Pamela Aares. USA Today bestselling author and award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance, talking about Book 11 in the Tavonesi series, Love Thief.

Robin Hood never had it so rough. A museum security expert by day and a thief with a hidden mission to right wrongs by night, Hunter Sterling is no stranger to deception. But when he teams up with a secretive heiress to recover a priceless statue, he finds himself caught in a web of life-changing secrets and falling for a woman he’s not sure he can trust.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and today in The Joys of Binge Reading ….

We’ve got the usual free books on offer – this week historical crime mysteries.

GET FREE HISTORICAL CRIME THRILLERS

Links for the draw and all the other fascinating topics we discuss can be found on the website, www.thejoysofbingereading .com  If you’d like to ensure you don’t miss out on any episode subscribe to our weekly newsletter for all the relevant links.

And don’t forget, you can get exclusive bonus content including hearing Pamela answer the Getting To Know You Five Quickfire Questions by supporting us on Binge Reading on Patreon. 

For as little as a cup of coffee a month you get the Five Quickfire questions and a preview of the new monthly Encore series featuring authors who’ve already been on the show talking about their latest book. 

In this month’s Encore, author Chuck Greaves talks about his latest Jack MacTaggart book The Chimera Club, goes free to air broadcast this week after being in preview on Patreon, so look out for that bonus episode.

HEAR CHUCK ON ENCORE

Links for this Episode:

The Tavonesi series: https://www.pamelaaares.com/available-books/#the-tavonesi-series

Thrown By Love (Book #2 in the Tavonesi series: https://www.amazon.com/Thrown-Love-Contemporary-Romance-Tavonesi-ebook/dp/B00IU37NO0/r

Joanna Bourne:  https://www.joannabourne.com/

Susanna Kearsley: https://susannakearsley.com/

NPR radio programs including New Voices, The Powers of the Universe and The Earth’s Imagination.

PBS documentary, Your Water, Your Life, featuring actress Susan Sarandon

The Centre for the Story of the Universe:  https://storyoftheuniverse.org/about/

The Universe Story:  https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Story-Primordial-Era-Celebration/dp/0062508350

Marine Mammal Center:  https://www.marinemammalcenter.org

Here’s a link for some information about the universe that we worked on:  http://storyoftheuniverse.org

Jane Austen and the Archangel:  https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Austen-Archangel-Pamela-Aares/dp/1478148136

The Road From Raqqa by Jordan Conn

www.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZN5D1ZZ/

Where to find Pamela Aares:

Website: www.pamelaaares.com

Facebook: https://wwwlfacebook.com/PamelaAares 

Twitter: @PamelaAares

Pinterest: @pamelaaares

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamelaaares/

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.But now, here’s Pamela.

Introducing author Pamela Aares

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Pamela, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us.

Pamela Aares - Romance author

Pamela Aares: Thank you, Jenny. It's great to be with you.

Jenny Wheeler: I have been a fan for a long time and we've been talking about doing this for ages, so it's great to finally get together. You write contemporary romance, romantic suspense and woman's fiction, and now historical romance as well.

Your most recent one and your biggest series is the Tavonesi series. The book is Love Thief and its book 11. It combines all of the elements that make the series so popular – heavy hitters in baseball and other cultural darlings doing exciting things. There's a very strong sense of environmental concern too.

Tell us first of all,

Chuck Greaves was last on the Binge Reading Podcast in May, 2020. Now he returns to talk about his fourth book in the Jack MacTaggart series. The Chimera Club.

It's a fast moving behind the scenes look at LA nightlife with a wonderful twist.

As well as giving us an update on his other activities since he was last on the show Chuck’s going to talk about a recent adventure, a Grand Canyon canoe trip with an unexpected ending....

But before we get there, if you haven't heard the original interview with Chuck it can be found here: 

www,thejoysofbingereading.com/chuckgreaves/eco-thriller-la-law

Jenny: Before we get into talking about Jack MacTaggart, you've been having some adventures of your own Chuck haven't. You just recently you went away on holiday and something happened. Tell us about that.

Chuck Greaves' holiday misadventure

Chuck: Well, I was rafting down the Grand Canyon. I was supposed to be on a 14 day trip, and at about day eight, I was helicopter rescued and taken to the hospital with a nasty case of COVID.

Jenny: Terrible. I mean they reckon that when you're out in the wild, with all this fresh air. that you pretty much protected, but it seems not.

Chuck: Well, it was a group of 28 people and we were in pretty close proximity to one another. And as soon as somebody introduces the disease to the group it spreads like wildfire, that's exactly what happened to us.

Jenny: Yes. Were you having stops on the banks? Were you in contact with other people or did you all set off together and stay in an isolated group for the whole time?

Chuck: Yeah, we were in a pretty insular, isolated group. So it, there was a couple who traveled from Europe to join the group. And I suspect that was how it was introduced and then it kind of made its way around.

Jenny: Well, we're glad that you're back on deck and, hopefully not feeling too many long term consequences. So we are talking about Jack MacTagggart, the fourth book, as you know, I was a great fan of the first three.

A classic set up for an brain twister plot

This time Jack gets tangled up in a case, and it's a very interesting twisty beginning because the man who's being accused of murder is actually physically in Hong Kong at the time that the death takes place, but the police are still very confident they're going to make the charges stick. Tell us about that. It’s a really fizzy opening.

Chuck: The basic setup for the book, is what if DNA evidence pointed to only one possible suspect of the crime, but that suspect had the perfect alibi.?

So the way the case sets up, there's the murder of an amorous Hollywood producer, a sort of a Harvey Weinstein type character, who's found naked and tied to the bed posts in a luxury hotel in Los Angeles, stabbed.

Then they recovered DNA evidence from the sink in the hotel bathroom. There are two different blood types in the sink, the victim’s and another person’s. And when they run that DNA through the state data bank, it identifies one person who could only be the assailant. The problem is that assailant is 7,000 miles away in Hong Kong on the night of the murder.

So that's the scenario.

Jenny: And where on earth did that come from, in your head first up, was there anything that sparked that kind of scenario.

Chuck: Not a real case, but I did want to set up a situation that would be a puzzle to unravel. Let's put it like that.

Different book in terms of writing process

Jenny: And when you're writing a book like that, it's extremely intricate in the way that the plot weaves in and out with different revelations. Did you work it all out ahead of time, or was there a certain section where you just let things flow and the answers came.

Chuck: Yeah. This book for me was completely different, in terms of process from the previous three books, because I'm not an outliner, I'm not the kind of writer who starts with a detailed outline and follows it from beginning to end.

Lee Goldberg is a #1 New York Times best selling author whose had a remarkably durable career as author and TV producer. His latest book is Movieland, the fourth book in the Eve Ronin series. Eve is the youngest female homicide detective in the scandal plagued Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a series which is already optioned for TV.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and in Binge Reading today Lee talks about his ambition to develop Eve into the legendary status of fictional detectives like Harry Bosch (in Michael Connelly’s the Lincoln Lawyer series) and John Rebus, (in Sir Ian Rankin’s Rebus detective series)

We’ve got our usual free book giveaways = this week August mystery and suspense books, an another Booksweeps draw for a library of 50 books valued at over $500 and a new E-reader.

THRILLER GIVEAWAY DOWNLOAD FREE BOOKS NOW

JOIN THRILLERS GIVEAWAY TO WIN 50 BOOKS

Links for the draw and all the other fascinating topics we discuss can be found in the show notes for this episode on the website, the joys of binge reading .com.  If you’d like to ensure you don’t miss out on any episode subscribe to our weekly newsletter for all the relevant links.

SIGNUP FOR JOBR NEWS

And don’t forget, you can get exclusive bonus content including hearing Lee answer the Getting To Know You Five Quickfire Questions by supporting us on Binge Reading on Patreon.  For as little as a cup of coffee a month you get the Five Quickfire questions, a Behind the Scenes newsletter featuring up coming books and authors, and a preview of the new monthly Encore series featuring authors who’ve already been on the show talking about their latest book.Chuck Greaves, talking about the new Jack MacTaggart The Chimera Club is the Encore author for August.

Check it out on patreon.com/thejoysof bingereading.

Links in this episode:

Lee Goldberg, Monk Series:  https://www.goodreads.com/series/60433-mr-monk

Calabasas:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calabasas,_California

Malibu Creek State Park:  http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=614

Ralph Dennis, the Hardman classics:  https://crimereads.com/ralph-dennis-the-lost-hardman-classics/

Lee’s publishing venture - Brash Books:  https://www.brash-books.com/

Ian Ludlow series:  https://www.goodreads.com/series/218857-ian-ludlow-thrillers

Garry Disher on JOBR:  https://thejoysofbingereading.com/garry-disher-gold-standard-crime/

Garry Disher:  https://garrydisher.com/

Chris Pavone:  https://www.chrispavone.com/

Anthony Doerr:  https://www.anthonydoerr.com/

Jane Harper:  https://janeharper.com.au/

Michael Connelly:  https://www.michaelconnelly.com/

John Rebus:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rebus

Harry Bosch:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Haller

Max Allan Collins:  http://maxallancollins.com/blog/

Road To Perdition series:  https://www.amazon.com/Road-Perdition-Max-Allan-Collins/dp/0743442245

Andy Breckman:  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0106563/

Calico:  https://www.amazon.com.au/Treasure-Painted-Hills-California-1882-1907/dp/0313308365

Larry McMurtry: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Larry-McMurtry/547

Jonathan Evison: https://www.penguin.co.nz/authors/jonathan-evison

Where to find Lee Goldberg:

Website: www.leegoldberg.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLeeGoldberg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leegoldberg007/

Twitter: @leegoldberg

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.And now, here’s Lee.

Introducing author Lee Goldberg

Jenny Wheeler: Welcome to the show, Lee. It's great to have you with us.

Lee Goldberg - multi-talented mystery author

Lee Goldberg: It's great to be here. I wish I was there in person. I love New Zealand.

Jenny Wheeler: Have you been here?

Lee Goldberg: I have.

“The Liz Taylor Ring is a gorgeously written multigenerational novel, tracing the path of a diamond ring across decades, through the ups and down in the lives of one family. Brenda Janowitz beautifully weaves stories of love, of motherhood, and of the unbreakable bonds between siblings. I absolutely devoured this dazzling book!” - Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools

Picked as one of the “must read” picks for 2022 by everyone from Town and Country magazine to Katie Couric Media, Brenda’s latest amusing romp is part love story, part family saga.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and today on Binge Reading Brenda talks about building a mystery and a family story across generations, built around a famous memento like the ring Richard Burton bought Elizabeth Taylor, or Grace Kelly’s wedding dress.

Beach Reads Books Giveaway

 We’ve got our usual book giveaway. This week it’s Best Beach Reads. You can find the link to download those on the show notes for this episode at www.thejoysofbingereading.com. OR HERE https://books.bookfunnel.com/pka-beach-read-mysteries/17c2mks8na

DOWNLOAD BEST BEACH READS

If you’d like to get a weekly prompt when episodes are posted, you can join our weekly newsletter and have all the links in one place.

Links in this episode:

The Elizabeth Taylor Ring (formerly known as the Krupp Diamond):  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Taylor_Diamond

Princess Margaret and Elizabeth Taylor:  https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/02/princess-margaret-elizabeth-taylor-hollywood

Elizabeth Taylor’s double eyelashes:  https://www.news18.com/news/india/elizabeth-taylor-born-with-two-sets-of-eyelashes-364781.html

Lesson in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58065033-lessons-in-chemistry

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58532615-the-summer-place

Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close:  https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58537243-marrying-the-ketchups

Mustique Island by Sarah McCoy:  https://www.amazon.com/Mustique-Island-Novel-Sarah-McCoy/dp/0063252201

Where to find Brenda Janowitz:

Website:  www.brendajanowitz.comFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BrendaJanowitz/Email:  [email protected]:  @brendajanowitzwriter

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.

Introducing author Brenda Janowitz

Jenny Wheeler: Welcome to the show, Brenda. It's fantastic to have you with us.

Author Brenda Janowitz

Brenda Janowitz: Thank you so much for having me. I'm thrilled to be here.

Jenny Wheeler: Your latest book, The Liz Taylor Ring, has got a wonderful title for starters, but it's your seventh novel and it's received a great series of accolades. It's been welcomed by many publications people would listen to. It was one of Town and Country’s best books for February, the Katie Couric people thought it was one of the best books of 2022 and Pop Sugar’s most anticipated reads of 2022. Did that give you a bit of a lift to start?

Brenda Janowitz: My goodness yes. It was so incredibly exciting. Certainly by book seven, you think you'd be used to it and everything would be old hat, but it feels like with every book you're starting fresh and you're starting over, so it's always a miracle when anyone likes your book. It feels like, okay, it’s not terrible. We've got something here.

Jenny Wheeler: I know you've had a lot of success in the past, but would you consider that this was almost a breakthrough book for you? Is it that good?

Brenda Janowitz: I do think each book is reaching a little higher for me. The Grace Kelly Dress was a breakout for me because I was on one path and The Grace Kelly Dress put me out there a little more. Certainly with the follow up being The Liz Taylor Ring,

Liese Sherwood-Fabre has a fresh angle on Sherlock Holmes, featuring Holmes as a wily adolescent saving his family from disaster, acclaimed by critics for its deep understanding of Holmes' life and times.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and today on Binge Reading we hear about what happened before Sherlock Holmes became the world’s greatest consulting detective, when scandal rocked the Holmes family. 

We’ve got a group promo of mysteries that are perfect to relax with on the beach or in front of the fire...

Today's free MYSTERY book offer

Readsey deals – free books plus the chance to win chocolate and gift card…

GET FREE BOOKS

ENTER FOR CHOCS AND GIFT CARD

https://books.bookfunnel.com/books-to-read-mystery-giveaway-promotion/hwemo1h1y6

All the links to books and topics discussed in this episode can be found in the show notes on The Joys of Binge Reading website, www.thejoysofbingereading.com.

Links In This Episode:

Early Sherlock Holmes movies with Basil Rathbone:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_(1939_film_series)

Arthur Conan-Doyle, The Captain of the Polestar:  https://www.amazon.com/Captain-Polestar-other-stories/dp/B09B1TYK9X

Sherlock’s brother Mycroft Holmes:  https://arthurconandoyle.co.uk/character/mycroft-holmes#

Murder She Wrote TV show:  https://arthurconandoyle.co.uk/character/mycroft-holmes#

Saving Hope, Liese Sherwood-Fabre: https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Hope-Liese-Anne-Sherwood-Fabre/dp/0998411213

The Daughters of Yalta:  https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780008299736/the-daughters-of-yalta-the-churchills-roosevelts-and-harrimans-a-story-of-love-and-war/

The Bombay Prince, Perveen Mistry series:  https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/popular-fiction/The-Bombay-Prince-Sujata-Massey-9781761065248

Where to find Liese Sherwood-Fabre: 

Website:  www.liesesherwoodfabre.com

Email:  [email protected]

Facebook: @liese.sherwoodfabre

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.But now, here’s Liese.

Introducing Liese Sherwood-Fabre

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Liese, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us.

Liese Sherwood-Fabre: Sherlock Holmes mysteries

Liese Sherwood: Thank you so much. I'm so honored to be on your podcast. I don't know what time people will be watching this, but for me it's late afternoon and for you it's early morning, so I’m very pleased that we were able to get together.

Jenny Wheeler: That’s right, and we're on almost opposite sides of the globe. You're in Virginia, are you?

Liese Sherwood: No, I'm in Dallas, Texas.

Jenny Wheeler: I'm in Auckland, New Zealand, so it's the miracle of modern technology.

Liese Sherwood-Fabre: Isn't it? I do hope someday to make it there. I understand it's an incredible place to visit.

Jenny Wheeler: People say so. We love it. Liese, you've delved into Sherlock Holmes’ world in a great deal of detail with three highly praised non-fiction books about his life and times and now four mysteries about Sherlock when he's a young man, before he gets into his stride as a detective, before fame struck. Where did this fascination with Victorian life and Sherlock Holmes begin?

Liese Sherwood-Fabre: That's a good question. People ask me and the first thing I would say is that I recall Sherlock Holmes and knowing about Sherlock Holmes since I was little. When I was growing up there was a show on in the afternoons after school that was called Dialing for Dollars. They would show old movies. They would also make random phone calls to people, and if you could give the count and the amount – they never asked me, although I always knew it – you could win money.

Hooked on Sherlock watching old movies

I would watch the show and they had on a lot of the old Basil Rathbone movies.

Bestselling author Gill Paul returns with a brilliant novel about Lady Evelyn Herbert, the woman who took the very first step into the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, and who lived in the real Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle, and the long after-effects of the Curse of Pharaohs.

Jenny: We're in our second episode of Encore, the new show for Binge Reading On Patreon supporters, talking to favorite authors, people who've already been on the podcast, about their latest release.

And today we've got international best seller Gill Paul who's already been on the podcast twice before talking about her latest book, The Collector's Daughter,

Gill Paul: The Collector's Daughter

Gill’s previous JOBR shows:

Gill Paul’s Famous Fabulous Lives, from November 2019: https://thejoysofbingereading.com/gill-paul-famous-fabulous-lives/

And: Love and Betrayal from September 2020: https://thejoysofbingereading.com/jackie-kennedy/

I love the way Gill makes historical events come alive in her fiction, and this book is no exception.

The Collector's Daughter is a dual timeline novel moving between the 1920s and the 1970s telling the story of Lady Evelyn Herbert, the English aristocrat who was involved with the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the 1920s, and went on to live through the long-term after-effects of the supposed Curse of the Pharaohs

She's also got the claim to fame of having grown up in the ‘real’ Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle, where the popular TV series was filmed.

Gill, It's great to have you with us again.

Jenny: So welcome to the show Gill, and tell us about Pharaoh's tomb and Lady Eve part in it all.

Gill: Thanks so much for inviting me on the journey. It's lovely to talk to you.  Evelyn was there with her father, the Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter when the tomb was discovered and opened in 1922. And all the evidence is that they sneaked in by night without the Egyptian authorities watching over them

Lady Eve first to enter tomb

And the Eve was the first one to crawl in and she was a young lady from the English aristocracy. And  I thought ‘Gosh’, what would it have been like for her, I'd always been interested in Egyptian stories from school days, but it only really came home to me in 2011 when I visited Egypt. And I went to the Valley of the Kings.

We went down that long corridor that Eve and her father and Howard Carter would have gone down in 1922 and saw where his tomb had been and then went up to Cairo and saw all the artefacts in the Egyptian museum.

And that was staggering. I mean the enormous wealth of all the gold tombs and the funeral masks and the jewelry, and then little personal details like Tutankhamun’s had sandals that pictures of Nubians on the soles, the  Nubians were the enemies of the Egyptians so every time he walked, he was walking on his enemies.

I loved all the little personal touches I saw in the tomb. That’s what really brought it to life for me.

Jenny: It's amazing. Now, one of the themes of the story is penetrates the whole story really is the long-term belief that there was some sort of curse involved in opening the tomb and Lady Evelyn did actually suffer quite a lot of personal misfortune in her life, including being involved in a massive car accident, which resulted in a series of small TIA’s, as they're called and later more serious strokes.

And part of the story is her as an older lady in the 1970s, when her memory is impaired with memory loss and things, that's an interesting part of it because quite a significant part of the story is told by this older character who's impaired.

That was obviously something you deliberately chose to handle that way.

Two photographs bookmarked life

Gill: My inspiration for this novel when I decided to write about Lady Eve's part and this huge historical event or two photographs that kind of bookmarked her life.

Lady Eve at tomb entrance with her father and Howard Carter

Adrian Hyland is an award-winning Australian author of twisty crime stories that are perfect for the fans of Jane Harper, The Dry and Chris Hammer’s Scrublands.

Hi there. I'm your host, Jenny Wheeler. And on Binge Reading today, we've got author who was a delightful discovery for me. Adrian Hyland's latest book, Canticle Creek combines complex and engaging characters, heart racing plot lines, and whip smart writing that captures the spirit and natural landscape of the Australian Heartland.

Our free book offer is a great selection of historical romances - a big contrast to Adrian's work. You'll find the links for that in the show notes for this episode on our website for joys of binge reading.com, or you can take the easy route, join in our newsletter and have the links sent to you every week so that you can get in and enter for these books straight away.

This week's book Giveaways

BOOKSWEEPS SWEET ROMANCE

BOOKSWEEPS sweet ROMANCE - $500 VALUE

HISTORICAL ROMANCE GIVEAWAY

A range of romances from a group of popular fiction authors....

DOWNLOAD FREE HISTORIC ROMANCE

You'll also find out what's coming up next. Don't forget to check out. Binge reading on Patreon for exclusive bonus content for less than a cup of coffee a month.

Links to this episode

Tanami Desert, Northern Territory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanami_Desert

Walpiri people: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warlpiri_people

Kinglake-350: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/12146952-kinglake-350

Walter Savage Landor:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Savage_Landor

The Black Summer: https://theconversation.com/australias-black-summer-of-fire-was-not-normal-and-we-can-prove-it-172506

Mick Herron: https://www.mickherron.com/

Herron's Slow Horses TV series, starring Gary Oldman: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5875444/

Ali Smith, Scottish novelist: https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/21919/ali-smith

David Mitchell: https://www.davidmitchellbooks.com/

John Kinsella, poet: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/john-kinsella

Where to find Adrian online

Text Publishing:

https://www.textpublishing.com.au/

LaTrobe University, Melbourne:

[email protected] ·

Introducing crime novelist Adrian Hyland

But now here's Adrian. Hello there, Adrian. And welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us

Adrian Hyland, writing crime that is popular fiction with a literary edge.

Adrian Hyland: Good morning, Jenny. Thanks for asking me.

Jenny Wheeler: We're going to be focusing first on Canticle Creek, which is your most recent page turning mystery. I loved it. I must say it was quite a discovery for me. It's a page turner, as I emphasize, a really strongly, motivated narrative mystery, but it's got the sense also of an awareness of landscape and the creative process, which is sometimes more credited to literary fiction.

In short, it does an excellent job of being a great page turner with a literary edge. And I wondered, is that a tension that you consciously feel as you're writing or is it just more something that comes to you naturally?

Adrian Hyland: Hmm. I'd say it's one of the demands of the craft. I mean, for me, it what I like most about language, the thing that I appreciate is it’s beauty.

And if something isn't well written, so it comes across as a cliche or flat? Well, the book loses me, so yes, I try and balance both of those things, I think. Whether I succeed in either, as I was saying, I'm somewhere between the popular and the literary, I think, and maybe I fall between those two stools. But try to honor both of them, I think. I mean, I love both. I like reading, I love reading poetry and all sorts of things, but I also love reading. You know, all sorts of crime novelists, that they're all important to me.

One of Australia's best writers is a crime novelist

Jenny Wheeler: Australia's been particularly strong in crime novelists over the last couple of ...

Lise McClendon’s Bennett Sisters Mysteries are for anyone wanting to lose themselves in the magic of France with heart-warming family stories involving – like Jane Austen’s Bennetts – five daughters.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and in Binge Reading today Lise talks about the latest book in the series, Château Des Corbeaux, or in English, Castle of Ravens. Pascal’s dreams of owning his own vineyard come crashing down with a murder very close to home.

We’ve got some exciting FREE books offers - a Booksweeps Historic Romance Giveaway - enter the draw for a library and a n E-Reader - and a Mystery in July author promotion with mysteries free for download. Both are limited time offers so get in now!

ENTER BOOKSWEEPS HISTORIC ROMANCE GIVEAWAY

YES PLEASE TO JULY MYSTERIES

Links for these books and all the details for other subjects discussed in this episode can be found on our website, www.thejoysofbingereading.com. Join our weekly newsletter so that you've got a prompt every week on what's newly posted and what's coming next.

And don’t forget to check out Binge Reading on Patreon for exclusive bonus content for less than a cup of coffee a month at www.patreon.com/thejoysofbingereading.

Links for this episode:

Lise McClendon Books in Order:https://www.fictiondb.com/author/lise-mcclendon~21845.htm

The Bennett Sisters Cookbook: https://www.amazon.com/Bennett-Sisters-French-Cookbook-Mysteries/dp/1792884850

Thalia Press: https://lisemcclendon.com/the-books/thalia-press/

Alice Hoffman: https://alicehoffman.com/

James Lee Burke: https://www.jamesleeburke.com/

Ellen McGarrahan: Tow Truths and a Lie: www.Amazon.com/Two-Truths-Lie-Ellen-McGarrahan/dp/0812998669 

William Deverell:Arthur Beauchamp legal thrillers: Stung:   https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55407906-stung

Martin Walker: To Kill A Troubadour: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58467284-to-kill-a-troubadour

Where to find Lise McClendon:

Web site:  https://lisemcclendon.com/

Facebook:  @LiseMcClendon Author

Twitter:  @LiseMcClendon:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lise-mcclendon

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.

But now, here’s Lise.

Introducing mystery author Lise McLendon

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Lise, and welcome to the show. It’s great to have you with us.

Lise McClendon - popular mystery author

Lise McClendon: Thank you for having me, Jenny.

Jenny Wheeler: You have written a wonderfully lively series of French mysteries. We are talking about the latest one today, which is Château des Corbeaux, Castle of Ravens, which is just out. Theoretically, it's number 17 in the series, but we'll talk a little bit about some of the slight complications within that 17.

At the beginning, you had five strong-willed sisters who are all lawyers as their father and grandfathers were before them. When you started out, did you have any idea of how long these five sisters were going to be running?

Lise McClendon: Absolutely not. I envisioned five books, one featuring each sister. I wrote the first one, a New York publisher gave me some money to write it, and then he decided he didn't like it, so I ended up going independent, but that took a little while.

Then it seemed like it was just a standalone because Blackbird Fly, the first book, is more of a women's fiction than a mystery. It’s a lot of self-discovery, a lot of reinventing yourself after a tragedy. In that way it stands alone, or it could stand alone, and it did for about five years.

Then I decided to go back and revisit the characters again. After I did a walking tour in France, in Burgundy, with a group of women, I decided I would have the sisters going on a walking tour together. That's how it got started again.

Merle's shock of sudden widowhood

Carol Wallace has written more than 20 books, including the New York Times bestseller, To Marry an English Lord, which was an inspiration for the Downton Abbey TV series.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and in Binge Reading today Carol talks about her latest historical fiction, Our Kind of People. It’s set in the Gilded Age New York and brings the class wars of Downton Abbey to Manhattan.

We've got our usual free book giveaway this week. Another joint author promotion of whodunnit mysteries on The Joys of Binge Reading free giveaway. Links for these books and all the details for other subjects discussed in this episode can be found on our website, www.thejoysofbingereading.com.

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Links in this episode:

Gilded Age New York: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilded_Age

New York’s Elevated Railway – the “El”

https://ny.curbed.com/2018/6/27/17507424/new-york-city-elevated-train-history-transportation

Gilded Age Society – the 400: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Hundred_(Gilded_Age)

To Marry An English Lord:   https://www.amazon.com/Marry-English-Lord-Marriage-Snobbery/dp/0761171959ery

Julian Fellowes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Fellowes

The Gilded Age TV series:  https://www.hbo.com/the-gilded-age

Consuelo Vanderbilt: https://www.christies.com/features/the-story-of-consuelo-vanderbilts-marriage-to-the-duke-of-marlborough-7745-1.aspx

Carol Wallace: Ben Hur: The Tale of the Christ.

Lew Wallace: (Carol’s great-great-grandfather): https://www.ben-hur.com/meet-lew-wallace/

Robert G Ingersoll: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_G._Ingersoll

Lew Wallace and Battler of Shiloh:   https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=stu_res_jour

How the scapegoat of Shiloh became America's best-selling novelist: (from Slate)

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/history/2013/03/ben_hur_and_lew_wallace_how_the_scapegoat_of_shiloh_became_one_of_the_best.html

Leaving Van Gogh: https://www.amazon.com/Leaving-Van-Gogh-Carol-Wallace/dp/1400068797/

Vincent Van Gogh’s doctor: https://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/artworks/le-docteur-paul-gachet-751

Susan Hill: Simon Serrailler series

https://www.goodreads.com/series/44884-simon-serrailler

Lee Child latest: Better Off Dead https://www.amazon.com/Better-Off-Dead-Reacher-Novel-ebook/dp/B08SBMCSQQ

Angela Thirkell:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/142160.Angela_Thirkell

Where to find Carol:

Website: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/123212/carol-wallace/

Our Kind Of People:  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/604363/our-kind-of-people-by-carol-wallace/

Facebook: @carolwallacebooks  

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.

Introducing historical author Carol Wallace

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Carol, and welcome to the show. It's so good to have you with us.

Carol Wallace - Best selling historical author

Carol Wallace: Jenny, it is such a pleasure to be speaking to you from New York City. It is almost amazing to think that we can get to each other across our computers.

Jenny Wheeler: That’s absolutely right. We both know but I’d like to mention that I found you through a New York podcast called The Gilded Gentleman in which you spoke very entertainingly about your deep understanding of New York history.

We are going to be talking about your latest book today, which is Our Kind of People, which is a historical fiction related to the Gilded Age and the transition of the generations from the old money and the rather staid old New York to the new money. Tell us a bit about Our Kind of People.

Carol Wallace: First of all,

Laura Frantz is a Christy Award winner and best-selling author of more than a dozen historical novels, with a special affection for 18th century America.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and today on Binge Reading Laura talks about her latest romance called A Heart Adrift, an American historical about a Virginia chocolatier and a privateering sea captain who collide again after a failed love affair a decade before.

We've got our usual free book offer, this time a joint author promo called Relax and Read, a selection of all genres for you to choose from. You'll find the links for how to access these books plus any other information about this episode in the show notes on www.thejoysofbingereading.com.

RELAX AND READ FREE BOOKS

A wide range of genres to choose from, including Books 1 and 4 of Jenny Wheeler's Of Gold & Blood Old California mystery series.

There's an easy way to make sure you don't miss out. Join our newsletter so you get a weekly reminder of when the show is posted and what's coming next, with links all in one place.

Links to this episode:

George Hume and Wedderburn Castle:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedderburn_CastleDaniel Boone daughter:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_and_rescue_of_Jemima_BooneAn Uncommon Woman:  https://laurafrantz.net/books/an-uncommon-womanA Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34066798-a-gentleman-in-moscowRun Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/Run-Rose-Novel-James-Patterson/dp/075955434XLiz Curtis Higgs:  https://www.lizcurtishiggs.comKristen Heitzmann:  http://kristenheitzmannbooks.com

Where to find Laura Frantz:

Website: https://laurafrantz.netInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurafrantzauthor/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFrantzAuthor/Twitter: @LFrantzauthorPinterest: @laurafrantz

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.

Introducing romance author Laura Frantz

But now, here's Laura.

Laura Frantz - best selling inspirational fiction

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Laura, and welcome to the show. It's so good to have you with us.

Laura Frantz: I’m so delighted to be here. I'm a fan and I'm always enjoy talking books. Thank you.

Jenny Wheeler: You are a bestselling author and an award-winning one with thirteen historical novels to your credit. The most recent one, and the one we'll be focusing on for part of our time today, is A Heart Adrift. It’s set in 1755 when the prospect of war with France is looming over colonial Virginia. You have said that you are a real fan of the 18th century. What draws you to that time period?

Laura Frantz: Oh my, I could probably spend the whole show talking about that, but in a nutshell, the 18th century was a complete historical rollercoaster ride. There was so much going on in that century. You have, as you already mentioned, the French and Indian war, also two revolutions, both French and American, the flintlock musket and Indian warfare came to the forefront during that very tumultuous era. On a more personal note, the bedbug epidemic was out of control and personal hygiene was at a low. On every level of the 18th century, it’s kind of a hot, roiling, historical mess.

But there were good things that came out of that too. People began reading for pleasure. Books became more accessible. One of the things I have included in some of my novels is another invention by Ben Franklin – the Franklin stove. People began to warm up in a century that had been quite cold.

A love of the eighteenth century

You have a lot to draw from when you write in the 18th century, not only the United States but overseas. Your own history in your own country was quite tumultuous too if I understand it.

Jenny Wheeler: We hardly existed in the 18th century.