The Art of Deception 14 #wewriwar #amwriting

The Art of Deception

or Pride and Extreme Prejudice

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors. This week continues a spy story set in late Georgian England, the year before Trafalgar. We’ll leave Roderick with the Clinton’s in New York as he awaits his packet home (were this set in Victorian times we’d say he was “working his ticket”) and pick up with Alice. Alice is in training at Mrs Hudson’s academy in Chipping Sodbury, and in trouble.

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A month into training, Alice was busily sweeping the front steps when new friend Lucy interrupted her, “Alice, the head wants to see you.”

“What have I done now?”

Lucy shrugged, “Does it have to be bad?”

“Hasn’t been good yet,” She gave Lucy the broom and walked into the building, up the front staircase and down the now all too long hall to Mrs Hudson’s room. It seemed like her steps echoed behind her without stopping.

“Close the door behind you and sit down,” Clearly Mrs Hudson wasn’t amused, “Alice I am glad to see you understand your lessons in concealed communications.”

“You are?”

“Yes. However, you will not apply them on your letters home.”

“Oh, It’s just I thought mother would -”

“You didn’t think; that’s the problem,” Mrs Hudson handed her yesterday’s missive, “Make a clean copy.”

Please see the other talented writers in Weekend Writing Warriors.

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The cover image is Chipping Sodbury in 2004. This broad street was the market in the 19th century. Mrs Hudson’s academy was down a side street, to the right in the picture.

I’ve released a sweet regency romance, Miss DeVere This is a fun read, and unlike “The curious profession of dr craven ” seems to not carry a curse. However, Dr Craven is on sale this week.

Frankenkitty is available.
 What happens when teenagers get to play with Dr Frankenstien’s lab notebooks, a few odd chemicals and a great big whopping coil? Mayhem, and possibly an invitation to the Transylvanian Neuroscience Summer School.

Booktrope shuts it’s doors May 31. This opens a whole slew of questions, including whether to return to an earlier pen-name (R. Harrison being dead common.) It also means that come June 1, the current version of “The curious profession of dr Craven.” will be unavailable. I will get the rights back without trouble. (Although there are issues about ‘creative teams’ that still need to be settled.)