My favorite (fun) (feminine) (fabulous) mystery series...

As I continue with my Deep Thoughts on Books (c), I’ve noticed that I have a definite preference for the types of mystery series I read… and by read, I mean, devour and swallow up all the books in one go.

If you’ve looked at my list of why I love the books I do, you’ll see instantly that all these books I’m about to recommend pretty much tick all of my boxes: female-focused, mystery, humor/ great voice, and with a fair share of romantic interest.

So here are my most beloved mystery series… (in no particular order.) I’ve helpfully included the link to book 1 in each series. You’re very welcome.

The Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen
Amazon || Apple Books

This is one of the few that I have NOT read all the books in the series, but I still feel confident recommending it. I’m savoring each of the adventures of Lady Georgianna, 34th in line to the throne.

Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich
Amazon || Apple Books

This is pretty much the book that inspired a thousand authors to try to be half as funny and half as engaging as the mishaps of a bounty hunter in Trenton, NJ.

Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris

Amazon || Apple Books

This is the series that got me back to reading after I had my youngest child. I read the first eight of these books in a week, I think. They were so addictive and original and, this may be an unpopular opinion, but I enjoyed the books far more than the show. Which was good, too! For reasons.

Below Stairs Mysteries by Jennifer Ashley
Amazon || Apple Books

Now this series is still ongoing, but I’ve recommended it to so many people (and on this blog!). I just love the heroine and all the Downton Abbey-esque details of her Below Stairs life.

Lady Julia Grey Mysteries by Deanna Raybourn
Amazon || Apple Books

Now Ms. Raybourn has two wonderful historical mystery series out, this one and her Veronica Speedwell series and I did hesitate about which one to recommend. After all, the Lady Julia Grey series has concluded and Veronica Speedwell is still continuing, to the best of my knowledge. In the end, I picked Lady Julia Grey because I’ve actually re-read them (is that weird? Even though I’ve already read the resolution?) and because if you start with Julia, you can keep going all the way through Veronica.

And of course, I have to recommend my own fun, fabulous, feminine mystery series. If you like Sookie Stackhouse and Stephanie Plum all rolled up in a Elle Woods package, check out Margot Blythe.

Amazon || Apple Books

What are your favorite mystery series? I know there are so many more that I need to dive into… like JD Robb. I KNOW I KNOW. But the sheer number of books in the series just intimidates me. I fear I won’t be able to read anything else and then a year will go by and I’ll come out of my cave not knowing what has happened in the world.

So. Any recommendations for me? ;-)

All These Things That I Love - Royally Royal Movies - September 2018

A monthly roundup of things that give me life...

Last month I shared some of my favorite romance-adventure movies, so of course, then I was asked, what are some of my favorite royally themed movies?

And I have to admit, I sort of paused. Because I don’t really think of a “princess” movie as being a separate genre. It’s either something I like and want to watch again, or it’s… not.

But I drew up a list anyway, and I definitely started seeing some similarities in the movies I picked. One, they all have royals in them (obviously.) Two, they all have humor and/ or romance. There are good movies and television shows about court intrigue and rising to power, etc., and I like watching those but generally, I need humor and that extra something else to re-watch.

Ready for my recommendations? 

Elizabeth at 90 - this is a documentary, also available on Netflix, prepared and narrated by Prince Charles on the occasion of his mother, Her Majesty’s ninetieth birthday. With never before-seen interviews and home movies, I just adored this peek into the lives of a woman who truly has defined the last century. And I’ll admit it, I cried. I don’t even know what that was about.

The Princess Bride - a true classic. Quotes from this appear in many a writer’s wheelhouse and the mix of adventure, romance and humor will never get old. Or mostly dead.

The Princess Diaries - another classic fantasy. The cast is perfection - who doesn’t love Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway?- and it will always cheer you up on a gloomy day in Genovia.

The Crown - a gorgeous dramatization of Queen Elizabeth’s reign (I mean, that photo alone makes me want to write all the things ^^), I highly recommend watching this and the documentary above. I’ve rewatched the series and I love the actors so much. I’m not quite sure how I’ll feel about Tobias Menzies taking over as Prince Phillip. He was so devastatingly good as Black Jack Randall. I’m sure for the first episode of series 3 I’ll be terrified for the safety of HM. Here’s the most recent news about the third season of The Crown.

The Young Victoria - another gorgeous (I’m using that word a lot, aren’t I? But seriously, I just get lost in all the costume and sets of these period movies) film about, yes, Young Queen Victoria. The depiction of the courtship and early marriage of Victoria and Prince Albert is swoony.

And finally…

The Woman He Loved.

It’s a 1988 film about the love affair that ended a king’s reign - between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII. I don’t even know why this movie still is so firmly implanted in my brain. This was a television movie, and I’m not sure if I would have seen it on TV, or on a VCR (very old technology for those youngsters out there.) But something about this movie stuck with me - maybe it was the glorious angst of a king giving up his throne or the glamour of the 30’s and 40’s costumes, the beauty of Jane Seymour or the very intense furrowed brow of Anthony Andrews… who knows. It definitely made an impression on me as a pre-teen and then I was VERY invested in the same characters in The Crown.

Anyway, the movie is available in its entirety on You Tube here:

So those are my top recommendations for royally-themed movies! I’m putting my silly little self-made movie poster here again for The Royal Runaway. It comes out next month (!!!) and I can’t wait for everyone to read it and let me know who they see playing the roles of Princess Theodora of Drieden and Nick Fraser-Campbell.

No celebrity endorsement implied. Just inspired to play around with a movie poster of my own.

I'd love to hear what royally wonderful movies you love and what I need to add to my rainy day movie queues!

Reserve your copy of THE ROYAL RUNAWAY at:
Amazon || BN.Com || Simon & Schuster ||  Apple Books  ||Amazon UK || Kobo

All These Things That I Love - Drinks Edition - August 2018 & a COVER REVEAL

A monthly roundup of things that give me life...

I've got a very special drinks edition for you today!  A guest drinks edition brought to you by my British-American friend Julia Kelly to celebrate my new UK cover! 

First, let's look at my beautiful cover, then you can fix a very British drink to celebrate it! 

Isn't it fun?  I love seeing my book re-interpreted in different ways! So if you are in the United Kingdom, Australia, any part of the English speaking world that IS NOT North America, this is the cover you'll see for THE ROYAL RUNAWAY, my novel that is releasing 9 October 2018! (see how I used the right date format?)
 

Learn more about the book here and here!

And now please welcome my friend, author Julia Kelly. I asked her to tell us about a quintessential British summer cocktail. 

Author Julia Kelly and family. Probably role-playing scenes from THE ROYAL RUNAWAY.

Since moving to London, I’ve realized that there are a few reliable clues that summer is coming. People start wearing light jackets rather than heavy ones. Tennis players start thinking about dusting off their tennis whites. And the Pimms begins to flow.

If you aren’t familiar with Pimms, it’s an herbal-ish drink made from Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, lemonade, fruit, cucumber, and mint. Think British sangria, minus the wine.

In the UK, you can buy Pimm’s in cans, but that takes all of the romance out of the drink. Instead, break out your best water pitcher and mix up a batch. Just be careful. Depending on who’s mixing the drink and whether they add anything “special” to it (i.e. gin), it can be more potent than you think.

Julia’s Perfect Pimm’s

250ml Pimm’s No. 1 Cup

500ml British-style lemonade*

Orange, sliced

Strawberries, sliced

Cucumber, sliced

1 bunch mint leaves

Ice cubes

Slice your fruit and cucumber. (The beauty of Pimm’s is that you can customize how much fruit you really want). Place the fruit, mint, and ice into a large pitcher. Pour in your Pimm’s and lemonade over and stir. Pour out your Pimm’s and be sure to eat the liquor-soaked fruit when you reach the end of the jug. Enjoy with friends or (safely) by yourself. We won’t judge.

*British lemonade is not like American lemonade! It’s a slightly fizzy drink that’s more lightly sweet than sharp. In a pinch try flavoring sparkling water with a couple squeezes of fresh lemon.

Reserve your copy of THE ROYAL RUNAWAY at:
Amazon || BN.Com || Simon & Schuster ||  Apple Books  ||Amazon UK || Kobo

And Pre-Order Julia Kelly's next historical fiction novel, THE LIGHT OVER LONDON at:
Amazon || BN.Com || Simon & Schuster ||  Apple Books  ||Amazon UK || Kobo

All These Things That I Love - Romance-Adventure Movies - August 2018

A monthly roundup of things that give me life...

I'm not sure if I have explained - or could explain - the way that television and film influence my books. Sometimes it's the staccato dialogue from an episode of The West Wing or  Gilmore Girls that inspires me. Sometimes it's the tongue in cheek humor of Rogelio de la Vega on Jane the Virgin that gives me the urge to let my crazy humor fly. And sometimes it's Jamie Fraser from Outlander.

(Okay. A lot of times it's Jamie Fraser.)

I realized recently that The Royal Runaway, my book about the adventures of a princess and a spy had a lot in common with my favorite type of movie.

Romantic-Adventure movies! You didn't know that this was a specific sub-genre of movie, did you? Maybe it's not, but I realized that so many of the movies that I have watched over and over again have certain things in common. 

1. Romance/ Sexual tension
2. A quick pace
3. Banter
4. A plot that involves an adventure, mystery or quest. 

Sound good? Check out my all time favorites...

Some Like it Hot
Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe star in this Hollywood classic. Even though the movie was made in 1959, the jokes still crackle, the performances shine and it's still FUN. 

Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. You haven't seen it 1000 times? COME ON PEOPLE. 

I'll say it again: AUDREY HEPBURN. CARY GRANT. PARIS. COSTUMES. SHOWER SCENE. BAD GUYS. MISTAKEN IDENTITIES. CARY F'IN GRANT. 

Don't talk to me again until you've seen it. 

Romancing the Stone starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. This film is a classic romantic adventure, with 80's sexiness (there's a lot of saxophones. That was code in the 80's for sexiness.) Kathleen Turner plays Joan Wilder, who is a romance novelist and her scenes with her editor, played by Holland Taylor are pretty much all I would need in a movie but then you add a treasure map, and Danny deVito as a comedic bad guy, and a heroic smuggler (think Han Solo but Michael Douglas) named JACK T. COLTON and it's just all the magic. 

The Mummy. The 1999 version please, with Brendan Fraser as the action-y guy and Rachel Weisz as the intrepid scholarly archaeological heroine. Some might call this horror or an action flick, but to me it's all foreplay while trying to avoid death by cursed Egyptian artifact.  

Thomas Crown Affair

Speaking of foreplay....Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. Just look at them. They're so flipping gorgeous in this movie about a smart, sexy person in the prime of their life and another smart, sexy person in the prime of their life trying to out-think each other. There's some caper-y art theft in between the battle of the sexiness. I'm sorry, I have to stop there. It appears I can't find another word for SEXY. 

Tangled. Maybe it's not quite as sexy as some of these others, but I'll confess that I get a crush on Flynn Rider every time I watch this movie. Honestly, he's a lot like my hero in THE ROYAL RUNAWAY.  He's battle scarred and weary but when he crosses paths with a gutsy princess he can't help but fall for her.  

No celebrity endorsement implied. Just inspired to play around with a movie poster of my own.

I'd love to hear what romantic-adventure movies you love and what I need to add to my rainy day movie queues!

Reserve your copy of THE ROYAL RUNAWAY at:
Amazon || BN.Com || Simon & Schuster ||  Apple Books  ||Amazon UK || Kobo

All These Things That I Love - Drinks Edition - July 2018

A monthly roundup of things that give me life...

This summer, I've decided to focus on one of the most popular parts of this blog series... THE DRINKS. 

I do some version of this cocktail every summer by the pool. It's light, it's refreshing, it's pink.

Out by the husband's barbeque smoker...

It's my version of a paloma. There are many interpretations of this grapefruit-based cocktail from the super fancy to the easy. 

(Spoiler alert: I like easy.)

I'm also trying to cut carbs so I'm going to give you my preferred recipe and the lighter, sugar free options.

But you do you. Mix it up. Go all out on MORE SUGAR. Or not. 

My current recipe is: 
1 shot of a good vodka (also recommended, Deep Eddy Grapefruit Vodka for ultra grapefruit flavor)
1 shot of unsweetened grapefruit juice (if you're doing juice)
half a cup of ice
Fill to top w/ diet grapefruit soda. (I've been using these ICE drinks, but Fresca is also delicous)

This is a very refreshing drink, perfect for waiting by the pool for the brisket to finish. (HINT HINT Mr. EMORY. WHERE IS MY BRISKET!?)

What kind of cocktails are you enjoying this summer? And what do you think, should I rename this cocktail recipe... the Princess Theodora? They look good together, don't they?

Reserve your copy of THE ROYAL RUNAWAY at:
Amazon || BN.Com || Simon & Schuster ||  Apple Books  ||Amazon UK || Kobo