Corpse Call

There are just days left before the book launch for A Corpse in Cipher – A Tudor Murder Mystery. As the first in the new Elspet Stafford Mysteries (set in early 16^th century England) I'm both apprehensive and thrilled. The book was received well by my readers but what about the public? There was also that debacle about my pen name (which has been altered to Lizzy Drake due to another author having published as I was editing and taking the name I had first wanted). As another author had taken the name, I had to pull the book, seek out my wonderful cover artist, Berni Stevens, and beg for a change of name on the cover, get a new ISBN (as the book had just been approved to print by the printer) and upload everything fresh. One heart attack and two new Facebook pages later, Lizzy Drake was launched as my official pen name for the Elspet Stafford Mysteries and the kindle book is up for pre-order.

The print book is due to arrive any day for final approval (again, but with the revised name). I can't wait to hold the book in my hands. It's been a long while since I've been excited about one of my publications and I'm a little proud of this one. One international move, a crashed computer, over 500 lost photos of Tudor palaces that I'd taken during a year of research trips, missing boxes during international shipping and one name calamity later, this book represents so much more than a new series for me, it also heralds the absolute change of lifestyle.

From now on, my writing schedule has changed and become incorporated into my daily work. One new mystery title per year is now the bar (as well as entering the new titles into as many literary competitions as I can). Balanced with apartment renovations (this year I've learned how to lay laminate flooring; I've gone from excavating Roman flooring to laying new ones), blogging and research between school runs, the future looks to hold more dark and alluring crimes set in Catherine of Aragon's early years as Queen. Already book two is in the research stage and set at Framlingham Castle...

Lizzy Drake's first Elspet Stafford Mysteries book is out 15^th of December.
 ISBN 978-1519569448