The Covid-19 virus has forced many of us to take extreme measures to protect ourselves. We've been forced to cover up, maintain our distance from others and hunker down in our homes.
Of all the things we've been asked or required to endure, this forced isolation is among the worst. For we are, at our very core, social beings. In many societies, solitary confinement is considered to be the ultimate form of punishment. Sadly, we are all are getting a small taste of that now.
Reading a good book has always been a preferred means of escape from our troubles. Reading an engaging novel can be healthy and it's certainly liberating. Are sheltering orders making you feel cooped up and longing for a new, wider experience? Writer Donna Fletcher Crow reports that she has heard from many who are looking for just that. The advice she gives them:
“‘I’m having so much trouble focusing.’ Is probably the complaint I hear most often from readers and writers alike when talking about the isolation we are all experiencing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“One would think that, with all the time we have on our hands, we would be getting through stacks of books. But many are not finding it to be so.
“My advice? Try reading a good novel. One of the main functions of fiction is to carry the reader away to another time and place, to give the reader an enlarged experience. Those of us feeling confined by orders to shelter, need just that enlargement.
“I especially recommend reading a thriller or a good old-fashioned whodunit—which is exactly what I am doing myself. Mystery stories are gripping and transporting—in short, just the thing needed to take our minds off current worries.
“Many will already have favorite writers to turn to, but I recommend some of my favorites as well. For a truly breathless, can’t-put-it-down experience Dean Koontz is hard to beat. My favorite is Brother Odd, and the complete 8-book series is available in a bundle on Amazon.
“If you’re looking for something a little less intense, consider the classics. Dorothy L. Sayers is my favorite of the Golden Age writers; her The Nine Tailors at the top of my list. For a modern classic, try P.D. James’ Death in Holy Orders. And for even more classic, try Jane Austen’s Emma, (not just the movie) which many consider the first mystery novel.
“Of course, I would be delighted to have you sample my own series as well: The Monastery Murders are contemporary clerical mysteries with clues hidden deep in the middle ages; Lord Danvers Investigates is a Victorian true-crime series; and the Elizabeth and Richard Literary Suspense series is contemporary cozies with many of your favorite authors in the background, including Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Dorothy L. Sayers. You can read more about them on my website at http://www.DonnaFletcherCrow.com.”
Donna Fletcher Crow is the author of 50 books, mostly novels of British history. She has taken a number of high-level industry awards for her work. 'Glastonbury' is her best-known book, which received the prestigious First Place, Historical Novel, award from the National Federation of Press Women. Readers and reviewers have raved about 'Glastonbury', calling it "The best of its kind," "richly fascinating," "beautifully researched," "gloriously evocative," and "panoramic." One Amazon reader said, "WHAT a work! Every reader can be enveloped in the sheer scope and quality, every historian be constantly nodding at the precise detail and accuracy, and every Christian can rejoice in the fullness of scripture. For me it is simply beyond descriptive praise. I would urge all who value truth to treat themselves to a feast."
The Monastery Murders Series features atmospheric contemporary crimes with their roots buried deep in the middle ages. Books in the series include 'A Very Private Grave', 'A Darkly Hidden Truth', 'An Unholy Communion', 'A Newly Crimsoned Reliquary' and 'An All-Consuming Fire' and the upcoming 'Against All Fierce Hostility.'
The Elizabeth & Richard Mysteries is a literary suspense series using literary figures as background: Rudyard Kipling in 'The Flame Ignites', Dorothy L Sayers in 'The Shadow of Reality', Shakespeare in 'A Midsummer Eve's Nightmare', and Jane Austen in both 'A Jane Austen Encounter' and 'A Most Singular Venture'. Watch for 'A Prodigious Sum of Corpses: Seeking Sanditon at Jane Austen’s Seashore', which will take readers to all of Austen’s favorite seashore resorts. Accounts of Crow’s visits to these sites are available on her blog under the heading “Jane Austen Seashore Tour.”
The Lord Danvers Victorian true-crime series is an Amazon bestseller in the British Detectives category. Books in the series include 'A Lethal Spectre', 'A Most Inconvenient Death', 'Grave Matters', 'To Dust You Shall Return' and 'A Tincture of Murder'. Donna provides a no-charge download of 'A Tincture of Murder' for those who sign up for her newsletter. More information is available at her website.
The Daughters of Courage, 'Kathryn', 'Elizabeth' and 'Stephanie' is a pioneer family saga based on the stories of Crow's own family and other Idaho pioneers in the Kuna, Nampa and Boise area. A short story on her blog entitled “A Nostalgic Fourth of July” is based on a scene from ‘Kathryn: Days of Loss and Hope'.
Donna Fletcher Crow's awards include:
Where Love Begins, Best Historical Romance, Pinnacle Awards 2019
A Lethal Spectre, Best Mystery, Pinnacle Awards, 2019
Glastonbury, First Place, Historical Fiction, National Federation of Press Women Award of Merit
The Banks of the Boyne, Silver Angel; First Place Historical Fiction, National Federation Press Women
The Fields of Bannockburn, First Place Historical Fiction, National Federation Press Women
Professional Achievement Award, Northwest Nazarene College
Juvenile Books Award of Merit, Idaho Press Women
Top Idaho Author
Pacesetter Award, Mt. Hermon Writers Conference
Outstanding Historical Fiction, Idaho Press Women, National Federation of Press Women,
Idaho Writer of the Year
Best Inspirational Novel, Finalist Romance Writers of America
Writer of the Year, Mt. Hermon Writers Conference
Donna is available for media interviews and can be reached by email at donna@donnafletchercrow.com. All of her books are available at online book retailers. More information, including a no-charge download of 'A Tincture of Murder', is available at her website at https://www.donnafletchercrow.com.
About Donna Fletcher Crow:
Donna and her husband live in Boise, Idaho. They have 4 adult children and 15 grandchildren living on 3 continents. Donna is a former English literature teacher and lifelong Anglophile. Idahoans with long memories will remember her as a former Queen of the Snake River Stampede, Miss Rodeo Idaho and runner-up for Miss Rodeo America. She is an enthusiastic gardener.
Contact:
Donna Fletcher Crow
donna@donnafletchercrow.com
https://www.donnafletchercrow.com
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