6:30pm
lecture then signing
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MPM
a bulletin on the doings and undoings of
Barbara Mertz/Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels
Issue 43
Summer/Fall 2003
Kristen Whitbread, Editor
The Amelia Peabody Books
By Elizabeth Peters
In chronological order:
Crocodile on the Sandbank
Curse of the Pharaohs
The Mummy Case
Lion in the Valley
Deeds of the Disturber
The Last Camel Died at Noon
The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog
The Hippopotamus Pool
Seeing a Large Cat
The Ape Who Guards the Balance
The Falcon at the Portal
He Shall Thunder in the Sky
Lord of the Silent
The Golden One
Children of the Storm One cannot have too large a party.
Jane Austen
Emma
MPM I hope I may be permitted to preen myself a bit about the magnificent party given by my pub-
lishers to mark the publication of Children of the Storm. Well, my dears, you should have been there.
The Plaza is one of New Yorks most glamorous hotels. When we approached
the stairs leading to the ballroom we found them
sprinkled with rose petals, and at the head of the
stairs a gigantic reproduc-
tion of the book cover.
Once inside we were
greeted by a trio of Egyptian musicians in cos-
tume, playing traditional music. The guests included members of the media, my buddies from Harper-
Collins-Avon-Morrow, and a number of Egyptology friends, some of whom wore their pith helmets.
However, I believe all would agree that the tour de force was the cake (for this was also an acknowl-
edgment of my recent birthday), in the form of a four-foot long sphinx--a masterpiece of the pastry
chefs art, with sandy-gold frosting sculpted like the original. The cake itself--need I say?--was choco-
late. With great tact, my hosts provided only one candle to be
blown out. I hated to leave that cake. But I did manage to make
off with one of the paws. Carefully encased in foil, it survived
the three days I spent doing signings and interviews in the New
York area, and was greatly
appreciated by my grandchil-
dren, and Tim and Kristen.
Thanks to all of you who
helped put another of my books
on the best-seller lists. Quite
frankly, those lists dont matter
to me as much as the loyalty
and support of my dear readers, but they do make publishers happy.
And, I must add, my publishers made me happy with that splendid
blow-out. Thank you, Jane and Michael, Trish and Sharyn and all the
others who worked so hard.
It has been a busy summer. Wet, too. The rain was a mixed
blessing, rotting the blossoms of peonies and roses, but after last years
horrible drought we welcomed it; and the peonies were spectacular in
spite of sogginess. I cant stop buying peonies. I dont know how
many varieties I have, but including tree peonies, the number must be
well over fifty.* The months of April and May and early June are pure
heaven, beginning with the first daffodils and ending when the last
roses fade. The old roses, the only kind I grow, bloom only once, but
what a tapestry they make. Now, in the dog days of summer the annu-
The Entrance:
The Cake!
presented by Jane Friedman,
President and CEO, to a clearly astonished (though
not necessarily speechless) MPM.
2
The Musicians als continue to bloom, lilies make a brave show, and the water lilies and lotuses are doing their best.
And already I can hardly wait till the lilacs bloom next spring.
Work? We have not been idle. Amelia Peabodys Egypt is ready for the printer, after much tra-
vail--its an awfully complicated book, but worth the effort. I think youll agree that it is gorgeous,
informative and entertaining. (If you dont agree, kindly keep your opinion to yourself.) I am working
on the next Amelia, Guardian of the Horizon; and for those of you who feared she was coming to the
end of her adventures, I am happy to announce that Ive just signed a contract for two more.
Please keep the cards and letters coming. I do enjoy hearing from you. I have a few appear-
ances scheduled this fall, in connection with the publication of the Amelia compendium--see the dates
above, if Kristen can figure out what I did with the letter from my publicist. I must add that although
she is co-editor of the book she has flatly refused to tour. I am deeply wounded but resigned.
*Given that one order alone exceeded that number, I
would imagine so!
KDW
I do love secondhand books that open to the page some previous owner read oftenest.
Helene Hanff
84, Charing Cross Road
Jan Pitt writes: Apropos of finding bizarre objects used as bookmarkers...
wandering round our village fete at the weekend (I dont suppose
you have fetes in America: theyre probably a peculiar form of
English masochism) I spent ages riffling through piles of most unap-
pealing paperbacks to find, hidden beneath a pile of Catharine
Cooksons et al, a tiny jewel of a book which has given me enormous
pleasure. It is written by a compatriot of yours, Anne Fadiman,
and comprises a series of essays for bibliophiles. She divides us
into categories, courtly lovers (people who would probably rather
die than deface a book with a slice of bread or a rasher of bacon!)
and carnal lovers, people who literally love their books to
pieces, joyously dog-earing pages, scribbling in the margins, leav-
ing them lying face down and using them for deviant purposes such
as building blocks or door stops. Which category do you and
Kristen fall into? I am definitely a courtly lover (my senses
insist that they were brought up to believe that the eleventh com-
mandment was Pulverize each other if you really must but never,
ever, ill-treat a book) and I will never change, but I must con-
fess that after reading Anne Fadiman, a carnal lover par excel-
lence, I cant help wondering if Ive been missing something and
that it might actually be rather fun to be a carnal lover, just as
all those respectable and impeccably virtuous Victorian ladies we
hear about might secretly have envied their more abandoned sisters,
whatever their protests to the contrary!
MPM My father once accused me of sending him a book with a ham sandwich in it. (I always read the
3 books before I sent them, of course.) That was just one of his little jokes, but I admit there were some-
times crumbs. However, I am more inclined toward the courtly side, though it does depend on the book.
I have to force myself to dogear a page, even if I dont intend to keep the book.
KDW What an intriguing contemplation; especially since I now perceive that my behavior has evolved.
I can recall when certain books brought out the lust in me, and I would scribble notes in their margins,
dribble crumbs into their spines (since I couldnt possibly put them down while I ate), and then let them
fall onto the pillow beside me as I drifted off to sleep (awaking with a lovely indentation where the cor-
ner had stuck into my temple throughout the night). While I find that I enjoy reading as much as I ever
have, I no longer treat books so cavalierly; I do NOT break spines, nor do I dribble food into them, I
am careful to use a bookmark (NEVER would I turn down a page corner), and the book always goes
onto my night stand before I go to sleep. I think, in my case, it may be a question of ownership. Before
I had children there was no question but that each book I read was MINE ALL MINE - with the excep-
tion of library books, of course - and therefore I branded them with wild abandon so there could be no
mistaking my possession. Now, every book I read will potentially be read by my daughter, my son, or
my husband so I no longer consider them my personal property. It is as if I have a public library in my
own house; and as with any library book I am careful not to damage them in any way, or for that mat-
ter, leave any evidence of my presence. I wonder whether the eventual absence of my children will sum-
mon my past intemperance, or if I am forever-after reformed?
Erika Wilson writes: I have
been reading your
wonderful Amelia
Peabody series and I
think that you may
enjoy the enclosed.
I only wish that I
could remember where
I found them.
Probably either
Harpers Weekly or
Frank Leslies
Illustrated
Newspaper.
KDW Not only did MPM enjoy
the etchings Erika sent, but we
both agreed that one in particu-
lar was too wonderful to selfish-
ly hoard!
MPM Do not try this at home!
(or in the veldt.)
Alice Goepfert asks: Where
4 can I send contributions for excavations as you mentioned in your
last newsletter? I would love to help in new discoveries and in
the preservation of ancient Egypt!
Please send an inquiry prior to sending money to any of the organizations listed below and ask for the
details of their ongoing projects (they usually fund more than one project, and you may wish to ear-
mark your funds).
Friends of the Colossi of Memnon
Etude de Maitre Nicolas Gagnebin
2 Rue Saint Laurent
1207 Geneva
SWITZERLAND
The Amarna Research Foundation
16082 East Loyala Place
Aurora CO 80013
Dr. Salima Ikram
(Director of The Animal Mummy Project)
Please send your queries to her c/o MPMs PO box, and we will forward them to her.
MPMManor
, Inc.
POBox 180
Libertytown, MD 21762-0180 5
Carol Brown writes: I have found your website and enjoy reading the com-
ments you make there. I must confess that until then I did not
realise that there were so many subtleties that I was missing out
on. I guess I was so busy enjoying the literal story that I didnt
read between the lines. I didnt realise about Ramses and Enid
Fraser until I was slapped in the face with it. Which has left me
uncertain as to a part of the current book. I am hoping that you
are going to tell me that it wa