Heya, folks! Just a quick note to say, it looks like the audiobook for my humorous fantasy, THE CURIOUS CASE OF MARY ANN, is listed on SALE for only $7.49 on Audible right at the moment. So if you were thinking about it, that makes it more than half-off!! I don't know how long the sale will be since I don't control the pricing for this. So you might want to seize it while you can! Carpe biblio-ear-goodies!
Heads up, folkses! I decided to put my latest book, THE CURIOUS CASE OF MARY ANN (ebook version) on temporarily sale for $0.99 (and proportionately inexpensive in the UK, Canada, etc.).
I know budgets are tight right now and I thought this might be a nice way for readers to get a fun and escapist read on the cheap. You get mystery, murder, humor, and silliness all with a Gothic twist.
While it's a new story in a version of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland/Looking-Glass-Land, I've written it so that there's no need to have read those books to enjoy this tale.
When was the last time someone read YOU a story? Well, now actress Emily Lawrence can read you one of MINE because announce my Wonderland-inspired humorous mystery novel, THE CURIOUS CASE OF MARY ANN, is now available on AUDIOBOOK via Audible,Amazon and iTunes! Many thanks to Emily Lawrence for bringing Mary Ann and an amazing array of Tweedles, royals, and dangerous beasties to life. I've always been a big audiobook fan; listening to authors like Terry Pratchett and PG Wodehouse in the car certainly have helped ease my daily commuter angst-- and probably even saved lives. :) So having my own book in audio format is incredibly exciting to me personally, and I hope that you will enjoy the audio adventure, too.
As a reminder, for folks who aren't into audiobooks, the book is also available on Amazon in paperback and ebook form, in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany and many other locations. If you're curious about any of the available versions, you can start your journey here:
October 6 is Mad Hatter Day, a day set aside for whimsy and nonsense, with this date selected because of the 10/6 pricetag on the Mad Hatter's hat. Now, in case you'd ever wondered why the Hatter of late never seemed to have a truly clean cup, I thought I'd share with you what my novel, THE CURIOUS CASE OF MARY ANN, has to say about that:
"While working for Mr. Rabbit this past year, the fellow had promised Mary Ann's assistance for two hours, three times a week to one of his acquaintances, Mr. Simon Milliner, hat maker of Neath. Mary Ann agreed to the work, not because she had much choice in the matter (despite his cuddly appearance, Mr. Rabbit was not one easily denied), but because some extra funds would be nice to sock away for the future. She'd even made the sock.
The problem with this particular position was not specifically Mr. Milliner, though the man WAS prone to the occasional rude personal comment. (She recalled him observing once quite seriously over a cup of hot chamomile how her face resembled a chipmunk in need of a hair restorative.) No, the real issue was that the man had somehow gotten on Time's bad side and was essentially cursed to perpetual tea for eternity.
Now perpetual teatime may sound like a lovely thing to those who are fans of the stuff. But it presents a certain series of problems in the housemaid/kitchen departments. Mainly, there was simply no way of ever ensuring enough tea, foodstuffs and clean dishes to support the effort. Mary Ann would just get done with preparations and set-up and, suddenly, all was dirtied and devoured again.
What's worse, because it was always six o'clock, Mary Ann's allotted two hours per day never came to pass. Hour after hour of work: still six o'clock. Eventually, she'd simply walked out of the engagement... Even Mr. Rabbit hadn't pressed the matter once she'd explained the situation. She'd apparently been gone four days in teatime and now his socks needed mending and the linens changed."
Now, I myself am off for a nice cup of English Breakfast and to mull over things that start with the word M. Like Memos... Meetings... and the Many hours before the work week is through. :) --Jenn
I'm so pleased to announce that my most recent novel, The Curious Case of Mary Ann, got a rather frabjous evaluation from Kirkus Reviews this week. You can check out the review in its entirety here:
Also, calling it a "demented but internally consistent detective story" was pretty awesome, too. Little did the reviewer know, those are basically goals for all my stories. And daily life. Definitely daily life.
Anyway, I figured I'd share the good news. I'm currently writing my next novel, a work-in-progress set in the Greater Communicating Universe featuring my There Goes the Galaxy alumnus Rollie. (There'll be other characters regular readers will know, as well.) If you Like my pages on Facebook--
--You can see non-spoilery excerpts and regular news on the new book. I'm currently on chapter three.
I also have an audiobook coming out for The Curious Case of Mary Ann. I'm eagerly anticipating that, and that should be out either at the end of this month or early October.
So that's about it from me. Hope you guys are all doing well and that the first day of Autumn is treating you kindly.
I'm so excited to report that my humorous fantasy novel, THE CURIOUS CASE OF MARY ANN, is now available in both paperback and ebook form in a number of countries. The book is set in Lewis Carroll's Wonderland/Looking Glass Land and has a whimsical gothic mystery bent to it. The summary is as follows:
Things that start with the letter M: Murder... Motives... Mary Ann
Mary Ann Carpenter, housemaid to Wonderland’s White Rabbit, misses all the action when Alice drops into town.
She has her own problems. As witness to the murder of her estranged father, Mary Ann must go under-underground to learn more about the man she barely knew and the motives for his death. But the more she discovers, the more M-words keep coming. Like magic mirrors, monsters, mistaken identity and a murderer who is the mysterious manservant to the Queen of Hearts.
Mary Ann is mightily moved to unmask his malicious machinations, but can she unearth the evidence, expose the killer and keep a cool head?
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For folks who enjoyed my THERE GOES THE GALAXY trilogy, this is a little different from that but features a lot of the same sort of character-building and humor.
Hiya, folks! Long time no write, I know! And why? I have been diligently working on my current book, a humorous fantasy called The Curious Case of Mary Ann!
While it's intended for adults, it's based on Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, set in a version of those lands. It follows the White Rabbit's housemaid Mary Ann, who fans of the original Wonderland might recall was mysteriously absent from the home when Alice showed up.
In my novel, Mary Ann is caught up in her own trials and tribulations, including trying to solve a series of murders, hunting a Jabberwock, performing backwards chores, and rescuing a Knight from his lost sense of humor.
You won't have to have read either Alice in Wonderland or Through the Looking Glass to enjoy the book-- I'm working hard to make it understandable for everybody-- but I think folks who are fans of the stories, as I am, will have mad fun with it. And people who enjoyed my There Goes the Galaxy series should feel at home here rather quickly.
I'm about 35,000 words into the first draft, which translates to being between a third and halfway through.
That said, I am building a email listfor anyone who would like to be notified about book releases and other news. Don't worry-- I would not email very often. I've just found that social media, like Facebook and Twitter, is a little spotty and doesn't reach all the of the people who sign up to see my posts. So if you would like to sign up, just fill out the form below and follow the easy instructions.
I hope all is well with you guys! Thanks so much for stopping by! --Jenn
But as I was saying, I have a new book project I'm working on. It will still be humorous, but this time it will have a Victorian Gothic fantasy spin. It's based on characters from Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, but with a number of people and twists you might not expect. It's called The Curious Case of Mary Ann and I'm really excited about it. I've been a Lewis Carroll fan ever since I was a kid. The stories just spoke to me because they took such a magical, playful look at life. You could find wonder and mystery in something as simple as a cake or a tiny door, the unexpected places between. I want to tap into that aspect of it.
So to give you a sense of it, I thought you might enjoy just a taste of the draft I'm working. Likely this will change a bit in subsequent drafts, but I think it sets a tone. _______
How many Unbirthdays was it for the Queen so far this year? Three? Four? Mary Ann Carpenter wondered, as she wound along the path to her father’s house. At least three, she tallied, the last one still quite vivid in her mind. Oh, the FUSS Mr. Rabbit made about having his uniform just so, and the gift presented thus and his coronet polished to a dazzling shine. As if Mary Ann would ever fail him in any of those tasks. As if she had some long history of negligence—of slatternly methods—and hadn’t been running the household silently, smoothly, all along.
And now the fussing had begun anew. Mary Ann only prayed the Queen’s latest gift would live up to expectations. The young housemaid had truly stuck her neck out for this. She wasn’t even sure how it happened. Her employer had been working himself into the usual tizzy over Royal gift-giving, and in a mad moment of actual vocalization Mary Ann heard herself say WORDS. And those words suggested Mary Ann’s very own father should craft the piece for the Queen’s special day. She’d baffled herself with the very sound of it. This was a land where outstretched necks met the swift, sharp chop of the executioner’s axe should Her Highness not be properly delighted.
Now she wished she hadn’t spoken at all.
Mary Ann’s father was, of course, not only a talented contractor but the finest woodworker around. He put real passion into the items he carved, and Mr. Rabbit had commissioned a piece that was likely to astound. The designs alone had been enough to send the furry gentleman’s gloved hands a-flutter, whiskers quivering in anticipation, sweet words predicting a future of royal favoritism, rich comfort and bright possibility.
Welcome to Of Cabbages and Kings, the blog of author, Jenn Thorson. Here you'll find updates on the There Goes the Galaxy humorous sci-fi bookseries and other writing projects. Also expect to see musings on pop culture, grammar nerdism, literary nose-tweaking, a few feisty aliens, all united for gleeful, eccentric fun.
Come, savor the Cabbage-- for it is funny, fresh and unexpectedly tasty!
You might also enjoy my humorous space fantasy novels, There Goes the Galaxy andThe Purloined Number (There Goes the Galaxy #2), both available in paperback and ebook forms. Click here to learn more about them on my book website: www.jennthorson.com
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