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Carolyn Mulford

Carolyn Mulford

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When Your Publisher Closes

Carolyn Mulford Posted on December 28, 2017 by CarolynDecember 28, 2017

The publisher of Thunder Beneath My Feet is closing shop December 31, 2017. Both the e-book and print editions will disappear from online bookstores. In 2018, my garage will hold most of the remaining copies of my novel about the devastating New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812. Many writers face this problem. Small publishers often go out of business after a few years of struggle. Big ones discontinue imprints that don’t meet sales targets. One friend’s mystery won an Agatha a couple of days after she heard her big-name publisher was abandoning the imprint. Another friend has seen three of her … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Thunder Beneath My Feet

1811: Earthquakes Flood Little Prairie

Carolyn Mulford Posted on December 16, 2017 by CarolynDecember 16, 2017

The first earthquake threw the 150 or so residents of Little Prairie out of their beds. The ground roared, moaned, and rumbled. Strange lights flashed from the earth. A dense vapor blacked out the stars. Thus, at 2:30 a.m. December 16, 1811, began the New Madrid earthquakes, some of the most powerful and far reaching quakes ever experienced in North America. Three major earthquakes, several aftershocks almost as powerful, and at least 1,800 notable tremors terrified the region and disturbed sleep as far away as Quebec over the next three months. The little Mississippi River frontier village lay near the … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Thunder Beneath My Feet

Prime Promotion Season Ends

Carolyn Mulford Posted on December 14, 2017 by CarolynDecember 14, 2017

Part of a novelist’s job is promoting, and promotion took more time than usual this fall. After all, the approach of winter was a good time to talk about my last book, Show Me the Sinister Snowman. Reminder: Still time to buy a copy as a Christmas gift. Most of my promotion is more subtle than that. For example, in October I took a mental vacation from being an author and prepared a lecture on novels that have had an impact on society for the local Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Naturally I gave attendees an opportunity to buy copies of … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, News

Great ShakeOut Falls on October 19

Carolyn Mulford Posted on October 17, 2017 by CarolynOctober 17, 2017

More than 52 million people—students, hospital workers, business employees, etc.—will take part in International Shakeout Day Thursday, October 19, 2017. In the United States, the Great Shakeout earthquake drills start at 10:19 a.m. Well over 2 million of the 18 million Americans learning how to react to quakes live in the large New Madrid Seismic Zone. There three of the nation’s most powerful earthquakes, plus some 2,000 aftershocks, took place in 1811-1812. But you know that if you’ve read Thunder Beneath My Feet. Keep in mind three basic steps when an earthquake begins. Drop onto your hands and knees so … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Thunder Beneath My Feet

Reunions and Life Stories

Carolyn Mulford Posted on September 27, 2017 by CarolynSeptember 27, 2017

Last weekend I attended my 60th Kirksville Senior High School reunion. There I found myself surrounded by joyful former classmates and a rich tapestry of life stories. This three-day reunion reminded me that one source of ideas for my Show Me mysteries was our surprisingly happy 45th reunion. Interactions with old friends made such a deep impression that they influenced me a couple of years later when I began developing the ongoing characters for my series. I created three women who grew up together, led very different lives, and reunited in the hometown as each faces a personal crisis. The … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Show Me Series

Tecumseh Predicted 1806 Eclipse

Carolyn Mulford Posted on August 20, 2017 by CarolynAugust 20, 2017

Researching Thunder Beneath My Feet, I discovered that Tecumseh, the renowned Shawnee war chief, had predicted the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812. Some laughed at him, but others listened because he and his brother Tenskwatawa, known as the Prophet, had predicted the eclipse of June 16, 1806. Here’s a short, simple version of a long, complicated true story.   Fighting American Expansion The original 13 colonies quickly expanded westward into Native American lands, destroying villages and crops as they went. President Thomas Jefferson appointed William Henry Harrison governor of the Indiana Territory, home of the Shawnees and other Native American … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Thunder Beneath My Feet

Reviewers Recommend Sinister Snowman

Carolyn Mulford Posted on July 13, 2017 by CarolynJuly 13, 2017

Despite the winter setting, Show Me the Sinister Snowman found favor with reviewers in July. Librarians and those who request they add books to their collections should note Midwest Book Review’s recommendation. The reviewer says that “dedicated mystery buffs will appreciate the deftly crafted characters, as well as the unexpected plot-driven twists, turns and surprises.… very highly recommended, especially for community library Mystery/Suspense collections.” To read the full review, go to the July 2017 issue’s “Mystery/Suspense Shelf” at http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/jul_17.htm. Another reviewer, the Pople Backyard Farm Blog, names Sinister Snowman one of its Best Reads for Summer 2017. Comments include, “Grab … Continue reading →

Posted in Media Materials, News, Reviews of Carolyn’s books, Show Me Series

Achilles Tells the Tale

Carolyn Mulford Posted on May 27, 2017 by CarolynMay 27, 2017

Every dog gets his day, and today belongs to Achilles. This time he, not Phoenix Smith, narrates the story of how he found the clue that led her to investigate a congressman’s “accidental” death in Show Me the Sinister Snowman. He tells his tale in a diary entry on book advocate Dru Ann Love’s Raven award-winning Dru’s Book Musings. For several years Dru has invited mystery writers to mark the release of a new book by writing a “A day in the life” post about the book’s protagonist or another character. I wrote about Phoenix’s day for earlier releases, so … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Show Me Series

Celebrating Show Me the Sinister Snowman

Carolyn Mulford Posted on May 20, 2017 by CarolynMay 20, 2017

Readers will join me in celebrating the publication of Show Me the Sinister Snowman at 2 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, May 20, at Columbia Books, 1907 Gordon Street, Columbia, MO. Today I’ve been thinking about what to say to them between their browsing among the new and antiquarian books and nibbling on refreshments. Sinister Snowman is the fifth book in the series, so most people there will have read at least one of the books. What do they want to know about the series and the new book? Beats me, but those who come to these book launches always ask lots … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, News, News releases, Show Me Series

Guest Post: Judy Hogan on Grace: A China Diary, 1910-16

Carolyn Mulford Posted on May 9, 2017 by CarolynMay 9, 2017

A North Carolina author, teacher, and activist, Judy Hogan has written everything from mysteries to poetry to memoir. (For more about her and her work, visit http://judyhogan.home.mindspring.com.) Even so, editing and annotating her grandparents’ diary evoked emotions her other books didn’t. She tells us why she worked so hard to pull together information on their life in China.   Probably the most important event of my life was going to Russia in 1990 as part of a Sister Cities of Durham Russia writer exchange program, and all the experiences that followed from it, with many visits and mutual publishing projects. … Continue reading →

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Dru Reviews Show Me the Sinister Snowman

Carolyn Mulford Posted on May 8, 2017 by CarolynMay 8, 2017

Raven Award-winning book advocate Dru Ann Love endorsed Show Me the Sinister Snowman today, May 7, in Dru’s Book Musings. She began, “I enjoyed the tantalizing trails that the author planted for me in this engrossing drama of suspense and intrigue.“ She noted “masterly adept dialogue” and “drama that kept me engaged in all that was happening” and called the book “a terrific read.” Read the entire review at https://drusbookmusing.com/2017/05/07/my-musing-show-me-5/. While you’re there, explore the blog, one of the most popular and comprehensive for mystery readers. You’re sure to find reviews of mysteries to your taste by both new and … Continue reading →

Posted in Media Materials, News, Show Me Series

Thunder Beneath My Feet Wins Award

Carolyn Mulford Posted on May 7, 2017 by CarolynMay 7, 2017

Last night the Missouri Writers’ Guild recognized Thunder Beneath My Feet with third place for the Walter Williams Major Work Award. The honor rarely goes to a middle grade/young adult novel.   Named for the founder of the world’s first School of Journalism and of the Guild, the Major Work Award goes to publications or productions judged “to be worthy of special recognition because of the research or high literary quality involved in its creation.” It is the top award given each year at the annual meeting. Show Me the Murder won first place in 2014. —Carolyn Mulford

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Posted in Events, News releases, Thunder Beneath My Feet

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Concert Jogs Memories of Vienna

Carolyn Mulford Posted on January 2, 2022 by CarolynFebruary 7, 2022

Memories interrupted my enjoyment of the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s concert broadcast last night on PBS. Unlike my Show Me protagonist, a CIA covert operative embedded in Vienna, I lived there only three years, but we shared a love of the city’s music. I went to the opera, an orchestra concert, chamber music, an operetta, or some other musical performance once or twice a week. Tickets were cheap, particularly if you were willing to sit in the balcony directly above a chamber orchestra using the instruments in vogue when the music was composed centuries ago. You could usually get a … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Uncategorized

New Sinister Snowman Edition

Carolyn Mulford Posted on March 8, 2021 by CarolynFebruary 7, 2022

Covid-19 stopped printers cold last spring. Consequently, the mass market paperback edition of Show Me the Sinister Snowman missed its slot in the printing queue. With the snow gone (until next winter, I hope), Harlequin Worldwide Mystery has just released the fifth book in the Show Me series.     This one finds Phoenix and friends trapped in an isolated mansion by a blizzard. Their housemates are aspiring political candidates and potential donors, one of whom intends to lessen their number before the roads clear. Phoenix has come to the meeting with two goals: to support Annalynn’s electoral dreams and … Continue reading →

Posted in News, News releases, Show Me Series

Memories Sparked The Feedsack Dress

Carolyn Mulford Posted on March 1, 2021 by CarolynMarch 1, 2021

When I began writing The Feedsack Dress almost 50 years ago, I asked my mother and two sisters to talk about their memories of 1949. I’d chosen that year for the novel because my recollections and my research identified it as a time of transition for the country, our rural Missouri community, and our family. Our discussion evoked many forgotten details and produced a major plot point. We gathered around the kitchen table at my parents’ farm on a hot summer day. To my surprise, each of us remembered not only different movies and music but also different versions of events, … Continue reading →

Posted in Historicals, News, The Feedsack Dress

Earthquakes on My Mind

Carolyn Mulford Posted on December 16, 2020 by CarolynDecember 16, 2020

2020 has been a horrible year. I hope it doesn’t end like another bad year, 1811. That year, rains brought mud and flood to Upper Louisiana. The nightly appearance of the devil-tailed Great Comet prompted rumors of destruction. The brilliant Tecumseh campaigned for tribes on both sides of the Mississippi to unite to beat back the encroaching Americans. The adolescent United States crept closer to the War of 1812. Then a natural disaster struck the middle of the newly expanded United States. In early morning on December 16, a series of earthquakes, aftershocks, and tremors began, interrupting New Madrid’s French … Continue reading →

Posted in Thunder Beneath My Feet

Summer Before Air Conditioning

Carolyn Mulford Posted on July 19, 2019 by CarolynJuly 19, 2019

Air conditioning keeps me comfortable during the current heat wave, but I remember how we tried to cool off when nothing but the movie theater was air conditioned. July and August approximated hell when I was a kid. No day was so hot that we wouldn’t work in the fields and the garden. Only the persistent breeze made the heat and humidity bearable. The steamy days heated the house, making it equally miserable. When we got electricity, fans helped a little. During the day the coolest place to be was in the shade of a big elm. (Sadly Dutch elm … Continue reading →

Posted in The Feedsack Dress

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