Cecilia also reviews Body. It’s a great review but it, too, contains spoilers for Spy. It’s a cruel world out there for innocent readers.

I’ll see you tomorrow for more Notorious Victorians!

I’m going to have patchy internet access for the next few days, but the blog tour rolls on. Do check in at GreenBeanTeenQueen on Wednesday for my essay on Notorious Victorian activist Annie Besant and Sarah’s review of Body.

On Thursday, I’ll be talking about Charles Darwin as a Reluctant Revolutionary at Cornucopia of Reviews. There, Lizzy also gives Body a glowing review. Yay!

Friday’s guest post is about women’s rights campaigner Lady Caroline Norton, over at Reading in Color. Ari’s review is a beautiful one, but beware – it contains minor spoilers for Spy.

I’ll post next week from Vancouver, when the blog tour continues with four more Notorious Victorians and an interview. Can’t wait!

Kristi at the Story Siren also reviews Body, giving it 5 stars! She praises its “Spectacular characters… superb writing… awesome storyline. It’s easy to read, fun and just plain ole’ entertaining. I can’t wait for another adventure with Mary in book three!” I’m thrilled to hear it.

I’m also chatting with Sara at the Hiding Spot, where we discuss favourite scenes, novels, and words. Right now, mine’s “quiddity”. What’s yours?

Yesterday was different. Yesterday, Jennifer Herman (Marketing Manager at Random House Canada and a proper take-no-prisoners kind of woman) organized a lunch gathering for me with a bunch of booksellers from Indigo (downtown) and Chapters (the ‘burbs). It was fun, and entirely the opposite of my usual sad vigil. I talked a bit about Spy, but mostly we all talked about: the indignities of buying “petite” trousers that still require hemming; handmade jewelry from Barriefield Village; the joys of the All-Day Breakfast; Paulo Coelho, yea or nay; the new Yann Martel book; self-help books; Portsmouth Villagers, arty or crazy; movie theatres of Kingston Past; people who walk cats as though they’re dogs; people who carry dogs as though they’re babies; whether bookselling is the most dangerous job in the world, on the grounds that your take-home pay might well be zero after you’ve spent the day caressing new books; the retired English teacher who’s taught half of Kingston; what, exactly, a Poker Run is (it involves boats); and dachsunds. These are just the highlights, mind you. And then Jennifer gave out copies of Spy, and I signed them, which still gives me the chills (and penmanship worries).

The booksellers got off light – I was actually pressing for an Ultimate Fighting Championship-style scrap between the two stores. It looked promising, to me: Indigo had more people (including the tallest), but the Chapters folk are ninjas. Ultimately, I forced everyone to pose for this photo:

And then I brainwashed them. (back row) Bonnie, Jenny, Ryan, Jennifer, Samantha; (front row) Christina, Leslie, Victoria, Ginny

Good times, booksellers of Kingston. Good times.

This week, I’m thrilled that Kirkus reviewed Spy a second time, this time in their spring supplement: “Debut author Y.S. Lee keeps the story wound tight, lacing it with gingery humor… Sparkling repartee fuels the story, but it’s not so snappy as to undercut Mary’s vulnerability—she’s a saucy, smart heroine it will be a pleasure to meet again.”

And the bloggers – they’ve been busy!

Yuan at GAL Novelty says it’s “an engrossing read, with a lead character you can root for with all your heart”.

The Book Whisperer doesn’t usually read historical mysteries, but concludes that “without a doubt that I am a new follower”. Hurray!

Christina at Reading Extensively calls it “a delightful mystery with a fantastic heroine”.

Mel at He Followed Me Home thinks it has “the perfect ingredients for a fun historical mystery”.

And Miss Kelley “can’t wait to find out what Mary Quinn does next”!

Finally, I did a couple of interviews:

I talked to novelist Cynthia Leitich Smith about research and roadblocks, and finding one’s historical voice.

And Book Lovers Inc interviewed me. Sample: Q. Tell us about your book. A. It contains not a single vampire.

I think that’s accurate.

This is, appropriately enough, a week of both endings and beginnings. My final stop in the T2T blog tour is at Ticket to Anywhere, where I guest-blog about that most Victorian of fashion items: the corset. True or false? Prince Albert wore one. Also, blog host Irish reviews Spy and gives it four stars for being “hard to put down”. Hurray!

I’ve been busy elsewhere, too. Shades of Romance Magazine interviewed me and I talked about Things I Learned at My Book Launch Party at BookLounge.

On Tuesday, I had my first, real-life confirmation that I’m not, in fact, hallucinating everything: while driving from Toronto to Kingston, I stopped in Belleville for a coffee at the Organic Underground and a sly little mission to Greenley’s Book Store, a gem of an indie. And there it was.

Does this ever become a routine and ho-hum experience? I certainly hope not.

I’ve just finished reading Philip Hensher’s The Mulberry Empire and am still recovering from the experience. It’s a swaggering, playful, beautifully postmodern (as opposed to annoyingly, pretentiously postmodern) homage to the Victorian three-volume novel; it’s a joke about Boy’s Own Adventures; it is MAGNIFICENT. Please, please, read it and come back to discuss.

I received an ARC of Lisa Mantchev’s Perchance to Dream in the mail this week. Huzzah! I thought Eyes Like Stars was terrific – so much so that I’m going to save PtD until I’ve finished my own book 3 in a few weeks. Not only will it be a delicious treat, but I won’t be tempted to write obnoxious fairies into my own novel in an insane act of homage.

Finally, a lot of new and lovely reviews of Spy are popping up everywhere – hurray again! I’ve included snippets below, with links where available.

The trade publications:

“Woven throughout the cloak-and-dagger play is plenty of flirtatious repartee, and even the most perilous of adventures is leavened with a comic edge that winks at the mystery genre.” Bulletin of the Centre for Children’s Books

“Historical details are woven seamlessly into the plot, and descriptive writing allows readers to be part of each scene.” School Library Journal

The bloggers:

Susan of Readspace, a diehard mystery fan, is “thrilled that this series is being published for young adults.  Unlike adult fiction, there are few high quality true mysteries to offer teens… In my opinion, this could just as easily been picked up by an adult mystery imprint, that’s how good it is.”

Kelly Peres of Midnight Glance was initially suspicious, but I converted her! She admits, “I went in with a closed mind on the topic, but I have to say Y.S. Lee captivated me from the first chapter to the end.”

A Patchwork of Books calls it “a brilliantly addictive plot filled with twists and turns, as well as high fashion, old money, and handsome gentlemen… If you’re a fan of The Luxe or just a lover of good mysteries or historical fiction, this is a fantastic choice.”

The Passionate Booklover “really loved this captivating tale and I wanted to read more about Mary and her fascinating adventures!”

The Unread Book says, “The story twists and turns and every time you think you have figured it out Lee throws you another curveball.”

Milk and Cookies calls it “a great new series to look forward to!”

I’d call that a great – and full – week. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a novel to write. See you next Thursday!

Rebecca Herman of Rebecca’s Book Blog was one of the first book bloggers to notice Spy when the British edition was first published in 2009. You can check out our interview here – a first for both of us, I think! Today, I’m delighted to be Rebecca’s guest once again and I’m talking about the Victorian uber-drug, opium. It wasn’t just for the hookah-smoking avant-garde…

The day has come – the North American publication date for The Agency: A Spy in the House! As a result, I am all over the intertubes:

The T2T blog tour takes me to Chick Lit Teens where Jessica reviews Spy, calling it a “true gem”. I’m also a guest-poster here, and my subject today is Victorian Hygiene. Warning: this one’s not for the queasy.

I’m also at Book Chick City, explaining why – despite my love of things Victorian – I’m glad I live in the present day. This one’s also a bit grimy.

Paul Grimsley interviews me at In To Views (the Arty interview)

The Catastrophizer forces me to ponder failure and death (the Angsty interview).

And tonight, we’ll be celebrating with a party. Novel Idea Books will be there, selling copies for those who wish to purchase. Body Now 4 Mums and Kids is hosting us in their lovely harbourfront studio. And Candlewick Press is the hero of the day because without them, none of this would be happening. Please join us if you can!

Tuesday, March 9

7.30 to 10pm

61 Yonge St., Portsmouth Village, Kingston

To recap: today will be a True Gem of Queasy, Grimy, Arty Angst. Party to follow.

Perfect.

My book launch party is only 3 days away! Are you coming?

Today, the T2T blog tour takes us to Reading in Color, where Ari reviews Spy and reckons that Mary “is better than Sherlock Holmes because she does all that he does but in a skirt”! I’ve also written a guest post about Lascars – Asian sailors – in Victorian London. Yes, it’s true: Victorian London was NOT lily-white – but people often forget that.

My book launch party is on Tuesday, and you are invited.

I wrote a quiz for writers that Stephanie Burgis calls “freakily accurate”. Eating and writing – they are connected! The quiz is up at Teenreads.com So… do you eat dessert first?

And on the 6th day of my blog tour, I’m Leslie’s guest at That Chick that Reads. She interviews me here, and reviews Spy here. Thank you for having me to visit, Leslie, and for encouraging me to talk about my freaky elbows (among other things). And thanks for the 5-paw rating!

And my book launch party is on Tuesday. Click here for details.

Welcome to the fourth day of my blog tour! Today, Christina of Books are Life interviews me and I rant a bit about why Jane Eyre shouldn’t have married Rochester.

*ducks to avoid wrath of Janeites*

Also, new reviews!

We Be Reading commends Spy’s “surprising depth and heart”.

Back to Books thinks it’s “a thrilling read, great mystery, wonderful characters, authentic historical setting with plenty of humour and a tad of love. Y.S. Lee’s first novel, and first in this trilogy, is a big winner and I can’t wait to see where Mary’s next case will take her.”

Misfit Salon wants “to find out what was in the cigar box – ahhhhh – I must find out! As you can tell, I cannot wait for the next installment of this exciting new young adult series.”