My interests are almost too wide to list. It's probably easiest to list off some of the sections that take up the most space in my library: ancient history; Egypt; mythology; folklore; world religions; magick; neo-paganism; vampires & vampirism; psychology; 19th century British literature; Shakespeare; poetry; gender studies; alchemy; hermeticism; past lives; psychic abilities; metaphysics.
Music
My musical tastes range from Bach to Rob Zombie. Some of the bands that get near-constant listening time around me, however include (in no particular order): VNV Nation; QUNTAL; Dead Can Dance; Thou Shalt Not; Vivaldi; Loreena McKennitt; Mozart; Anonymous 4; Wolfsheim; Mahler; Apoptygma Beserk; Nightwish; NIN; Delirium; Beethoven; Wumpscut; the Hilliard Ensemble; the Tallis Scholars; Clannad.
Movies
Television
I grew up watching things like Project Bluebook and In Search Of. Other shows I watched and loved as a kid were Star Trek, The Phoenix, Battlestar Galactica, Shadowchasers, Beauty and the Beast and pretty much anything about the mysterious, the unknown, and the occult. In a totally different vein, I also enjoyed the original Wild, Wild West, The A-Team, M*A*S*H, and Magnum, PI.
Since I could only be described as a geek in high school, I was also an avid watcher of Dr. Who and preferred Peter Davidson, he of the cricket outfit & celery stalk, over pretty much everyone else. Come college, I stopped watching much TV, mainly because I rarely, if ever, had the time, and the shows really lacked originality or much of anything to keep my attention. These days, if I watch TV series, it's all on DVD. This has allowed me to learn to enjoy a number of series that I missed while they were on, including Forever Knight, Highlander, and Babylon5. Friends and family are trying to also sell me on Stargate but, much as I like Richard Dean Anderson, my jury's still out on that one.
Books
Current Book Projects:
The Ghost-Hunter's Guide To Cleansing & Protection
Everything you need to know to keep yourself and your clients safe in hauntings. Learn how to shield yourself from spirit attack, clear negative energy from a home, and send unwanted spirits packing. Scheduled for release Fall 2009.
Haunting Experiences
A gripping collection of ghost stories, all of which are true. Meet Jeanne, the Ghost-in-a-Box, have a brush with a Voodoo spirit in New Orleans, and hunt shadow people in a puzzling series of events that span more than a year. These stories and more available this April from bookstores everywhere.
Heroes
Writing Heroes
Ray Bradbury, hands-down. While I like a variety of other horror, fantasy, and scifi icons, including H.P. Lovecraft, Neil Gaiman, Terri Windling, Isaac Asimov, and Clive Barker, Bradbury is someone I actively look up to, who's easy-going style that so masterfully mixes the weird with the mundane is something I strive to imitate in my own short fiction.
Intellectual Heroes
Joseph Campbell. Carl Jung. Mircea Eliade. These are people whose work occupies places of honor on my bookshelves, whose insightful volumes I retutrn to again and again. I love the scope and the breadth of their work and find their ideas applicable to practically every aspect of my own. Campbell's books, especially, are something I return to again and again, in order to rediscover a sense of mystery, of connectedness, and to inspire me to ever broader scholarship.
John Carroll University
Cleveland, OHIO
Graduated: 1995
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major: English/Religious Studies
Minor: Psych & Creative Writing
Clubs: Honors Society; Choir; D&D club (unofficial); Shire of Snowydale
1991 to 1995
Highland High School
Medina, OHIO
Graduated: 1991
Student status: Alumni
Degree: High School Diploma
Major: Honors Program
Clubs: Theater; Choir; Band; SADD; Honor Society; Convolutions & the unofficial D&D club.
I am a prolific writer with fifteen + years professional writing under my belt. I've established myself as an articulate and well-respected voice in the field of metaphysics and the occult.
I am primarily a fetish model. My modeling credits include work with Tom Trainer, Zuchtiger, & Pendragon Photography out of Milwaukee. I'm animated and intense on camera and am always looking to expand my portfolio.
Bio & Introduction:
I'm author of Psychic Dreamwalking, Sacred Hunger and the best-selling Psychic Vampire Codex. I'm also co-author of the Black Veil and a variety of other books on the early vampire subculture. In addition to writing fiction and non-fiction for nearly fifteen years, I also sing and compose music. I currently do guest vocals for the Chicago-based dark metal band URN and I've also added my talents to Nox Arcana'sWinter's Knight. My solo album, Blood of Angels will be released in October 2006. I'm currently working on several fiction projects, including an erotic thriller, The Bonds of Eros and a high fantasy series, The Darkstorm Chronicles.
Who I'd like to meet: If I could make a wish and have really neat people appear? I'd like to have Neil Gaiman and Clive Barker over for tea (just running into Neil in the airport wasn't enough!) I would love to sit and discuss ideas about mythology, belief, and the craft of story-telling. The more I see of his works, the more I think I need to add Alan Moore to that list as well. But I'll settle for anyone with a sincere, inquiring mind. The more, the merrier.
Note on Leaving Comments:
I welcome and encourage comments, but because image-heavy pages end up loading very slowly for some folks, I need to lay down a few rules:
1. You are allowed one image in your comment. Keep it around the size of a business card. Anything too big might mean the comment is deleted.
2. I will accept comments that include animated gifs for their one image, but I will automatically delete comments with videos or flash or what-have-you. Too much visual clutter makes for a slow page.
3. Comment sincerely. I don't mind links to your pages, but don't just comment to advertise. Your comment will be deleted if all you're doing is pimping your stuff.
4. People who try to place comments that are just spam for webcams and the like will be hunted down and tortured by the 72 Goetic demons. I might unleash the Hounds of Hell on you for good measure. Take your spam and choke on it, please!
Hello Michelle I know this is random, but hi. How are you doing? By the way I am Jon, or Braz, or whatever. Anyway your probably woundering, "Who is this random kid talking to me?" Well I guess you can say I am someone that has been greatly influenced by you (even though i haven't bought any of your books yet...brokeness sucks). I bet you get random people trying to talk to you a lot. -and with that i return to listening to shadow dance.
Hi Michelle. Thank you for accepting me. Love your books. Right now im reading Psychic Dreamwalking and absolutely loving it. Hope everythings well. Hugs and Kiss's moemoe
good evening michelle, how are things? good i hope, busy here, trying to sell our home, searching for a new home and searching for a new job all at the same time! kinda overwhelming...but im trying to stay positive as possible, things happen they way they should. anyways, i am currently reading your book, gothic book of the dead, im having some trouble with it, some of the activities im feeling aren't for me, such as the one about laying on the grave..im just not comfortable doing that so soon into the book. have any suggestions on how i should work myself through this book? im enjoying it, it's just that this topic is pretty intense when you face it head on. i hope all is well.
I totally love the comment rules. Especially the last one. Also, do any of your books self help books for psychics? I am trying to find material to help me understand my ability thoroughly. If you have any advice, I would greatly appreciate it if you could comment back any info or e-mail me some book titles and authors.
if you don't take 5 mins to ground, hug yourself, & hang from the ceiling, you'll implode my friend. Take a break every once in a while to recharge. cya in august!
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