Author Archive
Welcome to the August 2022 issue of my newsletter, “News from the Crypt,” and please visit Carter’s Crypt, devoted to my horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance work, especially focusing on vampires and shapeshifting beasties. If you have a particular fondness for vampires, check out the chronology of my series in the link labeled “Vanishing Breed Vampire Universe.” For my recommendations of “must read” classic and modern vampire fiction, explore the Realm of the Vampires:
Realm of the Vampires
Also, check out the multi-author Alien Romances Blog
You can subscribe to this monthly newsletter here:
The long-time distributor of THE VAMPIRE’S CRYPT has closed its website. If you would like to read any issue of this fanzine, which contains fiction, interviews, and a detailed book review column, e-mail me to request the desired issue, and I’ll send you a free PDF of it. My e-mail address is at the end of this newsletter. Find information about the contents of each issue on this page of my website:
A complete list of my available works, arranged roughly by genre, with purchase links (gradually being updated as the Amber Quill and Ellora’s Cave works are being republished):
For anyone who would like to read previous issues of this newsletter, they’re posted on my website here (starting from January 2018):
This is my Facebook author page. Please visit!
Facebook
Here’s my page in Barnes and Noble’s Nook store:
Barnes and Noble
Here’s the list of my Kindle books on Amazon. (The final page, however, includes some Ellora’s Cave anthologies in which I don’t have stories):
Carter Kindle Books
Here’s a shortcut URL to my author page on Amazon:
Amazon
The Fiction Database displays a comprehensive list of my books (although with a handful of fairy tales by a different Margaret Carter near the end):
My Goodreads page:
Goodreads
Please “Like” my author Facebook page (cited above) to see reminders when each monthly newsletter is uploaded. I’ve also noticed that I’m more likely to be shown posts from liked or friended sources in my Facebook feed when I’ve “Liked” some of their individual posts, so you might want to do that, too. Thanks!
“Chocolate Chip Charm,” my story in the Wild Rose Press Christmas Cookies series, can now be bought in paperback. This light paranormal romance novella about a love potion that goes wrong, or maybe unexpectedly right, is included in the new anthology A HINT OF VANILLA:
My novella “Crossing the Border,” a former Ellora’s Cave erotic dark paranormal romance with Lovecraftian elements, lightly revised, was released today by the Wild Rose Press. Paula, a bestselling horror novelist’s widow, discovers his fiction was based on a terrifying alternate dimension he stumbled into through a labyrinth in the woods on their property. Right before his death, he warned her not to publish his final work in progress. However, Doug, his agent and literary executor, their best friend from their college years, urges Paula to get her husband’s posthumous work into print. Together they cross over into the eldritch realm, while coming to terms with their mutual attraction. The opening paragraphs appear below.
This month I’m interviewing multi-genre author Babs Mountjoy.
*****
Interview with Babs Mountjoy:
What inspired you to begin writing?
It’s something I always had to do. My mother was a painter; my creativity came in stories. Even in elementary school, I remember I wrote this story about how my cat caught and killed a rabbit. Ugh, right? Maybe that foreshadowed my newspaper career. 🙂
What genres do you work in?
As Lyndi Alexander, I write fantasy, space opera, and science fiction romance. As Alana Lorens, I write romance, suspense and combinations of the two,
Do you outline, “wing it,” or something in between?
Usually I wing it for the first half of the book. I’ve got a general idea where I’m going, and I see what the characters generate. Then I outline vaguely for the next quarter, then the last 25% I outline closely to get where I want to end up.
What have been the major influences on your work (favorite authors, life experiences, or whatever)?
There is some bit of my life experience in everything I write. The Clan Elves come from my time in the Bitterroot Valley in Montana. Such a beautiful area, and very old. I imagine all sorts of secrets are hidden in those forests. Setting is extremely important for most of my work, and becomes part of the action thread. Whether you’re in New Orleans, Miami, rural Pennsylvania or deep dark mountains, your story is going to evolve differently and hopefully organically from the places the characters find themselves,
How have your careers as a journalist and a lawyer affected your writing? Journalism and fiction are different, of course, but what crossover, if any, have you found in the skills required for those two types of writing?
My years as a news reporter helped hone research skills, so I have definitely benefited from that time. One of my heroines, in LOVE ME, KISS ME, KILL ME, is in fact a reporter, so she did for sure. My 30 years as a family law attorney are more useful in my romance and suspense books, many of which feature a lawyer as the main character. I also learned by practicing law that you can never know exactly how far one human can push another. It gives me freedom to reach for the stars.
Are your elves inspired more by fiction, folklore, or a bit of both?
A bit of both. They’re not cute little fairy type beings. They are human-sized, and every bit as politically savvy as Game of Thrones type skullduggery–a parallel line of development alongside humans of the area. The Native Americans in the area have deep roots in those forests–who’s to say their “spirits” might not be this sort of supernatural?
Please tell us about your work with shelter cats.
When I moved to Asheville, NC six years ago, some of the first social contacts I made were through foster organizations for cats. My daughter and I housed sick cats who needed to be out of shelter to heal, as well as taking on batches of kittens during the very real “kitten season,” spring through fall. We provided much-needed socialization for several weeks, then the kitties would go for adoption. We placed many–but we also “foster-failed” with Ziggy, Reba, Clarice, Daisy Mae, Korben Dallas, Dilly, Twilight Sparkle, Terra and lastly 21 year old Kitty Lou. Our house and hearts are full.
What is your latest or next-forthcoming book?
PROPHECIES AND PROMISES, an historical romance with pirates! From the Wild Rose Press, Tamsyn McKiernan thinks her dreams have come true. She’s engaged to a dashing Key West bachelor and finally in her widowed father’s good graces. But in her heart, she knows something’s wrong. She loves the ocean and the quiet pleasures of nature—so what does the aristocratic life she’ll lead truly hold for her?
Mercenary captain Drake Ashton is neck deep in preparations for the Spanish-American War, running guns and other supplies to Cuban natives who want out from under their Spanish masters. He and his brother Freddie risk their lives daily, focused on saving his friends on the island. Nothing else matters but his mission.
A chance encounter with a spiny sea urchin brings the two together, and neither of their lives will ever be the same again.
Tag Lines: When the ‘good’ man is bad, and the ‘bad’ man is good, how’s a young woman to choose?
Buy Links
Paperback Amazon
B&N Barnes & Noble
What are you working on now?
A thriller set in 1996 Miami, where the main character, a lawyer, wakes up next to a burnt-out car in the Everglades with a dead body in it. She has no memory of how she got there or who the dead person is.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
It’s so simple it sounds trite, but it’s true. LEARN and WRITE. I had my first piece published for money when I was 18, short stories and articles until I was 40. I was 42 when my first non fiction book was published, and then 43 when my first novel was picked up, THE ELF QUEEN. Since then, l’ve had 23 more novels published by mostly small press. I’ve gone to many conferences, taken classes online and in person and have a fantastic crit group in Fellowship of the Quill out of Pennwriters. But the hardest and most productive this is just to keep writing and getting better,
What is the URL of your website? What about other internet presence?
Author Links
Website and Blog: Lyndi Alexander
Facebook: Facebook
Goodreads: Goodreads
Amazon Author Page:
Amazon
BookBub: BookBub
Smashwords — Lyndi Alexander: Smashwords
Instagram: Instagram
Twitter: Twitter or @AlexanderLyndi
*****
Some Books I’ve Read Lately:
THE CALL OF POOHTHULHU, edited by Neil Baker. Yes, believe it or not, ten authors wrote stories crossing the Lovecraft Mythos with the world of Winnie the Pooh. Imagine hunting a heffalump and finding a shoggoth. Baker’s introduction states that the idea for the anthology was spawned when Milne’s original WINNIE THE POOH entered the public domain. (When I began to wonder why Tigger doesn’t appear in this volume, it occurred to me that he doesn’t arrive until THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER, published later.) Some tales that, for me, merge the two fictional universes particularly well: “The Celery at the Threshold,” by John Linwood Grant, reveals what happens when Pooh and friends decide to search for the South Pole and encounter a very Small Elder Thing, separated from its family, and help it to find them. In “The Very Black Goat,” by Christine Morgan, Pooh and company barely escape the clutches of a devious girl (with goat) who turns out to be one of the children of the Goat with a Thousand Young. “Back to the Black Bog,” by Lee Clark Zumpe (a frequent contributor to the vampire and horror zine NIGHT TO DAWN), in which a Cosmic Lump lands in the Hundred Acre Wood, pastiches Lovecraft’s “The Colour Out of Space.” I particularly enjoyed a direct Lovecraft parody, Eeyore’s report of his friend’s fatal descent into forbidden depths, “The Statement of Eeyore Carter,” by Kevin Wetmore. (“You fool! I already told you—Pooh is dead!”) A weakness of some stories, in my opinion, is that the characters speak and behave too maturely, out of keeping with the tone of Milne’s fiction. Eeyore is a valid exception, since he doesn’t act very childish even in the original, and as the introduction points out, his personality fits well into a Lovecraftian universe. A couple of pieces verge on metafictional, with the inclusion of Christopher Robin as a young man. The book’s final selection, “Acrewood,” by Jude Reid, although delectably creepy, is an anomaly. It’s straightforward folk horror with nothing distinctively Lovecraftian, aside from the motif of a cult in a rural setting. Moreover, it takes place in the primary world, not Milne’s fantasy realm, and readers could easily overlook the subtle allusions to the Pooh series if encountering the work somewhere other than this anthology.
NO ORDINARY PEOPLE, by Joel D. Heck. Subtitled “21 Friendships of C. S. Lewis,” this book takes its title from Lewis’s essay “The Weight of Glory,” in which he says we have never met an “ordinary” person, for every human being was created for eternal glory. The high value Lewis placed on friendship (as particularly highlighted in his THE FOUR LOVES) makes it appropriate to devote a book to his relationships with friends and colleagues not necessarily well know to the general public or even to Lewis devotees. The two main exceptions, his brother Warren and Mrs. Janie Moore, extensively discussed elsewhere, do make me wonder about the exclusion of Lewis’s wife, Joy Davidman Gresham, a dear friend for years before he married and fell in love with her (in that order). Granted, however, several entire books have already been written about that relationship. The author stretches the definition of “friendship” a bit, in my opinion, since a few of the people profiled seem more like cordial professional acquaintances than friends in the full sense of the word as defined in THE FOUR LOVES. Nevertheless, the breadth and depth of Heck’s research are impressive, as he delves into exhaustive detail about Lewis’s relationship with each person. We also get a thorough overview of the background of each subject, exploring them in terms of their own lives and careers, not just their importance in connection with Lewis. The extensive bibliography highlights the author’s care and diligence. Most hardcore Lewis fans will want to read this book, especially those who enjoy biography for its own sake.
TOUCHSTONES, by Stephanie Burgis. It’s not necessary to have read any of Burgis’s fantasy novels to enjoy this collection of stand-alone stories, but after reading them, you’ll probably want to explore her other works. While most of the tales display a light touch—although, of course, the characters’ plights are serious to them—a few darker pieces are included. “The Wrong Foot” introduces a girl whose foot coincidentally fits the glass slipper, but she didn’t even dance with the prince, whom she has absolutely no desire to marry. In “Undead Philosophy101,” vampires mingle unobtrusively among the residents of a university town, and the narrator, an outwardly nondescript girl from the wilds of northern Michigan, knows how to deal with them. The title character of “Dreaming Harry” is a boy whose dreams literally come to life, so his parents have to monitor his reading material carefully. In “Good Neighbors,” later incorporated as the first section of a novel, the heroine has to cope with a necromancer who moves to town and persists in sending her his zombies for repair. “The Disastrous Debut of Agatha Tremaine” stars a young woman happily studying magic until her overbearing aunt moves in and takes over her life for more sinister motives than immediately apparent. A queen decides to renegotiate her dynasty’s pact with a dragon in “A Cup of Comfort.” “Love, Your Flatmate” explores the protagonist’s tribulations with a fae roommate she unwillingly hosts. In one of the darker stories, “House of Secrets,” the narrator is summoned to the home of the father she’s never met and must face the grim truth that he wants her for reasons totally unlike the welcome she expected. Those titles comprise only a sample of the delightful contents. Since most of the stories were new to me, I found the book a satisfying addition to my library.
WHAT MOVES THE DEAD, by T. Kingfisher. Kingfisher’s two previous horror novels (both reviewed in previous newsletters), THE TWISTED ONES and THE HOLLOW PLACES, enthralled me. Both are modern-day sequels or spinoffs to classic stories, Arthur Machen’s “The White People” and Algernon Blackwood’s “The Willows,” respectively. WHAT MOVES THE DEAD, inspired by “The Fall of the House of Usher,” approaches its model differently. Kingfisher’s novel retells Poe’s tale in the 1890s in an imaginary middle-European country. The narrator, a friend of Roderick Usher (and, in this case, of Madeleine also, having known the twins in childhood) as in Poe’s original, marks an intriguing departure from the contemporary female narrators of the two previous horror novels. Alex Easton is a “sworn soldier” from the also imaginary Ruritanian country of Gallacia, a land inhabited by a “fierce warrior people” who happen to be very bad at warfare. Gallacian, a language with complexities difficult for foreigners to master, has at least two gender pronouns in addition to masculine and feminine. Priests, nuns, and preadolescent children are referred to as “va” rather than the Gallacian equivalent of “he” or “she.” (Applying the latter to a child may cause native speakers to suspect you of pedophilia.) Sworn soldiers go by the nonbinary “ka.” Some who’ve left the military revert to gendered pronouns and lifestyles. Many others, such as Alex, retain their nonbinary persona and pronouns for life. Alex has received a message informing kan that Madeleine is very ill, perhaps dying. When ka arrives at the Usher mansion, it turns out to be infested with fungi, as is the land surrounding the ominous-looking tarn. Roderick looks almost as sick as his sister. In addition to the Usher twins and their few remaining servants, Alex meets a brilliant amateur mycologist, Euphemia Potter. This fictitious spinster aunt of Beatrix Potter ultimately helps to solve the mystery of the “cursed” mansion. The dry wit of Alex’s narrative voice, even in the midst of the most dire events, kept me enthralled. Kingfisher always delivers a satisfying experience in that department. The major plot points unfold much the same as in Poe’s tale, but with a quasi-scientific rationale. The organisms infesting the landscape and the house prove to be far more than ordinary fungi. The fascinating Author’s Note at the end elaborates on her inspiration for the story and the decisions she made in writing it. My only complaint about this novel is that it’s too short (less than 160 pages not counting the afterword). By the way, the title has a gruesomely literal significance.
*****
Excerpt from “Crossing the Border”:
“Why haven’t you answered any of my messages? I’m not lying, crazy, or putting you on. The stars are coming right soon. The danger’s real, and I can help. My number is—”
Paula deleted the voice mail without bothering to listen to the rest. Why wouldn’t that nutcase take the hint and leave her alone? It’s time to call Doug. I’ve put this off too long already.
She shook her head in irritation at the way her hand trembled as she picked up the phone. Her pulse accelerated when she punched the speed-dial number for Douglas MacNair, her late husband’s agent. Why would the prospect of talking to Doug make her breath quicken and her stomach flutter? She’d seen and spoken to him often enough in the year since Kyle’s death. Doug is just a friend. Always was, always will be. A close enough friend that he wouldn’t mind getting a call at home at nine in the evening.
When he answered, his bass voice flowed through her like molten honey. She’d often thought he should have become a singer or actor instead of a literary agent, with that voice. “It’s always great to hear from you, Paula, but what’s wrong?”
Damn, do I sound that shaken up? She swallowed and drew a deep breath to steady herself. “What makes you think anything’s wrong?”
“Come on, as if I didn’t know you well enough to hear it in your voice.” She imagined him lounging in the overstuffed chair by the window in the living room of his New York high-rise condo, doodling on a notepad the way he always did during conversations. “Besides, if this were some routine thing, you’d call in the daytime or send an email.”
“I’ve decided it’s time to go through Kyle’s unpublished stuff. How soon can you make it down here?”
“And this was too urgent for email? Let’s hear it—what brought on this decision all of a sudden, after I’ve been trying to talk you into it for the past six months?”
She twisted a lock of hair around an index finger the way Kyle had found so annoying. She almost stopped, then mentally snapped at herself, Kyle isn’t here. “There’s a guy who’s been bugging me with emails and phone messages. He’s got some kind of bat in his belfry about that unpublished novel Kyle posted excerpts from.”
Tension hardened Doug’s tone. “How long has this been going on?”
“Well…since the week after Kyle died.”
“And you didn’t say a word to me about it.” He sounded halfway between angry and hurt. “What am I here for anyway, if not to help with problems like that?”
“It wasn’t worth bothering you with. Not until he started phoning instead of just emailing. I decided the message he left a minute ago was the last straw. He keeps babbling about some kind of danger.”
A long sigh gusted over the phone. “Okay, who is this person?”
“Somebody named Gary Furness. He edits a webzine called Scribes of Darkness.”
“Sure, I know it. Won a couple of awards. He interviewed Kyle once. He didn’t seem crazier than anybody else in the field.”
“Yeah, that’s him. He must have tipped over the edge after that. We met him at a horror con the month before Kyle died. Furness trailed us around the hotel, harassing Kyle with his obsession over that unpubbed novel.” She had a vivid mental image of a weedy young man with rapid-fire speech, who wore his brown hair tied back in a ponytail.
“You can tell me all about it when I get down there.” After a brief silence, Doug went on, “Okay, I’m logged onto the ticket site. Looks like I can get a flight day after tomorrow. I’ll clear my schedule and stay as long as it takes.”
-end of excerpt-
*****
My Publishers:
Writers Exchange E-Publishing: Writers Exchange
Harlequin: Harlequin
Wild Rose Press: Wild Rose Press
You can contact me at: MLCVamp@aol.com
“Beast” wishes until next time—
Margaret L. Carter
Welcome to the July 2022 issue of my newsletter, “News from the Crypt,” and please visit Carter’s Crypt, devoted to my horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance work, especially focusing on vampires and shapeshifting beasties. If you have a particular fondness for vampires, check out the chronology of my series in the link labeled “Vanishing Breed Vampire Universe.” For my recommendations of “must read” classic and modern vampire fiction, explore the Realm of the Vampires:
Realm of the Vampires
Also, check out the multi-author Alien Romances Blog
You can subscribe to this monthly newsletter here:
The long-time distributor of THE VAMPIRE’S CRYPT has closed its website. If you would like to read any issue of this fanzine, which contains fiction, interviews, and a detailed book review column, e-mail me to request the desired issue, and I’ll send you a free PDF of it. My e-mail address is at the end of this newsletter. Find information about the contents of each issue on this page of my website:
A complete list of my available works, arranged roughly by genre, with purchase links (gradually being updated as the Amber Quill and Ellora’s Cave works are being republished):
For anyone who would like to read previous issues of this newsletter, they’re posted on my website here (starting from January 2018):
This is my Facebook author page. Please visit!
Facebook
Here’s my page in Barnes and Noble’s Nook store:
Barnes and Noble
Here’s the list of my Kindle books on Amazon. (The final page, however, includes some Ellora’s Cave anthologies in which I don’t have stories):
Carter Kindle Books
Here’s a shortcut URL to my author page on Amazon:
Amazon
The Fiction Database displays a comprehensive list of my books (although with a handful of fairy tales by a different Margaret Carter near the end):
My Goodreads page:
Goodreads
Please “Like” my author Facebook page (cited above) to see reminders when each monthly newsletter is uploaded. I’ve also noticed that I’m more likely to be shown posts from liked or friended sources in my Facebook feed when I’ve “Liked” some of their individual posts, so you might want to do that, too. Thanks!
My erotic paranormal romance “Calling Back Love,” in defunct-publisher-limbo for ten years, was republished in June. The heroine, Kirsten, uses magic to twist time in order to get one last weekend with her fiancé, missing and presumed dead in battle. There’s an excerpt below. You can find the story here (or on Amazon):
Another “orphaned” erotic paranormal romance novella, “Merry Twinness,” set on Christmas Eve and featuring telepathic twins with a twist, has a release date of November 2.
In this issue, I’m interviewing urban fantasy author Mark Rosendorf, who works as a guidance counselor and has performed magic onstage.
*****
Interview with Mark Rosendorf:
What inspired you to begin writing? What genres do you work in?
Writing has always been something I’ve enjoyed since middle school. Since then, I always knew I’d eventually become a writer. Interesting note, however, this is actually my second time as a writer.
Between 2009 and 2013, I had written four books and a short story. At that time, I had a limited knowledge of the industry, and by the time I fully did understand how to navigate the industry, my books felt somewhat outdated. I was burnt out, both on creativity and promoting, so I decided to quit writing.
I was sure writing was in my rearview mirror. I still had ideas for great stories, but I was no longer motivated to put pen to paper. Years had passed. Then, one night at around 2 a.m., a random thought hit me…about witches. As a magician myself, I asked “What if witches used their powers to put on a magic show?” Most people wouldn’t know the difference; the audience would just see it as amazing magic. For the witches, it would be a perfect way to hide in plain sight, because they could practice their powers without being discovered or persecuted.
I figured these witches would end up in Las Vegas because that’s the magic capital of the world. They’d amaze their audience. Plus, they wouldn’t incur the cost of the typical magic show since they’re using their powers to create the performance. But how would this affect the rest of the Las Vegas magic community? They’d never be able to keep up; what would happen to them? The first two characters formed in my head, two teenagers, one is Isis Rivera, the teenage member of the witches. The other is Zack Galloway, a teenage magician’s assistant who has watched his family suffer because of The Witches’ superior performance.
Before I knew it, I had written a new story, in a new genre, and for a new audience. It’s not a continuation of my writing career, I restarted and became an author all over again. That’s why I call myself a “born again writer”.
Do you outline, “wing it,” or something in between?
My ideas are like lightning, meaning one bright flash, then it’s gone. That is why I keep note pads everywhere. They’re next to my bed with a flashlight, they’re taped to wall outside of my shower, I have one in the car. Whenever an idea hits me, I write it on one of these pads. Then, I use these notes when writing a chapter in a notebook. At this stage, I’m not worried about grammar or sentence structure, I just want to get the idea on paper.
Next, I type out the chapter. That’s when I’m focused on the writing part. Thanks to this process, the first time I’m typing the chapter, it feels like I’m on my second draft. Once the book is complete, the edits, insertions, deletions and rewrites take place. It’s a long process, but well worth it in the end.
But before any of that happens, the first part of any writing process is coming up with a concept. In the past, my first part of the writing process was mapping out what was going to happen in the story from beginning to end. That’s where The Witches of Vegas is unique in that the story actually came to me as if it were shot into my brain, from beginning to end. For this story, the process involved a lot less mapping out and more writing up the details so I could commit them to memory.
What have been the major influences on your fiction (favorite authors, life experiences, or whatever)?
Working both as a guidance counselor and a magician have certainly influenced The Witches of Vegas. I also read a lot of books and watch a lot of movies and TV shows, particularly in the sci-fi and fantasy genres.
How has your work with students affected your writing?
The biggest advantage of working in a school is that the day ends by 3:00 which leaves me plenty of time to write. Also, as a high school guidance counselor, I work intimately with my students, discussing behaviors and feelings. I’ve worked with students with special needs—many of which are emotional—for many years. Through this experience, I’ve come to understand the teenage mind regarding outlook and motivations. I believe that years of working with my students has helped in making my teenage literary characters feel real to readers.
The ironic part was that most of the criticism I received about my writing prior to “The Witches of Vegas” was that even though I was writing for adults, the language was better for a young adult audience. That’s probably because of all the time I spend talking to teenagers, analyzing them, and helping them work through daily drama. At the time, I never thought I would end up writing young adult books, but it turned out the criticism was right; it is a great fit.
You’ve performed stage magic—sounds like fun. Please tell us a bit about that.
My interest in magic started for me when I was in high school. In my junior year, I was required to take a class on public speaking where we had to make speeches. With the first speech we had to present an area of interest to the class. This was a concern for me because I wasn’t popular among my peers, I had a slight stutter, and I didn’t really have an interest that my classmates would find impressive. I certainly couldn’t go up in front of the class and talk about my comic book collection. What could I do?
My Grandmother lived in Long Island and there happened to be a magic shop in her neighborhood. I went there and told the magician behind the counter about my situation. He showed me some “dummy-proof tricks” (meaning they require little to no skill) that would look impressive to an audience. I performed them for my class and wowed them. From the front, I watched kids who constantly bullied me with stunned looks on their faces and jaws hanging down. More importantly, throughout the entire ten-minute presentation, I did not stutter once.
The next weekend, I went back to the magic shop and told the man behind the counter (Herb) all about the reaction. He proceeded to teach me, and sell me, more magic tricks which included a video on card tricks. Soon, I went there every weekend and Herb had me speaking with, and learning from, magicians who frequented the shop. I took all I learned to college where I performed in the talent shows, and then campus’ nightclub. So, to say magic changed my life is a literal truth.
After college I performed at birthday parties and bar-mitzvahs. Although I no longer perform, as a guidance counselor in my school, I also run the performing arts program and I teach magic to my students. I teach it to build their confidence and self-esteem just as magic did for me when I was their age. Our performing arts team have had opportunities to perform at other schools (mostly before Covid although that program is starting up again) which helps create the momentum for them to succeed in their studies and their job training. This leads to them all overcoming their special needs and being successful in their career paths after they leave our school.
Now magic has helped my writing as I have used my experience both on stage and behind the scenes in The Witches of Vegas. I consider this my best writing because my passion for magic and all it has done for me shines through. Some of the secrets of magic are revealed in those pages…so if you have a curious mind when it comes to magic, you may pick up on a few secrets from the magician characters that I am able to share.
What is your latest or next-forthcoming book?
The Witches of Vegas series has certainly made an impact. The first book, The Witches of Vegas, won the 2021 RONE award in the YA category. As of this printing, the sequel, Journey To New Salem, is a 2022 finalist in both the Young Adult and Audiobook categories. The third book which just recently came out, Witch’s Gamble, is perhaps my favorite of the series as it presents a unique take on a time travel story within the world of The Witches of Vegas and brings all three books together.
I’m happy to announce the fourth book, Portal to Vegas, is on its way as I have recently submitted the manuscript to my publisher, The Wild Rose Press. Now, I am working on the rough draft of book number five. The funny thing is that originally, the entire series was supposed to be a trilogy. Apparently, Isis Rivera, Zack Galloway, and The Witches of Vegas had more adventures to share.
What are you working on now?
Okay, huge news to share…I am currently working with a scriptwriter on adapting the first book, The Witches of Vegas, into a script. I’ve also been in touch with the head of a production company who connected with a few studios (such as universal and Netflix) and is interested in funding the movie. Granted, it’s early in the process, which means anything can happen, but hopefully this leads to good things.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
My advice is to get ready for a long, frustrating, and exhausting process, and that’s after the book is written. Whether you’re looking for a traditional publisher or you want to self-publish, you have a lot of work ahead of you. But, remember, nothing in life worth doing is easy. When you finally see your book in print, when you look at your cover for the first time, all that hard work is well worth it.
One thing to keep in mind: when your book finally becomes real, understand that’s not the goal…that’s the starting line. It doesn’t mean you won your race, it means you are now entering the race, a race that never ends because there are always people out there that haven’t read your book yet and you want them to know about it.
What is the URL of your website? What about other internet presence?
My website is Mark Rosendorf. I am also on Twitter and Facebook. As well, I have video trailers on youtube, each under the titles of the books (The Witches of Vegas, Journey To New Salem, and Witch’s Gamble), each are 90 seconds long.
You can also hear an exclusive interview with teen witch, Isis Rivera, about being a member of The Witches of Vegas. Check it out at:
Witches of Vegas Interview
*****
Some Books I’ve Read Lately:
DEATH AND HARD CIDER, by Barbara Hambly. I’ve enjoyed every novel in the Benjamin January historical mystery series, set in and around antebellum New Orleans, from the beginning, A FREE MAN OF COLOR. All except this newest volume I’ve read at least twice, many of them several times. DEATH AND HARD CIDER brings us, with musician and trained surgeon January, to the presidential election of 1840. Although they can’t vote, he and his Black friends, both free and enslaved, are naturally interested in the outcome. He’s well-informed about the issues despite his belief that no matter who wins, nothing substantive will be done about slavery or the plight of the Black population. Henry Clay, “The Great Compromiser,” plays a prominent role in this novel. January admires him, as much as he could any politician, but suffers a disillusioning blow after learning about ostensibly anti-slavery Clay’s treatment of one of his own slaves. Clay supports William Henry Harrison, of “Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too” fame. Throughout the book people keep asking, “Who the hell is Tyler?” even though John Tyler had a career of government service as extensive as if not more than Harrison’s, whose main claim to fame consisted of his military record, especially in combat against Native Americans (notably, of course, the battle of Tippecanoe). The election of 1840 provides an early example of flamboyant political campaigning in the modern style, whereas previously it had been assumed that a gentleman seeking public office, especially the presidency, shouldn’t “toot his own horn.” Despite his cynicism about the whole process, January welcomes the political rallies (lubricated by free cider), parties, and balls for the money he and his musician friends will earn playing at them. He listens with obligatory courtesy to the opinions of white men on both sides of the contest, while privately thinking the giant rawhide ball covered with signatures in support of Harrison is the stupidest idea he’s ever heard. He becomes personally involved in the whites’ problems when a flirtatious, much-courted young woman is murdered. By one of her rejected suitors? By another woman out for revenge? A close friend of his, a free Black woman, gets arrested for the crime, being the most plausible suspect who’s not well-to-do and white. In his attempt to solve the murder, January becomes personally acquainted with Clay, who treats him with respect despite the unbridgeable distance between them. January, like most fictional amateur detectives, gets injured at least once per book, and this mystery is no exception. We have the pleasure of re-encountering his brilliant wife, Rose, who runs a school for free girls of mixed-race parentage, his voodoo-healer sister, his Irish musician friend and recovering alcoholic, Hannibal, and homespun but incisively intelligent policeman Abishag Shaw, along with other recurring characters. As always, one entertaining aspect of the novel is the exposure to free and enslaved Black viewpoints on the foibles of white folks. They take a particularly caustic attitude toward the ”colonization” scheme Henry Clay advocates. How many people born in America, regardless of ethnicity and ancestry, would really want to be shipped to Africa to farm marginal land while battling unfamiliar diseases and unwelcoming natives? Reading those passages of dialogue, one wonders how the “return to Africa” movement ever gained enough recruits to found the nation of Liberia. January, of course, helps to expose the true murderer and, as a bonus, saves Clay’s life in a climactic scene.
THE SCIENCE OF STAR TREK, by Mark Brake. This book uses STAR TREK (the entire fictional universe, not just the original series) as a gateway to exploration of various scientific concepts, particularly but not exclusively those related to space travel. As the author states in the introduction, he doesn’t devote a lot of wordage to the hardware but deals mostly with big-picture issues. The body of the book is divided into four sections, titled Space, Time, Machine, and Monster. The beginning of the Space section intriguingly compares interstellar exploration to the diffusion of human settlers across the Pacific Ocean and proposes a plausible solution to the Fermi Paradox. Other topics in this part include the probability of intelligent life and alien civilizations, the practicality of terraforming, how STAR TREK has influenced real-life space culture, and the portrayal of aliens in the series. The rest of the book touches upon alternate history (e.g., the pitfalls of stepping through the Guardian of Forever), panspermia, evolution and extinctions, language, replicators, the holodeck, interstellar communication, machine intelligence, and the series’ speculations about politics and war. There’s a whole chapter on how much it would cost in today’s dollars to build the Enterprise. Another presents “a history of STAR TREK in seven objects,” defining “object” broadly to include such things as the groundbreaking interracial kiss between Kirk and Uhura. The Machine section includes the one chapter explicitly focused on the question of which STAR TREK technology has come true so far. These examples represent only a few of the many topics on which the author speculates. I was surprised and a little disappointed, however, to find no discussion of Vulcan telepathic powers or the feasibility of warp drives and faster-than-light travel. The final chapter, “Are We Borg?”, tries too earnestly and specifically, in my opinion, to connect the themes of STAR TREK with recent cultural trends and geopolitical crises. The book redeems itself from this brief lapse, though, by concluding with allusions to Gene Roddenberry’s hope of a brighter future for humanity as envisioned in the STAR TREK universe.
LINKED, by E. Rose Sabin. A fantasy romance in a secondary world not connected to other series by the author, with an unusual premise. One of the co-protagonists, Aradal, is a Cutter. Cutters are immortals who serve the Guardians (who have jurisdiction over the spirits of the dead) by severing links between the dead and the living to enable the souls of the deceased to move on to their destined afterlives. Aradal has the assignment of severing the too-strong link between twin girls, one dead and the other alive. Nine-year-old Yralle, granddaughter of the queen of Lapala, is the only person who knows what happened to her twin, Ellary, who went missing and presumed dead as a small child. The dead girl fell down an abandoned, forgotten well accessible only by a crevice too small for an adult. Yralle can sense Ellary’s presence anywhere in the palace complex, but they can converse only at the site of Ellary’s remains. Lapala is always ruled by women, so the marriage prospects of Yralle’s mother (the crown princess) and two aunts hold vital importance. Trey, one of the two younger princesses, enjoys gardening more than diplomacy and courtly gatherings, and, like the shy, bookish middle sister, she receives scant approval from her mother and older sister. When Aradal appears in the garden on his search for the link he’s been sent to sever, Trey is suspicious of this strange man who gives no satisfactory account of himself, yet they’re immediately attracted to each other. Aradal has the ability to become unnoticeable or literally invisible, and he can revert to his immaterial spirit form at will, although it’s wise to avoid doing so very often. He’s not supposed to get involved with human affairs, much less become infatuated with a human woman, yet he can’t suppress his attraction to Trey. He comes to care for her and, indirectly, the royal household so that the distractions jeopardize his mission. Trey becomes progressively more torn between her unwilling feelings for him and misgivings about whether whatever he’s up to endangers her family. Yralle, sensing that Aradal means to separate her from her twin, tries her childish best to thwart him. Meanwhile, tensions with a neighboring kingdom break into open hostility. And who is the newborn boy whose skeleton turns up in the garden, and why doesn’t anyone seem to know of his existence and origin? The royal family’s problems and the fraught relationship between Trey and Aradal become more and more dire, while he faces the prospect of punishment for failing his duty. Although we know Aradal and Trey will somehow find happiness, at the darkest moments that outcome seems impossible. The solution comes as credible but not predictable. The book begins and ends with chapters in Yralle’s voice in present tense, and she speaks at intervals throughout the story. Aradal’s chapters are also in first person and present tense (the latter device for no obvious reason). Trey’s viewpoint scenes appear in third person, past tense. My only reservation about the story’s development concerns the infatuation at first sight between Trey and Aradal. It seems inadequately justified, driven by plot necessity rather than organic character interaction. Their relationship grows believably close later, though. The author skillfully plays with variations on the concept of “links,” between the various living characters as well as between the living and the dead, and the forbidden bond that grows between Trey and Aradal.
FORESTBORN, by Elayne Audrey Becker. Another fantasy set in an imaginary world, this one shadowed by conflict between humans and the magical inhabitants of the Vale. Again, for no apparent reason, young adult shapeshifter Rora narrates in present tense. (What is with this entirely too widespread fad, anyway?) Nevertheless, I quickly became immersed in her story. She and her brother, Helos, belong to one of the magical species viewed with suspicion and fear by inhabitants of the human realms. The powers and limitations of shapeshifters are clearly specified, so that when these features become critical to the plot, the reader is prepared. Rora and Helos can assume the likeness of any person they’ve met, but their particularly useful gift, taking animal form, allows them to become a maximum of three different animals. The latter power develops gradually as a shapeshifter grows, with each new shape manifesting at a moment of crisis. As children, Rora and Helos saw their home destroyed and their father killed. Their mother disappeared. When they’re taken under the protection of the king of Telyan, Rora grows up to spy for him, while Helos becomes a healer. Despite the king’s patronage, a supernatural Prediction read in public every year threatens their security, for it seems to portend deadly danger from two shifters. Since the queen died at the same time the brother and sister were found, many people see them as harbingers of doom. They’ve become close friends with the king’s younger, misfit son, Finley, while the crown princess has little contact with them and the older prince, Weslyn, seems to barely tolerate them. As the book opens, a deadly disease of magical origin, the Fallow Throes, is ravaging the human lands. They discover Finley, who’s secretly in love with Helos and vice versa, has fallen ill with the sickness. With madness and death inevitable unless a cure can be found, the king sends Weslyn, Rora, and Helos incognito into the Vale to seek the magical substance called “stardust.” As they encounter giants and other nonhuman creatures, dangers beset them at every turn. The author creates a perilous, enchanted region where the terrain can change unpredictably in an instant. Worse still are the human villains who want to wipe out all the “Forestborn.” The narrative maintains a well-paced balance between suspenseful action and character interaction. The relationship between Rora and Weslyn develops believably from the coolness of reluctant alliance to a deep bond that delivers an emotional punch when it’s strained by Rora’s desperate choices. The love between brother and sister also suffers a severe test. Toward the end of the novel, at moments all seems irreparably lost. To my dismay, this book turns out to be the first part of a duology, which I hadn’t realized when I started it. The second half, WILDBOUND, won’t be out until August.
*****
Excerpt from “Calling Back Love”:
“No magic can call back the dead. And even if it could, you know that never ends well. You’ve read ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ and that book about the cursed pet cemetery.”
“But I can’t leave it like this. When we talked on Skype the night before his last patrol, we had another fight about his career. I came this close to making him choose between the Army and me. We didn’t have a real goodbye. If there’s any way magic can give me one more chance, I’ll take it.” In the two months since the report of Shawn’s presumed death in Afghanistan, the memory of that argument had been eating her alive.
“When I promised your grandmother I’d mentor you in the Craft, I accepted certain responsibilities, one of which is to stop you from making reckless choices.”
Kirsten rubbed her eyes, sore from yet another crying fit just before she’d come here, and stared at her mentor with wild hope. “You wouldn’t talk about stopping me if it weren’t possible in the first place. Okay, witchcraft can’t bring the dead back to life. How about calling up his spirit so we can have one last conversation?”
“Have you ever seen me conduct a séance? Me or any other responsible witch? It’s against nature to disturb the peace of the dead.” Estelle strolled to the counter to pour two mugs of coffee. The window over the sink framed her silhouette against a serene background of sun-dappled trees, in ironic contrast to the turmoil that racked Kirsten. Her teacher’s spacious kitchen with its granite floor, exposed oak beams and aromas of drying herbs usually welcomed her with its warmth. Today it felt as bleak as the rest of the world.
“I don’t believe he’s at peace. He was blown to bits on a mountainside with nothing left to bring home.” Survivors of the platoon had reported two explosions, the second of which had obliterated Shawn. No remains had been found, not even a minute fragment, hence the “missing and presumed dead” conclusion that left him in official limbo. “We were supposed to get married after he finished this tour. The IED stole that from us. I’m not at peace with that so how can he be, wherever he is?” She shoved aside the mug Estelle set in front of her.
The older woman clasped her hand across the table. “When the gift for magic skipped your mother, your grandmother entrusted your training to me. She’d find a way to rise up and haunt me if I let you risk yourself with any such dark working.”
“There you go again, hinting at something you’re hiding from me. Well, maybe I don’t need your help. There’s got to be somebody on the left-hand path who’ll teach me what I need to know.”
Estelle’s thin face hardened, as stern as an avenging angel’s, her blue eyes turning icy. “Don’t even think that. Do you imagine for one minute the Goddess would shelter you from the consequences?”
-end of excerpt-
*****
My Publishers:
Writers Exchange E-Publishing: Writers Exchange
Harlequin: Harlequin
Wild Rose Press: Wild Rose Press
You can contact me at: MLCVamp@aol.com
“Beast” wishes until next time—
Margaret L. Carter
Welcome to the June 2022 issue of my newsletter, “News from the Crypt,” and please visit Carter’s Crypt, devoted to my horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance work, especially focusing on vampires and shapeshifting beasties. If you have a particular fondness for vampires, check out the chronology of my series in the link labeled “Vanishing Breed Vampire Universe.” For my recommendations of “must read” classic and modern vampire fiction, explore the Realm of the Vampires:
Realm of the Vampires
Also, check out the multi-author Alien Romances Blog
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The long-time distributor of THE VAMPIRE’S CRYPT has closed its website. If you would like to read any issue of this fanzine, which contains fiction, interviews, and a detailed book review column, e-mail me to request the desired issue, and I’ll send you a free PDF of it. My e-mail address is at the end of this newsletter. Find information about the contents of each issue on this page of my website:
A complete list of my available works, arranged roughly by genre, with purchase links (gradually being updated as the Amber Quill and Ellora’s Cave works are being republished):
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Carter Kindle Books
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NetGalley reviewer Jeremy F. gave AGAINST THE DARK DEVOURER four stars! He says:
“Against the Dark Devourer was the best combination of Charmed and Lovecraftian Horror that I didn’t know I needed. Margaret Carter’s Dark Devourer world continues to be great in this story following Deborah and Victor as they take on a new evil that feels all too familiar. One of the best things about this book is that you don’t have to read the first book to understand the world but it definitely enhances the read!”
Reviewer Barbara Custer (editor of NIGHT TO DAWN) gives the novel five stars on Amazon and says, “If you enjoy paranormal romances, you’ll love Against the Dark Devourer.”
You can find AGAINST THE DARK DEVOURER here:
The Wild Rose Press will release the new edition of my erotic paranormal romance novella “Calling Back Love” on June 13. Lovecraftian erotic paranormal romance novella “Crossing the Border” (an excerpt from which was included in last month’s newsletter) will be published on August 1. A third re-release, erotic ghost romance novella “Heart Diamond,” has also been contracted, to appear on September 14. The heroine receives a ring with a gemstone made from her late fiancé’s ashes (which is a thing that really exists, by the way) and finds herself confronted by his ghost. An excerpt appears below.
June’s interview features women’s fiction author Shirley Goldberg.
*****
Interview with Shirley Goldberg:
What inspired you to begin writing?
I never planned to write a book. Never planned to start over, either.
I’d split up with my husband and moved back from Crete where we’d lived for eleven years. Went back to school for a teaching certification, moved in with my mom and started internet dating.
It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done, other than writing my master’s thesis.
I began keeping a diary, although it wasn’t a real diary. More like scribbles in a small, old calendar book with a ribbon to mark the page.
I took notes, sometimes during a date. Yup. Excused myself and went to the restroom to jot down funny or ridiculous details about the guys I met. Some of them couldn’t stop talking about themselves. Others complained about their ex-wives. Quite a few didn’t resemble their photos on the dating site. I wrote it all down. Then I fictionalized some of it and changed the names. That was my first book, Middle Ageish.
What genres do you work in?
I write romantic women’s fiction. Women’s friendships are important to me and my books wouldn’t exist without friendship stories.
Do you outline, “wing it,” or something in between?
In between, but I need to know a lot about my characters before I write. I live with them in my head for several days or weeks before I put anything down on the page.
What have been the major influences on your writing (favorite authors, life experiences, or whatever)?
I’ve lived and worked in London, Paris, Casablanca, and lived in Greece, so that’s influenced me. My friends of long standing still influence me and we keep in touch, no matter where we are in the world. Author-wise, here are a few favorites: Ed McBain, Nora Ephron, and Helen Gurley Brown. Not kidding. And many many more.
How have your teaching experience and living in different parts of the world affected your fiction?
I’m now working on a book that takes place in Heraklion, Crete, where I used to live. I haven’t been there in a few years, so I still need to research and ask my friends what’s changed downtown, and in the villages where we used to hang out for lunch. Luckily, beaches don’t change and I have my favorite beach, Lygaria, as my screensaver. My teaching background is reflected in my characters. Many of them are teachers and some of the humorous classroom scenes came out of my own experiences.
Please tell us about your Midage Dating website.
My website, Midage Dating, grew out of my dating stories a year before I published my first book. It’s also a place to feature other authors and books I’ve read and loved.
What is your latest or next-forthcoming book?
My new book, A Little Bit of Lust, is with my editor in production. Here’s a teaser: What happens when your best friend is suddenly the sexiest option around—do you risk your friendship for a happy-ever-after? Three middle-aged friends share a bond that is tested by careers, loss, and love. A heartwarming story of forgiveness and starting over.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the book I mentioned that’s set in Crete, Greece. A widow and her best friend take a vacation to Crete, where the widow honeymooned with her husband over twenty years earlier. She’s so not looking for a man, and her impulsive friend is the opposite, always on the lookout. Guess what?
Two men and two best friends. But things might not work out the way you think they should. Except for the happy-ever-after ending, of course.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Never give up! Read great books of all kinds. Write as often as you can, even if it’s fifteen minutes a day. That way you’ll keep in touch with your work-in-progress. I’m going to follow my own advice when I finish writing this. Not kidding.
What is the URL of your website? What about other internet presence?
Midage Dating
Shirley’s SOCIALS
Facebook Personal Page
Facebook Midage Dating Page
Twitter
Instagram
BookBub Profile
*****
Some Books I’ve Read Lately:
SPEAR, by Nicola Griffith. A gender-flipped retelling of the Arthurian legend of Sir Percival (aka Parsifal, Perceval, Peredur, and several other names), who, in the most familiar version of the tale, grew up with his mother deep in a forest, sheltered from the outside world that she feared would destroy him if he learned of and embraced his knightly heritage. The first time the boy encountered knights, however, he was naturally fascinated and wanted to become one of them. The Author’s Note to this novel discusses the legend’s history and its many variants. Griffith’s heroine, Peretur, who lives alone with her mother in a cave in the wilderness, at first doesn’t even have a name. Her mother calls her by nicknames but refuses to divulge her true name or the identity of the girl’s father. The girl becomes an expert with spear and bow, hunting for food while coping with her mother’s mood swings and descents into outright derangement. Magic plays a part in the girl’s life in the form of an antique bowl, a spear she finds near the body of a dead warrior, and a mystical vision of a lake that sometimes appears to her. Covertly watching a band of knights in the forest, she hears about King Artos and his court at Caer Leon. With her spear, she chances to defend the knights (who mistake her for a boy) from deadly peril. Her heart set on joining the King’s company, she suffers a violent reaction from her mother, who finally gives her the name of Peretur but rejects her and revokes her ability to penetrate the magical sphere of protection that surrounds their cave home. At the court, posing as a boy, Peretur enters the royal service but is flatly refused the opportunity to become a knight because “he” won’t reveal “his” past or lineage—ignorant herself of the latter and magically prevented from talking about the former. The masculine disguise, by the way, remains just that; she never stops thinking of herself as a girl. As her adventures unfold, the reader won’t be surprised to learn of the significance of the spear and the bowl. A sword and a stone also figure in the tale, all rooted in Celtic myth. The truth about Peretur’s ancestry and background, however, will probably come as a surprise (it did to me). Her journey of self-discovery and quest for acceptance by the order of knighthood, the twists on the familiar Arthurian mythos, and the numinous magical elements of the story captivated me.
NETTLE & BONE [sic], by T. Kingfisher. Starting with my discovery of this author by way of THE TWISTED ONES, nothing I’ve read by her has disappointed me. This fantasy novel opens with a familiar fairy-tale scenario, a heroine assigned three impossible tasks. When we meet Marra, youngest of three princesses in her minor kingdom’s royal family, she’s deep into the arduous process of wiring bones together to construct a skeletal dog. That painful task and the two others, weaving a nettle shirt and gathering a jar of moonlight, however, mark only the beginning of her quest. When she meets the conditions, the dust-wife—the witch she consulted for advice—will give her the means to kill the prince who’s married to her older sister, Kania. With the second chapter, the narrative backtracks to show how Marra reached this point. For protection against powerful neighbors, their small realm allied with a neighboring kingdom by marrying the oldest princess to the prince. After that sister’s sudden death, Kania, next in age, became the prince’s new bride. Grateful to be spared the role of a pawn in such arrangements, Marra retired to a convent, where (without taking vows) she trained as a midwife. Attending Kania in childbirth, she learns the prince—soon to be king—has been abusing Kania and probably killed their elder sister. Although the two younger princesses have never gotten along well, Marra can’t abandon Kania to a similar fate. Moreover, if the sadistic ruler kills his current wife, Marra will be in line to become his next queen. Therefore, she must eliminate him in some way that won’t plunge her homeland into war. Guided by the dust-wife, she risks a foray into the goblin market to exchange a tooth for what she needs. That turns out to be Fenris, a dishonored knight recently delivered from enchanted sleep in a fairy fort. Since the story is narrated in third person, we eventually get scenes in his viewpoint as well as Marra’s. With Fenris, the dust-wife, the witch’s chicken familiar, and the Bonedog, Marra sets out to rescue her sister and eliminate the evil king. Her mission involves learning the truth about Fenris’s shameful past, venturing into a royal tomb, and confronting ghosts and a fairy godmother, among other ordeals. The story develops with unexpected yet wholly credible twists, suffering and near-tragedies, sacrifices and anguished interpersonal ruptures, and ultimate reconciliations. Marra impresses me as a strong, compelling character, an intelligent, single woman in early middle age with no illusions about her deviation from the image of the ideal princess.
WEREWOLVES, DOGMEN, AND OTHER SHAPESHIFTERS STALKING NORTH AMERICA, by Pamela K. Kinney. Written in an accessible, conversational style, this nonfiction book clearly announces its content in its title. It surveys a broad range of folklore, traditional and contemporary, under the wide umbrella of its subject matter. After the Introduction, the text is divided, in accordance with the title, into three major parts—Werewolves, Dogmen, and Other Shapeshifters. The word “other,” however, seems a little misleading, since there’s no indication of shapeshifting by most of the dogmen. I was surprised at how widespread are encounters with alleged dogmen, bipedal creatures with canine heads and sometimes other animal features. Readers might want to consume this section in small bites rather than all in one sitting, since the dogmen anecdotes tend to have a lot of similarities. Legends and sightings of werewolves and other shapeshifters, such as coyotes, ravens, badgers, and owl witches among others, display more variation over locations and time periods. The book visits many different states as well as parts of Canada and Latin America, hopping around in a thematic rather than geographic mode of organization. The longest single parts cover Alaska and the American southwest. The book deals in extensive detail with skinwalkers, both legendary and contemporary. There’s also a long section on the wendigo. Many of the shapeshifting creatures were new to me. The author straightforwardly reports anecdotes of weird encounters without passing judgment on their truth or falsehood. The narrative mode tends more toward questions than answers. Anyone curious about traditional creatures and modern urban legends in the general category of beast-human hybrids will find plenty of material in this book. Although there’s a three-page bibliography, the main body includes no footnotes to indicate what particular sources contain information about which incidents, in keeping with the generally informal approach (though some sources are identified in the texts of individual narratives). The evocative titles of many of the listed books, however, will surely whet the appetites of readers wishing to pursue certain types of cryptids and mythical beings in greater depth.
*****
Excerpt from “Heart Diamond”:
The door buzzer cut through the bleakness of yet another Saturday evening. Too late for a door-to-door solicitor. Who would visit at this hour without calling first? Roseanne switched off the black-and-white movie she’d been half watching and trudged to the door. Pausing with her hand on the chain, she said, “Who is it?”
“Just me.”
Ted, her late fiancé’s brother. She sighed. I should have guessed. He was her only friend who never bothered to phone before dropping in. As little as she wanted to deal with him on a weekend night, she didn’t have the heart to tell him to get lost. “Yeah, what’s up?” she asked, unfastening the chain. Through the door, she heard the patter of a steady rain.
“I’ve got something important to tell you. Okay if I come in?” His voice sounded enough like his brother’s to give her a fresh twinge of sorrow, though they weren’t completely alike. Ted’s was pitched a little higher.
“You might as well, just for a minute. I was thinking about getting ready for bed.” Lucky she hadn’t changed into her nightgown yet. The way Ted’s eyes roamed over her even in a ratty T-shirt made her vaguely uncomfortable, though he’d never overtly hit on her.
His face always gave her an unwelcome shock. She hoped he didn’t notice the wince of pain she tried to suppress. It wasn’t his fault that he’d been in the car when his brother died or that the two of them looked so much alike. Strangers had often mistaken them for twins, despite the seventeen-month difference in their ages. They had the same honey-gold hair, which Tim had worn a bit longer and shaggier than Ted’s. The same height—six feet two—and they shared a trim, broad-shouldered but not muscle-bound build. Their eyes were different shades of blue—Tim’s closer to gray—and Ted’s profile was a little sharper. Still, any unexpected glimpse of him pierced her breast with a pang of longing and sometimes ignited a flare of need, chased by a shadow of guilt. She never considered pursuing that illusion. She knew the inner differences between the brothers too well. Friends with them since high school, she’d dated Ted only a few times before she’d discovered reasons to prefer Tim.
“Mom and Dad asked me to bring you this.” He strolled into the living room, lounged on the couch and took a small box out of his pocket. His hair and shirt were damp from the rain.
Roseanne sat down, careful to keep space between them. “What is it?”
“Something Tim left for you.” Ted opened the box. It held a silver ring with a blue-tinted, oval-cut diamond flanked by a pair of diamond chips.
She took it from him, her hand trembling and tears misting her eyes. “How—?”
“While the folks were visiting Tim in the ICU, he was conscious for a little while. He asked them to have this ring made for you if he didn’t survive. He said you’d talked about it once. Sounded kind of creepy to me.”
“Why?” Roseanne’s tears made a sparkling halo around the gems. During Tim’s lifetime, they hadn’t gotten around to buying an engagement ring. “What’s creepy about it?”
Ted visibly swallowed, as if working up the nerve to answer. “Because it’s made from his ashes. I tried to talk Mom and Dad out of it, but they said that was his last wish and he’d been in his right mind when he made it. Personally, I wasn’t so sure.”
“He did show me the website when he happened to stumble on it. We thought it was cute and sentimental in a weird way. Heartdiamonds.com, it’s called.” After touching a fingernail to the central stone, she set the box on the coffee table.
“Morbid, if you ask me. Frankly, if I hadn’t known our parents would follow up on it with you, I wouldn’t have given you this thing. I’d have returned it for a refund and snuck the money back into their account.”
-end of excerpt-
*****
My Publishers:
Writers Exchange E-Publishing: Writers Exchange
Harlequin: Harlequin
Wild Rose Press: Wild Rose Press
You can contact me at: MLCVamp@aol.com
“Beast” wishes until next time—
Margaret L. Carter