The Real Scoop

As you've probably noticed, this site isn't updated terribly often ... for the *real* news, I suggest you check out MPM Books.com, the official website of Barbara Mertz / Elizabeth Peters / Barbara Michaels.

New Book

Exciting news for fans of the history and research as well as the plain old fun - this fall, we look forward to the release of Amelia Peabody's Egypt by Elizabeth Peters, edited by Kristin Whitbread. It's a 336 page hardcover with historical information surrounding and putting into context the Amelia Peabody series.

Pre-order your copy from Borders / Amazon.com here.

Re-issued VB Paperbacks

Some of Vicky's adventures have reissued in Avon paperback. Here are the dates currently scheduled. (The cover illustration to Street of the Five Moons is very nice indeed.) There's also a new edition of The Camelot Caper (though I'm not sure of the date on that one). The cover paintings are all new, and very good at that. They almost makes me want to go out and buy another copy of each ... almost.

• Street of the Five Moons, April 7
• Trojan Gold, July 2000
• Borrower of the Night, September 2000
• Silhouette in Scarlet, November 2000

Vicky Bliss Email List

2/2/01: A new Vicky Bliss e-mail list has been started. The description at the main eLists page reads:

"A list for fans of the Vicky Bliss series of books by mystery novelist Elizabeth Peters. We will be discussing all aspects of the series, from major plot points to any other topic that may relate to one of the books. Members are encouraged to actively participate. This list is safe for kids, so please keep it clean. "

To send messages to the mailing list, address them to epeters@onelist.com. The age level to join is 13+. If you're younger and would like to join, please e-mail Molly, who runs the list. (Don't e-mail me; I'm not involved at all!) The following rules (from Molly) apply to the mailing list: 1) no flames; flamers will be given one warning only before being booted off the list, and 2) nothing libelous. To join the Elizabeth Peters mailing list, click the button below.

Click to subscribe to epeters

New Look for Perpetual Bliss

Thank you all for visiting Perpetual Bliss! It makes me happy to see the number of visitors just climb and climb. Since its inception over a year and a half ago, Perpetual Bliss has looked the same, and I decided that, as of June 2000, it's time for something new. I don't know if it's an improvement, but at least it's a change. The graphics are smaller in size too, so the pages should load a bit faster. Don't worry, though! Only the appearance of the site has changed; nothing is missing that was here before. Please enjoy your visit, and come back soon.

Next Book Poll Results

In a late-1999 MPM newsletter (you can read the whole thing at Another Shirt Ruined), Elizabeth Peters suggested that readers write her and tell her what they want her to write next. Now, because I know you're interested in finding out when a new Vicky book will be forthcoming, I've reproduced the results of the poll from the newsletter below.

The official results of the poll (I kid you not):

Peabody Emerson Clan 30
Vicky Bliss 30
Jacqueline Kirby 7
Jacqueline/ Vicky crossover 5
Summer of the Dragon 7
Legend in Green Velvet 2
Other (either Michaels or Peters) - 8
CAN'T DECIDE! 9

From MPM: Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond to the questionnaire. The winners are...

Oh, didn't I tell you it was a contest? Well, well, as Emerson might say, you just can't trust some people. The winners are those who told me to write anything I wanted.

I would like to explain something to those who requested sequels to older books. Trust me--you wouldn't like it if I did. Those books were written over twenty years ago. I'm not the writer I was back then. I hope I'm better; I'm certainly different; I'm unquestionably older. I am fond of (almost) all my literary children, but resurrecting them from a twenty-year-old file would not be a good idea. They wouldn't be the same, because I am not the same.

Another difficulty is that Summer and Legend and the others were one-shots. The plots of such books are set up quite differently from those that are intended to leave open the possibility of a sequel. The same thing is true of the characters. It's not just a question of marrying off the hero and heroine; they must have personality traits or occupations or connections that would provide an excuse for continued excursions into crime. My earlier heroines, dear little souls, didn't enjoy playing detective, and the men they hooked up with had other career plans. If you examine the first of the Jacqueline books and the first Vicky, you will see that they are open-ended. I could and did go on with them. Amelia was one of those exceptions that proves the rule; I really did think I'd settled her for life at the end of Crocodile. It was her own aggressive personality and my fondness for Egyptology that demanded she return.

There is a third factor, which I am hesitant to mention because I don't want my readers to think I am venal and greedy. (I am, but I don't want them to think so.) That factor is the publisher. He's got a right to his opinion; it's his money. Obviously he wants a book that will maximize his profits. At the present time, that means more Amelias. The sales figures bear it out, and so do the results of the poll. I don't say I couldn't sell an out-of-series book, but the repercussions of such a suggestion would be horrendous. My agent would shake his head and look severely at me, my publisher would demand I consult a therapist, and my editor would stop sending me boxes of Fannie May.

I hope this makes you fans of Tom and Jamie and whomever feel better. If not, I suggest chocolate.

News of Another Book!

Many of you have asked about another Vicky Bliss book. Please don't hold me responsible for the accuracy of anything which follows, as I cannot verify any of it, but all the rumours to which I have become privy, follow. I begin with the newest information first and continue on to oldest. If I hear of any new developments, you'll find them here.

From informant Beth:
I know Barbara Mertz very well, and she has hinted that the follow-up to Night Train to Memphis will feature Schmidt's past activities in World War II. Also, Schmidt is rumored to get a girlfriend, and go on a diet. :-)

In the previous issue of the MPM Newsletter, Elizabeth Peters herself responds as follows.
Q: When is Elizabeth Peters going to write another Vicky Bliss?
A: Some day. I have the urge and the skeleton of a plot. What I lack is time.

From Chris:
I just wanted to let you know a tidbit I picked up from a book (sorry, I can't remember the name, but it came out last Aug or Sept and it had author interviews in it). Anyway, one of the reviews was with P/M/M and she dropped a hint about her plans for another V.Bliss novel: she wants to include a joke or reference to "a certain famous fictional detective who specializes in art thefts."

From Christiana, who attended a book signing with Elizabeth Peters:
"She mentioned that she wanted to do at least 1 more Vicky Bliss - this was going to have to come after 2 more Amelia's (1 she's already written) and revising her 2 Egyptology classbooks - *so* one will come, we just don't know when. There's hope!"