Celebrating Molly Murphy

 RHYS BOWEN:  Since this week is celebrating the publication of VANISHED IN THE CROWD, the 22nd Molly Murphy novel, I thought I'd share some Molly pictures with you. One of the things fans like about this series is that it involves real time, real place.  When I first started the series I went to New York and chose a home for my heroine.  It is on Patchin Place and still exists, unchanged.  A few years ago a man emailed me to  say he was now living in Molly's house and sent me pictures.  When Clare and Tim were in New York last year they met him and he invited them inside for a tour.

When I was writing the first books and my knowledge of New York was limited to  tourist areas I went there for every book and walked any streets that Molly would walk. What would she hear, smell, see?  Now I know her part of New York well enough that I could give a guided tour.  I said this jokingly once to the Minotaur publicist. Her eyes lit up. "Molly walking tour of New York???"  Not really, I said hastily.

The nice thing is that most of Molly's New York is still there, hardly changed. You can still walk up Mulberry Street, see the Jefferson Market building, cross the Brooklyn Bridge.  Over the years I have taken plenty of pictures and I'm going to share some now. This is Patchin Place.

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This is looking down Patchin Place toward the Jefferson Market Building In Molly's time it was both a market and a police station with holding cells.

This is the last working gas lamp in New York City.  It's in Patchin Place.

Molly's house on the right.  And some typical houses from the neighborhood. Molly lived briefly in a fancy house like this on Fifth Avenue.

And finally the pharmacy around the corner that was open and working in Molly's day.  I love how I continually find little gems like this!

I hope you've enjoyed this little tour. Next time you go to New York check out Molly's old haunts!

And writers, how important is it to you to visit the sites you are writing about and know them well?

NEWSFLASH; I've been given some free copies of the Audible version of the book.  If you'd like to be in a drawing for one, email me at Authorrhysbowen@gmail.com. i'll pick some names from a hat and give you instructions on how to claim the audio version.

Me Time.

 RHYS BOWEN: As most of you know, I'm finding myself more and more involved with my husband's health issues. He's 92, has had a bad fall and our lives seem to be dominated by doctor visits, picking up meds and deciding what he can eat. The problem is that I don't like to leave him for too long as he's a bit wobbly these days and won't use his walker or cane all the time.

A few days ago I had a mini-escape. My daughter Clare had spring break and we got a day pass to a local hotel pool.  We lay in the shade and read, stood in the chest deep pool and talked, sat in the hot tub and ordered lunch and a cocktail.  It was heavenly.

And it made me realize how important ME TIME is.

I'm wondering what other Reds and Reddies do when they want to escape, decompress and recharge? For me the pool is one of the most important. To lie in pleasantly warm water, weightless, looking up at palm trees, recharges me rapidly.  My favorite would be a beach. Just wandering along the edge of the waves, finding shells, watching sea birds brings me great peace and contentment. Alas Arizona is not near any ocean.  

When I am back in California I go to a little beach on the San Francisco Bay. It's called China Camp and was a settlement when the Chinese were driven out of the city a century ago. So a couple of old shacks and a perfect little cove.  It's only about fifteen minutes from my house. I buy a year pass and go whenever i need to get away and think. It's great for plotting out the next scene of a book or just letting my mind wander before I come back to real life.

What else do I do? I have regular massages. Love them. A spa day is a real treat. But I don't do many of the things my friends do to feel relaxed and special. Manicures? No. I have tried. I come out looking glamorous and in two days I've chipped half my nails.  I do like pedicures. It's fun to change toe nail colors in the summer.

Facials? I've tried. I lie there with pads on my eyes while soothing herbals blends are stroked into my skin and I think, "I must remember to get more eggs on the way home."  Or... In that scene I just wrote she shouldn't say she's angry.  I find myself writing to do lists. And begrudging the time all these substances on my face are taking.

I'm not good with meditation either. I try to relax and think of nothing.  Impossible. I try to picture myself floating on a cloud or lying on a calm ocean. And start writing the to do lists again, or rewriting my last chapter.

I've tried sound baths. They don't seem to work either.  Actually, now I think about it, the best way to relax is to have lunch with good friends. Lots of laughter, memories, encouragement. 

So what suggestions do you have for me at this moment? Quick little re-charge sessions?

My bucket List

 RHYS BOWEN: Last fall I flew to England to join my college friends in a reunion. We’ve been getting together regularly over the years. At first it was every five years, then every three, then two and now we are reaching our sell-by date it’s every one.

These are old broads by any definition but some of us are still living our best lives. I stayed for a few days before the reunion with my friend Evelyn. She was married to an international consultant and they traveled a lot. He died a few years ago but Evelyn keeps on traveling. Last year it was a cruise that started in Indonesia and went up through Asia and around Japan. When we were together she said she had booked to travel the Silk Road. I looked surprised. Why? She said she’d just read a book about it and was curious. And so in November she did.

This was no easy travel. Bumpy roads, crossing strange borders. But she had a great time, (apart from too many mosques, she told me).

That made me think: where do I still want to go that I haven’t been? I’m trying to be realistic and know that I can’t do the hike around Mont Blanc, which I had always wanted to do. I’ve been to a lot of Asia and don’t want that nineteen hour flight again. I had always wanted to do an African safari but wonder if my back can take the jolting of a jeep over rough ground. 

So what could still be on my bucket list? I’d always wanted to do a canal boat trip through France. I know France well, have been all over and love to go back, especially to the south. Ditto for Italy. I’ve never been to Puglia so that could be a future trip. And also Switzerland. I love the Alps and would happily ride trains all over Switzerland. But anything more exotic?  I’ve never been up the Amazon. Or to Peru.  I don’t think I’d tackle Machu Pichu and the altitude.  I find more and more that I long to go back to the familiar: Cornish fishing villages, Villefranche Sur Mer, Venice, Tuscany.  As long as I can keep traveling it’s fine with me.

How about you, Reds? What’s on your bucket lists?

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’m like you, Rhys, in that there are places I once had on my list that time has crossed off for me. I’m not making that hike up to Machu Piccu either!

I’d love to do luxury train trips: the Orient Express, the Andean Explorer in Peru, the new Brittanic Explorer which goes through Cornwall and Wales. I’d love to visit Asia and southeast Asia: Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia. If I could find some sort of guided tour based around eating, that would be heaven!

I’ve long wanted to see Kashmir, but I suppose that’s out of reach until India and Pakistan reach an amiable agreement, so… a hundred years from now?

The Adriatic Sea from Albania and Montenegro, before everyone catches on and starts going there.

But honestly, the vacations that most appeal to me these days involve a sunny beach, a stack of books, and a waiter bringing me lunch and pineapple drinks!

RHYS: Julia, we were lucky enough to visit Kashmir while it was still open. Such a glorious place.

HALLIE EPHRON: This is hard, because my Jerry was THE best traveling companion. I’m so much less adventurous without him. Our last trips were to Peru (Yes, Machu Pichu!) and Panama. I’d always hoped we could get to Texas for the whooping crane migration. 

On my own, now, or dragging along a daughter or two, I’d be up for one of the small river boat cruises of eastern Europe.

JENN McKINLAY: I’m still up for anything but my short dream list is Iceland, Japan, and Kenya. On the immediate actually happening list is Spain, Portugal, and the Azores.

The Hooligans are fabulous travelers—curious, helpful, and independent so they have their own lists. It’ll be fun to see where their adventures take them and if I can hitch a ride. LOL. 

DEBORAH CROMBIE: My parents went to Machu Pichu, Rhys, but it has never been on my bucket list. There are so many places in England that I still want to visit, and many that I want to revisit. And I have never been to Ireland! My kiddos are going for a week's tour over spring break and I'm very jealous. I want to go back to Paris and the south of France. I want to stay in a Tuscan villa and drink wine. I'd love to do one of those European river cruises, too. I feel very dull compared to Jenn!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oxford, Oxford, Oxford. I have never been there, and I cannot believe it. I would hop on a plane right now if I could. And then Ireland.  And then a river cruise, although I am always hearing the people get sick.

Debs, I am here to tell you that staying in a Tuscan villa and drinking wine is ALL its cracked up to be. Fabulous in every way. I’d like to go back to Paris and just live there, with no tourist responsibilities

RHYS: All the above are so doable, Hank. Please go while you and Jonathan are still young and healthy enough to enjoy them!

LUCY BURDETTE: We are in the airport right now after a 12 hour delay so it’s a little hard to answer this question lol. But I will anyway. Iceland and Japan, yes. And now I know that Jenn would be a fabulous traveling companion. Among other good qualities, she can reach anything on the top shelf and put a bag in the overhead Compartment without breaking a sweat.  More France, more Scotland and England, and definitely Switzerland. I feel like I should go to Germany because a lot of my ancestors came from that area. I’m delighted to hear that Rhys and her buddies intend to keep traveling! I am in.

RHYS: So my message to all you Reddies out there. Don't put off travel until you finds it's too late. I know the world is crazy at the moment but let's hope soon sanity will be restored and the world will be our oyster again. Where do you want to go?