Tag Archives: In Death

Wonderment in Death description/discussion

ddtrh coverI usually let everyone else chime in about books but last weekend I had a chance to read “Wonderment in Death” — the In Death novella in Down the Rabbit Hole — and in my opinion it’s a particular standout among the 11 novellas under JD’s belt.

The official description for the anthology?

You’re late for a very important date…
 
Enter a wonderland of mesmerizing tales. It’s a place that’s neither here nor there, where things are never quite as they seem. Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s whimsical masterpiece, ranging from the impossible to the mad to the curiouser, these stories will have you absolutely off your head. 

Don’t be afraid to follow them…

Since it’s short and efficient (and marvelous) storytelling there actually isn’t a real teaser to give that won’t potentially spoil the “Wonderment in Death” story.  So I’ll set this page up for the discussion now.

It’s in stores on September 29.

Laura

 

 

 

 

A definitive list

Well, it’s been an interesting week.  To cap it off, here’s the complete, definitive list of what you won’t see in the In Death series from JD Robb herself.  ~Laura

The Top Nine In Death Things I’ll Never Write
And One That’s A Loooooooong Way Off

1. Eve and Roarke babysitting Bella for any length of time.  
The middle of murder is not the time for her slooches and delightful antics.

2. Nadine and Baxter in love (or sex).
A conflict of interest.  One of them–the Crime Beat reporter or the Cop–would have to change careers. I think we all enjoy them too much for that.

3. Nadine and Trueheart in love (or sex).
She’d eat that sweet boy alive.

4. Eve having a pregnant scare/not knowing she’s pregnant.

Its 2061 and birth control has been handled (off page) and reliable pregnancy tests would be as easily–if not more–available than a candy bar.

5. Eve dreaming about being pregnant.
Why?

6. Roarke kidnapped.
He’d kick a potential kidnapper’s ass.

7. Eve kidnapped.
Ditto.

8. Eve in a coma/seriously injured so the rest of the gang can take point on an investigation.
Eve is THE central character and is always going to take point.

9. Roarke in a coma/seriously injured, etc.
Roarke is a central character.  I don’t want to write a story where he’s not front and center.

10.  Peabody and McNab may very well get married, even have a kid–sometime way, way, down the road. WAY DOWN.
At this point, and peering into my crystal ball for the foreseeable future, they’re really happy as co-habs.

Nora/JD Robb

Festive in Death teasers

Ok, gang, First, you should all be grateful that I kept at the unpacking and organizing and got my hands on my copy of Festive in Death. (I know I am.) Second, I’ll be posting some teasers and bits of info about Festive here over the next few days.  No real spoilers because I think the plot is more fun when you discover things for yourself.

Teaser 1:

Everyone’s favorite young street vendor is back and helps Eve out — a lot.  He’s had a good year, made some changes to his business and shows Eve the results of the favor she did for him the previous December.  And since someone will ask, his grandmother is well but doesn’t appear on page.

Oh, and Eve makes a deal with her personal devil on gift wrapping.

More tomorrow.

Teaser 2 (added on 9/4/14)

Today some one liners:

Homicide detectives like holidays too.

We learn a little more about the future of the building in Concealed.

Eve learns a little more about her home and the rooms inside.

And we learn a different approach to Dickie Berenski courtesy of the new forensic anthropologist.

Teaser 3 (added on 9/5/14)

As someone reminded me, yesterday was only four points, not five.  Math and I are not friends.

– Feeney finds time to see Eve the day before the party to give her his gift.  It’s a fine, loving, Eve/Feeney uncomfortable moment. And the moment extends a bit when Eve brings the gift home.

– Roarke re-affirms his love with brand new descriptions of how he’d deal with Eve should she ever stray.

– Eve tries to wiggle out of her deal with the devil, but ultimately can’t.  But not before we see an area of the home that’s nearly mythical and yet fully equipped for work.

– It appears running a homicide squad prepares a person to deal with warring florists and designers.

– Finally a bit of a follow up on characters from Thankless — and more gifts — is all part of the party run up.

– And it’s a pretty damn good party.

 

 

 

 

A day in the Life

It occurred to me that most readers probably have no real idea what goes on in a writer’s day. Days can vary, of course, but I had a good one yesterday, so it sort of illustrates the sort of day I like best.
 
Here’s how it went:
 
I’m up at about 5:20. This is no longer annoying, it just is. When I had babies and then little boys I had to get off to school I actively dreamed of the day I could start sleeping in. By the time I got there, my body clock was set, and I’ve learned to accept it. I am, sorrowfully, an early riser.
 
I get myself a giant glass of water–hydrate after a night’s sleep. I let one of the dogs out. The other isn’t interested. Fine with me. I go up to my office. I read some emails, poke around see what’s what in the world. I play some games.
 
It’s nice, it’s quiet. The phone doesn’t ring, and my brain is starting to wake up. At some point I hear my husband get up. He lets the other dog out. I hear his coffee machine.
 
I go down get my version of caffeine. Diet Pepsi. Ah, NOW that’s better! Morning fog lifts. We can work now.
 
Speak with husband first–it’s only right. Kiss him goodbye as it’s unlikely I’ll be back down before he leaves. And I get to work. It happens I’m working on the last part of the second draft of an In Death. I’m not sure I have the pathology of the villain quite right, so fiddle as I go. I enjoy these people, and the second draft gives me the chance to fix any mistakes I find, expand where it needs to, contract if it needs that, add some color and texture where I might have skimped just trying to get the story down.
 
I eat Cheeze-Its, drink DP, play with Eve and Roarke and the gang.
 
At some point–I don’t pay much attention to time in my office–I go down, refill glass with water. Realize I haven’t brushed my teeth. Good God. Do so immediately.
 
Go back up to my office. Allow myself to play for a few minutes. Check email, answer maybe. Maybe not. Back to work.
 
Annoyed that the phone rings, don’t answer TeleFund one time, Out Of Area another, Private Caller yet another. Stop ringing! Go away.
 
I’d really like to get a good chunk of this draft done, be sure the story’s moving as I want–or more accurately, as it wants and it should. Pretty happy with it. Work. Let dogs in. Work. Let dogs out. More water.
 
Brain getting tired. It’s time to stop. About four–good time to stop. Time to work out. Down into my little gym, pick a DVD. decide to mix it up. Some cardio, some resistance with weights, some mat work. An hour of that, and it’s good for the day. Let dogs in. They have me trained. Whatever time I finish a workout–a morning one, an afternoon one, doesn’t matter, they wait, watch for me. I let them in, and they rush like maniacs to the kitchen closet where we keep the dog biscuits. Their eyes are mad with joy and anticipation. But their butts hit the floor, as that’s the rule. Good dogs! And as is habit for unknown reasons to the human involved, they go to separate corners, devour said biscuit then must immediately be let out so they can run like mad things. What’s in Milk Bones that causes this? No one really knows.
 
My husband has requested pasta for dinner–this pretty quick pasta dish I make, and that works as it’s already after five–and he’s home early because he’s working on a project in our great room.
 
Pour some wine–yay! Talk to husband, start dinner. Let dogs in who now collapse, exhausted from Milk Bone mania.
 
Cook dinner, approve the on-going project. Eat dinner. Good pasta. Have another glass of wine. Yay.
 
He’s brought home books from the bookstore for me to sign–it’s Monday, and three days a week, I sign books after dinner. Sign books while I watch TV. Have another Diet Pepsi. Let dogs out. Watch TV, play with IPad. Let dogs in. Why aren’t I in my pjs? Remedy that. See that I forgot to call in the galley corrections on Festive In Death as they’re still sitting beside the bed where I worked on them the last several evenings. Damn it.
 
Must do that tomorrow, because I don’t want to go back up to my office now. Happy The Blacklist is back. Love me some James Spader.
 
Watch a little Jon Stewart, go to bed.
 
So this is a pretty good day for me. Few interruptions. Probably about ten hours ass in the chair, and about seven of that actively working. A couple hours of play in there, and some time going up and down for fluids and dogs. A good workout, an easy dinner prep, and good TV.
 
Some days don’t go so well, but when they do, this is a pretty typical one for me.

Thanks! (and an In Death question)

Thanks to everyone who visited, lurked and/or commented on our very first blog post yesterday!  It was so much fun to read all the stories about how readers found Nora’s books whether they were written as Nora Roberts or JD Robb.

I was a reader before I ever even thought about working with Nora.  The first book for me was The Law is a Lady — when it was abridged for Good Housekeeping Magazine ages and ages ago.  I don’t have the original, but I do have a Language of Love edition that I still pick up for a re-read every once in a while.

In the middle of all the comments yesterday Becky posted: “I have not read JD Robb. Are they as good as all the rest?”

It’s a question that deserves an answer from all of the In Death readers so I thought I’d repost it.

I’ve read the In Deaths since the first book came out in June 1995.  I actually anticipated it greatly,  because even though her name wasn’t on it I knew Naked in Death was by Nora Roberts.  For me, the visuals of the book were nearly overwhelming — I could see that New York of the not too far future and I loved it.  And when I met Nora at the RWA conference that summer, I believe I stammered that out in a nervous rush.

I keep reading the series for Eve, first and foremost.  But the beauty of the In Deaths is watching her change from an aloof loner to a woman who (to her regular amazement and periodic dismay) has a family that starts with Roarke, Summerset and Galahad and encompasses an amazing cast of characters.

So Becky, my answer is yes — they are as good as all the rest.

What are your thoughts about the In Death books?  And how do you describe them to people who haven’t read them yet?  ~Laura