Masquerade Ball and Seance at Morris-Jumel Mansion this Thursday

The Morris-Jumel Mansion Hosts Haunted

Masquerade October 27^th with Best-Selling Gaslight Fantasy Author Leanna Renee Hieber

New York (October 24, 2016): The Morris-Jumel Mansion, the oldest house in Manhattan, and reportedly haunted, will host a masquerade ball and séance on Thursday evening, October 27^th.

Guests will be asked to don appropriate mourning attire and will be treated to an evening of live music and dancing, liberal libations and ample hors-d’oeuvres. In addition, for those purchasing VIP tickets, an intimate séance will be led by Jesse Bravo, the celebrity on Psychic in NYC who has been featured on MTV, in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, VICE Magazine and the Associated Press. 

Author Leanna Renee Hieber, actress, playwright, artist and award-winning, bestselling author, will be the guest of honor at the evening’s soiree. She is the introductory author in the newly published Morris-Jumel Mansion Anthology of Fantasy and Paranormal Fiction. Hieber has written ten Gothic Victorian paranormal novels for adults and teens set in 1880s New York City and London. She is a devotee of the Mansion and its mission: to preserve, collect and interpret American life from the Colonial Era to the present, and to use the arts to engage and inspire diverse audiences.

"As the author of ten award-winning historical fantasy novels, I find that my imagination is at its best whenever I immerse myself in historical properties,” said Hieber. “There is no such property as important or immersive in beauty and spirit as the Morris-Jumel Mansion. It is my very favorite place. Having enjoyed several book launches under its eaves, I am a passionate advocate for this great New York treasure, and I am so very honored to be this year's Gala Guest of Honor. I look forward to joining fellow aficionados of history- and hauntings- as we share a thrilling evening in New York's oldest house.‎"

In addition to the music, séance and readings, The Mansion will offer its signature raffle with prizes, including tickets to “Fancy Me Mad,” the Mansion’s current production written by the Mansion’s events coordinator and resident ghost buster, Vincent Carbone, about Edgar Allen Poe. Other prizes include signed copies of the newly published Morris-Jumel Mansion Anthology of Fantasy and Paranormal Fiction, original jewelry by the guest of honor, and a custom corset sculpture by renowned couturier and artist Camilla Huey.

According to Carol S. Ward, Executive Director of the Mansion, “Building on the success of our spring Lady J's Gala, our Haunted Masquerade combines theatrical elements with history to highlight the Mansion’s longest occupant: Madame Eliza Jumel. Our current reinterpretation of the interior brings the Mansion back to its mid-nineteenth century splendor, when Eliza made the house her home. Guests’ donations will go directly to the restoration of Eliza Jumel’s bedchamber and parlor."

For further information on this exciting evening, please visit http://www.morrisjumel.org/upcoming-events/2016/10/27/madames-masquerade-2016-fall-fundraising-gala

About Morris-Jumel Mansion

Located in Washington Heights, the Morris-Jumel Mansion is the oldest standing house in New York City. It is a not-for-profit museum open to the public Tuesday through Friday 10 am‒4 pm and weekends from 10 am‒5 pm. It was built in 1765, and served as headquarters to General George Washington during the battle of Harlem Heights. It has been host to presidents, senators, cabinet members, and royalty. The Morris-Jumel Mansion is a member of the Historic House Trust of New York City and the American Alliance of Museums. Find it at http://www.morrisjumel.org.

Gary Reed of Deadworld has Passed Away; Deadworld Deadline Extended to include Tributes

It is with great sadness that we have to report that Gary Reed passed away suddenly early this month from a heart attack.

Riverdale Avenue Books  was working closely with Gary on the creation and publication of an original Deadworld anthology of short stories based on the Deadworld universe, which was to be published this Halloween. In light of his death, the project was postponed and has been expanded to be a tribute to Gary’s life and work, as well as an anthology of Deadworld stories.

With this new direction, we have been working with Gary’s estate to reach out to the many artists, authors and colleagues who have worked with Gary to see if they would like to contribute an essay (or short story) to be included in this collection. We are hoping to publish the tribute book in early 2017.

One of Gary’s colleagues also suggested that Gary could appear as a character in a Deadworld story in the tribute book, and we are looking for an author (or authors) to try their hand at that.  Some of the artists brought Gary zombie art to the memorial service and that could also make its way into the tribute book.

If there are authors or people you know who might be interested in being included in this book, please pass this notice on to them.

We believe that Gary would be proud of the direction this book is now taking and that it will reflect his contribution to the horror field appropriately, as well as his legacy.

Below is the link to the original call for stories. The deadline for this anthology is now December 15^th, 2016.

http://riverdaleavebooks.blogspot.com/2016/09/call-for-stories-for-licensed-deadworld.html

Two Weeks of Horror/Paranormal Romance on SALE for Haloween

Riverdale Avenue Books Celebrates Halloween with 14 Days of 50% Off on AllRomanceEbooks and RAB Website

A-Book-a-Day-Deals

Starting Monday October 17^th – October 31st,

New York (October 17, 2016) ­– To get into the Halloween spirit, Riverdale Avenue Books is offering 14 of their best-selling horror and paranormal romance titles on sale at half price for the final two weeks of October featuring such classic themes as zombies in love, gay vampires and prognosticating witches. Reader will also be able to enter a Goodreads.com give-away for the same 14 titles.

Beginning on Monday, October 17^th, one book a day will be featured for 50% off on both the Riverdaleavenuebooks.com website, as well as AllRomanceEbooks.com.

17	An Outcast State	OSHALLOW2016
18	How to Throw a True Blood Party	TBHALLOW2016
19	Capricorn: Cursed - Book One of the Witch Upon a Star Series	CAPHALLOW2016
20	Aquarius: Haunted Heart - Book Two of the Witch Upon a Star Series	AQHALLOW2016
21	Pisces: Teacher’s Pet – Book Three of The Witch Upon a Star Series	PIHALLOW2016
22	Aries: Swinging into Spring – Part Four of the Witch Upon a Star Series	ARHALLOW2016
23	Dead Sexy: The Unofficial WALKING DEAD Fan Guide to Zombie Style, Beauty, Parties	DSHALLOW2016
24	The Ripper Letter: Book One of the Hearts of Darkness Series	RLHALLOW2016
25	Still Hungry for Your Love: Further Adventures in Zombie Romance	SHHALLOW2016
26	Blood and Lust in NYC: A Lesbian Vampire Tryst	BLHALLOW2016
27	Venomoid: Book One of the Night Code Saga	VEHALLOW2016
28	Clan of The Jersey Boys, Book One of the Fangsters Series	FAHALLOW2016
29	Avalon Revisited: A Novel of Vampires, Murder, and Sex in Victorian England	AVHALLOW2016
30	Wedding Bells Times Four: Book One of The Virgin Witch and The Vampire King	WBHALLOW2016
31	Blood Burn	BBHALLOW2016

Said Publisher Lori Perkins, “Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year and I love to curl up with a scary book that keeps me turning the pages. I wanted to share some of our best scary tales at a special price.”

Launch Party for Morris Jumel Mansion Anthology on October 15

Morris Jumel Mansion and Riverdale Avenue Books Host Book Launch Party with Readings for New Paranormal Anthology on October 15th

Saturday, October 15^th, 4pm-6pm

Morris-Jumel Mansion

65 Jumel Terrace, New York, NY 10032

“George Washington used the Morris-Jumel Mansion as a base while fleeing New York. I’ve had writing sessions and meetings for ‘Hamilton’ there. Some writers go to the Berkshires — I go to 162nd Street.”

—Lin Manuel Miranda, author of Hamilton

New York (October 11 29, 2016) –  To celebrate the release of the just published Morris-Jumel Mansion Anthology of Paranormal and Fantasy Fiction, Riverdale Avenue Books and the Morris Jumel Mansion will hold a free book launch party at the historic mansion on Saturday, October 15^th from 4:00 until 6 p.m. featuring readings by some of the book’s authors.

The Saturday afternoon event will feature six of the books’ authors reading from their short stories that take place in the historic mansion or feature some of the mansion’s legendary residents or events such as President George Washington’s first cabinet meeting, the alleged haunting by Madam and Stephen Jumel, as well as a servant girl and a Hessian soldier, and the story behind the assassination of Alexander Hamilton by Vice President Aaron Burr. Pulitzer and Tony-Award winning author Lin Manuel Miranda wrote his ground-breaking musical, Hamilton, in Aaron Burr’s bedroom. This will be followed by a Q&A panel discussion with the books’ editors.

The book, published simultaneously as an ebook and a trade paperback, features 14 tales spanning the genres from romance to time travel, and historic fantasy from New York Times best selling writers as well as first time authors.

Camilla Saly-Monzingo, editor of the anthology, and a neighborhood resident who was married at the mansion in 2015, commented on the stories in this collection,  “What is particularly gratifying about this collection of stories is its diversity. The contributing writers to the Anthology are Latino, African-American, white, gay, straight, bisexual. They are parents, they are childfree, they are single and partnered. They are young and hungry; they are settling into mid-life; they are older and wiser. What’s more, these tales are ghost stories, science fiction, mystery, romance, erotica, time travel, visions of the afterlife, and paranormal fantasy.”

Carol S. Ward, the Executive Director of the Mansion, added, “It is with great pride and excitement that the Morris-Jumel Mansion sees this anthology being published, turning history on its head a bit and creating more stories about the house. Although when you visit it, the Mansion may seem silent, it speaks through these authors’ words and characters. The Mansion itself is a character in all the stories you are about to read. “

Said Riverdale Avenue Books Publisher Lori Perkins, “I believe that this is the first time that a book like this has been published, creating fiction around the legends that have ground up around an historic location.  I hope it is the first of many, tying the past with the present.”

The free event is part of the Mansion’s day long Culture and Arts Festival, 65 Jumel Terrace, located between 160^th and 163^rd streets in Manhattan, one block east of St. Nicholas Avenue. For more information, visit: http://www.morrisjumel.org/culture-arts-festival/.

The Morris Jumel Mansion Anthology of Paranormal and Fantasy Fiction, Edited by Camilla Saly-Monzingo, is available at Riverdale Avenue Books, and on Amazon and on iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and wherever books are sold.