Hunter Frost is here today talking cemeteries. Be sure to tell her what you think of them in the comments!
TAPHOPHILIA – NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH NECROPHILIA
Taphophile: someone who takes an interest in cemeteries, tombstones, or memory of past lives.
I’m not sure when my fascination with cemeteries began. Probably around the same time I discovered my love of horror movies, teen thriller novels, and anything black. I’d say my pre-teen years were fairly indicative of what was to come. That’s not to stay I stepped out in black lipstick and safety-pinned sweaters from the get-go. No, my goth tendencies were (and still are) mostly on the inside – though they come out at Rocky Horror shows, Halloween parties, or…casual Fridays.
I received my Master’s in British history and once upon a time planned to go on to get a PhD, my research to be focused on burial practices and rites of Victorian Britain. I’m the first one to stop if I find a cemetery during a road trip or when traveling abroad. I like to take note of where they are in a city, how big they are, the types of graves and tombstones they have, and who is buried there. And that was even before I started my studies in graduate school. I am particularly enamored of the older cemeteries back East and in the South. Those graveyards can be so diverse – from small and quaint (and sometimes hidden) to huge and magnificently decorated. For me, there is something incredibly satisfying knowing I’m sharing the same space as someone buried there hundreds of years ago. Maybe it’s the writer’s imagination that begins to envision what those people were like and how they lived, or maybe it goes deeper than that. Who knows?
Above ground cemeteries, like the ones in New Orleans, are my favorite. From my first visit, I was hooked. Even during a cold February, I forced my friend to put on his gloves and scarf, braving the icy wind, and go exploring with me. We made our way through the maze of vaults, mausoleums, and tombs of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 – admiring the sculpture and appreciating the time and expense made for the deceased. Families were together, gifts left, and epitaphs etched in stone. Like museums, telling us about a different time and place and the people that thrived there.
In my book, Cemeteries by Moonlight, Finn Murphy works for Ghostly Legends & Lore, Inc., running the Cemetery tour. He knows quite a bit about the cemeteries in New Orleans as well as burial practices in general. I loved writing about him and throwing some knowledge near and dear to my heart out to all the taphophiles out there.
I know cemeteries aren’t for everyone. How about you? Do you enjoy roaming the rows of tombstones? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Blurb:
When a serious bout of writer’s block threatens to delay mystery author Drew Daniels’s newest book, his aunt offers her New Orleans apartment in the heart of the French Quarter as a writing retreat. She neglects to mention that it’s occupied by the enigmatic and sexy Finn Murphy, a cemetery tour guide with a penchant for Victorian attire and a Cajun accent.
A body discovered in an open crypt forces reclusive Drew to deal with Finn’s eccentric group of friends and his underlying attraction to the hot Cajun—despite warnings about Finn’s violent past. Drew might write this stuff, but he’s never had to solve a real-life murder. With a deadline looming and a killer on the loose, this retreat is proving to be anything but helpful for Drew’s novel. Drew can only hope he won’t end up a tragic tale for the Ghostly Legends & Lore, Inc. haunted tour.
States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.
Release Date: January 18, 2017
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Author Bio:
Hunter’s early addiction to the smell of printed books led her to spend most of her childhood in libraries and bookstores. There she fell in love with stories featuring medieval castles, ghosts, and handsome heroes. Though writing has always been a part of her life, after college she went on to explore careers in graphic design, the culinary arts, and dog grooming before returning to graduate school to get her MA in British history. To pay the bills she spends her days working for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, but to appease her overactive muse, she writes the kind of fiction that keeps her sane. She adores romance in all forms, but prefers her stories with two heroes that find their happily-ever-after with each other.
Hunter would rather watch Spaceballs (or any Mel Brooks movies really), despite being born in the same year as Star Wars. She loves Monty Python, MST3K, and cheesy rom-coms from the ’80s and ’90s. Her wacky sense of humor is only paralleled by her hopeless romanticism. She’s a goth at heart and a sucker for men with long hair. She adores everything British, but insists tea be drunk without milk. She’s a pescetarian with vegan tendencies and has two fat little cats named after her favorite beverage – Latte and Java. She dreams of coastal living, marshmallows, and Matt Bomer.
Feel free to connect with her through any of her social media accounts, or send her an email. She welcomes messages from readers and/or Brits looking to adopt.
E-mail: hunter@hunterfrost.net
Website: www.hunterfrost.net
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