It's launch day for The Lost Gargoyle of Paris: An Accidental Alchemist Mystery Novella!
It feels like such a strange time to be celebrating, but since books have been bringing me such comfort over the last few weeks, it also feels apt.
The The Lost Gargoyle of Paris is a locked-room mystery I began writing shortly after the tragic fire at Notre Dame Cathedral last spring. I wanted to visit the cathedral again through my imagination, and since both main characters of the Accidental Alchemist Mysteries have their personal histories tied to the cathedral, I knew they had to go back to visit.
At Notre Dame over the years
It was the gargoyles of Paris that captured my imagination when I first visited Paris as a kid, on one of my professor mom’s summer research trips. Each time I returned, I would climb the steps of Notre Dame to visit the gallery of gargoyles who watch over the city. I hope I’ll be able to do so again one day.
When I became a writer, I didn’t think I’d end up writing about the gargoyles of Paris. But the character of Dorian Robert-Houdin, a gargoyle who was originally carved in stone for Notre Dame before being accidentally brought to life through alchemy, sprung from the page and there’s been no stopping him. Novella The Lost Gargoyle of Paris, is set entirely in Paris, and takes place shortly after the tragic fire at Notre Dame.
Here’s a teaser (and you can read more about it on the Accidental Alchemist books page):
Alchemy and an art heist in Paris are on the menu in a new Accidental Alchemist eBook novella.
Alchemist Zoe Faust and her impish gargoyle sidekick Dorian Robert-Houdin travel to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to investigate a mysterious discovery found in the wreckage of the tragic fire: a long-lost gargoyle illustration drawn by Victor Hugo himself.
Includes delicious vegan recipes!
The Lost Gargoyle of Paris is an Accidental Alchemist Mystery novella and is less than half the length of the novels in the series. It stands alone, but if you want to read more about Zoe, Dorian, and their misfit friends back in Portland, Oregon, check out The Accidental Alchemist, The Masquerading Magician, The Elusive Elixir, and The Alchemist's Illusion.
For now it’s only available as an ebook, but print and audio are coming soon! (UPDATE: Print and audio are now available!)
p.s. My artist mom made these beautiful sketches of the cathedral after reading the novella.
