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A sizzling new novel set in Taos, New Mexico. The third in the Justine Trilogy, preceded by the award-winning, The Cairo Codex and The Italian Letters. Buy it at your local independent bookstore, 
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« Older Entries Newer Entries »Collected Works, Santa Fe, Event with Susan
Sunday, October 20th, 2013
So–who is Susan? Susan McDuffie, like me, comes from Scottish roots and loves, and writes, historical fiction. Her historical mystery, A Mass for the Dead, introduced the Scottish sleuth Muirteach MacPhee. Muirteach continued his investigations in The Faerie Hills, designated the best NM Historical Novel in 2011. Her current novel is A Study of Murder.
I will be discussing my new novel, The Cairo Codex, as well as the third novel in the Justine Trilogy: A Rapture of Ravens: Awakening in Taos.
Susan and I will engage in an interactive event at Collected Works, in Santa Fe, NM, at 6:00, Thursday, October 24. If you are within driving distance, join us!
PS. For you passionate readers out there, also check out my new quiz on Goodreads.
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The Justine Trilogy: Preparing for the Friends of D.H. Lawrence Book Fair
Sunday, October 13th, 2013
On September 19, The Friends of D.H. Lawrence is hosting a book fair at the Mabel Dodge Luhan house here in Taos. In preparation, I have summarized the relationship among the novels in The Justine Trilogy.
The Cairo Codex explores the bold themes of dominant human desires, fundamentalism, sexual awakening, feminism, and the pressures that lead to revolution. Egypt is a powder keg ripe for revolution, sparked by a discovery so shocking that religious and political forces converge to prevent its revelation.
Two days after arriving in Cairo, Justine feels compelled to revisit an ancient crypt, once thought to have been the home of the Holy Family. While in the crypt, an earthquake nearly buries her and she unearths a centuries-old codex. In the wake of its stunning disclosures, political and religious violence rocks the region and the Muslim Brotherhood prepares to take over the country.
Etruscan Evenings is a provocative novel of romance, culture, and history: the resolution of the meaning and ultimate possession of the diary of the Virgin Mary; finding of letters from author D. H. Lawrence to Justine’s great grandmother, Isabella; and the discovery of a primeval Etruscan tomb revealing the origin, journeys, and identity of this astonishing civilization that pre-dated the Romans. Lawrence’s Etruscan Places informs the search to understand these ancient peoples and the politics surrounding their identity. Tensions arise when the Vatican tries to subvert discoveries related to Mary of Nazareth. Justine heads for Taos, New Mexico.
A Rapture of Ravens: Awakening in Taos. Justine comes to Taos seeking the essence of D.H. Lawrence and her own spirituality. She stumbles into the conflict and hunt for the migration patterns of the peoples from the northwest. Here, she finds the Red Willow people, archeologists, Lawrence aficionados, and artists who draw her into the riveting blend of cultures that is Taos. She mentors a troubled young Indian girl, finding a sense of wholeness in that relationship. Lawrence discoveries include the spirituality he found on Lobos Mountain, his lost will, and letters that more fully explain his mysterious journey. After her Egyptian lover, Amir, joins her at Christmas, he returns to Cairo to lead the revolution of January 2011. A tragedy on Bloody Wednesday in Egypt is so shocking that Justine is thrown into turmoil and peril.
For more information: Linda Lambert, Ed.D., linlambert@mcn.org; www.lambertleadership.org; 707-328-4645.
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The Road to Taos: Why Are We Here?
Thursday, October 10th, 2013
We may be here because of a book talk I did on The Cairo Codex at the wonderful Moby Dickens bookshop in Taos on Saturday, October 5. The crowd of friends was gratifying and the new owner, Jay Moore, is an enthusiastic and wise literary entrepreneur.
But that’s not the full reason we are here. On Sunday, the 13th, we will host an appreciation brunch for those archeologists, historians, poets, artists, writers, Taosenos, who have helped create the third novel in The Justine Trilogy, A Rapture of Ravens: Awakening in Taos.
But that may not the full reason we are here either. Our passions for Taos may well be a sense of place. Right now, from our north, clouds hover over Sacred Mountain, while lemon yellow leaves fly from cottonwoods in the foreground. To the south, snow salts the mountains severed by the Rio Grande while to the west, the sun slips out from under fluffy white clouds set into vivid blue skies. To the east, ominous storm clouds blanket the horizon. Magical.
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The Road to Taos: A Writer’s Memories
Friday, October 4th, 2013
The air is dry now, the early October air singed with a fresh crispness, aspens hurry to turn gold. Signs of pueblos dot the countryside. Unexpected rains force flowers from the barren earth, while overpasses and cement walls north of Santa Fe blush with mosaics.
The drive from Albuquerque to Taos is full of memories. As we travel, I often ponder a writer’s memory and the relationship between memory and imagination. New Mexico conjures up memories of Pueblo bonfires licking the night air on St. Francis Day and Christmas eve, parades of Indians carrying an adorned Virgin Mary in gold —often thought of as Mother Earth. San Geronimo races, Turtle and Deer dances. Rebellions against the Spanish, invasion of the Anglos, Kit Carson, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo—ah, I’ve moved into borrowed memories, perhaps another word for research and yes, being a dedicated reader and student.
As for imagination, does it ever spring from a vacuum? From nothingness? Hardly. I believe in the collective unconscious carried by genetics. We all arrive on this earth with substantial prior learning. Early learning further occurs as the brain bursts forth in years 0-3. A two-year-old watches a hummingbird propel itself, the wings keeping it steady, holding it in place, so its beak can target an innocent blossom. Years later the experience becomes a metaphor, and Igor Sikorsky invents a helicopter. But I digress….
Why are we On the Road to Taos?
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The Road to Taos: Strangers in a Strange Land
Thursday, October 3rd, 2013
Before we got to Kingman, Arizona, the feeling returned. The feeling that we had entered someone else’s land. As the sensuous landscape unfolds, the light and the air become buoyant, the rock cliffs catch the sun. Signs are everywhere: this land belongs to the Native Americans, the ancients, the Anasazi, who have told me they originated here, not in far off Asia.
Where had I known this feeling before? In Egypt’s western desert? Where Timbuktu snuggles into the golden sand frosting the southern edge of the Sahara? Where receding snows reveal stones and tender grasses in the Yukon?
Between Flagstaff and Gallup, histories older than the Natives pepper the land, a meteor crater, the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. Perhaps all humans are strangers here.
Tonight we sit in an outdoor café in Albuquerque’s Old Town, sip our margaritas, and talk about our day….
Tomorrow, arriving in Taos
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The Road to Taos: Are Book Tours Worth It?
Tuesday, October 1st, 2013
Bob Hope and Bing Crosby never made a movie entitled, The Road to Taos, although they performed admirably in Morocco, Bali, Singapore, Zanzibar, Rio, and Hong Kong. All on a back lot at Universal Studios. Not likely that they ever attempted the Road to Needles, which is where we drove this morning.
But a few words about last evening at the delightful Skylight Bookstore on Vermont Street in LA. A small crowd, so without friends and relatives, I have to wonder if it is worth it. As we drive through the desert, images of book talks float like mirages, and singular occurrences surface.
…on the Mendocino-Sonoma coast, The Cairo Codex outsells The Zealot, and every other book. Ok, loyal friends are great.
…at Book Passage in Marin, a woman from India tells me she intends to recommend The Cairo Codex to her book club on her arrival back home in India.
…at the Capitola, CA, Bookstore, a woman who lived in Cairo for four years invites us to her house to see a painting by a friend of the inside of St. Sergius Church in Old Cairo—the very church where the Codex was found!
…at Skylight books in LA, a woman from the Midwest who married an Egyptian, has a film agent son named Ramses, and asks, “Can you write a screenplay?”
If serendipity is the magic that catapults a novel onto the public stage, perhaps book talks are worth it. What do you think?
Linda
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Book Tour Adventures-Depending on the Kindness of Friends and Strangers…
Monday, September 30th, 2013
As my book tour for my new novel, The Cairo Codex, began in Seattle on August 21st, I began a rapid course in the process and rewards of the undertaking. This post will continue tomorrow with The Road to Taos. In the meantime, here is what I’ve learned so far.
Before undertaking the expense and time for a book tour, ask yourself:
-Is it a good investment of monies? If you have a host for lodging, perhaps. The jury is still out here for me—will let you know as we go along.
-Can you accumulate an assortment of loyal friends and relatives as the basis of a crowd? This is essential.
-Does the bookstore in question advertise well? (Barnes and Noble advertises only inside the store.) Book Passage in Corte Madera, has an active on-line magazine. Books Inc., Opera Square, in San Francisco advertises in the San Francisco Chronicle.
-Can you rely on “the kindness of strangers,” as proposed by Blanche in Streetcar Named Desire, to supplement loyal friends? After all, your loyal gathering would probably have bought your novel anyway.
-Are you leaving signed books behind that will be well displayed?
-Will you create a sincere relationship with your host who will then promote your work?
I’m speaking at Skylight Books in Los Angeles at 7:30 tonight, so I’ll have more to report tomorrow.
Linda
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Arab Press reviews The Cairo Codex
Wednesday, August 28th, 2013
The Cairo Codex
This page-turner will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Dr. Justine Jenner, an anthropologist and daughter of an Egyptian mother and an American archeologist father is sent to Cairo to work on a UNESCO Community Schools for Girls program.
Before she can even begin her assignment, she is nearly buried in the crypt of St. Sergius Church when an earthquake hits. She is rescued but shaken and doesn’t realize until later that – in collecting her things in the subsequent blackout – she has inadvertently grasped an ancient codex (the stage between scrolls and books). The crypt is believed to have been the cave home of the Holy Family during their stay in Egypt to escape Herod’s armies. When carbon dating is performed on the codex and a team of scholars examines it, they determine it to be the diary of the Virgin Mary.
The book moves back and forth between Justine’s time and that of Mary as we read her diary. The contents of the codex are so startling to both Christian and Muslim faiths that their disclosure might trigger violent reactions. The Muslim Brotherhood is further provoked to action as it prepares to take over the political reins of the country.
This discovery will challenge accepted belief in history and religion. It will also raise questions of just how much knowledge the world deserves – or is prepared – to receive.
The Cairo Codex is the first in what will be The Justine Trilogy.
-review by Arab Vistas Today
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Self-published author finds publisher!
Monday, August 26th, 2013
I was passionate to write the powerful story now contained in the newly released novel, The Cairo Codex…a riveting story of the finding of the diary of the Virgin Mary and igniting fierce conflict in Egypt. Revealing the dark edge of the Muslim Brotherhood. The story would almost write itself—right? But none of the 30 plus agents I approached were as convinced as I was. I needed to convince myself that it was the writing and the story that were important. So I let go of the search for an agent and self-published with Authorhouse. I had written and published 2 of the 3 books in the trilogy when a small miracle occurred. A close friend of mine met a publisher in Switzerland and he asked her to read one of the novels he had just published in his publishing house. It was Breath of God by Jeffery Small. She did, and said: “I have a friend who has written a novel with some similar themes.” He read my first novel and offered me a contract for the trilogy. And–he asked that I rewrite the novel in more of a suspense genre. So, I rewrote the novel, changing some of the characters, leaving out others, shifting chapters, creating new chapters, redistributing clues, and on and on. At first I thought: start over!! rewrite my novel!! However, it gave me a chance to improve the book and the writing. I’m glad I did it, for it is now a very good book.
Now, I realize that mine is not the typical story of “small town girl makes good.” In most classic cases, a self-published book sells thousands and that is why it is picked up by a mainline publisher. However, as I’ve learned, there may be other ways. What do you think? Do you have a different story?
Linda
Tags: finding a publisher
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72 Hours in Cairo-Part 4
Sunday, August 11th, 2013
Day 3: Meet your driver—who is now your long lost brother—for a trip to the Camel Market in Birqash. Nearly 40 miles out of town, into the Delta, the views along the way are fascinating and the Camel Market is not to be missed. Traders from the Sudan in flowing robes hold hands until a deal can be struck. Brace yourself for the rather cruel treatment of these awkward creatures. Here also is one of the Community Schools for Girls that collapsed during the earthquake.
As you return, you will drive through Bulouc and Shoubra, two of the poorest areas of Cairo, arriving at “a secret garden,” Mataria, where the Holy Family rested on their way into Babylon (as Old Cairo was then known). A sacred child is buried under the ancient sycamore. Justine experiences the holy ground,
“…Inside the enclosure, natural spring water bubbled through an ancient stone fountain and down into the collection pool below. An elderly woman dressed in a green kaftan and white hijab held out her gnarled hand, catching and sipping the holy waters. Justine rested her exhausted body on a stone ledge facing the vista and ancient sycamore alongside, its tired, twisted branches held stable by hefty wooden props. Bare limbs with giant clusters of leaves were smothered at the top by the unrelenting smog. Jasmine and honeysuckle sprang boldly in irregular patches from the sacred ground…”
By early evening, you may need another rest and shower. Dress up for your last evening in Cairo (perhaps you should also pack before you go out). You can walk to the Taboula Restaurant at 1 Latin America Street in Garden City (2792-5261) near the American and Canadian Embassies, where the team that would unravel The Cairo Codex first met. The restaurant might have been a stage set for One Thousand and One Nights: carved Arabesque brass tables, lounging seats with red recessed lamps, ancient Oriental artifacts, cozy corners, and ornate pipes giving an air of timeless mystery. If you might be hosting four people, order a full mezza, tabullah, kofta, and labna. When you finish dining, it will be quite dark, and since the sidewalks are uneven and treacherous then, ask a staff member to call a taxi to take you to The Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel on the Corniche, where Justine’s romance with Amir began, a romance that blossoms through the entire Justine Trilogy. It’s an easy walk back to the Shepheard. Fall into bed for you have an early flight—and much to think about:
Were these stories about the Holy Family true? Could they be?
Why such tensions among the three religions of the book when they
all originate with Abraham?
What did I observe about the Egyptian people, their economy, and
history?
Which of my original assumptions about Egypt have been overturned?
What stories will I tell back home?
********************************
Read before you go: The Cairo Codex by Linda Lambert (but, of course); Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell; Midaq Alley, a short story by Naguib Mafouz.
If you have more time: Alexandria (Metropole Hotel), Luxor and the Valley of the Kings (The Presidente Hotel), Aswan (Old Cataract Hotel) and Abu Simbel (return to Aswan for the night), a cruise down the Nile from Aswan to Luxor. Yes, north is “down” in this case.
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