Author Spotlight: Eleanor Kuhns, Librarian and Historical Mystery Writer

photo provided by Eleanor Kuhns Many of the authors I spotlight on this blog are known to me via Facebook writers' groups, Twitter, and Google+ communities. Eleanor Kuhns is an author I am privileged to know personally, as we have met a few times when she visited my home library for book readings and signings. She is a librarian, author, and historian and writes mysteries that take place in the 1790’s, an often forgotten and fascinating period in our history. Her attention to research and rich historical detail in her Will Rees Mysteries Series made her the 2011 winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel competition. She received her master’s in Library Science from Columbia University, and is currently the Assistant Director at the Goshen Public Library in Orange County, New York. I've read Eleanor's first three books and can’t wait to read this latest one. The mystery alone is worth the read, but it's Kuhn's historical approach to facets of early American life not often included in fiction that makes her books compelling.  Welcome to Adventures in Publishing, Eleanor! Please tell us about your new book, Death in Salem.

Thanks for inviting me to speak to your readers. Marianne. Death in Salem is the fourth in the series, following Cradle to Grave. A weaver by trade, Rees earns his living by traveling around and weaving for the farmwives. In Death in Salem, he stops to buy something for his wife in Salem, Mass and meets a friend from his army days. Invited to the after-funeral event for the deceased Anstiss Boothe, Rees meets this wealthy merchant family. Within a few days, her husband, Jacob Boothe, is also dead and this time it is clearly murder. Rees quickly gets swept up in the investigation. Smuggling, prostitution, and piracy all play a part in the solution.

Excerpt:

"You stole her from us!” The scream broke into Rees’s conversation and he turned to look. A young man with the lanky unfinished look of someone in his mid-teens staggered across the floor; it was Dickie Coville. “You took Anstiss away from us and now she’s dead,” the boy shouted.  The buzz of conversation faded as everyone turned to stare. “You!” His wavering forefinger pointed at Margaret Boothe, standing with her father. ”It’s your fault she’s dead.”          

“Now, Dickie,” Mr. Boothe said as he stepped toward the weeping boy. “All of us grieve for Anstiss.” Moisture glittered in his eyes but he willed it away. “I miss her so much.”            

Rees admired the man’s control in the hour after his wife’s funeral. He knew how he would feel if Lydia died. Just the thought of it left a gaping emptiness in his belly and brought moisture to his eyes. He quickly wiped away his tears. Twig turned and threw his old comrade a questioning glance.  

An interview with Eleanor Kuhns:

Were you born a writer or did it evolve?

I think I was born to be a writer. I wrote my first story at the age of ten and I really have never stopped. It has always been a compulsion to get the words out. I wrote fantasy and science fiction first but I always read mysteries. They were my relaxation, ironic considering that I write them now.

Are you a full time or part-time writer?  If writing part-time, how do you make time in your life to write?

Because I am still employed as a librarian, I fit my writing in around my work schedule. Usually I get up very early in the morning - very early and write until 8 o'clock. Then I stop and get dressed and pack my lunch for work.

Do you work from an outline or just go with the flow? If you use an outline, how detailed is it?

I never outline. I usually have an idea of setting and where I want to go with the story but I don't know what the characters will do until I put them in motion.

Explain your research process.

When I research, I collect books and fill them with post-its. If I own the book I highlight (I know this is anathema to a librarian but I have to.) Otherwise, I copy the pages I need. And I always always take copious notes.

   Can you tell us what you’re working on now?

Minotaur just accepted the fifth Will Rees novel, working title The Devil's Cold Dish. I am now working on the sixth. (I told you it was a compulsion.)

How have the changes in present day publishing impacted writing career?

The changes in the publishing world mean that I spend tons of time on social media, blogging, twittering and so forth. I love to blog - it is my chance to talk about my research as well as other things of interest. I include tons of pictures of my garden and my dog, for example. (My blog is on my website). But doing all of this is such a terrible time sink. I would rather be writing! 

About the Author:

A lifelong librarian, Eleanor Kuhns is currently the Assistant Director at Goshen Public Library, Goshen, New York. She is the 2011 winner of the Mystery Writers of America/ Minotaur First Novel competition for A Simple Murder. She has since published Death of a Dyer, Cradle to Grave, and now A Death in Salem.

Connect with Eleanor:

Website and blog                                            

Twitter: @EleanorKuhns

Facebook: Eleanor Kuhns, writer

Purchase links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

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New Release! Keely Brooke Keith's Uncharted Inheritance

You know the feeling you get when you're completely immersed in a book, caught up tight in the story, not wanting to put it down, and impatient to get back to it when you must? That's the feeling I got when I listened to the first two installments in Keely Brooke Keith's The Uncharted Series. The author kindly gifted me an audiobook version of both The Land Uncharted and Uncharted Redemption for an honest review. The series is a blend of romance, historical fiction, and science fiction written with surprising mastery by this talented new writer. Keely Brooke Keith is an author to watch. Read through to enter the giveaway for a complete ebook collection of The Uncharted Series. 

From the opening pages of The Land Uncharted, narrated by Kate Fisher, I was mesmerized by the story of this undiscovered land and its people locked in a time and way of life from the early part of the last century, and completely out of touch with the rest of the world. Fisher's reading, while slow at times, seems a good fit with the book's formal tone and the characters' old-fashioned speech, although at times it seemed robotic, almost as though Siri was reading the story.

Description: 

Lydia Colburn is a young physician dedicated to serving her village in the Land. When injured fighter pilot Connor Bradshaw’s parachute carries him from the war engulfing the 2025 world to her hidden land, his presence threatens her plans, her family, and the survival of her preindustrial society. As Connor searches for a way to return to his squadron, his fascination with life in the Land makes him protective of Lydia and her peaceful homeland, and Lydia’s attraction to Connor stirs desires she never anticipated. Written like a historical, set like a sci-fi, and filled with romance, The Land Uncharted weaves adventure and love in this suspenseful story of a hidden land.

In Book Two,  Uncharted Redemption, read by Misty of Echoing Praise, the story continues with suspense, romance, drama, revenge, and redemption. The narrator's performance is engaging and believable, well-paced and natural. 

Description:  Breaking from the Land’s tradition, Levi Colburn begins to build his own house outside the village—across the road from Mandy Foster to be exact. Though he hopes to marry Mandy someday, she rejected him once and has been unattainable to every man in the village ever since. When rebels tear through Good Springs and abduct Mandy, it’s up to Levi to find her. Driven to avoid the hour of hollow discontent that routinely plagues her at sundown, Mandy Foster has made choices she regrets. If anyone found out her secret, tradition dictates she would be shunned. She’s learned how to guard her heart, until she accepts the tender care of the one man who truly loves her. But if she admits her love for him, her secret could be exposed. Romantic, suspenseful, and filled with adventure,  Uncharted Redemption weaves dramatic new layers into life in the Land. 

Now comes the third book in the series,  Uncharted Inheritance for release May 5. Like the first two books, this too is written like a historical, set like a sci-fi, and filled with romance. Uncharted Inheritance concludes this suspenseful story of life in a hidden land. 

Description:  Bethany Colburn finally turns eighteen, and Everett Foster is about to confess his love for her. When a new man arrives in the village of Good Springs, he brings charm Bethany has never encountered and illness the Land has never known. While the medicinal power of the gray leaf tree is put to the test, and the Colburn family’s strength is stretched thin, Bethany must learn to protect her true inheritance. Uncharted Inheritance weaves heartbreak and hope while delivering long-awaited answers in this suspenseful story of life in a hidden land.

Uncharted Inheritance is also available as an audiobook.

Audible

iTunes

Amazon

YouTube sample

Keely is giving away one ebook copy of all 3 books in the Uncharted series. Enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author 

Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Keely was a tree-climbing, baseball-loving ‘80s kid. She grew up in a family who frequently relocated. By graduation, Keely lived in 8 states and attended 14 schools. Keely’s many adventures include: being an exchange student, recording with a former Beatles producer, being chased through the New Mexico desert by a rattlesnake, jumping out of an airplane at 14,500 feet, and sleeping under the open sky in the Australian outback. Keely is a bass guitarist and plays on worship teams and for solo artists. She is married to singer/songwriter John Martin Keith, and they frequently perform and tour together. When she isn’t writing stories or playing bass, Keely enjoys dancing, having coffee with friends, and sifting through vintage books at antique stores. Keely resides on a hilltop south of Nashville with her husband and their daughter, Rachel.

Connect with Keely:

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Purchase Keely's Books:

Amazon

Smashwords 

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Keely's Shelf Links:

Goodreads

Shelfari

Fictfact 

LibraryThing

ACFW FictionFinder 

Authorgraph 

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Today's Guest: Historical Romance Author Patricia PacJac Carroll

Love cowboys? The romance and allure of the Old West? I've always been a sucker for a good story about the new frontier and the men and women who conquered it. Meet today’s guest, sweet historical romance author Patricia PacJac Carroll, creator of the Mail Order Brides of Hickory Stick series. Welcome to Adventures in Publishing, Patricia!

Hi, I’m Patricia PacJac Carroll. I’m a writer, Christian first, and blessed beyond my imagination. I live in the Dallas-Ft Worth area in Texas with my wonderful treasure of a husband, my spoiled dog, Jacs, and my awesome grown son, Josh. Did I say I was blessed? The PacJac is from my initials and my husband’s. I used it as part of my author name because there were already other Patricia Carrolls on the Internet. I was attacked by breast cancer but have fought back and writing strong. Check out my blog - Invasion of the Booby Snatcher.

I write historical romance set in the American West. I love the freedom of the old West, although life during that period was difficult, especially for women. The stories in my new series Mail Order Brides of Hickory Stick are especially interesting in light of the modern versions of matchmaking, such as Internet dating sites like e-Harmony.

Caroline’s Love is the first of the series. Each novella is a stand-alone story, but the characters and town of Hickory Stick are involved in each of the other stories.

I love the premise of these stories. Thomas J. Connors decided he and his brother needed a wife. In the wilds of Colorado panning for gold, women were in short supply, so he got the idea of sending off for one for him and one for his brother, Jackson.

Everything seemed to be settled and the agency in Richmond, VA. had two women picked out. Thomas was pleased with himself, but failed to tell his brother of his plans. However, as things often go, unbeknownst to Thomas the woman running the agency disappeared and a reporter discovered Thomas’ very touching letter asking for a woman to share his dreams.

The letter went out into newspapers as far away as New York City. Three women made their way to Hickory Stick, all thinking they were going to marry Thomas J. Connors.

You can imagine the fireworks.

Here is the first page.

 Caroline’s Love

Chapter 1

May 1868

Richmond, Virginia

Caroline Lovelace tucked the worn envelopes into the pocket of her beige, traveling skirt. She’d read the letters at least a hundred times. A tear slid down her cheek quickly followed by another as she bade her war-torn state of Virginia good-bye. Although the sound of cannon and rifle had been exchanged for the sound of hammers and building, she could no longer put up with the obnoxious offers from the carpetbaggers. They might have overrun her state, but she’d not give them her future.

She stared at the black locomotive, considering it a rather unlikely steed to ride to her rescue. After brushing a spot of dust from her jacket, she boarded the now chugging train that would take her to her knight who awaited her in a town near Denver in the Colorado Territory.

Hickory Stick.

The temporary stab of fear she’d felt while boarding gave birth to a sharp, piercing doubt. How could she abandon her beloved Richmond and go to a place named for a twig? Her once grand home, now owned by a wealthy coward, along with the haunting knowledge of the graves of her fiancé and father reminded her of the loss and predicament she was leaving.

Her poor love. Robert never even got a shot off at one of those, well, those mean old Yankees. He died of pneumonia shortly after running off to save the cause. Humph, because of that I am alone without even the status of war widow. She’d been forced to join the large number of unmarried, poor women scrapping to survive in the defeated South.

The train pulled out of the station with a cloud of black smoke and a jolt that jerked her head against the metal rail over the green, padded seat. Caroline set her lips in determination to let go of Richmond. She was soon to be a bride. “Mrs. Thomas J. Connors.”

“What?” A sultry voice from the seat across the aisle shook Caroline from her thoughts.

Caroline declined to own up to her oral thinking even though she’d startled her own self when she’d spoken aloud. To cover her error, she smiled at the woman. “Pardon?”

The stranger brushed a fly from her bright yellow gown, a dress far more suitable to a ball than a railcar. “Were you talking to me?”

Annoyed at the woman for intruding on her thoughts, Caroline tugged on the fashionable hat she’d bought with the last of her savings. “No, I. … Well, I wasn’t.”

The woman pointed at Caroline’s skirt. “I couldn’t help notice you had a packet of letters. … My name is Julia Brooks.”

Caroline fanned the air between them. Even though Julia’s gown was exquisite, the bright red lips against her very white skin placed the woman in a lower class. A painted lady, perhaps? Caroline scooted away from the woman and closer to the window. “I’m Caroline Lovelace. Perhaps you’ve heard of my father, Judge Lovelace.”

Julia smoothed the yellow satin ensconced around her. “Yes, I’ve heard of the good judge … and his demise.”

Caroline’s head snapped up. She wanted to wipe the smug grin from the woman’s face. Then again, Caroline had learned to ignore such taunting words. Yes, her father had died under unfortunate circumstances. Very unfortunate. He’d gambled the last of the family fortune in a house of ill repute and lost his life over the hand of a woman. Although Caroline’s mother had been dead for over ten years, Father should not have been caught in such a place, much less been caught dead in the Golden Palace.

A terrible nagging drew Caroline’s gaze to Julia’s necklace. There on the tart’s alabaster neck sat Grandmother’s ivory cameo. An exasperated, “Oh,” escaped Caroline’s lips. Too late to stop the announcement of her discovery, she whirled to once again face the window. However, the passing scenery was not on her mind.

Purchase Caroline’s Love and other books by Patricia PacJac Carroll on Amazon.

Connect with Patricia:

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