This week we are celebrating the release of Julianna Deering's RULES OF MURDER, the first book from the new Bethany Publishing series with amateur British sleuth DREW FARTHERING! Visit all week to learn more, and let us know in your comments if you'd like to be the drawing for a copy!
Congratulations Julianna!
Rules of Murder is a fun romp in the style of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. And if you like cozies or Downton Abbey or both, you need to let the butler take your wrap and join us out on the terrace! You will recognize some of our waiters, but one of them might be the real Drew or his sidekick Nick. So far Madeline hasn't made her appearance! We are hanging out at Farthering Place or what the locals call Beaulieu Palace House... Don't be intimidated. Drew is very relaxed about his title!
Teasing this delicious murder mystery along is Father Knox's Decalogue - the ten rules of what not to do in a murder mystery! Leave it to our friends here, and Drew, and Julianna to try breaking them all.
1. The criminal must be someone mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to follow:
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| (A man of few words, Jane Austen never gave us any point of view from Mr. Darcy. Thankfully for the movie version 1995 Pride and Prejudice, Colin Firth tells the story with just one look!) |
2. All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course:
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| This early photo of Errol Flynn makes a dashing prototype for Drew. Minus a few quirks. |
(I wonder if Julianna will ever tell us who most resembles the real DREW? or Nick?)
3. Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable:
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| Always a touch of class! Mr. Cary Grant |
4. No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end:
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| No poisons involved in the goodies, either. And the recipes are very short! |
5. No Chinaman must figure in the story:
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| Oh. ChinaMAN, I thought they didn't want us to use CHINA. |
6. No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right:
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| What's a party at the Inkwell without JLM? |
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| You know where we are going with this one... It's a crime to be this good looking, Aidan Turner! |
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| Was it the blond Orlando Bloom, the brunette Orlando and was it long hair or short? |
9. The stupid friend of the detective must not conceal any thoughts which pass through his mind. His intelligence must be slightly but very slightly below that of the average reader:
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| "You have bewitched me, body and soul." (Matthew MacFadyen) |
10. Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them. And if you know anything about Julianna Deering and her alter ego DeAnna Julie Dodson you had to be expecting this. (and oh my. Richard Armitage with a cat? Hand the woman a paper bag. She's hyperventilating!)
Good morning! RELEASE WEEK has begun! There is plenty of food and drink available and certainly in a house this large, you'll find a place to sit--or wander.
ReplyDeleteIf you find any dead bodies... well, don't be surprised. It's a COZY MYSTERY week and Farthering Place looks like the perfect place to die!
Leave our wraps? But it's cold out here this morning. Well, maybe if there's enough cats to go around. It is a cozy, after all.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think I'll risk the scones.
Congratulations, DeAnna...um, Julianna!
Oh, Deb, this is brilliant! Just brilliant! I love how you tied in the rules with the pictures and everything. I am grinning from ear to ear.
ReplyDeleteBTW, Julianna says that SHE is the original and I'm the cheap copy. Ahem.
We both thank you with all our hearts.
@--}----
And Richard Armitage with a CAT? How ever did you do it? :::swoons:::
Thank you, Barb! Isn't it just great? We (ahem) feel so special. :D
ReplyDeleteHaha. Too funny, Deb. That china looks like exactly what we need for afternoon tea in a few hours. I'll have the waiter, er, I mean an Earl Grey and a cucumber sandwich.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations DeAnna/Julianna.
Congratulations, Julianna!
ReplyDeleteYou've done a wonderful job with the post and pics, Deb.
A couple of those men are new faces to me, but I have to say I'll pick suave Cary Grant every time. He has such a delicious way of laughing at himself.
However, the image that made me take a second look was Richard Armitage with the cat. That cat is gorgeous! LOL
Thanks, CJ! It's so much fun. :)
ReplyDeleteSOOOOOOOOOO happy for you, Julianna! I've got my copy of Rules of Murder right here and am getting ready to dig in!
ReplyDeleteDeb, great party! But if you'll excuse me, I'm going to hang out in the corner with Jonny for a bit and chat about... oh, anything :)
Yes, Anita! That cat is what makes that whole picture worth looking at. ;)
ReplyDeleteActually, what I noticed about the cat is that it is quite relaxed, which makes me think RA is a genuine cat person which, of course, makes him even yummier. :::sigh:::
Oh, thank you, Jen. I hope you like it! :D
Sorry I'm late. I was busy interviewing bachelor #3. I asked him if he'd like to be the hero in one of my historical novels and he said yes! :-)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, DeAnna / Julianna. :)
Thank you, Suzie! Oooooh, good for Bachelor #3! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit cautious and peeking around the corners. Being the lover of mysteries I am, I expect to see a body at any moment. A dead one.
ReplyDeleteThe live ones are quite distracting, though!
Please join me for an evening meal later and don't be too concerned if you hear a scream from the other room. Evidence of a murder weapon???
no probably a fan girl just before she faints.
Anyone care to take a drive in Drew's elegant wheels?
Julianna, what kind of motorcar is it? So classy!
Ah, yes. Drew's beloved Rolls.
ReplyDeleteHe drives a brand new 1932 midnight blue Rolls Royce. He quite loves it.
I'm so excited to see something truly fresh and new in Christian publishing. Way to go DeAnna!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, thanks, Dina! I had such fun writing it, and Bethany House has been AMAZING in marketing it. :D
ReplyDeleteHURRAY FOR DEANNA/JULIANNA!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo happy this day has finally arrived! I shall collect my plate and discuss clues with the wait staff. I'm just being thorough, you never know what they might have seen. They might not even know they hold a vital clue.
BTW, DeAnna, I was at Barnes & Noble in Pennsylvania on Saturday and they had Rules of Murder on the shelf. I got a pic to send to you!
LISA!!!!
ReplyDeleteRilly? Rilly, rilly, RILLY???
:::dances:::
I've been to THREE local BN, and none of them had it. They said maybe by the 1st.
Picture. Must have. O.o
BTW, what Richard is holding is not a vital clue. It is a cat.
;)
Congratulations on this book! It sounds great! I so enjoy a good mystery and would love to read it!
ReplyDeleteelaineking1 at hotmail dot com
oh, oh, oh...
ReplyDeleteclassic mysteries!!!
be still my beating heart.
this sounds like an awesome read! in the words of my three year old, "Gimme, gimme, gimme, MINE!"
if i'm not so lucky to win a copy, i'm definitely having this on my "to buy" list.
Elaine - so nice to have you stop by. I hope the servants brought some fresh biscuits and hot tea!
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping your name in for the drawing!
Don't you love the cover?
Deb - you are in the drawing too. I don't want to sound snobby but I HAPPEN To have the audio book coming and it's done by a very well -known narrator. I'm so looking forward to it!
thanks ladies!
Congratulations dear Juliana! What a delight to celebrate with you and our dear DeAnna.
ReplyDeleteI can attest, more than one member of my family have read this book and give it two thumbs up.
What a release party. Thanks, Deb!