I LOVE when mystery novels set in a past era try to stick as closely as possible to true history. It gives me goosebumps to discover that what I’m reading is inspired by actual events and is not too far from the way things really were, especially when it’s difficult to believe people really did/thought/believed that back then. What I’ve found is there’s really nothing new under the sun, only the same, but different.
Has your book club read one of my books? Wondering what to discuss when you meet? I recently had the honor of joining a book club discussion of my latest book, A Deed of Dreadful Note, over Zoom. So much fun! The month before, I joined a discussion of The Leavenworth Case, which was equally …
This week: Merry’s Gingerbread Cookies! Last week, we made Baba Noël’s Egyptian Kahk. The week before, I was joined by fellow readers and BookTubers Kay of Kay’s Hidden Shelf and Andrew of Andrew’s Wizardly Reads as we baked Sugar Cookies! In 2021, I shared three recipes from three different cookbooks. You can find them here: …
This week: Baba Noël’s Egyptian Kahk! Last week, I was joined by fellow readers and BookTubers Kay of Kay’s Hidden Shelf and Andrew of Andrew’s Wizardly Reads as we baked Sugar Cookies! In 2021, I shared three recipes from three different cookbooks. You can find them here: Gingerbread Delicate Cake Christmas Cookies In 2022, I …
Join me as I share three new Christmas recipes! In 2021, I shared three recipes from three different cookbooks. You can find them here: Gingerbread Delicate Cake Christmas Cookies In 2022, I shared three more recipes from 19th century cookbooks: Three Minute Cake Apple Pie Spice Cookies You can also find all my recipe videos …
By 1919, Anna Katharine Green was well on her way to earning the title “Mother of Detective Fiction” having successfully published 21 novels and two collections of poetry. At the age of 72, she knew a thing or three when it came to writing crime fiction and detective mystery. Below you’ll find one of the …
When Anna Katharine Green had the dream that would inspire the writing of The Leavenworth Case, her debut novel, the first person she wrote to was Mary Hatch: “The other night I had a wonderful dream, which has impressed a story on my mind.… It is so passionate, so strong, so subtle, so dread, dark, …
A Deed of Dreadful Note is a piece of historical fiction, created by blending The Leavenworth Case with Anna’s personal history, recorded thoughts, and relationships since, as she said herself, “Truth is stranger than fiction.” Where possible, I have used Anna’s own words to capture the grace and wit with which she approached the world …
Toot the horns and sound the trumpets! It’s RELEASE DAY for A Deed of Dreadful Note I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to finally have this passion project out in the world! I’ll be posting lots of new videos over the next few months, including readings from A Deed of Dreadful …
NEW VIDEO! The countdown to the release of my newest novel begins today! We’re only 10 days away from the release of A Deed of Dreadful Note, first in the Anna Katharine Green Mysteries. This book is the first and only historical fiction ever written featuring the Mother of Detective Fiction! In this video, I …
When writing historical fiction, one of the most important things to keep straight is the timeline of events. While writing A Deed of Dreadful Note, I wanted to track not only the events in Anna Katharine Green’s life, but events around her that would have affected her writing. For example: When was the publication of …
