Bloggin' 'bout Books: 07/07/16

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

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Love Deanna Raybourn? Then You're Going to Adore This Post. (With a Giveaway!)

3:42 PM

Remember back in January when I raved about A Curious Beginning, the first book in a new Victorian mystery series by Deanna Raybourn? Well, guess what? I have some great news related to this novel, which I adored. First off, the next installment in the series—A Perilous Undertaking—will be available January 10, 2017. Personally, I cannot wait! Second, the paperback version of A Curious Beginning will be available on July 12, 2016. Not only that, but it has gorgeous new cover art that matches that of A Perilous Undertaking. Here, take a gander:

Pretty, aren't they? I think I prefer the hardcover art, but still, these are lovely in their own right.

The real question is, how would you like to win a pretty paperback version of A Curious Beginning for yourself? You would? Good. Thanks to the good folks at Penguin Random House (Berkley/NAL), I have one to give away. Details are at the bottom of this post.

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Don't go there yet, though! I had the chance to interview the wonderful Deanna Raybourn recently. Here's the conversation we had:

BBB: Although I've had SILENT IN THE GRAVE on my bookshelf for some time now, A CURIOUS BEGINNING is the first and only book of yours that I've read. I adored the novel so much that I'll definitely be reading everything you've ever written! For me and authors who are not (yet) familiar with your previous work, would you please describe a Deanna Raybourn novel in five words or less?

DR: Twisty, witty historical adventures. (And I’m delighted you enjoyed—thanks for the kind words!)

BBB: Veronica Speedwell, the star of A CURIOUS BEGINNING, is such a fun character. What's your favorite thing about her? Why do you think she will appeal to modern readers?

DR: Veronica is an unapologetic badass, by which I mean she sincerely does not care what people think of her. She is intelligent and resourceful and courageous, and she believes those qualities make her the equal of anyone else—and frequently their superior! I think modern readers see themselves in Veronica because, unlike the common impression we have of Victorian women as tightly-corseted and helpless, Veronica goes out and gets what she wants. She lives life on her own terms and is comfortable in her own skin. She is also inspired by an actual Victorian lepidopterist who did exactly as she pleased, so there is a precedent for it.

BBB: I haven't read your Lady Julia novels, but I have a friend who's a big fan. She has two burning questions for you: Will Julia and Nicholas ever have an adventure in America? She also wonders how prevalent certain "modern" elements that you write about in your Victorian novels (feminism, drug use, homosexuality, etc.) actually were during that time period. How do you go about researching these sometimes controversial issues? Also, how did the class/money issues that so affected Victorian society affect a real Victorian's pursuit of such things?

DR: For now Julia and Nicholas are on hiatus, but with the coming of the TV series, who knows! Although I have to say, I doubt I would take them to America. They are so firmly rooted in Victorian London, pulling them out of that just feels tricky. I did take them to Darjeeling, and I teased an Italian adventure, so I suppose I shouldn’t rule it out entirely.

It’s a very common misconception that those elements are modern. We hear so much about Victorians being sexually repressed and uptight, but the truth is that sort of staid morality only gives a picture of a certain segment of the population. The newly-emerging middle class was all about respectability, but in the lower class, more than 50% of brides were pregnant on their wedding day, and adultery was extremely common amongst aristocrats. (The Prince of Wales himself set the fashion!) Women were agitating for the vote; what we now call street drugs were entirely legal then; there was a lesbian commune in London that was so well established, it had its own newspaper. Vegetarianism, department stores, beach vacations, escalators, free love—we think all these things were 20^th-century inventions, but the Victorians had them long before we did.

As to class and money, the 19^th-century is the first time in British history that you see the rise of such a large and moneyed middle class. There had always been a merchant class, but under Victoria’s reign, it was possible to vault your way much higher than ever before. That sort of social fluidity, while minor by our standards in America, was unprecedented for the British. It was an exciting time, but also a very alarming one for people who liked things neatly pigeonholed.

BBB: On your blog, you said, "For me, the holy grail is a novel that is historically plausible and witty." I know you're a voracious reader—what are your all-time favorite novels that fit this description?

DR: I love the Flavia de Luce series by Adam Bradley; Lyndsay Faye’s JANE STEELE is outrageously good, and I recently discovered the Gower Street Detectives books by M. R. C. Kasasian—they’re delicious. And I am devoted to the late Elizabeth Peters, of course.

BBB: In a blog post you wrote giving advice to new writers, you cautioned them against taking criticism about their work from people who "do not create." You insist that although these people are entitled to their own opinions, such opinions should not be allowed to live in the writer's head. As a book blogger but not a "real" writer, I find this idea interesting. Do you read reviews of your books? Do you pay attention to those written only by "professionals" or are you one of those writers who trolls Amazon/Goodreads/Barnes & Noble, etc. to get a feel for what the average reader thinks? Whether you do or do not read reviews, how does this affect the way you write?

DR: Much to my kindly publicist’s dismay, no, I don’t read reviews. He will tell me when something great comes along from Kirkus or Library Journal, but I don’t actually read what he forwards. (Sorry, Loren!) I don’t have a Google alert for my name; I don’t go to Goodreads or Amazon or B&N. I just don’t happen to believe that reviews of my books are any of my business. And good or bad, other people’s opinions shouldn’t be part of my process. It’s difficult to get feedback—positive or negative—out of your head, and I don’t want to have to work that hard for serenity. People who like me will continue to read me; people who don’t will move on and hopefully find someone whose work they enjoy.

That specific piece of advice to new writers is meant to caution against taking to heart criticisms from people who don’t know what it’s like to put yourself out there and be willing to fail in order to make something new. It’s incredibly easy to sit back and judge that effort, and I’ve seen writer pals crushed by those judgments. It can be difficult to pick yourself up after that, and it’s even harder if you don’t have the experience and support that established authors do. That’s why I encourage new writers to be cautious about opening themselves up to criticism that can sometimes be gratuitously unkind. (And if you’re writing a blog, you are creating! You’re fashioning a platform and asking people to listen to what you have to say.)

BBB: Every writer has a unique approach to their work. You've written extensively about your own writing process on your blog, but I'm curious: What essentials do you have to have nearby when you're working (music, coffee, a lucky charm, a special pen, etc)?

DR: Lined up in front of my computer is a collection of Funko Pop Maleficent figures and a small stuffed dragon—all gifts from friends. They are silly but also reminders of things I find powerful. I always play music; I have playlists for each book and I am smitten with the film scores of Fernando Velasquez. I light a candle on the first day of a new book, and I wear my Virgen de Guadalupe charm that day just for a little extra boost.

BBB: Thanks so much, Deanna!

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Ready to toss your name into the hat for a chance to win a copy of A Curious Beginning? Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please note that giveaway is only open to readers with United States mailing addresses. Also, it ends on July 30, so sign up today!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Books Read in 2024 (asterisks denote favorites)

1. The Nightmare House by Sarah Allen (Jan)
2. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan* [audio] (Jan)
3. Graysen Foxx and the Treasure of Principal Redbeard by J. Scott Savage (Jan)
4. The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor by Aubrey Hartman* (Jan)
5. Ditch the Glitch by Camille Smithson (Jan)
6. Zeke Zooter and the Eye of Balor by Bruce Jacobs (Jan)
7. Never Lore: Journey to Mt. Smolder by Taya and Nathan Okerlund (Jan)
8. God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney [audio] (Jan)
9. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (Jan)
10. The Last One by Will Dean (Jan)
11. Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire (Jan)
12. My Plain Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Jan)
13. Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong (Jan)
14. Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda* (Jan)
15. The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant (Jan)
16. Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity by Elizabeth C. Bunce* (Jan)
17. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson* (Jan)
18. More Than a Body by Lindsay and Lexie Kite (Feb)
19. All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay (Feb)
20. Slayed on the Slopes by Kate Dyer-Seeley (Feb)
21. My Imaginary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Feb)
22. Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee (Feb)
23. Artifice by Sharon Cameron* (Feb)
24. Something About Sophie by Mary Kay McComas (Feb)
25. Ill-Fated Fortune by Jennifer J. Chow (Feb)
26. My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Feb)
27. Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt (Feb)
28. Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead (Feb)
29. Murder on Millionaires' Row by Erin Lindsey (Feb)
30. Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson (Mar)
31. End of Story by A.J. Finn (Mar)
32. None of This is True by Lisa Jewell (Mar)
33. My Contrary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Mar)
34. Where There's Smoke by E.B. Vickers (Mar)
35. Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong* (Mar)
36. The Kind to Kill by Tessa Wegert (Mar)
37. Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban (Apr)
38. Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor (Apr)
39. Swimming in a Sea of Stars by Julie Wright (Apr)
40. The Girl Who Wasn't There by Penny Joelson (Apr)
41. The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers [audio] (Apr)
42. The Secret of Rainy Days by Leslie Hooton (Apr)
43. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin (Apr)
44. The Nights the Lights Went Out by Karen White (Apr)
45. Flippin' Skaters by Teresa Richards (Apr)
46. Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch [audio] (Apr)
47. The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes* (Apr)
48. Dust by Dusti Bowling* (Apr)

49. Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie (Apr)

50. One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware (Apr)

51. Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest (Apr)

52. The Hunter by Tana French (May)

53. Murder at Rough Point by Alyssa Maxwell (May)

54. The Hard Parts by Oksana Masters [audio] (May)

55. Watch It Burn by Kristen Bird (May)

56. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson* (May)

57. No Matter What by K.M. Frost (May)

58. Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen (May)

59. The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain [audio] (May)

60. Candy Cane Crime by Amanda Flower [novella] (May)

61. An Improbable Season by Rosalyn Eves (May)

62. Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs* (May)

63. Borrow My Heart by Kasie West (May)

64. Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham (May)

65. Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis (May)

66. The Weight of Everything by Marcia Argueta Mickelson (May)

67. Make the Fireflies Dance by Rachel Bateman (May)

68. The Lost Girls of Willow Brook by Ellen Marie Wiseman [audio] (May)

69. A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan (Jun)

70. Where They Lie by Claire Coughlan (Jun)

71. The Shift: 7 Powerful Mindset Changes for Lasting Weight Loss by Gary Foster [audio] (Jun)

72. The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan (Jun)

73. A Deadly Endeavor by Jenny Adams (Jun)

74. The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie (Jun)

75. Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen, and the Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn [audio] (Jun)

76. The Watchers by A.M. Shine (Jun)

77. Deep Water by Jamie Sumner (Jun)

78. First Victim by Debbie Babitt (Jun)

79. One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome* (Jun)

80. Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix [audio] (Jun)

81. When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer (Jun)

82. Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth (Jun)

83. The Great Trouble: A Story of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel by Deborah Hopkinson [audio] (Jun)

84. 49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards (Jun)

85. Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell (Jun)

86. Trouble Island by Sharon Short (Jun)

87. Trouble at the Tangerine by Gillian McDunn (Jun)

88. I Know Who You Are: How an Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever by Barbara Rae-Venter* (Jun)

89. Falling Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Jun)

90. Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey (Jun)

91. First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly* (Jun)

92. Homecoming by Kate Morton* (Jul)

93. The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King* [audio] (Jul)

94. Middle of the Night by Riley Sager* (Jul)

95. The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon (Jul)

96. The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave (Jul)

97. Operation: Happy by Jenni L. Walsh* (Jul)

98. Shutter by Ramona Emerson (Jul)

99. Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris (Jul)

100. The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson (Jul)

101. The Monsters We Make by Kali White (Jul)

102. The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall by Ali Standish (Jul)

103. Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon [audio] (Jul)

104. Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney* (Jul)

105. A Patchwork of Clues by Sally Goldenbaum (Jul)

106. Popcorn by Rob Harrell* (Jul)

107. Library Girl by Polly Horvath (Jul)

108. Such a Lovely Family by Aggie Blum Thompson (Jul)

109. Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (Aug)

110. The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon (Aug)

111. Basket Case by Nancy Haddock (Aug)

112. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett* (Aug)

113. Front Country by Sara St. Antoine [audio] (Aug)

114. Stowaway by John David Anderson (Aug)

115. Consigned to Death by Jane K. Cleland (Aug)

116. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman* (Aug)

117. Louder Than Hunger by John Schu (Aug)

118. Wrong Alibi by Christina Dodd (Aug)

119. Peanut Butter Panic by Amanda Flower (Aug)

120. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl (Aug)

121. Flight 171 by Amy Christine Parker (Aug)

122. Criminally Cocoa by Amanda Flower [novella] (Aug)

123. The Kaya Girl by Mamle Wolo (Aug)

124. The Last Word by Gerri Lewis (Aug)

125. The Last Kids On Earth by Max Brallier* (Aug)

126. Cruzita and the Mariacheros by Ashley Granillo (Aug)

127. It Could Be Anyone by Jaime Lynn Hendricks (Aug)

128. Return to Wyldcliffe Heights by Carol Goodman (Aug)

129. A Winter Grave by Peter May (Aug)

130. Laika by Nick Abadzis (Aug)

131. Night Will Find You by Julia Heaberlin [audio] (Aug)

132. A Quiet Retreat by Kiersten Modglin (Aug)

133. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell [audio] (Aug)

134. The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson (Aug)

135. Peking Duck and Cover by Vivien Chien (Sep)

136. Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler, ed. (Sep)

137. Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko (Sep)

138. After the Storm by G.D. Wright (Sep)

139. Area 51 Interns: Alien Summer by James S. Murray and Carsen Smith (Sep)

140. The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James [audio] (Sep)

141. The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels by India Holton (Sep)

142. An Uninterrupted View of the Sky by Melanie Crowder* (Sep)

143. Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly (Sep)

144. Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green (Sep)

145. Last Gamer Standing by Katie Zhao (Sep)

146. Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman (Sep)

147. Murder at the Library by Ellen Jacobson (Sep)

148. A Fatal Collection by Mary Ellen Hughes (Sep)

149. All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris [audio] (Sep)

150. My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara (Sep)

151. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose* (Sep)

152. Shipwrecked! Diving for Hidden Time Capsules on the Ocean Floor by Martin W. Sandler (Sep)

153. Murder is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens (Sep)

154. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter* (Sep)

155. Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine* (Oct)

156. The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong* (Oct)

157. Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James* (Oct)

158. Mountain of Fire: The Eruption and Survivors of Mount St. Helens by Rebecca E.F. Barone (Oct)

159. Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan (Oct)

160. The Good of the Woods by Liz Moore (Oct)

161. History Smashers: Salem Witch Trials by Kate Messner (Oct)

162. Stealing Little Moon: The Legacy of the American Indian Boarding Schools by Dan SaSuWeh Jones (Oct)

163. The Mesmerist by Caroline Woods (Oct)

164. Gone to Hot Pot by Vivien Chien (Oct)

165. The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (Oct)

166. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James* [re-read] (Oct)

167. Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez (Oct)

168. Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis (Oct)

169. Exclusion and the Chinese American Story by Sarah SoonLing Blackburn (Oct)

170. A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner (Oct)

171. The Unforgettable Logan Foster by Shawn Peters (Oct)

172. Sightseeing With Aliens by Insha Fitzpatrick (Oct)

173. Remember This: The Fascinating World of Memory by Monique Polak (Oct)

174. The Song of the Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning [audio] (Oct)

175. Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino (Oct)

176. Mango, Mambo, and Murder by Raquel V. Reyes (Oct)

177. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare* (Oct)

178. Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie (Oct)

179. The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming (Nov)

180. The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin (Nov)

181. Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales by Wendy S. Swore (Nov)

182. The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth [audio] (Nov)

183. Chadwick Boseman: King of Wakanda: A Hero On and Off the Screen by Chris Singleton (Nov)

184. The Legend of the Last Library by Frank L. Cole (Nov)

185. Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston/adapted for young readers by Ibram X. Kendi (Nov)

186. The Beautiful Game by Yamile Saied Méndez (Nov)

187. The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Nov)

188. A Stranger in the Family by Jane Casey* (Nov)

189. The Bard and the Book: How the First Folio Saved the Plays of William Shakespeare from Oblivion by Ann Bausum (Nov)

190. Ruby, Who? by Jill Campbell (Nov)

191. Gothictown by Emily Carpenter (Nov)

192. A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Nov)

193. Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking by Raquel V. Reyes (Nov)

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Love Deanna Raybourn? Then You're Going to Adore This Post. (With a Giveaway!)

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Books Read in 2024 (asterisks denote favorites)