Posted by Mandy M. Roth on May 13, 2012 in
Hell If I Know What It Should Be Labeled I’m getting lots and lots of email asking me this so I thought I’d paste in my FAQ answer. And THANK YOU!
As a reader what can I do to help promote you and your books?
You can wrap your arms around yourself and hug yourself from me. I mean it. The fact so many of you email to ask me how you can help spread the word about me/my books is awesome! The best way to help is by asking your local bookstores/libraries carry my books. Another awesome way to help is by taking the time to write a quick online review of my books—Amazon, Barnes and Noble, ARE, they all offer spots for readers to write reviews. I have to say, it tickles me to no end when readers go the extra mile and write a review (good or bad). I understand fully that taking time out of one’s busy day to comment about my title is important, again, good or bad comments.
Sum up for what you as a reader can do to help spread the word about me and my titles:
Talk about my books online.
Post about my books.
Blog about my books.
Put up online reader reviews (always honest, if you hate a title say so, I won’t hold it against you… if you love it, say so)—It should be noted that The Raven Books/ my other pub houses already has a set number of “professional” review sites that they automatically sends to and they have a person in charge of this who tracks and logs all ARCs sent for review to professional sites.
Agree/disagree with reviews already posted on various vendors
Hit the LIKE button on my titles at vendors
Agree or disagree with TAG words on vendors.
If you see someone is reading an author who is similar to me, suggest they try me (politely, of course… but we know this goes without saying).
Anything online is the single MOST important thing you can do to help me. Why? Simple, because the majority of my sales have ALWAYS come from ebooks. And with the market shift moving towards ebooks more and more each day this is becoming so for many authors. Not just me.
If you would like some promo goodies (bookmarks, etc) to pass around to your friends, local bookstores, reading groups and libraries please email me mandyATmandyrothDOTcom with subject header PROMO GOODIES. Include your name and snail mail addy in the email. I can’t promise when they’ll be mailed out or how many will be sent. It depends on what I have on hand and how often my personal assistant is able to get to mailings.
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About Last Night by Ruthie Knox
Sure, opposites attract, but in this sexy, smart, eBook original romance from Ruthie Knox, they positively combust! When a buttoned-up banker falls for a bad girl, “about last night” is just the beginning.
Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she’s made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.
Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine—even her name turns him on—with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.
When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?
My Two Cents:
Let me start off by saying. Sue Grimshaw made her twitter profile pic Ruthie’s About Last Night book cover and I think we can all agree–HOT. So there it was, taunting me, teasing me, just out of reach. I didn’t know Ruthie (still technically have never met her in person) and had not as of yet read anything by her. Fast forward, Ruthie and I began showing up on tweets together–twitter folks know how this can happen, you answer someone else, they respond to more than one of you at a time, and so on.
So, I start following Ruthie.
The more I follow her, the funnier I see she is. This is a biggie to me. I love authors with good senses of humor. It got me wondering if this translated over to Ruthie’s books. You all know I tend to shy away from reading Contemporary Romances. There have been very few that I devour. But, that damn sexy cover and Ruthie’s sense of humor just keep pulling at me. Fast forward some more…
I was lucky enough to get an ARC (advance reader copy) of About Last Night by Ruthie Knox. It did NOT disappoint. It had me laughing out loud more than once. I fell in love with Cath’s outlook on life, her desire to truly be a reformed bad girl but no matter what, she falls into old habits. And Nev, oh Nev… (excuse me, I need some alone time now) is written in a way that he just leaps off the page at you.
Ruthie has a witty way of writing and she pens a hot hero. I never wanted a banker more in my life.
Disclaimer (that makes me look like a douchebag): I went into this book assuming the sex scenes would be more suggested than actual or at the very least glossed over. I stand corrected. Wow. Penned beautifully AND sexy! If you’re looking for a great, funny, sexy, contemporary romance read, Ruthie’s About Last Night is it!
I just bought her other book Ride With Me and can’t wait to dig into it.
CONTEST: I will GIFT one lucky person with a Kindle copy of Ride With Me by Ruthie Knox . Winner will be selected from those who comment here on the blog post. You must have an amazon account. Sorry, only gifting a kindle copy.
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Tags: review, Ruthie Knox, Sue Grimshaw
Posted by Michelle M. Pillow on Apr 24, 2012 in
Hell If I Know What It Should Be Labeled Jess Granger, Interview
By Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
An adventurer at heart, Jess Granger has done everything from working as a balloon artist, brewing her own beer, traveling through Europe, and working to rehabilitate injured birds. When she isn’t writing like a mad fiend, you can find her pondering the complexity of ecosystems while tending her massive butterfly gardens. She’s a national bestselling, science fiction romance author with her series, Realms Beyond. Her latest work, Beyond the Shadows, arrives in bookstores May 4, 2010.
* * * * *
Q: In your book, both your hero and heroine are aliens. What inspired you to create such characters?
Jess:Part of the fun of Science Fiction, especially on the Space Opera end, is creating new worlds out in the vastness of space with new rules. I love world building from scratch. The universe is endless and full of possibility for wonder, adventure and excitement. In the case of my hero and heroine from Beyond the Shadows, it was fun to portray a matriarchy that isn’t all good, or all bad for that matter. It was also interesting to play with male/female dynamics when both characters come from a completely alien culture that has very different rules from ours. It led to some pretty entertaining fireworks. It was also a challenge to create a world and a culture that developed into a matriarchy through a natural state of cultural evolution dictated by the nature of their planet and the needs of war in an arboreal realm.
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Jess:I think people are excited by possibility. I think it is fun to ponder what is out there. Who knows what is really out there? It gives us the thrill of fear, but that lingering excitement that what we know as truth may not be truth, and in fact we are small in the face of true wonder.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?
Jess:I like to believe in possibility. When faced with something that might be possible but seems impossible, I err on the side of, well maybe, who knows?
Q: How would you react if you came face to face with an alien?
Jess:I’d freak out. Hands down, I’d freak out. I’m really a skeerdy cat. After the freak out, I’d freak out in a different way. If they didn’t intend us harm, wow, could you even imagine the nature of a feat of exploration like that?
Q: Have you ever been abducted by aliens?
Jess:Um, barring some entertaining shenanigans in college, I’m pretty sure that no, I have not been abducted by aliens. I fell out of my body once and landed on the ceiling while sleeping, and I’ve dated a couple of guys that I believe might have been aliens, but no, in the grand scheme of things, I have not seen any little green men, nor have any tried to kidnap me because Mars needed women. I guess the night is still young.
Thanks for joining us, Jess!
You can learn more about Jess and her books at her website, www.jessgranger.com. Interview by Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
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Tags: Interview, Jess Granger, michelle pillow
Posted by Michelle M. Pillow on Apr 17, 2012 in
Hell If I Know What It Should Be Labeled Frank Joseph, Interview
By Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
When people think of US history, they often talk about the Civil War or the Old West, but what about that time before recorded history? The mysterious people and cultures that populated the earth before Columbus sailed the ocean blue? Unearthing Ancient America: The Lost Sagas of Conquerors, Castaways, and Scoundrels explores the lives of these people, and the ancient mysteries that surrounds them.
Unearthing Ancient America: The Lost Sagas of Conquerors, Castaways, and Scoundrels author, Frank Joseph, has published several novels on lost civilizations, including more books about the lost civilization of Atlantis than any other author in history. His twenty-four published titles about ancient history, sacred sites and synchronicity have been released in as many foreign language editions around the world.
*****
Q: You’ve written several books, The Atlantis Encyclopedia, Discovering the Mysteries of Ancient America, Opening the Ark of the Covenant. What inspired you to write about these topics?
Frank:I always wanted to know the truth behind these enigmas, and feel there may be some subconscious past-life energies at work.
Q: Have you always had a fascination with history and unsolved mysteries?
Frank:As long as I can remember.
Q: What myths or legends inspired you?
Frank:All of them, because myth is the higher, metaphysical language of mankind.
Q: Specifically in Unearthing Ancient America you tackle a broad variety of archaeological enigmas. What are some of these enigmas?
Frank:How did an ancient Egyptian statuette find its way into an prehistoric burial mound in Illinois? Is Minnesota’s Norse rune stone an authentic 15th Century artifact? Did the Romans operate ships capable of making transatlantic crossings to America?
Q: How and why are they shunned as too heretical for consideration by conventional scholars?
Frank: Mainstream archaeologists are indoctrinated with the academic commandment, “Tho shalt not have any overseas’ visitors to America before Columbus!”
Q: Is Archaeology a science?
Frank:Archaeology is a “humanity” that its practitioners are supposed to apply scientific methods. Archaeological conclusions are cultural interpretations, not scientific facts.
Q: Why is this important when studying Ancient America?
Frank:It requires us to keep an open mind, as opposed to conventional archaeologists.
Q: In history classes, students are often taught that Columbus was the first European to “discover” America, but I’ve heard evidence has been found that in fact Vikings were the first. Which, if either, is true?
Frank:Both. The Viking discovery of America was lost by Columbus’s time.
Q: What are some of the significant events missing from most school history books?
Frank:Upper Michigan’s 5,000 year-old copper mining industry; the Viking exploration of North America; the Keltic contribution to pre-Columbian America; etc., etc.
Q: How did those pre-Columbian explorers reach the new world?
Frank:In purpose-built ships.
Q: For what purpose?
Frank:Numerous purposes: to escape persecution, for minerals (especially raw copper), on missionary quests, exploration, colonization, etc., etc.
Q: What secrets have the Giants of the California Desert preserved for a thousand years?
Frank: California’s “giants” are colossal line-drawings of anthropomorphic and animal figures created by a sophisticated people some 900 years ago.
Q: Has a Smithsonian photographer discovered an ancient city in the Grand Canyon?
Frank:Yes, Mr. Kincaid.
Q: Moving on to another of you books, Opening the Ark of the Covenant. Now I know many people automatically associate the ark with the Indiana Jones movie. Is this a true representation of the Ark?
Frank:The movie, like all Spielberg films, has as much bearing on the truth as Walt Disney’s “Dumbo” has on zoology.
Q: What exactly was the Ark of the Covenant?
Frank: A vessel containing a large quartz crystal capable of transmuting mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Q: Is it a real object, or just a mythical construct?
Frank: Real.
Q: Does it still exist?
Frank:Several versions still exist in various parts of the world.
Q: When and where was the Ark of the Covenant last seen?
Frank:The most recent sightings were in Germany, 1945, and Tennessee, 1964.
Q: Where is the Ark of the Covenant today?
Frank:Quebec, Japan, Bavaria, Tibet, etc.
Q: What significance does the Ark of the Covenant have for our 21st Century world?
Frank:Presently, it is only a myth, because it (they) is (are) concealed. If made known and its function disclosed, it could alter the entire course of modern history for good or evil, depending upon the intentions of its 21st Century users, not a good prospect, given humanity’s present savagery.
Q: What powers was the Ark of the Covenant supposed to possess?
Frank:Transformational.
Q: Who were the Knights Templars?
Frank:12th and 13th Century followers of St. Bernard.
Q: What was the relationship between the Ark of the Covenant and the Knights Templars?
Frank:They were its discoverers and guardians.
Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal and the unexplained?
Frank:1. Because institutionalized religion has failed (the true meaning behind Nietzsche’s declaration, “God is dead”), and 2. all human beings are born with a spiritual instinct that is still seeking fulfillment.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural?
Frank:”Supernatural” refers to anything narrow-minded persons are unable to comprehend outside the strict limitations of their immediate, physical existence; things are either natural or un-natural; that is all.
Q: Or are you a skeptic?
Frank:I strive for a genuine scientific approach; namely, always keeping an open kind, refraining from absolute judgments, but endeavoring to make conditional conclusions.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Frank:The books of Robert E. Howard and Edgar Allan Poe; cable tv’s “Psychic Detectives”.
Q: Do you have any pet projects?
Frank:My life is my pet project.
Q: What does the future hold for your work?
Frank:Oblivion.
Q: Any new books?
Frank:”Gods of the Runes” released in fall.
Thank you for joining us!
Frank Joseph’s titles Unearthing Ancient America and Atlantis and 2012 are available online and in bookstores.Interview by Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
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Tags: Frank Joseph, Interview, michelle pillow
Posted by Mandy M. Roth on Apr 14, 2012 in
Hell If I Know What It Should Be Labeled WARNING: Best Buy is triple charging for purchases and the company is aware of this glitch in system yet is NOT warning consumers at register. This is TRUE. I know. It just happened to me. Today (April 14th, 2012) I went in and made a purchase of $243.84. The terminal CC processor lagged and the clerk re-ran the card. Still lagged. Then, it required her to call in and verify the amount. She did. The purchase was then completed and she said “they didn’t give a reason why I had to call”. We left with our purchases. Curious, and fearful my debit card info might have been hacked or something else, I got to the car and logged into my online banking system only to find Best Buy had charged me $243.84 THREE times in a row, holding/deducting that amount from my available balance.
I went right back in and alerted the clerk who had checked me out. As I said it the boy clerk next to her said, “Oh yes, that’s been happening. Just had it happen the other day”. The manager came out, plastered a smile to her face and said, “Yes, Best Buy company is aware of this problem. Its happening company wide. Your money should be released/back to you next week.”
I said, “It has a hold of nearly $500 extra on my account now.”
She said, “Well, the money is not technically gone. Its just being held by your bank.”
I replied, “So, what you’re saying is Best Buy is holding nearly $500 of my money hostage?”
Continuing to smile, she said, “Um, yes, I guess they are.”
“I have the extra in the account,” I said, seething mad but maintaining a calm exterior. Mind you, I don’t consider $500 pocket change. “But what happens to someone who doesn’t and Best Buy does this to them?”
She said, “Oh, that’s already happened. We had a customer in here who was also overcharged three times and we had to call for verification on their card too, then when they realized they were charged three times they stood up here yelling at us, furious.”
I looked at my husband and I said, “What I’m getting out of this conversation is, good luck getting the hold off your money.”
I’m so disappointed in Best Buy. A company wide problem such as this should be posted throughout the store and at the registers, alerting customers of the possible glitch and letting customers decide if they want to make a purchase now or go and get cash. I can tell you I would NOT have purchased my items then. I would have gone and grabbed cash and returned.
I will keep you posted on how long/if my money is returned to me.
UPDATE: since posting this here, on facebook and on twitter I’m getting many reports in of this happening to other over the past weekend/several days. Some have gone to check their statements and have been surprised to see double or more charges. Others were alerted right away and are dealing with the same thing I am. One man was charged 10x’s for his purchase. Another is out $700 as well. Countless more. Please spread the word about this. Tell your family and your friends. Protect yourself.
The economy is in the toilet and no one wants to be “donating” money to a company that doesn’t seemed bothered by the fact their systems are glitching and doing this to hard working people. Money is hard to come by and when it is removed/held from your account without your permission it should not be addressed with a large smile and a “yes, the company is aware of the problem”. The consumer should be aware of this!
From my comments below: “I’m getting a lot of reports in about this very thing happening to others all weekend. These people don’t have the same social “reach” I do. I needed to be a voice for them as best I could. I am truly hoping the 10 k plus who read my blog monthly, the 2 k on Facebook, the 2 k on twitter and the thousands on yahoo groups spread the word. That they all warn their friends and family members. The economy is shit right now. No one can be playing games with their hard-earned money and no company should conduct biz this way.”
Post keywords to help others find it so they are informed:
consumer report, best buy, best buy overcharging account, best buy multiple charges to account, credit card, fraud
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Tags: best buy, consumer report
Posted by Michelle M. Pillow on Apr 12, 2012 in
Hell If I Know What It Should Be Labeled Elisabeth Naughton, Interview
by Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
Paranormal romance author, Elisabeth Naughton, left teaching Jr High science to write full time. Her debut release, Stolen Fury, heralded by Publisher’s Weekly as “A rock-solid debut,” was recently nominated for two prestigious RITA awards by Romance Writers of America in the Best First Book category and the Best Romantic Suspense category. She pens novels from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children and when she’s not writing, she can be found hanging out at the ball park and daydreaming about new and exciting adventures.
Her latest novel, ENTWINED, book 2 in the Eternal Guardians Series, released in print and ebook July 27, 2010 (ISBN: 9780505528230). It can be found everywhere books are sold.
Please join me in welcoming Elisabeth Naughton!
*****
In your book, Entwined, you delve into the world of Greek gods and ancient myths. What inspired you to write about this?
Elisabeth:I have always been a huge fan of Greek mythology and the ancient stories. When I was writing STOLEN FURY, my debut release, I spent a lot of time researching mythology for the plot. IN that book, the characters were searching for three ancient Greek relics that depicted the Three Furies, the goddesses of punishment in crime in Greek mythology. When I got done with that book, I knew I wanted to do something else that centered on the ancient stories, and because I’ve always loved the possibility of the paranormal world, I decided to combine the two.
When world building, did you base your story off of known myths throughout history?
Elisabeth:My world is heavily rooted in Greek mythology. The warriors in my books are each descended from one of the great heroes from the ancient myths. Zander, the hero in ENTWINED, is a descendant of the famed hero Achilles. He, like Achilles, is a great warrior who seems to be immortal. He’s lived longer than any of his warrior kin, has watched kings come and go as well as those he loves. He’s been injured just about everywhere a man can be injured, and yet has never taken a mortal wound. But like his forefather Achilles, he has a vulnerability. He just hasn’t found it yet.
What myths or legends inspired you?
Elisabeth:I think all myths inspire me in one way or another. I love reading mythology from any culture. The Aztec myths are fascinating. Irish folklore can keep me awake for hours. And I can easily get lost in the gods and goddesses from ancient Egypt. Historians believe Tolkien pulled from many myths when he created The Lord of the Rings. Someday, I’d love to do that with a series myself.
Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Elisabeth: Well, personally, I think people are always fascinated by what they don’t understand. Would I really want to meet a vampire or werewolf on the street? I don’t think so, but the idea those creatures might exist is what intrigues me and many others as well. Human beings by nature are always trying to wrap their minds around things they don’t understand, and the paranormal is one instance where a logical answer just can’t be found, no matter how long you look. And no matter what, someone will always claim they have evidence that will probably leave you guessing even more.
What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Elisabeth:I was a HUGE fan of the X-Files before it went off the air. I still watch it in reruns. I also enjoy paranormal romances where, even though I might get scared, I know things are going to work out well in the end.
Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?
Elisabeth:I used to teach science, and I remember talking to my students about the millions and millions of stars in the universe, and the millions and millions of planets circling those stars. The probability that we are the only planet in the solar system that exists in the life zone of a star is pretty slim. That means the chance that life exists elsewhere, beyond our reach, is highly likely. Do I believe in aliens and little green men? I believe there is a lot I don’t know, and anything is possible.
As for the supernatural right here on earth? Again, I think anything is possible.
Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Elisabeth:Nothing exciting like a haunted house or being abducted by aliens. Mostly my interaction with the supernatural occurs in those déjà vu moments many of us experience. Something will happen that I could swear already happened, or it’s similar to something I pictured happening. Not entirely sure what that means.
What kind of paranormal creatures do you wish you could meet?
Elisabeth:I would love to meet the characters from my books – descendents rooted in Greek mythology. They look human, act human, are, actually, part human, but have a little something extra as well.
If given the chance, would you become a character from your book?
Elisabeth:No. The hero in ENTWINED has a real issue with being immortal. Looking at the world through his eyes, it wouldn’t be fun to live forever while everyone else around you comes and goes. It would be like that movie Groundhog Day, one day blending into the next with no endpoint in sight.
How would you react if you came face to face with a supernatural being?
Elisabeth:I don’t think I’d believe it. Which means, hey, maybe I’ve already come in contact with something from the supernatural and just don’t know it!
What does the future hold for the Eternal Guardian Series?
Elisabeth:The second book, ENTWINED, released on July 27, 2010 and will be followed by book three TEMPTED in February 2011. I’m contracted for two more books in the series after TEMPTED (currently untitled), but readers can expect them to hit store shelves about every six months.
Learn more about Elisabeth and her work at www.elisabethnaughton.com.Interview by Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
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Tags: Elisabeth Naughton, Interview, michelle pillow
Posted by Michelle M. Pillow on Apr 3, 2012 in
Hell If I Know What It Should Be Labeled Zombies by Dr. Bob Curran, Interview
By Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
Have you ever been curious as to how the idea of mindless zombies scouring the neighbourhood in search of human flesh began? From the walking dead of Haiti and the Caribbean that have influenced the ideas of Hollywood horror films, to the less popularized draugr of Scandinavia, Zombies: A Field Guide to the Walking Dead explores the world of the undead and the myths behind them.
Dr. Bob Curran is a writer and broadcaster living in Northern Ireland, and a cultural educator for several governmental organizations. He has approximately 38 books to his name mainly on the subjects of history and culture. His title, Zombies: A Field Guide to the Walking Dead, is currently in bookstores.
*****
Q: First off, are you now or have you ever been a zombie?
Dr. Curran: I don’t think that I’ve ever been a zombie, at least not that I can remember. In some instances I may have worked with zombies but that’s another story.
Q: In your book Zombies: A Field Guide to the Walking Dead, you delve into the world of the undead and their impact on cultures throughout history. Tell us a little bit about your book.
Dr. Curran: One of the questions which I’m always asked is – do zombies/ werewolves/ vampires actually exist? That is really not the question that intrigues me – they may or they may not –it is why should people want to believe in them? What need does such a belief answer in society? Why should they continue to fascinate us even down to today? And I suppose that’s why I began to write the book. I suppose that the idea of zombies addresses certain fundamental questions about death . The underlying question is – if I die , can I come back in some form? This is, I feel, a question which appears in many cultures and it forms the basis of a number of religions . So I wanted to write a book which looked at zombies in some more depth and in some more detail than simply the slasher/zombie dawn type of way that is common in so many books.
Q: What inspired you to write about the subject?
Dr. Curran: As you may realise if you have read some of my books, I try to do as much research as I can. Any of my books in this field starts with me asking myself a lot of questions and then trying to find the answers. So I guess that the things that inspired me to write the book on zombies was he questions I was asking myself. And the basic question is “Is there something deeper here?” And there usually is.
Q: How have cultural impressions of the zombies changed throughout history?
Dr. Curran: I don’t think that cultural impressions have changed throughout history – the questions about death and resurrection still remain the same – nor even have they adapted all that much in the way that, say, werewolf impressions have but the way we look at them has. In a sense in earlier times, the walking dead returned from the grave in places like Ireland to see their loved ones and to enjoy things that they had enjoyed in life. And they often returned under God’s dispensation because they were blessed. Amongst the Vikings, the dead returned simply to carry on the things that they had done when alive – there was little distinction between life and death. It was writers like William Seabrook which linked some of the walking dead with the notion of zombies and voudou. Voudou is a kind of umbrella for a number of minor religions such as shango and Mama Watti. Le Gran Zombi does not specifically refer to the walking dead but to a manifestation of Damballah Wedo, one of the gods of the voudou pantheon. However, in his book Magic Island Seabrook seemed to suggest that there were dead men being raised by local houngans and mambos and sold to plantation owners as cheap labour – there seems to have been some sort of basis for this belief as the 1835 Haitian Penal Code seems to make such employment an offence. How widespread this idea was is questionable but it did exist. This has in turn become linked with alleged acts of cannibalism and has given rise to the idea of the flesh-eating zombie with which we are so familiar in the slash and gore zombie films which we see today. In this respect maybe our cultural impressions have changed a little across the years.
Q: Do you have a favorite zombie myth or story?
Dr. Curran: I don’t really have a favourite zombie story. I would guess that the most intriguing stories is that of Clairvius Narcisse who in 1980, turned up somewhat dishevelled in a Haitian village and was recognised by his sister who lived there. Nothing unusual about that, except Clairvius was supposed to have died in 1960. His story was a strange one – he had been drugged by his brother using a “poudre” and had been sold to a planter on the other side of the island. He had suddenly “come to” and made his way to the nearest village where his sister had encountered him. The story is engrossing because it suggests some sort of narcotic which might be used to induce a zombie state. The tale inspired Canadian ethnographer Wade Davis to investigate further and see if he could determine the nature of the “poudre” used by the houngans and bokors or Haiti. Although Davis’s findings are questionable, his book on the subject The Serpent and the Rainbow became a best seller and later a film. Perhaps it is the idea that some sort of poudre might exist which I find appealing and which probably makes the story my favourite one.
Q: What cultures throughout history have zombie myths? Are they similar or vastly different?
Dr. Curran: As I said earlier, the fundamental questions about life and death are pretty universal ones so it is natural I suppose that they appear in all cultures – though maybe not in the form that we have become used to through the medium of books and films. In Ireland, for example, the marbh bheo or nightwalking dead might be classed as zombies – they return from their graves to the places they knew in life. Some of these are the Blest Dead, who have led good lives and are permitted by God to do so, others are raised by the Devil who travel the roads in order to do harm. Similarly the “living mummies” of areas such as Mount Yodono in Japan are monks who have deliberately “mummified” themselves in order to display their holiness – this practice is now forbidden by the Japanese government. So whilst the fundamental questions remain the same, the way in which it is achieved can be different and not all zombies may take the form that we have been led to expect.
Q: How do you think zombie myths will change in the future?
Dr. Curran: It depends on how you view zombie myths. Certainly if we look at how zombies are portrayed in literature and in the cinema, I think that will change as writers and directors search for new angles with which to shock, disgust and terrify us. I think zombie literature/cinema will possibly become more extreme and more shocking. But we must remember that this counts as entertainment and depends on our view of the walking dead – folkloric zombie stories will remain as they always have. And zombies will remain a fascinating subject.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?
Dr. Curran: Once again, it depends what you mean by “the supernatural”. Let me say that I neither believe nor disbelieve. I have met some very rounded and “down to earth” people who have told me some fantastic things and I have no reason to doubt them. Also many things which were once counted as “supernatural” have their base in scientific explanation today and this may be the case in the future. What the “supernatural” may ultimately be is an interpretation of our own environment in a particular way – after all this is the basis of religion . So I keep an open mind.
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Dr. Curran: I think that the answer lies in relation to the above. People are fascinated by the supernatural because it suggests that there is something more to the world that what we can actually physically see and touch. I think that this is a very fundamental perspective and forms the basis of many religions including Christianity. I think the idea of the supernatural springs from a deep-seated curiosity, a need to explain things around us and a need for reassurance that we have some form of meaning and purpose to our lives. This perspective has taken many forms – from ghosts to werewolves, vampires, zombies but basically it all springs, I think, from the same source.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Dr. Curran: I get very little time to sit down and watch tv or even read Most of the “supernatural” television or films that I’ve actually watched, I didn’t really like. Everybody thinks that I should rate Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I watched about half an hour of one episode and turned it off. I went and saw The Wolf Man and liked that because it reflected the original movie. I suppose if I read supernatural literature, it’s some of the classic stuff, which I enjoy. All the modern-day slash and gore does very little for me. The last film I watched was Shutter Island which I did enjoy as it was extremely well done, even though I’d guessed the ending. But I like the creepiness of the place.
Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Dr. Curran: No, I haven’t had a paranormal experience. All the “uncanny experiences” I’ve had, I’ve always been able to explain. I took part in a number of radio/tv programmes on ghost-hunting and didn’t see anything. There was a belief in the part of the world where I came from that only one member of a family could see ghosts and so forth and this doesn’t seem to have been me. My brother though, is supposed to have seen a ghost – the spectre of an old woman who previously owned a house where he lived in England.
Q: If given the chance, would you become a zombie?
Dr. Curran: I doubt if I would want to become a zombie. I would guess that the lifestyle wouldn’t appeal.
Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a zombie?
Dr. Curran: Probably run. Best form of avoidance.
Q: What does the future hold for you? Any new books in the works?
Dr. Curran: There’s a lot of work still on. Two new books from Career coming out this year and next – Dark Fairies and Man Made Monsters. Also a series of books for young people coming out in England, new books coming out in both Australia and America – one on the papacy this year and one on bushrangers next Also the development of my community work which is very important to me.
Thank you for joining us, Dr. Curran!
If you’re interested in checking out this, or other titles by Dr. Bob Curran, please visit the publisher website, www.newpagebooks.com. Interview by Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
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Posted by Michelle M. Pillow on Mar 27, 2012 in
Hell If I Know What It Should Be Labeled Dave Galvan, Interview
Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
Founder of the Paranormal League of America (PLA), Dave Galvan, has been studying the paranormal since an unseen hand threw a book at him back in 2002. Since day one he’s been enthusiastically devouring all he can on the field, and furthering his knowledge in pursuit of the truth. Since starting PLA, he’s focused on investigating the paranormal in Oregon where he’s “battled a demon at the Oregon Coast, faced laughing ghosts in Central Oregon, chased obscure energy signals in a house in Portland, was stalked by a full figured apparition at a local cemetery and sat in the mud while waiting for the ghost of an Native American chief.”
Dave recently released his first book, Paranormal League of America Presents: Researching America’s Most Haunted Locations; A Paranormal History, which details the top twenty haunted locations in the US. It can be purchased on Amazon.com.
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Q: What inspired you to write your latest book, Paranormal League of America Presents: Researching America’s Haunted Locations?
Dave:To be honest, I was getting tired of all those ‘Most Haunted Places in America’ lists that you see in every newspaper every Halloween. These lists are written by young journalists moving up the ladder who just get their ideas off the internet. This is similar to me writing a book about heart surgery. I know nothing about heart surgery, why should I write anything about it? It goes the same way with ghost hunting. Why should someone who has never hunted ghosts be writing about the subject? It seems to me that someone who actually has experience in the field should be the one who writes these lists
Q: What is the Paranormal League of America?
Dave: The PLA is a ghost hunting/paranormal group I co-founded in 2008
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?
Dave: I walk the fine line between both. What we perceive as the supernatural is all around us all the time. However, just because someone experiences something doesn’t mean it belongs in that category.
Q: Which of the locations/stories in your book are your favorites? Can you tempt us with the highlights?
Dave:There are a number of places that I found fascinating. I think the ‘Old Slave shack on Hickory Hill’ really piqued my interest. Here is a place where slavery was illegal, and the owner of the location was running a reverse underground railroad kidnapping humans and selling them into slavery. It is a very sad story that I hadn’t heard about until I did some research in to it. When one reads up on stories like this, one realizes there are so many stories that people didn’t hear about in history class.
Q: The book is dedicated to your wife. Is ghost hunting a family affair?
Dave:Not at all. My wife is a supporter of what I do, but is the ultimate skeptic. I consider myself fortunate that I married someone who supports me in such a way that I am able to take time away from my family life to research these things.
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Dave:It’s the great unknown! Humans are basically explorers, if we are not trying to find answers to what we don’t know, they why would we bother living our lives.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Dave: Karen Frazier’s book, Avalanche of Spirits: The Ghosts of Wellington, is a fantastic read. I must admit I enjoy reading about anything local to me, like Jefferson Davis’ The Haunted Tour Guide to the Pacific Northwest. There are haunted locations all around us, so I do enjoy reading about the ones closest to me. A great book is Will Storr vrs. The Supernatural.
Q: If given the chance to decide, would you become a ghost?
Dave:Of course!! First place I would haunt would be the Playboy Mansion!!!!
Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a full bodied apparition?
Dave:I have seen one, and what I did was freeze in my tracks, drop my jaw and stand there for about 15 minutes.
Q: What does the future hold for your writing?
Dave: I am currently working on my second book, Paranormal league of America Presents: Satan and Demons; A History of the Modern Exorcism, which I hope to have completed by April.
Q: What are your thoughts on the use of sensitives in the field?
Dave: I do believe that there are people who have an ability that I don’t. On the other hand, I do believe there is a scientific theory and mathematical formula for everything in the Universe. We may not know that formula as of now, but we will. Until then, we call it ‘supernatural’ and ‘paranormal’.
Thank you, Dave, for joining us.
To learn more about Dave, PLA, or his book, please visit him on the web at www.paranormalleagueofamerica.org. Interview by Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
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Posted by Michelle M. Pillow on Mar 26, 2012 in
Hell If I Know What It Should Be Labeled 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.
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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 of over sixty published books. She writes in many romance fiction genres and can be found at www.michellepillow.com.
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Posted by Michelle M. Pillow on Mar 12, 2012 in
Hell If I Know What It Should Be Labeled Author Dee Tenorio, Interview
By Michelle M. Pillow, www.MichellePillow.com
Dee Tenorio has a few reality issues. After much therapy for the problem—if one can call being awakened in the night by visions of hot able-bodied men a problem—she has proved incurable. It turns out she enjoys tormenting herself by writing sizzling, steamy romances of various genres spanning paranormal mystery dramas, contemporaries and romantic comedies.
Her newest Paranormal Romantic Suspense series, “The Resurrection,” delves into the world of wolf shifters. “Tempting The Enemy” (Book 1) and “Deceiving The Protector” (Book 2) are currently in stores.
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Q: What inspired you to write your newest release, Deceiving The Protector?
Dee:Is it too simple to say I’m a “Dog Person”…well, not THAT way, lol. I’ve been reading about shifters for a while, always assuming it was something I couldn’t really do, but really admired. Then one day, I got an idea about a shifter running for her life, because as strong as she was, there was something even more powerful, something inevitable, after her. Once I got started, there was no stopping the story, which takes a great amount of its world from history. Mankind has never been kind to what it doesn’t understand and shifters would fall into that category very easily. I haven’t looked back since. 
Q: When world building, did you base your story off of known myths throughout history?
Dee:Not a myth, actually, but history, yes. The Resurrection series is actually stories of survival, about genocide gone unchecked and how far people will go to stay alive. I’m a Native American and I was brought up learning about the eradication of my culture and the systematic way it was achieved. Then, my Mother worked in a Jewish Temple, which was one of the greatest places to learn about a culture so completely different than anything I’ve ever known. I’d always been into history, but learning about the Holocaust from survivors and their children…well, that definitely stayed with me and I wanted to imbue my characters with the strength I saw in true survivors.
Q: What myths or legends inspired you?
Dee:LOL, well, not directly, but it’s always been one of my favorites, Hades & Persephone—dark, powerful hero, heroine standing up to him. There’s a LOT of that in this book.
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Dee:I think most people wish they were stronger, able to do something extraordinary. It doesn’t get more extraordinary than turning into a dangerous predator at will. Plus, the heroes tend to be written with a lot of…well, stamina, lol.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Dee:Hmmm, that’s a tough one. I love Shelly Laurenston’s shifters—OMG, SOOOO much!—, Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series (Can I have a SnowDancer of my very own, pleaaaaase?) and Sherilyn Kenyon’s shifters are right up there with Lora Leigh’s Breed series for favorite guilty pleasures.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?
Dee:Absolutely I do. I’ve seen and heard too much not to, but I make it a point to respect things I don’t fully understand and most importantly don’t want in my house, lol.
Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Dee:It’s more a questions of when DIDN’T we have any. Basically, growing up, we found ourselves in a number of somewhat haunted houses. My family tends to have a certain sensitivity to that kind of thing. Personally, though, it’s the “knowing” thing for me. Knowing that things are coming, good or bad, can be somewhat difficult. I can’t actively use it, but it has come in handy at the strangest times. The bad thing is knowing something painful or life changing, like losing a family member, is going to happen soon, but having no ability to change the outcome.
Q: What kind of paranormal creatures do you wish you could meet?
Dee:The friendly kind, lol.
Q: If given the chance, would you become a shifter?
Dee:I WANT to say yes, but I don’t know that I would. Shifters would have to be very careful in our world. I talk in my sleep. (Discretion is not my middle name.)
Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a shifter?
Dee:Lots of OMG-ing and then, probably, “Can I pet you?”
Q: What does the future hold for the Resurrection Series?
Dee:Hopefully, several more books. That’s the plan anyway. I really want to explore the world, show the other groups that make up the different parts of it. I’m working on Book 3, which is about The Sibile, a group of psychic mercenaries that live a bit like the Amish, in small communities around the world. The males are essentially slaves and though the women are powerful, they aren’t that much freer. Really excited about where the story is headed. I’m planning a free read on my site for the spring and at least another two novels after that. That’s my hope anyway.
Q: Have you ever been to a psychic and/or a past life regression? What did they predict for you?
Dee:Nope, I haven’t. Well, unless you count my Mom, who took one look at my future husband when he was thirteen and declared he was staying in the family, with a pointed look at me. Mom’s good that way. She also calls scores for football scores, but never bets on them. She has morals. Unless you’re playing Yahtzee. Then she’ll slaughter you by calling the dice.
Q: Have you ever been abducted by aliens?
Dee:I’m guessing my family doesn’t count, lol. Nope. My feet have always been planted firmly on the ground. (I don’t air travel well, they probably figured that out and moved on.)
Q: Do you plan to continue writing paranormal stories when the Resurrection Series ends?
Dee: Most definitely. The dark overtones very much fit my writing style and I love being able to interject it with humor and sensuality. Now that I’m here, I think I’ve finally found a writing home.
Thank you for joining us, Dee!
To read more about Dee’s books, please visit her on the web: www.deetenorio.com Interview by Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
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