Somerset!

Last weekend, during the start of this blasted heat wave, we explored Wells and Glastonbury. Yes, it was sweaty and exhausting, but the glorious sun certainly made for great photos. (click the pics to enlarge!)

We settled into our Dulcote B&B Thursday night, and the next morning we took the bus to Glastonbury. Seeing as I've been obsessed with Arthurian legends for decades, it was high time to visit this storied area.


First on the agenda was Glastonbury Tor. Quite a steep climb up, but the views from the top were glorious.


Next was Glastonbury Abbey. The ruins, situated amidst 36 beautifully maintained acres, were glorious for wandering.


I got to hold a bird of prey! The lovely lady on my arm is Breeze, a barn owl. She was born in captivity, but her patience with visitors earns funds for Raptor Rescue. After parting with Breeze, we visited the lily pond (full of ginormous carp), learned about badger setts, and gaped at the ruined walls and arches of the abbey.

We spent quite a bit of time in Wells, which was only a 20 minute walk across a pasture from Dulcote. For a cathedral city, it's rather small and cozy (in fact, it's the smallest cathedral city in England), and by the end of our stay Steve and I were both quite smitten. (And as you may already know, Wells made a perfect location for the suspiciously perfect town of Sandford in Hot Fuzz. Hee!)


The cathedral is breathtaking! We went to a performance of Gregorian chants (a sung mass, actually) on Friday night, and for Saturday night Evensong we got to hear the choir of St. Mark's School in Dallas, TX. Small world, eh?

This weekend is Cheltenham and then . . . special visitors! More on that later.

[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]

Switzerland photo recap

We are settled in Oxford now, and I'm raring to get back to work, but first I'll share a few favorite photos from Switzerland. For the extended photo recap, check out my Flickr set.


Luzern's Chapel Bridge.


Lovely Löwendenkmal


Bears of Bern!


Alpine flowers


Gorgeous light on the mountainside above Mürren.

Stay tuned . . . next weekend is Cambridge!

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

Friday favorites

Favorite thing #1: You know how I love to give away books, so just thought I'd let you know that these lovely people won books and/or swag in the last giveaway:

Tiffany D.
N Marie M.
Tiffany A.
Jenna J.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Favorite thing #2: Amy Plum! If you're still keen for a DARK BETWEEN advance copy, Amy will be offering one for her next Contest Monday. Check her webpage on June 17!

Favorite thing #3: Daylilies!



The top left and bottom right look a lot alike in the photos, but the bottom right is actually more orangey-yellow. They are all very pretty and have just started blooming. Sadly, we will miss their best days while we are overseas.

But that brings me to Favorite thing #4: OXFORD!


We're off again for another summer at Brasenose College in Oxford. This year we're leaving a little early so that Steve can attend a conference in Zurich, Switzerland. (My first time in this country!) In addition to our Oxford frivolities (or "work" as Steve would call it), we'll spend a weekend in Cambridge getting photos and film footage related to THE DARK BETWEEN. Prepare thyself for photo spamming. :)

Now must return to getting the house ready for our wonderful house sitter. (Cedric is very smitten with this individual.)

Any exciting summer plans of your own to share?

[Cross-posted at Livejournal]

The Dark Between ARC giveaway!

The Dark Between hardcover releases in less than three months. Here's the official flap copy:

At the turn of the twentieth century, Spiritualism and séances are all the rage—even in the scholarly town of Cambridge, England. While mediums dupe the grief-stricken, a group of local fringe scientists seeks to bridge the gap to the spirit world by investigating the dark corners of the human mind.

Each running from a shadowed past, Kate, Asher, and Elsie take refuge within the walls of Summerfield College. But their peace is soon shattered by the discovery of a dead body nearby. Is this the work of a flesh-and-blood villain, or is something otherworldly at play? This unlikely trio must illuminate what the scientists have not, and open a window to secrets taken to the grave—or risk joining the spirit world themselves.

Would you like to get your hands on an advance copy? If so, read on!

First of all, if you are a Goodreads member, you can enter to win one of two signed copies that are up for grabs.

Click this link for Goodreads giveaway (International!).

I'm also hosting a U.S. only giveaway here on the blog -- win a copy of the ARC with swag (postcard and bookmark, plus a postcard and journal featuring The Dark Between painting from Audrey Eclectic!):


Read more about the Audrey Eclectic painting of The Dark Between.

To sweeten the pot, I also am including SIGNED COPIES of the following fabulous books:



Elegy by Tara Hudson -- Faced with an impossible choice between the forces of Light and the boy she loves, ghostly Amelia decides to take her afterlife into her own hands and fight back, in this stunning conclusion to the hauntingly romantic Hereafter trilogy.

The Collector by Victoria Scott -- Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence has made him one of Hell’s best — a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris -- On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.


Signing at OKC Barnes & Noble with Victoria Scott, Rachel Harris, and Tara Hudson!

To sum up:
-- ONE winner will receive The Dark Between ARC + the three signed books listed above + SWAG.
-- THREE winners will receive The Dark Between swag -- including bookmark, postcards, and journal. (Heck, I'll throw in some Revenant swag, too!)

Click below to enter either through Facebook or with your email address. The widget will then offer you opportunities to increase your entries. It's easy!


(If you can't see the widget, give me your name and email address in the comments and I'll enter for you.)