Another new book, this time stepping over the line into magic! The idea for this tale emerged many years ago in a dance class and I’ve been writing it in patches since then, which may account for its being 418 pages long. When I was shopping it around, agents said variations of, “Rewrite this for young adults and I can sell it in a minute! Nobody wants to read about old people.”
Aarrgghh! I can never resist a flung gauntlet. The Paper Doll Museum is about the scary but frequently hilarious magic that accompanies long experience, not about dewy-eyed teenagers pitted against evil elders who’ve made a total mess of things. Of course that battle is required of the young in every generation. But the real battle lies elsewhere and requires wisdom as well as magic. So I didn’t rewrite it: I published it.
Taylor Blake is retired, divorced and addicted to eggplant. It’s a pleasant enough life amid a group of lifelong friends who call themselves The Syndicate of the Wanton Menu. But when a shape-shifting, persimmon-scented nightmare materializes during her aerobic dance class, Taylor must face the fact that something ancient is afoot. Taylor is a Revenant, one of a growing number who have survived the reproductive years only to regain the magical perception of childhood, now honed by the experience of a lifetime. But the gift is not without profound danger. There really is something terrible hiding in the dark. There always was. Fortunately, Taylor can kick ass.
The Paper Doll Museum will be FREE for Kindle Thursday, November 29 and Friday, November 30. Grab a copy and let me know what you think! Really. I’m dying to hear reactions to this one. 
Just ordered it.
Lacking a Kindle, can I get it in print form? It sounds like such fun!
Sure! See email.
Abbie, I don’t see the book on Goodreads yet. Do you want to add it? Or, if you send me all its information, I can add it later this afternoon. Lisa
Sent from my iPhone
Yikes. Forgot. Will do it ASAP and thanks!
Abbie
Congratulations on finishing that wonderful book! Re. the “rewrite for a younger readership” business: The Ghost Trio editor at Bold Strokes tried to get us to take out the two passages in which there are answering machines because “the younger generation doesn’t have landlines.” Well, the characters are in their 40s–and the answering machine is important to the subplot because the main character overhears a rival’s love message to the woman with whom she’s having an affair. Anyway, we insisted on keeping it. I hope you’re doing well. We’ll be in San Diego for a few weeks in December and January. Would love to see you. Lillian
Hi, Abbie, I saw that your new book was available last week on your Facebook page and bought it but haven’t had a chance to read it yet. Will get back to you on that. I just forwarded your post to a bunch of family and friends. Hope you get a lot of interest. Love, Ruth
Thanks Abigail! I just received your newbook on Kindle. I look forward to reading it, as I have with all your other work, with great anticipation! By the way, I was at Ace’s celebration service. Your email was so touching. Tibby made it an absolutely beautiful afternoon–lot’s of tears but more laughter. Ace would have been very proud. Denne Pushkin
Thanks for your note, Denne.
Yay! I’m going to order mine on Kindle right now!
Congrats, Abbie!
Just finished it and absolutely was spellbound. I must confess to some reluctance due to the paranormal aspect–but I was quickly sucked in and reading avidly. It’s an adventure tale for adults–well-written, goes without saying, and has depth and warmth.
Also, the Baba Yaga! I, too was facinated by the Highlights Magazine stories–I think it was in two parts and I was nutso until I got the second issue. Maybe my fondness for chickens is due to Baba Yaga…..
Anyhow–Good luck with this book, and I hope you plan on another one–we at the other end of life can use inspiration just as much as the young ones.
I am 40% into the Paper Doll Museum (so my Kindle tells me) and loving it.
Thanks, Charles -
Hope you love the rest of it!
Abbie
Just finished the Paper Doll Museum on kindle. I loved it. I still miss Bo Bradley, and really wanted much more of Blue, but this was great. Now, of course, you leave us hanging. What’s going to happen to the Revenants? To the World? To T.J.? Are Taylor and Nick going to fall in love? How is the trio (Taylor, Nick, and the antiquarian, whose name I can’t remember at the moment) going to save the world? Or at least get a start? (Hey someone could review your book as a boomer book, as it’s about us old/wise folks (well, only some of us wise, but I think you’re one of them.)
I love the paper dolls, love the way evil is each individual’s ghoul, love the friendships among the women and want more and more.
Thanks so much. I do hope there is a sequel in the works.
Thanks so much, Rebecca. There’s definitely a sequel, working title, THE GAME OF THE GOOSE, based on an ancient French board game. And yes, this stage of life is about wisdom! A tough transition, and one under-represented in popular fiction. Time to change that, right? Crones, start writing!
Abbie
I just finished “The Paper Doll Museum”. I wrote a review on Amazon because I just couldn’t help myself. I have recommended it to my best friend and my sister. I’ve insisted they read this book. I didn’t want it to end and yet I found myself stopping other activities during the day to read it. It’s about time a novel is written about a retired person…it’s not over for us…we are witty….romantic…inquisitive. I am a retired art teacher…I’ll never retire as an artist ~ I identified so much with this wonderful book. Like you, I was at I.U. during the 60′s…and much of your writing style reflects my experiences. Also, and not the least: I learned so much about so many different things from this book…I found myself bookmarking pages (Kindle) to look up incidents on Google later. Thank you, Abigale for writing this. I’m going to read you other novels now.
Hi, Diane -
So your enthusiasm will help enormously. Maybe we were at IU at the same time, although our paths might never have crossed. The only art class I took was the required “Art Aprec.” – 7:30 in the morning, lots of slides in a warm, dark auditorium – zzzz. And you’re so right – it’s SO not over for us. Life at this stage is a landscape of drama we couldn’t have imagined, much less handled, when young. I hope you enjoy my other books even though they aren’t specifically “Boomer” like THE PAPER DOLL MUSEUM. Well, one of BONE BLIND’s two sleuth characters is an about-to-retire detective who definitely represents that cohort. There will be a sequel to TPDM, set partially in Paris when Taylor takes TJ to meet his father over Christmas vacation. Lots of spooky goings-on in those old, cobbled streets!
Thanks so much for your comment and especially for your wonderful Amazon review! I love writing books but hate promoting them, and don’t. (You will understand. We Midwestern types are incapable of blowing our own horns.
All best,
Abbie
I am so glad you are doing a follow-up of TPDM! I’m in love with Nick Mautner and had pegged him for a “warrior”. I was in Art Apprec. at I.U. too…7:30 a.m. and often fell asleep…Dr. Elsen was the prof. ~ He is fairly famous from books he has written.
Years later, when I was returning to university (IUPUI) at Herron School of Art and Design, I was fortunate enough to major in Art History and Sculpture…the prof. was Ian Frasier…a delightful Englishman who made Art History colorful and fascinating! I was a student on trips to France and Italy with Prof. Frasier…and continued to go back to Italy to study Italian and just “be” for many years ~ 3 or 4 months at a time.
Again, I’m SO enjoying finding your books. I just ordered “Strawgirl” and will spend this cold evening with ‘her’, my little kitty, fireplace and a glass of wine. Perfect! Thank you!
Sorry. Two errors: Abigail….and the last sentence: I’m going to read YOUR other novels now. (I needed to re-read before submitting.)
Typos. Even professional editors miss them.
Whew! I’ve been on an Abigail Padgett marathon! I just finished “Child of Silence” and “Strawgirl”. Okay, I’m a fan. I just received email from my sis in Arizona. I’ve been telling her she MUST read “The Paper Doll Museum”. In her email to me she says she’s starving…has read 70% of TPDM…and is hurriedly slamming a chicken in the oven so she can continue to read. HA! This is my sister who introduced me to good literature all through the years. It’s so much fun to pay her back now. Thanks Abigail. We’re both looking forward to the sequel. No pressure.
You’re golden, Diane! If every writer had a fan like you there would be a shocking drop in tequila sales. Hope your sister’s chicken cooked through before she starved – it’s so gross when you take that first, highly-anticipated bite, and there’s blood on the bone. Guess I’d better get to work on the sequel tonight, huh? Thanks for writing.
Abbie
Hi Abigail, I stumbled upon the free copy of the Paper Doll Museum while searching “free kindle books”. Having just gotten a kindle, I thought, if the books are free, they must not be very good.. I couldn’t have been more wrong! The Paper Doll Museum was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I thought the story was so creative and entertaining, the characters warm, real, deep. I could not put it down. I’m so glad you are writing a sequel. Definitely need to see what happens next on Taylor’s journey… Thank you for such a terrific read
Thanks so much for writing, Diane. I’m so glad you stumbled onto TPDM and liked it. There will definitely be sequels, since the Revenant possibilities are endless!
Abbie
Hi Diane C.! I had the same reaction about Paper Doll Museum…I encouraged my facebook friends as well as my sister and best friend to read it. Now we’re all reading the Bo Bradley books while we wait for Abigail to write another “Taylor” book. Do read the Bradley books. My sister lives in Az and she called me tonight (I’m in Indy) just to talk about “Turtle Baby”…Get hooked ~ these Abigail Padgett books are the best! Thanks Abbie!