{Guest Post/Giveaway} Researching Asylums with Brynn Chapman, author of BONESEEKER

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Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.

Laurie can be found on her website, Facebook, and Twitter!

Researching Asylums
by Brynn Chapman

BONESEEKER 2

So…I love history. Particularly the periods between 1700-1900. I blame my father. When I was young, he carted me around the country, forcing me to look, listen and touch every monument and national wonder he could find. As a kid, it bored me to tears. But apparently the seed planted—and grew into the quasi-obsessive historian I presently am.

For my next book in the BONESEEKER series, the setting is in an asylum. I make it a point to visit the place I am writing about whenever possible. There is no substitute for traveling the grounds on which your character will tread. This was no exception.

I have visited the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum twice to date. The place is vast, chock-full of history, scary, and layers upon layers of stories, just waiting to be peeled—erm, told.

I am in medicine by day—so my historical research tends to weave my layers to include this sometimes dark, always fascinating, thread to my tales.

Let’s take this, for instance: Reasons for asylum admissions circa 1864.

Wife worn out? Get thee a new one, just deposit old love of life in ye old asylum.

And this one is good as well. Rumor of husband murder. Rumor.

As I said the place is rife with history, horror and human nature.

I, for one, cannot wait for Henry and Bella to walk these halls. That said, Shall we have a sneak peak at Arabella?

I open the door to the adjoining room and encounter three long rows of institutional beds as men in varying states of disrepair and wretchedness are sprawled upon their cots.

One paces back and forth across the aisles, a human metronome with unseeing eyes, blocking my progress.

I stutter-step, waiting, as he makes his fourth turn, and bolt across the now-open pass.

Another door, another ward.

Women. Naked women, now.

Hands grasp the back of my uniform to wheel me around. A pixie with ebony hair and eyes, signs furiously.

My eyes widen. I am aware of sign, but do not speak it.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

Where is the caretaker for this room?

Pain rips through my temples—driving all thoughts away as the nurse’s cap flies from my head, sailing through the air like a cricket ball. It nearly unseats my wig; I right it to spin around.

The women hurl the cap and it bounces through their raised hands like a game of catch and volley above their naked throngs.

I sigh. So much for remaining anonymous.

Arms wrap about my legs and I feel the catch and hitch of the woman’s chest as she sobs against my knees.

A strange guttural sound emits from her mouth.

I swallow.

Where to begin? How could one person begin to right so much wrong?

My spine goes ram-rod straight; my typical response to any emotion. To resist it, to think my way through it.

The girl pulls a bit of coal from her sock—the only stitch of clothing on her pale body, and scratches it against the cement.

I start to pull away, but she claws my hand, her long yellowed nails drawing half-moons of blood.

I stare down at the floor and my arms explode in gooseflesh.

She has scrawled, Here Walk the Dead.

So here is my faux Asylum-Byburret. I hope you will follow Bella, Henry and I through its halls. It promises to be a long, frightening nail-biter of a night.

~*~

O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title: BONESEEKER
Author: Brynn Chapman

Release Date: June 17, 2014

Publisher: Month9Books

SUMMARY:

Arabella Holmes was born different and raised different. After it became apparent she wouldn't fit the role of a proper 1900's lady, her father, Sherlock, called in some lingering favors, and landed her a position at the Mutter Museum. The museum was Arabella's dream; she was to become a purveyor of abnormal science. What her father called a BoneSeeker.

Henry Watson arrives at the Mutter Museum with a double assignment--to become a finder of abnormal antiquities and to watch over and keep Arabella Holmes. An easy task, if he could only get her to speak to him instead of throwing knives in his general direction.

But this is no time for child's play. The two teens are assigned to a most secret exploration, when the hand of a Nephilim is unearthed in upstate New York. Soon, Arabella and Henry are caught in a fight for their lives as scientific debate swirls around them. Are the bones from a Neanderthal ... or are they living proof of fallen angels, who supposedly mated with humans according to ancient scrolls?

Sent to recover the skeleton, they discover they are the second team to have been deployed and the entire first team is dead. And now they must trust their instincts and rely on one another in order to survive and uncover the truth.

****Giveaway*****

Giveaway Details:

(1) New Kindle with touchscreen (US only) loaded with all our Month9Books titles.
US Only.

(1) Paperback prize pack of 5 Month9Books Titles.
US ONLY.

(2) eBook Prize Packs of 5 Month9Books titles.
International

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Meet the Authors and amazing host Blogs!

All posts will be live on October 31^st!

Jessica Arnold will be hosted by Read for your Future

Vanessa Barger will be hosted by Pretty Little Pages

Lisa M. Basso will be hosted by In Vogue with Books

Sarah Bromley will be hosted by A Book and A Latte

Steve Bryant will be hosted by Jump Into Books

Brynn Chapman will be hosted by A Backwards Story

Nicole Conway will be hosted by Two Chicks on Books

Scott Craven will be hosted by Books and Ashes

Ty Drago will be hosted by The A P Book Club