The Lives of Things

New York art expert Rebecca Katz is a highly successful art authenticator with a huge secret. What her colleagues at Atherton's Auction House don't know is that Rebecca has a special ability - she can speak to the souls of the artists embedded in anything made by hand. And they are everywhere. Whether the artist is a famous 18th century French court painter, or the unsung Chinese designer of a handmade suit, they all tell their stories to the only person who can hear them. Rebecca puts all her trust in the souls of the things she encounters, so she is unprepared when a 2nd century Afghan dagger lies to her about its provenance, raising questions about is ownership and embarrassing the auction house. Sent to carry the disputed dagger to the Atherton Miami office until the scandal subsides, Rebecca is kidnapped by international thieves who want the priceless object. Things alone cannot help her escape, so for the first time since her childhood, Rebecca must put her trust in the odd assortment of strangers she meets as she attempts to recover the dagger and reclaim her reputation. As her friendships blossom and attraction for two men tempts her, so does the fear that if she reveals herself, she will lose everything she has come to value.

Stephanie Medlock has been writing continually in a variety of venues and professions since composing and illustrating her first book of fairytales at the age of 10. She earned a journalism degree at Northwestern University, and as a professional journalist, she wrote news and human interest stories for two Connecticut newspapers and a variety of magazines. This experience led her to the University of Chicago Graham School, where she developed courses in the areas of publishing, museum publishing, and editing. In addition to her novel, Stephanie has published short stories and memoirs, and regularly performs her short pieces at story telling venues in the Chicago area. She lives with he husband in Indiana and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.