Mortal Touch: Vampires Of New England Series [Perfect Paperback]

Inanna Arthen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 20, 2007 | Series: Vampires of New England

Regan Calloway got more notoriety than she could handle seven years ago when she used her gift of psychic touch to help catch a brutal child murderer. When a string of bizarre assaults strikes the mill town of Sheridan, Massachusetts, Dr. Hiram Clauson persuades Regan to use her abilities to help him interview the victims. As the investigations take an unsettling turn, Regan's lifelong friend, Veronica Standish, begs her to try to find out more about a new man in town, Jonathan Vaughn. Regan and Jonathan's first meeting triggers an escalating series of disasters, for Jonathan Vaughn is one of the rare and scattered group of men and women known as vampires only to those few people whom they trust. In the chaos that follows, Regan struggles to hold on to everything she thought she could never bear to lose. As friends and associates turn into ruthless adversaries, and allies appear from unexpected places, Regan is forced to make choices she never dreamed she would have to face.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...does a great job of bringing a ocultic subject into the realm of reality...We rated this novel five hearts." -- Bob Spear, Heartland Reviews

"...fascinating twists on vampirism. With a touch of mystery, suspense and passion, this is a wonderful escape from the ordinary." -- Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

"...just enough creepiness...makes vampires seem real...I didn't want to put Mortal Touch down until I had finished it." -- Tonia R. Montgomery, Curled Up With a Good Book

"...you'll be genuinely surprised by some of the twists...fresh and well thought-out...The story riveted my attention throughout." -- Margaret L. Carter, News from the Crypt No. 20 (May 2007)

From the Publisher

My inspiration for founding By Light Unseen Media is two-fold. I have always been fascinated by Arkham House, launched in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish fine quality editions of the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft and similar authors. I dreamed of creating a small press for vampire fiction and non-fiction that would show the same level of devotion to a genre and field that deserves better treatment than it often gets from traditional publishers and media. I also wanted to publish vampire fiction that would interest mainstream readers as well as genre fans. I love stories that explore the deeper implications of themes like immortality or alienation, presenting them convincingly and developing characters that play out the resulting dilemmas and paradoxes in a realistic way. I look forward to publishing some very interesting work, both fiction and non-fiction.

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Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: By Light Unseen Media (July 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979302803
• ISBN-13: 978-0979302800
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,189,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Inanna Arthen is the author The Vampires of New England Series (http://vampiresofnewengland.com), an open-ended non-linear storyline set in a realistic fantasy universe very like our everyday world. Book One, MORTAL TOUCH (July, 2007) is set in 2004 in Massachusetts. Book Two, THE LONGER THE FALL (June, 2010) takes the story back to Maine in the 1950s. The third volume, ALL THE SHADOWS OF THE RAINBOW (due out in 2012) will follow the characters through the tumultuous 1960s.

Inanna has studied vampire folklore, media, culture and fact for more than forty years, and runs By Light Unseen Media (http://bylightunseenmedia.com), an independent press dedicated to publishing vampire fiction and nonfiction.

An initiated Witch and Pagan activist, Inanna worked for ten years with the Boston-based Pagan network, The EarthSpirit Community, whose magazine FIREHEART published a number of her nonfiction articles. Now archived online, some of these pieces still attract many readers. Inanna holds an M.Div degree from Harvard and spent a decade working in a central Massachusetts battered women's shelter. Genderqueer and a strong advocate for LGBTQ issues, Inanna includes positively presented characters of alternate gender identity and experience in her fiction.

Inanna's nonfiction articles have been cited in numerous academic books and countless online sources. She is a member of Independent Publishers of New England, the Independent Book Publishers Association, Broad Universe, Horror Writers Association and New England Horror Writers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Memorable Vampire Tale., September 12, 2007

By 

V. Marx "Extreme Reader" (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mortal Touch: Vampires Of New England Series (Perfect Paperback)

Having read a billion (Note: this number is an estimate and may possibly be slightly exaggerated) vampire books and stories in my lifetime, it comes to the point where one story tends to blend into another, which then blends into another, and so on and so forth. You get the picture. Of course there are always a few stand-out authors that take the vampire genre to a new level; authors like Laurell K Hamilton, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Anne Rice, just to name a few. I believe that Inanna Arthen with her "Mortal Touch" has created an unforgettable new tale of vampires. Her story doesn't flip the vampire world on its blood-sucking head, but it tweaks the standard myths enough to make it both freshly original and memorable. By characters that are uniquely quirky, we are pulled into a world we seem to recognize, but at the same time we are made to view it with new eyes. In Arthen's world, vampires and psychics exist, but are not often recognized as being more than dark fairy tales.

Regan Calloway, the main character in "Mortal Touch," is a strong and likeable character. Arthen's handling of her main heroine is expertly done. At times throughout the book we fear for the character and we definitely feel for her as well. In this tale the world is not a black and white one. There are conflicts between humans and vampires, as well as human versus human conflicts. What is right and who is wrong? There's not always a clear-cut answer to that question in Arthen's vampiric tale. The plot progresses at a fair pace, neither too fast nor too slow as we allow our minds to follow Regan on her mysterious new life path. With descriptive words Arthen brings us New England in all its glory and in all its darkness. In this world we see that Man and Monster are not always what they are expected to be. Mankind is not always the epitome of humanity and at the same time the expected monsters are not always the antithesis of it.

Fans of the vampire genre looking for something a little different from what is currently out there should take "Mortal Touch" for a spin. With a plot that keeps you guessing and characters that you'll love (as well as some you'll love to hate!), this book earns itself a place in my vampire-loving heart as one of the best that I've read in a long time.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Vampires Next Door, December 3, 2007

By 

S. M. Jo "S. Miria Jo" (LA, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mortal Touch: Vampires Of New England Series (Perfect Paperback)

Inanna Arthen's highly original vampire novel will appeal to readers of Poe, Lovecraft and Shirley Jackson as well as fans of modern vampire fiction. Arthen avoids the typical clichés of the genre; her vampires have reflections, day jobs, and sex lives.

The title, "Mortal Touch" and the tag line "All I need to do is touch you," both hint at Arthen's unique approach to bloodletting: her vampires don't need fangs, and their pale but otherwise ordinary appearance allows them to fit in all too easily with their human neighbors.

The novel, set in a small Massachusetts town, immerses the reader in a gripping story with eccentric but likable characters and a strong sense of place. These are the Vampires of New England; you won't find them in a New Orleans brothel or on a European stage, calling attention to themselves. Arthen's eerily believable undead hang out quietly at antique stores and cafés, and you won't see them coming for you before it's too late.

Highly recommended!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nicely Done!, November 4, 2007

By 

L. Smith "librarian and vampire aficionado" (Near New Orleans) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mortal Touch: Vampires Of New England Series (Perfect Paperback)

This book is an excellent beginning to what promises to be a very enjoyable series! Arthen's characters and dialogue are very believable and the plot moves along at a measured but lively pace. Her vampire mythos is refreshing in that it follows folklore a bit more closely than those created by other contemporary authors.

I look forward with great anticipation to the next entry in the Vampires of New England series.