now you see her...
Bestselling author of historical fiction including THE ARCTIC FURY and the Five Queendoms epic fantasy series (SCORPICA, ARCA).
For all those still shopping (those OF US, I should say), I put together a list of book-related gifts I highly recommend — for the holidays or otherwise. If you know a book lover, you know someone who’d appreciate a gift from this list.
And it’s not just books I’m recommending — mostly books, but also mugs and socks and scarves that honor classic books, and even chocolate that tastes like Sherlock Holmes or A Christmas Carol! Who knew?
Today, December 12th, we’re getting “Historical for the Holidays” over on Facebook!
Here’s the event page to join.
Starting at noon Eastern, authors will be taking turns hosting, which might mean chats, giveaways, Q&A, or just about anything else! (We historical fiction authors are a wild bunch.)
I’ll be on at 5:40 Eastern, giving away a signed copy of GIRL IN DISGUISE and teasing my upcoming release WOMAN 99. (Adding to that #99daycountdown every day…)
Hope to see you there!
Always a pleasure to see one of my books start to pop up in the months leading up to release — here’s a mention of WOMAN 99 in Publishers Weekly’s Spring 2019 preview.
In great company with so many other highly anticipated novels here! Prep your TBR…
Want an early advance copy of WOMAN 99? There aren’t many out there, but one can be yours if you win this Instagram giveaway. But hurry, because the winner will be declared as soon as @theladygreer gets to 1000 followers… not far away!
It’s hard to know when to start getting excited about a new book. Too far ahead and would-be readers get frustrated because they can’t get their hands on it yet; too close to launch date and you might miss the opportunity to get the right buzz happening at the right time.
WOMAN 99 has been written for a while — a few lucky people got their hands on advance copies as early as last year’s BookExpo in May — but we’re still a few months off from seeing it in bookstores.
So I somewhat arbitrarily made my decision: how about a 99-day countdown to WOMAN 99?
So in the days leading up to March 5, 2019, I’ll be talking up WOMAN 99 on my social media channels — Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter — and I’ve got tidbits, quotes, hints, giveaways and some other great activities in store.
Can’t wait to share Charlotte, Phoebe and the many riveting stories of Goldengrove with you!
What lovely news from the UK! The Magician's Lie has been longlisted for this year's Debut Crown from the Historical Writers' Association. Only 12 novels published in the UK last year have that honor, and I'm so pleased to be included! (I've never been longlisted for anything before!)
Judges called it "A wonderful cat-and-mouse thriller set in a carnivalesque world" and said "Its thrilling opening sets the tone for a pacy and suspenseful read."
Honored and amazed. At heart we're all readers, even the judges of prize committees, and I love that this particular set of readers selected my tale of magic, secrets, deception and love for special recognition.
Happy Tuesday! My publisher Sourcebooks regularly hosts "Trivia Tuesday" on their Facebook page, and this week, GIRL IN DISGUISE is in the spotlight. Answer a question about Kate Warne and you could win the book -- easy peasy.
Thrilled to welcome Kelli Estes to the blog today for her #WomensHistoryReads Q&Q&Q&A! I recently read her lovely debut, THE GIRL WHO WROTE IN SILK, and her answers below provide a hint about her next novel, which we can expect out in 2019. Welcome, Kelli!
Kelli Estes
Greer: What do you find most challenging or most exciting about researching historical women?
Kelli: Even though I know that history was primarily recorded by men and the women were nearly completely overlooked, I still have moments during my research when I am surprised to learn that I had believed the false history. For example, when I first learned that several hundred women disguised themselves as men to fight in the U.S. Civil War I had the thought that that they probably followed their husbands there or they were prostitutes. And then I researched further. Yes, there were women who fit these two profiles, but many – possibly even the majority – served for the same reasons as the men: they needed to earn a living wage, they felt compelled to serve their nation’s cause, they wanted to prove themselves on the battlefield, they wanted an adventure, etc. Moments like these when I uncover women in history whose stories have been changed, ignored, or were twisted into something shameful are incredibly exciting to me because I can then write a novel about them and try to set the record straight. I find it equally as challenging, however, because I don’t want to unknowingly perpetuate in my writing any of the misconceptions. I make sure to be as thorough as possible in my research.
Greer: That's fabulous. What book, movie or TV show would your readers probably be surprised to find out you love?
Kelli: I think readers would be surprised to learn that I love sci-fi and fantasy movies and TV such as Star Trek, Doctor Who, Firefly, etc. These genres are so different from what I write, yet what I learn from them directly influences my writing in areas such as pacing, world-building, and conflict. What I really love about these genres, however, is that they can be set on some distant planet or dystopian future and yet be directly relatable to conflicts in today’s society. I love how, while watching these programs, we are learning lessons we can apply to our own lives on topics such as racism, immigration, segregation, equality and the environment. It feels kind of sneaky and I love that.
Greer: Ditto! So, what’s your next book about and when will we see it?
Kelli: My next book is still untitled (I am horrible at titles!) but it will be released spring 2019 from Sourcebooks Landmark. It is a dual timeline story about a former Army military police officer recently returned from Afghanistan who is struggling to find her way as a civilian. She finds help in an unlikely place – a diary written by a woman who disguised herself as a man to fight in the Civil War.
Now, a question for you: I just finished reading The Magician’s Lie (loved it!) and I want to know if you know how to perform all of the illusions described in the story? Did you work with a magician to learn these? I know a magician never tells her secrets, but maybe just this once you’ll let slip…how does she put jewelry or a coin into an audience member’s pocket without going near him?
Greer: I love that you know about the magicians' code of secrets! Since I'm not a professional magician, I could technically give some secrets away, though I do like to maintain a sense of mystery. I understand how all the illusions in the books work, though it turns out I'm a bit of a butterfingers and cannot actually perform them myself. (I tell people that making a book out of thin air is my greatest, and only, magic!) The funny thing about magic is that the mechanics of certain illusions have changed so little over the years that you can watch classic illusions like the Dove Pan being performed and explained on YouTube! To make sure that The Amazing Arden's illusions were period-appropriate, I drew on accounts of 1890s and early 1900s magic shows to devise the illusions she performs. The usual way to pull off putting something into a place where it isn't supposed to be is that the person who discovers it is part of the show and only playing along; for the version Arden does, since the person discovering the item is genuinely surprised, someone with the show (sitting near the mark, generally one seat over) has to plant the item. Not easy but not impossible -- and surprise plus misdirection equals magic!
Learn more about Kelli and her books at these links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KelliEstesAuthor
Website: http://www.kelliestes.com/
My novel about America's first female detective, GIRL IN DISGUISE, is now out in paperback! To celebrate, the awesome Karen Abbott interviewed me for the Chicago Review of Books -- my real-life inspiration, Kate Warne, was hired by the Pinkerton Agency in Chicago, so where better to learn more about Kate and my book about her?
Check out our interview here!
As many of you know, my #WomensHistoryReads interview project started as a celebration of Women's History Month in March. But I found so many inspiring woman writers who find their subjects in inspiring women from history that I continued daily interviews through nearly all of April, and I'm not even done. So you can continue to look forward to occasional new installments in May. Hooray!
Next up: biographer Joanna Kafarowski on her recent book about Louise Arner Boyd, a truly extraordinary Arctic explorer.
Joanna Kafarowski
Greer: What do you find most challenging or most exciting about writing about historical women?
Joanna: I am really attracted to reading, researching and writing about historical women whose accomplishments and lives have been forgotten. It gives me a real charge to root around in dusty archives which have lain untouched for many years. There’s an additional responsibility when you are the first to write the first full biography of a person as happened with my book about Arctic explorer Louise Arner Boyd. Because you are the first one, you have to get it right. It makes it harder as well since you want to keep going with the research - you just know there is more pertinent information out there but you have to draw the line. So what is most exciting about writing about historical women makes it challenging as well! Louise Arner Boyd is such a fascinating woman and there is still so much to learn about her.
Greer:How would you describe what you write?
Joanna: So far I’ve written a biography and edited another book about environmental issues. An obvious common element is that both books are situated primarily in the North because this is a landscape that sings to me. Something about the harsh wilderness, the lack of artifice, the finality of life there is really appealing. And my works are women-inspired because these are the stories that I find most interesting myself. Realistically, I’m in my mid-fifties so only have a few books left in me to write. My biography of Louise Arner Boyd took me over ten years to research and write and while I don’t anticipate taking this long with future books, I want to spend my time- and my words- wisely. My intention is to write books that are meaningful, that present thought-provoking information about people or issues that, in my opinion, are not given enough coverage in our society, and to do the very best job I can as a person and writer of integrity to produce books that are solidly researched and well-written.
Greer: What book, movie or TV show would your readers be surprised to hear that you love?
Joanna: As a biographer, I read a lot about the extraordinary lives of other people and, of course I’m drawn to polar history and anything affecting the circumpolar north. I tend to steer clear of fluffy stuff and love discovering small gems that are often disguised as something else. The Man Who Was Magic by Paul Gallico and Momo by Michael Ende are often considered children’s books but I learn something new every time I read them. They are both sadly overlooked but their simplicity and powerful message really resonates with me. But I do love children’s literature as well and return over and over to many titles I first read many years ago.
I am often asked this question and am interested in your response. How does being a woman inform your research and writing about historical women?
Greer: Great question! I suppose one answer is that it doesn't -- great stories are great stories, and they are gifts no matter where we unearth them and who does the unearthing. But I do think that as a woman, specifically a feminist, I'm deeply interested in discovering the stories of the women who came before us and laid the groundwork for where we are now. It's important to think about how far we've come -- and how far we have yet to go. Acknowledging and spreading the stories of extraordinary women from the past helps us acknowledge the extraordinary potential we each have within us. Knowing what they did, who knows what we might do?
For more information, Joanna Kafarowski can be reached through social media:
Website: www.joannakafarowski.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannakafarowski/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joannakafarowskiauthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8071273.Joanna_Kafarowski
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Joanna-Kafarowski/e/B072KLNH8N
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kafarowski/
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/joanna-kafarowski-342758141
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joanna_Kafarowski