Viva Cubanas!
My last solo event for LOCKED ROOMS was Tuesday, followed by forty-eight hours of rushing about getting a daughter onto a plane, and then a rare eight-hour night’s sleep. And now I face a stretch of seven weeks of all Martinelli, all the time.
We ought to have a name for the book any time now, the emails fly fast and furious between the coasts as I propose and my editor disposes, then we reverse the process for a while, just so we both share the varieties of irritation. Honestly, my children were easier. Hell, buying a house was easier. Don’t be too surprised if you see a book with a slash in the title, her name for the thing on one side and mine on the other.
I had a very nice packet from a reader in Cuba, who sent me a set of postcards from the Hemingway house museum through a friend in Spain. For those of you who don’t know, US travel to and from Cuba is severely restricted, limited to educational groups and service organizations, with enormous penalties should some college student decide to catch a flight out of Cancun just to take a look (happened to a friend’s son–do not try this.) The ban seems ever more ridiculous, petty even, given the current state of international politics, but heaven forbid that I should be able to answer a reader there directly. (Post to Cuba isn’t exactly banned, it just tends to get lost along the way.) In any case, Dear Reader, your English is just fine, mucho mehor que mi espanol, en que yo me necessita un dicconario para hablar como una nina de tres anos. (Sorry I can’t add a tilde to that last word, I think you know what I mean.)
And for those of you who have asked specific questions here over the past month, well, maybe you should ask again. Touring is a black hole, and anything that happens during that time tends to remain there.
Glad to be back, and thanks to all of you who showed up at events, and those of you who bought copies of the book. I’ve just picked up the mail from my PO Box, so if you’ve requested a bookplate, they’ll be on their way soon.
What kind of penalties? (I’m just sort of curious. Most Americans I know just shrug and go via Canada.)
Should you wish to send your reader something which won’t get lost along the way, I would be happy to send it along from Canada.
My couple of questions were pretty simple (and please don’t think they require answering if it will take away from Martinelli!!!). First, where and when did Russel learn to ride so well? I wondered this while re-reading The Game, and continue to do so now that I’ve learned more about her childhood from Locked Rooms.
Second, does Locked Rooms contain a hint of the connection between Russel and Kate that will show up in the new novel? (A connection *will* still be there, right??? Pleeeease??)
Congratulations on your eight hours of sleep, and good luck with titles (always the last part of writing all my college essays and technical papers — and always the most difficult part!).
A new Martinelli. Great! Do I remember that you were planning to splice together some Mary Russell into this new novel? Can’t imagine how you’d do that and still maintain the contemporary feel of Martinelli but, as you are an excellent writer, I’m sure you will find a way!
La ‘c3’91 esta despu’c3’a9s de la L y la tilde despu’c3’a9s de la P, pero tiene que cambiar el keyboard a espa’c3’b1ol, igual se entiende perfectamente.
Me parece mentira que hayan llegado, espero que le gusten.
Muchas gracias por sus palabras.
Sheyla
and thanks to wolfangel for the offer, thats was very nice!
Congrats on completing what sounds like a very succesful tour – and may you have many peaceful days now (writing permitting!)
I read Locked Rooms a couple of weeks ago now, but have been away from my PC since – what a fantastic story, a brilliant book. Many thanks for conjuring up so many images of San Francisco in the 20s to add to my personal visions of the 90s/00s, this added to my enjoyment of an already wonderful script.
I’m not even going to dare ask about the next Russell, as I’m so looking forward to the Martinelli. Is the next again book still to be the stand alone historical novel referred to previously on your site?
Best wishes
Chris
Hi, Laurie– Sounds like the Locked Rooms launch party was a smash and I’m really sorry I couldn’t be there.
Also, it was great to see the San Jose Merc-News finally caught up with you, even if they didn’t use any of the pieces I’ve been sending them
for years!
All the best,
Sophie Jensen