If you’re reading this post, I’d love to get to meet you along the road. Your road or mine. I’d love to hear where you’re at, with your writing or your reading, and I’d love to connect. I think that’s the real feeling behind every single item on this list. Connecting with readers and other writers. That’s why we’re all in this game.

Those are 10 items in my bucket. What are some of yours?

Photo ©Don DeBold under a creative commons license.

Special for Reds Readers! I’m announcing a giveaway for the first time ever on this blog. Anyone who pre-orders my forthcoming thriller, As Night Falls, is eligible to win a Writer’s Wish List, or give one away to an emerging writer in their life. Please see here for details: http://jennymilchman.com/as-night-falls/giveaway

Jenny Milchman  lived for eleven months on the road with her family on what Shelf Awareness called “the world’s longest book tour.” Her debut novel, COVER OF SNOW, won the 2013 Mary Higgins Clark award. RUIN FALLS was a Top Ten of 2014 by Suspense Magazine. Jenny’s third novel, AS NIGHT FALLS, is an Indie Next Pick and a summer 2015 release.

Jenny is Vice President of Author Programming for International Thriller Writers, and the founder of Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, which is celebrated annually in all 50 states and 6 foreign countries.

You can find out more about her and her books at her website, friend her on Facebook and Goodreads, and follow her on Twitter as @JennyMilchman.

Good news, fabulous awards, and TWO irresistible contests!

Deborah Crombie: Lots of news this week! Yesterday, you heard about my daughter’s engagement, and Rhys’s son… (not to each other!) and thank you for all your advice. More Jungle Red news this week, the paperback of Red Hank’s much-lauded (Mary Higgins Clark winner! Anthony, Agatha, Daphne and Shamus nominee!) THE OTHER WOMAN is out!

 Hank: Thank you Debs! Yes, and you know one of the Red’s credos is “celebrate everything.” This is such a big one for me…I am so thrilled I am brazenly telling everyone about it. (Funny about paperbacks…you get to make changes from the hardcover if you want...I made ONE. But I’m not telling what it is. If you discover it, Reds, okay then, you’ll get a prize. But really—it’s no biggie.) 

Debs: Speaking of prizes… 

 Hank: Well, yeah. To celebrate summer reading, I couldn’t resist coming up with some irresistible (!) contests not only for the arrival of THE OTHER WOMAN in paperback, but the brand new THE WRONG GIRL, which is coming out in hardcover this fall! So here’s the scoop…and then see below for one more contest—just for you, Reds readers!


Did we mention:n
THE OTHER WOMAN—now in paperback
Good news, fabulous awards, and TWO irresistible contests!



    
GOOD NEWS
The paperback version of THE OTHER WOMAN is here! But wait, there's more—it includes the first three chapters of THE WRONG GIRL. (Tess Gerritsen says: "Riveting!" And Linwood Barclay says: THE WRONG GIRL has all the right stuff!") Keep reading for the irresistible contests!
    
FABULOUS AWARDS
Yes, this is the iconic Mary Higgins Clark—she presented THE OTHER WOMAN and me with the incredibly prestigious MHC award during Edgar Week.

THE OTHER WOMAN is also an Anthony, Agatha, Shamus and Daphne nominee—the only book to be nominated for all four.

    
IRRESISTIBLE CONTEST NUMBER ONE! Just send me proof you bought THE OTHER WOMAN in paperback...and you'll be entered to win your choice of a Kindle Paperwhite, a Nook Simpletouch, or a $100 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice! (Oh, okay, three winners!) And hey, if you already have the hard cover of THE OTHER WOMAN, you could use your paperback for the beach or vacation or a gift for a friend.
ORDER THE OTHER WOMAN:
   

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#HANKONTOUR!
Hope to see you this summer and fall—watch for Facebook and Twitter invitations to meet me and THE OTHER WOMAN and THE WRONG GIRL at a bookstore or library near you.
Check the entire schedule here.

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SAVE THE DATE
And mark your calendars—save the date September 10! That's when THE WRONG GIRL goes public at Brookline Booksmith! Come celebrate with delicious treats and special loot. Hope to see you there.

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WATCH THIS
Here's a fun video from BookBliss taped at BEA—with all the scoop on THE WRONG GIRL.

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IRRESISTIBLE CONTEST NUMBER TWO!
Can you pre-order THE WRONG GIRL right now? Well, of course! And proof of pre-order (print book or Macmillan audiobook version) enters you in a very special drawing—to have a character named after you in the next Jane Ryland adventure! (Told you it was irresistible!) It's a fun (and legal) way to put yourself in the middle of a murder mystery.
ORDER THE WRONG GIRL:
   

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Debs: Thanks, Hank.   Sounds terrific...and we wish you all the best.

Hank: Aw. Thank you. 

Debs:  So you said: one more contest?

Hank: Yes, indeed! One lucky Reds commenter will win an ARC of THE WRONG GIRL!  So let’s see--tell us:  are you taking any wonderful vacations his summer? Or happily staying home? 

And thank you again, dear Reds, for everything…

Will Sell Dreams for Food: a guest blog by Laura DiSilverio

 

Julia Spencer-Fleming:  Laura DiSilverio has a pretty high profile in the mystery world. She's the author of ten mystery novels, including the Mall Cop series for Berkley Prime Crime and the Swift Investigations humorous PI series for Minotaur. She teaches for MWA’s Mystery University, and serves as Vice-President of the National Board of Sisters in Crime (where our own Hank Phillippi Ryan is President!) 

But it wasn't until I met Laura in person that I realized how much we have in common. We're both Air Force brats. Like my husband Ross, the USAF was Laura's first career - she was an intelligence officer. We both left practical jobs to try our hand at writing and spend more time mothering. And, most significantly at this point in our lives, we're both dealing with teens and preteens at home. Which is why, when Laura said, "I want to write about the ridiculous ideas lofty goals my kids have for the future," I knew we had to have her here at JRW.

Will Sell Dreams for Food

My older daughter, 15, is planning for a career on Broadway. She takes voice and dance (musical theater and tap), sings with the school choir, performs in school plays, and spent six weeks this past summer working nine to five every day with the youth rep company she auditioned for last March. Her father and I watch all this with a certain degree of—shall we say?—trepidation.

We’re worried for her, that she’s aiming for a career where .0004 percent of the people who try to make it succeed (okay, I made that figure up, but I doubt it’s far off—it might even be generous), and she’s bound to meet with soul-eroding rejection while living on Ramen noodles, selling her blood plasma, and sharing a studio apartment with six roommates of dubious hygiene habits and countless cockroaches.

We’re worried for us, that we’ll empty our retirement funds to support her in NYC and she’ll return home at thirty, disillusioned and worn down, trashing her chances for more conventional employment by quoting Lady MacBeth at job interviews, and making it impossible for hubby and me to continue with our plan of getting frisky in every room of the house whenever we want and as loudly as we want once we’re empty nesters.

Must Be This Tall to Ride the Rollercoaster

Daughter the younger, newly turned 13, plans to attend Stanford on a volleyball scholarship, study engineering and architecture, and become both an architect and an Indian fast food restaurant billionaire. (She has long lamented that there are no fast food joints that serve Indian food and she’s planning to fill that gap.) This might all be more likely if she was taller than 5’3” since the average Stanford volleyballer looks to be about 6’3”. We don’t squelch this dream too hard because she’s got a decent shot at getting into Stanford on an academic scholarship and we’re in favor of the whole billionaire thing since she says she’ll support us.

The Parenting Dilemma

The parenting question we struggle with is this: How do you encourage kids to dream and follow their passions, and yet inject enough sanity into the process that they’re prepared to cope with failure and know when it’s time to try something else? Don’t look at me for the answer, ’cause I got nothin’, although I have been known to extol the benefits of a career as an actuary, mortician or IT specialist with benefits. If you’ve got good parenting advice on this topic, bring it on.

Dream On

This all made me think about having the courage to follow our dreams and passions, even the little ones. I spent twenty years in the Air Force, dreaming of being a novelist, and now that’s how I make my living. (Okay, it’s not much of a living. If I didn’t have a pension and a hubby with a good job, my children would be dreaming of secure careers as Wal-Mart greeters, rather than of Broadway, but if I were single I’d be able to afford Spam with my ramen noodles once a week.) I’m still working on my dreams of visiting every continent and learning to ballroom dance.

What about you? What dreams, seemingly ridiculous or hard to achieve, large or small, have you taken a stab at? Going blond? Getting a college degree? Climbing a mountain? Playing an instrument or learning a language? Pursuing a particular career? Are you glad you tried it or do you regret the time and effort you invested? 

Rev up those dreams, leave a comment and get a chance to win an Advance Reader Copy of Laura’s upcoming release, SWIFT RUN, or a copy of the book when it releases on 27 November!  As a fun bonus, check out the Minotaur Art blog, where art director David Rotstein shows us sketch by sketch how his team came up with SWIFT RUN's amusing cover.

Laura's also offering a chance to win an iPod Nano by commenting on an entry in the Courageous Moment essay contest on her blog, The Year of Living Courageously, between now and 14 November.

You can find out more about Laura and her books at her website and at her blog, The Year of Living Courageously. You can follow her on Twitter as @LauraDiSilverio and friend her on Facebook.

Nancy Martin Confesses

Jan Brogan:   As most of you already know, Nancy Martin is the highly successful and prolific author of nearly fifty popular fiction novels, including the Blackbird Sisters mystery series and the Roxy Abruzzo mysteries.   Publisher's Weekly called her  latest release, No Way to Kill a Lady,"a fizzy, entertaining adventure."  Margaret Maron says:  "Nancy Martin knows the inner workings of blue-blooded Philadelphia and she lets us in on the fun with style and panache.”


And if you are the lucky commenter today, chosen at random, Nancy will send you a free copy of her new book!  The one lucky winner will be announced tomorrow!

NANCY MARTIN: At the risk of offending the Reds, I’d like to talk about . . . pink

Specifically the idea of posting 50 Shades of Pink on my Facebook page every day for the 50 days leading up to the release of the new Blackbird Sisters Mystery, NO WAY TO KILL A LADY.  I am always scrambling for something to post on Facebook, but one day I realized I had exactly 50 days, and of course 50 Shades hit me right away.  I mean, who hasn’t heard of the 50 Shades of Gray?

C’mon, now.  You can ‘fess up.  Have you read it? Any of it?  Even a few pages? Tell Aunt Nancy everything.
Shy?  I’ll get back to you in a minute.

Let me confess:  
The biggest mistake I made when I created the Blackbird sisters was the couture. (You thought I was going to confess something else?)  I knew Nora Blackbird was broke when she took her new job as a society columnist for a Philadelphia rag, and I also knew she’d need great clothes to wear to the parties she attends every night. After considerable stewing, I hit upon the idea of Nora using her late grandmother’s collection of fabulous designer clothes.


Only thing was, I knew ZILCH about designer clothes.  Honestly, the people who make fun of middle-aged ladies who wear yoga pants all the time?  That’s me they’re laughing at. So the research to create a vintage wardrobe for Nora Blackbird has been daunting from the get-go.  I finally hit upon the idea of only using dresses that actually existed, which has made my task slightly easier.  I have books about Chanel, and I adore Diana Vreeland’s autobiography, DV. My subscription of Vogue is now tax deductible, and I scour the Metropolitan Museum’s fashion department often. 


Over the last ten years (since the release of HOW TO MURDER A MILLIONAIRE, the first book in the series) I’ve become surprisingly good at identifying the work of top designers.  I don’t wear it, mind you, but I can identify it.


My readers really enjoy Nora Blackbird’s clothes—more than I expected. I get fan mail from around the world about the duds. So during the final 50 days before the release of the new book, I have posted 50 pink dresses to whet the appetites of the readers who have been rattling my cage for a new Blackbird book. (I put the series on hiatus back in 2008.) If you want to see the pink dresses, go to my Pinterest page:  http://pinterest.com/nanmart1/50-shades-of-pink/


Another confession:  I love Pinterest.  It feeds my urge to make ideas visual.  I wish I could paint or take decent photography, but I can’t.  I know what I see in my head, though, so Pinterest http://pinterest.com/  has become my latest addiction.

Third confession:  Back in the day when I wrote romance novels (almost 40) I read a lot of erotica so I could keep things . . . er . . . fresh.  I still have Anais Nin here on my shelf, and the Nancy Friday SECRET GARDEN book about female fantasies is around here somewhere. (I got creeped out, though, in the chapter about German shepherds.  I think I have a relatively open mind, and I believe people should do whatever floats their boats as long as nobody gets hurt, but the dog thing . . . nope, I couldn’t see it.)



Surrender the pink?  Sure, if that’s the way you roll, why not? Bondage, though, weirds me out. I have a true shrieking abhorrence of anything resembling torture, so bondage is outside my comfort zone. Which is why I’m really not going to buy 50 SHADES OF GRAY.  (I did download the sample on my iPad.  But for the first 50 pages nothing happened, and if there’s anything I learned from writing romance novels it’s this: Stuff has to happen and happen fast or your reader gets bored.)

My daughter points out that her generation feels differently about bondage.  To those young ladies, getting tied up may be a welcome rest after a long day.  They have high-pressure careers, maintain long-distance friendships and take care of family, too—so they are relieved that somebody else takes charge in the bedroom. (Nancy Friday’s theory was that women fantasized about bondage because if they were tied up, they couldn’t be blamed for enjoying the sex forced upon them.  Back then, good girls felt guilty about having fun in bed. Boy, have times changed, or what?)


Another lesson learned from writing romance? Women like their sex in print, so when I set out to write the Blackbird Sisters Mysteries, I knew I had to appeal to my longtime romance readers with a few racy bits. (Which is probably why my books have never really been embraced by diehard mystery readers.) Now--even more than the clothes--readers write to me about Nora’s love life. There’s definitely pink in Nora’s world.

So tell me.  What’s your opinion about sex in mysteries? Yea? Or Nay?
And if you’ve read 50 Shades of Gray? Tell me your theory of its appeal, but here’s absolutely the most hilarious review of it:  http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/340987215 Don’t have a mouthful of coffee when you watch, trust me.

Pick your favorite pink dress, too, would you? Dior? Givenchy? Versace? Or Michelle Obama’s simple sheath dress from Banana Republic? How do you roll?



NO WAY TO KILL A LADY, the 8th book in the Blackbird Sisters Mystery Series, will be released next week, on August 7th.  A few years ago, Jennifer Crusie said, “Great clothes, great mystery, great fun.”  A blurb that still makes me happy!
Find Nancy Martin on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authornancymartin 
Her website:  http://www.nancymartinmysteries.com 

On Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/nanmart1/ 
But not on Twitter, because the whole tweeting thing just isn’t sexy.