I can’t believe June is over already! This was a great month for reading. I took advantage of a weeklong vacation and binged on books and sun. BROTHERS IN ARMS was the latest in my Bujold re-read, and as always I wasn’t disappointed. The tone is darker and more complex, but the story is still entertaining as hell. Sticking with sci-fi/fantasy, I grabbed THE RETURN OF THE THIEF by Megan Whalen Turner. The last book in her amazing Thief series, this one had all the crazy twists and turns that are the the hallmark of her books and the unassuming Gen who I might add to my very exclusive list of swoon-worthy heroes. Next up was Beth O’Leary’s THE SWITCH which turned up on a Bookbub list and flew immediately to the top of my TBR pile. After this one, she has definitely become an auto-read for me. Ann Cleeves’s TELLING TALES was a Vera Stanhope mystery that I read in typical mystery fashion—as in, without stopping and in one day. I finished up the month with FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT by Elle Cosimano, a sharp, funny, sexy read about an author turned accidental assassin.

I’m super thrilled to be able to share this PUBLISHERS MARKETPLACE announcement! There are so many people who helped push this story along it would take pages to thank them all, so I’ll limit my post to giving an enormous grateful shout out to my fabulous agent Kevan Lyon of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency and the amazing publishing group at William Morrow for believing in me and this book. I can’t wait to share these courageous trailblazing women with you all!!

My reading time was down this past month (darn wip!), but the books I did manage to get to were all fabulous! TJ Klune’s THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA was a wonderful read—a fantasy for those who wouldn’t normally choose that genre touching on themes of belonging and family and tolerance. Ann Cleeves never disappoints with her mysteries and her latest Vera Stanhope novel THE DARKEST EVENING was just what I needed. I didn’t come up for air until the end. I’m not sure why it took me so long to read THE ALICE NETWORK by Kate Quinn, but wow! Two compelling storylines that had me furiously turning pages and reading far past my bedtime. I ended the month with LAST TANG STANDING by Lauren Ho. A Bookbub recommendation, this was a funny, charming pleasure of a book perfect to curl up with on a rainy Memorial Day weekend. 

Warmer days and longer evenings fueled my book binge this month. I started with Erin Morgenstern’s beautiful, reality-bending fantasy THE NIGHT CIRCUS on the recommendation of a friend. THE LAST GARDEN IN ENGLAND by Julia Kelly followed the fate of a secret garden through a century of the women who loved and cared for it. It reminded me a lot of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic. Then another Elly Griffith mystery THE LANTERN MEN (I’ll be so sad when this series ends). I picked up my first Marie Benedict novel THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTI, but it certainly won’t be my last. Loved the twists and turns as she sought to explain those missing two weeks in the author’s life. And finished off the month with BLACK BUCK by Mateo Askaripour, a novel that made me squirm uncomfortably in my seat even as I devoured the pages.

One of my father’s most lasting gifts to me was the freedom to browse and buy from our local bookstore—no questions asked. That gift led to a lifetime love of books, reading, and indie bookstores where the person behind the counter was a friend and neighbor. 

To continue to champion indie bookstores everywhere, I’ve added Bookshop.org buy links for my most recent titles. Shop online with them, and you’ll be supporting local bookstores all across the country, guaranteeing that the friend behind the counter is always there waiting to help you choose the perfect read.

I’m honored to have been selected by the Maryland Library Association as this year’s recipient of the William G. Wilson Maryland Author Award. I’ll be attending their conference in May where I plan to champion the importance of historical fiction.

I was honored to be invited to participate in SPINE Magazine’s monthly author-curated feature listing six books at the top of my TBR pile. Click the link to read the article and maybe find a few books to add to your bedside table.

A few photographs from the amazing HNSNA conference held this year at the Gaylord in Washington DC’s National Harbor. It was my first time attending, but will definitely not be my last. The weekend started with dinner hosted by my fabulous agent where I got to eat lots of Italian food; drink wine; and chat books, history, and writing with my fellow Lyonesses. And it ended with a book signing seated between two historical heavy-hitters Jennifer Robson and Kate Quinn. Next year–HNSUK in Durham?

Southern Writers Magazine interviewed me for their March 2019 edition. I had a fantastic time chatting about author pen names, the craft of writing, favorite authors, and my latest release, THE WAY TO LONDON. Below is a wonderful little teaser they sent me, but you can check out the full article here: https://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/buy-online.html.

THE WAY TO LONDON has released in both Denmark and Sweden and is now available in both hardback and paperback. Click on my International Books page for links to participating booksellers.

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