Do Old Habits Die Hard?

 RHYS BOWEN:  Like many of you I belong to several Facebook groups: historical novels, Friends and Fiction, book clubs etc.  And I’m struck by something that surprises me. When I read comments on a post that says “what is the best book you’ve read this year?” the answers are not all newish books. One person answered Prince of Tides. Several mentioned Rosamund Pilcher.  This makes me wonder if these people maybe don’t read any more but want to be part of the conversation? Or they go to the library and choose random books?  Or… have a really large TBR stack???

I have to admit that I do reread old favorites and they are still favorites, but most of what I read has come out in the past couple of years. I always seem to have a book to blurb that hasn’t even been published yet, then there are all my friends’ books, plus new books by my go-to authors. 

I also realise, as I write this, that I don’t use libraries any more.  It’s so easy to click on Kindle and there is the book, ready to read. It’s a shame because I used to adore libraries. When I had small kids the library was my magic portal. I’d find my next Tony Hillerman or Mary Stewart and couldn’t wait to get home to start reading  (confession, I sometimes started in the car outside the library). I also stumbled across books I hadn’t known about. That cover looks interesting… give it a try. 

During my early writing years libraries were also my go-to for reference. Anything that I couldn’t find on the shelves I asked the reference librarian and together we sleuthed out the answer. In an early adult novel I wanted to know when elastic was invented. My hero was undressing the heroine! Could he just pull down her underwear or did he have to untie it? We searched and found that yes, elastic has been invented but it was only being used for the sides of boots at the time!

Now I do all my research online. For my Molly books with Clare we access the archives of the New York Times. It’s all so easy but I do miss my library visits. 

So what about you, Reds and Reddies? Do you still visit your local library regularly? And is your reading mostly from newish books?

HALLIE EPHRON: I do visit my library VERY regularly. I volunteer in the library bookstore which is stuffed with books donated by library patrons and sold for a few bucks a pop (or during “bag” sale week, $10 a bag). It generates a nice extra-income stream for the library.

But I can’t go in looking for a particular book. (The newly published ones that I find in book reviews I download onto my Kindle, sadly skipping the library or the bookstore.) I surrender to the complete serendipity of what’s there and what catches my eye. Often another shopper or volunteer or librarian steers me to whatever I end up taking home. 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: As a kid I was always always in the library, the one at school or the one in town. But now my connection with fabulous and life changing libraries mostly comes from doing events for them or appearing at them.   I am devoted and in love with libraries, as you can see in ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS, where some of the key scenes take place in libraries and with librarians.

My reading now, though, is almost always of new books..and most often, books that have not been published yet but are in the galley-for-a-blurb stage. Or for an author I am interviewing for one of my shows.

In fact, the weird thing about my reading is that I hardly ever get to “choose” a book to read anymore–they are mostly all homework! Assigned reading for a blurb or event or interview. I do love it–because it often requires me to read a book I might not have chosen on my own, and that can be wonderful.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I am very embarrassed to admit that I do not use my local library–and I love libraries!! I was hoping when our main, and also nearest me, library branch opened a new facility more than twenty years ago that it would be a pleasant place to take my laptop for some good writing time, but unlike some other wonderful area libraries, they really didn't provide that. And now that library has been undergoing massive renovation for the last couple of years, so I'm crossing fingers that it will be a more welcoming place when it's finished.

As for taking out library books, I get zero points on that score, too. I love to browse in libraries, but I always have so many things I have to read, and when I used to check out books I could never find time to return them. I have aspirations to improve when our branch opens again! 

LUCY BURDETTE: But Debs, you should not feel bad that you don’t take books out of the library because you buy them like mad, and read them too!! (I’m in your camp:)

I spend a good bit of time in my hometown libraries for events, both mine and the Friends of Library etc. The renovated Madison CT library has wonderful places to work, and I go there when I’ve dropped Lottie off at the groomer and don’t want to waste time driving. They also have an amazing children’s area, which our grandkids love when they come to visit. Key West is more crowded–I’m afraid I’d end up chatting the day away!

As for what to read next, I’m on dozens of book recommendation lists (including Jungle Reds), and I listen to a few pals who read like mad and have similar tastes. 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I still use my regional library, Portland Public, and approach it as Hallie does, looking for a new and interesting title I hadn’t heard of. Their new novel shelves are invaluable. My first priority is for blurbs or if I’m doing an author interview, then I try to keep up with friends, and THEN I try to keep abreast of what’s new and selling. Hank’s list of what she’s reading is invaluable for this last purpose!

However, sometimes I want to settle in with something I know I’ll love, and that’s when I re-read Rosemary Pilcher and Lois McMaster Bujold. In addition, I’m one of those folks who likes to re-read at least the last book in a series when a new one comes out - and if the author, ahem, takes her time between books like I do, I may re-read all of her prior novels featuring the same cast of characters!

JENN McKINLAY: My library is my area of temporary refuge. When I can’t concentrate at home, I go to my local library where I have a specific study carrel where I sit to get my writing done. I love it. As for books, I browse the shelves to see what’s popular and I check out books I’m not certain I want to buy.

RHYS: Well, Jenn, you know all about magical libraries. I suppose all libraries are magical in. a way. They are portals to so many worlds. In fact the book I've just turned in, next year's stand-alone novel, takes place in a fabulous library in a British stately home. Imagine owning a library with every antique book you could think of.  You wouldn't want to sell those books, would you? But my character might have to, unless.... It's calle THE LANGUAGE OF LOST BIRDS.

So what about you, Reddies? Do you still use libraries? And do you read mainly new books or revisit classics or old favorites?

Rhys on Titles

RHYS BOWEN:  I am just switching into publicity mode for my next book. (When you find yourself doing three books a year there is always a next book looming on the horizon).

It is called THE PARIS ASSIGNMENT and it comes out in August. I love the cover. Completely eye catching across an airport bookstore but I’m not entirely thrilled about the word Paris in the title. It’s true the story does center around Paris and the heroine is sent back to France during WW!! as a spy, so it’s quite accurate. BUT

I find myself asking HOW MANY BOOKS WITH PARIS IN THE TITLE CAN THERE BE IN THE WORLD AT ONE TIME?

A short scroll down the Amazon bestseller list will reveal a whole lot. My publisher and agent’s thought is that Paris sells. See the word Paris and you’ll rush to buy the book. But I worry that readers will have become over-Parised. What if they say “Not another Paris book”?  Time will tell, I suppose. (I DO THINK THE COVER IS STUNNING!)

Titles are hard. Some come to me right away, others I toy with. Some seem perfect only to have my publisher’s marketing team tell me that the title won’t work and we need a new one.  Some have too many words to be read in a thumbnail. Some do not invoke the right image. So now I’m struggling with that very thing for the book I’m close to finishing. Remember during the What we are Writing week I shared a snippet from the book I’m currently calling IN AN ABANDONED PLACE?  I asked you for feedback and got some excellent insights, including Hank suggesting that In An Abandoned… was hard to say. And one thing I have learned—never have a title that the reader does not know how to pronounce. You don’t want to embarrass a reader in a bookstore or they’ll have negative feelings about your books for life! Hence I had to change Naughty and Nice into Naughty IN Nice so that readers would not mistakenly ask for nice…

Now, the new book is about little girls who have disappeared in WWII plus another little girl who has vanished in 1968 and whether these somehow tie together. So THE LOST GIRLS would be logical except look how many books have LOST in the their title.

And even more books have GIRLS! ( See Hallie, I’m using white space. You've got me obsessed now!)

Will my publisher want lost or girls because they sell?  My own feeling is that the world doesn’t want any more lost girls.

I like the feel of the word Abandoned in the title because it is the theme , not just of the village but of the lives of several characters, but there has been a book called ABANDONED, so not that. Deserted, maybe? A Deserted Place? The Deserted Village?

Isn’t it interesting how there is a fashion for particular words in titles: books, bookshops, libraries, words seem to be in at the moment. The Paris Bookshop, the London Bookshop, the Last Bookshop, the lost Library etc etc etc.

A while ago it was daughter/wife/child.  The lighthouse keeper's/butcher’s/bakers/candlestick maker’s daughter/wife/child.  Okay, I did one of them. I confess, but it was Tuscan.

I’m always afraid that if I choose a title with current buzzwords (like Paris) readers will glance at the book and say “Oh, I read that one.”

So, dear Reds: is it the title that makes you pick up a book? Or the cover? Or the author’s name?

And does AN ABANDONED PLACE work better? Any other brilliant suggestions?

When Your Personal Life is Material for Your Work by Jenn McKinlay

Jenn McKinlay: In a different lifetime, I was a part-time librarian. It was a great job. I loved my coworkers, the books, the public, the books, the atmosphere, the books, well, you get the idea. The library was my happy place.

That was right up until a patron got the wrong idea about my smiling helpfulness. He was asking for books on how to care for his hamster and I gamely jumped in, making his mission my mission as I did with any and all reference questions. When he left the building, he had a stack of hamster books in his arms, and I felt as if my mission was accomplished. 

Sadly, this patron took my friendliness the wrong way. The next time he appeared at my desk, he had a stack of planning your wedding books for me. He pushed them towards me and said, "I think June 1st would be a lovely day to get married." ACK!!!

It got worse. He sat near my reference desk and stared at me for hours. He waited for me when I left the building. I started looking over my shoulder constantly and spent my days on edge. The administrators at the time (they've since retired) were hesitant to kick him out of the building for fear of violating his civil rights. Excuse me?! And we wonder why women don't feel heard.

Finally, a detective from the Phoenix PD came to see me, sent by a friend who was the head of the liquor commission at the time. He listened to my story and told me he'd never seen a case of stalking handled so poorly by the powers that be (library admin) in all his years on the force. He and a partner went to talk to my stalker and convinced him to stay clear of me and the building I worked in for at least a year. Turns out, the guy had a history of stalking and had done jail time before. 

September 2019

So, when it came time to write WORD TO THE WISE, I knew I wanted to settle some old scores, right some wrongs, and exorcise some demons. Here is a snippet as librarian Lindsey Norris struggles with how to handle a patron, who is overstepping:

     Lindsey was going over the agenda of the next library board meeting with the president, Milton Duffy, in the main part of the library when Mayor Hensen and his right hand man, Herb Gunderson, came into the building. The mayor was known for his politician’s thousand-watt smile but at the moment, there was no sign of it. Not even a twitch of his lips.

     “Good afternoon, Mayor, Herb,” Lindsey greeted them.

     “A word, Lindsey,” Mayor Henson said. He kept walking, not even slowing down, towards Lindsey’s office. She gave Milton a wide-eyed look and followed the mayor into the workroom to the back where her office was. She felt Ms. Cole watching, and she turned and shrugged with a bewildered expression. Ms. Cole, who was not a fan of the mayor, smiled.

     Once in the office, the mayor and Herb took the two seats across from her desk and Lindsey sat down behind it. 

     “Can I get you anything?” she offered. “Coffee, water, soda?”

     “No thank you,” Mayor Hensen said. Herb didn’t say anything and Lindsey knew that the nature of their relationship meant that the mayor was answering for Herb as well. 

     “We’re here to discuss a matter of concern brought to us by a resident of Briar Creek,” Herb said.

     Lindsey felt her heart sink. This was how they always began a discussion when someone wanted to ban a book. While the mayor and Herb tended to be more interested in placating the patron, Lindsey took a hard line on not banning books. Period.

     She straightened her back. If they tried to get rid of one of her paper bound babies, well, there was going to be a fight.

     “Mr. Aaron Grady stopped by my office and told us that he’d been banned from using the library by the chief of police,” Mayor Hensen said. “Is this true?”

     Lindsey felt her face get warm. She did not want to have to explain this situation to the mayor. It was awkward and embarrassing and in a town where most of the department heads were male, she was afraid this was going to make her look weak and ineffectual. Her resentment spiked. She decided to stick to the facts.

     “I believe Chief Plewicki spoke to him about his inappropriate behavior,” Lindsey said. “Last I saw, she followed him out of the building and I haven’t heard from her since. I expect she’ll be in touch to give me more details when she gets the chance. If she banned him from the building, that’s welcome news to me.”

     “What was inappropriate about his use of the library?” Herb asked.

     “At the time, he was sitting at a desk and staring at me,” she said. 

     The two men exchanged a look. 

     “For an hour,” Lindsey said. “Just staring. And when I came into my office after being out there, he dragged a desk and chair into the shelving so he could continue to do so.”

     She pointed out the office window at the stacks but the desk and chair had already been moved back to their original location.

     “Do you think you might be overreacting?” Herb asked. Lindsey glowered.

      “He brings me roses from his garden,” she said. They stared at her, clearly waiting for more. “He pops up in town, wherever I am.” They weren’t getting it. “He showed up at my house.”

     The men exchanged a look. Herb cleared his throat and said, “Lindsey, you’re an attractive woman, and I mean that as an unbiased observation of fact and not in any way inappropriately.”

     “Okay,” Lindsey said. She wasn’t sure what to make of this.

     “So, is it really unreasonable for a man to notice you?” Herb asked.

     The mayor nodded as if to say what he said.

    “I mean,” Herb continued. “Can’t you just take it as a compliment and not have him kicked out of the building?”

     Lindsey returned their gazes, studying the two men sitting in front of her. She liked them. They were both good, solid family men. The sort who went to church every Sunday, doted on their moms, coached little league and soccer in their spare time. They were solid, salt of the earth types of guys. They could never imagine what it felt like to be a victim of unwanted attention and Lindsey didn’t know how to explain it beyond the fact that it sucked. She went with the facts.

     “No, I can’t,” she said. “Because it’s not a compliment. It’s creepy and marginally threatening and if it was your wife, sister, mother, or daughter, I don’t think you’d want them to put up with it either.”

     “Oh, now, come on,” Mayor Hensen tried to cajole her. “I know I’d be delighted if a woman thought I was attractive enough to warrant a couple of longing looks and some roses. Surely, being complimented like that can’t be that bad.” He elbowed Herb. “Am I right?”

     “Absolutely,” Herb said. “We don’t want to punish a man for having a silly little crush, do we? You should be flattered, Lindsey.”

     “Flattered?” she asked. “Did you miss the part where the guy showed up at my house with flowers when I was home alone. I never gave him my address. I’m not even listed at that address. That’s crossing the line.”

     “Yes, he did admit that he might have overstepped,” Herb said.

     “Might have?” Lindsey asked. “There’s no “might have” here. Listen, there’s something wrong with him and I’m not willing to put my staff or myself in harm’s way if this guy decides to show up with a gun or a bomb or whatever. So, no, I’m not going to pretend that I find this flattering. I don’t. It’s wrong and it’s weird, and I expect your support on this.”

     The two men exchanged another look.

     “Here’s the problem,” Herb said. “Mr. Grady has threatened to sue the town for infringing upon his civil rights if he is kicked out of the library. Since he hasn’t threatened you in any way, we feel it is best to let him back into the building.”

     “You’re joking,” she

said.

     The two men simply looked at her and she knew that their fear of a lawsuit outweighed their concern that she and her staff could be at risk. In that moment, the disappointment she felt in these two men she considered colleagues and friends had no bottom.

     “I’m afraid not,” Mayor Hensen said. “Mr. Grady is allowed to use the library just like any other resident of Briar Creek and the Thumb Islands. I’ll be making my position on this clear to Chief Plewicki as well.”

     He rose from his seat and Herb followed. At the door, Herb looked back and said, “If you have any other information, if he does anything that warrants further consideration, let us know and we can discuss it again.”

     With that they left, and Lindsey felt betrayed on a level she had never before experienced. 

What about you, Reds and Readers, have you ever had anyone cross the line? How did you get rid of them?

HITTING THE BOOKS! Let's talk Library Love!!!

JENN McKINLAY: Today's the day! HITTING THE BOOKS is out! I'm just thrilled to have another library lover's mystery "hitting" the shelves! Even more wonderful, HITTING THE BOOKS was chosen as one of the top ten books published in the month of September by Library Reads! Thank you! Thank you!

Now, because I am a former librarian and write a series set in a library, people frequently ask me what my favorite library is. Yeah, no, I can’t choose so I’ll tell you my top three – in no particular order. 

First, there is the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. I was fortunate enough to do a tour of duty there while in library school and it was one of the most transformative experiences in my education. Housed in an iconic building, they have a collection which has to be seen to be believed. Samples of their holdings include works by Benjamin Franklin, John James Audubon, George Eliot, the Mellon Collection of Alchemy and the Occult, the Romanov family photo albums, Gutenberg bibles, and more. Seriously, I’m pretty sure I could move into that building and live there forever. When I created my amateur sleuth Lindsey Norris, I made her an archivist from Beinecke just because I loved it so.

Second, is the Phoenix Public Library, also housed in an iconic building, it is where I worked part-time for twenty years in every department from children’s and teen’s services to government documents and law. My home was the Burton Barr Central Library and I spent many evenings gazing out over the city of Phoenix from the enormous reading room housed on the fifth floor. It really is an architectural marvel and the staff are some of the best and brightest in the industry. These are the people who give me so many of the day to day workings of library life that I frequently use in the fictional Briar Creek Public Library.

Third, was a job I only held for two years, but it was definitely the coolest environment. I was the research librarian at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ. My days were spent in the middle of this lush desert garden, researching the ethno-botanical properties of the agave (it’s used for more than making tequila) among other varied research topics. My coworkers were two desert tortoises, Patches and Puddles, who would meander into the library to visit when they were out of hibernation. Patches was so named because the staff had to patch his cracked shell for him and Puddles got her name because there was a dip in her shell and when it rained she always had a puddle on her back. I left the job when I started my family, but it remains one of my favorite library experiences.

The world of libraries is so vast and varied. When I travel, I always visit the local library because as I learned during my library career, libraries really are the hearts of their communities. I think that’s why I love writing the library lover’s series so much. It gives me a chance to celebrate libraries and the people who love them. 

So, tell me, what's your favorite library?

It's murder by the book in the latest hit Library Lover's mystery from the New York Timesbestselling author of Death in the Stacks.

When a stack of library materials is found at the scene of a hit and run, library director Lindsey Norris finds herself dragged into the investigation as the police try to link the driver of the stolen car to the person who borrowed the books. Before Lindsey can delve into the library's records, the victim of the hit and run, Theresa Houston, suffers another "accident" and the investigation shifts from driver negligence to attempted homicide.

A clue surfaces in the confiscated library materials that could crack open the case and it is up to Lindsey to piece it all together. But things are not as they seem in the sleepy town of Briar Creek and when the driver of the stolen car turns up dead, Lindsey, her staff and her library friends have to hit the books before the murderer gets the last word...

A Multiple Series Mash-Up by Jenn McKinlay

What are the perks to writing multiple series? Oh, there are so many. Over the past eight years, I have written five different mystery series. Two under the pseudonyms Lucy Lawrence and Josie Belle and three under the name Jenn McKinlay, which is my actual name. The three under my name have nothing in common. Nothing. Except somewhere along the line I started putting in crossover mentions or Easter eggs, as they’re called in the trade, for readers to find like an inside secret for those that have read more than one of my series.

The Mash-Up

How did it start? I’m not really sure. One day, I decided to have Scarlett Parker’s parents from the London Hat Shop mysteries buy a house in Briar Creek, the setting for the Library Lover’s mysteries. And in the Cupcake Bakery series, I have them looking at Vegas showgirl hats designed by a London milliner, which of course is Viv, the proprietor of Mim’s Whims, from the Hat Shop mysteries. Theses random mentions were a hoot to write and I got a lot of positive feedback from the readers who’d read all three series.

And now you’re wondering what does this have to do with Death in the Stacks? Well, because my hat shop series ended, I thought it would be hilarious to have the London characters visit the library and its community as a last glimpse at them before they departed for good…maybe. Of course, once I jumped on that train then I had to have the cupcake bakery characters do a walk on as well. It was crazy trying to give all of these characters equal airtime. And in fact, I couldn’t. But they are all there and they are all in the scene for the murder which I had the best time writing. It felt exactly like introducing your best friends and having them all hit it off, you know, over the discovery of a dead body.

   

On Sale TODAY!!!

DEATH IN THE STACKS: 

Lindsey Norris and her staff are gearing up for the Briar Creek Library’s annual Dinner in the Stacks fund-raiser. The night of dinner and dancing is not only a booklover’s dream—it’s the library’s biggest moneymaker of the year. But instead of raising funds, the new library board president is busy raising a stink and making the staff miserable.

Although Olive Boyle acts like a storybook villain, Lindsey is determined to work with her and make the event a success. But when Olive publicly threatens the library’s newest hire, Paula, Lindsey cracks like an old book spine and throws Olive out of the library.

The night of the fund-raiser, Lindsey dreads another altercation with Olive—but instead finds Paula crouched over Olive’s dead body. Paula may have secrets, but Lindsey and the rest of the crafternooners know she’s not the one who took Olive out of circulation. As the plot thickens, Lindsey must catch the real killer before the book closes on Paula’s future . . .

How about you, readers? Do you enjoy having characters from an authors other series do a pop in, or are you a purest and want no crossovers in your fiction?

At the Library?

LUCY BURDETTE: When I was a kid, I went to the library in my little town every week and came out with a stack of books. 

Today, as I was putting the finishing touches on this month's Friends of the Key West Library newsletter (I'm the editor,) I got to wondering how the rest of you are using libraries these days. Last week I went to hear debut author Nathan Hill talk about his 10-year-in-the-making novel THE NIX--he was every bit as charming as I expected--and I scored a Christmas gift for a family member! Saturday, I helped set up for our monthly Friends' book sale in the library's palm garden. (Which is every bit as charming as it sounds.) Beginning in January, my intention is to start taking Spanish lessons at the library--I think it will be good for my brain and who knows when it might come in handy?And like most  authors, I love talking to library book clubs about writing and my books. However, I've gotten into the habit of buying books, rather than taking them out of the library the way I did growing up. 

How are you using your local library these days?

HALLIE EPHRON: I love my local library. We helped get the expansion funded, and our gorgeous mostly-new library is packed most of the time, really functioning like a community center. Right now because I'm under deadline so I'm not doing much, but I always support the Friends of the Library and have volunteered in their used book store. They have wonderful resources, like a scanner that I use all the time and access to any book you could ever want through their network of libraries. Did I say, I love my library? 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  It's funny, isn't it, how online buying and e-reading have somehow supplanted libraries? But as you can see from these photos, I cannot live without them--and am always so thrilled to visit. (They always do such marvelous publicity!) 

And look at this terrific night at the Concord LIbrary--I'm on a panel with Peter Swanson and another author--isn't this room right out of Hogwarts? 

Librarians and patrons are the most enthusiastic, and truly, where would be be without them? I love how libraries become a gathering place, for lectures or talks or panels or classes--and I've done many an event for my local Newton Library, whether speaking or emceeing or hosting. 

One more important thing:  Sometimes readers say--as if apologizing--"I can;t buy your book tonight, but  always take your books out of the library."  My answer to that is --great!  It's so critical to keep our books in circulation...if no one checks them out, they go off the shelves.    Nothing better than having a long waitlist!

RHYS BOWEN: I grew up in the country, outside a small village where the only library was a small paid lending library in the yarn shop. We moved into town when I was 14 and I spent so much time at the big library down the hill that my father was sure I was meeting a boy. And I was allowed into the adult section. I found Georgette Heyer and Jean Plaidy and lots of good stuff. We had Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers at home so I knew them.

I used to use the local library here in Marin for reference. The reference librarians were brilliant when I asked questions like "In what year was elastic first used in underwear?" Now most stuff can be found online. I don't often check out books, as most things can be read on a Kindle. I do attend programs from time to time, but our local libraries are not brilliant as they are in other parts of the country. I'm spoken at libraries all over Illinois and they are fabulous. Also Santa Monica was gorgeous and vibrant. When I am in Arizona I usually drive to Scottsdale main library where they do have diverse programs from book groups to classes. And the best library is out in a small town called Cave Creek where there is always something fascinating going on. Half an hour's drive but worth it.! (I've spoken at an English tea party there).

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Oh, yikes, I am embarrassed to say how little I use my library. I loved my local library when I was growing up--checked out the full allowed number of books, every week--and then when my daughter was growing up we used the library in our old Dallas neighborhood (even after we moved fifty miles away) all the time. We did weekly story times, and then summer reading club, all the great activities. And I volunteered. In fact, I was working as a volunteer at the library when I wrote my first novel.

But now, it's the "busy-ness" syndrome again. I have more books in paper and on Kindle than I'll ever manage to read and there's always something new I need to keep up with. When I do check out books, I forget to return them. I'm afraid the most I see of libraries these days is when I get to do speaking engagements in them.

The next generation is starting out right, however. Granddaughter Wren is going to story-time twice a week at our local library!

How about you Red Readers, do you use your library?

It All Happens at the Library!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: You can only do it once—have a debut novel. I was honored to be an Edgar judge for Best First last year, and plowed though dozens and dozens and dozens of debuts. The Edgar nominees glistened like jewels among them. It was amazing how they stood out.

Ashley Weaver

One was Ashley Weaver’s chic and clever Nick and Nora-ish  mystery Murder at the Brightwell—words like lavish and viscount and champagne and playboy and gala and cloche occur, as do jewelry and resort and chauffeur. You get the picture. We all loved it!

And now, Ashley Weaver takes her characters to a new adventure. (And you can only do that once, too—write your second novel!) Where does she come up with this stuff? You’d never guess. First, she had a dream…

ASHLEY WEAVER: I’ll be the first to admit: as a mild-mannered librarian, I’m not exceptionally daring in my day-to-day affairs. 

Don’t get me wrong. I love to travel, to see new places and have adventures. But I’m also a big fan of good old routine. Most days will find me happily sitting at my desk, ordering or cataloging books and drinking large quantities of coffee from my favorite sassy (but true!) mug.

While public libraries aren’t exactly as quiet as the old stereotype suggests, there is something soothing about being surrounded by books, and the library was always one of my favorite places long before I thought of working there. What better place for a writer to flourish, after all, than surrounded by rows and rows of beautiful books!

(The library, my natural habitat.)

Yes, I enjoy a quiet life . . . until I get home at night, that is. My evenings are filled with drama and danger. Of the fictional variety. When it comes to books, the more mayhem the better! For as long as I’ve been reading, I have loved mysteries. I love the thrill of the unknown, of being caught up in the hunt for clues that will make everything clear. I love the moment when I’m reading a book and the scene becomes so intense that I have to close the pages for a few moments before I can face it.

It’s no surprise, then, that when I started writing, it was always mystery stories that I wanted to tell. My Amory Ames Mysteries came about when I had a dream with my character’s name. That was it. There were no other details in the dream. But I knew right away who she was and what kind of story she belonged in, and everything just unfolded from there.

I discovered as I mapped out Amory’s adventures that writing a character’s risky behaviors is perhaps even more fun than reading about them. In fact, that’s one of my favorite things about being a writer: getting my characters into trouble that I would be sensible enough to avoid! I would never, for example, visit disreputable pawnbrokers in disguise to haggle over stolen jewels or confront a killer I’d caught red handed. But Amory would, and does, and shows no sign of learning her lesson!

Of course, that’s the stuff that heroines are made of.  A bit of recklessness and the willingness to put oneself in jeopardy is what gets mysteries solved, after all. And what makes reading them so enjoyable!  I suppose it is inevitable, then, that Amory will keep sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong and getting into all sorts of mischief. I will be enjoying every minute of it, and I hope readers will too!    

So, despite my quiet day job, I live a life of mystery. As both a reader and a writer, I love the idea that characters are up for a challenge and can meet undauntedly whatever calamities come their way, solving the crime and saving the day.

That’s not to say my day job doesn’t have its own exciting moments. There was that especially lovely one last year when my love of libraries, mysteries, and writing combined, and I got to put my first mysterynovel on the library’s shelf. As a librarian, I can’t image a much bigger adventure than that!

HANK: So, in honor of Avery, let’s do a library shout out!  What’s you favorite library, or the one that changed your life, or the one you frequent these days?

(And you do remember, just saying, the paperback of TRUTH BE TOLD is now on sale, and I do mean sale! $5.03…and I have a very VERY special offer for you right here! http://bit.ly/1Kp5ZIP

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AshleyWeaver is the Technical Services Coordinator for the Allen Parish Libraries in Louisiana. Weaver has worked in libraries since she was 14; she was a page and then a clerk before obtaining her MLIS from Louisiana State University. She lives in Oakdale, Louisiana.

Death Wears a Mask

Following the murderous events at the Brightwell Hotel, Amory Ames is looking forward to a tranquil period of reconnecting with reformed playboy husband Milo. Amory hopes a quiet stay at their London flat will help mend their dysfunctional relationship after their unexpected reconciliation. However, she soon finds herself drawn into another investigation when Serena Barrington asks her to look into the disappearance of valuable jewelry snatched at a dinner party.

Amory agrees to help lay a trap to catch the culprit at a lavish masked ball hosted by the notorious Viscount Dunmore. But when one of the illustrious party guests is murdered, Amory is pulled back into the world of detection, enlisted by old ally Detective Inspector Jones. As she works through the suspect list, she struggles to fend off the advances of the very persistent viscount even as rumors swirl about Milo and a French film star.

Once again, Amory and Milo must work together to solve a mystery where nothing is as it seems, set in the heart of 1930s society London.