Lies and Spies with Daniella Bernett

RHYS BOWEN:

I met today's guest at the Edgar celebrations a year ago and enjoyed talking with her so we have kept in contact ever since. It's one of the perks of the writing career that we strike up good friendships and meet such interesting people.

As Daniella says in her blog post today, we writers see the world differently. Other people overhear a conversation and probably pay no attention. Someone at the next table says "And if it won't work?" and the reply is "It's got to work."

It's probably arranging a surprise party, a stunt at work, and we think kidnapping, murder, heist. It's how our brains are now wired.

My favorite line I ever overheard?  "Of course the gunbelt weighs you down."  And this was in the swimming pool. It made me swim faster to keep up with the conversation!

So here is Daniella now to give you her thoughts on the writer's mind:

DANIELLA BERNETT

A Diamond, Spies and Poisonous Lies

I would like to thank Rhys Bowen for inviting me to Jungle Reds. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting her in April 2018 at the Mystery Writers of America’s pre-Edgar Awards gathering in New York. I also would like to thank the rest of the Reds, who have graciously shared the spotlight and given me an opportunity to discuss my work ever since my first novel was published. 

I’m delighted to let everyone know that WHEN BLOOD RUNS COLD, the fifth book in my mystery series featuring journalist Emmeline Kirby and jewel thief-cum-insurance investigator Gregory Longdon, was released on September 21 by Black Opal Books. The story is set in contemporary London, where the long tentacles of revenge at last catch up with their quarry. A defector’s treachery is repaid with death, while the auction of a flawless blue diamond stirs up desires that are dangerous as sin.

I believe my fellow writers will agree with me, when I say that we look at the world differently than those around us. We grasp it, turn it upside down, and then round and round. There is no such thing as an ordinary situation. In our minds, a story can always be coaxed to life. I have always enjoyed losing myself in a good mystery or spy thriller, whether it be a book or one of those Golden Age movies. It’s the story that captivates my attention. Therefore, when I sit down to write, I have an irresistible temptation to stray into the sinister to slake an inherent human craving for excitement and to provide an escape from the mundane. I revel in creating an intricate puzzle laced with layer upon layer of deception and obfuscation.

A spy is the embodiment of intrigue. I almost want to whisper the word spy. If I close my eyes, I hear footfalls echoing hollowly on rain-slicked pavements, each step coming closer and closer as a swirling froth of smoky fog folds one into its moist embrace. Spies lurk in the forbidden shadows of the night, where those who ask the wrong questions vanish. For anyone who thinks the Cold War is dead, think again. Putin’s penchant for dispatching traitors and his enemies to the netherworld provided a spark for my tale.  

In WHEN BLOOD RUNS COLD, Emmeline is hunting for answers. So many answers. She recently discovered that her parents were murdered while on assignment when she was five. But is it possible to find a killer who has evaded justice for 25 years? Meanwhile, her probing questions about the suspicious death of Russian national Pavel Melnikov have put her in the crosshairs of those who jealously take their illicit secrets to the grave. Melnikov made the foolish mistake of trying to betray Putin and Russian mafia boss Igor Bronowski. If that wasn’t enough, Putin and Bronowski’s business dealings with ruthless British entrepreneur Alastair Swanbeck stir up another hornet’s nest of trouble.

Dashing Gregory’s sangfroidstarts to thaw a smidgen around the edges at Swanbeck’s most unwelcome resurrection from the land of the dead. Their paths crossed during Gregory’s days as a jewel thief. Swanbeck has vowed to make him pay for his transgressions. Now, he has found the perfect tool to exact his vengeance: Emmeline. 

A journalist is obsessed with finding the truth. But when the raw, ugly truth is laid bare, Emmeline realizes that everything she believed in was a lie. 

Sometimes it’s better not to know. But Emmeline and Gregory have always thrown caution to the wind. It takes courage to face the truth because one never knows whether the consequences will be fatal. 

If When Blood Runs Coldpiques your interest, don’t miss Lead Me Into Danger,Deadly Legacy, From Beyond The Grave and A Checkered Past, the first four books in my series, where Emmeline and Gregory put their lives at risk when they’re thrust into imbroglios involving government intrigue, stolen diamonds, looted art and blackmail.  

Daniella Bernettis a member of the Mystery Writers of America New York Chapter. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Journalism from St. John’s University. Lead Me Into Danger, Deadly Legacy, From Beyond The Graveand A Checkered Pastare the first four books in the Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series. She also is the author of two poetry collections, Timeless Allure andSilken Reflections. In her professional life, she is the research manager for a nationally prominent engineering, architectural and construction management firm. Daniella is currently working on Emmeline and Gregory’s next adventure. Visit www.daniellabernett.comor follow her on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008802318282or on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4450173.Daniella_Bernett.

Who Am I?

RHYS BOWEN: When I received the news that I had been nominated for an Edgar award my first thought was not how excited I was, how pleased my family would be. Like any normal woman my first thought was “Oh Golly, what am I going to wear to the banquet.”

I read an article in Oprah magazine last week (in a particularly civilized doctor’s office that didn’t have Field and Stream and Golf Digest) written by Oprah herself and it was called “Who Am I?” It was all about how we see ourselves and how we define ourselves both internally and externally. Reading this just after the nomination and had me thinking who exactly I am and who I want to be.


I have gone through a lifetime of metamorphoses. In the sixties, right after college, I was fashionable in my Mary Quant and my Vidal Sassoon haircut.

 In the seventies I morphed into along flowery garments and long hair. After that it was the time of motherhood and my uniform was sweat pants as I drove car-pools or sat at my computer writing. It was also the time of not much money to spend on myself so new clothes came from whatever was on the sales rack, or what my mother sent me. Unfortunately she remembered my Seventies incarnation and everything she sent was long and flowery, not who I was at all.

When the kids were finally out of the house, college was paid for, and I had time and money I had to think who I wanted to be. I’d look at women I admired (Barbara Peters, now a good friend, was always someone who dressed exactly right for the occasion). I decided I looked best in a tailored look—hello Ralph Lauren!  Blazer and tailored slacks. Recently I have softened that image a little—long sweaters instead of blazer, scarves to hide a crepey neck.

But this still doesn’t answer the question as to what I should wear to the Edgars . I am told by Margery Flax that it is the realm of the little black dress. Do I want to conform or stand out? I remember one disastrous occasion when I was at a cocktail party at the Frankfurt book fair. It was a party for me to meet my European agents. I bought a bright green silk jacket and matching pajama pants. Stunning…. Only every other woman in the room was in the little black dress. I felt like a peacock who has strayed into the hen house.
So no bright green this time. But maybe a jacket over that little black dress? Or a sparkly stole? Or my silk tuxedo that looks rather good?

 I’ll let you know when I decide. And I want to know from the other Reds: when did you find out who you are? Hank has always seemed so sure of her brand, so put-together. Was that always your look, Hank? And you others? Are you still searching or are you content with your current look? And any suggestions for my Edgar banquet?

HALLIE EPHRON: Better to be a peacock who strayed into the hen house than hen who strayed into a peacock house. Wear the bright green!

When did I discover my brand? Do I have one?? What I've always known is that I look best in strong colors - hot pink, turquoise, black, red. And I prefer to wear clothes that are unfussy and loose-fitting. So I'll see you at the Edgars banquet, Rhys... probably in a little black dress with a red/turquoise/hot pink scarf draped a la Hank at the neck.

LUCY BURDETTE: Maybe I’ll find my true style when I get to my 90s! I always seem a step behind the curve. In high school, it was all about matching Villager sweater sets, with very short skirts. In graduate school I wore overalls. Yes, denim farmers overalls. When I worked as a psychologist, I was quite a bit more formal with pleated skirts and boots and sweaters. Now that I am working as a writer, it’s hard for me to want to change out of yoga clothes.Though I do have a number of black dresses and would be happy to loan you one, though any of them would be short on you Rhys!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: What an interesting question! My clothing choices have been constrained, for the past 40 years, by what looks good on television, which means: what photographs well, what is strong and confident but not pushy, attractive but not trendy. Stylish but not too avant- garde. Something that can be worn in the governors office, as well as interviewing… Well, whoever. 

So over the years I’ve gotten pretty comfortable with that. Something black probably unfussy, no gizmos or geegaws or asymmetrical neck lines, no ruching no flounces no ruffles no lace no shiny stuff.

I have to say, this has served me well.

My mom‘s rules, as they so often do, have guided me: dress for the person you want to be. Dress respectfully, never be the most dressed up person in the room, pearls are always good, no stockings with sandals, no colors not found in nature.

A slim sleeveless black dress and a leather jacket will always work for me, high heels, pearls, and I am set.

Last year at the Edgars I risked wearing a raisin-colored very tight peplumed leather jacket and a calf length black tulle skirt and bronze heels. I loved it, loved! But  I bet not one person besides me remembers. 

So although I cannot wait to see pictures of you both, Rhys and Hallie, at the Edgars—truth is : It does not matter what you wear. Seriously, it does not matter. All you need is your big big smile. 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Oh, I've had a lot of transitions in my look, too, Rhys. In my late teens I was an !!actor!! and dressed like a combination of East Village beatnik and Summer of Love hippie (this was around 1980 - not exactly the going look.) As a grad student and young professional in DC, I looked like Melanie Griffith in WORKING GIRL: snappy, broad-shouldered blazers and long pencil skirts. Law school? Whatever I could grab first in the morning. Young motherhood? Whatever I could grab first in the morning that didn't have barf stains on it.

It wasn't until I was in my forties that I really developed a consistent style: classic preppy clothing, bright colors, no prints except on my fun pants. It does kind of break down when I have to go formal, since there's never any call to do so in my Maine life. Dress? Palazzo pants? The past couple of events, I've used Rent The Runway and been VERY happy with the results.

You know who is a mystery person with a great, individual style who always looks right? Marcia Talley. Super-simple pants and t-shirt/turtleneck, with a fabulous fabric-arts jacket on top. Bookstore appearance, dinner out, Agatha Awards - she's always on point.

JENN McKINLAY: When I was seven, my mother became the librarian at a private high school, meaning she left the house earlier than my brother and me. Since we walked to the school at the end of our street, this gave me fifteen minutes to change from the flouncy dresses she put out for me into my play clothes, which were woefully abused jeans, T-shirts, and flannels. I was grunge fifteen years before it was a thing! Unfortunately, my teacher felt behooved to inform my mother that I was wearing the same clothes every day, because, frankly, I had begun to smell. Mom and I had to mediate our differences in attire and after a battle royal, she bought me an array of jeans, T-shirts, and flannel shirts. This was my style at seven and it remains my style to this day. Of course, because I live in AZ the jeans and T-shirts give way to shorts and tank tops. A fashionista, I am not, but I do love a nice piece of jewelry and when I have to dress up, I always ask myself -- WWAW? What would Audrey wear? You can never go wrong dressing like Audrey Hepburn. Rhys, channel your inner Audrey for the Edgars and you'll be dazzling as always!

INGRID THOFT: When I’m traveling for work and doing events, it’s all about the dresses.  They satisfy four critical criteria: they’re comfortable, they look good, they’re easy to pack, and they allow me to eat.  The pasta looks good?  Go ahead!  The dress will expand as needed!  I don a different “uniform” for teaching:  dark washed jeans, a nice top, and a blazer.  I put a lot of stock in the motto “you look good, you feel good, you do good,” which is why you’ll never catch me wearing sweats on an airplane.  What if I need to open the emergency exit row door?  I'll need to be at the top of my game!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I, too, wore the flowery long dresses and long hair of the seventies, and even in the eighties my daughter and I had matching Laura Ashley outfits. But mostly the eighties and at least part of the nineties were "Mom" clothes and things I'd just as soon not remember, except for a couple of really cute jumpsuits.

Jenn, your story cracked me up--and reminded me that when I was about five, I had two pairs of corduroy overalls, one red and one green, that I insisted on wearing everywhere! I think that means I started as I meant to go on!

I envy people who have a "look." My mom certainly did, and so does my daughter, but the fashion gene seems to have skipped me entirely. I know what I can't wear--preppy blazers, belted waists, padded shoulders, turtlenecks, big prints. I do like leggings and long sweaters, jeans and boots, scarves, and a little bit of original jewelry as long as it's not too big or gaudy. Dresses have become a problem since I can't wear heels. I'm glad I don't have to dress for the Edgar banquet--I'd agonize over it for months--but I am sure that Hallie and Rhys will both look absolutely stunning!

And Rhys, don't wear black! It washes out your pretty fair coloring. Be the peacock!!! 

RHYS: So now it's your turn. Have you decided who you are and developed your look?

Get this party started!

ROSEMARY HARRIS: Truth be told this party has been warming up since last Tuesday at the Mysterious Bookshop in New York where the launch party for MWA's latest anthology was held. Vengeance, edited by Lee Child, features stories by Michael Connelly, Karin Slaughter, Dennis Lehane, Zoe Sharp, Alafair Burke and a dozen others.

Next up was the Edgars Agents and editors party on Wednesday where Reds Lucy and Ro helped celebrate Hallie's second Mary Higgins Clark nomination. Thursday Edgar Judge Ro got to strut her stuff in a Mad Men style dress at the annual Edgars banquet (that's me with Meredith Cole, Erin Weston and Raven winner Molly Weston waiting for our limo!)- a list of all of the Edgar winners here http://theedgars.com/nominees.html
...and on Friday a trio of JRs headed south for Malice Domestic.

LUCY BURDETTE: We are delighted to report that our own Red, Rhys Bowen, won the Agatha teapot for best historical mystery, Naughty in Nice, Lucy (aka Roberta Isleib) did not come home with a teapot but was thrilled to be nominated for best short story!


HANK PHLLIPPI RYAN: Yay, Rhys! And Roberta, too--that's fantastic! (Oooh, and I'm nominated for three Emmys! For investigative reporting.) Party on!

ROSEMARY: Are you in party mode yet? Well, if you didn't make any of those events, this week on JR we're continuing the celebration by sharing our swag from those parties and hosting our own virtual Cinco de Mayo party on Saturday. Every day this week three lucky commenters will win books and bags from this season's mystery parties.

What's up this week?Tuesday - My trip to Highclere Castle, the real Downton Abbey
Wednesday - a visit from novelist Daniel Judson, who will share information on his latest cutting edge publishing venture with Amazon
Thursday - The Return of Kale (you know how the JRs love food!)
Friday - your official invitation to the Cinco de Mayo party
Saturday - Party On! Best outfit wins a bag of books
Sunday - Do we still love Don Draper?

So in honor of the release of Vengeance - tell us what you'd do - big, small, real or (hopefully) fiction - to get back at someone who did you wrong!

Three winners will receive copies of the book.

(Monday through Friday winners announced on Saturday, Saturday's winners announced on Sunday.)

What are you wearing??

ROSEMARY: It's Friday so it's time for some fun. I know most of us aren't practicing our Oscar speeches (although, ahem...some of us have Emmys) but lots of us do watch awards shows and frequently wonder what the heck some of those people were thinking when they went out the door that night.

Other than on your wedding day, what's the fanciest occasion you've ever had to dress up for and what did you wear?

For me it was probably New Year's Eve at the Metropolitan Opera. I've done that for the past two years and that's a dress-up night. Two years ago it was Carmen so I went for a slightly trashy cigar girl look complete with red satin rose at waistline. This year a black and gold strapless but I don't want to get too specific...I may wear it to the Edgars. Didn't get too dressed for the Agathas or Anthonys the year I was nominated. There's probably a picture somewhere but dang if I know what I was wearing. Ten dollars says it was black.

So what's your go-to party girl outfit - and let's just hope it isn't a swan dress like Bjork's.

My Life With Edgar

ROSEMARY: Today we're visiting with Stefanie Pintoff, whose extraordinary debut novel In The Shadow of Gotham won the Edgar for Best First Novel 2010. Stefanie shares some thoughts on how things have changed - and how they've stayed the same - since winning the mystery community's most prestigious award. STEFANIE: It was a year ago this month that Mystery Writers of America awarded my debut mystery In the Shadow of Gotham an Edgar® Award for Best First Novel. I never expected Edgar himself – a ceramic painted bust of Edgar Allan Poe – to come home with me. But today Edgar sits on the third shelf of my living room bookcase with my name emblazoned on his gold plate. My subsequent books describe me as an “Edgar® award-winning author.” And Edgars night remains the most thrilling moment of my still-in-its-early-stages career. Now that it’s a year later? Sometimes it still doesn’t feel real – but yes, it’s affected my career in ways that are significant. Some call the Edgar the “Oscar” of the mystery awards field. And it began to affect my career the moment my name was announced as a nominee. You see, many bookstores, libraries, and websites feature each year’s nominee books. Avid mystery readers will make a point of trying each and every book nominated. So the nomination alone was a huge attention-getter for my book. My sales went up, as people – both ordinary readers and reviewers – decided to give my writing a chance. The win itself attracted similar attention that otherwise would never have come my way – not to mention establishing additional credibility for me as a writer as I move into future projects. But in other ways, nothing has changed. I like the way I’ve heard fellow Edgar®-winner S.J. Rozan talk in Zen-like terms about the experience of winning an Edgar. Before Edgar: chop wood, carry water. After Edgar: chop wood, carry water. She’s right. The work is the same. The standards are the same. The frame of mind should be the same. Award or no award. Edgar stares at me every day as I write. He reminds me of those who have encouraged my writing efforts in the past – and those who continue to do so. Keep improving. Make each scene, each page, each book better than the last. I’m well aware that some of my favorite authors also launched their careers with a best first Edgar® and went on to have amazing success – Michael Connelly, Steve Hamilton, Laurie King, David Liss, and Jonathan Kellerman among them. But if these past first-novel winners impress us today, it’s not because of that award. It’s because of the way they continued to write, to improve, to get better with each effort. After all, you're only as good as your last book – Edgar or not. Best of luck to all 2011 nominees! Stefanie's new book is Secret of the White Rose and it is just as compelling as her Edgar-winning debut novel. Visit her at http://www.stefaniepintoff.com/author.php

A Major Award

ROSEMARY: If April really is the cruelest month as T.S. Eliot has written, at least part of it has to do with the fact that the Edgars and the Agathas are awarded in April. Say what you will about awards - and John LeCarre has rather famously just said "Thanks, but no thanks" to being considered for the prestigious Man Booker International Prize - most writers would be thrilled to be nominated for an award. LeCarre has stated he does "not compete for literary prizes." The Booker website more diplomatically explains "Mr. LeCarre asked that his books ... not be submitted for the annual prize to give less established authors the opportunity to win." When I'm John LeCarre I hope I am that generous - right now, I'd love to win an award, but it will be difficult since I am not nominated for anything this year. Whether we like it or not, awards are a measure of success.

Even a "major award" like the leglamp in A Christmas Story. Not many reading this blog are tortured souls slaving away in garrets for our art. We want to write stories that will touch, entertain, educate or perhaps even enlighten readers. The spotlight that winning or even being nominated ("it's an honor...") brings to a work enables us to reach more people. So to any nominating committees out there - there's only one John LeCarre - go ahead and nominate us!

RHYS: I have had more than my share of nominations, and awards too, and it never gets old. First the phone call that says "This is the committee for the Agatha Awards..." Then that lovely stage when you hope you might have won and people congratulate you on being nominated, then the banquet when you can't make yourself swallow food, and finally the moment when the envelope is opened and you hear your name, stand up, stumble to the stage, pausing only to wonder if you really heard your name or you'll reach the podium only to find it was someone else. And then the speech when you hope you won't sound like an idiot and you've mentioned all the right people. It's one of the real highs of a writer's life. I treasure each award I've won. They sit on a bookcase halfway down my stairs so I have to pass them as I go to my office and they are a real morale booster on bad days. Of course I'd still like to add an Edgar to my collection....

HALLIE: I've had the thrill of nomination -- my Writing and Selling Your Mystery got Edgar and Anthony noms. And "Never Tell a Lie" was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark and won the David (Yay, Deadly Ink -- coming up in NJ this August with our own Hank Phillippi Ryan as Guest of Honor). I won the American Crime Writers League award for excellence in mystery reviewing - a huge thrill for which I was completely unprepared! But still I feel like a piker next to my fellow Jungle Reds. I look forward to it 'never getting old'!

ROSEMARY: I was nominated for the Agatha for Pushing Up Daisies and I was on tour so they had a hard time reaching me. I had picked up a few messages from someone on the Agatha Committee but they didn't say what they were calling about - I was convinced it was because I hadn't checked Chicken or Vegetarian - until I actually heard the words. It was thrilling. For the Anthony I was nominated along with Stieg Larssen so I put on my party dress and was much more relaxed since I didn't think I had a prayer of winning! Still a bridesmaid...

HANK: Oh, awards! It brings tears to my eyes to think about it.. I completely remember when I got the call about the Agatha Nom for Prime Time. I had NO IDEA there was a phone call, so when I heard the "This is the awards committee from Malice Domestic"--I actually literally burst into tears. And when I won...well, I still get goose bumps. Endlessly grateful.

Hilariously, my Anthony nominations--which come by email--were caught in my spam filter! And I was up against the iconic and amazing Dennis Lehane for the short story Anthony--and burst out laughing when I won! (Can you imagine? His story--which was also about a dog, coincidentally, is now being made into a major motion picture. SO it goes.) (And I touch my Macavity for luck every day before I start writing.)

And this year? Drive Time is up for the Agatha for Best Novel! SO fantastic! And I am up against, well, names SO BIG I hesitate to mention them. (Penny, Pickard, Andrews and Webber.) Can you hear me howling with laughter? And I get you, RO. I am going to be VERY relaxed and happy. I already am.

Seriously: you always feel as if you shouldn't think of a speech in advance, you know, because it'll jinx the results. But a wise person once told me--you MUST figure out what to say. It's the only respectful thing to do.

ROBERTA: Those are great names Hank, but no greater than yours! Six Strokes Under was nominated for a best first Agatha before I even knew there were awards. What a thrill! My husband and my agent both came down for the banquet. Unfortunately, I was up against some very strong contenders, Nancy Martin and (ahem) Julia Spencer Fleming to name two. I knew perfectly well that Julia had hit the dang book out of the park but there's always a squiggle of hope--yes, my book was pretty good too.

I've had two Anthony nominations for Six strokes under and Putt to Death--I knew these were long shots but still great great fun. And one short story nom for a Macavity and I must say that I totally covet one of those prizes that looks like a cat. Wait, the teapot would be lovely too. and I wouldn't turn away the funny looking Poe man. Just saying...I'm not done yet:)

JULIA: What I - and I suspect a lot of people - remember about that Agatha awards banquet is the way my husband literally leaped in the air when my name was announced. He got it before I did - I was sitting there telling myself to smile and applaud. Advice I've had LOTS of practice with since. At this point I've lost many more awards than I've won.

My funniest awards story also has to do with Ross. It had been a horribly snowy winter here in Maine, so much so that poor Ross had badly strained his back shoveling out our driveway. He was supposed to be lying on the floor at home, resting. I was next door, helping my neighbor clear her porch roof and gutters. Suddenly we see the bizarre sight of my husband, staggering stiffly down our country road with a parka tossed over his pajamas, supported by our oldest daughter. He was shouting unintelligibly - something about crying and being bombed, it sounded like. "Oh, my God," the neighbor gasped. "Someone's dead." Finally he got close enough to hear. "'Out of the Deep I Cry' has been nominated for an Edgar!"

RHYS: Julia--you and I were up against each other for the Edgar. Was that fair, I ask? So seldom that a woman is even nominated, I can't help but believe that we split the vote between us! But it was fun sitting at the same table, wasn't it? And getting a huge flower arrangement from the publisher. Let's hope there will be a next time.

ROSEMARY: So, all due respect to Mr. LeCarre - it's great to hear it when "you like us...you really like us.." What do you think...does it make a difference to you as readers?

Rhys interviews Edgar-winner Jan Burke

Rhys here interviewing one of the grande dames of our genre, and my good friend, Jan Burke. Jan is known for her Irene Kelly mystery series as well as her stand-alone suspense titles and an outstanding collection of short stories. Her suspense novel Bones won the Edgar award for best novel (one of the very few women to do so in recent years!). In addition Jan has served on the board of Mystery Writers of America and is passionately involved in the Crime Lab project, campaigning for increased funding for crime labs.

I should say before we start that I have two fabulous pictures of Jan, with her luxuriously long hair but Blogger is being temperamental and not letting me upload anything. I'll keep trying and hope to add them to the post. Until then picture Rapunzel...

Jan, welcome to Jungle Red Writers and thank you for taking the time to drop in at this busy time of year.
So let's get to the questions:

Rhys: Your new book, The Messenger, is quite different from all your other books. I know you as a writer of tense, noir mysteries and thrillers--notedfor their realism. . The Messenger is described as "a chilling tale of thesupernatural". Tell us a little about it and why you chose to branch out inthis way.

Jan: The Messenger is Tyler Hawthorne. In 1815, at the age of twenty-four, he lay dying on the muddy battlefield after Waterloo. Approached by a large black dog and the mysterious Adrian Varre, Tyler accepts a memento mori ring and a bargain. He becomes a Messenger — never aging and nearly immortal, he will live a nomadic and solitary life, his only companion Shade, the cemetery dog who guards him. In return, given the power to hear the final thoughts of the dying, Tyler must convey these messages to their loved ones.
In present-day Los Angeles, he finds himself drawn to Amanda Clarke, who has secrets of her own. But will Adrian’s return put an end to any hope they have of being together?
As for why I chose to branch out, the idea for the story came to me and wouldn’t let go.

Rhys: Have you always been interested in the supernatural or is this book away to challenge yourself in a new direction? Do you actually believe inthe supernatural?It was once suggested by my publisher that I try my hand at horror. I toldhim that I believed too much of this stuff and would terrify myself tooeasily.

Jan: I’ve always enjoyed a well-told supernatural tale. I often read outside of crime fiction, so the supernatural is just one of the areas I like to venture into as a reader. One of the great gifts of fiction is the opportunity it allows us to consider questions that are important to us —while at the same time enjoying ourselves and entering into imaginary worlds to explore answers to those questions.
One thing I have discovered to be different about writing about the supernatural -- I’m a bit bemused by the “do you believe” questions. As a writer of crime fiction, I’ve never been asked if I believe justice prevails as often as it does in books, or if I believe newspaper reporters solve homicide cases as regularly as Irene Kelly does. But that has no bearing on how important I think crime fiction is, or diminishes the belief I have in the mirror fiction gives us, or the ways in which it can get to the truth.
I don’t believe there is a young man who’s twenty-four forever living in the hills above Los Angeles. Tyler is wholly my creation. And yet I feel strongly attached to him, and Shade, and Amanda. I learned a great deal by entering into Tyler’s world with him. He made me think about aging, frailty, and mortality in ways I hadn’t before, and I’m grateful to him for that.
As for my beliefs — beyond my personal faith — when it comes to things that go bump in the night, I’m mostly a skeptic. But I also have an open mind, and am very far from believing I understand everything there is to know about the universe.

Rhys:Where did you come up with arch villain Adrian Varre?
For a thriller, much of the power of a book comes from its villain. It’s quite useless to leave one’s hero unmatched. If he doesn’t present a challenge, and if he doesn’t have some traits that reveal him to be the antithesis of the hero, I haven’t done my job. What really separates Adrian from Tyler isn’t a difference of power — it’s that Adrian is extremely self-centered. In his mind, he is all that matters. Tyler couldn’t be less like him.

Jan: I will admit that the basement scenes sometimes made it hard to go to sleep after that night’s writing, but no use coming up with a villain who was supposed to be a threat to Tyler if he didn’t scare me.

Rhys Do you have a big booktour planned? Where can we find out about youritinerary? Do you actually enjoy the publicity side of writing?

Jan:The current plan is that I will be on tour from January 5 to January 25. I’ll be in LA, San Diego, Orange County, San Francisco, Phoenix, Houston, St. Louis, Kansas City, Lexington, Dayton, and Cincinnati.
The tour schedule is on my blog and on Web site – you can see it at either link:http://janburke.com/sked.phphttp://tinyurl.com/burke2009

Rhys: Do you have a blog or are you visiting any other blogs during yourpromotion of The Messenger?

Jan:I have a blog at http://janburke.com/blog.html
You can also reach it through my Web site.I will be visiting other blogs. I’ve got something coming up in January on Lipstick Chronicles. And I’ll post things to Facebook and Twitter. I’m Jan_Burke on Twitter.

Rhys: Tell us about your life in Southern California...and how you have themost amazing hair in the world (absolute envy from one who has always hadfine, short hair)

Jan: I live with my husband Tim and two dogs, Cappy and Britches. I spend time writing and running a nonprofit that tries to raise awareness about the need to better support public forensic science – The Crime Lab Project. [http://www.crimelabproject.com]
The hair hasn’t been cut for a long time, other than trimming to even it out. I’ve tried very short hair at various times in my life. Some people look really cute with short hair – like you! As for me, who knows what I’ll do with my own in the future, but I’ll admit that the thought of hair appointments is not one that fills me with longing. I guess after a certain point, I ignored the memo about the mandatory neckline cut for women over 19. As you’ll see below, I don’t always follow directions.

Rhys: Finally the famous Jungle Red Questions:

Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple?
The Continental Op.

Sex or Chocolate?
Intimacy.

Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan?
Tim Burke.

Katharine or Audrey Hepburn?
Katherine. Bringing Up Baby is my Prozac.

Making dinner or making reservations?
Cooking over a campfire.

Three true things about you and one lie; we'll guess which.

I was a paid history researcher.
I have never attended an autopsy.
I’m ten hours away from being a licensed pilot.
I brought caterpillars in from recess in the second grade.

Rhys: Thank you for taking the time during this busy season, Jan. I'll beinterviewing Jan in person at Poisoned Pen mystery bookstore in ScottsdaleArizona on January 7th. (And I think I'm going to guess that she never attended an autopsy--just because she's so intimately involved with that kind of thing! What do you think, fellow JRRs?)

The Edgar Awards

And the winners are...
Fresh from last night's MWA Edgars awards...

Best Novel Down River by John Hart
Best First Novel In the Woods by Tana French
Best Paperback Original Queenpin by Megan Abbott
Best Fact Crime Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
Best Critical/Biographical Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters by Dan Stashower, Jon Lellenberg and Charles Foley
Best Short Story The Golden Gopher by Susan Straight
Best Juvenile The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh
Best Young Adult Rat Life by Tedd Arnold
Best Play Panic by Joseph Goodrich
Best Television episode Pilot for Burn Notice
Best Motion Picture Screenplay Michael Clayton
Grand Master Bill Pronzini
Robert L. Fish Memorial Award The Catch by Mark Ammons
Raven Awards Center for the Book in the Library of Congress
Kate's Mystery Books

Congrats to all the winners and nominees.
...I know, you're all really dying to know what I wore, right? I went with the Givenchy tuxedo, an off-white silk shirt, and pointy ankle strap shoes with a little bit of fishnet toe cleavage. I thought I looked pretty good. Then I got there and felt like a total frump! We're talking major taffeta, bows, wraps, and a killer short white dress covered with passementerie (on a blond, of course.)

Ruth McCarty looked spectacular in a black two piece outfit with a long skirt that she called "wearable art'..and it was. I want it.
Maybe next year I'll be more adventurous..
Rosemary

Rosemary

The Edgars

Tuxedo or slinky dress? Stilettos or conservative pumps? Red nails or just buff? What's a woman to do? Tonight I'll be attending the annual Edgars banquet at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York. Last year was my first time and it was a pretty glam event. Stephen King and I didn't hang out but we were in the same room and that's a start.

I was thrilled to be seated in between Parnell Hall and Rhys Bowen and I hope I get just as lucky
tonight.

I haven't read all of the nominated books but I am pulling for one nominee in particular...a certain bald guy..wait a minute, a lot of those guys are bald. Well, it would probably be impolitic to say who it is...let's just say it's the biker dude.

Pix and winners tomorrow!

Agatha Award Winner Hank Phillippi Ryan!

Congratulations!!!
Three cheers for JRW's own Hank who was awarded the coveted Malice Domestic teapot this weekend for Best First Mystery. Hurray!!!

RO: This week is the equivalent of Oscars week in the mystery community. We couldn't be more thrilled for our own Hank who faced tough competition from Deanna Raybourn, Beth Groundwater, and Charles Finch but snagged the Agatha for Prime Time!

Malice Domestic has just wrapped up, Mary Alice Gorman's Festival of Mystery is tonight and by the time my driving buddy, Liz Zelvin, and I roll into New York it will be time for the Edgars.
Malice will always hold a special place in my heart because it was my first mystery convention and they say you never forget your first. Typical New Yorker, I went to breakfast on Friday with my Ipod and a newspaper - which I never read or listened to because of the chatty Pari Noskin Taichert who was sitting next to me and must have thought I looked lonely so she decided to introduce me to Patsy from Remember the Alibi and a few other folks who stopped by to say hello and then moved on. If you haven't been, Malice is that kind of show - lots of friendly people, fun panels, and yes, there's the bar. No men in g-strings or chaps like the Romance show (uh, at least I didn't see any...Hank?) but maybe we can talk to the organizers about that for next year!

HALLIE: Today I'm at the wonderful Mystery Lovers Bookshop's 13th! (a lucky number in the mystery world) annual Festival of Mystery. It's one of my all time favorite events ever, and Mary Alice Gorman and Richard Goldman are THE BEST FRIENDS of the mystery writing community.
My first mystery event was the big enchilada, Bouchercon in Denver back in...could it be 2001? I took a van to the hotel from the airport and shared it with two delightful librarians from Wisconsin. I still remember the huge red rolling suitcases they had--they told me it was filled with books they were going to get signed. I knew then that I'd died and gone to heaven.

ROBERTA: I am JUST back from Malice. I think my first appearance there was in 2000, before I was published. It's so much more fun now--full of meeting with old friends, making new ones, and Sisters in Crime business. We were so thrilled to see Hank accept her teapot for best first mystery!!! A perfect conclusion...

Ro: Jan...we MISSED you, Hallie, see you later and Hank....way to go!