Catching my breath

Gosh, it's been a whirlwind lately.

First, in case you missed it, I wanted to share the "Behind the Scenes" video Steve and I made in Cambridge this past summer with the help of Harry, a grad student at Corpus Christi College. Though the video is expertly edited by Flatline Films, it soon will become very clear to you that Steve and I are not professional filmmakers. (Brace yourself for babbling and shaky cam!) Still, I'd love for you to see the setting of The Dark Between, and I know you'll be charmed by Harry.


My favorite part is the Monty Python-esque "Huge amounts of land" moment! Of course, Harry also shares details on murder, brothels, punting accidents, and somehow even manages to work Beyonce into the conversation.

So what else has been going on? Well . . .

-- I went on tour with Tessa Gratton, Tara Hudson, and Myra McEntire.


We hit Dallas, Little Rock, Memphis, St. Louis, and Kansas City. Tess recapped the trip for Publishers Weekly!

-- I had a wee launch party at Barnes & Noble in Norman, and a signing at Best of Books in Edmond.


We enjoyed a Dark Between cake at the "after party" in Norman, and at Best of Books there were Dark Between cookies created by Amber Loberg. :)

And this week, Tessa, Tara, and I will make 11 library visits in 5 days. Insanity, right? And yet, so cool! Here's a poster for our Blanchard stop (click to enlarge):


You can find all the details at the Pioneer Library System webpage or check the events calendar at my webpage.

Big Hugs to all of you who came to events! Hope to meet more readers in the coming days.

P.S. If you've read The Dark Between, would you please consider reviewing it at Amazon and/or Barnes & Noble? It doesn't have to be a long review or a 5 star review, just an honest assessment. (I've developed a thicker skin. Really.) This sort of thing helps tremendously, and I'd be ever so grateful.

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Filming in Cambridge and . . . running away with the Circus!

Last weekend was all work and no play in Cambridge. Of course, it's always uplifting to be in the midst of such gorgeous surroundings, but we are not professional filmmakers by any means, so making a promo video for THE DARK BETWEEN took a lot of patience, creativity, and hard slog.

(And seeing myself on video? Very humbling, if not downright depressing.)


Anyhoo, after a sweaty, crowded train from London, we arrived to a rather frantic and swarming Cambridge. Apparently Open Days were wrapping up. By that evening, however, the streets were pretty calm (as you can see above).


On Saturday we met up with Harry, a PhD candidate at Corpus Christi College, who provided a fabulous insider's view of Cambridge and its history.


My favorite part of the day was revisiting Newnham College, the inspiration for Summerfield in THE DARK BETWEEN. Our past few visits have been during the gloom and rain, but the sun came forth with a vengeance for our filming expedition. Aren't the bright flowers wonderful?

This flurry of filming came to an end with a 3+ hour bus ride back to Oxford that took place at exactly the same time as the Wimbledon showdown between Murray and Djokovic. Alas! But hooray for Blighty!

Now . . . the circus. As far as I can remember, I never went to any sort of circus as a child and, to be honest, I never really wanted to -- clowns have always scared me. Last week when we saw the old timey wagons pulling into University Parks, I was skeptical. But then I read more about Gifford's Circus and learned that its founder, Nell Gifford, read English at Oxford before beginning her circus career. The reviews were positive (here's a fun recap with photos), so we decided to give it a go.

It was FABULOUS! A grand, old fashioned event under a tent with vaudeville comedy and music, magic shows, dressage demonstrations, and gasp-inducing acrobatics. At the end they invited all the kids to dance with the performers, and even after the performers left, the kids were still tumbling about, no doubt dreaming of running away with the circus. It warmed my heart, I tell you.


And really, where else are you going to see a fawn on a tightrope?

Have a great week everybody!

[Cross-posted to Livejournal]

Cambridge weekend

Well guys, it rains and rains and rains.

That didn't stop us, however, from making our way to Cambridge this weekend. It was a sopping wet getaway, but there were many highlights.


After a 3+ hour bus ride, we arrived to lovely late afternoon weather. I took this shot of King's College from the Backs.


Steve enjoyed steak and ale pie at The Eagle on Saturday. Though you can't really get a sense of how cute it was from the picture, I loved sitting in this little snug. Maybe you get a better feel from this murky shot?

(Random factoid -- apparently the discovery of DNA was first announced in The Eagle. Sorta fun to imagine how that all played out, eh?)


The Cambridge Shakespeare festival was going on while we were there, and both Friday and Saturday nights we attempted to see plays. It rained so hard Friday night that Julius Caesar was cancelled after the interval. Saturday night the players continued the second half of Merry Wives of Windsor in the rain, but we were weenies and left.


Caught this interesting photo Sunday morning. (I've been using my new Canon Rebel DSLR, and my photos are still mostly crap. Must take lessons, or read the handbook...or something.)


The sun made another brief appearance during our time at Newnham College, which is the main setting of my next novel (renamed Summerfield to protect the innocent, heh). This trip was all about last minute fact-checking, and boy was it worth the trouble!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]