Dear Dodie

From a colourful Edwardian childhood in Manchester, Dodie Smith (1896-1990) became a second-rate repertory actress, and then worked at the Everyman Theatre and Heal's before becoming an overnight sensation with her first play Autumn Cross in 1932. She became the most successful female dramatist of her generation with her all-time hit Dear Octopus in 1938, but then left England to spend the war in California with her young, handsome pacifist husband. There Christopher was her closest friend, and she wrote lucrative screenplays and her first novel, I Capture the Castle.

At what point did the British develop their mania for interiors, wallpaper, furniture, and decoration? Richly illustrated, 'Household Gods' chronicles 100 years of British interiors, focusing on class, choice, shopping and possessions.

It's 1967 and Britain is as cool and fabulous as Dodie Golightly. She's a mystery writer, is sharp, cool and every woman would like to be her. Travel with Dodie, her assistant, Cassandra, and her best friend, TV personality, Timothy Bold as they embark on a phantasmagorical journey against the clock. Clues discovered in a mysterious manuscript lead their investigation into a series of literary murders; who are the authors listed in the book and why does Dodie's name have a skull scrawled next to it?

I asked God to fulfill the words he spoke to my heart long ago as a 5 year old child. Before I was revived from drowning, God said: When you are older and come to me asking for Father John? If I cannot get you to him, then I will get him to you. Sure enough, the day came when I asked God to get me to Father John and the Church in the feed store. Soon after, I heard Joel Osteen tell of a woman asking God for a rainbow on her wedding day and he gave her not 1 but 2. I asked God. If this is really Father Johns Son and you really are doing all of this then Please God. Sometime in the next couple of days, would you give me two rainbows? 2 days later I pulled over and took this picture from the truck I was driving, just before the 2nd rainbow faded away.

Which characters dared to write the author out of the script? When Dodie Fanshaw went to stay with her daughter, Elena, in Markenlea, she had been expecting a peaceful, sedate village on the banks of the River Thames. But then a mermaid clambers out of the river and into Elena's garden. Well, not a mermaid exactly – a mysterious, sopping-wet girl. Bizarre and intriguing though she is, it's only when Dodie and Elena call on Elena's neighbor, best-selling novelist Rick Wilbraham, that the real story unfolds. There they find Anna, Rick's girlfriend, hysterically clinging on to Rick's lifeless body. Soon Rick's pleasant riverside garden fills up with his neighbours, ex-lovers, his publisher and agent, and Dodie can't help herself getting involved in this close-knit village. A literary puzzle, but what genre is the motive? It could be Romance, might be Financial Thriller. And the mermaid? Well, that's just pure Fantasy . . .

Who's murdering vampires in Los Angeles and throwing the bodies into the Dedhams' pool? Each victim has been branded, a distinct mark that is the calling card of femme fatale vampire Ann Hayes. The contemptuous undead beauty declares her innocence, but can the vampires believe her? Has Ann returned to reclaim Doug Dedham, whom she once loved? Or is she being framed? Complicating matters are Madison's burgeoning feelings for both sexy vampire Colin Reddy and fellow "beater" detective Mike Notchey. The stakes have never been higher as Madison and the vampires race to solve the mystery and stop the killer. Praise: "This is good, cheeky fun with a solid mystery, loads of possible villains and a genuinely sexy romp on the fang side."—RT Book Reviews "Refreshingly intelligent investigative work...Dark humor, edgy suspense, and an appealing cast of characters will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next book."—Publishers Weekly "This story has lots of surprises all of which gave credence to the story as a whole. A great read."—Suspense Magazine "Jaffarian's tantalizing, tangled mystery and well-drawn characters will keep readers interested in the action."—Library Journal "Sexy repartee, brisk plotting, and splendid supernatural scene-setting... a decidedly fresh spin on vamp lit."—Sophie Littlefield, Anthony Award-winning author of A Bad Day for Sorry