Ghosts? Vampires? Oh My.
People do continue to be fascinated by Mercy Brown’s story…and her grave. People like the folks over at RIParanormal, who did an investigation into allegations that the Chestnut Hill Cemetery is haunted by some kind of evil presence. I have to say, I wonder why. Mercy’s story is a sad one, to be sure, and how could I blame anyone who finds it compelling? I found it so myself. But why should Mercy be haunting her gravesite? If you think she was a vampire–well, her heart was removed and burned, which in any kind of vampire folklore should be enough to put her spirit to rest. And if you think she wasn’t–surely a young woman would forgive her family and community for actions which were taken against her only after her death, and which were a desperate and doomed attempt to save the life of her only brother.
Perhaps I’m taking it all too seriously…but after spending a lot of time with Mercy’s story, I find myself feeling a bit protective of her. Her death was sad and so was what happened to her body. No need to go on picking on her long after the fact.
I’m on the side of my protagonist’s best friend, who says that the dead “don’t hang around figuring out ways to hurt the people who hurt them. I know they don’t….Only the living do that.”
And of course, in my book, the best friend was right….
Read MoreToo Good To Be True!
Umm…edit out that exclamation mark. It WAS too good to be true.
This is not going to be a post about vampires…not exactly. Just about being a writer today–and a television viewer–and the things that are lurking out there.
Last week I got the kind of e-mail every author dreams about. A producer for a cable TV show had heard of Mercy and thought I might be a good fit for the show. Could he give me a call?
First I thought somebody was joking. The guy’s name (I am not making this up) was Gregory Fake. But I checked out the show–it seemed real. The Balancing Act, on Lifetime. Oh, boy. I’m imagining flying down to Florida for my interview, getting professionally made up, looking suave and sophisticated on air as I chat about Mercy, New England folklore, young adult literature today. I did have a few minutes of wondering why a show that looked quite chatty and chirpy wanted to interview the author of a dark YA fantasy, but hey–they know their audience best, right? Maybe they wanted to hear about how the vampire romance has run its course. Maybe they were interested in the historical background. I was giddy.
Luckily, I have a canny editor at Islandport Press who checked it out before I committed to anything. Thanks to bloggers Larry Brooks at Storyfix and Kit Brittingham at Writer Beware, I knew before I got back in touch that The Balancing Act does indeed do interview with authors. For which they charge a fee. A hefty fee. $5900, to be exact.
Now, there’s no law that says you can’t charge people to be on your TV program, although it would be classier, Mr. Fake, to mention that upfront. (I’m really not making that name up.) I mean, there’s no law that says I can’t charge you to walk into my house if I feel like it. But there is an unwritten law that you DON’T charge for publicity. Publicity–by which I mean reviews, interviews, blurbs, endorsements, and recommendations–is supposed to be unbiased. If a journalist is interviewing me about Mercy, readers or viewers should be able to trust that said journalist has chosen to talk to me because he or she thinks the audience will be interested–not because my money is in her or his pocket.
When the author pays to promote the book, that is called advertising. And there is not a thing wrong with advertising, except that it should be labeled as such.
I don’t have cable, so I have never seen The Balancing Act. Perhaps they let all of their viewers know upfront that the guests on the show have paid to be there. But I have to say, I doubt it. And if they don’t, that’s out of bounds. When you’re watching an ad, you should know it. When you’re watching journalism, you should know that too.
Read More“Fiction with Fangs”
photo credit: John Ewing, Portland Press Herald
Thanks to Bob Keyes and the Portland Press Herald for a fabulous article about Mercy! It was my first- ever photo shoot in a cemetery. Eerie and appropriate (and cold and a bit damp, too).
“Sarah Thomson puts her own spin on the vampire tale and, say critics and her young-adult audience, it’s a bloody good read.”
Check out the complete article here.
Read MoreMercy on YouTube
If you google “Mercy Brown” on YouTube, you come across a fascinating variety of videos. I viewed this one from The Devil’s Hopyard–a great summary of the historical events around Mercy’s death and exhumation, although I don’t know about the bell they mention as possibly inside the crypt. I know that was sometimes done in Victorian times. (People got oddly hysterical about the idea of being buried alive–it was kind of a trend. Despite the fact that there were, I believe, no verified cases where it actually happened. I mean, even before embalming people were not stupid and could tell if you were breathing or not. But I digress.) I’ve never actually heard of such a bell as a piece of the Mercy Brown legend. Still, it’s a very clear and succinct recounting of what went on, and you can get a clear view of the Chestnut Hill Cemetery where Mercy and her family (Edwin too) are buried.
Of course, if you search for “Mercy Brown Book Trailer” you’ll also come across our awesome trailer for Mercy, featuring the lovely and talented Emily as both Mercy and Haley. Doesn’t Emily look absolutely haunted in that eerie final shot?
Read MoreSarah L. Thomson
A children’s book author publishing award-winning nonfiction, poetry, picture books and novels including…
“Readers will treasure the blossoming friendship between opposites in this whimsically illustrated tale. Short chapters and plenty of action make for an accessible and appealing reading experience. . . . Touching and inspiring.”
—Kirkus Reviews