Leaden Skies in July . . .

. . . As you may (or may not) know, it can rain ANYTIME up in the Rockies. And, during Ulysses S. Grant's visit to Leadville, Colorado, in July 1880, the weather did everything but cooperate. Rain, sleet, mud, cold ... the weather, according to old newspaper reports, was pretty wretched.

This is just all a lead-in to the announcement (ta-da!) of the next book in my Silver Rush mystery series, titled Leaden Skies, which takes place in Leadville over the five days of Grant's visit and which, serendipitously enough, will be released in July 2009 (let's hope for better weather than Grant had!). To steal the official description:
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The summer of 1880: although possible investment in Leadville's silver mines is a main reason that former president and Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant is now touring this city at the top of the Rockies, others in his retinue and in town are enticed by other visions. As part owner of the Silver Queen Saloon, Inez Stannert has often observed the ruination that comes from yielding to temptation. Still, that knowledge hasn't stopped Inez from striking a backroom deal with upscale brothel madam Frisco Flo, a deal that Inez gambles will make her financially independent.
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And... here's the cover.
Well, sort of.
Ignore the title for now.
Tomorrow, I'll talk about titles, and the transformation of Lead into Temptation into Leaden Skies....