Launch of Mr. Darcy Goes to War and WWII Posters

Tomorrow, I am officially launching my newest Pride and Prejudice re-imagining, Darcy Goes to War on Austen Authors. Be sure to stop by for a chance to win one paperback or one e-book copy of my novel.

For me, the hardest part of publishing a book is creating the covers. Because I like to keep my prices as low as possible, I do not hire a cover designer, but with the help of my daughter, I do the covers myself. And that is why I am so proud of the cover for Darcy Goes to War! But a great cover is only as good as the image an author uses which is why I was so fortunate to find that the National Archives in Britain recently released dozens of World War II posters into the public domain. The poster I used, Barrage Balloons Over the Thames, is by artist Eve Kirk.

There is so much to see in this picture. The barrage balloons tell you that this is a country at war. Hundreds of balloons soared above London for the purpose of entangling Luftwaffe bombers or to snare the V-1 and V-2 rockets launched in 1944 and 1945. Despite the German air raids, the cranes, warehouses, and bustle of the ships show the port of London is alive and well, and the undamaged Tower Bridge represents the will of the British people to fight on. An aura of calm is created by the pastel palette. In my opinion, Ms. Kirk succeeded in putting on canvas a country that is fighting for its survival, but a nation that will prevail.

To see more British posters from World War II, click here.

Celebrate Labor Day - Thank a Worker

I am the great granddaughter of four coal miners, all Irish immigrants, who worked in the hard-coal country of eastern Pennsylvania. Two of them were killed in roof falls, and one died of pneumonia in his thirties. Both of my grandfathers worked at the coal breaker picking slate out of the coal chutes before they were 12. My father graduated with honors from the University of Scranton and worked in an office near Wall Street. From despair to success in three generations. Celebrate labor!

Free Kindle E-book Three's A Crowd

On August 28 and 29, Three's A Crowd, my first mystery, will be available on Kindle for FREE! Tell your maw, tell your paw, tell everyone down in Arkansaw. In other words, I hope you will spread the word. This is very helpful to someone who is trying to break into a new genre. Thanks. Mary

Review: The English, Portrait of a People

In Jeremy Paxman’s The English, A Portrait of aPeople, the author attempts to establish a national identity for the English, not British, people. With their Celtic roots, he argues that the Welsh and Scots have a strong “national” identity. The Welsh have managed to hold on to their language and their songs while the Scots have their bagpipes, Parliament, legal system, and field their own football teams in World Cup competitions. So what about the English?

Paxman traces the history of the British stereotype, beginning with the obese, meat-eating, ale-drinking John Bull in the 18^th Century followed by the stiff-upper-lipped Englishman of the 19^th and early 20^th Centuries. The latter stereotype is the result of the British public (private in the U.S.) school system in which boys are treated badly as a matter of course, made to eat vile or tasteless food, and are expected to just “take it.” Their training served them well in the two world wars. But what about their 21^st century identity? That is the essence of the book.

For 266 pages, Paxman wanders the country in search of a national identity for the English, and in some cases, with amusing results. An editor and uber patriot, Roy Faiers, contends that you don’t have “to be English to be English.” “The actor James Stewart was an American, but he has Englishness.” By the time you get to the end of the book, you still have no sense of who a late 20th-Century Englishman is (other than he loves football and prefers lager). But in a country as ethnically diverse as England, is it even possible?

In the U.S., I have lived in the Northeast, Mid Atlantic, Southwest, and Texas (which is its own region). In Arizona, many of my friends are from the Midwest—refugees from the region's harsh winters. I can tell you that, like the English, it is difficult to say what a typical American is like. There are generalities: we are very patriotic and more religious than most Western nations, but you only have to look at our politics to see the great divide.

Although I enjoyed Paxman’s book, I was looking for something to hold on to—a Eureka moment where Paxman would reveal the true Englishman, but it never came. And so I ambled along. Because it was written 14 years ago, it is dated. But even in 1998, Paxman came up with very little to show for his efforts to find an English persona. I would think his task would be impossible today.

Three's A Crowd Giveaway Opportunities

There are two giveaways going on for my mystery, Three's A Crowd. Maria Grazia is hosting the giveaway of two Kindle e-books on her blog Fly High that ends on August 15. Your chances of winning are excellent!

I am hosting a giveaway of a paperback copy of Three's A Crowd on Goodreads that will end on August 17. I have received nine four or five-star reviews which thrills me to no end because this is my first mystery.

If you can't wait, and who could blame you, the e-book is available on Amazon for .99. Here's a summary:

Thank You!

Yesterday was a big day for me. On Kindle, my first mystery, Three's A Crowd, could be downloaded for free. Why would I just give my book away? Mostly because few people knew that, in addition to my Jane Austen re-imaginings, I am also a mystery writer. (I can say that now!) It was the only way I had to get the word out. So after posting a notice on Facebook, I crossed my fingers hoping my friends would help me out. And, boy, did they! Three's A Crowd landed in Kindle's Top 50 for mysteries and Top Ten for Police Procedurals for free Kindles on 8/1/12. I've already seen a boost in sales. Most importantly, I was able to let my friends in the UK know that I have written a British Police Procedural!

As a way of thanking all you lovely people, I am giving away two paperback copies of Three's A Crowd. All you have to do is leave a comment here on my blog (with e-mail address please) or on Facebook or send me an e-mail at quailcreekpub@hotmail.com.

Hugs to all!

FREE - Three's A Crowd on Kindle

Today my mystery, Three's A Crowd, is available for FREE on Kindle. I hope you will download it and meet my character, Detective Sergeant Patrick Shea of Scotland Yard. Even if you don't like mysteries, you can still download it and share it with a friend. I would appreciate it so much, especially if you share its release with your friends. Here's the blurb from the back jacket:

In Three’s A Crowd, we are introduced to Patrick Shea, a young detective sergeant with the Hampden Criminal Investigation Department, whose career is being fast-tracked by the Metropolitan Police in London. With an eye to an appointment with a murder investigation team at New Scotland Yard, Shea is doing everything by the book. Unfortunately, his love life is a bit of a mess and gets messier when he learns his former lover, Annie Jameson, has been assaulted on someone else’s patch. Will Shea’s involvement in the under-the-radar investigation of his ex-girlfriend put his career in jeopardy and possibly her life as well?

If you are a fan of the television series Law & Order UK, you will enjoy Three’s A Crowd. This novella is the first in the Patrick Shea Mystery Series.

Thanks to everyone for their support! Mary

The Rear of Charles I's Horse

When you see a road sign that says X miles to Salt Lake City or Toronto, do you wonder exactly where that spot is in Salt Lake or Toronto? If you have ever been curious about London and Paris, I can tell you where they are.

According to London Remembers, the backside of Charles’s horse “serves as the centre of London for the purposes of measuring distances.  Key “London” into Google Maps and this is where the pin is plonked. Also, supposedly, the street numbering convention is that the low numbers in a street should be at the end closest to this spot—a rule much observed in the breach.”

Book Review - Daughter of Time

It’s been awhile since I wrote a book review, but I just loved The Daughter of Time. It has a lot of things going for it: It was published the year I was born (1951), it is history driven, and it is short (just like my attention span of late).

The mystery begins with Detective Inspector Grant of Scotland Yard laid up in the hospital with a broken leg. Supremely bored, a friend brings him museum postcards with portraits of famous historical characters who have mysteries connected with them (e.g., Louis XVII, the son of the guillotined Louis XVI - did he survive his imprisonment in the Concierge during the French Revolution?). Inspector Grant settles on the portrait of Richard III, the English king everyone loves to hate—thanks in large part to Shakespeare.

For All the Wrong Reasons Goes Live - Again

As I mentioned in an earlier post, after reading comments from readers, I decided to revise For All the Wrong Reasons. The novella is now 2,000 words longer (approx. 27,000 words), and I think D&E's love story is fully developed. Why didn't I turn it into a full-fledged novel (40,000+ words)? Here's why. If you change the page count more than 10%, you have to get a new ISBN number, the reason being, you basically have a different book. In my opinion, adding a lot new text would be very confusing to readers. They might very well think they are getting an entirely different story. I decided not to go that route because the last thing I want is unhappy readers.

I feel confident that the novella is a fully-realized love story and probably my most provocative Pride and Prejudice re-imagining. Thanks for sticking with me. 

Mr. Darcy Doesn't Get It - Chapter 1

This post previously appeared on Austen Authors.

It’s the dog days of summer and much too hot to read–or write–anything serious. Below is the first chapter from a short story/novella/novel I have been working on for about a year. In the story, Austen expert, Chris O’Malley, meets the very real Mr. Darcy at a convention in Baltimore in 2011. Why is Mr. Darcy there? Because back in the Regency Era, the master of Pemberley is in hot water with Elizabeth Bennet. Not only did he insult her at the Meryton assembly, but he messed up the timeline for Pride and Prejudice. If he can’t convince Chris O’Malley to help him, he is in danger of losing the girl.

Chapter 1

Before going on stage, Chris took one last look in the mirror of the ladies’ room of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor Hotel. She was nervous enough without having to worry about unruly hair and badly applied lipstick. The previous year, while appearing on a panel discussing Regency fashion, a woman in the audience had challenged Chris’s use of the word couturier in an article she had written for a Regency Era magazine three years earlier. The correct term wasmodiste as couturier would not be coined until the Edwardian Age. Chris had caught the mistake herself, but not before the magazine had gone to press. Like a dog worrying a bone, her inquisitor wouldn’t let it go, waving the offending article in her hand with religious-like fervor.

Connections - Jane Austen and Three's A Crowd

Three's A Crowd is now available to Amazon Kindle Prime members for free. Please check it out.

Last week, I posted a part of an Amazon review from William Curnutt, an Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer, but there was more to the story. William is the husband of Austen Author Kara Louise. Kara and I were "chatting" by e-mail when she told me about William and Amazon. I asked if he read mysteries, and then I was sorry I did because I had put her on the spot. So I didn't say anything else, hoping she would forget I had asked. But then I was pleasantly surprised to find out that William had read my mystery and really enjoyed it. This was particularly gratifying because William is a former volunteer police chaplain, and I'll let him tell you about it. Here's the review in full:

My wife has gotten to know Mary Simonsen through her Jane Austen fan fiction writing. When Mary came out with this novel my wife suggested that I read it and provide a review as an encouragement to Mary. My fear was whether I would like the book or not, I didn't want to give a bad review :)

I was very pleasantly pleased with the Novel. Detective Patrick Shea provides us with a solid British Police Detective who is compassionate, loyal, strong willed and frankly, good at his job. Along with his partner Molly they provide a great dual of police work.

An Embarrassment of Riches

Authors love reviews. There’s nothing like a four or five-star review to brighten up a writer’s day. This is especially true of books that have been around for a while. In the past two weeks, I have received some terrific reviews for an older novel and short story and a new release. As a result, I am experiencing an embarrassment of riches.

The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy by Luthien at My Love for Jane Austen – 5 Stars:

I highly recommend any books written by Mary as it is truly an engaging read. My only regret is that I should have read [The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy] rather than waiting for more than a year later. I am looking forward to Mary’s next novel which is A Wife for Mr. Darcy.

Read Luthien’s full review here.

The Language of the Fan by Kimberly at Reflections of a Book Addict – 4 Stars:

Simonsen always leaves me wanting more, and that’s exactly how I felt upon completing The Language of the Fan.

Read Kimberly’s full review here.

Three’s A Crowd by Cinta Garcia at Cinta’s Corner – 4 Stars:

The characters are quite realistic. You feel you can meet them in the streets and have a chat with them. They have well-developed personalities… You really can get an image of them in your mind. A very enjoyable reading, I recommend it to everybody who likes a good mystery. I am already waiting for the next installment of Patrick Shea’s adventures.

Read Cinta’s full review here.

Three’s A Crowd by William Curnutt, Amazon Top 1000 Reviewer – 4 Stars - William is a former volunteer police chaplain:

What I enjoyed most is that the crimes that Detective Shea was solving were not heinous, they were not vicious, they were the everyday small items that police officers handle all the time… But Mary wrote the story in such a way as to draw you in, give you enough excitement to keep you turning the pages and enough reality to make you want to see a good outcome for both Detective Shea and his one time girlfriend.

This is a great story and I look forward to reading more Detective Shea novels…. If you know any police officers, you might give them this book as a gift because they will "Get It" as they read Three’s A Crowd.

Read William Curnutt’s full review here.

It’s been a great two weeks. J

Anne Elliot - I'm a Tweaker

I wrote my novel, Anne Elliot, A New Beginning, about two and a half years ago. Since that time, I think I have improved as a writer. So when I went to update the back of the book where I post my "bio" and "other books by Mary Simonsen," I decided to reread the book. And the tweaking began. Although the story remains unchanged, it is tighter and more compact--not an unnecessary word in my retelling of Anne Elliot's story.

This novel is a unique Persuasion re-imagining in that Anne Elliot is a jogger. Yes, a jogger! Once she has been declared to be a spinster by her family, she decides to set off in a new direction. The confidence she gains from becoming a long-distance runner changes her life and the lives of everyone around her, including Captain Frederick Wentworth.

To reintroduce my novel to my readers, I have put the newly edited book on Kindle and Nook for $1.59. If you haven't read my story, I hope you will have a look.

Winner of Three's A Crowd

The winner of an e-book copy of Three's A Crowd is Suzan. Thank you to everyone who celebrated the release of my first mystery with me. I really appreciate it. Mary

Three's A Crowd - Excerpt and Giveaway

Today, I have a post on Austen Authors to celebrate the release of my first mystery, Three's a Crowd in which I am interviewed by none other than the great one herself, Jane Austen. I hope you will stop by for a visit. 

From the back jacket: In Three’s A Crowd, we are introduced to Detective Sergeant Patrick Shea, a rising young star at the Hampden Station Criminal Investigation Department, and someone whose career is being fast tracked by the Metropolitan Police in London. With his eye on an appointment to a Murder Investigation Team with New Scotland Yard, Shea is doing everything by the book. Unfortunately, Patrick’s love life is a bit of a mess and gets messier when he learns that his former lover, Annie Jameson, has been assaulted on someone else’s patch. Will his involvement in the under-the-radar investigation of the attack on his ex-girlfriend put his career in jeopardy and possibly her life as well?

Below is an excerpt from Three’s A Crowd. If you leave a comment, you will be entered in a giveaway for a Kindle e-book of my mystery. BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS.  No e-mail address - no can win. The winner will be announced on June 25.

Chapter 4

As soon as his shift was over, Patrick drove to see Annie at Queen Mary’s Hospital, an ugly box of a building set down in the middle of Putney near Roehampton University. Before going up to her room, he bought a bouquet of flowers from the hospital gift shop, little changed from the last time he had visited it when he was stationed at Renwick. As a detective constable, he had spent untold hours in the accident and emergency room interviewing victims of car accidents, assault, and domestic violence or taking statements from young people who had gone out on a lash, drinking nearly toxic levels of alcohol. While he waited for the medical staff to finish treating the victim and/or suspect, Patrick passed the time by flirting with the nurses, counting on his reddish-blond hair and blue eyes to draw their attention. The endless hours coppers spent sitting in an A and E waiting room were the reasons why so many of them married nurses.

Giveaway and Guest Post on English Historical Authors

I hope you will join me at English Historical Authors where I have a guest post on the history of Scotland Yard as a way of celebrating the release of my first mystery, Three's A Crowd. I will be giving away two Kindle e-books. So please stop by and enter. Thanks.

First Review for Three's A Crowd!

From So Little Time...:

Mary Simonsen has stepped out of the Austen world and into a modern English detective story with Three's a Crowd...  It’s a modern, edgy mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Detective Sergeant Patrick Shea is one hot copper! He works for the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in London's Metropolitan Police... 

I adore Patrick Shea! He’s cute, with a smile that would get him almost anything...at least from the ladies, but I didn’t find him at all cocky, just a genuine good-guy. He also has a good sense of humor which is a good thing because with his good-looks and that charming smile, the guys at the station (or nick as it’s called) often found something to poke fun at him with, especially after he receives a rose from a burglar that he has just captured! 

Three's a Crowd is a novella meant to introduce us to Patrick Shea. That does not mean it is lacking in any way; it felt complete. There are a few side stories (routine cases), which keep the story moving along as the main story builds. I found I really enjoyed getting to know Patrick and the rest of the characters in this story. I am looking forward to reading more in this series! 

To read the complete review, please visit Candy's blog, So Little Time...

Mystery Debut - I'm So Excited

Today is a big day for me. I launch my first mystery, Three's A Crowd, A Patrick Shea Mystery, on Candy Morton's blog, So Little Time... where I will be giving away two Kindle e-books. I've wanted to write a mystery for decades. (Yes, I'm old enough to say "decades.") I will also be giving away two e-books on English Historical Fiction Authors on June 15, and later in the month, on my own blog, so stay tuned. If you can't wait for a giveaway, Three's A Crowd is available in e-book format on Amazon for only .99! I couldn't price it any lower because Amazon won't let me. I hope you will give it a try.

Available on Amazon Kindle

Bath - Where Classical Architecture Meets the Druids

During my parade of the Circus in Bath, I met Thomas, a historian who leads tours of the ancient Roman city. He was a fountain of information, including the fact that The Circus was meant to represent the sun while The Crescent was representative of the moon. When I got home, I looked it up. Here is what I learned from The Heritage Journal.

Bath is famed for its neo-classical architecture but what underpins the thinking of the 18th century architect John Wood the Elder when he drew the designs for The Circus is a strange mish-mash of legend and myth, this of course is the age of the new ‘druidism’ that took hold when such figures as William Stukeley called such places as Stonehenge the Druidical Temple.