The Truth About Zombies
My name is Erin and I am not a zombie, though my boyfriend, the gangster, Ryu, and the ghoul, Clément, tried to make one of me. They nearly succeeded, too, but Clément blew it—as he usually does—and although I no longer speak, appear to be totally apathetic, and exhibit other zombie-like behaviors, I was not really “made” in the traditional sense. I still have my will. If you read the official accounts, you’ll find that Erin Orison, the talented and rebellious only daughter of American ambassador,...
Dead Love and Kali Ma
Kali Ma, the black one, blue one, great mother, mistress of time and change, creatrix, destroyer, Hindu goddess, consort of Lord Shiva, warrior, demon eater—she is many armed and dangerous, eats corpses and dances on the bodies of the dead. In the Rigveda she is Ratri, the supreme force...
5. Be Mine (4)
I remembered Carlyle and his slimy handshake. A terrible, choking feeling rose in my throat. Already, I think, I was beginning to recognize Clément in spite of his many guises. I was beginning to understand his dark secret, though not yet his obsession with me. “Ryu will kill you,” I...
Dead Love: Zombie Rant ...
Someone asked me why zombies were such a big deal. As a creature whose entire existence has been taken up with that very question, I have a thing or two to say about that! So excuse me while I launch into an uncharacteristic, Clément-like rant. We have that in common, Clément and I—we...
Fiendish Cures
As long as we’ve opened up the old medicine cabinet, let’s talk about some of the fiendish cures of the past. Christi Phillips, author of The Devlin Diary, a haunting and mysterious tale set partially in 17th Century London, shares some of her favorites. “Seventeenth...
The Zombie Cucumber
Datura stramonium, jimson weed, angel’s trumpet, devil’s cucumber, devil’s weed, thorn apple, tolguacha, Jamestown weed, stinkweed, moonflower, malpitte, mad seeds—whatever you call it, this member of the nightshade family is part of the bokor’s bag of tricks and...
Dead Love Goes Live
DEAD LOVE goes live … well, sort of. Just found out as I casually surfed the web, that DEAD LOVE is now available for Pre-Order on Amazon. Yes, that’s right, months before the ship date, AND I am told by people who know that THIS is the critical juncture. If they get a good...
Evil Corporate Zombies
Yes, I am utterly crazy about Jonathan Ian Mathers and his webtoon, Neurotically Yours. And I love Foamy, the ranting, practically foaming-at-the-mouth squirrel-pet of goth poet-artist Germaine. Not since Rocky, the flying squirrel, has there been a more embraceable squirrel character....