Nancy's Notes From Florida

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche

August 24, 2021

Enola Holmes is back! Nancy Springer’s nationally bestselling series and breakout Netflix sensation returns to beguile readers young and old in Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche.

NANCY SPRINGER is the author of the nationally bestselling Enola Holmes novels, including The Case of the Missing Marquess, which was made into the hit Netflix movie, Enola Holmes. She is the author of more than 50 other books for children and adults. She has won many awards, including two Edgar Awards, and has been published in more than thirty countries. She lives in Florida.

Nancy Springer

Q: What inspired you to write the Enola Holmes series?

NS:   My literary agent suggested writing books with a “classic chassis,” so I did some set in the King Arthur mythos, and some based on legends of Robin Hood, and then moved on to the world of Sherlock Holmes.

Q: How do you feel about the film based on your book?

NS: I love it, which surprises me, because I don’t generally like the movies based on books I respect. Actually, I don’t generally like movies, period. I find them too intense. They make me shake, and give me bad dreams.

Q: Are you planning to write more titles in the series?

NS:  I’m working right now on another Enola Holmes novel. I don’t yet have a title for it, and who knows whether it will ever be published? There’s no way I can tell at this point whether it will be good enough.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge with this series so far?

NS:  The amount of research I’ve had to do. Getting the historical setting correct.

Q: What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

NS:  To stick to one genre, which I totally have not done. Or do you mean writing advice? I had good advice early on about story logic, and synchronizing the psychodrama with the external drama, and lingering longer with the most emotional scenes.

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche

ENOLA HOLMES AND THE BLACK BAROUCHE 

Enola Holmes is the much younger sister of her more famous brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft. But she has all the wits, skills, and sleuthing inclinations of them both. At fifteen, she’s an independent young woman–after all, her name spelled backwards reads ‘alone’–and living on her own in London. When a young professional woman, Miss Letitia Glover, shows up on Sherlock’s doorstep, desperate to learn more about the fate of her twin sister, it is Enola who steps up. It seems her sister, the former Felicity Glover, married the Earl of Dunhench and per a curt note from the Earl, has died. But Letitia Glover is convinced this isn’t the truth, that she’d know–she’d feel–if her twin had died.

The Earl’s note is suspiciously vague and the death certificate is even more dubious, signed it seems by a John H. Watson, M.D. (who denies any knowledge of such). The only way forward is for Enola to go undercover–or so Enola decides at the vehement objection of her brother. And she soon finds out that this is not the first of the Earl’s wives to die suddenly and vaguely–and that the secret to the fate of the missing Felicity is tied to a mysterious black barouche that arrived at the Earl’s home in the middle of the night. To uncover the secrets held tightly within the Earl’s hall, Enola is going to require help–from Sherlock, from the twin sister of the missing woman, and from an old friend, the young Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether!

Enola Holmes returns in her first adventure since the hit Netflix movie brought her back on the national bestseller lists, introducing a new generation to this beloved character and series.

My Book Review

I stumbled across the Enola Holmes YA mysteries by accident. I’d seen the Netflix film and absolutely loved it. Naturally, I had to follow up with the books, which I proceeded to devour. When offered the opportunity to host Nancy on her upcoming blog tour for Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, I leapt at the chance.

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer
In this enthralling adventure, Enola Holmes and her brother Sherlock accept a case involving a missing woman. The client has received word from her twin sister’s husband that Lady Felicity had caught a fever and died. He had her body cremated. The twin doesn’t believe a word of this odd message and hires the sleuthing duo to find out what really happened. When it turns out the Earl of Dunhench’s first wife expired in a similar manner, Enola believes it can’t be a coincidence. Using her skills at disguise, she gains entry to the nobleman’s gloomy mansion. Here her situation rapidly deteriorates as she begins to suspect the horrifying truth. Suspenseful and clever, this story is one you won’t be able to put down.

ORDER YOUR COPY NOW: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250822963
Release Date is August 31st, 2021

 



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Book Event in DeLand

August 23, 2021

This past weekend I had the privilege of speaking at the “And the Women Gather” Annual Literary Event in Deland, FL sponsored by Desert Sage, a lifestyle wellness company. We left the house early to arrive in plenty of time for the book event, especially when I saw there was a Tuesday Morning store along the way. After shopping for autumn-themed goods, we headed into the historic downtown. Our first stop was The Muse Bookshop which is a wonderful bookstore to browse in for an afternoon.

We lunched a De La Vega, a Latin restaurant with a pleasant interior and an interesting menu. Here is my avocado stuffed with shrimp for the entree and flan for dessert.

De La Vega   avocado shrimp    flan   Lunch at De La Vega

Next, we headed a few doors down to the Museum of Art where the event was taking place. Guests came from all over Florida for which I was grateful. Our host, Lorna Owens, started off the event with a general introduction.

Lorna Owens

James Ryan, a guitarist, followed with a medley of popular songs.

Guitar Player

Following him was UCF Professor and Author Celilia Rodriguez Milanes, who discussed her works and read excerpts.

Cecilia Milanes

Next it was my turn to talk about my mystery series. I mentioned how I got started in the publishing business and what led to my going indie with my latest books.

Nancy at Podium   

On the drive home, we stopped at Stonewood Inn for dinner and to celebrate another successful book event.

shrimp pasta   

 

Book Event in Deland with author Nancy J. Cohen Share on X

 



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Size Matters

August 17, 2021

Have you noticed how the size of your favorite brand items in the stores have shrunk while the prices remain the same or are higher? You’ve probably observed how your grocery bill has increased while portion sizes have gotten smaller.

milk bottles

While I was writing A Bad Hair Day Cookbook, I had to adjust recipes that called for box sizes no longer available. For example, cake and pudding mixes come in smaller boxes than in the past. This means less dry ingredients for your recipe. Take a look at your older cookbooks or family recipes and you’ll see what I mean. For other items, the bottle sizes have shrunk or the items inside are no longer as large or as plentiful. The manufacturers benefit while we get less and pay more.

Tomato Sauce  Pickle Jar

Does this also apply to book lengths? Do readers today, with short attention spans, prefer shorter works?

I looked at a few books from popular indie mystery authors and came up with these averages:

My books – 291 pages
Author A – 336 pages
Author B – 163 pages
Author C – 171 pages

What does this say? Those last two averages are considerably lower than mine. Does this mean readers prefer shorter and more frequent works? My books come out an average of once a year. If I wrote short, how many more stories could I produce? Being prolific isn’t my goal. I like to write a meaty story and that will take as long as it takes.

Another factor I noted is that all three of these authors have their e-books exclusive to Amazon in Kindle Unlimited. They are successful with this choice, but I don’t care to keep all my eggs in one basket. I’d rather offer my e-books wide. I do get sales from these other venues, including libraries, so it’s been worthwhile for me. My print books, too, are available wide through IngramSpark and KDP.

But this still begs the question – Do readers prefer shorter books that are quick reads with more frequent releases? A subscription service like Kindle Unlimited? Or books that are available from a variety of sources in varying lengths? What’s your opinion?

Do book lengths matter? #indiepub #publishing Share on X

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here Aug 1-18 to win a free book from Booklover’s Bench cozy mystery authors

Booklovers Bench Monthly Book Giveaway



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New Mystery Release – Box Set Volume Three

August 10, 2021

I am excited to announce the release of The Bad Hair Day Mysteries Box Set Volume Three: Books 7-9

Bad Hair Day Mysteries Box Set Volume Three

Copyright © 2021 by Nancy J. Cohen
Published by Orange Grove Press
Digital ISBN: 978-1-952886-18-8
Cover Design by The Killion Group, Inc.
Digital Layout by Formatting4u.com

Meet Marla Shore, a Florida hairstylist and salon owner with a knack for styling hair and solving crimes. In this trio of cozy mysteries, Marla stays at a haunted hotel, works at a beauty trade show, and sails on a Caribbean cruise with a killer onboard.

DEAD ROOTS
Hairstylist Marla Shore is eager to introduce her fiancé, Detective Dalton Vail, to her extended family over Thanksgiving weekend at Sugar Crest Plantation Resort. Their festive turkey dinner turns into a serious bad hair day when she finds her aunt suffocated in bed. Aunt Polly isn’t the only ghost at this haunted hotel. Marla uncovers secrets and skeletons that should have stayed buried. It’ll take all her sleuthing skills to untangle the clues and root out the killer, even if it means exposing her family’s unsavory past.

“Dead Roots has all the right ingredients for a great hair day, absolutely fun, winsome characters, a fast‑paced, wonderful mystery read!” Heather Graham, NY Times Bestselling Author

PERISH BY PEDICURE
Salon owner and amateur sleuth Marla Shore ends up fixing more than just hair at a Fort Lauderdale beauty show. When the much‑disliked director of Luxor Beauty Products is murdered, Marla finds herself investigating a quirky group of industry characters including a pompous celebrity stylist, an ambitious salesman, and a rival hairdresser.

“Find your favorite beach chair and a tall glass of lemonade to enjoy another Marla Shore mystery amidst the fashionistas! The perfect read for a beach chair or under the hair dryer.” Nancy Martin, author of the Blackbird Sisters mystery series

KILLER KNOTS
Florida hairstylist Marla Shore hopes for a romantic interlude with her fiancé on a Caribbean cruise, but troubled waters lie ahead when their dinner companions disappear one-by-one. Then Marla learns a killer is along for the ride. Onboard art auctions, ports of call, and sumptuous buffets beckon, but she ignores temptation and musters her sleuthing skills to expose the culprit. She’d better find him fast, before her next shore excursion turns into a trip to Davy Jones’s locker.

“Delightful…The Love Boat meets Sex and the City. A charming heroine and a hero to die for, pick this one up posthaste!” MaryJanice Davidson, NY Times Bestselling Author

BUY LINKS

Amazon – https://amzn.to/3y6d3ov
Apple Books – https://apple.co/3fNeSzQ
BN Nook – https://bit.ly/3g4gd4i
Kobo – https://bit.ly/3cEnhn9
Books2Read – https://books2read.com/BadHairDayBoxSetThree
Goodreads – https://bit.ly/3jF2ynC

Add to your beach read list - The Bad Hair Day Mysteries Volume Three! #beachreads #cozymystery #boxset Share on X

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here Aug 1-18 to win a free book from Booklover’s Bench cozy mystery authors

Booklovers Bench Monthly Book Giveaway

 



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Tying Up Those Pesky Loose Ends

August 5, 2021

When writing a mystery, it’s crucial to tie up any loose ends by the end of the story. You don’t want to leave readers hanging on what some incident or snatch of dialogue might have meant when they finish the book. There are several ways for you to keep track of these plot threads.

You might make a list of all the questions that will arise in a reader’s mind as you write the story. Or you can create this list as you do your first read-through revision. If you write a synopsis, that’s another way to keep tabs of what’s going on. Once you’ve finished the first draft, read through your synopsis and make sure you’ve resolved all the plot points. If not, fix them during the revision process.

Here’s an example of some loose ends from Easter Hair Hunt. A brief story blurb will fill you in so you can follow these questions.

When hairstylist Marla Vail attends an Easter egg hunt at historic Tremayne Manor, she’s only there to fix hair for a client, Bonnie “Blinky” Morris. But when she’s asked to comb the grounds for leftover goodies, Marla discovers more than just a few dyed eggs. The dead body in the bunny costume is definitely not having a good hare day. And Blinky seems to have disappeared down a rabbit hole.

LOOSE ENDS – Spoiler Alert!

Where is Blinky?
Why did Blinky give her costume to the dead guy?
Who stabbed the victim and why?
Where and what is the murder weapon?
What does the autopsy report say?
How did the Faberge egg end up in the grass next to the body?
Who is stealing artifacts from the house? Is the motive money or spite?
Why did Connor Tremaine deed his property to his wife and leave nothing to his son?

I write a synopsis up front as a writing guide. I’ve just gone through the one for Styled for Murder, my next Bad Hair Day mystery, to make sure it matches the story changes I made along the way. Whoops. It appears I’ve left too very obvious loose ends and forgot all about them. One factor is part of the killer’s confession, and another relates to a subplot with a secondary character.

Re the subplot, I left a hint in a conversation but have no idea what it meant. I can’t find an explanation for this statement anywhere in my character profiles or plotting notes. Do I eliminate this snatch of dialogue, or do I come up with a reasonable explanation? I chose to leave it in and explain what this character meant later on. That’s what I get for not keeping better track of each detail. I didn’t keep my list of loose ends for this story like I usually do, and that would have helped. All is not lost, though. I can write them out during my next revision pass to make sure everything is solved.

This is also why a story needs multiple views. We need to make sure all the questions have been answered by the end. Even our editors and beta readers sometimes miss things that our fans will point out later.

Tying Up those Pesky Loose Ends #amwriting #writetip Share on X

Do you have lapses like this? How do you catch them?

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here Aug 1-18 to win a free book from Booklover’s Bench cozy mystery authors 

Booklovers Bench Monthly Book Giveaway



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