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Labor Day Giveaway

Goodbye summer, hello autumn! Labor Day, which was established as a federal holiday in 1894 to honor achievements of American workers, unofficially marks the end of summer and start of fall. One of my favorite fall treats is Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte so I’m celebrating by giving away a $25 Starbucks gift card and To Be Read pile of signed romance novels from different authors.

Visit my Facebook page and comment with what you love most about autumn for a chance to win. One lucky winner will be announced Monday, September 5.

This autumn holds lots of tricks and treats so visit my website, sign up for my newsletter, or connect with me on social media at Facebook or Twitter. Be sure to watch for the upcoming release of A Cantata of Love on audiobook this fall. You can preview the story, narrated by Pearl Hewitt, here.

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Hiding secret messages in music

Do you know how to read music? If so, take a look at this and tell me if you notice anything unusual about it.

This is known as the BACH motif, which is an example of musical cryptography, a coded system used to create musical note sequences for names or other messages in musical compositions.

I have been intrigued by the idea of using musical scores and passages to encrypt messages for some time and thought it was a great concept for my Code Breakers Regency romantic suspense series. It provided inspiration for my current project, book 4 in the Code Breakers series, CANTATA OF LOVE.

Part of my fascination with this method of ciphering stems from my love of music. I’ve studied both voice and piano–mainly jazz– and I appreciate the mathematical complexity of music. Coding a message into a song’s musical score or the song lyrics requires a great deal of creativity and presented a tremendous challenge as I plotted the story. While researching period opera singers, such as Mrs. Elizabeth Billington, I discovered that operas were written for singers to show off their voices and allowed for improvisation. That would certainly have made it easy for musicians and performers to send coded messages to specific individuals!

Early examples of musical cryptography include Baroque composers who wove their names or the names of significant individuals into musical selections. The application found popularity with those engaging in espionage, due to the difficulty in breaking musical codes. Other examples of musical coding can be found in the songs of American slaves. Negro spirituals provided a means of communication for those who wanted to escape slavery; references to “going home” or “bound for Canaan” didn’t signify death and heaven but heading north to Canada and freedom.

In 2013, International Science Times featured a story that suggested a musical score written by composer Gottfried Federlein contained annotations that secretly documented the location of buried Nazi treasure.

One online website reports a number of “creepy spy radio transmissions” that feature suspected musical clues and/or codes broadcast over shortwave radios. This practice began around the time of WWI and continues today.

A special thank you to my friend and music composer Greg Bartholomew, who shared his expertise with me on this topic. Here is one of his compositions, Baby Blue Roses. When Daisies Pied is an example of a piece of music ladies would have sung during the Regency period.

Are there any songs you believe contain a hidden message?

A Cantata of Love, Book 4 in The Code Breakers Regency Romantic Suspense series, releases June 28^th. You can pre-order on iBooks.

Napoleonic France is no place for an Englishman, especially Michael Harcourt, the Earl of Kendal, who is on a clandestine assignment for the Crown. Already injured and facing imminent discovery by Napoleon and Fouche’s men, Michael finds his escape made even more perilous when he is charged with the safety of a young boy who must be spirited out of Paris.

Desperate to escape the terrible fate that awaits her if she remains in France, Lady Gabrielle De Valmont must disguise herself as a boy and rely on the cunning of a virtual stranger—an Englishman, no less—to smuggle her out of the country. When the Earl’s injury becomes severely infected, rendering him gravely ill, Gabrielle realizes it is now up to her to save them both.

A Sneak Peek at A Cantata of Love

Here’s a sample of the heart-pounding adventure, international intrigue and sizzling romance coming June 14, 2016, with the release of A Cantata of Love, book 4 in The Code Breakers series.

1803 ~ In the seaside town of Berck, France

Gabrielle De Valmont brushed back Lord Kendall’s blond curls and applied the wet cloth to his burning brow. His long golden curls and eyelashes accentuated his bright red cheekbones. In their days of hard travel from Paris, the Earl’s gunshot wound had festered into a nasty infection.

At this moment, he rested. For days, when the fever spiked, he thrashed about, calling out about sending a code book to a woman named “Henrietta.”

Desperate to soothe him, Gabrielle discovered that he would calm with the French songs of her childhood.

She was exhausted from the strain of caring for the Earl and from the constant fear that they might be captured and forced to return to Paris.

They couldn’t hide much longer without being discovered by Napoleon’s or Fouche’s henchmen. When the Earl’s condition had worsened to the point he could no longer travel, Gabrielle had brought them to her former nanny’s tiny village of Berck, south of Calais. They made their arrival into the village under cover of darkness to avoid alerting the citizens.

For eight long days and nights, she had cared for the feverish Earl. Their presence in the tiny town couldn’t be kept secret much longer. They must leave Berck and France soon.

But how could they flee with the French soldiers on high alert, inspecting every boat crossing the English Channel?

Monsieur Denby, Lord Kendall’s valet, had assured her that he had a plan to divert their attention.

Exhausted and despondent, she beseeched the Blessed Virgin for their safe escape and the Earl’s recovery.

She also prayed that the Earl would forgive her and Mother Therese for their deception. She had to have believe that Lord Kendall would never abandon her to her terrible fate.

***

Pre-order A Cantata of Love exclusively from iBooks to be the first to read my new release.

A CANTATA OF LOVE

Napoleonic France is no place for an Englishman, especially Michael Harcourt, the Earl of Kendal, who is on a clandestine assignment for the Crown. Already injured and facing imminent discovery by Napoleon and Fouche’s men, Michael finds his escape made even more perilous when he is charged with the safety of a young boy who must be spirited out of Paris.

Desperate to escape the terrible fate that awaits her if she remains in France, Lady Gabrielle De Valmont must disguise herself as a boy and rely on the cunning of a virtual stranger—an Englishman, no less—to smuggle her out of the country. When the Earl’s injury becomes severely infected, rendering him gravely ill, Gabrielle realizes it is now up to her to save them both.

You can enjoy the rest of The Code Breakers series on audio, narrated by Pearl Hewitt. Click the cover to listen to an audio sample. Available at Audible.com, iTunes and Amazon.

ONE DAY ONLY! Marriage Under Fire is 99 cents.

Thursday, April 21, get Marriage Under Fire, Book 4 in the Grayce Walters series, for just 99 cents!

iBooks | Kindle | Kobo | Nook | GooglePlay

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Easter and Springtime Renewal

I know some people are still getting snow and frigid temperatures, but spring has officially arrived. The signs are everywhere: The vernal equinox occurred March 19-20 (depending on time zone), marking the earliest arrival of spring since 1896, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac; Easter is March 27; and social media is full of tips on spring cleaning and cooking lighter, fresher meals.

Springtime is generally viewed as a season of renewal and rebirth. It’s an opportunity to refresh our homes, our meals, our relationships and our perspectives. Here are five fresh ways to celebrate the arrival of spring.

1. Spend 5-10 minutes each day de-cluttering your living space. Throw out old magazines and outdated cosmetics. Donate unwanted household goods to a thrift store or charity. Check the pantry for outdated items, including spices and herbs.
2. Get your car detailed – interior vacuumed, windows cleaned inside and out, glove-box emptied, trash and debris removed.
3. Start a new hobby or project.
4. Get out of the house. Connect with nature. Walk the dog. Clean out the flowerbeds. Sweep off the patio. Chat with neighbors. Set up a lounge chair and soak up the sunshine.
5. Reconnect with friends or family.

How do you celebrate springtime? Do you have a favorite springtime ritual?