Cover reveal for THE KING'S JUSTICE, Maggie Hope #9

Ta da! 

THE KING'S JUSTICE is scheduled for publication February 4, 2020. Pre-order now at your favorite independent bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

THE KING'S JUSTICE, Maggie Hope #9, scheduled for publication in February 2020

Some good news for Maggie Hope readers — the trade paperback of THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE will be published August 6, 2019 (this summer)!

And the next novel in the series, THE KING'S JUSTICE, Maggie Hope #9, is scheduled to be published in February of 2020. Cover reveal coming soon!

Thank you, President Clinton!

As you might know (if you're not living under a rock), President Bill Clinton and novelist James Patterson have writen the new thriller, THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING.

Mr. Clinton did an interview with the New York Times, "Bill Clinton: By the Book" — and it came out that one of his favorite novelists is ... me!

Yes, I had to pick myself up off the floor.

Here's the quote: "And I can’t wait for the next Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Robert Crais, Louise Penny, Sara Paretsky, Susan Elia MacNeal and Daniel Silva."

Wow!

And then after posting about it on social media, I heard from none other than the lovely Chelsea Clinton, who had this to say:

Chelsea Clinton‏Verified account @ChelseaClinton

Chelsea Clinton Retweeted Susan Elia MacNeal

Hi Susan! We are all huge Maggie Hope fans in our family!

Chelsea Clinton added,

Susan Elia MacNealVerified account @SusanMacNeal

Thank you, President @BillClinton mentioning my books in @NYTimes. Can't wait to read THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING! (And if you ever need another pair of eyes for your manuscripts...) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/books/review/bill-clinton-by-the-book.html … @ChelseaClinton @HillaryClinton

1:46 PM - 31 May 2018

Again, wow!

Traveling to Arisaig, where Britain's WWII Agents Trained

So happy to be in Arisaig, Scotland — where Britain's SOE agent trainees did their paramilitary training during World War II.

Now Arisaig House (which was used as the command center) is a lovely hotel and restaurant. (Thank goodness—I'd flunk out of one of those courses within a week if not sooner!)

Here are some photos you might enjoy:

Arisaig House in the distance.

Yes, it's official —we're in the right place!

The flower gardens were victory gardens during WWII.

It's a dog's best life.

The current croquet lawn is where the SOE agents practiced jujitsu and Fairborne Sykes knife fighting. 9Our croet matches have become heated, but not that violent...)

Taken shortly before I collapsed into a lovely nap.

And you get their by the Jacobite Steam train, a la Harry Potter!

PRISONER IN THE CASTLE Tour

Want to talk about Maggie, World War II, female spies, and/or Mr. K?

I'll be doing readings/talks the week of August 7 in New York, Houston, Ann Arbor, and Scottsdale.

Hope to see you!

THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE is almost here!

THE PARIS SPY—Agatha Award nominee, in trade paperback April 17

Delighted to announce that Maggie Hope #7, the New York Times bestseller THE PARIS SPY, has been nominated for an Agatha Award, named for Agatha Christie (natch) and to be given by Malice Domestic on April 28th.

THE PARIS SPY is also coming out in trade paperback (yay!) on April 17.

Spend this April in Paris!

TV deal with Daisy Ridley and Blueprint Pictures

BREAKING NEWS!

Can finally reveal actress Daisy Ridley has made a deal with Blueprint Pictures to produce a TV series based on the Maggie Hope novels. Daisy Coulam ("Grantchester") is writing the pilot script. Now, this still doesn't mean anything definite, but it's all good!

Cover Reveal for THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE!

Delighted to reveal the cover for THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE, Maggie Hope #8, scheduled to be published August 7, 2018. The cover's painting is by the amazing Mick Wiggins. 

THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE, Maggie Hope 8!

Big news here: just turned in THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE, Maggie Hope #8 to my editor. It's scheduled to be published on August 7, 2018!

Also, great news about THE PARIS SPY! It made the New York Times, Washington Post, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, and is currently in its third printing after less than three months on sale!

THE PARIS SPY! Finished books!

Well, here they are! 

THE PARIS SPY, officially out on Tuesday, August 8th!

THE PARIS SPY video and author tour dates

THE PARIS SPY, Maggie Hope #8, is coming out August 8th! Here's a video, to mark the occasion and serve as a little preview for the novel:

To celebrate, I'll be doing a series of author talks and signings. Cities include Brooklyn, Houston, St. Louis, Scottsdale, Buffalo, Brooklyn again, and Toronto. Hope to see you!

Details for THE PARIS SPY author tour below:

Tuesday, August 8 – ON SALE

7:00 pm

Talk & Signing

Barnes & Noble
267 7th Avenue Brooklyn, NY, 11215

Wednesday, August 9

6:30 pm

In Conversation w/ John Kwiatkowski

Murder By The Book

2342 Bissonnet Houston, TX 77005

Thursday, August 10

7:00 pm

Talk, Q&A, Signing

St. Louis County Library

1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63131

Moderator: Laura Benedict

Details: An onstage interview with historical suspense author Laura Benedict

Susan Elia MacNeal presents the sixth installment in the popular mystery series starring World War II-era spy and code-breaker extraordinaire Maggie Hope. Maggie has come a long way since serving as a typist for Winston Churchill. Now she’s working undercover in the eerily silent city of Paris. When Maggie’s half-sister Elise goes missing, Maggie must employ all her talents for deception and spycraft to root out a traitor, find her sister, and locate the reports crucial to planning D-Day in a deadly game of wits with the Nazi intelligence elite.

Saturday, August 12

2:00 pm

Poisoned Pen

4014 N Goldwater Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Wednesday, August 30 – BUFFALO, NY

6:00 pm

North Tonawanda Public Library

505 Meadow Dr, North Tonawanda, NY 14120

Thursday, August 31

4:00 – 6:30 PM

Barnes & Noble

4401 Transit Rd Clarence, NY 14221

Saturday, September 9

Slice Literary Conference

St. Francis College in Brooklyn

10:00 - 11:10 am

Panel: What Happens Next?

Writing a book takes a long time. A rich, tightly woven manuscript can take years to complete, and that time is often spent in fits of solitude. But as you write, the marketplace keeps spinning around you. Publishers may clamor to publish a certain kind of book one year (“We want the next Wild!”) and then quickly feel fatigued by those very books (“If we get one more manuscript about a woman’s quest to find herself …”). It can seem impossible to know what agents and publishers are looking for at the moment you’re pitching your book, or where your book falls in the marketplace at any given time. Hear from a group of agents and publishing pros who are actively seeking debut authors. Find out what they think is working, what’s not, and what’s on their (and editors’) wish lists for 2018 and beyond. They’ll also share insight into how to look at your manuscript through the lens of the current marketplace and how you can make sure your project is seen as timely and timeless rather than as a passing trend.

Friday, October 13

Bouchercon—Toronto  

Oct 12 – 15 in Sheraton Hotel Toronto

123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2M9  

11:30 to 12:30

PANEL: Mysteries set during a war

Location: Sheraton A room

Thank you, Dana Perino!

Dana Perino is a Fox News contributor and co-host of The Five. She served as White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush and is a nationally renowned media strategist and an active participant in the national political debate, frequently contributing opinion piDeces to FoxNews.com, National Review, and Politico. Perino is a sought-after public speaker about what’s happening in Washington, DC and how it impacts people around the world.

And, what's more, she's a long-time Maggie Hope fan!

When asked on The Five what character in a book she'd most like to be, she said Maggie Hope! 

Check out the clip!

Daisy Ridley Renews Rights to Maggie Hope

Always lovely to get mail from my film/TV rights agent at William Morris — Daisy Ridley (Star Wars, Murder on the Orient Express) has renewed her rights to Maggie Hope and hired a production company. Fingers crossed!

Thank you Talbots Book Club!

Delighted to share the news that the women's clothing store Talbots is featuring THE PARIS SPY and THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE as part of its new summer book club.

From WWD: "As of Memorial Day weekend, Talbots will be expanding the Book Club through a partnership with Random House that will tout some of the publisher’s leading writers. Each week, a different author will be spotlighted in stores and on a designated landing page. On deck are Elizabeth Strout’s “Anything Is Possible,” Nancy Thayer’s “Secrets in Summer,” Lisa Wingate’s “Before We Were Yours,” Fannie Flagg’s “The Whole Town’s Talking” and Susan Elia MacNeal’s “The Paris Spy.” Once in full swing, shoppers will be able to get a sneak peek of chapters from their latest books, as well as exclusive interviews with big-name writers."

Happy shopping and reading!

THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE nominated for Barry Award

So very honored (Barry honored, in fact) that THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE, Maggie Hope #6, has been nominated for a 2017 Barry Award! 

The Barry Award is a literary prize for crime fiction, awarded annually since 1997 by the editors of Deadly Pleasures, an American quarterly publication. The prize is named after Barry Gardner, an American critic.

Thank you so much — it's an honor to be nominated. The winners will be announced at Bouchercon 2017 in  September in Toronto.

Happy Valentine's Day!

THE PARIS SPY, Maggie Hope #7, to be published August 8

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Delighted to announce that THE PARIS SPY, Maggie Hope #8, will be published on August 8, 2017. Not too long to wait! I absolutely love the cover—art, as always, by the incredibly talented Mick Wiggins. 

And here's the gorgeous full painting—"without any of those pesky words!" as Mick says...

As soon as I can, I'll post more about appearances and other exciting developments. Cheers!

THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE is out!

Well, THE QUEEN'S ACCOMPLICE is out and on the USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, yay!

My editor, who also happens to edit Lee Child, Alan Bradley, and Laurie R. King, wrote a lovely piece for Penguin Random House. Thank you, Kate!

From the Editor’s Desk: Kate Miciak, Vice President & Director of Editorial for Ballantine Bantam Dell on Susan Elia MacNeal’s Maggie Hope books

OCT 3, 2016 EDITOR’S DESK

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Editors get very passionate about books they work on – the Editor’s Desk series is his or her place to write in-depth about what makes a certain title special. Get the real inside-scoop on how books are shaped by the people who know them best.

It all started with a title on a manuscript submission I couldn’t get out of my brain: Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. OK, I admit to a certain obsession with the British icon–but his secretary? What must it have been like to work during Britain’s darkest hours with that flamboyant, irascible, outrageously complicated figure? Biographies and memoirs abound of Churchill’s generals, his family, his aides. We know all about his pets, his bathing habits, his socks, favorite drink and books. But his secretary?

As I turned the manuscript pages, I was hooked. For this debut novel wasn’t merely about life in the shadow of Winston Churchill during those scary, dangerous days of what became known as the “false war”—it was the captivating story of a brilliant, college-educated, ambitious young woman with a flair for math and codes…who found that the only job opening for a woman in wartime UK government was typing and filing: Talk about a glass ceiling!

And, she wasn’t even British.  She was an American.

An American woman in the Blitz, working at the side of the seminal power makers of the period, forced to elbow her way into a man’s world….And crimson lipstick and cocktails….

What’s not to love?

Over the course of six award-winning novels, Susan and her marvelous creation, Maggie Hope, continue to enthrall me. In these gloriously researched capers, Susan has led Maggie and her spellbound readers down the bomb-torn alleyways of London, into the heart ‎of the UK’s spy network, parachuting into enemy headquarters, conspiring with Eleanor Roosevelt in the very corridors of the White House.  She’s crafted an intimate glimpse of young Princess Lisbeth and the Royal Family at Windsor; cavorted with Fala, FDR’s Scottie; and courageously shown us the suffering of those in the concentration camps.  More important, she’s stripped away the bald historical facts to inveigle us deep into the hearts of women during war:  women making tough choices and sacrifices, surviving, fighting back, courageously holding together their lives and their jobs and their families under unspeakable pressures.

There was a real Mr. Churchill’s secretary, a woman named Elizabeth Nel who worked for the Prime Minister from 1941 to 1945 and even wrote a memoir of it, which begins: “It doesn’t really matter who I am or where I come from.  Without undue modesty, the only thing of real interest about me is that during World War II I worked for four and a half years as one of the Personal Secretaries to Sir Winston Churchill….”  

But Susan MacNeal has proven, time and time again in her marvelous, intriguing novels, that the women behind the scenes did matter.  And that’s the real triumph of the Maggie Hope novels.

Learn more about the Maggie Hope books below!

Mr. Churchill's Secretary

By Susan Elia MacNeal

For fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Laurie R. King, and Anne Perry, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary captures the drama of an era of unprecedented challenge—and the greatness that rose to meet it.

London, 1940. Winston Churchill has just been sworn in, war rages across the Channel, and the threat of a Blitz looms larger by...  Read more >

Princess Elizabeth's Spy

By Susan Elia MacNeal

Susan Elia MacNeal introduced the remarkable Maggie Hope in her acclaimed debut, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. Now Maggie returns to protect Britain’s beloved royals against an international plot—one that could change the course of history. 
 
As World War II sweeps the continent and England steels itself against...  Read more >

His Majesty's Hope

By Susan Elia MacNeal

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

For fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Laurie R. King, and Anne Perry, whip-smart heroine Maggie Hope returns to embark on a clandestine mission behind enemy lines where no one can be trusted, and even the smallest indiscretion can be deadly.

World War II has finally come home to Britain, but it...  Read more >

The Prime Minister's Secret Agent

By Susan Elia MacNeal

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • For fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd, and Anne Perry comes a gripping mystery featuring intrepid spy and code breaker Maggie Hope. This time, the fallout of a deadly plot comes straight to her own front door.
 
World War II rages on across Europe, but Maggie Hope has finally...  Read more >

Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante

By Susan Elia MacNeal

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this riveting mystery from Susan Elia MacNeal, England’s most daring spy, Maggie Hope, travels across the pond to America, where a looming scandal poses a grave threat to the White House and the Allied cause.December 1941. Soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Winston Churchill...  Read more >

The Queen's Accomplice

By Susan Elia MacNeal

Spy and code-breaker extraordinaire Maggie Hope returns to war-weary London, where she is thrust into the dangerous hunt for a monster, as theNew York Times bestselling mystery series for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd, and Anne Perry continues.
 
England, 1942. The Nazis’ relentless Blitz may have...  Read more >