Old News is Still Good News:

December 26, 2009   Congratulations to Suzy of Wheaton, IL! She won this week's "Gift of a Book" drawing and will receive a set of classic Alexa Smart/Anna Gerard romances. Wish you'd won? Don't worry, you still have one more chance at a "Gift of a Book." Deadline for my next drawing is Friday, Jan 1. Enter before 12 a.m....your name is still in the hat if you've entered previously, and you can enter again even if you've entered once before.  And don't forget the "Christmas Gator" contest!  See the HAPPY HOLIDAYS page for more details.

December 25, 2009   Merry Christmas!  Wishing ALL OF you the peace and joy of the Season!   aND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR BELOVED ANGEL, gEOFFREY, WHO LIVES IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER 

December 19, 2009   We have a winner for the 1st week's GIFT OF A BOOK contest. Carol from Bredell, Gauteng, South Africa wins a signed hardcover copy of THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT, first of the Leonardo da Vinci mysteries. Congratulations to her! Remember, I'll have another drawing NEXT Friday night for more of my books. If you've already entered, your name is still in the hat...and, you can enter again this week, giving you another chance to win. If you haven't entered yet, why not?? Go to my HAPPY HOLIDAYS page for more details.

December 14, 2009   Welcome, Writerspace fans AND EVERYONE ELSE!  As part of the official Writerspace holiday "Parade of Sites", my website is all decked out for the holidays.  Browse through and look at the decorations while you learn a bit about me and my books.  Be sure you stop by my HAPPY HOLIDAYS page, where you'll find a free download of Chapter 1 from A BOLT FROM THE BLUE, some fun pictures, and a couple of great contests where you can win books!  And remember, you don't have to be on the "Parade of Sites" tour to participate!

December 11, 2009   My new VIDEO page is now up.  We're still under construction, but you can see my two book trailer there now.  

December 1, 2009   It's December!  Hurricane season is officially over (with no big blows to speak of) and the holidays are coming.  Keep an eye on my site because, beginning December 14, I will be taking part in the official Writerspace 'Parade of Sites' with a newly decorated website to celebrate the Season.  If you like lights and tinsel and presents, be sure to check back for some wonderful holiday cheer right here!

November 26, 2009   Happy Thanksgiving! 

November 19, 2009   The Miami Book Fair International turned out to be a great event!  I spoke on a panel with Elaine Viets, Pat Gussin, and Sara Williams on Saturday, and hung out at the MWA/Murder on the Beach booth to sign books on Sunday.  Thanks to MBFI volunteer Gary, who took the picture of me in my green velvet cap that's now on my home page *smile*.

I also have a short blog piece on Sylvia Dickey Smith's Writing Examiner Site dedicated to women writers (and a few men!) of a "certain" age.  Click HERE to read what I had to say on the subject. 

And, this just in!  The launch of the 3rd Leonardo book, A BOLT FROM THE BLUE will be on Friday, Jan 8 at 7pm at Murder on the Beach in Delray Beach.  Go to Upcoming Events for more details.

November 1, 2009   Can you believe that the year is almost over?  Of course, it's hard to tell in Florida...temps are still in the high 80s.  But winter will be here soon, along with the end of hurricane season.  Wahoo, another year without a big blow!

Leonardo and his paintings have been in the news quite a bit, of late.  Go to my LEONARDO PAGE for a look at one "rediscovered" work and a picture of what is theorized to be a newly found portrait painted by him.   

October 17, 2009   I've added my upcoming appearances to the "Events" page, including a link to info about the Miami Book Fair International in November.  And, click here or go to my home page for a link to the YouTube "teaser" trailer for A BOLT FROM THE BLUE.  It's only a minute long, so why not go there now?  If you enjoy it, be sure to leave a comment for me!

Oops, more birthdays recent and current!  Best wishes to my niece Emily, sister-in-law Juanita, and friend Andy, all of whom have hit another milestone!

And for even more current news, don't forget to follow me on Twitter and friend me on Facebook!  You'll find me listed as DianeStuckart.

September 27, 2009   Wishing my mom much love and happiness on her big day!

September 24, 2009   The full cover of A BOLT FROM THE BLUE is now posted on my HOME page.  Isn't it gorgeous!?  Look out for some excerpts from it, coming soon.

September 11, 2009   Our prayers and thanks to the victims and heroes of September 11, 2001.  Your sacrifice and bravery will always be remembered.

August 22, 2009  Wow, things got busy! Last week, we had our grandniece, Isabel, staying with us.  She is a lovely child and we had a wonderful time with her doing all the touristy things.  Next time you see her, ask her about her new baby alligator "Chomp", hee hee! 

On the writing front, I'm finishing some final edits on an exciting non-fiction proposal that should be making the rounds this Fall...wish me luck!  And I have taken the plunge and officially joined Facebook (though what I'm doing there, I can't say, LOL).  Click on the Facebook logo on my HOME page to visit me.  

Also on my HOME page, I've added a new snippet of the bookcover for my 3rd Leonardo da Vinci mystery, A BOLT FROM THE BLUE.  I'll be unveiling the full cover along with a teaser trailer in the next couple of weeks.  Now, let's go enjoy what's left of the summer!

July 31, 2009   Summer's almost gone (well, it never really is gone in Florida, ha ha).  So, doing a little clean-up on the site, particularly with some new photos on the ABOUT DIANE page.  (Yep, in one I'm actually belly dancing!)  And, Ranger has updated his PIO'S PAINT-BY-NUMBERS page with a couple of new pictures.  He says, take a look!  

July 18,  2009   WOW! Has it been more than a month since I've updated my site??  My excuse is that I was on vacation in Abaco (Bahamas) for a week, where my husband and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary (yes, I was a child bride, LOL).  But I've brought back a few pictures of me for the HOME page.  In addition to having fun in the sun, I've been working on a non-fiction proposal due in the next few weeks. Hope your summer has been as enjoyable and productive as mine!

You'll also see on the HOME page a snippet of the cover for A BOLT FROM THE BLUE, the 3rd exciting installment in the Leonardo da Vinci mystery series due out Jan 2010.  This book is the best so far...it will tie up a few loose ends in "Dino's" life, and leave the door open for more adventures, as well.  I'll be posting the full cover soon.  In the meantime, go to my LINKS page for a link to the site of my wonderful cover artist, Mr. Gary Overacre.  He's painted all three of these awesome covers, and I know you'll agree he is a talented guy, indeed.  In fact, I am privileged to now own the original cover art from PORTRAIT OF A LADY.

And, be watching in the next couple of months for a A BOLT FROM THE BLUE trailer.  More soon!

June 7, 2009   I have FINALLY updated THE TAROT PAGE, which was inspired by the theme of PORTRAIT OF A LADY.  Take a look and learn some interesting history about this centuries old card game and method of divination.

June 2, 2009  HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER, VALERIE! 

May 31, 2009

THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT has been sold to an Italian publisher!  And, even better, they are doing a wonderful advertising campaign including a 4-page, full color brochure to introduce Leonardo and Dino/Delfina's story to a whole new group of readers.  Go to the PRESS page to see this beautiful advertisement.  And be on the look out...I will be posting the cover for book 3 in the series, A BOLT FROM THE BLUE, very soon.  

May 29, 2009  HAPPY BIRTHDAY GERRY!

 May 24, 2009   I've finally finished (for now!) the PRESS page, plus I've added information to THE LEONARDO PAGE  explaining my inspiration for the two portraits that the Master paints in PORTRAIT OF A LADY. Take a look!

Tomorrow is MEMORIAL DAY.  Thank you to all veterans, most particularly those who gave their lives in defense of us and our great country.  Your sacrifice won't be forgotten.  We salute you and keep you in our prayers!

May 10, 2009   Happy Mother's Day to my mom, and to all the moms out there!  We love you!

 My little boy, Ranger, a.k.a. "Pio", has updated his web page with some new pictures.  Be sure to take a look.

May 7, 2009   Sorry for not updating in awhile...I've been working on a couple of new book proposals.  For now, here are a couple of links to interesting reviews for PORTRAIT.  The first is an audio link to a show from 2/23 on WGCU, a public media station out of Southwest Florida. Scroll halfway down their FLORIDA BOOK PAGE/LIST OF SHOWS to find me.

The second is from a young adult review site, Flamingnet.  PORTRAIT received a TOP CHOICE AWARD from that site!  While my Leonardo series is not specifically written for the YA crowd, I've happily found that my characters resonate with teens as well as with adults. Go to my REVIEWS page to check out the glowing write-up. More coming soon!  

April 25, 2009   My husband, Gerry, and I, along with two of our pups, Oliver and Ranger, took part in the MARCH OF DIMES MARCH FOR BABIES walk today in West Palm Beach.  We were part of the FLORIDA PUBLIC UTILITIES team, which every year raises thousands of dollars for the cause.  Gerry alone received several hundred dollars in pledges!  And, as part of a related MOD fundraiser, he won the most votes for his division.  His reward: he got to KISS THE PIG!

April 13, 2009   Updated the "On the Shelves & Upcoming Events" page to add news on various mystery discussion groups reading THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT and links to ordering and downloads for GAMBIT and PORTRAIT.

April 12, 2009   Happy Easter!  

April 6, 2009   I recently did a Q&A with Jen at Jen's Book Thoughts blog.  She asked all kinds of great questions, and I answered every one.  If you'd like to learn all my secrets (well, a lot of them!), go to Jen's Book Thoughts and see what we both had to say.  Feel free to leave a comment there for her, if you want to, and be sure you check out her many mystery reviews.  It's a fun place.

April 4, 2009   Congratulations to my niece, Monica, and her new husband, Paco, who tied the knot today!  Wishing them a wonderful life together!

March 21, 2009   I've updated the Leonardo page with updates on some recent finds from the art world regarding Leonardo.  Not one, but two new possible self-portraits of the Master have been rediscovered.  Scroll to the bottom of my Leonardo gallery for pictures and links to these exciting stories.

March 14, 2009   Ranger, a.k.a. "Pio" from PORTRAIT OF A LADY says to tell everyone that he has finally updated his very own webpage.  Go to PIO'S PAINT-BY-NUMBERS PAGE to see what Ranger has to say *smile*. 

March 6, 2009   Back from SleuthFest!  What a great conference, with special guests John Hart and Brad Meltzer.  I spoke on two panels with some wonderful fellow writers.  And, best of all, I got to play bad girl "Cassie" in our little mock trial that we held after hours.  If someone has a picture of me in my red wig, I'll put it on the website, LOL!  With that behind me, I'm now busy on Twitter and working on my new proposal that I hope to get out to my agent soon.  

And,  I've discovered a fun new blog to share with you.  See my Reviews page for an excerpt from "Jen's Book Thoughts" and her take on THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT.  Also on the Reviews page, I've added an excerpt of a review of PORTRAIT OF A LADY.  This one comes from Story Circle Book Reviews, a site that claims its mission is "reviewing books by, for, and about women."  More soon!

February 19, 2009   My new book trailer for PORTRAIT OF A LADY is now up on YouTube.  If you've never seen a book trailer before, it's a mini-commercial for a new release, rather like the previews you see at the movies.  Click on this YouTube link and take a look.  And, if you like it, why not give it a few stars rating? *smile* 

February 15, 2009   A belated Happy Valentine's Day to all!  First, we have winners in my January contest.  Go to my Contact Diane page for the list.  And, secondly, I'm now officially "tweeting" on Twitter!  You can find me here: 

http://twitter.com/dianestuckart

...or simply click on the little bird on my home page.  If you'd like to jump in and follow me, I will follow you.  Let's have fun!

February 10, 2009   Looks like THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT has made a Florida bestseller list!  Go to Oline Cogdill's always-interesting Off the Page Blog at the Florida Sun-Sentinel website and read the list of 2008 bestsellers as compiled by Murder on the Beach, the only bookstore in Florida dedicated to the mystery genre. 

Remember, I will be signing copies of PORTRAIT and GAMBIT at Murder on the Beach this Friday 2/13 at 7pm.  If you can't make the signing but would still like an autographed book, contact Joanne at MOTB, and she can arrange to ship you a copy.

February 8, 2009   Happy Birthday to my "little" brother, Tom.  Don't worry, kid.  You're getting old just like the rest of us!  Hope it's a wonderful year for you! 

January 31, 2009   Better late than never!  My publisher has finally forwarded my author copies of my two January releases.  Since I have two books out this month, I will be giving away two copies of each book, one to each of four readers.  So here's your chance to win a paperback copy of THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT or else a copy of PORTRAIT OF A LADY.  Click here for details on how to enter.

And keep watching the website.  I'll be posting reviews of POAL plus updating the TAROT and PIO pages soon!

January 16, 2009   Well, still typing away at Book 3, but I've stopped long enough to update the site a bit.  Look at my revised "On the Shelves & Upcoming Events" page to see where I'll be signing copies of my books in the next few weeks.  I've also tweaked a few of the other pages and added a new one...Pio's Paint-by-Number Page!  It's still under construction, but soon you'll find some fun Italian Greyhound pictures, FAQs, and other info hosted by Ranger, a.k.a. "Pio" from PORTRAIT OF A LADY.  Check back often for more new stuff, including info on my next contest coming soon!

January 11, 2009   Good news/bad news!  I have lots to update on the website, but no time in which to properly do it, as I'm currently on deadline for book 3 in the Leonardo series, BOLT FROM THE BLUE.  As soon as I type "the end," you'll see lots more new content here.  Promise!

But  to celebrate PORTRAIT's release,  I'm sending out some really cool bookmarks from my publisher featuring PORTRAIT on one side, and GAMBIT on the other.  If you'd like a handful (some to keep, and some to give away to your friends!) email me before January 31 with your snail mail address, and I'll pop some in the mail to you.

And, can't let this posting go without wishing my brother PAUL a very happy birthday from his big sis!! 

January 6, 2009   ***PORTRAIT OF A LADY, 2nd in the Leonardo da Vinci mystery series, is now available at your favorite local bookseller or online store.*** 

And if you don't already have a copy of the first book, THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT, it's now available in paperback as well as hardcover!  Look for excerpts and reviews in the next few days. 

January 1, 2009   HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!  May your 2009 be filled with hope, happiness, and prosperity!  CHEERS!

December 24, 2008  MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH, HAPPY KWANZAA, MERRY SOLSTICE!  WISHING YOU THE JOYS OF THE SEASON, WHATEVER HOLIDAY YOU CELEBRATE!  TAKE TIME TO SPEND TIME WITH THOSE YOU LOVE!

December 14, 2008  Congratulations to THOMAS WALCHER, who has won my remaining ARC for PORTRAIT OF A LADY.  Ranger, a.k.a. "Pio", drew Thomas' name from the basket (OK, Ranger's "dad" held the basket while Ranger stuck his nose on the winning entry).  And both Ranger and I say "Thank you!" to all of you who dropped by the website and entered the contest.  For more info about the contest results, click here.

But that's not all.  Keep an eye out in January, because Ranger will hold another contest.  Someone will win a brand new copy of PORTRAIT OF A LADY and the new paperback version of THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT.  Stay 'tooned!

December 6, 2008  Happy December!  Only a few days remain for you to enter my "Pio's Real Name" contest for a chance to win a signed ARC of PORTRAIT OF A LADY.  Click here if you haven't entered yet.  (Hint, hint: "Pio" says his real name is NOT Delta!)

And a belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to two of my young relatives: my lovely niece, who is also named Alexa, and my cool nephew, Nick.  Hugs to you both!  Check out my links page to find your way to the blog written by my brother David (Nick's Dad).  He's a long distance runner and writes about running, training for a triathalon, and all sorts of running related topics. 

November 29, 2008  Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!  And now, to get you in the holiday mood, I'm giving a gift to one lucky reader.  PORTRAIT OF A LADY will be on the shelves January 9, 2009, but I have an extra Advance Reading Copy that I will send to the winner of my "Tell Me Pio's Real Name" contest.  All you need to do is email me the name of my real-life dog who was the inspiration for PORTRAIT OF A LADY'S dog "Pio" for a chance to win.  Click here for full rules.  Be sure you enter by Dec 13! 

November 23, 2008  Thanks to everyone who dropped by the 2008 Miami Book Fair and visited the "Murder on the Beach/Mystery Writers of America" booth.  We had a HOT time in Miami...literally and figuratively.  For a couple of pictures from that event, go to my Just for Fun page.

And in case you missed it, click back to my Home page for a look at the gorgeous cover of PORTRAIT OF A LADY, Book 2 in the Leonardo da Vinci mystery series.  PORTRAIT will hit the shelves on January 6, 2009...BUT, I should have at least one Advance Reading Copy before then, which I will give away to a reader who'd like a peek before it's available at the local booksellers.  Check back between now and Dec 1 for more details.  And watch for an excerpt from PORTRAIT and a few reviews coming soon.

November 7, 2008  Just a reminder that I will be signing copies of THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT at the 25th Annual Miami Book Fair International on Saturday, November 15 in beautiful Miami FL.  You'll find me there at 11 p.m. at the "Murder on the Beach/Mystery Writers of America" booth in Section B of the multi-block venue. 

The event runs from Sunday Nov 9 thru Sunday Nov 16 and attracts upward of 300,000 people during its run!  Of special interest is the hugely popular street fair which will be held the weekend of 11/14-11/16.  It will feature hundreds of authors and exhibitors (including me!).  If you'll be in the Miami area that weekend, don't miss this exciting event.  Read more about it here.

Speaking of Halloween, congratulations to Stacey Nix of Mississippi, who won a signed copy of THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT during the 2008 Halloween Mash sponsored by the on-line site Writerspace!  If you would like to win your own copy of THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT or the upcoming PORTRAIT OF A LADY, stay 'tooned.  We'll be doing contests on this very website in November and December.  More details soon.  

October 19, 2008  I've updated the PRESS page and made a few format changes...more soon! 

October 12, 2008  Well, feeling a bit nostalgiac, I took a little trip in the "way back" machine and updated the Published Works page to add some additional info about my historical romances written as Alexa Smart and Anna Gerard.  You'll find story blurbs and some bookcover shots...check it out!  You'll also find a review for my western historical romance, DESERT HEARTS, in the Archives page.

October 11, 2008  If you missed reading my early short fiction, you can now find some of those great stories at the Sony eBookstore!  For a nominal fee, you can either download those stories to your Sony Reader Digital book , or else download them as PDFs directly to your home computer.  Click here for the Sony eBookstore and type my name in the search field, or else go to my Published Works page to see which stories are available, and then link from there.  Enjoy!

October 5, 2008  Election time draws near, and the blogging is going into full swing! This means that you will find numerous authors using their websites to grandstand with their opinions about the current presidential and vice-presidential candidates.  Well, here's my campaign pledge to you.  I promise I will not write essays here on why my candidate is the better one, while generally implying that you're an idgit if you don't agree with my politics. 

I've seen this on too many other authors' websites and, frankly, it rubs me the wrong way.  Our opinions are that, our opinions.  I was raised that you don't talk religion and politics with friends...that is, unless you are darn sure that yours and theirs are the same!  So, since we are all friends, I am declaring this website neutral ground.  You may feel free to wander around without any fear of encountering mudslinging, hysteria, and/or general bad manners concerning the upcoming election.  All I ask in return is that, no matter your candidate, you do remember to VOTE on Nov 4!  This ad has been approved by me!

September 27, 2008  Happy Birthday, Mom!  Love ya! 

September 21, 2008  Just this last week, I received a copy of the Czechoslovakian version of THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT.  If you'd like to take a look at the (cool) cover and read the (rather garbled) translation of the editorial blurb, go to my new JUST FOR FUN page. That's where I'll be posting other odd and offbeat items related to me and my books as they pop up.

September 20, 2008  A belated Happy Birthday to my brother, David, who spent Sept. 14 surveying hurricane damage in his Houston neighborhood.  But, very fortunately, his home and family came through relatively unscathed, except for several days' loss of electricity.  Other folks in Houston and especially Galveston were far less lucky.  Our prayers and thoughts go out to our fellow Texans during this time of crisis.  In some areas, the rebuilding process will be long, indeed.  If you would like to help in those efforts, go to my links page for a list of sites accepting donations for relief of Ike's victims.  

September 6, 2008  Well, we dodged the bullet, er, hurricane with Fay and Gustav, but now here comes IKE! Luckily for folks in my part of south Florida, we appear at this writing to be out of the storm's main path, though we are still within the cone of error.  And you never know about hurricanes.  Like cats, they pretty well do whatever they want to do! 

While I'm waiting to see if I need to put up the hurricane shutters, I've posted a review of ENCHANTMENT PLACE.  Take a look at the Reviews page to see what Romantic Times Magazine had to say about this fun new fantasy anthology

August 23, 2008  Fay, Fay, go away!  Tropical Storm Fay paid Florida a visit this week and seems reluctant to leave us.  My part of southeastern Florida came through relatively unscathed, but some folks to the north of us were not so lucky and suffered severe flooding.  Our thoughts are with them.

But don't worry...hurricane season will almost be over when I'm signing copies of THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT at the Miami  Book Fair International 2008 in November.  More info on this soon...but for now, click here or go to my links page to learn more about this annual 8-day extravaganza.

August 8, 2008  It's 08-08-08...a date considered extremely fortuitous by many around the world.  I know it was a lucky day for me!  I just learned today that THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT will be published in Romania.  What's even better about this news is that my cousin Cherie and her husband are missionaries in that country.  I will be anxiously waiting for reports of book sightings in Romania in the next few months.  May 08-08-08 be lucky for you, too. 

August 1, 2008  Summer's almost over, but there's still time to take a virtual vacation to that premiere fantasy shopping destination, ENCHANTMENT PLACE.  In just a few more days, you'll be able to snag your own copy of the anthology that has garnered 4-1/2 stars from Romantic Times Magazine.  And if my contribution to this collection, FIRE AND SWEET MUSIC, piques your interest in the art of perfumery, check out my Links page for some perfume-related sites.

July 22, 2008  For all you regular visitors (Hi Mom!), I've added a "Site Last Updated" blurb to my home page.  This way, you can easily see if anything new has been put on the website since your last visit.  Just click on BREAKING NEWS to learn what's been added since you last stopped by. 

July 21, 2008  A few new changes have come to the website.  I've added an archive page for past news and other oldies but goodies.  And the Excerpts page now features clips from my most recent short stories, FIRE AND SWEET MUSIC and THIRTY-TWO BULLETS IN TWENTY-THREE SECONDS.  Check back soon for more changes, including a look at the cover for the next Leonardo mystery, PORTRAIT OF A LADY, as well as a new tarot page and more!

July 10, 2008  ENCHANTMENT PLACE, the new DAW anthology featuring my story, FIRE AND SWEET MUSIC, will be available at bookstores and online August 5.  Check out the On the Bookshelf Now page for a look at the cover.   I'll be posting an excerpt from it and adding a few more excerpts from some previous works in the next few days.

July 4, 2008   ~*~HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! ~*~  Why not celebrate freedom by reading a good book before you run out to view the fireworks tonight!  I'll be spending my holiday writing and--hopefully--adding a few updates to this site.  Enjoy your long weekend!

June 26, 2008  Yikes!  Has it been almost a month since I last updated the site?  I've been busy working on a contemporary mystery proposal plus forging through a lot of "life" stuff.  During that time, I received the very cool cover to PORTRAIT OF A LADY, a copy of which I will be uploading soon.  And a Brazilian publisher has expressed interest in the rights to THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT.  Finally, another DAW anthology with one of my stories is about to hit the shelves. I'll be posting the cover for ENCHANTMENT PLACE soon, as well.

On the personal side, belated birthday wishes to my sister Valerie, my nephew Ben, and my friends Denise and Paula.  Oh, and special congratulations to my nieces, Olivia Shoup and Emily Smart.  Both of these young women were graduated from high school at the young age of 17 and will be on their way to their respective universities in the fall, having earned academic scholarships.  Way to go, girls!

More new stuff coming soon...stay 'tooned!

May 29, 2008  HAPPYBIRTHDAYHAPPYBIRTHDAY  Birthday wishes to my husband, Gerry!  May it be a wonderful year for you.  Love ya!

May 27, 2008  Exciting news!  Rights to both THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT and PORTRAIT OF A LADY have just been sold to an Italian publisher.  Soon, Leonardo fans will be able to read these mysteries in the Master's native tongue.

May 8, 2008  FRONT LINES is on the shelf!  I can't wait to get my own copy and read all the other marvelous stories in this powerful anthology.  Click on the Reviews page to see what the critics are saying. 

April 22, 2008  The new anthology from DAW Books, FRONT LINES, will be available online and in your local bookstore on May 6.  Look for my story, "Thirty-Two Bullets in Twenty-Three Seconds," as well as many more great tales from some very talented authors.  And stay 'tooned for an excerpt!

April 8, 2008 I have the cover copy for PORTRAIT OF A LADY, Book 2 in the Leonardo series.  Here's a teaser:

As court engineer to the Duke of Milan, Leonardo da Vinci turns his superior mind to a variety of pursuits—from advances in painting to solving the occasional murder. While preparing the festivities for a masquerade, Leonardo and his apprentice Dino find themselves embroiled in a conspiracy…

To read the rest of the cover copy, go to my Excerpts page.

March 21, 2008: If you've been wondering when the next book in the Leonardo da Vinci series will be on the shelves, I have the official answer.  PORTRAIT OF A LADY will be published in January 2009.  Leonardo, Dino, and the other characters you enjoyed in THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT are returning, along with several new characters sure to pique your interest.  Watch for an excerpt from POAL coming soon.

And, equally exciting, THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT will be re-released in paperback that same month.  So mark your calendars now for more great adventures coming in just a few months!

March 15, 2008:  Life imitates art!  So you wondered after reading THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT if Leonardo really did play chess?  Well, here is your answer.  In an AP story copyrighted March 14, 2008, experts are tentatively attributing illustrations in an early 16th century treatise on chess to Leonardo da Vinci! Written by mathematician Luca Pacioli, a friend of Leonardo, it includes numerous chess puzzles designed to improve a player's skill at the game.  Read the AP story here and go to my Chess Page for a look at one of the puzzles. 

March 6, 2008:  I spent last weekend at SleuthFest, the annual mystery writers' conference put on by the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America.  Along with 4 other fine authors, I spoke on the topic of "The Sleuth's Journey," tying Joseph Campbell's popular "Hero's Journey" theme to fiction writing (in particular, mystery writing).   If you would like a copy of my handout from that panel, send me an email and I will be happy to forward you the file. 

The rest of the conference was fantastic, as well, featuring a great roster of speakers and authors.  Excellent job, MWA-FL! 

February 26, 2008:  Great news!  MYSTERY DATE just received a fantastic review from Publishers Weekly, with my story getting a special nod *blush*.  Go to the reviews page to read PW's take on this fun anthology.

February 22, 2008:  A sad note for all you fellow lovers of classical romantic suspense novels.  The great Phyllis A. Whitney passed away on February 8 at the age of 104.  According to her official website www.phyllisawhitney.com she wrote 76 books over the course of 65 years with 50 million books in print.  WOW! 

Ms. Whitney's books were some of the first "grown-up" novels I read, starting in junior high through high school and into adult life.  Even now, I still occasionally re-read a few of the tattered paperbacks of hers that I have held onto over the years.  Rest in peace, ma'am, and thank you for the wonderfully entertaining books which brought cheer to a lonely bookworm and helped inspire me to become a writer, myself.

February 21, 2008:  It's been a bit quiet as I am plotting the third book in the Leonardo series.  Here's a hint...you're going to read all about his flying machine!  Back on the website, I've added a couple more reviews and links, and am slowly adding more the Leonardo and Chess pages.  So be sure to visit often to see what's new!

February 12, 2008:  Just got my own copy of MYSTERY DATE!  Check out some great reads in this anthology, including "With Admiration" written by my good friend, Gail Selinger, who is also author of the fabulous THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO PIRATES. 

February 8, 2008:  Happy Birthday to my brother, Tom!  Wishing you a wonderful year.

February 2, 2008:  Happy Groundhog Day!  While you're waiting on Spring, check out the website...I have been making changes! New links and pages, with more to come.

January 28, 2008:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DIANE! (And, no, she's not going to tell which one this is!)

January 26, 2008:  I will be speaking at SleuthFest 2008 on March 1 in Ft. Lauderdale.  My topic is: The Sleuth's Journey: Myths for Narrative Structure.

January 23, 2008:  Word is out that THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT has gone to a SECOND PRINTING already!  Since it was just released on Jan. 2, this is fantastic news!  Thanks to everyone who bought my book for helping me reach this goal.

January 22, 2008:  Finally...the manuscript for PORTRAIT OF A LADY, Book 2 in the Leonardo da Vinci mystery series, is on its way to the publisher now!  WHEW...

January 21, 2008:  A Japanese publisher has bought rights to the first two books in the Leonardo da Vinci mystery series!  This will be my first sale in Asia.

EXCERPTS:  

an excerpt from MYSTERY DATE and "WHO'S BEHIND THE DOOR?"...

     “Hey, look what I found!”

     Dana’s voice sounded muffled, no doubt because her entire upper body was wedged between an old steamer trunk and a decaying horsehair sofa.  Still, her words held sufficient enthusiasm that Viv looked up from the stack of warped record albums she was sorting and wondered what so-called treasure her older sister had unearthed this time. 

     She and Dana were into their first day of clearing decades’ worth of accumulated junk from the dusty garret of the 50s bungalow that they’d recently purchased together.  The attic took up maybe a third of the house’s second story, with two bedrooms and a full bath comprising the remainder of the floor.  Thankfully, that storage space was reached by a door at the end of the hall, rather than via one of those pull-down ladders that required acrobatic skills to negotiate while carrying anything larger than an envelope. 

     Filling the attic was the typical detritus that the previous owner’s heirs—the old woman who had lived there had recently passed away—hadn’t bothered to carry off for themselves.  Boxes of forgotten baby clothes; the ubiquitous stacks of National Geographic magazines; furniture that had long since made the transition from shabby chic to merely shabby…this and more lay beneath its eaves.

     A few items they’d thus far uncovered had some collectible value; those, they would put up for sale on one of the on-line auction sites.  But most of the remaining clutter was destined for the oversized dumpster parked on the front lawn, meaning they could look forward to a goodly number of trips up and down the main stairway over the next few days.  Quite a workout for a couple of forty-something broads, Viv thought with a small sigh. 

     Not that the pair would be living there for much more than a few weeks, anyhow.  They had bought the place as a “flip,” purchasing it on the cheap, with their goal to remodel and resell it as quickly as possible, while making a tidy profit for a couple of months’ work.  This house would make their fourth flip in a little more than a year, and as a result they pretty well had the process down to a science.  If all went well, Viv told herself, they would have the place papered and painted and back on the market by the middle of next month. 

     Dana, meanwhile, had freed her lanky frame and narrowly avoiding smacking into the bare light bulb that hung from the beam above her.  Black dirt streaked her sweaty cheeks, while her auburn curls—the startling color courtesy of Miss Clairol rather than Mother Nature—stuck out in all directions.  The effect, Viv thought with an inner grin, was rather like a middle-aged pagan warrior queen returning home from a battle. 

     And Queen Dana did not return empty-handed.  She triumphantly displayed her plunder…a flat, dusty box with one corner crushed, and the other three held together with bits of yellowed tape. 

     “Look, do you believe it?”

     “Hurrah, another board game,” Viv responded with a roll of her eyes.  “What’s that, number fifteen or sixteen, so far?”

      “It’s number seven, smart ass…but it’s not just any game.  It’s THE game.”   

      “The game?” 

     Viv stared at her, puzzled, until her sister hummed a few notes that stirred a long dormant memory to life.  The catchy theme music from a 60s-era TV commercial began to play in her mind, while bits and pieces of long-forgotten lyrics to that song drifted through her head. 

    Don’t tempt fate…don’t you wait…he’s your blind date.

     Understanding dawned, and she dropped the albums to scramble to her feet, gasping in disbelief.  “THE game?’ she repeated.  “You mean—“

     “Uh, huh.”  Dana nodded, grinning, and held the rectangular box out to her.

     Viv reached for it, embarrassed to realize that her hands were trembling as she took the game.  She pulled off the bandana that covered her own silver-streaked dark curls and used the red cloth to clear the thin blanket of dust from the cardboard lid. 

      A few swipes revealed the familiar illustration of a pert 60’s teen in an ankle-length blue party dress topped by a gauzy silver wrap, the colors only slightly faded with the passage of four decades since the game was new.  A gaggle of equally perky girls in various cute outfits clustered behind her, looking as if they’d been caught in mid-gossip.  But the party girl paid them no heed, her attention instead fixed on red door that had been pulled aside to reveal the smiling, clean-cut youth in a brown suit waiting behind it.

      “Oh, my God,” she breathed in equal parts amusement and longing. “It’s Blind Date.”

       She gazed back up at Dana, matching her sister’s grin with one of her own.  It had been their favorite diversion from sixth grade all the way through junior high, a simple board game where every roll of the bright red die took the giggling players around the board trying to collect matching pastel-colored cards.   Each move also took them closer to their goal of opening the red plastic door in the board’s center to reveal their blind date…a pasteboard photo of a dreamboat class-president type, or else the geeky loser guy with cowlick-y hair and mismatched clothes. 

     The perfect rehearsal for high school life, they wisely had assured one another every time they played.

     Now, the sight of the well-loved box made her heart beat a bit faster, just as it had when she was a girl.  While one part of her grown-up, liberated, long-divorced self obediently sneered now at the game’s stereotypical message, the little girl in her still ooh’d and ah’d over the illustrated teens’ 60s-fashionable outfits and their shiny, all-American beaus. 

     She hugged the game to her in a proprietary fashion.  Then, striving for a casual tone, she looked back up at her older sister and asked, “So, you wanna play?”

copyright 2008 © by Diane A.S. Stuckart

You may not know that many novels are sold to various foreign publishers soon after they show up on the shelves in the US.  My historical romances have been published in Germany and the Netherlands, while rights to THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT have thus far been sold to Italy, Japan, Czechoslovakia, and Romania.  Here are some of the book covers and blurbs for those foreign editions.

Here's the Czechoslovakian version of THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT which has been renamed "Lethal Batch" (at least, according to Google's translation of the title).  And here is how Google translates the summary of the book:

Ducal court painter and engineer Leonardo da Vinci Přichystal to the wishes of his master chess game in which the figures speak for yourself instead of courtiers. However, disrupt the course of finding corpses Ludovicova cousin.  Leonardo given the task to reveal the perpetrators of this crime.  Should Count fatal enemy between their relatives or perhaps strive to someone in French?  And whereas the festivities because of the bishop dressed in costume, it is not possible that had become the victim of someone else? Great painter, is embarking on an investigation with the help of his student Dina, who can inconspicuously move around the castle and collect information for the master. Thanks to its inventiveness and observation skills Leonardo gradually reveals a network of dark secrets, no idea, however, that one such hiding, and his faithful assistant ...

YIKES!  Cool cover, but talk about something being lost in translation. And so the moral of the story is, never trust a computer to translate

REVIEWS: 

~~ Robert C. Hahn, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine

Excellent historical fiction