Author, Compulsively Readable Thrillers
It’s all Miss Lear’s fault. Linda Lear was my history teacher when I was a senior in high school. I was in Advanced Placement US history at a small girl’s school in Washington DC, with maybe 15 girls in the class. I had already taken European history as a junior, and I enjoyed it a … Read more
A couple of weeks ago I brought up the concept of karma, in relation to a colleague who helped me a lot in the early stages of my career. Now it’s come up again, this time regarding Cuba, a place close to my heart. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that the … Read more
Aclamada novela de suspenso de la mafia cubana ahora publicada en español La novela premiada de la autora más vendida de novelas de detectives, Havana Lost, ambientada en Cuba durante la revolución y el Período especial treinta años más tarde, ahora está disponible en español. La Habana perdida será publicada el 1 de abril de … Read more
I’m very excited to report that Shelf Unbound Magazine (devoted to small and independent presses) named Havana Lost as one of their “Notable Page-Turners” in their 2014 Fiction Competition! An early holiday gift.
I’I’ll be interviewed on Suspense Magazine’s radio show Saturday morning at Noon Central Time, 10 AM Pacific Time. So, to celebrate, the price of HAVANA LOST is waay down… FROM $3.99 to $.99 cents until Sunday when it goes up to $1.99 (Still a bargain…) Time to grab it! Post script: The interview was a … Read more
I’ve been sliding down a slippery slope over the past couple of years. I guess it’s no surprise—‘they’ do say the more crime you write the darker you get. In my case, I’m afraid they’re right. When I started writing Havana Lost, I knew from the start it was going to have a noir-ish ending. … Read more
Hi, all. Two Cyber-Monday audiobook contests I want to make sure you know about: I’ve joined 9 other traditionally published authors who’ve now gone indie in this “public service” contest. You can win one of 30+ free audiobooks — in my case, either Havana Lost or An Eye for Murder. Contest goes through December 7th, … Read more
If you have read Havana Lost you’ll have noticed the way I’ve woven the Santería religion through the plot. A potent mix of European Catholicism and African Voodoo, it is a constant backdrop to the Cuban psyche. My character Carla Garcia believes in it more than any of the other characters in the book, not … Read more
Delighted to link to Mystery Scene Magazine’s Fall edition and their review of Havana Lost here. An excerpt: “A many layered adventure… smart writing done in accomplished style by an author who never talks down to her readers.”
Booklist has reviewed HAVANA LOST, and it’s a great review! (Be still my heart). Thank you, thank you… The Cuban Revolution is the rich backdrop for this riveting historical thriller. In the days just prior to the revolution, life in Cuba is difficult. Spies are everywhere. Poverty and hunger are rampant. But for American Francesca … Read more