Greetings:
I’m happy to post the names of my five ShelfAwareness.com winners for a FREE copy of The Dazzling Darkness. Thanks to all who participated. I chose the names at random.
Congratulations to the following readers:
Heidi Daum
Nancy Smith
Karl Stenger
Victoria Miner
Olga Romero
Signed copies will be mailed out Monday, May 5, 2014.
This free book drawing has been an exciting experience for me, communicating with so many readers who are not only interested in the supernatural and The Dazzling Darkness but also Ralph Waldo Emerson. So many of you made lovely comments about Emerson, Concord, and transcendentalism in your entries for the drawing.
At book signings and interviews I’ve been asked many times, Why is Ralph Waldo Emerson important in this story? My answer: “Emerson is not a live character, nor is he a ghost, although his presence is “felt” by the characters. Emerson’s thoughts and transcendental teachings act as a creative energy for the characters Elias Hatch, Detective Mike Balducci and even Antonia Brooke. 
“This novel actually developed from a line in one of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essays in his address called Nature. He wrote … “Even the corpse has its own beauty.
“Shocking statement, right? The more I read about Emerson’s personal experiences with death, the more the story began to take shape. Emerson lost his young wife Ellen only a short time after they were married. He buried her in the family vault and a year later, still driven by intense grief, he opened her coffin. What a heart-breaking experience. And then twenty-five years later, after his young son dies at five-years-old, Emerson opened his coffin as well. These images all connected for me: images of a cemetery, images of a boy named Henry suddenly appeared, coffins opening. The story just unraveled in a very exciting way and Emerson was that foundation.”
What’s next for me? Besides Night Sea Journey, A Tale of the Supernatural just released from Crispin Books, I have two short stories, Beyond Castle Frankenstein (historical fiction about Mary Shelley), and A Terrible Beauty (Lovecraftian horror). Watch for posts here as to where and when they will be published. And yes, I am working on another novel and several short stories.
To my readers, I am always grateful for your reviews on Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords, or Goodreads. Speaking of Goodreads, if you are a member, do stop by my Goodreads Book Page and become my friend.
Or hang out here at my blog, Reading Fiction, Tales of Terror for a FREE classic short story every Tuesday. Check out the Index of Authors’ Tales of Terror from the tabs above to select a short story by one of your favorite classic authors featured here in the past year. Explore my free short stories, or sample the opening chapters of Night Sea Journey.
Do you have a comment or question about a character or storyline in one of my novels or short stories? I’d love to hear from you! Every page on the tabs above has comment boxes, so please feel free to post your thoughts.
Again, my gratitude to all for participating in The Dazzling Darkness giveaway at ShelfAwareness.com.
Wishing you all the best in your reading endeavors,
Paula
Paula Cappa 