Blog Tour: Deadly Curious by Cindy Anstey (Interview + Giveaway!)

Happy Monday and welcome to my stop on the Deadly Curious blog tour!! I am so excited to be a part of this tour, and I’m even more excited for you to discover what Cindy would do if she spent the day with Sophia! Read on to find out more about the book and author, plus follow the rest of the tour and enter to win a print copy of Deadly Curious!

1834. Sophia Thompson wants nothing more than to be one of the famed Bow Street Runners, London's most elite corps of detectives. Never mind that a woman has never before joined their ranks--and certainly never mind that her reclusive family has forbidden her from pursuing such an unladylike goal.
She gets the chance to prove her capabilities when an urgent letter arrives from her frantic cousin Daphne, begging Sophia to come look into the suspicious death of Daphne's brother.
As Sophia begins to unravel the tangled threads of the case--with the help of a charming young policeman--she soon realizes that the murderer may be even closer to her family than she ever suspected.

If you could trade lives with any YA character for a day, who would it be and why? What about a week? A month, year, or forever? 

If I could trade lives, I would enjoy a short stint in Regency London during the Season. I would be able to afford beautiful new gowns in this imaginary world and attend balls, soirees and parties of all sorts. There would be plays, concerts, horse and boat racing and rides along Rotten Row. Visiting with friends, flirting and enjoying sumptuous foods might make up for the inconveniences of carriage travel, lack of fresh water and superstitions. That being said, the characters that I know the best are the ones I created. So, I would likely choose to be Julianna Telford—Love, Lies and Spies—for a couple of months. 

What would you do if you spent the day with Sophia? Where would you go to eat, hang out, relax, etc.? 

A relaxing day with Sophia would involve an energetic ride (horses, of course), through the countryside followed by a picnic in a meadow with a great view of distant hills or a sparkling lake. We would laugh and chat the afternoon away, solving the problems of the world and discussing the latest books as if both were of equal importance. 

If Sophia were to hang out with characters from other YA books, who would they be and why? 

Sophia Thompson, one of the main characters of Deadly Curious, is actually introduced to the reader in The Hummingbird Dagger as Henry Thompson’s sister. However, as most siblings with diverse interests, they do not and would not hang out. I believe Sophia would find more entertainment in the company of Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables as they are both spunky and interested in everything: comradery in curiosity. 

What was your favorite bit of research you ended up not using? 

Research is one of my favorite aspects of writing historical novels. However, many facts are left out by necessity; I don’t want to drown the reader in details. Learning about the differences and similarity of weddings was very interesting; most ceremonies were in the morning followed by a wedding breakfast. Arranged marriages were common, although by the Regency period the number of romantic unions were increasing. By the 1830s—time frame for Deadly Curious—it was more the rule than the exception. Although, being head- over-heels in love was still frowned upon. 

What books would you recommend to Sophia? 

By Sophia’s time (1830s), Jane Austen had published her six novels and the Bronte sisters their seven, giving Sophia lots to put on her TBR list. Wilkie Collins would also have been to her taste but A Woman in White and Moonstone would not be released for another 30 years—perhaps she would read them to her grandchildren. I believe Sophia would have greatly enjoyed the drama of Frankenstein. 

Do you have a favorite quote, scene, or moment from Deadly Curious?


I enjoy writing flashes of humor, especially when my characters are dealing with stressful situations.

Jeremy could now see into the conservatory. Other than a missing window, it looked normal. He continued to scan the scene. On closer inspection—squinting—he could see a post behind the empty glass frame where an imbedded lead ball had splintered the wood. Just as he was about to approach the glass-framed extension, Jeremy heard a rustle in the bushes next to him and a soft female voice from deep within. 

“Let go,” she whispered, “or I will have to . . .” A branch snapped. “There, warned you.” The bush shook. “Oh bother!” 

“Miss Thompson? Is that you?” Jeremy asked. He took a deep breath, calming his suddenly stampeding heart.

“Oh, Mr. Fraser. How opportune.” A branch shifted next to his head, and a face appeared. “I seem to be caught on something; a stem, a twig, an offshoot of some sort. It’s . . . it’s . . . well, it’s caught behind me, and I cannot reach it. If I move forward the chance of ruining my gown is fairly high. Might you . . . might you free me? I would so appreciate it.” 

Although Jeremy could not yet see the offending branch, the way Sophia’s cheeks turned a pretty shade of blush led him to believe that the treacherous branch was clinging to her skirts in the area of her . . . um, posterior.

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