I finally have the latest review of my most recent book Antique Mourning. 

From Bookish Indulgences:

I loved the first four books in the series quite a bit. So, when Antique Mourning released after a big gap, I was apprehensive and excited at the same time. I went back and re-read one of the books to make sure that I remembered the characters and the overall arc of Alicia's character before picking up Antique Mourning.

Alicia Trent has received an offer that is quite irresistible. She has been invited to a college in New York to catalogue and assess an antique collection that has been left to the college by an alumni. As a part of a deal, the college has also offered to let Alicia take some classes for free. Her business partner Barry is neither happy nor comfortable about having Alicia gone for better part of a year. But to top it off, Laudine would be traveling with Alicia to go and train the staff at the college.

What could go wrong?

Alicia and Laudine land at Druthmar college looking forward to an work and fun filled year ahead, yet they find themselves handling murders in a complicatedly big old place that has a haunted feeling on a good day!

Eileen Harris never fails to deliver a good mystery with a dose a drama and a pinch of humor. As the series progresses, the mysteries are getting more complex and darker. In Antique Mourning, the setting of the college building almost has a life of its own. I found the different buildings and their layout very complicated at the beginning and wished I had a map of it. But with time I loved that feel of 'known confusion' help build up the tension and mystery. The cast introduced in the book played their parts in both building up the plot and the air of mystery.

There is always something happening throughout the book - both on and off pages and as such, the pace held steady. It took me a while to figure out the who, the why and the how - and as such the book had me in its hooks through out.

Those who have already read other books in this series are definitely going to enjoy this one. But, if you are someone who hasn't read any of Alicia's previous adventures, this book isn't the best one to dive into the series with because there is so much in the previous books that have shaped up Alicia the way she is in this book. Without that context, I am not sure whether someone will 'get' our protagonist completely.

 I am happy to report that on September 1st the fifth book in the Alicia Trent Series came out.  It is called Antique Mourning, and continues following Alicia's life as she and her friends move into the future.  It took a lot longer to happen than I could have ever imagined.  Hopefully the future doesn't hold any more unexpected delays.  At this writing, I have one stand alone book written and undergoing the editing process, and the next book in the series is half written.  At this time I am calling it Antique Angel, but I can't promise that won't change between now and publication.  I will try to post information more frequently than in the recent past. 

 I am very excited because I have finally sent the manuscript for the fifth Alicia Trent series to the publisher.  The latest book is called Antique Mourning.  Due to circumstances beyond my control it has been a while since I have submitted a manuscript.  That fact makes this submission even more enjoyable.

If you enjoy reading great books for free, try the link below.  Wings e-Press has a holiday promotion where you can get a free book of your choice from all of their titles.  You can try one of my books or any of the other Wings authors.  The link is below.  We hope you enjoy your selection.

http://www.books-by-wings-epress.com/giveaways-contests-events

Happy Holidays!

Election 2016

     I almost decided not to write about my personal reaction to the recent presidential election. I knew no minds would be changed, no facts recognized, and it was too late anyway. I’ve changed my mind because I need to know that I’ve said out loud that I stand against evil. Too harsh a word? Maybe, but I don’t think so. Working against every type of human on the planet except straight white males, evil. Turning a blind eye to factual proven science and ruining the earth, our earth, the only place we have to live, by denying climate change, endorsing fossil fuel over renewable energy, allowing fracking, ignoring the increasingly polluted oceans, and refusing to admit we are nearing if not past the possibility of repairing the damage, evil. Ruining education, thus dooming society for the foreseeable future, evil. Painting our country’s great scientific minds as elitists with nothing worthwhile to say, evil.

     All those things sadden me for the future of this great country and the world. The fact that we elected a man who grabs women in intimate places without their permission, wants to abolish women’s rights, works against not for minorities, and has not even a glimmer of a clue on how to fix the economy, foreign relations, or govern with class is horrible. More horrible is the climate of hate, bullying, and discrimination alive in nearly half the population of the United States. The half that chose to ignore the facts and assist Donald Trump in his latest ego trip.

Today is the kickoff date for the book tour of the third in the Alicia Trent Series called Antique Discovery.  The kickoff page link is listed below.  It shows the different blogs that will be doing interviews and reviews.  As always thank you Debdatta for your interest in this series.
http://b00kr3vi3wtours.blogspot.com/2015/05/tourkickoffantiquediscovery.html

Edie Dykman, Bella Online's Mystery Editor, had this to say about Dowager Diaries, The Black Cane, which is my latest novel.  Thank you Edie for taking the time and effort to review this book.

The Black Cane (Dowager Diaries: Book 1), by Eileen Harris, is the first book in an exciting new series featuring an active group of senior citizens who desire to make a positive difference in other people’s life while remaining active in their own. They are not ready for the old folk’s home, and mean to prove it.

This intriguing mystery story is a powerful look at how aging causes seniors to feel dismissed and overlooked in society, and how seniors have to fight back in order to remain visible in their world.

The gathering of the women to do good in other peoples life brought them a much needed boast in their own life. What they learned along the way and how they were able to solve crimes and help those in needs is the gist of this inspiring read.

Fast-paced and fun, despite the seriousness of abuse, keep pages turning. Never a dull moment with this group. Thankfully, the subtitle indicates more stories are forthcoming from an author who truly understands the desire of seniors to remain viable in an ever changing world.

Book Tour

Due to some serious automobile accident injuries in my family I have been absent from this blog for some time.  I apologize for the gap and hope to be back on my regular schedule in the future.

This entry is to let you know that the first Alicia Trent Mystery, Antique Magic, is being featured on a book tour December 6th through the 13th.  The following link will take you to a list of the sites featuring the book.  Many of the site owners have taken the time to review the book.  I want to thank all of them for finding Antique Magic worth featuring.  I also want to thank Debdatta Sahay for her time and energy in setting up the tour.  Authors write because it's what we love and know how to do, but without people like Debdatta and these blog owners we are only a voice in the dark.  Thank you for helping us be heard.

Link:  http://b00kr3vi3wtours.blogspot.in/2014/12/tourkickoff-antique-magic-alicia-trent.html

This is the latest review of my book, The Black Cane.  It is being featured on a book tour this week.  I hope my regular readers enjoy this one as much as they seemed to enjoy the Alicia Trent mysteries.  At the moment Alicia is busy getting into new trouble.  Hopefully you will see more about that soon.

Review: 
By:  Debdatta Sahay at Book R3vi3w

When Amelia runs into a little boy in trouble and decides to help him, little does she know how her life is about to change – drastically. Deciding to shelter the little boy called Marc, their paths take them on an interesting journey full of mysteries and adventure. From eight old women playing bridge one a week, they become a more exclusive sort of club, a club that solves problems to help others. With slight help from Leon and Wade, these ladies not only solve Marc’s case but also take on other projects and complete them successfully.

The first thing about this book that catches you attention is its protagonists. Eight ladies past their prime years who hold a bridge club one a week turn into eight sleuths over a short period of time. That may sound a bit lame at first, but the author gives us a believable reason to realize that it just might be possible. Each lady having been a working professional from varied backgrounds, come together and pool their different experiences and expertise that help them to see situations from a unique perspective. The plot is multilayered. Along with Marc’s case as the base, there are other parallel storyline (or cases) that take place in the story. Though this adds enough flavor to the story, a reader might feel that Marc’s story was being dragged on to make space for these stories. 

Overall, this book makes for an interesting read. I am kind of looking forward to reading more adventures of the Dowager Club.

Debdatta Sahay created the Valentine Day blog hop called Spread Some Indy Love.  She chose to feature me and my books on her blog.  I appreciate her interest and support more than she knows.  Here is the link if you would like to check it out.  http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in/search/label/Blog%20Hop 

The Black Cane, Dowager Diaries, Book 1, did come out February first.  The cover art, as you saw in my last post, is very minimal.  I have gotten lots of comment on that, but most people seem to really like it.  It always takes a little time until the listing shows up on Amazon, but it should be there soon.  In the meantime it can be purchased at http://wingsepress.com/.  This morning I discovered that The Black Cane will be featured on the special Valentine event, "Spread Some Indie Love Blog Hop."  Debdatta Sahay, the organizer of this event, will be featuring this new release on her own blog.  It is a great opportunity for everyone that loves to read to discover what others like you are enjoying.  

My newest book will be available on February first.  I am impatient and hate to wait, but today I got a copy of the final cover.  Now I have that to help me wait for the publication date.  I am excited about this story because writing it presented all kinds of new challenges.  I hope you all enjoy the fun.

This is what Debdatta Sahay at Bood Reviews By DDS had to say about the latest Alicia Trent Mystery, Antique Legacy.  Once again, thank you Debdatta for taking the time to review this book.

While the almost castle crumbles around them, Alicia desperately searches for the answers she wants and needs. Every creepy room demands a thorough search. Someone is trying to kill her, and she doesn't even know why, let alone, who. Each room she searches is a challenge and each is either fascinating or horrifying. The huge cat now follows her everywhere, even into closed rooms. If she can discover his secret before one of the murder attempts succeeds, maybe she can find the answers she needs.  


 I absolutely love this series….

Alicia is on for another adventure. When she receives a legacy from her family, that she never knew existed, at first she is surprised. Then slowly as it sinks in, she is nervous and apprehensive. She has inherited a house in England and now that she is on her way to check out her inheritance, she also gets to meet her ‘family’ for the first time. Nothing is as she expected. The house is in a patched up condition, the family is not so heart warming but there are lots of antique pieces for her to look up… There are also weird things happening all around that makes it very clear that Alicia is is unwelcome at her own house. But she has a responsibility to decide what to do of her inheritance.

Alone in a different country all together, will Alicia come out alive or is she way over her head?

This book, I have to say, is the one with the darkest storyline in the series. For one, Alicia was all alone – without Barry or Lawrence or Nick to help her out. The action that takes place in the story is also darker than the others. Without giving away any spoilers, all I can say that the series has developed to a point where things get much more complicated. The look into Alicia’s heritage is fascinating though the same cannot be said about her present family members. None of them seem to be particularly likeable even though some of them do redeem themselves in the end. There’s a bit of development in Alicia relationship status that was out of the blue too. And, I have to say that the climax was the best – I didn’t see it coming!

The author’s narration style remains the same, making it easy to get into the story.  I did miss the other characters though. After following the series from the beginning, I have come to like the other’s in Alicia’s life as much and do expect to see more of them each time. Overall, the book keeps up with the rest of the series – its got action and drama that keeps the pages turning!

It seems like it has taken longer than usual, but finally I have my next novel finished and submitted to the publisher.  I hope to soon have a date for publication.  This one is called Dowager Diaries, Book One, The Black Cane.  When I have a date for publication I'll tell you a little about the black cane's owner Amelia.  She's quite a lady.

In case you haven't read it yet here is a review of the most recent book in the Alicia Trent Mystery Series.

Antique Legacy Review

Alicia Trent received a large antique chest at her workplace Eclectic Treasures in Arizona. The shipping label said it came from India. Accompanying it was a letter explaining the mahogany chest was from her uncle Albert Trent, and that he was bequeathing twenty acres in England as described in the enclosed deed, including a house and its contents. Also contained in the chest was a couple of albums and family photos of people Alicia did not recognize.

As soon as she could make arrangements, she headed to England to check out her inheritance. Family members of her Uncle Albert were still living in the large country house that was in obvious disrepair. One wing of the mansion had totally collapsed. The agreement per the letter was that she had the right to evict the current residents, lease the house to them, or list it for sale. During her stay Alicia started a room by room cataloguing of everything she found in the massive home to determine what she would keep, sell, or throw out.

During her stay, she learned much about her family history, shocked at what she uncovered. As can be expected, her newly discovered relatives were not happy to see her and treated her accordingly. The animosity expressed by the family kept Alicia on the alert, and she was physically attacked more than once causing her to fear for her life.

While all that was going on, she also was struggling with relationship decisions – should she choose Lawrence or Nick as she cared for both? Unfortunately, life made the decision for her.

Antique Legacy by Eileen Harris closely follows Antique Discovery by a matter of weeks and is in fact a continuation of the story about Lawrence and Nick. The author has provided a smooth transition from story to story throughout the series. Each book can be read on its own, but readers may want to start at the beginning to understand the big picture.

Harris has a smooth writing style that makes each book an easy read although there is plenty going on to keep readers turning pages to find out what happens next. Most of the action takes place in England, but the author keeps Alicia and the rest of us up to date with what is happening back home.

Antique Legacy is an intriguing book with interesting characters and a well-plotted, sinister mystery story. It looks as if the author is planning more books in this series and they will hopefully continue the thread about Alicia and her interesting life as an antique specialist.

Harris also wrote the book Desert Shadow which is not part of this series, but could easily become one on its own.

A special thank you goes to Eileen Harris for providing us a copy of Antique Legacy for our review. If you are interested in any of her books, they are available on Amazon.com.

	Mystery Books Site
	Edie Dykeman BellaOnline's Mystery Books Editor

Poetry For Thought

9th Annual Independence Day Poem

        Liberty & Justice
               For All

I spy
with my little eye
people trying to get away
with murder
and more than murder

approved force
is not
legitimate force

forcing invisible corpse-sized
vivisections of containment
written in code and law

pathetic patriotism
standing in for paternalism
perverting the impulse toward loyalty

no more pretending our exchanges
are consensual, not coerced,
purchased

who for the benches
and who for the podia?!

information wants to be ubiquitous
not proprietary

if copying is stealing
then every baby owes a debt of atoms and bits

it's unprostitutional
to want to be free

a citizenry should be
a self-assembling mob of tolerance,
shifting alliances that acknowledge
and adapt to change

I want interstitial citizenship—
there is power, too, in the stutter

               Michael C. Rush

These are the kind words Edie Dykeman at BellaOnline had to say in her review of Antique Discovery.  This is the third book in the Alicia Trent Mystery Series,  Hopefully we will begin seeing reviews on the fourth book Antique Legacy soon.  Thank you Edie for your interest in my writing.

"Antique Discovery is the third Alicia Trent Mystery by Eileen Harris, and the series continues to entertain. She is also the author of Desert Shadow, another intriguing story.

Much of the fun is that characters from the two previous books show up in this one as well. Barry and Lawrence return and so do Laudine who is from Pennsylvania, and who we met in Antique Forgery.

Harris writes in such a way that the characters start to feel like old friends and that we are getting updates on how they are doing. She spins a great mystery tale by keeping the ultimate surprise until the end although there are quite a number of reveals along the way.

Harris also sets up the next novel with a few hints in the last chapter of the current story providing readers with the feeling of continuity to the series. Fans of the series will certainly look forward to the next Alicia Trent installment!"

Tomorrow, the month long time that I have been the Special Feature on Debdatta Sahay's comprehensive blog on books will end.  She is finishing the month with an interview she did with me.  She asked, and I answered the things she was curious about.  I have to admit I will miss having her probe my mind and the minds of my characters, but once again I thank her for her interest and for finding the things I love to write fun to read.  Here is the link to her post.
http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in/search/label/Giveaway

Debdatta Sahay's blog is still featuring my published novels all this month.  The current post is a peek into the forth book in the Alicia Trent Mystery Series called Antique Legacy.  If you are interested in taking a look here is the link.
http://b00kr3vi3ws.blogspot.in/search/label/Giveaway

This is the latest review of Antique Discovery. It is always wonderful to learn that someone loves a book you've written. This book as well as the others in the series (Including #4) are available in paperback and ebook at Amazon.com.

 Antique Discovery Book Review by Debdatta Dasgupta Sahay Posted on: May 3rd, 2013 by David M. Assigned categories: Book Reviews, IHB Contributor Writes Antique Discovery (Alicia Trent Series #3) by Eileen Harris Antique Discovery [Kindle Edition] By Eileen Harris

Alicia Trent is back! The story starts with Nick and Barry planning out a vacation for Nick and Alicia. Seeing this as an opportunity to spend some quality time with Nick, Alicia agrees. It is only after planning the whole thing out that Alicia realizes that the date of clock’s prediction would fall within their prediction. But as we know, the clocks prediction always comes true, and this time was no different. While experiencing the desert feel on a ranch turned holiday resort owned by Nick, Alicia gets entangled in another new mystery. A murder takes place on the ranch and the victim was a very shady person. What was he doing at the resort? Who is his accomplice on the outside? Who is the man who has made his home in a secluded corner within the ranch boundaries? Everyone on the ranch seems to have a secret to hide… And then Alicia and Nick make a very important discovery. I have had immense pleasure reading the first two novels in the series – Antique Magic and Antique Forgery. Needless to say that I was eagerly awaiting for this one. The prediction provided at the end of the last book was enough to keep my interest fired throughout the waiting period. Ms.Harris has, yet again, delivered a wonderful piece of work. The consistency in her writing – both characters and plot – never ceases to impress me. Also, I can never rave enough about Ms.Eileen’s style of writing – simple language, ordinary words – yet an extraordinary product. She even described the resort (ranch area) so well that I could probably draw you a map of it. Having been in two tight situations already, Alicia appeared to be more prepared this time. But what awaited her on the date of the prediction and the days that followed were things that she couldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams. Of course, being with Nick on his known turf provided them with some advantage. Then Lawrence made an appearance at the most crucial moment of the adventure, while Laudine did her part too. Yes, Laudine does make an appearance along with her mouth watering dishes. While the mystery was wrapped up nicely, developments in the personal front of both Alicia and Nick’s life, separately, left me surprised. I won’t tell you what developments they were because that would be big spoilers, but believe me if you have been following the series then while the development in Nick’s life will make you happy, the one in Alicia’s life will leave you shocked! Overall, it’s a great addition to the series and one that has raised my expectation of the upcoming fourth book. If I haven’t made it clear already, I would recommend everyone to get their hands on not only this book, but the whole series.