Flavia Fans in Canada!
Here’s your chance to vote for “A Red Herring Without Mustard”.
Readers’ Choice Contest (Aug. 2 to Aug. 28)
CBC Books is asking Canadian fiction fans to help choose a book for the Scotiabank Giller Prize 2011 longlist. Explore this year’s eligible books and submit your nomination – let us know why you think this book deserves to be considered for Canada’s richest literary prize!
Just three days to go, and yes! “A Red Herring Without Mustard” is eligible.
Tell your mom! Tell your dad! Tell everyone you know!
Vote here:
http://www.cbc.ca/books/scotiabankgillerprize/readerschoice/index.html
And to those readers who have already voted, a hearty “thank you!”
Alan
Some of the most frequently asked questions I am asked about Flavia de Luce are these:
1. How are the names “Flavia” and “de Luce” pronounced?
2. What are the titles of the Flavia books, and in what order should they be read?
3. Are the Flavia books suitable for children?
Here are the answers:
1. The pronunciation of Flavia’s name is FLAY’-vee-ah duh-LOOSE.
2. Although the books can be read in any order, it might help with the overall picture if they were read in the order in which they were published: “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie”, “The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag”, “A Red Herring Without Mustard”, and the forthcoming (November) “I Am Half-Sick of Shadows”.
3. Although written for adults, the Flavia books can be read by anyone who enjoys them. I’ve heard from readers ranging in age from 8 to 95.
Hope this clears things up a bit. More light will be shed on other topics in future books.
Happy reading!
Alan
Because the next book in the Flavia de Luce series (#4) “I Am Half-Sick of Shadows” is set at Christmas, Random House has wisely moved publication forward from January, 2012, to November 1st, 2011.
That’s right! The new Flavia book will be in bookstores in Canada, the US, and the UK in time for Christmas!
And better yet: you can pre-order today!
Especially for Flavia’s fans in Italy, here’s the cover for book two of the series, “The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag”, entitled in Italian “La Morte non e cosa per ragazzine.”
Which, translated, means roughly “Death is Not a Matter For Young Girls”.
What do you think?
On sale, in Italy, May 24th (which, incidentally, is Queen Victoria’s birthday – still celebrated in Canada, after all these years, with fireworks)
The book is published by Mondadori in its “Strade Blu” series. Mondadori is also the Italian publisher of the incomparable Agatha Christie.
Alan
I have some exciting news to share with you.
One of the comments I hear most from Flavia’s fans is that they have to wait so long for the next book. “Write faster!” they often say.
Well, I haven’t written faster, but I’ve written for longer hours, and I’m delighted to share the news that the fourth Flavia de Luce book, “I Am Half-Sick of Shadows”, originally scheduled for publication in January of 2012, has now been moved forward to an earlier date: November 1st, in Canada and the US, and November 3rd, in the UK. – just in time for Christmas!
Yes, that’s right: November, 2011. Which is just around the corner.
It makes a lot of sense, really. Since the story is set at Christmas, we thought it would be nice to share it with Flavia’s fans in time for Christmas.
So mark those dates on your calendar!
I hope you’re as excited as I am!
Alan
Remember … you heard it here first.
The title of the fourth Flavia de Luce Mystery has been announced by Random House.
It is … (drum roll, please) … “I Am Half-Sick of Shadows”.
“I Am Half-Sick of Shadows” is, of course, from Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott”.
Is there a clue there? Well maybe … there are definitely shadows in the book.
This title supercedes the previously-announced “Death In Camera”.
Publication (according to Books On Tape) is tentatively slated for January 31st, 2012
http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385665865
Alan
Thanks to Flavia’s fans everywhere, “A Red Herring Without Mustard” has made its debut at #9 on the New York Times bestseller list, and on Maclean’s (Canada) best seller list at #1. It has also appeared on the (US) Indie List, and on others.
“Yaroo!”
Alan
I’m happy to announce that Flavia, and “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” have been nominated for a second Goodreads Award: “Favorite Hero of the Year”.
Readers may vote at:
I’m happy to announce that “The Weed That Strings the Hangmans’s Bag” has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award.
Flavia’s fans may vote for the book at:
http://www.goodreads.com/award/choice#41680-Mystery-&-Thriller
where there are links to Facebook and Twitter. Tell friends and family!
I’ve just learned that the German edition of “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” (“Mord im Gurkenbeet”) has been shortlisted for Der Leiserpreis – die besten Buecher 2010.
Readers are invited to vote for their favorite title at:
http://www.lovelybooks.de/leserpreis/2010/Spannung-Krimi-Thriller-/
Those of you who follow Flavia’s recent awards: The Debut Dagger, the Agatha Award, the Dilys Award. the Arthur Ellis Award, the Barry Award, the Macavity Award, and the Spotted Owl Award, will realize that this is the first nomination for a German edition.
During my recent book tour of Germany, “The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag” or “Mord ist Kein Kinderspiel” was on Der Spiegel’s bestseller list. It was lovely – and awe inspiring! – to see such huge displays in every airport and bookshop.
Thanks to Christian Horvath of Lovely Books for the news – and to Flavia’s readers in Germany for the nomination!
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