Chapter One Newport, Rhode Island August 1898 A pair of footmen in livery lifted the wheelchair, one on either side, while two others opened the rear doors of the Bailey’s Beach clubhouse. The foursome exchanged not so much as the slightest glance, yet operated in perfect precision like the automated works at a factory that turned wool into yarn and yarn into fabric. I, on the other hand, held my breath and questioned not for the first time the wisdom of this outing Aunt Alic

With the rerelease of Murder at Ochre Court in trade paperback (previously only in hardcover and ebook), I thought I'd share this link with anyone interested in the house itself. Since Ochre Court is the administrative building for Salve Regina University, it isn't open to tours, although visitors are welcome to walk around the grounds and see the house from the outside, which is spectacular. In fact, if you walk to the very end of the lower terrace, you'll see how the railin

Thanks to a reader, I learned about, and then read a biography about, a relatively unknown Newport artist named Beatrice Turner. Miss Turner was reputed to have been a complete recluse during most of her life. She never married, never moved out of her parents' homes, and when her father died, she painted their Newport house, Cliffside, completely black. Adding to the oddity of Beatrice Turner, she wore Victorian clothes until her death in 1948. In the book I read about her, B

“Take my advice, Miss Cross, and marry a rich man. Then you may do whatever you like.” The train from New York City to North Kingstown, Rho

In the time period of my Gilded Newport Mysteries, wealthy women--those who belonged to the elite social group called The 400--were living in the proverbial Gilded Cage. Their lives were defined mostly by social events, exquisite clothing, the size of their mansions, and seeing that their children married well. This led to some fierce competition among them. They were constantly vying to be the best, the most famous, the most fashionable, etc. Shallow as it all sounds, this c

As I'm sure most of you know - because I certainly make no secret of the fact -this week saw the release of Murder at Chateau sur Mer. At the same time I very nearly finished the next book in the Newport series, Murder at Ochre Court. I think I'll write the final words tomorrow - but those words are so important I didn't want to rush them last Friday. The very moment I'm done, I need to turn my attention back to the other series, A Lady and Lady's Maid Mysteries, and continu

Did you know Rhode Island was the first colony to renounce their alligience to King George and declare independence from England? It's hardly surprising when you consider the colony was founded by religious dissenters with radical notions of tolerance and a keen sense of independence. That's why Newport is home to so many diverse houses of faith, including the Great Friends Meeting House, built in 1699, and Turo Synogogue, built in 1763. But the Revolution was particularly ha

Newport, Rhode Island July 1897 Bits of grass and earth pelted the air as a thunderous pounding rolled down the polo field. Long-handled mallets swung after a ball no larger than a man’s open palm. Each time a mallet connected with the ball, ponies and riders raced in a fresh, ground-shaking burst of speed. With my pencil and tablet in my hands, I stood just beyond the sidelines, out of danger of being hit with the ball yet with a view worthy of the highest-paying spectators.

Ever since I started writing my Gilded Newport series, fun things have begun happening when my husband and I visit the city. Magical things. Things that don't typically happen to ordinary tourists. Specifically, places normally closed to the public have been graciously opened to us, providing me with invaluable research material for my stories. Once such opportunity has made it much easier for me to write my current work in progress, MURDER AT OCHRE COURT. Ochre Court was own

Last week, I sailed away from my normal, solitary writing schedule across the wide, beautiful Gulf of Mexico with the Florida Romance Writers. Readers nowadays know me as a mystery author, but that wasn't always true. I began my career writing historical romance, and much of what I learned about the craft and business of writing I owe to that generous, supportive group. One of the special events they host every two years is their Cruise with Your Muse Conference, and this yea

Newport, RI September 1896 “You will come down from there this instant. Now, sir.” I clapped my hands for emphasis, but to no avail. The individual whose disorderly bulk presently concealed the newest tear in the leather seat of my buggy merely tilted his head at me with an infuriating mixture of defiance and incomprehension. That look begged the question: How could I possibly object to his accompanying me? Yes, well. Such had been my morning thus far. The same individual had

Newport, RI, June 29, 1896 I sat up in bed, my heart thumping in my throat, my ears pricked. I’d woken to high-pitched keening, an eerie, unearthly sound that gathered force in the very pit of my stomach. There had been no warning in last night’s starry skies and temperate breezes, but sometime in the ensuing hours a storm must have closed in around tiny Aquidneck Island. I knew I should hurry about the house and secure the storm shutters, yet as I continued to listen, I hear

CHAPTER ONE Newport, RI, August 1895 She awoke that morning to an angry sea battering the edges of the promontory, and gusting winds that kicked up a spray to rattle against her bedroom windows. She might simply have rolled over, closed her eyes again and sunk pleasantly back into sleep, if not for the— Here the nib of my pen ran dry and scratched across the paper, threatening to leave a tear. If not for the what? I knew what I wanted to say; this was to be a novel of mystery

I know that whether it's mystery or romance, contemporary stories sell better than historicals. I know that, but I choose to write historicals anyway. Am I a glutton for punishment? Afraid of success? Just plain stubborn? The answer to that last one is probably a resounding "yes!" but the real reason I write historicals is because I can't NOT write them. Seriously. Now, I'm a modern woman with modern beliefs and values - I think women should follow their dreams and be given t

My daughter left yesterday to return to school in NJ, where she's studying to get her PhD. It made me sad to see her leave, but before she went we had a discussion about a book. My book! She had just read one of my ARCs of Murder at The Breakers, and to my great surprise and delight, she didn't guess who the murderer was until the evil villain was unveiled. Now, this is a child (ok, she's 25), who often within the first 15 mintues of a movie will tell you exactly what's going