Book Detail |
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Historical Notes |
The Mask of Night begins in early January 1820, about two months after the end of Secrets of a Lady. Their marriage still fragile in the wake of recent revelations, Charles and Mélanie attend a Twelfth Night masquerade ball at the home of their friends Oliver and Isobel Lydgate. A masked man is found stabbed to death, floating in the garden fountain. No one seems to know who he is or what he was doing at the ball. But the Foreign Secretary and the Chief of Intelligence know more than they let on and pressure Charles to investigate. Meanwhile, an old friend has sought Mélanie out at the ball–Hortense Bonaparte, daughter of the Empress Josephine, stepdaughter of Napoleon. Hortense comes to Mélanie with a desperate plea which Mélanie doesn’t dare reveal to Charles. The search for the killer takes Charles and Mélanie from Mayfair to Seven Dials, from glittering ballrooms to viperous thieves’ dens, and uncovers a conspiracy that involves both members of the Bonaparte family and the British government, as well as the enigmatic Raoul O’Roarke.
EXCERPTS
More on ‘Fallen’ Heroines and a Teaser from ‘The Mask of Night’
Happily Ever After and another teaser from ‘The Mask of Night’
Anniversaries and more from ‘The Mask of Night’
‘The Mask of Night’ – a glimpse of Colin and Jessica
Holidays with the Frasers in 1819 and more from ‘The Mask of Night’
June 2, 2008 at 3:01 am
When will this book be out? I loved the first 2!
June 2, 2008 at 3:41 am
Thanks so much for posting, srb! It’s wonderful to know you loved the first two books! Unfortunately I don’t have a contract for “The Mask of Night” and subsequent books yet (though “Mask” is finished). It will have to do with how the trade editions of the first two do. So I should know something soon. I’ll post about it on the site as soon as I do.
June 3, 2008 at 12:56 am
I just finished rereading Beneath a Silent Moon and enjoyed even more than the first time, although I confess I still end up going back to the family trees to remember where each person supposedly belongs. Best of wishes in gaining a contract for Mask of Night!
June 3, 2008 at 1:02 am
Thanks so much, Donna! Great to know the book held up and even worked better on a second reading! Hope you enjoyed the new extras. Yes, it definitely is a book where family trees are a necessity
.
Thanks for the good wishes!
July 9, 2008 at 2:45 am
I just finished reading Beneath a Silent Moon and couldn’t put it down. I can’t believe I missed out on the first book – I won’t be able to get my hands on it fast enough. Your creativity, plot twists and attention to detail have inspired me…I can’t wait for the Mask of Night to be released.
July 10, 2008 at 6:52 am
Thanks so much, Ashley! I’m so glad you enjoyed “Beneath a Silent Moon”! Do let me know what you think when you read “Secrets of a Lady”–I always love hearing people’s reactions depending on the other they read the books in. It sounds as though you are a writer yourself? What kind of books do you write?
August 23, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Hello,
Any news on when the next book and subsequent books will be published? I loved the first two books!
Christian
August 23, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Thanks so much, Christian! I’m actually hopeful of having news soon on the next books but don’t know anything definite yet. As soon as I do, I’ll update the site. Meanwhile, there are now detail pages on the site for the next two books (and links to excerpts from “The Mask of Night”).
September 11, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Hi Tracy,
Loved your books. I read Beneath a Silent Moon first, didn’t know it was supposed to be the other way around. I really don’t think the order mattered. Please tell me you have more information on the next book. I really can’t wait to read more about Charles and Melanie.
September 11, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Thanks so much, Donna! “Beneath” was written second, but there’s no set order for reading the first two books. I tried to write them so you could start the series with either book, and each reinforced the other and added shadings without a lot of spoilers. I’m always curious when people start with “Beneath”–what was it like reading that book and then learning about Mélanie’s past in “Secrets”? Did it change your view of the events of “Beneath” at all in retrospect?
Still no definite news on the next books–will post as soon as I have some!
September 16, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Hi Tracy,
I think reading Beneath first gave me a better sense of the strength of both Charles and Melanie. Then when you move on to Secrets I think you see that strength which ultimately helps them overcome the new events. Afterall, their relationship isn’t about romance it goes so much deeper than that. I think that’s what draws women to Charles – you gave him such a respect for women. And you made Melanie so strong without making her Ramboish. Excellent job.
September 16, 2008 at 8:17 pm
That’s a good point, Donna. I do think the events of “Beneath” add texture to their relationship which explains both how painful Mélanie’s betrayal is and how they are able to past it. At least I hope that’s how it comes across
. Thanks for nice words about Charles and Mel!
September 19, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Hi Tracy
So glad to hear that The Mask is in progress…loved reading the excerpts. Hope you’ve got contracts for Book 3 & 4 …any idea when they’ll be out?
October 9, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Tracy,
Any news on when the new book will be out.
November 9, 2008 at 9:42 pm
[...] who has only been mentioned in the published books so far but who plays an important role in The Mask of Night along with his wife, Lady Isobel (David’s sister). Thinking back over my earlier books [...]
November 27, 2008 at 9:01 pm
What I love best of these books are how layered and interesting the characters are; the dialogue plays a huge role in this. For everything that is said by a character, the reader gets a sense of what is being held back and not said–there seems to be so much backstory that isn’t mentioned that makes you want to know more about the people in the books.
I think my favorite piece of dialogue is between Melanie and Raoul, when he says something like, “How dreadfully sentimental” when she figures out who the lock of hair on his watch fob belongs to. Just for that scene alone I’d love for the books to be adapted for a movie.
Not sure who would be best cast in the movie. I saw your choices; based on looks (don’t know about her acting ability) Elizabeth Hurley could be a good fit for Melanie, but I’m not seeing David Duchovney as Charles. I’d say Matthew McFadyen (except that he’s imprinted in my brain as Mr. Darcy from P&P so that might be a bit too weird).
November 28, 2008 at 8:31 am
Thanks so much for posting, Donna! Your lovely words about the books were the nicest present to come home to after Thanksgiving dinner with my family. It’s great to know you think the dialogue works so well. I love that exchange between Mel and Raoul–it’s one of my favorite scenes in the series. It alone makes me so want to write a book (or books) in which Raoul plays a more central role. I would love to see that scene filmed. I thnk Matthew McFadyen would make a great Charles (he less totally imprinted on my brain as Darcy because I first saw him in MI-5/Spooks). Who would you cast as Raoul?
November 30, 2008 at 3:59 am
Good question. I’m having a hard time thinking of somebody!
However, an even better possibility for Melanie has occurred to me–the actress who played opposite Daniel Craig in his first James Bond movie (Eva Green, I think?).
The problem with Elizabeth Hurley (as well as many A list actors or celebrities) is that they are constantly on magazine covers, etc. that when you watch them onscreen it’s hard to lose sight of the fact that it’s Nicole Kidman or Matt Damon or whoever that you are watching, rather than just seeing the character in the story.
November 30, 2008 at 8:04 am
When I saw “Casino Royale,” I thought Eva Green would make a great Mélanie. She has the right look and (at least in that part) the right manner, with a bit of an edge. It can sometimes be hard to forget one is watching a well-known actor. Though I saw Nicole Kidman on Broadway in a play called “Blue Room” in which she played several different character (five or six, I think, it’s a David Hare retelling of “La Ronde”) and she disappeared amazingly into each part. During the curtain call, she suddenly stood a little differently, and I thought “oh, now, she looks like Nicole Kidman,” and I realized she hadn’t looked or acted like Nicole Kidman for the course of the play. I actually picked Elizabeth Hurley as my image for Mel because when I was first writing “Secrets of a Lady”/”Daughter of the Game,” she was doing a lot of Estée Lauder ads so there were lots of different images of her in different roles, from ingenue to sophisticate, and Mélanie needed to have that ability to transform herself. Also, Elizabeth Hurley played a very Mélanie-esque character in one of the “Sharpe” episodes on television.
Do post more casting ideas if they occur to you!
December 1, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Hello Tracy,
First off, just wanted to say how much I adore the first two books. Picked them up on a whim last week, and once I started I didn’t stop reading for 3 days (other then pesky interruptions like work and a social life) until I finished both. I simply fell in love, especially the “real time’ pace and details that let you really sink in. Both times I was amazed at the end, realizing after all that plot only a few days had actually passed in the world of the story. I hope that will continue to be a staple in the series.
Plus, reading the first few posts on this thread, I realize how spolied I am as a series reader. Most of the authors I am loyal to already have a huge following, or have elements that make them very sellable very quickly. Such as being displayed in a section of the bookstore that caters to a specific audience like romance, or mystery . Usually when I am impatiently waiting for the next installment it’s because it’s not finished yet. Never before was it due to contracts, marketing, and waiting to see how re-releases do finanically. I can’t think of anything more funstrating (for your fans and for you) especially since your stories are wonderful, and deserve a loyal audience! Wow, sorry, got a little passionate with my rant there. Obviously I feel very strongly about your work
December 1, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Thanks so much, Angelique! Your comments were the nicest Monday morning present to wake up t0
. I love writing books with compressed time frames–”The Mask of Night” also takes place in a few days, and Book # 4 and subsequent books in the series will follow suit.
What other series do you read?
December 1, 2008 at 6:37 pm
The full list would go on forever… I often start series or trilogies when I’m in between books and feel honor bound to finish them out. But as for the ones I tend to advance order…
Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Amanda Quick. Some of her books are mini-series, many are not but take place in the same world and mention previous characters.
Jayne Ann Krentz writing as herself. Same description.
Nora Roberts. Ditto. Also lots of trilogies.
Julia Quinn. Ditto. Lovely sense of humor.
The Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mysteries by Carrie Bebris. Not usually a big fan of the flood of Jane Austen sequels etc, but it’s quite a bit of fun.
The Thursady Next series by Jasper Fforde. Quite Abstarct and full of references to classic british novels and the “rules of writing”. A series specifically for readers, or you won’t get the jokes, which are quite sharp.
I’m sure there’s more, but that’s off the top of my head. Oh, and books I think I’ll be waiting for till the day I die becuase they will NEVER come out..
The next promised novel by Audrey Niffenegger author of The time traveler’s wife. Simply my favorite book of the last 10 years. And the sequel to Hugh Laurie’s The Gunseller. Successful authors simply should not be allowed other full time jobs. JK
December 1, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I love the way Amannda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz, Nora Roberts, and Julia Quinn have a wide world of characters they return to. I haven’t read the Mr. and Mrs. Darcy books, The Thursday Next series, The Time Traveler’s Wife, or The Gunseller, though I’ve heard good things about all (and I’m particularly intrigued by the Thursday next books because of the literary references).
It is hard waiting for the next book by a favorite author, particularly when it’s part of a series. I read Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles when they were all written, and I could devour them over one summer. At the time I thought “it would have been really hard to read these as they were written and wait for the next book.” Then she wrote the Niccolo series, and I had to go just that. But speculating about the books with other readers along the way was very fun.
December 1, 2008 at 10:56 pm
First, can I just say what a fantastic experience I’m having right now. It’s surreal enough having the author of a book I couldn’t put down just yesterday writing me back, but responding so quickly is extreamly generous of you. I know you must be busy.
I would definitly recommend the Thursday Next series, which really goes all out by book 3. Also The Time Traveler’s wife, which reminds me of your books in tone now that I think of it. It’s not time compressed as a whole, it takes place over about 20 years, but each scene and moment is. In real time and highly detailed. Plus the romance/relashinship is a fantasy but also realistic with all it’s problems. Even the “not traditionally happy” yet not completely tragic ending either.
Next, I am going to check out the books you mentioned above. I also appreciate any recomendations, especially from someone whose taste I obviously like
It makes waiting easier, plus I may love it just as much as what I’m waiting for.
Third, you were right about disscussing with others helpful in-between. I had a friend from school who introduced me to many of my favorite authors, and our taste was very alike. We eventually parted ways for many reasons, but I still think of her often. Unfortunatly, I somehow ended up with very few readers in my life, or not with the same taste. No clue how that happened. I have a co-worker who reads some of the same books but not for the same reasons. I’m trying to convince her to hurry up and finish the 5 books she’s in the middle of and read yours. I want her take on them. I know online chats are avalible, and I may look into it, but I’m the computer a lot as it is so I hesitate.
Last, I have a question if that’s alright. Part of the fun of mysteries and relationships in books is second guessing what’s coming, and looking for clues. With that in mind, when I first read Beneath I was surprised how it went back in time. I wasn’t sure I could enjoy it knowing Mel was lying, and that it couldn’t conclude with them completely opening up to eachother. I was so pleased with how you managed it, since it was after she had quit, but they hadn’t told eachother how they really felt. Yet, I did notice something strange. They never say I love you. At the start they are in the “before”, she almost says it once but catches herself, and then at the end when you expect it to be part of the conclusion all they say is I need you. So is there a plan for another flasback, taking place between the second and first book, where during the intrigue they get to the next stage of their relashinship and first say the L word? Just wondering.
Okay, that’s it. I’ll give you some breathing room now. I really do appreciate it.
December 2, 2008 at 6:51 am
Believe me, Angelique, it is a total thrill for an author to be able to discuss her books with readers! Thanks for the further recommendations of the Thursday Next books and The Time Traveler’s Wife–I definitely need to seek them out.
Based on the books you like, I think you might like Dorothy Dunnett. I also recommend “Freedom & Necessity” by Steven Brust & Emma Bull. It’s set in the mid-19th century, with adventure, romance, intrigue, mystery, and a bit of paranormal. It has a fabulous hero and heroine and a wonderful plot. One of my favorite books ever. I did a “summer reading” blog a few months ago in which I mentioned it and other favorites, including Dorothy Sayers’ and Laurie King’s mysteries.
Thanks for your question about Beneath. I’m so glad going back in time ended up working for you. I posted a video clip about why I wrote it as a prequel a while ago. I felt I needed to go back in order to set up things for later in the series. I wanted to show Kenneth and his relationship with Charles, and I wanted the reader to see Charles’s family and Charles’s world through Mel’s eyes as she’s first meeting them. I didn’t consciously make a decision that they wouldn’t say “I love you” in the book. But they’re at a stage in their relationship where they can’t quite define it, even to themselves, so using “love” when they think or speak to each other didn’t seem right. And in the last scene it almost seemed too “easy.” What’s between them is almost too complicated to be summed up by “love,” though they definitely do love each other. One of the things I think is interesting about their relationship is that they skipped over the young, ardent, head-over-heels phase. The “Romeo & Juliet” phase they talk about in the book. They can quote Romeo & Juliet to each other, but they have a harder time verbalizing their feelings for themselves. I think they’ll always have a difficult time putting their feelings into words, but they definitely have said “I love you” to each other (before Secrets of a Lady). Atually, in “The Mask of Night,” Mélanie thinks that the first time Charles told her he loved her she thinks he only said it because he thought one or both of them was about to be killed and for days she wasn’t sure if she’d heard him correctly over the sound of the gunfire. Though my plan is to go forward in time in the series, I would like to explore the earlier years of their marriage more, either in complete books or in flashbacks in books set in “forward time.” So maybe I will dramatize their first “I love yous”–thanks for the good idea
.
Thanks again for posting and do ask more questions!
January 5, 2009 at 1:47 am
Hi Tracy,
I accidently discovered Secrets of a Lady – what a fortuitous find! Major kudos for creating the most complex and compelling couple in Charles and Melanie! I could not believe they would weather the trials they encountered – but through their unflinching and painful journey, they found a way to forgive. It was an amazing process to watch unfold – and it was so unexpected that you didn’t give Melanie an easy excuse for her past. I’m reading Beneath a Silent Moon now and it’s so intriguing going back in time, only to discover that their marriage is equally complex without all those difficult revelations.
Anyway – all gushing aside – what can I/we do to encourage your publisher to *get on with it* and publish The Mask of Night?? Or – you can self-publish and we’ll all use PayPal to get the next installment in the Charles and Melanie saga!! (I’m willing to proofread for you…)
Best wishes and happy writing!
January 5, 2009 at 2:10 am
Thanks so much, Taryn! Knowing people are discovering Charles & Mélanie is the loveliest New Year gift! I’m so glad you’re enjoying going back in time and learning more about them in Beneath (and you know it was very fun to write them before the revelations and explore that dynamic of their marriage).
Publishers definitely listen to reader feedback. So posting about my books (or any other author’s books you’d like to see more of) on internet discussion sites is definitely helpful, as is writing/emailing the publisher.
I have considered self-publishing if there’s no other way to go on with the series, but I’m still hoping to find a publishing home for the books. Thanks so much for the proofreading offer!
January 7, 2009 at 4:29 am
Ok, I’ve written a glowing review on Amazon. What’s next? Who at your current publisher should I write to, and have you considered other publishers besides AVON? (because right now I’m not that impressed with their foresight – they published two amazing books but gave up now that you have people hooked? I’m thinking the folks that publish Elizabeth George would be a good company to target, they obviously can market really smart writing…Maybe it’s the back-of-the-book blurbs (I only bought the first through Amazon because of the glowing recommendations, and I wasn’t sorry).
Really, what more can I/we do?
January 7, 2009 at 7:34 am
Thanks so much, Taryn! I can’t tell you how much reader support means to authors. My agent has approached other publishers. There’s been some interest. I’m not as hopeful now as I have been at times in the past, but I haven’t given up. Publishers are even more cautious than usual in the current environment.
Publisher websites should have contact info for feedback. Word of mouth is key to the success of any book. So posting reviews of books you like is great thing to do, as is talking about the books on messages boards, blogs, websites, my space, facebook pages etc… (editors do browse the internet).
Now I have a question for you (which may come in handy if I sell more books
. What elements in the books would you emphasize in the back-of-the-book blurbs?
Btw, I love Elizabeth George’s books too!
January 8, 2009 at 4:54 am
Ok – Facebook and Twitter I can do – will look at publisher sites to beg them for mercy – I need to know what happens next, and the teasers you’ve posted just make this need more intense!
I’d like to think about the back-of-the-book question a bit more but my first thought (for Secrets of a Lady) is yes, you convey time (Regency) and place (seamy London), and secrets, which are always tempting. For Beneath a Silent Moon, it’s closer to making me want to buy, but…seems to focus on Charles and less about Melanie, who is one of the most interesting heroines since Scarlett O’Hara or even about them together and how complex they are. And also the theme of forgiveness – but not heavy-handed, maybe in the form of a question – could you find a way to forgive the love of your life after you’ve learned they have betrayed you? This seems like it might be a direction to consider…don’t know, maybe have a small focus group from visitors to your blog!
This might be also a bit of a positioning problem – is it a murder mystery, a spy novel, a romance? Not that it can’t be and isn’t all of that, but although I’m not in publishing, just a passionate end-reader, often I think the marketing is an afterthought and they don’t always trust their audience, so they want to “dumb it down” to make it “one thought.” Your work is so textured that it isn’t easy to distill – for me this is what has me staying up way too late trying to find out what happens!
What makes me buy – spies, tortured war veterans (male and female) as i am intrigued by the parallels to the 21st century version. Relationship is a big part of what makes me buy (cover art attracts (although I hate those men with no shirts, *where* did those shirts go, anyway??)). I picked Secrets up through romance so I was expecting relationship stuff – wow, those revelation scenes early on *blew my mind* – and that kind of inter-personal drama really delivered! Even if it was not a typical romance book, it delivered the best of romance – a strong set of characters with real problems that they need to solve together. Unusual that these are married, that also added to the “I’m intrigued – I think I’ll buy” moment. So often in the romance category, we’re stuck with simpering virgins (yawn). Adding the sense of urgency about Colin would have brought it into “novel” territory and out of romance (again, not sure that is a bad thing…) but I think I’d like to mull a little more before my final answer.
And a question: Do you want to be positioned in the murder and mayhem section or the sex/romance section? Or is this dark fiction? I’m not sure and maybe that is a problem. Not a big problem as the work is so amazing, it is just a little more work polish it a bit to let more people know about it.
Why I mentioned Elizabeth George is she writes relationship-based murder mysteries with luscious language like you do, so make an effort to take tea with her publisher the next time you run in to her/him.
Hey, maybe I will make this a challenge – through LinkedIn.com, to make an introduction of you to Elizabeth George’s editor/publisher! 
They say we’re only 6 degrees of separation from anyone…hey, it could happen!
so, more later, after I can make my thoughts a bit more coherent. But thanks for including me in the conversation!
January 8, 2009 at 7:45 am
Thanks so much for the thoughtful comments, Taryn! I think the fact that the Charles & Mélanie books cross genres has made it hard for publishers to figure out how to market them. I don’t think it’s so much that readers don’t like books that cross genres as that marketing strategies are book store shelving tend to be based on slotting books into genres. The books have been described in myriad ways by readers and reviewers–historical fiction, historical mysteries, romantic suspense, psychological thrillers, literary mysteries, historical thrillers, to name but a few. I tend to call them “historical suspense fiction” when asked how to describe them.
Elizabeth George is a big influence on me as a writer. I went to a fabulous workshop on characterization that she gave at a mystery writing conference just before I started “Beneath.” I started using her system of character profiles for “Beneath.” I’d sort of describe “Beneath” as “Elizabeth George meets Jane Austen” if I had to do a movie-pitch style tag.
Do post further thoughts–it’s extremely helpful. Not to mention fun for me to talk about the books and characters
.
January 11, 2009 at 9:22 pm
[...] a Lady, Steven Brust, The Mask of Night, Tracy Grant Taryn had some wonderful comments on Mask of Night page recently–wonderful both in the sense of making me as an author, very happy, but also [...]
January 20, 2009 at 7:26 am
I recently sold a bunch of books through Amazon, and recommended Secrets of a Lady to everybody! Guerilla marketing is on the move!! And while I do agree that having a familiar place in the bookstore to find my favorites is a good thing, if I am going to the store for something particular and it isn’t in a “genre” I will either look in other relevant areas, or ask for it. I am often shocked at how frequently marketers don’t trust their audience, so you will have to help show them that you already HAVE an audience!
(By the way I just read one of your previous books A Touch of Scandal – George is one of the most devious and malicious scoundrels I’ve come across in a long time. Kudos to making him so memorable – what a corrupt monster!)
January 20, 2009 at 7:51 am
Thanks so much, Taryn! Word-of-mouth is the one of the best types of marketing, but I don’t think anyone (publishers, authors, book stores) quite knows how to make it happen. It’s something that takes off with particular books that strike a chord with readers. I’ll look round a store as well, but I sometimes think I miss books because they aren’t in the areas of the store I check frequently.
So glad you enjoyed “A Touch of Scandal.” George was a very fun villain to write–glad you found him memorable. And I remain very fond of Gideon and Fiona all these years later. That book was sort of a breakthrough for my mom and me, as it was much darker than our prior Regencies.
January 20, 2009 at 7:52 am
p.s.
Hope you saw my blog post from last week inspired by your comments!
January 26, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Ok so I’ve been reading these messages since forever it seems to see when The Mask of Night will come out and it still hasn’t come out! That makes me so sad! I loved your first two books and i have been anxiously awaiting your next. So… haha I took some of your suggestions to I think Taryn(?) and emailed the publishers with all 3 of my email accounts! I hope it helps if not I’ll email them everyday until they publish!
January 26, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Thanks so much for your comment, Dana, and for your good wishes–and for contacting the publishers. I can’t tell you how heartening reader support is! It is taking longer than I had hoped, but I haven’t given up.
February 14, 2009 at 2:02 am
All I have to say is I absolutely love these books. I hope you get a contract soon because I can’t wait to find out what happens next. I’ve read both Secrets of a Lady and Beneath a Silent Moon multiple times and love them more each time I read them.
February 14, 2009 at 8:40 am
That’s so much, Ellen! Your comments were a lovely Valentine’s Day present! It’s particularly nice to know my books hold up on rereads. I hope I have a new book out for you soon. It’s a difficult publishing climate right now, but I have definitely not given up.
February 14, 2009 at 11:53 pm
[...] Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. A while ago, in the Mask of Night thread, Angelique asked if I ever planned to have a flashback in which we saw Charles and Mel first [...]
February 19, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Just finished Secrets of a Lady last night, burning the midnight oil of course!
I just want to let you know how fabulous I think this series is and I can’t wait for the next one-Its hard to believe such a great books don’t have a permanent home.
Wish you the best of luck! I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
February 20, 2009 at 6:05 am
Thanks so much, Courtney! It’s so heartening to know that new readers are discovering Charles and Mel! And hearing someone burned the midnight oil finishing one of one’s books is one of the best compliments an author can receive!
March 14, 2009 at 8:34 pm
[...] characters in a never-published book I wrote with my mom if they ended up getting married. The Mask of Night began with my wondering what would happen to Charles and Mélanie after the events of Secrets of a [...]
April 6, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Hello,
I just happened to see Secrets of a Lady on my local bookstore’s shelves and thought it looked interesting. I read the back and thought I’d like to read it so I added it to my ‘list’. Later I came across Beneath a Silent Moon and thought I’d like that one too and added it to my list. I got a gift card to my local bookstore for my birthday and bought these books (and a slew of other books – I’m an avid reader!).
I kid you not when I say this – I only now realized that the two books were about the same people!! I have just finished (as in about an hour ago) Secrets of a Lady. It was one of the most magnificent books I have read. I do not know how else to say this: I LOVED THIS BOOK!!
I just posted this on my facebook profile: “The problem with really good books is that you read them too fast and then once they are done you wish you still had more to read.”
Then I headed over to google to search you. I had realized that the two books were by the same author (I have yet to read Beneath A Silent Moon), but I had no idea that they were both about Charles and Melanie!! – I feel ridiculous. But I am so happy that I can continue on reading about them. –
Your writing and the story are just so alive and I feel the anguish, the pain, the love. It’s quite simply amazing. I laughed, cried, and felt heartbreak and shock all through the book. I was reading it so fast and couldn’t put it down. I have so much school work to finish (I’m in my 3rd year of college), but I just couldn’t put your book down! I really have no idea how to express in words what this book was like for me. You did a marvelous job.
I loved the plot twists and turns throughout the whole book. I gasped out loud in several places (Melanie’s true identity, Charles’ father – that one got me big time!)
As soon as I get my assigned paper done (I can’t put it off any longer!!) I will definitely be diving into Beneath A Silent Moon. – I can’t wait.
Also, I would love to help in any way possible to get the next Charles and Melanie book published – please let me know if I can do anything!
Also, please excuse my horrible grammar and writing — I’m no where as eloquent as you are!
April 6, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Oh, Crystal, it was so wonderful to read your post! I’m thrilled you enjoyed “Secrets” and that you want to reach more about Charles & Mel. Do let me know how you enjoy “Beneath a Silent Moon.” And I hope I can get more books in the series published soon! Telling your friends about them and posting on Facebook and elsewhere is a great help. Word of mouth is wonderful for books.
April 9, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Some replies to this thread I meant to make a long time ago.
First off, when trying to think of ways to advertise your wonderful series my mind went in a different direction then everyone else. Instead of reader reviews I thought about other authors. I’ve gotten a number of suggestions from the websites of writers I enjoy and some of them have a posting board on their site (or did once upon a time). I checked around to see if I could recommend on any of them and ended up laughing because Julia Quinn has “Secrets of a lady” prominently displayed.
That discovery made me think of my favorite bookstore advertising gimmick, the choosing of the pen name. When Julia Quinn first began writing she said her name was chosen specifically so she would be shelved next to Amanda Quick. I must say it worked because that’s how I found her. Plus if you look at the “A” shelf there are dozens of Austen prequels and sequels with names chosen to be shelved next to Austen herself. Which brings me to my first question; I know you’ve published under different names. How and why did you choose them?
Next, speaking of author recommendations, I wanted to tell you I read “Freedom and necessity” and was completely blown away. You were right on the mark. Art first I wasn’t sure how much I would like it but was intrigued. By the time I was half done I was stunned and addicted. It was such a surprise and one of the only worthwhile things I’ve read since yours so thank you soooo much. Also I wanted to ask how much it influenced you. Something about the tome made me wonder.
How to explain what I mean by tone? Well, when this thread was referring to how hard it is to categorize your books I thought it was matter of percentages. Like a recipe. That’s what made your series so different. A lot of books I love have the same elements but not equal. It’s a romance first, a mystery second (as an activity to bring them together and drive the plot forward) and historical third (to give it setting, costume, and social context). Yours, on the other hand, seems to be those same ideas more equally balanced. Although I have not yet your earlier works I imagine them to be more “romance novel”. If so, I wondered why you veered from that path. What inspired you to do so? What books influenced your new direction? Or am I mistaken?
Also, did your previous work (like so many romance novels) include love scenes? If so how did you feel about eliminating them? I have never minded them, yet they are so totally unnecessary in your series. Perhaps because they haven’t just met and it’s enough to know they have always had a fulfilling love life in bed. That, as you say< has never been their problem. I think those scenes are only important when it’s the beginning of the relationship (one entered into for more romantic reasons) and you (as well as the characters) are wondering how that will go.
Last (thank goodness I’m sure) I never trust first pages when flipping in the bookstore. I assume they know people are looking and are trying to catch your attention right away with a first sentence. I flip to a random part in the middle, it will tell you more. Also covers. I DID pick up your books on a whim because I was looking around and was caught by the cover of “Beneath”. I thought the title and lovely painting suggested something intriguing. Then came back cover and inside look. I only took secrets because it was clearly the first in the series.
There. Done. Whew!
April 9, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Thanks so much for the thoughtful comments, Angelique!
Julia Quinn is incredibly nice besides being a very talented writer–it was so great of her to post a recommendation of “Daughter” and then “Secrets”!
Regarding pseudonyms–when my mom and I wrote together, we thought it would be better to have one name. “Anthea” and “Malcolm” were the hero and heroine of an unpublished historical fantasy series I wrote in my teens, so we wrote as “Anthea Malcolm.” When we moved from Regency romances to Regency-set historical romances, our publisher wanted us to have a new pseudonym, so we chose “Anna Grant.” “Grant” because it’s our last name, “Anna” because it was my grandmother’s (mom’s mom’s) name, and because it provided a link to “Anthea.” After my mom died, when I started writing on my own, I started writing under my own name, which is Tracy Grant.
I’m so glad you read and enjoyed “Freedom & Necessity”–it’s a fabulous book! I think it influenced me quite a bit, but I think the tone of my writing was already fairly set by the time I read it (I was finishing “Rightfully His,” the last of my historical romances, at the time). Even when I wrote romances, I always tended to put a fair amount of emphasis on the plot (invariably some type of suspense) and pull focus from the love story, to the despair of my editors. I think “Freedom & Necessity” may have helped convince me of the possibility of writing a book that balance all the elements, though. Also, Brust & Bull have, I think, talked about being influenced by Dorothy Dunnett, as I certainly am, so we share some common influences.
Yes, a number of my previous books included love scenes–all the historical romances, and several of the Regencies. With “Secrets of a Lady,” it was obvious that two people desperately searching for their child, and with so much poisoned between them, wouldn’t be stopping to make love. So I knew from the beginning that the closest it would get to a love scene was the interrupted one at the beginning. When I was writing “Beneath a Silent Moon” and got to the first scene where they start to make love, I automatically faded to black, without even thinking about it. It just didn’t seem appropriate to go into detail. Perhaps because, as you say, Charles and Mel already have an established physical relationship. Perhaps because I like the bit of mystery that leaves about them. I’m not saying I’d never have a love scene in the series, but it would have to be a scene where showing what went on in detail was integral to the plot and moving the characters forward.
Now one question for you–when you opened “Beneath” to a page in the middle of the book, do you remember what page it was? (Not the exact page number, but the scene?).
April 9, 2009 at 11:54 pm
No, I’m sorry! I’ve read and re-read it so many times by now it’s difficult to remember. But to try and answer I just took out my copy and flipped as I would in a bookstore to try and jog my memory. I know I tried for the very middle and that I scanned a few pages until I hit a spot almost entirely dialogue. I think it’s the theater in me; I skip the stage directions and look for the lines. It was definitely a scene between Mel and Charles only. Discussing clues or facts of the case. I remember liking that because my fear with anything overly action or historical is more facts and figures that character work. So to see them (and by that I mean you) taking the time to sit and discuss what just happened or will happen relieved me. Hope that helps!
April 10, 2009 at 4:26 am
Thanks, Angelique! It’ll be cool if you ever remember which scene it was, but just knowing it’s dialogue is interesting (it’s Beneath, not Secrets, right?). I have a theater background too, and my earlier writing tended to be mostly dialogue. I had to work at doing description and inner monologue, both of which I now like to write.
April 28, 2009 at 4:09 pm
I have been very eager to start reading Secrets, as it sounds so exciting! However, after starting the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon before it was complete…I have promised myself never to start a really good series before I had all the books in the entire series. I may have to make an exception (unless you’d like to send an unpublished copy of the rest of the books anyway). Anyhow…I’m very much looking forward to reading your books. Any update about when book 3 will be published?
May 6, 2009 at 3:25 am
No update unfortunately, Diana. I haven’t give up, but things don’t look as promising as they did last fall, unfortunately. I also don’t see “Mask of Night” as the end of the series (I’ve started work on the fourth book, and I have notes for books beyond that). Meanwhile, any new readers definitely help me make the case that there’s a market for these books.
Thanks for the support!
May 30, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Hello,
I first learned about your books from the History Hoydens site and they sounded interesting because I am a sucker for anything set during the Regency period. I was particularly struck because most books ignore the pre-Waterloo battles in Spain and Portugal (except for the Sharpe series, I guess!).After going on the Amazon and Barnes & Noble sites to peruse the texts (as much as they allow!), I was hooked and had to run right over to my local B&N to buy both of them this week. I read both of them concurrently this week and could not put them down, to the dismay of my family and the detriment of my sleep, chores, laundry, dinner, etc. – I LOVED these 2 books. Your plots are fascinating and the characters are complex and a bit flawed, which also makes them more unexpected and interesting. I love the correspondence, which also helps flesh out the story. I, too, am eager to see the rest of the series in print and will tell my friends and contact the publishers as well. You have done a masterful job and have given us tremendous pleasure. Thank you!
May 31, 2009 at 2:08 am
Thank you so much, Peggy! Your post was a lovely surprise to come home to from Saturday errands
. It’s wonderful to know you found my books through the History Hoydens site. It’s such a fun blog to be part of and such a wonderful group of writers to work with. I’m so glad too to hear you enjoy the Fraser Correspondence. I work hard on the letters (and have a lot of fun writing them) so it’s great to know readers are reading and appreciating them.
Now I have a question for you–you said you read the books concurrently. Did you literally go back and forth between the two? Which did you start first and which did you finish first? How did that work in terms of the order of revelations? I’m always fascinated by how readers react to the characters in terms of the order in which they read the books.
Thanks again for your wonderful support!
May 31, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Thank you, Tracy, for your reply.
I confess, I did, in fact, read the books totally out of order and go back and forth between them. I am the worst kind of reader from the standpoint of an author, because I often read ahead, or worse, read the ending first. If I decide I don’t like a book at that point, I will not hesitate to stop reading. Of course, the reverse is also true; if I am enjoying the book, I keep going. Obviously, with your books, I kept going!
In the case of your two books, since I had already read parts of both and most of the correspondence on-line, I had already read ahead even before I started to read them properly. Initially I thought I would read “Beneath a Silent Moon” first, as it was set earlier, and even started to do so. But then, I decided to switch to “Secrets” because I wanted to understand the characters better. Being me, I read ahead even then and would go back and forth to “Beneath a Silent Moon” or the correspondence of both to consult on other parts (especially the parts relating to Lady Frances or Raoul). However, I think that means that I ultimately read both books more carefully.
From the standpoint of an author, that means I know some of the revelations early when I read, but until one has read the whole book, the total implications of a revelation will not be fully appreciated. For that reason I often immediately reread a book again, this time in proper order, and fully savor the characters and the plot twists. Even then, I will go back and reread certain segments, particularly dialogue between main characters, to look for shifts in the relationship. In the case of your books, I have also gone back over the Fraser correspondence several times, including the correspondence on-line.
As an author, this must make you crazy, but I think it is a tribute to your skill that your characters/stories are so vivid that they stand up to this kind of disorderly reading and scrutiny! Your plots are so complex and your characters have so much to digest about each other and themselves, that the books really call out to be reread several times to be fully absorbed. As a reader, I really like Charles and Melanie and am rooting for them to find their way forward. I hope we readers will get a chance to see if trust and love can replace betrayal and duplicity (Books 3 and 4!!!).
June 1, 2009 at 6:05 am
Actually, readers reading my stories out of order doesn’t frustrate me at all, Peggy. In fact it fascinates me. I also end read (I confess I looked at the end of “Checkmate” before I even started the Lymond Chronicles). And I frequently skim ahead in books and then go back. I also often read series out of order. I started Laurie King’s Mary Russell books with “The Moor,” which is the fourth book in the series. I rather enjoy reading that way, perhaps for the same reason that as a writer I enjoy jumping about in time, with flashbacks and prequels as well as sequels. I loved the chance that the letters in the trade editions of both books gave me to flesh out the stories. And I love writing the Fraser Correspondence online. It’s a great way to explore Charles and Mel’s world and to look at events from the perspective of different characters.
You’re the first reader I’ve talked to who read the Fraser Correspondence online before the actual books. That’s very cool, and I think would lead to a whole different (or at least enriched) reading of the books. Particularly the letters between Lady Frances and Raoul, which include information that isn’t in any of the books so far (such as the fact that the two of them are in communication at all). Btw, there’s also a revelation in the letters about the parentage of Lady Frances’s youngest child, Chloe, which no one has commented on so far
.
So having read the Fraser Correspondence online first, when you “met” Charles and Mélanie and the other characters in the books did they match up with your impressions of them from the letters?
June 4, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Hmmm, Tracy, of course I had to reread all the Fraser correspondence to figure out why I did not focus on the reference to Chloe’s parentage earlier! Since I read the correspondence first, I think that I was totally focused on the bits relating to Charles and Melanie, that I did not absorb info relating to other characters.
When I finally read the books, I definitely felt that the characters of Charles and Melanie were consistent with the correspondence. However, I was bemused that Charles, who is supposed to be so emotionally restrained, is the partner most able to express his love. This seems to be especially true in the correspondence, even after he learns to “truth” about Melanie’s past. I found myself wondering about Melanie’s reticence; does she have a harder time saying I love you because she feels unworthy of being loved, in addition to guilt over her duplicity? The fact that they do express their love in the letters gives one hope for a “happy ending”, eventually. (Sigh.)
June 4, 2009 at 10:56 pm
It’s so fun getting your reaction to the Fraser Correspondence, Peggy! The reference to Chloe’s parentage is very small and throw away–I’m not surprised so one’s commented on it. But it’s fun for me to work things like that in.
I feel like *I* need to look over the letters again to compare how emotionally reticent Charles and Mel are
. I do think Charles has a very nurturing side (as Lady Frances points out in Secrets of a Lady). And, particularly after the revelations in Secrets, he’s at great pains to show Mel that he loves her and isn’t holding the past against her. I think Mel has a hard time expressing her feelings early in their marriage because of the duplicity and because she hasn’t yet even admitted her feelings to herself. Later, I think she may be afraid that by expressing her own feeling she’s putting some sort of emotional demand on Charles, asking for something he may not be able to give and something she isn’t sure she has a right to. (She thinks, in Beneath, of just how much of a declaration she wants form him, and she also recognizes the “selfish, desperate depths” of her longing for it).
June 6, 2009 at 5:42 am
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June 13, 2009 at 6:40 pm
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November 12, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Any more news on publication dates for the next novels in this series? I picked both up in London where I was living at the time they were first published, and feel as if I’ve been dangling in mid-air since then! (At least you know what happens to your characters…) I heard that Crown is looking around for more HF to publish… I tend to be a fan of HF and historical mysteries; less so of romance (too many ripping bodices and heaving bosoms become a bit too predictable for me after a while). I did love the setting of your novel — very Pimpernelesque, without ever borrowing too overtly. Pushing it into post-Revolutionary/post Congress of Vienna territory is also interesting. It’s as if the years 1815-1837 never happened, based on how much HF is written. I suppose it must have been like living through the 1950s in England, after all the intensity of the war, having to confront dreariness and rationing and bombsites.
November 13, 2009 at 3:15 am
Thanks so much for asking about future books, Suzanne! I’m actually hoping I’ll have something definite I can post fairly soon. Keep an eye out for updates.
So glad you see Pimpernel overtones in the books! That’s a huge compliment, and TSP is definitely a major inspiration for the series. I love the Regency/Napoleonic era, but I find the post-Napoleonic era particular interesting because there are so many wonderful tensions between reaction and reform (the powers that be in so many countries trying to turn the clock back while the demand for reform bubbles under the surface). I’d even love to do a book some day about Colin at the University of Paris in 1832.
November 16, 2009 at 12:37 am
Sigh, I keep hoping and checking that you have good news from your publisher. It is always enjoyable to come to the site and read your notes and the Fraser correspondance It is like keeping up with friends while they are gone on a trip. You don’t hear about everything but you have tantalizing glimpses of what they are up to. That said, I join everyone else in hoping you have good news soon!
Donna
November 16, 2009 at 1:10 am
Thanks so much, Donna! I have a lot of fun writing the Fraser Correspondence, so I love hearing that readers enjoy it.
I should have an update of sorts to post by the end of the year, so do keep checking!