And The Winners Are . . . !

May 10, 2012

Boy, next time I do a contest, I think I might try rafflecopter, because the math! She almost broke my brain! But! I have winners! And because you were all so awesome and it made me so happy seeing all your great reviews (especially while slogging my way toward THE END of Book Two) I […]

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Grave Mercy Discussion Guide

April 30, 2012

I just visited my first book club for Grave Mercy last week, which reminded me about the Grave Mercy Discussion Guide my publisher has put together. So, for any of you who are teachers, librarians, or involved in book clubs please help yourselves! To download the .pdf file, just click on the image.    

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A Thank You Giveaway!

April 25, 2012

When I first started writing GRAVE MERCY I did so in private, not really talking about the idea with anyone for fear I would sound, well, deranged. I mean, a romance about assassin nuns in Medieval France? For teens? To say I was nervous about sharing this story with the world at large is an  […]

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Of Maps and Technology

April 24, 2012

I love maps. I don’t think I’ve ever written a book without needing to draw myself a map of some sort. Which is why it is too bad that, due to a slight technology fail, the map of Brittany in GRAVE MERCY dropped some of the place names when it was transferred to the printer. […]

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Launch Day Is Here!

April 3, 2012

Well, today is the day! Hard to believe GRAVE MERCY is finally out in the world after so long.  It’s been six years and about twelve different drafts (I’ll have to dig up a picture of the stacks and stacks of drafts I have) and three different POVs before I finally settled into the right […]

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Upcoming Events!

March 31, 2012

Just wanted to let people know about some upcoming appearances! I’ll be in Burlingame at Not Your Mother’s Book Club on Wednesday, April 4 at 7 pm. Barry Lyga and I will be comparing serial killer and assassin notes.   Friday night, April 6, I will be in the Seattle area at the Northgate Barnes […]

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What Makes A Book YA?

March 22, 2012

A question I’ve been asked quite a lot lately is, with its dark themes and complex politics, why did I write GRAVE MERCY as a YA? Which brings us to the question: How does one define YA? It is such a broad, inclusive category, embracing contemporary, fantasy, historical, science fiction, realistic, romance, horror, and mystery. […]

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Author’s Historical Note

March 12, 2012

We debated on whether or not to put an author’s note in the book, but ultimately decided against it because it was a trilogy, and not everyone likes to be bumped out of the fictional world by learning the true facts behind the story. So I am putting the author’s note here on the website. […]

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Some Thoughts On Historical Accuracy

March 1, 2012

I have been thinking a lot about historical accuracy as I work on these medieval French assassin books so I thought I’d talk a bit about it here. But first, a warning: I am not a purist. If you are looking for someone who holds up pristine historical accuracy as the One True Shining Purpose, […]

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The Convent’s Poisons (excerpted from Sister Serafina’s Herbal)

February 25, 2012

Heretic’s Lament: Quick acting poison for heretics wishing to avoid pain of being burned to death. A deep amber color. Martyr’s Embrace: (the pale green of new spring grass) excruciatingly painful poison for those wishing to do penance with the act of dying. The Scourge: (rust colored liquid) This poison corrodes at the internal organs […]

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