Monday, February 9, 2015

Book Buzz: DOCTOR DEATH by LENE Kaaberbøl

This month I'm featuring Lene Kaaberbøl and her soon-to-be released "historical thriller" DOCTOR DEATH: A MADELEINE KARNO MYSTERY.   The exciting mystery is set to release next week, on February 17th so let's take a sneak peak into Kaaberbøl latest masterpiece.

About DOCTOR DEATH

Courtesy of the publisher:  “It is snowing. The snow falls on the young girl’s face, on her cheeks, mouth, and nose, and on her eyes. She does not blink it away. Around her the city is living its nightlife… But here in the passageway where she lies, there is no life.”

Author Lene Kaaberbøl creates a mesmerizing world in her historical thriller DOCTOR DEATH: A MADELEINE KARNO MYSTERY (Atria Books, $25; February 17, 2014). As she did masterfully in the New York Times bestseller The Boy in the Suitcase, Kaaberbøl draws readers in from the very first sentence, thanks to her stunning talent for storytelling. This time the plot circles around the ambitious and strong-minded Madeleine Karno, a young woman eager to shatter the constraints of her provincial French upbringing.

Working as her father’s assistant, Madeleine dreams of following in his footsteps and becoming a   pathologist.  In 1894, though, autopsies are considered unseemly and ungodly, even when performed by a man. Hence, the idea of a young woman dissecting corpses is too scandalous for words.

But this all changes when seventeen-year-old Cecile Montaine is found dead in the snowy streets of Varbourg, France and her family refuses to permit a full autopsy. With no concrete cause of death, Madeleine and her father are left with a single perplexing clue: in the dead girl’s nostrils they discover a mysterious mite.

Other bodies are soon discovered throughout the city, and Madeleine, her father, and the city commissioner must race against time to solve the series of suspicious deaths before they all become the next victims of a deadly disease—or of a heinous murderer.

Eloquently written and with powerful insight into human and animal nature, DOCTOR DEATH takes the reader on a captivating journey. At once a spellbinding mystery and a poignant coming-of-age story, DOCTOR DEATH depicts the struggle of a young woman grappling with what's expected of her as a female in the late 19th century while fearlessly trying to solve a chilling crime.

About Lene

Lene Kaaberbøl has been a professional writer since the age of fifteen, with more than two million books sold worldwide. She has won several national and international awards for her fiction, and her work has been translated into more than thirty languages. Kaaberbøl is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Boy in the Suitcase, which received rave reviews, was selected as a New York Times Book Review Notable Crime Book of 2011 as well as an Indie Next List November 2011 Pick,  and won the Harald Morgensen Award for Best Danish Thriller of the Year. Born in Copenhagen, she now lives on the small Channel Island of Sark.

Again, DOCTOR DEATH releases next week February 17, 2015 so if you're a huge fan of Lene Kaaberbøl or historical mysteries like I am, you'll definitely want to check this thriller out.

Have an awesome week.

Mina Burrows

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

ISWG: Keeping up with Life & Inspiration

Insecure Writers Support Group is here for February!  Last month's hiatus couldn't be helped so I apologize for not giving you all a proper New Year's welcoming.  That said, I'll move along to IWSG brought to you by founder and Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.  This month's co-hosts are Gwen Gardner, Dolorah, Sarah Foster, and M. Pax!


ISWG:  Keeping up with Life


The past two months (December and January) flew by, and I've marveled at how quickly the days come to pass.  I'm still processing the last few months even though they're gone, asking myself, "What just happened?"  Frankly, it's a little scary.  My insecurities this month centers mostly around time management.  I realized that I often take on too much and there in lies the rub.  My resolution for this year it to be more realistic of life dramas, workload and family/friend expectations and do a better job at managing them.  I need to say no more often so I have time to settle my mind and of course write.  This might sound simple, but it is something I struggle with.  Send me good vibes that I may conquer my inability to say "no" and be able to manage life better.

Anyway, there were two things that caught my eye this past month that I wanted to share with my writer friends.  One is this quote by one of my favorite writers, Joss Whedon. See below and see the rest of these quotes in this article, 25 Quotes That Will Inspire You To Be A Fearless Writer.




In addition, I'm posting this awesome video I saw on Facebook.  My apologies for not remembering the source.  I can't remember who shared it with me.  I know it was one of my author friends and since I can't remember, then I'll just thank you all and pass it along.  This is a timeless one.  In this video, Ira Glass of "This American Life" talks about the building blocks of a great story.   Enjoy this boost of inspiration for all those struggling with their writing or those who are new this maddening adventure.



Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

That's it for IWSG.  What about you?  What are your insecurities this month?

Have a great rest of the week!