2001 is turning out to be a busy year for me. Not only did the beginning of the year mark the release of the Long Awaited (at least by me) Craig Rice biography (Who was That Lady?), my first novel is being released as well. Add in a couple of short stories, and I find my plate pretty full.

I was at Malice Domestic last month. I'll be at the Printer's Row book fair this weekend in Chicago. After that is a California tour with my good friends and fellow reds, Kris Neri and Julie Wray Herman. That's followed by some local (cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus) signings, then SEBA, Bouchercon, and the Kentucky Book Fair.

As promised, I won't be bombarding you with virus hoaxes and free porn offers, but I will be sending out periodic updates on my works.... and opening up some contests just for my newsletter readers.


Craig Rice -- Who Was that Lady?

I've recently set up a new e-group to discuss the works of Craig Rice. Starting in July we'll be discussing her first book, 8 Faces at 3. Craig started that book based on a dream she'd had.

You can go to the Yahoo site to enroll :

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CraigRiceReaders/members

OR you can send an email to:

craigricereaders-subscribe@yahoogroups.com



The Red Headed League

I'll be touring the West Coast for the better part of June. Kris Neri and Julie Wray Herman -- both Agatha nominees for their books -- will be accompanying me on the tour. We're starting at the ALA in San Francisco and making our way down the Pacific Coast Highway.

You can see our full schedule at:

http://members.aol.com/readheadedleague/index.htm



The Ambush of My Name:

My first novel is finally being released on June 1st. It's a historical mystery, set in 1865, in Georgetown, OH featuring General (and future president) Ulysses S. Grant as the detective.

The series starts with Grant's victory tour of Ohio. I have the locales of the first 5 books planned for Georgetown, Bethel, Cincinnati, Covington, and then back to Washington DC for some political intrigue. Grant was literally a man without a permanent home most of his life, so I wanted the series to reflect that rootlessness in the books. So he and Julia have their bags packed for more adventure.

One of the fun aspects of writing this series is the amount of hotly debated lore surrounding the war. Conspiracy theories, missing treasures, the desire for revenge for the North's victory. At first, I was concerned that I would have enough of these "military" legends to use some in each book, but after some of my research, I have more than enough to write any number of books.

You can read more about it on my website :

www.jeffreymarks.com

Or purchase a copy at :

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/102-3325685-6880939

I've been immersed in Civil War history, writing the second book in the series. It's tentatively titled Good Soldier, and takes place in Bethel, Ohio. When Grant visits some boyhood friends just home from the war, he learns that their stay in Andersonville turned quite profitable, but deadly.