Archive for February, 2025

Tuesday, February 18th, 2025

Author Interview: Rosanne Limoncelli

Rosanne Limoncelli

LibraryThing is pleased to sit down this month with filmmaker and author Rosanne Limoncelli, the Senior Director for Film Technologies at the Kanbar Institute and at the Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center, both part of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She has written, directed, and produced documentaries, educational films and short narrative films, and has taught writing and filmmaking for more than three decades. Limoncelli’s first book, Teaching Filmmaking: Empowering Students Through Visual Storytelling, was published in 2009. She has published short stories in the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Suspense Magazine and Noir Nation. Her debut mystery novel, The Four Queens of Crime—offered in our January Early Reviewers batch—is due out next month from Crooked Lane Books. Limoncelli sat down with Abigail to answer some questions about her new book.

The Four Queens of Crime follows a woman detective chief inspector in 1930s London who enlists the aid of four famous mystery writers—Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham—in solving her case. How did the idea for the story first come to you?

I love reading biographies of my favorite authors because I always wonder what experiences from their lives might’ve made it into their books. I love the psychology. Reading about Agatha Christie led me to the other three and it fascinated me that these four women were the bestselling authors of the 30’s. How amazing was that! The lives of Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L. Sayers and Margery Allingham were just as fascinating, and of course I started wondering if they had ever met and that led me to, what if they did meet and got involved in a murder case? Would there have been a woman DCI they could’ve collaborated with? And then I found Lilian Wyles, the first woman DCI at Scotland Yard. And miraculously, she had a memoir!

Were you an admirer of these four authors’ work, before beginning your book? Which one is your favorite, and why?

That’s too hard a question! I think that sometimes I’m in the mood for one author over another, and they constantly switch places for number one. I love Christie’s puzzles, Ngaio’s characters, Allingham’s language, and the patter between Sayers’ protagonists. In the book they talk to each other about writing and how different they are from each other. That was one of the fun things about writing them as characters. I will say that for each author I have my favorite titles in all formats, hard cover, kindle and
Audiobook, and I go back to them often, not just for research reasons, I need to keep in touch with the main characters like they are real people in my life.

What sort of research did you have to do on your four queens, in order to incorporate them as characters in your story, and what were some of the most interesting things you learned?

I’m a research nerd, and I went way overboard researching all four authors, consuming all their books, plus articles, biographies, documentaries, movies and tv shows of their work, and the time period, 1938. I’m lucky that my husband has always been into the history of World War Two so we watched a lot of feature films and documentaries from and about that era. The four queens all came alive for me quickly, mainly through their biographies. I found it interesting to notice the differences between the four writers, as well as their similarities. For example, they were all big lovers of Shakespeare, they each had very different writing styles, they all grew up so differently. Agatha was home schooled, Dorothy was one of the first women to get a degree from Oxford, Ngaio was a painter and travel writer before she wrote mysteries, and Margery grew up surrounded by writers. I got very interested in the accuracy of their real lives pertaining to my story, figuring out the possible real time they could’ve spent together. The spring of 1938 would’ve been the last chance for them to meet before the war, since Ngaio Marsh returned to New Zealand shortly after that spring. I also noticed that they all had a change in their writing careers right about that time, so I imagined that the experiences on that weekend of my imagined murder changed them personally to bring about that literary change.

What influence has your career as a filmmaker had on your mystery writing? Would you say you were a visual storyteller? Do you see the scenes and characters before writing them?

I do think I see scenes and characters before I write them, which actually can make it more challenging for me because I forget I have to translate my visual imagination into text so I often leave things out without noticing. An early reader will mention they’d like more description of a certain place or person, and since I see it so clearly in my mind, I have to remind myself that no one else can see it, that I actually have to put it into words! But what is the same for me, in writing films and writing fiction, is the story structure. The logic and sequence of what happens and what should happen next is my favorite part and I make charts and spreadsheets and notes and lists obsessively before writing a project and throughout the whole process. It’s the puzzle of the story that I love the most. Building it up, breaking it down, deciding on the clues and all the information that leads to the climax and makes for a convincing ending, sorting and resorting every detail until it makes sense to me and I’m satisfied with it.

You have written short stories, films, and an academic text, but this is your first novel. Was the writing process any different, when working on this kind of text?

Technically this is the fifth novel I’ve written, just the first one to be published. (Keep writing out there, writers!) Each project is a bit different for me, but one thing that was quite similar in this project and the academic text (which stemmed from the dissertation for my PhD) was the research. In both cases I didn’t know exactly what I was going to write, at first, but I kept reading what interested me and taking lots of notes and underlining sentences, and marking sections with Post-It notes and noting links of websites and movie clips, then when it had gathered a certain satisfying accumulation, I stopped. I looked at everything I had gathered, all the notes, and sections, and visual images, etc. and it all seemed to magically come together thematically and emotionally. Like I was making a collage that found its shape from my subconscious. I think that the story starts to form itself in the back of my mind, while I’m gathering the research, and the story writing is easier after that once I get down to it.

What’s next? Will there be more stories featuring DCI Lilian Wyles? Might there be a film adaptation?

I am working on a sequel that takes place two years later. The war is raging and there are different problems to solve. This story is still a murder mystery puzzle, and Lilian Wyles leads the case, with help from the four queens, but it has a bit of a spy thriller spice added to it. I’m constantly inspired by the parallels from that time and our current day issues, there are so many similarities. As far as a film adaptation, I’d love to adapt The Four Queens of Crime into a feature or a tv series, we’ll see what happens!

Tell us about your library. What’s on your own shelves?

Besides the Four Queens of course, because they fill a lot of my shelves! (And by my “shelves” I mean paper books, E-readers and audio books.) A sampling of other books on my shelves include: P.D. James, John Irving, John Le Carré, Edith Wharton, Raymond Chandler, Graham Greene, and I’m a science fiction fan also, Octavia E. Butler, William Gibson, N.K. Jemisin, and Ray Bradbury.

What have you been reading lately, and what would you recommend to other readers?

I just finished reading every Mick Herron book in the Slow Horses series. The TV show is great and the audio books are also very well done. I just read Still Life by Louise Penny who is amazing! I can’t wait to read all of her work. I just started All Systems Red by Martha Wells. I will definitely be reading the whole Murderbot series. When I am trying to make a lot of progress with my writing projects, I have to ban myself from reading because I won’t get enough writing done or get enough sleep!

Labels: author interview, interview

Friday, February 14th, 2025

Come Join the 2025 Valentine Hunt!

It’s February 14th, and that means the return of our annual Valentine Hunt!

We’ve scattered a quiver of Cupid’s arrows around the site, and it’s up to you to try and find them all.

  • Decipher the clues and visit the corresponding LibraryThing pages to find an arrow. Each clue points to a specific page right here on LibraryThing. Remember, they are not necessarily work pages!
  • If there’s an arrow on a page, you’ll see a banner at the top of the page.
  • You have two weeks to find all the arrows (until 11:59pm EST, Friday February 28th).
  • Come brag about your quiver of arrows (and get hints) on Talk.

Win prizes:

  • Any member who finds at least two arrows will be
    awarded an arrow Badge ().
  • Members who find all 14 arrows will be entered into a drawing for some LibraryThing (or TinyCat) swag. We’ll announce winners at the end of the hunt.

P.S. Thanks to conceptDawg for the swan illustration!

Labels: treasure hunt

Monday, February 3rd, 2025

February 2025 Early Reviewers Batch Is Live!

Win free books from the February 2025 batch of Early Reviewer titles! We’ve got 196 books this month, and a grand total of 3,388 copies to give out. Which books are you hoping to snag this month? Come tell us on Talk.

If you haven’t already, sign up for Early Reviewers. If you’ve already signed up, please check your mailing/email address and make sure they’re correct.

» Request books here!

The deadline to request a copy is Tuesday, February 25th at 6PM EST.

Eligibility: Publishers do things country-by-country. This month we have publishers who can send books to the US, the UK, Luxembourg, Ireland, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Poland and more. Make sure to check the message on each book to see if it can be sent to your country.

FalloutThe WeirdotsThe City of Lost CatsThe Puffin KeeperThe Ghosts of Pandora PickwickWords with Wings and Magic ThingsEpic FACTopia!: Follow the Trail of 400 Extreme FactsPotomac Fever: Reflections on the Nation's RiverShell ShockedThe Village Beyond the MistThe Summer We RanWord Fun Riddles & Crisscross Puzzles: Dynamic DuosThe Remembered SoldierWhy Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success StoryWhat If We Were All Kind!The Magic of Knowing What You Want: A Practical Guide to Unearthing the Wisdom of Your DesiresDragons Can't Eat Snow ConesThe Slither QueenThe Church of Living Dangerously: Tales of a Drug-Running Megachurch PastorHow to Read a Room: Navigate Any Situation, Lead with Confidence, and Create an Impact at WorkThe Big SplashBlue Earth RiverThe Water's CallMy Own Dear PeopleThe Red Car to HollywoodI've Got Questions : The Spiritual Practice of Having It Out with GodSweet Babe!: A Jewish Grandma KvellsMaking Time: A New Vision for Crafting a Life Beyond ProductivityMake Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes EverythingKalman & Leopold: Surviving Mengele's AuschwitzThe Colors of the SeaWould You Rather? True Crime Edition: 1,000+ Thought-Provoking Questions and Conversation Starters on Serial Killers, Mysteries, Crimes, Supernatural Activity and MoreBlack Power Scorecard: Measuring the Racial Gap and What We Can Do to Close ItThe Voyage of The UnicornSterling HeartsConvergenceMayday's Cat-Tastic EscapadesSub-LuminalLoopholeChanged DesiresChemistoriesShallow DepthsGentle HugsTreasures of Castle RowleyPut Your Past in the Past: Why You May Be Reenacting Your Trauma, and How to StopThe Divine DraftMean Low WaterSon of Southtown: My Life Between Two WorldsJesus Revealed in the End Times: Hope for Today from the One Who Holds Our FutureWhen God Speaks: Thrive in Uncertain Times and Gain Confidence for Your FutureDisciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American BoyhoodReinventing the Heartland: How One City's Inclusive Approach to Innovation and Growth Can Revive the American DreamThe Voice We FindSunrise ReefThe Curious Inheritance of Blakely HouseThe Light on Horn IslandAn Instrument for FlorendaBailey’s BandanasDawn of Grace: Mary Magdalene's StoryThe Fire ApprenticeFor the One in Each and All of UsThe Three-Berry AcademyMy Bully, My Aunt, & Her Final GiftDegree of GuiltCheckmateRoots and Resilience: California Ranchers in Their Own WordsTempest at Annabel's LighthouseLand of DreamsLast Night at the Nowhere Cliff: A Short Story CollectionOld White Man WritingHaunted Houses Creak: A Horror CollectionToo Strange To Be the End of the World: A Short Story CollectionUnder the RadarRetreat and BreatheA Star Mastering: The Feminine EnigmaDreams in Times of War / Soñar en Tiempos de Guerra: Stories / CuentosThe Jemez Mountains: A Cultural and Natural HistoryWhich Of Your Sons?Mothers Are Made: How One Mom Overcame Perfectionism, Self-Doubt, Loneliness, and Anxiety and Became a Better and Happier ParentDo Not Cry When I Die: A Holocaust Memoir of a Mother and Daughter's Survival in Jewish Ghettos, Auschwitz, and Bergen-BelsenDisco Witches of Fire IslandThe Problem You Have: StoriesThe Adventures of Talliesin and The Crystalline HeartBorderline: A Poetic MemoirMouthThree VoicesThe Summer We RanAutopsy 2024 — From the 7 Energy Types PerspectiveBound to HappenShattered SightThe Treasure of Loon LakeLight Chaser: A Poetry CollectionThe Gods Time ForgotAn End of Troubles: An AnthologyRank Insubordination!Stay until Tomorrow: PoemsEnd of Earth: A Collaboration of Poetry and PaintingFrredA History of Military Encounters with UFOs: Explanations and Combat StrategiesCareful What You HearRescue Run: Capt. Jake Rogers' Daring Return to Occupied EuropeSalt Run: The Heir's Last HopeBarbara Ann Scott: Queen of the IceRainbows and LollipopsUnicorns Can Be DeadlyHodie Mihi, Cras Tibi: Today Me, Tomorrow YouEntangled FateBelieve Nothing, Know Nothing: The Lightworkers' Ultimate Survival ManualBrothers, Blades, and Bugging OutCurse of the Maestro and Other StoriesHunting Hearts: PoetryVeiled LegacyCrucifixusI'm Sorry JunoLove and ConductivityTreasures of Castle RowleyMoonset on Desert SandsOne Year Without Sugar: Unlocking the Secrets to Weight LossThe Fragile Humans We Are: Volume ICall Her LibertyHalloween TerrorAdvent of LibraLife on the Fringe: Tales from the FrontierRogueHyper Traveler: The Next JourneyEvery Thread of LightGood SoulVivid Visions: Tales Woven from the Threads of Diverse Imaginations: A Short Story CollectionThe Art of Loving Yourself: Building Lasting Confidence As a WomanUnderstanding and Overcoming Anxiety in Women: Guide to Biology, Hormones, and Strategies for Lasting Emotional BalanceTech Skills for Non-Tech Professionals: A Beginner's Guide to AI: Boost Your Career with Artificial Intelligence - No Tech Background RequiredThe Next Chapter: Writing in RetirementHouse of Crimson RosesStarry Starry Noir Rebels and Censors: Film Noir in the Public Domain Volume IIIThe Brown SuitcaseScars & SpiritsBeyond the Ocean DoorKeep CloseForever We DreamThe Free Market Myth: Unveiling the Illusions of Economic Justice: Exploring Failures, Inequalities, and Alternative Futures in a Globalized WorldBend, Don't BreakChaos BeckonsSpace StationTrap, Neuter, DieThe Billion Dollar DynastyI Know What UFO Did Last SummerRun AwayThe Trio's Adventure: Bringing Pluto BackBourton BridgeBirds in a Land of no Trees: Notebook A: Habits and HabitatsBirds in a Land of no Trees: Notebook A: Habits and HabitatsWelcome to CemeteryThe Romantic Ideal: The Highest Standard of Romance for a ManDigitally Hijacked: The Age of Influence: How Social Media and AI Are Reshaping Our RealityEchoInner Child Healing Journey: A Practical Guide to Breaking Free from Childhood Wounds, Overcoming Fears and Emotional Blocks, and Building Authentic RelationshipsNon-Compete91-Day SanctionAs the Snow Drifts: A Cozy Winter AnthologyThe Calamities of ToterrumConvergenceVikingstockThe Consensus of BeingsForesightSaving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and RecoveryShattered 21: Schneewittchen: Illustrated Short Story for AdultsThen She DiedKnives + ForksPaint an Inch ThickFrom the Enlightenment to Black Lives Matter: Tracing the Impacts of Racial Trauma in Black Communities from the Colonial Era to the PresentShadowed Skies50 International Corporate & Commercial Law Cases 2024Brushes With DestinyEroshenkoSophie and the ARC of EmongliaLove, NemesisIncredible Stories at the Bus Stop: A Flash Fiction Collection on Human ExperienceMeantime in GreenwichA Simpler Guide to Gmail 6th Edition: Your Unofficial Handbook for Mastering Your Email, Google Calendar, Keep, and TasksBarbara Ann Scott: Queen of the IceDeep Down the Rabbit HoleA Chorus of Big BangsThe Legend of Robin GoodfellowThe Hollow: The CrossDelitti PostdatatiFiguring Out the New Era: Dystopia 2024The Visionary Leader: The Success Principles of the World's Greatest VisionariesReal WeightTerratron — Gods of MarsTwilight of EvilHope Like SunlightHave You Thanked a Musician Today?Would You Rather? True Crime Edition: 1,000+ Thought-Provoking Questions and Conversation Starters on Serial Killers, Mysteries, Crimes, Supernatural Activity and MoreThis Time Tomorrow and Other StoriesOne in Vermilion May LiveMurder on Middle Ridge

Thanks to all the publishers participating this month!

5 AM Publishing aka Associates Akashic Books
Alcove Press Arctis Books USA Baker Books
Bellevue Literary Press Bethany House Broadleaf Books
Chosen Books eSpec Books Greenleaf Book Group
Harbor Lane Books, LLC. Harper Horizon Henry Holt and Company
History Through Fiction Kinkajou Press Lerner Publishing Group
MDW Press New Vessel Press Pen & Sword Books
Prolific Pulse Press LLC PublishNation Purple Diamond Press, Inc
Restless Books Revell Rootstock Publishing
Running Wild Press, LLC Shadow Dragon Press Tundra Books
University of Nevada Press University of New Mexico Press Unsolicited Press
What on Earth! Wild Press Yorkshire Publishing
Zibby Books

Labels: early reviewers, LTER