Pamela Kinney, the author of Haunted Richmond, visits Muze's Musings today. She is only a couple of hours from me and I believe we will both be attending the writers' conference, Book Em on the 20th of October. I asked Pamela some questions about her book and I'll share her answers with you.
1 - What made you decide about Haunted Richmond, Virginia?
My editor, Dinah Roseberry was a member of Mid-Atlantic Horror Professionals like me and she just got the job as head editor of the paranormal section. She asked the horror authors on the MAHP forum if anyone wanted to write for Schiffer Books. I decided why not, so wrote up a proposal for Richmond and sent it. They accepted it.
2 - Did you meet any especially interesting people in your research? If so, would you tell us about one or two?
The couple that owns the business, Haunts of Richmond http://www.hauntsofrichmond.com/ that's the first chapter. For this attraction they do a haunted house, and later added the ghost tours. They even have their own ghost in the business. Sandi Bergman knows a lot about the local ghost stories and lore of Richmond. And another interesting person is the owner of Wrexham Hall. She uses this haunted house for her wedding/reception business. And she has proof that the lady in red actually showed up for a wedding--was in the couple's photo with them!
Actually many people I interviewed were all interesting and I like to thank them for making this so easy for this author to interview them.
3 - What's one of the most interesting stories you discovered in your research?
The Richmond vampire. That's his tomb on the cover. How his legend started with the train buried under the hill in Shockoe Bottom (another, very interesting story in the book) and how for years thanks to that story people would try to break in his tomb at Hollywood Cemetery and try to stake him. They finally had to remove his body and his wife's to undisclosed location so the break-ins would stop.
4 - What is one or two of your favorite things about the Richmond area?
Hollywood Cemetery--as it is a gorgeous place to tour. And that there is so much ghostly stuff going on in this city, plus loads of history.
5 - Do you plan to write other “Haunting” books in the Virginia area?
I hope to write a book on legends and myths of Virginia. Started collecting stories and more for this too. Working on an urban fantasy right as have chance to pitch to an agent end of September, but plan to start working on this end of October.
6 - I see on your website that you have a lot of appearances, can you tell us about your favorite experience with a reader?
That people do come looking for me. It's still unbelievable to me. Like the nice man who's on my MySpace, came looking for me at Dragoncon. I got to talk with him. And someone from the yahoo groups I'm with came too. I enjoy hearing by email from readers, or by comment on my MySpace, that they enjoyed the book. Anyone who gets Haunted Richmond, Virginia, or any of the fiction I write, please do email me and let me know how you liked it. PamelaKKinney@comcast.net .
7 - Have there been any especially difficult situations with the public?
The only time was when I was still writing it. Some lady who also exercised at Curses as I do said she didn't understand why anyone would write about ghosts who weren't real and that maybe I should come to her church. In other words, she stated his disbelief, but hinted that maybe I was doing devil's work. I asked her if she believed in angels and devils, and she said yes, so I said, “If you believe in them, then you believe in spirits.” Then I told her I go to a Catholic Church, but thank you for the offer of visiting her church. With nothing else to say after that to me, she got in her car and drove away. That was the only bad experience I had.
8 - What advice would you offer to a new author who wants to write a book about “haunting” experiences?
To do as an author friend, Deborah Painter told me, not only double check your facts, triple check it. And from me, have fun, for there's loads of interesting stories to find out there, anywhere.
9 - Would you like to tell us about Travel Guide to the Haunted Mid-Atlantic Region Anthology? It seems that the two books would work well together for people who want to learn about the paranormal in Virginia and other areas in the mid-Atlantic region.
It's a collection of horror stories by various horror authors, all set in the mid-Atlantic region only. Mine, “Plagued”, starts at the Maryland Ren Fest and ends in Richmond. It's a 'be careful what you buy at odd shops' tale. Other super authors in the anthology are Elizabeth Massie, who does great Southern horror and who won the Bram Stoker award twice, my editor, Dinah as D.P. Roseberry and other super authors. You can now find the anthology up at http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Guide-Haunted-Mid-Atlantic-Region/dp/1411680677/ref=sr_1_1/103-0687312-5804636?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186091830&sr=1-1 .
10 - You write in a number of different genres. Are you planning to move into any other genres, or to stay in these chosen genres? If you do plan to branch out, what genres are you thinking about?
Right now, I write horror, fantasy, science fiction and erotic and sweet romance (as Sapphire Phelan), plus these nonfiction ghost books, and that is it. I always thought I would be able to write mysteries too, years ago, but for now, no. But who knows what my future may hold and what I may do.
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