Then, Booksmuggler Thea reviews Body, calling it “another winning, impeccably well-written historical mystery”. Huzzah!

Thanks so much for joining me on this blog tour. Regularly scheduled blogging returns on Thursday, when I continue my English adventures. See you then!

And over at Teenreads, I’m dispensing bad advice. Ever wondered How Not to Be a Writer? I’ve got tips for you!

Fortunately, it’s not all about me. The Body at the Tower blog tour is at Steph Su Reads today, where I guest-post about Notorious Victorian Joseph Merrick – aka the Elephant Man – and the way he used celebrity as a survival strategy. His is a tragic but also smart and fascinating story.

Steph then reviews Body: “damn if the pages didn’t nearly catch on fire…” *evil cackle from smug author*

There is no real-world launch party today, but stay in touch: I’m planning an online launch party in September. Details to follow.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to celebrate.

Mariah also reviews Body. As she warns, you’re in for “slight spoilers for first book. And possibly some fangirling.”

I’ll see you tomorrow – which is, by the way, the OFFICIAL PUB DATE for Body! – at Steph Su Reads with part 2 of Victorian Celebrities.

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?

1) A family funeral,

2) The wedding of a dear friend, and

3) My first meeting with a nephew who was born last year.

Being confronted with Major Life Events always makes me reel, but don’t worry – I’m not going to wax overly philosophical. What struck me this evening is how very Victorian this triad of events is, yet how much our expectations have evolved over a century.

The nineteenth century was an age of high infant mortality, lower life expectancy, contagious diseases, and relatively primitive medical care. As a result, death was a frequent and familiar sort of terror. A Victorian person of my age would likely have known multiple deaths within her family and circle of friends, through both accident and illness. I’m downright insulated in comparison, something I never think of without a shiver of relief.

Marriage is still an important rite of passage but once again, it’s changed so much. Women and men think hard about whether they want to marry, and whom. They create and dissolve contracts as they choose. And the word “spinster” is seldom heard anymore, except in legal documents. Much as we agonize about relationships, they’re so easy now because we have such freedom of choice. In contrast, when a young Victorian woman entered into marriage, she was transferred from the legal power of her father to that of her husband. She couldn’t own property in her own name, until 1882. And if her husband was abusive or negligent, it was extremely difficult for her to obtain a divorce.

Childbirth is incredibly safe, in the year 2010. In affluent countries, maternal death in childbirth is rare. Newborns generally live. And when babies are born ill, our first question is, “How can we heal them?” rather than, “Will they live?” Once born, we expect healthy babies to thrive; the first year is no longer a gamble.

So while I’m feeling bruised by this sudden confluence of turning points, I’ve got nothing on the Victorians.

This week in reviews:

The first blog review for The Body at the Tower is up! Librarian Jennifer Rummel (aka YA Book Nerd) says, “I ADORE this series… I just want MORE (and quickly!).” Body will be published in the US/Canada by Candlewick on August 10, and in the UK by Walker Books on 6 September.

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…

Today, the T2T blog tour takes me to the Story Siren, where Kristi found Spy “enthralling” and “a great start to a series”. Hurray! You can read the rest of her review here.

Also at the Story Siren, I’ve written a guest post about the Great Stink of 1858, which is the setting for Spy. Yes, “the Great Stink” was its real name. See you there!

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.