Mansfield Park and Mummies and Lord Dickens's Declaration
Did you survive Black Friday? Did you venture out into the chaotic mayhem and brave the bloodthirsty retail workers or stay at home with windows barred and doors double bolted? For shop-weary folks on both sides of the dead/undead spectrum, lemme offer a couple suggestions that even unbeating hearts can feel warm about giving. And you can procure both from the safety of your computer chair.
Mansfield Park and Mummies: Monster Mayhem, Matrimony, Ancient Curses, True Love, and Other Dire Delights by Jane Austen and Vera NazarianAncient Egypt infiltrates Regency England in this "comedy of monsters and manners," including fake footnotes that hilariously harangue the reader about morality and impure thoughts and appendices, afterwords, and illustrations drawn by Vera. And, of course, mummies! (Excerpts and more information available at Norilana Books' website.)As many folks are aware, Vera is the owner and publisher of Norilana Books and is in dire financial trouble, including an unresolved mortgage loan modification and near-foreclosure, exacerbated by health issues. Successful sales of Mansfield Park and Mummies will be a lifesaver for her and for Norilana Books.Lord Dickens's Declaration by Lawrence SantoroThis Wednesday (Dec. 2), Lawrence's novella, Lord Dickens's Declaration, will begin a three-part free podcast at StarShipSofa.com, with parts two and three to be podcast on December 9th and 16th, respectively. Simultaneously, the StarShip will release an illustrated download of Lord Dickens's Declaration with artwork by Skeet Scienski.Proceeds from sales will go to benefit science fiction authors Spider and Jeanne Robinson. Jeanne is suffering from cancer and the illness has largely sapped the Robinson finances.As I always tell my friends and family, "Books make great gifts!"Guest blogger Eugie Foster calls home a mildly haunted, fey-infested house in metro Atlanta that she shares with her husband, Matthew, and her pet skunk, Hobkin. Her publication credits number over 100 and include stories in Realms of Fantasy, Interzone, Cricket, OSC’s InterGalactic Medicine Show, Fantasy Magazine, and anthologies Best New Fantasy (Prime Books), Heroes in Training (DAW Books), and Best New Romantic Fantasy 2 (Juno Books). Her short story collection, Returning My Sister’s Face: And Other Far Eastern Tales of Whimsy and Malice, is now out from Norilana Books. Visit her at EugieFoster.com.