someone? What to

look out for? And if you read Jennifer Vampires, you'll see that there are kind of markers of this along the way.

But I'm trying to think to truncate, like I would say that, It's really important.

I tell my daughter this all the time.

It's really important to watch what people do and not what they say.

Like, don't just listen to what they say.

You have to pay attention to what people are doing.

Yeah, Mark Vincente and Bonnie

Can you just walk us through what that process was like? Because it was clearly important to you and how you made the decision for how Cora was going to portray them and reflect them to elevate and honor them.

Certainly.

I'm glad you mentioned that.

So yes, she does make a living as a post-mortem portraiture artist, which was a real Victorian practice for wealthier families who didn't just want to photograph to memorialize their lost loved one, but they wanted a portrait.

And I chose to have Cora be the person to come in and paint They're dead.

And so as the commission comes in for her to start painting forgotten and ignored women in London, the Ripper murders begin.

And as well as having several women who had recently been in headlines for being attacked to paint or for having committed acts of violence that arguably were they were thrust into by the systems around them.

I

And so where did this fascination with portraiture come

from? I'm trying to remember the moment.

I wish I had documented that.

You know, when you do so much research, sometimes it all blends together.

And I am trying to remember the moment when I thought, that's what she needs to do is paint portraits of the dead.

just such a random thing but I needed her to be acquainted with death and have like this comfort with the macabre of life without it being without her living in darkness and and being someone who was really jaded and cynical.

But in order to be able to move through very prestigious and wealthy circles and offer a sense of comfort to people who were grieving, I needed her to be able to do that.

And so why was naming these women so important to you?

Yeah, so tell me about your process and tell me about Cora Wexford.

Well, congratulations on your book.

That's fantastic.

And you're right, it is a difficult world to get into.

And so, yeah, when I wrote my memoir, Dinner for Vampires, it was really nice to be able to have that opportunity to get my foot in the door.

And thank goodness Simon & Schuster enjoyed my writing and believed in me enough to get this one going.

So this is my first, my debut novel.

But that research had to be, you know, to research that era and create a character and a world around something that did historically happen, that had to be really challenging and time-consuming.

Tell us a bit about The Betrayal of Cora Wexford, and introduce us to Cora a also to Miles Vale.

Certainly.

Well, we start in London around the time of the Whitechapel murders, who we now call Jack the Ripper.

Cora Wexford is an American who has left some secrets in her life behind in America and moved to London, and she has made a living as a post-mortem portraiture artist, and it's a niche pocket, niche career that she's carved out for herself.

And she's at a stage in her life where there's a lot of independence and freedom, and, which is unusual for a woman at this time to be in her position.

Around the time that the murders begin happening, Cora is commissioned by the Women's Protective and Provident League, and an, a renowned gallery owner, to paint the forgotten women of London who have been marginalized, who have become victims of the system that they're a part of and underneath.

And as she paints these women, she begins painting also the victims of Jack the Ripper.

Mm-hmm

Tell us a bit about the betrayal of Cora Wexford and introduce us to Cora and also to Miles Vale.

Certainly.

Well, we start in London around the time of the Whitechapel murders, who we now call Jack the Ripper.

Cora Wexford is an American who has left some secrets in her life behind in America and moved to London.

And she has made a living as a post-mortem portraiture artist.

And it's a niche profession.

pocket niche career that she's carved out for herself.

But what was it about that period and this place that drew you most to write about it?

Oh.

And I never liked that name as a kid.

I was always be like, "Hard," you know, when teachers would ask me.

And so when I got married, I didn't take my husband, now ex-husband's last name.

So when we were getting divorced, I was like, "Why do I, have I kept this name that I've never liked?" You know? And so I decided to make my middle name my last name.

So I legally did that.

I legally dropped my last name, and it felt like I was, like, changing my karma.

Beautiful.

Mm.

And then it's like, "Well, well, did you talk to your mom about that?" "Yeah, I shared it with her." "Mm, just might- just be careful, you know, because you're just spiritually in a different place than her, and she may not be able to understand, and I would just hate for her to be sowing things into you that are not the truth of your identity.

And, you know, generations are powerful, and, uh, so just, just be careful." "Oh, gosh, I, I hadn't thought of that.

Yeah, okay." And then that's the little seed.

And then, and then the next one is, um-... yeah, I li- I like your mom.

She's, you know, she's really sweet, but, um, yeah, she just really doesn't understand you, and I just wanna encourage you, you know, sh- she doesn't understand boundaries, Joy.

So just please make sure that you're protecting your boundaries.

Yes.