Encore in Death excerpt

It’s the end of Thanksgiving weekend in the US — what better time to set our sights for 2023 and the Encore in Death release on February 7?

If you subscribe to Nora’s News, you’ve already read Chapter One when I sent the newsletter out over a week ago. Now it’s time to share with everyone.

Here’s the cover copy for Encore:

It was a glittering event full of A-listers, hosted by Eliza Lane and Brant Fitzhugh, a celebrity couple who’d conquered both Hollywood and Broadway. And now Eve Dallas has made her entrance—but not as a guest. After raising a toast, Fitzhugh fell to the floor and died, with physical symptoms pointing to cyanide, and the police have crashed the party.

From all accounts, he wasn’t the kind of star who made enemies. Everyone loved him—even his ex-wife. And since the champagne cocktail that killed him was originally intended for Eliza, it’s possible she was the real target, with a recently fired assistant, a bitter rival, and an obsessed fan in the picture. With so many attendees, staff, and servers, Eve has her work cut out determining who committed murder in the middle of the crowd—and what was their motivation. As one who’s not fond of the spotlight herself, she dreads the media circus surrounding a case like this. All she wants is to figure out who’s truly innocent, and who’s only acting that way…

Here’s your first look at Encore in Death, Chapter One.

Enjoy!

Laura

The Choice discussion thread

It’s finally here: the conclusion of The Dragon Heart Legacy. And this is the space in which you can discuss all things The Choice freely.

The official description reads:

Breen Siobhan Kelly grew up in the world of Man and was once unaware of her true nature. Now she is in Talamh, trying to heal after a terrible battle and heartbreaking losses. Her grandfather, the dark god Odran, has been defeated in his attempt to rule over Talamh, and over Breen―for now.

With the enemy cast out and the portal sealed, this is a time to rest and to prepare. Breen spreads her wings and realizes a power she’s never experienced before. It’s also a time for celebrations―of her first Christmas in both Talamh and Ireland, of solstice and weddings and births―and daring to find joy again in the wake of sorrow. She rededicates herself to writing her stories, and when his duties as taoiseach permit, she is together with Keegan, who has trained her as a warrior and whom she has grown to love.

It’s Keegan who’s at her side when the enemy’s witches, traitorous and power-mad, appear to her in her sleep, practicing black magick, sacrificing the innocent, and plotting a brutal destruction for Breen. And soon, united with him and with all of Talamh, she will seek out those in desperate need of rescue, and confront the darkness with every weapon she has: her sword, her magicks―and her courage…

Share your thoughts on The Choice in the comments. As always, spoilers will happen, so read the comments at your own risk.

Laura

The Choice excerpt

https://fallintothestory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/TheChoice.pdf

I would have sworn on all that I hold holy that I posted the excerpt from The Choice in September. I included it in the newsletter for Desperation in Death and the next step on my to-do list is to post here 48 hours later.

But when I saw a question about it on FB, I realized — to my horror — I hadn’t.

Anyway, the official copy reads:

Breen Siobhan Kelly grew up in the world of Man and was once unaware of her true nature. Now she is in Talamh, trying to heal after a terrible battle and heartbreaking losses. Her grandfather, the dark god Odran, has been defeated in his attempt to rule over Talamh, and over Breen―for now.

With the enemy cast out and the portal sealed, this is a time to rest and to prepare. Breen spreads her wings and realizes a power she’s never experienced before. It’s also a time for celebrations―of her first Christmas in both Talamh and Ireland, of solstice and weddings and births―and daring to find joy again in the wake of sorrow. She rededicates herself to writing her stories, and when his duties as taoiseach permit, she is together with Keegan, who has trained her as a warrior and whom she has grown to love.

It’s Keegan who’s at her side when the enemy’s witches, traitorous and power-mad, appear to her in her sleep, practicing black magick, sacrificing the innocent, and plotting a brutal destruction for Breen. And soon, united with him and with all of Talamh, she will seek out those in desperate need of rescue, and confront the darkness with every weapon she has: her sword, her magicks―and her courage…

Here is Chapter One.

The Choice is in stores November 22. So truly, not that long now.

I apologize for the delay and will pay more attention to my newsletter to-do list going forward.

And if you want to catch all the excerpts as they happen (i.e., not depend on my to-do lists), please sign up for Nora’s News — the sign up is at the bottom of the home page on both the Nora Roberts and JD Robb websites

Laura

Nora in NY (Sung to I Love NY)

A fall trip to New York City is one of Nora’s fondest traditions that dates back to the years of fall book tours. New York would be the last stop on the tour, then BW and the family would meet her at the Palace to relax after weeks on the road. It was the breather before the holidays.

Well, a breather and a chance for Nora to finish her holiday shopping. She still does. [humbug]

Her favorite place to stay is the Champagne Suite at the Palace which is large enough for the entire family to stay comfortably.

The view from the suite’s living room. Photo by Laura

Covid interrupted the trip in 2020 and in 2021, the suite was taken for Nora’s dates. This year? She was back, baby. Broadway and dining out remain off the table for now, so BW opted to stay home. Kayla planned to come on her fall break, then had an opportunity to travel with friends. So Nora, Jason, Kat and Griffin rode up in a new-to-them small bus. Everyone was comfortable and Griffin loved it.

Champagne for the champagne suite in the large box. Photo by BW.

I love October in New York for the weather and the sports. My husband and I drove up a day early so we could see the Mets on Saturday night (the only win in the series against the Padres) and then the Jets on Sunday afternoon. We were 2 for 2 for in-person sports so happy, despite the Mets losing the series on Sunday night. We’re native New Yorkers and just keep hold of our teams.

Nora and family arrived Saturday afternoon after creeping so slowly through tunnel traffic I had to leave for Citifield before they reached the hotel. I popped up for a quick hello before football, but didn’t spend time with them  until Monday.

It was an absolutely gorgeous October 10 (aka someone’s birthday), even with the Columbus Day Parade screwing up our walk to the new flagship UGG store on Fifth. Nora, Kat and I spent a nice hour wandering, then an enforced 25 minutes watching the parade since we were held at a crosswalk until a break in the marchers.

Stepping off. Photo by Laura

Once allowed to cross, we headed back to the hotel for a break. Then I had a late lunch with my sister downtown and Nora decided to walk up Madison Avenue on a gift mission.

A side note: Sunday evening, Kat’s nephews and nibling came over from New Jersey with their moms.  When they got to the suite, they reported meeting Dennis Quaid in the lobby. Nora replied, “You should have called me – I love Dennis Quaid!!”  Please note, I only run into athletes and saw many San Diego Padres and the Cleveland Guardians — also at the Palace.

Back to Monday. We get on at the 53rd floor, then the elevator opened at the 51st and Mr. Quaid walks in, finishing up a conversation with someone who remained on his floor.  He was in front of me, looking ahead at the doors — as one does on an elevator.  I looked over at Nora who gave me bug-eyes.  (Later, Kat said he probably caught us in the reflection of the doors ruining all my fantasies of being cool.) 

Dennis Quaid half turns and asks what we’re all doing today.  I told him we were riding the elevator until we ran into him.  And then we all chatted a bit on the minute long ride.  He’s doing a project for HBO Max with Stephen Soderbergh.  (Ok, he mentioned Soderbergh and I googled the rest.) 

Guess who else is in the project? Timothy Olyphant!  We hoped to run into DQ again to find out where Timothy Olyphant is staying.  No such luck.  But a fun birthday story.

On Tuesday, Nora and Jason took Griffin to the Central Park Zoo.  I walked uptown with them to enjoy the lovely morning. Griffin was taking in all the sights and sounds. Every time he heard a horn or a siren he’d yell “Watch out!” as safety always comes first.

When they returned in the afternoon, Nora and Jason reported that Griffin took a couple moments to look over the Spider Web Scramble Net, but once he watched some kids playing, he climbed up and had the best time — never once letting go of his truck.

Griffin getting the lay of the web. Photo by j a-b.

After nearly an hour, Jason retrieved Griffin so they could take in some more sights at the zoo. That turned into a ramble in the park to find the carousel — which dad and boy enjoyed a lot.

Carousel smiles. Photo by j a-b.

On the walk back, they found a subway stop with Nora’s intials.

Nora’s station. Photo by j a-b.

In big Griffin news, next week he turns 4 AND starts school!

In Griffin and Nana news, Nora got in an extra 5K steps every day with Griffin — either chasing, racing or playing hide and seek.

Does a Cranky Publicist do any of that? Why no, but we got into a great rhythm of him doing a run and when he’d get near me, I’d ask “Stop or Go?” He’d reply “GO!” and keep on the move. Satisfactory exchange on both sides.

Wednesday was a walk around day. I’ve taken on an intern this year — specifically The Inquisitive Intern, to contrast with a Cranky Publicist. Paige is helping me with some social media graphics as well as behind the scenes research for future updates to the websites and this blog.

We shopped for sneakers for Griffin and more Christmas gifts (bah, humbug) then had an al fresco lunch near Rockefeller Center.  Nora and Paige bonded by the time the french fries were served.  And you’ll see more of Paige as the year goes by.

No ice skating until November — rollerskaters out in force. Photo by Laura
Paige, the Inquisitive Intern, and Nora.

Thursday was the only rainy day. Nora, Jason and Kat had a Nora Roberts Family Foundation meeting so I rambled around — down to the Flatiron Building and back up to St. Patrick’s. Then I met my husband for a couple beers at an Irish pub. A perfect NYC day.

NYPL on a rainy day. Photo by Laura.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Photo by Laura.

Friday was a matter of tying up any loose ends for shopping — which meant a stop at Uniqlo and later Sephora. I also had to show Nora the seasonal decorations on Papillon, a restaurant on 54th street.

That last afternoon, we sat down for a Facebook Live on the JD Robb page — we shared stories about the trip, revealed the title of the September 2023 In Death and answered a few questions. I know it will fill in some of the blanks: https://fb.watch/giBC6xltbK/

A few more favorite photos from the week.

Love this view. Photo by Laura.
Light at night. Photo by Laura.

A lovely week indeed.

Laura

Identity

Because it’s never too early to plan ahead, I’m pleased to share the cover of Identity — Nora’s May 2023 release (specifically, it’s out 5/23/23).

Isn’t it gorgeous??? St. Martin’s Press outdid themselves with this one.

So…what’s it about? The only official copy is this:

The #1 New York Times-bestselling author’s terrifying new thriller about one man’s ice-cold malice, and one woman’s fight to reclaim her life.

St. Martin’s Press

I’ll share more after the new year. Promise.

In the meantime, there are early US pre-order links available. The rest will be posted in a couple months.

Turn the Page: https://bit.ly/TTPIdentity
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xAgTIq
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3DAzJ5I
BAM: https://bit.ly/3UnMB55
IndieBound: https://bit.ly/3qPBapr
Apple: TK
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3UndLcl
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3BSww0b

Laura

Desperation in Death discussion space

Today’s the day! Desperation in Death is officially on sale.

And this is the official space to discuss all things Desperation. Beware of spoilers in the comments.

Did you notice any of the questions I posed in the other thread? Or were you reading so fast to get to the conclusion that you’ll notice on the second read? Just curious.

Hope you enjoyed!

Laura

Desperation in Death Teasers

We’re three days away from Desperation in Death arriving on shelves, to your house by mail or to your e-reader by magic, so that means it’s time for a few teasers. Not spoilers, just a few little things to notice as you read.

Usually I have some ideas of what will work as teasers when I first read an in Death — in this case, January. But this is a case that is worked in fewer than five days. There’s a lot pushing Eve in Desperation from every direction. Even scenes that lighten the mood momentarily could spoil the experience.

Here’s the official cover copy:

As Desperation opens, two girls plot to escape The Pleasure Academy – a place of living nightmares.  Dorian, a thirteen-year-old runaway might never have made it out if not for her fellow inmate Mina, who’d hatched the escape plan. Mina may have been the more daring of the two—but they’d been equally desperate.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get away fast enough. Now Dorian, injured, terrified, wanders the streets of New York.  Mina lies dead near the waterfront while Lt. Eve Dallas looks over the scene.

Mina’s expensive, elegant clothes and beauty products convince Dallas  she was being groomed, literally and figuratively, for sex trafficking—and that whoever is investing in this high-overhead operation expects windfall profits. Roarke worries about the effect this case is having on Dallas, as it brings a rage to the surface she can barely control. No matter what, she must keep her head clear–because above all, she’s desperate for justice and to take down those who prey on and torment the innocent.

In the end, I decided that it would be best to share some questions I pondered during the read and reread. Next time I may go back to riddles, or in a real challenge, haikus.

  • There’s a person who DOESN’T know Eve from the vid?
  • Should I rename my bras? (you’ll see)
  • Who would you choose as the next cop to step up for an an exam?
  • Is Roarke allowed to apply Master of all He Surveys practices to work the Marriage Rules?
  • Who knew our favorite entrepreneur carried warm weather gear?
  • Who would come out on top if Eve and Mavis ever really had a fight?
  • Nannies can come in all shapes and sizes.
  • Finally, in a departure, my favorite line: “Uh-oh. Mom’s home.”

I’ll open the discussion thread early on Tuesday, so you can discuss any and all thoughts there.

Laura

A note from Laura

A Monday afternoon blog post is rare, but I thought this was important.  

Last week, The Washington Post ran this story.

Nora was appalled and asked me to find a way for her to help them bridge the gap — personally, not through the Nora Roberts Foundation.  I contacted the WaPo reporter who provided me with the GoFundMe information. 

Yesterday, Nora made a donation that will make all the difference to the Fund Patmos Library campaign.

Ron French at Bridge Michigan reached out to me after Nora’s donation.  Bridge Michigan ran the original story about the Patmos Library being defunded along with several follow-ups on the fundraising campaign.

Ron’s most recent piece went live today:  https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/romance-author-nora-roberts-helps-save-mi-library-defunded-over-lgbtq-books

I have many emotions about the vote to defund and Nora’s determination to help.  When I was 9 years old, the first place I was allowed to talk to on my own was the Brooklyn Public Library.  Eight blocks down Fort Hamilton Parkway to the magical place where I could choose my own adventure.  Where I could fill up summer days with stories.  I went pretty much every day.

My first paying job was working as a page at the South Orange (NJ) Public Library Children’s Room — spent all my college years earning $2.25 (might have been $1.75) an hour so I could be around books.  My mom decided after raising seven kids that being a librarian would be a good second career.  She was a Children’s Librarian, then the director of the Florham Park (NJ) Public library for over 25 years.

So libraries are in my blood.  And the thought that access to the services a library offers and the shelves full of interesting stories could be voted away because people don’t agree with all the information in those books is a nightmare.  

I’m grateful Nora stepped up.  Thank you emails from librarians have been streaming in.

And lesson learned, I will pay better attention to the salvos fired at the libraries around me so I’m prepared to fight for their right to remain open with access to all.

For those who would like to donate, the link is https://www.gofundme.com/f/fund-patmos-library-for-2023

Laura

Trust Me

Desperation In Death comes out shortly. As always, I enjoyed spending time ( a lot on this side of the page!) in that world, with the characters who inhabit it. And hope you will, too.

Whenever we announce a new In Death, there’s excitement and speculation. There’s also—inevitably—a continuing complaint from some readers.

It goes something like this:

The last book (or books) disappointed me/ wasn’t up to par because —name a favorite reoccurring character or characters —wasn’t in it/them or wasn’t in it/them enough.

It’s difficult to address or explain the reasons for this in a two sentence reply on Facebook, so I decided to address and explain here.

First: Trust me.

If you’re invested and attached to these characters, it’s because I created them. I know them—and yes, gentle reader, even better than you because they came from me.

It’s my job to write the best book I can. To do that, I have to respect and honor the story, and the people in it. It’s simply not possible to craft the best book I can if I try to shoehorn every character—even your personal favorites—into every single book in the series.

When a recurring characters shows up, it’s because it fits the story, the scene, the tone, the purpose. When they don’t show up, they didn’t fit.

It’s my job to craft the story.

Trust me to do my job.

If I wrote thinking: I have to squeeze Mavis into this, and Bella, and Louise and Charles, and Nadine, Feeney, and so on, the story would suffer for it. I’m not going to do that. Not ever.

Let me add an aside. I absolutely love writing scenes with Bella. I find her a joy, and find more joy in seeing Mavis’s evolution as a mom. But the books aren’t about Bella, Mavis and motherhood, or Eve’s often baffled reaction to both.

When they do come in, it’s for a purpose. To further the story, to lighten or darken the mood, to provide information, to interact in a way that makes sense in the storyline.

I’ll add in the In Death world very little time spans between stories—much, much less time than the six months span in which they’re published. How would it make sense for Lt. Eve Dallas to interact with all the recurring characters every few days when she’s pretty busy investigating murders? It just doesn’t.

Connected to the above complaint is: There wasn’t enough Roarke—which I firmly believe a good portion of readers expressing this actually mean: Not enough sex with Roarke. (Hard to blame you!)

But the same reasons apply. I’m not going to shoehorn sex scenes in either. They, like any scene, either flow into the story, for a purpose, or they don’t. Also, Roarke’s pretty busy running his empire, and while I have crafted ways—that make sense to me—to have him on the page, contributing to the investigation, even just as a sounding board—he and Eve have their separate careers and duties to them.

Roarke doesn’t work at Central, or in the field. He’s evolved into a consultant—officially—because it made sense, and opened a way to give him more page time, and added to his understanding of and respect for what Eve does.

There are books in the series where nearly everyone finds a way onto the page—for a purpose. And there are books where hardly anyone outside the main characters show up. Because they don’t fit in that storyline.

Trust me to know when they fit, when they don’t.

Since I’m devoting a blog to this, let me address a couple more questions/hopes.

I have no idea—none at this time—if/when Baxter will enter into a serious relationship. I have no idea—none at this time—if/when Morris will find another love. The purpose of the series is clear in the name. In Death. It’s about a cop investigating murder. Each time, every time. That comes first. The primary purpose is not to hook up every character in a romantic relationship.

The secondary purpose is, absolutely, the connections—emotional connections, the evolution of long-standing characters, and/or the introduction of new ones. But the purpose is not romantic relationships for all. And for me, and I do know them, many of the characters are perfectly content with their lives as they stand.

I had no thought to write Nadine into a serious relationship. Until Apprentice In Death. It flowed out—from the scene where Jake first appeared because it fit, it made sense, and Jake’s character worked. The chemistry worked, a nice surprise for me.

The same thing may happen for one of the other characters in an upcoming book—as yet unwritten—or it may not. Ever.

And yes, Mavis is still pregnant, and will be for several more books. That’s how the timeline of the series works, it’s the way I structured it a couple decades ago. Decades for you and me, about three years for the characters in that world.

Some people may just be tired of the series, find themselves burnt out on it. That happens, and it’s okay. Some cycle through disappointment in a book or a couple in a row because they didn’t get to see their favorite(s) play a part.

I can only say to that: Trust me. They’ll be back when they have something to add to the story.

Again, I hope you enjoy Desperation In Death. And can happily tell you, Mavis, Leonardo and Bella all appear in this one. Because they fit.

Nora

Summertime news

Hello all,

How have you fared during the dog days of summer? Or the depths of winter, depending on your hemisphere? Nora’s currently with family at the spa while I thought it was time to get a regular summer cold. (Forgot how little fun they are.)

But before either of those things happened, we had some time together at The Greenbrier.

Previously, the resort was such an oasis of cooler weather I’d taken to calling it Brigadoon.  Unfortunately the magical properties of Greenbrier weather were no match for the current US summer reality.  While we didn’t scorch, we had three solid days of rain along with late afternoons showers on two other days, so patio time was limited severely to a couple hours on arrival day and the last two days.  That was a bit sad since we’ve mainly stayed outside/eaten dinner on the patio every visit.

However, the space is big enough that we made our own fun.  And there was no thunder and lightning with the rain so Kat and Griffin spent hours at the pool each morning.

A couple days before we headed to the resort, JoAnne sent out a report of filming a Christmas movie at The Greenbrier (rumor is it will be titled Christmas at The Greenbrier). 

As we turned on the main drive, there were all the trappings of a traditional Christmas — set among the mid-summer begonias, coleus and hosta.

Just a small glimpse of decorations.

The main building was decked out for a traditional Christmas, including the ice rink that Greenbrier has November through January (we’re summer visitors, who knew???).  We think they are going to CGI the ice.  

Skating rink amid summer green.

Pause for a second and consider any bride who dreamed of getting married at The Greenbrier — in the summer — arriving to find it decked for Christmas.  Guests were not given a pre-arrival heads up. But plenty of creative families got their holiday card photos taken against the gorgeous Christmas in July set ups.

There was filming in the lobby on our first full day.  A couple of us went down to watch for a bit.  We didn’t recognize the actors so I’ve taken to checking IMBD for a cast list

The hero and heroine. We heard it was a second-chance love story.

The sound guys must be brilliant because they had to deal with a kid screeching in a stroller as his parents — not extras — walked through the lobby off set.  Then there was a family coming down the hall, with someone giving instructions that echoed around the tiled lobbby, followed by a yelped “Oh S#*T!” when he saw the crew.

We stayed for three takes.  And now we have something to watch in December. The staff didn’t know if it would be Hallmark or Lifetime, so once I know, I’ll share.

The holiday decorations made for lovely evenings, even when it was cloudy.
The evening the purple sky competed with Christmas.

On the whole, the Greenbrier stay isn’t one to lend itself to daily travelogues. Nora and JoAnne worked out every morning. I went for walks or the gym. Everyone had books to read. Nora got a little work done. Kayla instructed me and Sarah on Instagram looks. The usual.

Mainly it lends itself to photos.

The best way to recycle.

We had three wonderful sessions with Max at the glassblowing studio. He plans to move on from rural West Virginia this winter so we made the most of our glass time. 

Kayla, hot glass and Max.
I wish all my days included blowtorches.
Nora applying color to her glass.
Finished work

Sarah organized trips to the two escape rooms on the property. I declined because it felt too much like a dreaded game. 

First day, Alice in Wonderland escape room crew: Kat, Sarah, Nora and Kayla.
Second day, Bunker escape room crew: Kat, Nora and Sarah.

Though I get credit for playing hearts.

The dread deck.

JoAnne was Chief Griffin Companion while the gang escaped from rooms. She was prepared to chase and hide and play, but both times, he opted to deal with his mother’s absence by napping in place.

There was a puzzle. Not as bad as the cupcakes from March, but a hard one. Nora and JoAnne completed it the last day.

Bright colors, big square.

Kayla turned 20 while we were there.

Crowned after 2 decades.
Ice cream cake for DAYS.

There was ghostly activity to entertain everyone. The keys stopped working daily. Nora, Kayla, JoAnne and Kat saw presences in the card room. I did my morning work in there for most of the trip. One morning I heard someone go down the hall to the kitchen. As she came back, Nora said, “Oh, good. A real person.”

Sarah had it the worst as a ghostly presence kept invading her room at night.  She finished the trip sleeping in my room after our sensible Kat went into the room and reported whatever was in there wasn’t nice. Housekeeping confirmed there was something in that room that didn’t play well with others.

I slept extremely well. I think the fact I sleep in Wallis Simpson’s old room scares them all away.  

Ghosts are afraid of her too.

Nora and I filmed our regular July Facebook live on Saturday afternoon. It was our first one since October 2021 and we were due for a catchup. Really hope this link works: https://fb.watch/eLKJQfU5mf/

We all dressed up for a fabulous dinner at Prime 44 (the steakhouse down the hall).

From l: Sarah, Nora, JoAnne, Kayla, Laura and Kat

And in our final tradition, we’ve already booked our trip for 2023.

Nora may or may not have a spa trip update. Once she’s home, she stays put until NYC in October. In the meantime, I’ll head to the OBX to work by the ocean for a bit.

Hope the rest of your August is a good one. Here’s to cooler/warmer days in the weeks ahead!

Laura


Once Nora readjusted to East Coast time after Italy, she recorded an interview for the LifeExcellence with Brian Bartes podcast.

The official blog for Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb readers