Caroline Lawrence, who has visited OLA twice, is the author of the Roman Mystery series, and the final book of the series is The Man from Pomegranate Street, now out in paperback. Her latest book is a volume of Roman Mysteries short stories, called The Legionary from Londinium and other Mini Mysteries and has some stories that go between the main books.
But as hinted during her most recent visit she is now working on a new series called The Western Mysteries. In her blog she writes, 'For the past three years I've secretly been working on a new series: The Western Mysteries.' The following is from Caroline's new Western Mysteries Blog:
"The Western Mysteries will be set in wild and woolly Virginia City in the fall of 1862.
Why 1862?
Back east the American Civil War is in its second year.
Out West the Silver Boom is taking over from the Gold Rush.
And in the final days of September, a dusty prospector walks into the offices of the Territorial Enterprise Newspaper to take up a position as a 'local' reporter. His name is Sam Clemens but within half a year he will begin writing under the name 'Mark Twain'. But Mark Twain isn't the only exciting thing about Virginia City in 1862. There are also gamblers, miners, con-artists, hurdy girls, prospectors & gunmen galore.
Here are some of the original ideas I had for The Western Mysteries.
1. The series will be for children aged 8 - 14+
2. The detective will be a loner: the western hero is always a loner.
3. The detective will be a kid.
4. The detective will own a Smith & Wesson seven-shooter.
5. Real historical figures will appear in the books.
6. The bad-guys will be gunfighters, tricksters & newspapermen.
7. The mysteries will be based around real historical events.
8. The books will be told in the first person.
9. My detective will love black coffee and layer cake.
10. I am going to have a lot of fun writing these books.
Here are some of the things which have made it into the first book:
1. A hero like nobody you've ever met before.
2. A terrifying, sadistic bad guy...
3. ...and his two side-kicks.
4. A terrible massacre, apparently by Indians.
5. An exciting stagecoach chase.
6. A beautiful hurdy girl, a Chinese boy & a handsome gambler.
7. Shootouts galore and some Bowie knife action, too.
8. A Pinkerton detective. Kind of.
9. A heart-stopping showdown in a deep mine shaft.
10. An ending that promises more."
(4 February entry)
The first book is due to be published next year.
