Some of the covers for upcoming releases of the Captain Lacey mysteries. Just to reiterate, the first book The Hanover Square Affair is now available on
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Nook
A Regimental Murder (Lady Breckenridge's first appearance) will re-release in a couple of weeks (planned, March 7).
Also, I came across a never-before-seen Lacey novella, which I will edit and release sometime in the coming months. The working title is "The Necklace Affair." Watch here or on my newsletter list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gardnermysteries, or my website (www.gardnermysteries.com) for information about that.
While waiting for my new Mystery/Paranormal/UF series to debut on May 4 (STORMWALKER, as Allyson James), I'm enjoying watching mysteries.
I just now caught up with the Jesse Stone TV movies, which I think are very well done. I haven't read all the books, but I thought they captured the flavor of them well. I was saddened to hear of Robert Parker's death, but I'm pleased that two more of the movie versions will be coming out soon: No Remorse and Innocents Lost (I think in 2010).
I've also "discovered" the British series, Life on Mars (I know there was a US version, but I missed it somehow, and I usually prefer the Brit versions anyway). Premise: A DCI in 2006 gets hit by a car and time-travels back to 1973. He's now a DI, working for a completely non-PC, sexist, thinks with his fists, total jerk who drinks on the job that you can't help liking. Go figure.
Since I don't watch much TV (too busy writing), I like it when I stumble upon things, usually several years too late, but then I can Netflix the whole series without having to wait for releases.
Speaking of new releases, though, Foyle's War returns on May 2!! to PBS. (Although I keep asking whether it should be called Foyle's Post-War... )
Looking forward to more Wallander later in the year.
Forgive the TV indulgence--I'm a mystery junkie!
Right now I'm writing a fantasy/mystery/romance set in the Southwest U.S., a place I've lived for more than 20 years. (Stormwalker by Allyson James, Berkley, probably May 2010). The heroine is a young Navajo woman who makes her living as a photographer but also helps people in supernatural jams (locating missing persons, solving cold case murders).
I set the book in north central and northeastern Arizona, inventing a little town called Magellan, in small fictional Hopi County.
I travel frequently in this area and today was going over some of my "atmosphere" photos. I've set the fictional town of Magellan south of Winslow out in rolling desert hills. The elevation here is about 6000 feet, which means not so much cactus as scrubby juniper and cottonwoods (near water), and plenty of grasses. The rocks are mostly sandstone, and sudden washes and little canyons cut through seemingly flat land.
I was lucky enough last time I was there to drive out while storms built in the west and south. My heroine is a "Stormwalker" (which I invented), a person whose magic is tied to storms. She's very powerful when it's storming, not so much on a clear sunny day.
I like the area because at certain points, you can see miles upon miles in all directions.
Looking north and east to the painted desert and Navajo Nation.
Looking west from the same spot to the San Francisco peaks (highest point 12,000 feet), the traditional western boundary of Navajo lands and one of the four sacred mountains. The city of Flagstaff is in the foothills of this mountain range.
I'm working hard to get this book finished and thought I'd give you a taste of the landscape while I write.
