"This is a story about passion, bloodshed, desire, and death: everything, in fact, that makes life worth living." --Irma la Douce
Murder, mayhem, & the French Revolution...
Welcome to my author website, home of the Aristide Ravel mystery series and also of A Far Better Rest, the reimagining of Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (back in print in October 2010!).
For lots more on all the novels and/or for information about book signings, author talks, and more, click "Works" or "Events."
Remember, books (especially signed first editions) make great gifts at any time! Contact me about signed copies of any or all of the Ravel novels -- I'll even gift-wrap and mail them for you if you wish.
August 26, 2010: Notice something missing? The "Newsletter" page is gone, but the newsletter itself is not.
You can now receive my occasional author e-newsletter by signing up at Yahoo! Groups (this is not a discussion group, just announcements). If you're not already a Yahoo! member, registering is quick, easy, and private.
Click to join aristideravel
August 24, 2010: A Treasury of Regrets should be available as an eBook for Kindle (US & UK) in a week or so. Only $2.99!
August 17, 2010: Game of Patience is finally available as an eBook for Kindle (US & UK). Read it now for only $2.99 (that's less than the cost of a latte, folks...).
July 27, 2010: FYI: Just in case you or someone you know has recently tried to get the Kindle download of Cavalier: Owing to a technical glitch, the Amazon Kindle page for the book was temporarily disabled. It's up and running again, but as of right now, not all of the Amazon links will get you to the working Kindle page. Please access the working page from this link:
July 2, 2010: I've added several new pages to the auxiliary website for the Ravel Mysteries, including a glossary of French terms found in the novels; a bibliography for further reading (much more extensive than the short lists of sources in the books); and a historical Who’s Who for each novel, with brief biographies and info on real people who make an appearance in the narratives. (The “photo gallery” of Parisian sites featured in the novels is still under construction, but viewable.) To reach the "Who's Who" pages, point your cursor at the novel title in the navigation bar on any auxiliary page.
Please come take a look, and if you have a question, or a favorite book on the French Revolution that you think belongs in the bibliography, please drop me a note. Your suggestions are always welcome!
June 21, 2010: The trade magazine Booklist, in a recent review of a forthcoming book which shall not be named: "Stick with this [book] for the atmosphere, but for a better mix of history and intrigue, try Susanne Alleyn's Aristide Ravel mysteries."
May 10, 2010: The first chapter of Palace of Justice is now up and ready to be previewed! Come sneak a look.
February 19, 2010: I now have a Facebook “author page” for myself. The FB pages seem like the best way to send out newsletters/announcements without them being gobbled up by over-zealous spam filters that interpret every mass-emailed message as an ad for enlargement of certain body parts. So, if you’re a member of Facebook, or plan to be, please go along to the "Susanne Alleyn - Author" page and join by clicking the "Like" button; you’ll be sure of receiving my updates that way.
January 2, 2010: What a great way to start the new year! I just discovered that The Cavalier of the Apocalypse is included in Margaret Donsbach's list of the best historical fiction of 2009 at her excellent website, Historicalnovels.info. Thanks, Margaret!
December 24, 2009: I've created an auxiliary site for A Far Better Rest, similiar to the additional pages for the Ravel novels, where you'll find complete reviews, the first chapter, and other material that requires large amounts of text. The site is still under construction, but expect to see, in future, plenty of material and links about A Tale of Two Cities as well as some essays and opinion from yours truly.
Thanksgiving week: Thanks again to all the libraries and wonderful librarians in the Albany area who hosted author talks this fall. I look forward to visiting you again with the next book!
I can proudly announce that I
am, indeed, an "Uber Cool Nerd Queen" with a score of 99 in History/Literature!
October 9, 2009: A Far Better Rest is (finally) going to be re-released in a trade paperback edition, and will also be available for ebook download on the Kindle and other readers! Check back soon for more information.
September 21, 2009: Cavalier has received several nice reviews from online sites. Thanks for all the encouragement as I lurch my way toward completion (at last!) of the next Ravel novel!
August 13, 2009: Come see me guest-blog twice at the excellent CftAR (Campaign for the American Reader) Network! I discuss page 69 of The Cavalier of the Apocalypse at "The Page 69 Test" and also indulge in some fantasy casting for a hypothetical movie (or BBC series) of Cavalier at "My Book, The Movie."
July 18, 2009: Wow! Cavalier just got a nice mention in the Christian Science Monitor's Summer Reading feature!!!
Be sure to visit the "Events" page for information about future parties, book signings, readings, etc.
(By "book club" I mean, of course, a group of friends who meet regularly to discuss a particular book they've all read--not one of those annoying "get four books free now and put yourself in hock to us for the rest of your life" deals.)
Are you part of a neighborhood book club or writers' group in the USA, Canada, or UK? If so, would you and your group like to hold a live phone chat with an author?
Writers love talking about their work! (It probably comes from spending way too many hours alone at a keyboard.) I'd be delighted to visit on the phone with your group for an hour to answer your questions and/or discuss my books, mystery fiction, historical fiction, writing, getting published, and so on. College-level writing or history classes are also welcome.
I'll be adding some brief discussion guides (no spoilers) to the book pages here. Discussion questions for The Cavalier of the Apocalypse are already posted. Please email me if you have suggestions for more topics, or suggestions for discussion on Game of Patience or A Treasury of Regrets--I'd be happy to get your input.
Contact me to set up a date and time for a chat--don't forget to remind me what time zone you're in--and tell me a little about your group. All you need at your end is a speakerphone; I'll pay for the call. I look forward to visiting with you!
Web site ©2009 Susanne Alleyn.
Contents of this site may not be reproduced in any form without written consent of the author. Publications may quote excerpts for purposes of review only.
