Flashovers—A Fire Event You Will Not Survive

Time for another episode of “My Search History is Scary.” As a person with a deeply rooted fear of fire (a fear I passed along to my detective DI Nigella Parker . . . yes, I am that kind of person), I found much of what I had to research while writing And by Fire…

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More Reader Love for AND BY FIRE

NOTHING boosts a writer’s week like a kind words from readers. Got a couple of great reviews for AND BY FIRE today and I can’t resist sharing. Please note summer is here–it will be 90 in Washington, DC today–so what are you waiting for? Get AND BY FIRE on that summer TBR pile!!! Or, if…

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Art in And By Fire: Wooden Boat with Seven People

Art plays a key role in And by Fire. The killers in each of the novel’s two plotlines may be separated by centuries, but they are united in their passion for creating art and in their belief that art justifies not only self-sacrifice but the sacrifice of others—a line that most creatives, including this novelist,…

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Christmas Comes Early for Me . . . In an Avalanche of Great Reviews!

Ho, ho, ho . . . 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫  𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 (no better gift for an author–that’s for sure).   Here are a couple of the latest . . . “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱! 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴…

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𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝟓-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄!!!

Chuffed to share this great new review from Rozier Reads and Wine (a bookish Instagrammer)! Some highlights . . . 🔥 “𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐱 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝. 🔥 “I thought this mystery book was extremely well done. The mysteries in each time period…

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History, Books, Wine and ME

It’s ALWAYS Happy Hour somewhere, right? So, you can listen to this fabulous podcast morning, noon, or night (drink optional). Today I’m DELIGHTED to be the guest author on the “History, Books and Wine”. Listen wherever you download your favorite podcasts as chat with fellow authors Eliza Knight and Lori Ann Bailey covering some of…

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Autumn Book Trailer for AND BY FIRE

Don’t know as I’ve said this before but my dual-timeline mystery 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹. In modern London fall is in the air even as the scent of burning leaves comingles with the more distressing odors of burning bodies—including one posed as a crucified Christ. In London of 1666 the Great Fire—an…

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AND BY FIRE is a Kindle Monthly Deal!

I am delighted to announce that Amazon has selected And by Fire as a Kindle Monthly Deal for September! That means that from now until the end of September you can purchase a Kindle eBook copy of And by Fire for just $1.99. What are you waiting for? If you’ve already read my twisty dual-timeline…

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Writing Mystery Using Research Methods Taken From Writing History

I am delighted to be a guest on fellow thriller writer Alison Morton’s* blog today. As I turned from writing history (as Sophie Perinot) to writing mystery, I discovered that being a historical novelist had given me a fierce research toolbox and that those tools can benefit writers in every genre! Interested in my shortlist…

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Finding Notes In Books—it’s not just a plot point

My novel, And by Fire, involves a collection of “case notes” discovered by my modern London detectives—DIs Nigella Parker and Colm O’Leary—but written by a pair of amateur sleuths more than three-hundred-fifty years earlier. Tucking things away in books not unheard of. I find everything from receipts to old school pictures tucked in mine. But…

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