I’m known as the gift guru in our family (that’s an unofficial title). If anyone needs an idea for the perfect present for somebody, they come to me. This year, I’m sharing this superprowess with you, Dear Reader, should you find yourself in need of the Perfect Holiday Gift for the Victorian mystery fan (or,… Read more »
News
#Myrtle Mondays: Premeditated Myrtle is a Best Book of the Year!
Well, of course *I* think so, but don’t just take my word for it! I’m so excited to share the news that Premeditated Myrtle has been named to several Best of 2020 lists, including Amazon’s Top 20 Children’s Books. (There’s some more exciting Amazon news a’brewing, so stay tuned for that!) Not to be outdone,… Read more »
#MyrtleMondays: Riddle Me This…
This week is the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) virtual conference—an event I was originally scheduled to attend in person, to share the Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries with educators from all over America. Of course, those plans have been rearranged a bit, so my appearance there will now be pre-recorded and hosted at the… Read more »
#MyrtleMondays: The Comforting Power of Murder Mysteries
Well, hasn’t this been a nerve-wracking week? The protracted election drama, coupled with record-setting coronavirus cases, put us all on edge. I remarked to a friend that thinking about murdering imaginary people has been remarkably cathartic… I am far from the first mystery author (or reader!) to have that thought. In fact, the Golden Age… Read more »
#MyrtleMondays: Dressing the Victorian Detective
Last week, I spent Halloween Eve (yes, All Hallow’s Eve Eve) with fellow Algonquin Young Readers authors Sarah Jean Horwitz (The Dark Lord Clementine and the Carmer & Grit series) and Will Ritter (Oddmire and Jackaby series)—at an event with Prairie Fox Books of Ottawa, Illinois. As it was Halloween, we swiftly decided costumes would… Read more »
#MyrtleMondays: Help Find Peony!
Dear Reader, Myrtle Hardcastle’s loyal sidekick, Peony the Cat, has gone missing in Instagram! Is she lost, catnapped, or off hunting suspects? You can help find her, and win a Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries prize pack from Algonquin Young Readers! Can you find Peony’s hiding places? Several sneaky Instagram accomplices are helping keep Peony hidden. You… Read more »
#Myrtle Mondays: The Fight to Vote
Americans have a big election coming up in a few weeks, with early voting and voting by mail happening right now, and 2020 marks the centennial of national women’s suffrage in the United States. But many of us aren’t aware of just how rocky and uneven the road to universal suffrage has been—full of switchbacks,… Read more »
#MyrtleMondays: Sherlock Holmes, Myrtle, & Me: The Strand Magazine
If you’re a fan of Sherlock Holmes, you no doubt know the name The Strand. This British and American magazine is famous for publishing many of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mysteries, beginning with “The Scandal in Bohemia” in 1891 and continuing well into the twentieth century (not counting the Great Hiatus). Doyle’s association with The… Read more »
#Myrtle Mondays: Launch Day!!
Huzzah!! The Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries finally arrive tomorrow! (Maybe I ought to have gone with Myrtle Tuesdays?) Are you ready to celebrate? In preparation, I have been… Signing Bookplates Bookplates ready to be shipped off to bookstores hosting Myrtle events Sending out invitations Remember, the Premeditated Myrtle/How to Get Away with Myrtle virtual launch is… Read more »
#Myrtle Mondays: Victorian Advertising
Dear Readers, There’s just ONE WEEK LEFT before the fabulous Two-Book Launch Event Extravanganza for the Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries, Premeditated Myrtle and How to Get Away with Myrtle! Marketing common sense tells me I should be showering you with reminders to BUY BUY BUY!! …but that seems a little coarse. Instead, I’ll show you some fabulous Victorians… Read more »