Author Accessories

LOVE this!

Keep Calm and Read On

I was introduced to this amazing photograph by James R. Benn, a fellow World War II novelist and author of the Billy Boyle World War II series, and a new novel, Souvenir. 

Isn't it amazing? According to Jim, it's a bombed library at Holland House, Kensington, London, 1940.  

Mr. Churchill's Secretary named one of Target's "Emerging Authors" books!

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that Target has chosen Mr. Churchill's Secretary as one of its April 2012 "Emerging Author" picks!

(Above is a picture from our local Target....)

The Wall Street Journal: "Keep Calm and Drink On: Celebrating Winston Churchill Day"

Still celebrating Winston Churchill Day, now with a piece on Mr. C. for the Wall Street Journal's "Speakeasy" — "Keep Calm and Drink On."

It traces the "Keep Calm and Carry On" meme, which is really just another way of stating Churchill's own wartime philosophy KBO (Keep Buggering On), or, for the more delicate ladies, KPO (Keep Plodding On).

Happy Winston Churchill Day!

Today, April 9, is Winston Churchill Day — the day commemorating when Sir Winston was posthumously made an honorary U.S. citizen by President Kennedy, in 1962.

I'm honored that the Huffington Post asked me to write a piece on celebrating Winston Churchill Day, to mark the occasion. I was absolutely delighted to write it — especially to include cocktail recipes by or inspired by Sir Winston.

Special thanks to the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel, Esquire Magazine, The Flatiron Lounge, The Way Station, Fort Defiance, and The Churchill Tavern!

And here's my own contribution to today's fun in the HuffPo article — The Mr. Churchill!

The Mr. Churchill

11  of  12

This cocktail is my own creation, to celebrate both Winston Churchill Day and the publication of my novel, Mr. Churchill's Secretary. It has quintessential British spirits gin and Pimm's No. 1 Cup (a gin-based infusion of herbs and quinine), as well as Sir Winston's favorite champagne. Drink and toast to all of the real-life secretaries, including Elizabeth Layton Nel, who toiled for Sir Winston over the years.

1 part Pimm's No. 1
1 part Hendrick's gin
Splash of lemon syrup
4 parts Champagne or sparking wine

Shake Pimm's No. 1, Hendrick's gin, and lemon syrup with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass and top with champagne. Garnish with a thin wheel of cucumber.

Lemon Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup of sugar
finely grated zest from 4 well-scrubbed lemons

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, water, and lemon zest to a boil. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved, around 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely before using.

Where Would Winston Churchill Drink? London's Most Glamorous Cocktail Bars from Author of Mr. Churchill's Secretary

Where would Winston Churchill drink? Well, he'd have a wealth of choices today in London. Still, I had the huge honor of choosing the top 5 of "London's Most Glamorous Cocktail Bars" (hey, someone had to do it....) for Fodors.com, and here are the results!

Mr. Churchill's Secretary receives 3/4 stars in USA TODAY!

According to USA TODAY, "Mr. Churchill's Secretary delivers the goods — covertly, of course." It's also called "delightful" and "sweet as it is intriguing"!

Also included is a terrific photo of Mr. Churchill (who really never took a bad picture).

See the full review here.

Codes and Quilts at Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park and the UK Quilters Guild are presenting a special exhibition of 100 new pieces created specially for Bletchley. Some were made by people with links to the park (a grandparent might have worked there) or by people inspired by the institution. There is also a "Secret Messages" category, where the quilts contain code.

It looks absolutely FANTASTIC, especially those quilts with code. More information from Bletchley here.

Aaand... another author in the family

Yes, it's "All About Chess" by Mattie (aka Matthew) MacNeal.

Another Mr. Churchill's Secretary Review—and a Thought

Unbelievable—a starred review ("Debut of the Month," no less!) of Mr. Churchill's Secretary from Library Journal!


LET’S TOAST the new authors making their debuts in 2012! The variety of venues and characters ensure dynamic new mystery reads. A shout-out to Susan Elia MacNeal’s intrepid female math wiz ( Mr. Churchill’s Secretary)...


The review may be read on Library Journal's site, here, but this is the best bit: 


VERDICT: Watch out for the smart girl who can crack codes with her slide rule. 


Let's hear it for the smart girls.

Mr. Churchill's e-ad

From Random House, the gorgeous new electronic ad for Mr. Churchill's Secretary....

Click the link and watch what happens!

Mr. Churchill's Cat

Winston Churchill's cat, Jock, now has a Facebook page! (There has been various Jocks, marmalade tabbies, at Churchill's home, Chartwell, since the 1940s.) Jock says, "I will do my best to give you a real insight into what really goes on at Chartwell!" https://www.facebook.com/chartwellnt


Winston Churchill named Jock after one of his favorite private secretaries, Jock (John) Colville. I used Jock Colville as the inspiration for my character, John Sterling. I was able to use his wonderful memoir: The Fringes of Power: The Incredible Inside Story of Winston Churchill during WWII for a behind-the-scenes look into what day-to-day life was like on Churchill's staff.

Mr. Churchill's Secretary's First Review!

From Kirkus Reviews, a lovely nod! 


It will go live on the Kirkus site on January 18th, 2012. The review will also be published in the February 1st print edition.

The best bit is this:

Brave, clever Maggie’s debut is an enjoyable mix of mystery, thriller and romance that captures the harrowing experiences of life in war-torn London.

Two More Maggie Hope Books

It's not just a book — it's a series! Huzzah!

Thanks to Kate Miciak and Victoria Skurnick, Maggie Hope will live on, and have even more adventures....

From Publisher's Marketplace:

Susan Elia MacNeal's HITLER'S NIGHTINGALE and untitled book four, the next two mysteries in the Maggie Hope series, to Kate Miciak at Bantam Dell, by Victoria Skurnick at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency (World).

Mr. Churchill's Galleys

Yes, the galleys are being sent to reviewers from the Random House offices!

Drumroll, please... The cover!

Woman at War

The Atlantic has published some amazing images of women during World War II. Here's my favorite:

In the Garden of Beasts

Jana Riess is a scholar, editor, writer, and book critic.

She was also (full disclosure here), my sophomore-year roommate at Wellesley. And is still a good friend!

I recently read Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin for researching my third novel (yet untitled, but set in Berlin during 1941). Dodd's tome is a magnificent look at William Dodd, the U.S. Ambassador to Berlin, and his family, living in Germany during the rise of the Third Reich — a vivid, chilling, and gripping read.

Jana gives a wonderful review on her blog, which is also worth checking out.

Madonna and W.E.

W.E. is a new film about the Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII), who abdicated the British throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American divorcée. It's directed and co-written by Madonna.

Yes, Madonna.

It's scheduled to be released in Los Angeles on December 9, 2011.

The Duke and Mrs. Simpson make an pivotal appearance in Princess Elizabeth's Spy, so I've also done my research on W.E. (short for Wallis and Edward and how they privately referred to themselves as a couple). I'm fascinated to see how the film will turn out.

The August issue of  Vanity Fair features a sumptuous spread on the film, called, "Windsor Dressing." The costumes look gorgeous. Walis may have been a Nazi sympathizer, but she did have style. The photo above show James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
The costumes are by the Oscar-nominated Arianne Phillips, who worked with Cartier, Dior, and and Dunhill.


(Personally, I have Wallis in Schiaparelli.)

What President Obama Could Learn from Winston Churchill

What if President Obama took a page from Prime Minister Winston Churchill and appointment a coalition government? It might help. And could it possibly make anything worse?

Perhaps Obama should have kept the bust of Churchill in the Oval Office after all...