Hello everyone! I hope you’ve had a pleasant month!! I know I have.

I’m happy to announce that several of my backlist titles are well on their way to being re-released for kindle and several other ebook formats (look for print next year!). You can learn more about them here.

And I have to do a quick thank you to Mandy Roth/Nat Winters for providing such awesome covers!!

And now, please join me in welcoming Shelli!

Shelli Stevens, Interview by Michelle M. Pillow
Multi-genre author Shelli Stevens might not have been abducted by aliens or raised by a shifter clan, but that doesn’t stop her from creating imaginative paranormal worlds. I had the opportunity to talk with Shelli about her latest erotic paranormal offering, Sexy Beast VII where she delves into a world of were-jaguars to discover what it is that inspires her.

Q: In your book, His to Reclaim from Sexy Beast VII, you delve into the world of shifters. What inspired you to write about this?
Shelli: Well all stories in the Sexy Beast books need to be paranormal. Kate Douglas is in each book in the series with her popular Chanku stories. I was thrilled to be invited to write a story for the Sexy Beast anthology, and it was a great experience for me to plot out this fun capture and reclaiming story, and delve into the world of shifters.

Q: When world building, did you base your story off of known myths throughout history?
Shelli: I really don’t base my shifters on legends or other ‘rules’ from other shifter books, those just make me feel boxed in. I try and just have fun and make up my own world and my own rules.

Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Shelli: I think because it’s the unknown and the fantasy aspect. Authors/Movies humanize these paranormal characters and make us care and become even more drawn to them.

Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Shelli: I love A Haunting on the Discovery channel, and have to confess I do like the Twilight series *wince* Well, until the last couple books. She lost me there.

Q: Do you believe in the supernatural?
Shelli: I do believe. Definitely with the paranormal ghost/haunting aspects. Other stuff…not so much. But it’s fascinating to imagine. Hence the escapism of reading it in a book or seeing it in a movie.

Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Shelli: Possibly. On the haunted tour in D.C. last summer, our group was at the last house that was not occupied. Totally creepy, fantastic house with so much history. And as the guide was talking about it, the lights inside flickered. Even he was surprised.

Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a paranormal creature?
Shelli: I’d probably freak out for a few minutes, then interview the heck out of it.

Q: Have you ever been abducted by aliens?
Shelli: Sigh. No. How boring am I?

Thanks for joining us, Shelli!

You can learn more about Shelli and her books at her website, www.shellistevens.com. Sexy Beast VII is currently at all major bookstores.

Interviewer Michelle M. Pillow is a multi-published, award winning author writing in many romance fiction genres. She can be found at www.michellepillow.com. Paranormal Underground Magazine’s website is here.

Mandy M. Roth, Interview

by Michelle M. Pillow

Please join me in welcoming an extraordinary paranormal and dark urban fantasy author, Mandy M. Roth. Mandy and I have co-authored several titles together, run The Raven Books bookstore and co-host Raven Radio. She’s highly prolific with over fifty published books and a book cover artist.

Her newest book, Sin’s Pride, just released from Harlequin.

About the Book:

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Q: You often delve into the world of the paranormal. When world building, do you base your story off of known myths throughout history?

Mandy: I’ve borrowed from the Eastern European vampire myths, legends of were creatures from all walks of mythology and also a good deal of Native American-like supernatural aspects. I also took from history and humans’ ignorance to things they don’t understand or fear. So many times throughout history humans have tried to destroy what they don’t understand. In my series, Project Exorcism, the people on Earth gathered all the supernaturals and loaded them on multiple space vessels, sending them off to unmanned, habitable planets. Only one of the many crafts actually arrived at its assigned destination. The others crashed on various planets, causing the supernaturals on board to have to integrate with the humanoids at each location. Some did so without issue. Others, like the main villain in the storyline, decided to seize control and take advantage of everything at his disposal.

Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?

Mandy: I think the unknown element is what draws so many people to the paranormal. Your imagination is really the only limit. Plus, throughout history man has turned to the supernatural and myths to explain what they couldn’t understand. I think it’s just natural.

Q: Do you have any paranormal pet projects?

Mandy: I co-host/co-author an online, free, ongoing paranormal story and radio show with fellow author Michelle M Pillow (hey, you might know her… grin).

Michelle: Nope, the name isn’t ringing any bells, lol

Q: I know the Halloween is HUGE at your house. I know it’s your favorite holiday. Does your family have any special Halloween traditions?

Mandy: Halloween is a big deal here at the Roth house. I even have a Halloween tree (similar to an xmas tree). We generally bake themed cookies, cakes, gingerbread houses, bob for apples, make popcorn balls, carve pumpkins (one year my brother had a pumpkin so big that an electric handsaw was required to carve it). We’ll often do some themed craft projects here as well as talk about Samhain and All Hallows Eve. I always dress up and pass out candy for the local kids. We also watch the cartoon version of The Legend of Sleepy Hallow every Halloween. I’m not sure why but I love that movie.

Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?

Mandy: Dracula by Bram Stroker, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstien, early Stephen King, Dark Shadows TV show from way back when, Being Human on the BBC and countless others.

Q: Do you believe in the supernatural?

Mandy: Of course.

Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?

Mandy: Growing up, I dabbled a lot in things better left unsaid. During that timeframe, many unexplainable things happened to me. As I grew up, matured and stopped the insanity, the oddness around me lessened but never fully went away.

Q: What kind of paranormal creatures do you wish you could meet?

Mandy: Vampire, werewolf, werecat of some sort just to make it even, a faerie, goblin, zombie, ghost, the grassman, bigfoot, etc. Okay. Any. The only one I’d not want to meet is the mothman. He wigs me out for some reason.

Q: If given the chance, would you become a vampire?

Mandy: Heck yeah! I don’t have any aversions to blood, living forever sounds good to me and I already avoid sunlight as much as possible. Can I take my answer back if vampires turn out to be hideous, drooling, mindless monsters?

Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a vampire?

Mandy: Honestly, I’m known to take things in stride. I’d most likely end up best buddies with it by the end of the night and be chatting it up on the net or cell phones the next night. It’s just the way I am. I do know I’d annoy the poor thing with endless questions on the myths surrounding them.

Q: What does the future hold for your writing?

Mandy: I have another Harlequin Spice Brief releasing sometime in the near future and am hoping to fill my schedule at my current publishers as well. Other than that, the sky is the limit.

Thanks for joining us, Mandy!

You can learn more about Mandy, her artwork and her books at her website, www.mandyroth.com. For The Raven, visit www.ravenhappyhour.com and www.theravenbooks.com.

Interviewer Michelle M. Pillow can be found at www.michellepillow.com.

First, a quick squee!!

I got my new cover: Pride and Prejudice: The Wild and Wanton Edition

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Juliana Stone, Interview

By Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com

Paranormal Romance author, Juliana Stone, has lived an interesting life. This Canadian rock star toured with an all female band before settling down as a wife and mother, though it is rumored she still sneaks out for a gig now and again. However, over the last few years music has taken a back seat to writing. New York Times Bestseller, Christine Feehan, has called Juliana’s newest release, His Darkest Hunger (Avon Books, March 30, 2010), a “fantastic fresh world (that’s) impossible to put down.”

* * * * *

Q: In your book, His Darkest Hunger, you delve into the world of shapeshifters, vampires and black magick. What inspired you to write about this?

Juliana: I’ve always loved the idea of sleek sexy shifters, so when I was deciding on what kind of shapeshifter to feature, black jaguars were my number one choice.

Q: When world building, did you base your story off of known myths throughout history?

Juliana: I knew I wanted to write about jaguars and while researching them came across the Jaguar Warriors and Eagle Warriors from the Aztec culture. They were fierce and became the basis for the world I created.

Q: What myths or legends inspired you?

Juliana: I don’t think any one in particular, but I certainly loved the idea that the jaguar warriors were linked to the dark underworld.

Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?

Juliana: I think we love to escape. No, I think we need to escape. I think that most adults are overworked, over stimulated that the world we live in can easily leave us weary. Books, music and movies help us to escape, and the paranormal world takes us anywhere and everywhere, with dangerous heroes and strong heroines. These kinds of stories challenge our imaginations in a way, a contemporary doesn’t. It’s also very rock and roll!

Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?

Juliana: I love True Blood, Supernatural and Vampire diaries. I also love all the Resident Evil movies! As for books there are way too many to name, although Christine Feehan is a fave!

Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?

Juliana: Nope, totally believe. Saw a ghost for reals when I was a teenager.

Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?

Juliana: When I was about 12 I was visited in my room by a very old lady. A picture had fallen off the wall and woke me up and there she was at the end of my bed. She was dressed very old fashioned and just stared at me. It scared the crap out of me at the time. I remember I could see her feet as if she was floating off the floor. Months later my father was knocking down walls to make a room larger (we lived in a century home) and in the walls were pictures, photos of young children and old fashioned cars….and guess who was in them?

Q: What kind of paranormal creatures do you wish you could meet?

Juliana: I would love to meet a shifter, any kind will do.

Q: If given the chance, would you become a shifter?

Juliana: I think it would be amazing to have such strong magick that you could actually change your physical body into something dark, sexy and strong!

Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a vampire?

Juliana: I’d probably say “Holy F—k” and hope like hell it was a friendly!

Q: What does the future hold for your jaguars?

Juliana: The Jaguar Warriors is my first series for Avon and it revolves around three sexy brothers. I’ve very excited to tell all of their stories. There will be the whole end of the world thing for them to deal with, but hey, they’ve all got strong women in their corners ready to deal.

Q: Have you ever been to a psychic and/or a past life regression? What did they predict for you?

Juliana: I went to a psychic once….she told me I’d outlive 3 husbands! LOL, I never did tell my husband that particular piece of info.

Q: Have you ever been abducted by aliens?

Juliana: Um, that would be a big NO…at least not that I remember….although there is that strange mark on my…

You can learn more about Juliana and her books at her website, www.julianastone.com.

Earlier this year I was contacted by representatives for Adam’s Media about working on a new project for them. Agents and Editors and negotiations later, I had a new contract! This is something a little different for me, but I’m really hoping people will enjoy it and give it a try. Ok, ok, so here’s the deal: I’ve been hired to basically rework one of my favorite books of all time - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen!!!

I know, OMG, Austen!

No, I’m not adding zombies and ghosts. What I am doing is heating things up a little and exploring more of the unspoken romances. How did Charlotte really become engaged to Mr. Collins? Just how innocent was Lydia when she ran away? Will Elizabeth wait until the wedding night? Will Jane?

You know the writing…
You know their story…
You know how they fell in love…
Now it’s time to discover what you don’t know!

When I was first approached to work on this project, I was thrilled at the prospect of being allowed to play in Jane Austen’s world. I’ve been a fan of Austen’s since I discovered her books hidden on the shelves of the High School library, and have the greatest respect for her talent and imagination. The love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy is easily one of the greatest romances ever written and I, like many Pride and Prejudice fans, long to know more, to peek behind the veil of this complicated relationship into the lives and private thoughts of these beloved characters—especially the enigmatic and often misunderstood Fitzwilliam Darcy.

The book keeps the storyline and style of Austen with the sizzle and romance we expect today. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed working on it.

Oh, and by the way, the last I heard, the publisher said they’re calling it: Pride and Prejudice, Wild and Wanton. I’ll announce as soon as I have a cover and release date, but I believe it will be this fall!

You can keep up to date about this on my website and blog: www.michellepillow.com

Denise A. Agnew, Interview
By Michelle M. Pillow

Denise A. Agnew, fiction author of over thirty titles, loves to write about a diverse range of subjects, from paranormal to time travel, romantic comedy to romantic suspense, contemporary to historical. She attributes the fact that she has lived in Colorado, Hawaii, Arizona and the United Kingdom to giving her a lifetime of ideas. Her newest idea, an erotic paranormal romance/suspense novella, Meltdown, released in ebook this November from Liquid Silver Books.

* * * * *

Q: In your book, Meltdown, you delve into the world of psychic abilities. What inspired you to write about this?

Denise: Some of my books, but not all of them, have a grain of psychic truth in them. I’d heard of more than one person who can predict earthquakes because something physical happens to them. In my story, the heroine works in Earth Sciences and seismology, so she’s grounded in science. She has headaches that come a couple of minutes before a quake hits. I wanted to explore the conflict that would create. Her colleagues probably wouldn’t believe her. She doesn’t have enough time to really warn anyone about a quake. She knows it’s going to happen but she’s helpless. How does she react? How would the hero, who is a firefighter, react to this?

Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?

Denise: Humans want to explore mysteries or they want answers to strange things they’ve experienced or read about. Mystery is a part of life.

Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?

Denise: Fringe, old X-Files, old Millennium episodes, loved Journeyman. Movies include The Shining, The Exorcist, and so many others. As for books, there are way too many to list.

Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?

Denise: I believe in the supernatural. I’ve had things happen to me and other people I know. I have one foot in the practical world and one in the supernatural. I balance healthy skepticism with that belief.

Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?

Denise: My most vivid experience was on New Year’s Eve back in the 90’s. We were in Edinburgh, Scotland and took a tour of the South Bridge vaults. I’m not claustrophobic but in one room I was instantly terrified. I was sweating, heart going two hundred, and I wanted out of there. I kept my anxiety to myself. When we left the relief was instant. I was compelled to research the experience and discovered that many other people had the same freak out in the same room. To this day I wonder what happened. When I toured other underground/basement type areas in Britain while I lived there, I never felt that way again.

Q: What does the future hold for your paranormal writing?

Denise: I’m writing a werewolf trilogy as well as a historical series that has heavy-duty paranormal elements. While I love to write about a variety of things, the paranormal is always going to be there, lurking in the background, ready to jump out. Maybe, if I do my job, I’ll scare the beejeebers out of the reader. It’s what I do.

Thanks for joining us, Denise!

You can learn more about Denise and her books at her website, www.deniseagnew.com or at her publisher, www.liquidsilverbooks.com.

Interviewer Michelle M. Pillow is an award winning author writing in many romance fiction genres. She can be found at www.michellepillow.com.

Denise’s paranormal titles –
Primordial
Dangerous Intentions
Treacherous Wishes
Bridge Through the Mist
Eclipse
Dark Fire
Night Watch
Haunted Souls
www.deniseagnew.com

Awards-
4 ½ Stars Top Pick RT Magazine for Primordial
EPPIE win for best historical romance in 2001 for Love From The Ashes

Cynthia Eden, Interview
By Michelle M. Pillow

Cynthia Eden is an award-winning author of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She writes everything from vampire heroines to dragon shifter heroes, demons to succubae. She lives in the South, loves long, hot summers, and supernatural stories. Her latest paranormal romance releases, Eternal Hunter and Hotter After Midnight are available in all major bookstores.

* * * * *

Q: In your book, Hotter After Midnight, your heroine is a psychologist who primarily treats supernatural patients. What inspired you to create such a character?

Cynthia: I was inspired to create Dr. Emily Drake (my monster doctor) because a friend of mine is a psychologist and I’ve always been fascinated by her job. However, I wanted a paranormal slant on this story, so I decided that Dr. Drake would be psychic—and she’d mainly treat paranormals. When a paranormal crosses the line in my story and begins to kill humans, she’s the only one who can profile him.

Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?

Cynthia: I think people like to believe there is more to this world than meets the eye. For centuries, people have been fascinated by the paranormal—the idea that something “more” may wait in the darkness intrigues us…even if it also makes us afraid sometimes!

Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?

Cynthia: I am a huge fan of Supernatural—I love seeing all the new paranormal characters that are introduced each week. And, of course, I’m also a diehard Buffy fan. Spike is one of my all-time favorite vampire anti-heroes. He blurred the line very nicely for the good guy/bad boy and like so many other folks out there, I found myself tuning in to see how he would develop—and to see if he’d get the girl.

Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?

Cynthia: I definitely believe in the supernatural. I think there is much more to this world than what we see every day. Psychic phenomenon, past life experiences, ghostly encounters—I think all of that (and more!) are certainly possible in our world.

Q: If given the chance, would you become a vampire?

Cynthia: No, while I do enjoy writing about vampires, the blood drinking would be a turn-off for me.

Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a ghost?

Cynthia: I’d try to communicate with the ghost. Yes, maybe I’ve watched too many Ghost Hunters episodes, but I’d want to try talking. The ghost would be there for a reason, right? What does he/she have to say?

Q: What does the future hold for your writing?

Cynthia: I’ve recently launched a new paranormal bounty hunter series for Kensington Brava. The first book in the series, ETERNAL HUNTER, released in January, and the second book, I’LL BE SLAYING YOU, will release in July of 2010. I’LL BE SLAYING YOU is a vamp story. It answers the question, “What happens when you become the thing you hate/fear the most?”

Thanks for joining us, Cynthia!

You can learn more about Cynthia and her books at her website, www.cynthiaeden.com. You can catch Eternal Hunter (1/2010) and the mass market re-release of Hotter After Midnight (12/2009) in bookstores now.

Interviewer Michelle M. Pillow is an award winning author. She writes in many romance fiction genres and can be found at www.michellepillow.com. Paranormal Underground Magazine’s website is here.

Last year I started doing interviews for Paranormal Underground Magazine. And, of course, I had to hit up my wonderfully talented Bradford Buddies to get into the hot seat. They were great sports and very supportive of my new “gig”! I thought it would be fun to post some of the paranormal Bradford Ladies’ interviews here.

(if you prefer to see the pretty magazine page, you can download them here - click on the author name)

Megan Hart, Interview
By Michelle M. Pillow

Fiction author, Megan Hart has published over twenty books since first coming on the book scene in 2002. She writes in several genres of romantic fiction, including historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, romantic comedy, futuristic and fantasy. Now, she’s adding “alternate historical fantasy romances” to the mix with her newest releases, Pleasure and Purpose (Berkley Sensation, Sept 2009) and No Greater Pleasure (Berkley Sensation, Oct 2009).

When asked about her writing career, Megan humorously stated, “I was born and lived for a while and did some stuff, and then I started writing books. Eventually, some got published. Now I do stuff and write books and whatnot.”

I suspected there might be a little more to it than that and endeavored to find out…

* * * * *

Q: In your book, Pleasure and Purpose you delve into the world of alternate/otherworld history. What inspired you to write about this?

Megan: I’ve always loved writing fantasy. I like making stuff up! Several years ago, the idea of an order devoted to providing peace crept into my mind. The idea of a woman telling a man, “I am your Handmaiden. I am your comfort and your grace”, emerged from some random conglomeration of events (that’s the way most of my stories work) and I slowly built the world from there.

Q: When world building, did you base your story off of known myths throughout history?

Megan: Actually, I did. Since The Order of Solace is a religious order I needed to build a faith. I drew heavily from Jewish mysticism – the concept of tikkun olam, in particular, which basically is the idea that at the beginning of the world, vessels containing divine light were broken and the good deeds (mitzvot) we perform here on earth return small pieces of those scattered bits of divine light. When they’re all returned, it will usher in an age of peace. I took that idea and incorporated it into a creation story and gave the Handmaidens their purpose: for every moment of absolute solace they grant their patrons, one more arrow is returned to Sinder’s Quiver (Sinder the being who created the world). Once the quiver’s filled, the Holy Family will return to usher in the age of peace.

Q: What myths or legends inspired you?

Megan: Tikkun Olam, as I said, as well as ideas about karma and fulfillment. Not myths or legends, exactly, I guess.

Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?

Megan: Because no matter how much we try, it seems to be unproveable.

Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?

Megan: I’m a HUGE freak for Supernatural. I love that show so much it hurts. I used to watch the X-Files and still love that. Quantum Leap, Star Trek were also faves along with shows like Night Gallery, Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside…basically I love scary stuff and science fiction. Clive Barker, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Robert R. McCammon, Douglas Clegg…

Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?

Megan: I absolutely do!

Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?

Megan: I believe I’ve seen spirits a few times. And yeah, I was scared. I would like to believe I saw a UFO once but I find it hard to believe I could’ve seen it and nobody else did, since it was hovering over the street. I saw a weird animal up in my tree once and I’m sure it wasn’t a cat! I’m ready and open to the supernatural/paranormal but I know I’d have an unfortunate and embarrassing physical reaction should I ever have anything really scary happen.

Q: Are there any kind of paranormal creatures you wish you could meet?

Megan: Um…none! I’d be askeered, I told ya!

Q: But if you did meet, say a ghost or a vampire, how would you react?

Megan: The time I believe I was in the presence of spirits I was scared. Once I believe I knew the spirit and its purpose so I just closed my eyes and let it do what it wanted, which was to see my child (it was the spirit of a relative who’d died before my daughter was born.) Vampire? I’d probably faint and then I have such low blood pressure and I’m pretty anemic, so maybe it would leave me alone!

Q: What does the future hold for the Handmaiden stories?

Megan: I hope to write more Handmaiden stories and explore more of that world and its history. I also have a lot of love for the paranormal and have a book in the works right now that deals with the dream realm. *fingers crossed for that one* Also have started a book about angels and demons which would seem sort of trendy at the moment even though I started it three years ago…maybe I’ll get to finish it!

Basically, I love writing sf/fantasy and paranormal and I hope to have the chance to continue!

You can learn more about Megan and her books at her websites, www.meganhart.com and www.readinbed.net.

Interviewer Michelle M. Pillow is a multi-published, award winning author writing in many romance fiction genres. She can be found at www.michellepillow.com. Paranormal Underground Magazine’s website is here.

First, an announcement…

Good With His Hands by Michelle M. Pillow

For sale from Ellora’s Cave!

Photographer Teresa Kelley is on assignment to shoot old ghost towns and desert scenery. What she doesn’t anticipate is that scenery including the delicious Max Draper. The sizzling desert sun isn’t the only thing heating up the abandoned mining town when the hot, muscled and oh-so-sexy mechanic offers to give her a hand. Dusty floorboards and ghost tales aside, Teresa finds herself on the other end of the lens when she and Max are caught in flagrante delicto by an unexpected… assistant.

Since this book has to do with photographing spirits, I thought I’d share info on one of my latest research projects for Paranormal Underground Magazine.

~***~

Memento Mori: Photographing the Dead

These days when you talk about photographing the dead most people think about capturing apparitions or orbs, but in the early stages of photography the concept had an entirely different meaning. With the affordability of new photographic techniques came the practice of memento mori, “remember death”, or post-mortem photography, in which people hired photographers to photograph the corpses of their loved ones before burial. This sometimes included the remains of deceased pets. Though now seen as a macabre practice and used as otherworldly movie props in such films as The Others to build supernatural suspense, in the mid-1800’s photographing the deceased became a culturally accepted practice to help memorialize the dead and to help with the grieving process.

In 1839 portraiture became commonplace, as inventions like the daguerreotype, an early kind of photograph, made it possible for the masses to afford to have their pictures taken. The shorter exposure times made sitting for a portrait not only feasible but more practical than it had been in previous years. Hitting the height of its popularity in the mid-19th century and dwindling toward the late 1800’s, post-mortem photography persisted well into the 20th century in some Eastern European cultures. What, by today’s standards, may seem morbid was in fact a reflection of the average 19th century person’s ability to understand and deal with death. These pictures were often included on mantle places, mingled with pictures of the living, or sent to distant relatives who could not make the trip to pay their respects.

High mortality rates meant many people didn’t always have the opportunity to get their picture taken when they were alive. Every household was touched by death. According to Ancestry.com, “in the United States in 1850, the average life expectancy at birth was 38.9 years” and the “infant mortality rate in 1850 was 217.4 per 1,000 births”. It is this high mortality rate in children that accounts for the numerous post-mortem images of Victorian children. With so much death, the Victorians were more adept at dealing with the grieving process than we are today and these photographs were an important step in their process.

Earlier photographs were often close-ups of the adult’s face or full body shots of a child. Loved ones were rarely posed in a coffin. Before the advent of the funeral home, bodies were laid out in at home in a parlor, kept cool by a block of ice. It’s not so unusual then that people would want to remember their loved one in a natural setting. Often, they were laid out on a bed or couch to look as if they slept, or arranged in poses meant to mimic the living. Props, such as toys, religious items, or flowers, were added to the scene. In some cases eyes were left open or the photographs were later doctored to paint pupils over the closed eye lids and to add a rosy flush to the cheeks.

Sometimes even the living relatives were included in the photograph, posing with or, in the case of a young child, holding the deceased. Children normally were posed on a couch or crib. When they were held by a living parent, they were posed with their eyes closed. Adults were more commonly pictured sitting up in chairs, braced into place by special frames. It wasn’t until embalming practices improved after the Civil War that people could be preserved long enough to be photographed inside their coffins, which were made to order and not readily available the day of death. By the time corpses were photographed in coffins, less effort was made to make them appear more lifelike.

Other variations of the post-mortem included mourners holding a photo of the deceased, family members photographed by a shrine dedicated to the passed loved one including a photo from the deceased’s life, or the funeral goers surrounding the open coffin. Today, the post-mortem photograph is more of a strange curiosity to be wondered at and collected. One of the largest collections in the United States is kept by the Burns Archive at www.burnsarchive.com. Other web sources include Paul Frecker at www.paulfrecker.com and at The Thanatos http://thanatos.net. All three of these sites show a tasteful representation of the subject and are not gory.

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I just found out that my first audio book is to release next month! Last Man on Earth, 3/29/2010!

Or at least it’s beginning to feel like it.  And, honestly, I’d rather have the books than the snow. Though apparently I’m going to get both this month. LOL

Every once in awhile in an author’s career–at least in mine–there comes a month where several different publishers decide to release at the same time. This month I’ve had four releases–3 print, 1 ebook. The print is a reprint of the entire Realm Immortal series from Samhain Publishing. Mandy Roth, aka Natalie Winters, did the cover art for the second printing and I am totally thrilled with the look she gave them!

Which one is your favorite? I’ve been getting a lot of emails for all of them, but the unofficial tally is that Stone Queen is in the lead.

Realm Immortal:
1.King of the Unblessed - ebook / print
2. Faery Queen - ebook / print
3. Stone Queen - ebook / print

On the ebook front Divinity Warriors continues with the new alternate reality plane, Divinity Healers: Ariella’s Keeper. This is the first book of the trilogy.

Hope you all had a wonderful Jan! Stay warm!!

Have a wonderful Holiday Season and an even better New Year!

Free Holiday Reads!

(must be 18 years or older to visit above site)

I’ll keep this month’s post short and sweet. Several authors got together again this year to give our readers a holiday gift. Click the above link to download your free book. (I’ve even included last year’s free gift in case you missed it). For those of you celebrating Christmas, I hope Santa brought you everything you wanted. You were all good girls and boys, right?

New Release: Just in time for Christmas

Christmas Curse by Michelle M. Pillow

Megan’s been telling her friend Victoria for years that she’s cursed. Christmas cursed! Every year she celebrates Christmas, something bad happens—broken bones, chicken pox, house burning down. After agreeing to finally go home for the holidays, she’s not surprised when her all-too-sexy boyfriend breaks up with her—and by note, no less!

Sean doesn’t believe in curses, but his girlfriend does. It’s her one fault. In all other ways Megan’s perfect, from her interesting mind to her gorgeous body. And the sex? HOT. But because she’s convinced something bad will happen, he’s not surprised when she leaves for the holiday without him. Convincing Megan she’s not cursed may take some creative “maneuvering”, but Sean plans to make sure he turns her holiday luck around.

Note: Want to know more about Megan’s BFF, Victoria? Pick up Trust in the Season by Mandy M. Roth.