View the book trailer here on YouTube.

Now the only hope for Chaz and his family—and the ultimate fate of the human race—is secretly locked away in the mind of Angelique, the beautiful, mysterious Newbie who’s been entrusted to Chaz’s care…

ENDORSEMENTS:
“AFTERLIFE is like smoke in the darkness—intriguing and illusive. Merrie Destefano led me on a gritty page-turning journey of life, death and resurrection. I was riveted from the first page to the last and personally can’t wait for her next one.”—Tracey O’Hara, author of Night’s Cold Kiss
“Life, death and AFTERLIFE–a haunting story that seamlessly blends the hard-boiled twists of cyberpunk with the noir flavor of a Southern Gothic thriller. Gritty and compelling, Destefano’s debut tackles the big questions of immortality and faith amidst a labyrinthine web of murder and deceit. Truly high octane stuff, sure to please both fans of science-fiction and mystery.”—Marc Giller, author of Hammerjack
“Merrie Destefano storms the world of urban fantasy with AFTERLIFE, breathing new life into the vast genre of the undead. Gritty, poignant, in the tradition of Bladerunner with the nostalgia of New Orleans. With crisp and beautiful prose, AFTERLIFE blurs the line between the living and the dead to ask life’s ultimate questions–even if they take nine lives to solve.”—Tosca Lee, author of Havah andDemon: A Memoir
“AFTERLIFE is a seamless combination of mystery, science-fiction exploration of a future based on cloned survival after death, and a fantasy struggle for the survival of good in an evil world. Merrie Destefano has made a fine start on a promising career.”—James Gunn, Science Fiction Grand Master, author of The Immortals
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER HERE:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Borders
Edit this page

“Merrie Destefano storms the world of urban fantasy with AFTERLIFE, breathing new life into the vast genre of the undead. Gritty, poignant, in the tradition of Bladerunner with the nostalgia of New Orleans. With crisp and beautiful prose, AFTERLIFE blurs the line between the living and the dead to ask life’s ultimate questions–even if they take nine lives to solve.”—Tosca Lee, author of Havah and Demon: A Memoir

“AFTERLIFE is like smoke in the darkness—intriguing and illusive. Merrie Destefano led me on a gritty page-turning journey of life, death and resurrection. I was riveted from the first page to the last and personally can’t wait for her next one.”—Tracey O’Hara, author of Night’s Cold Kiss

“Life, death and AFTERLIFE–a haunting story that seamlessly blends the hard-boiled twists of cyberpunk with the noir flavor of a Southern Gothic thriller. Gritty and compelling, Destefano’s debut tackles the big questions of immortality and faith amidst a labyrinthine web of murder and deceit. Truly high octane stuff, sure to please both fans of science-fiction and mystery.”—Marc Giller, author of Hammerjack

“AFTERLIFE is a seamless combination of mystery, science-fiction exploration of a future based on cloned survival after death, and a fantasy struggle for the survival of good in an evil world. Merrie Destefano has made a fine start on a promising career.”—James Gunn, Science Fiction Grand Master, author of The Immortals

“Absolutely my favorite book of the year. Destefano’s raw, poetic prowess is haunting and gritty, reminiscent of Aldous Huxley and George Orwell. AFTERLIFE has all the marks of becoming a classic in it’s own day.”—Christopher Hopper, author of Rise of the Dibor, The Lion Vrie, and co-author of Curse of the Spider King

From the first chapter, Destefano’s AFTERLIFE drops you into a jazzy New Orleans netherworld where you’ll be both delightfully disoriented and splendidly spooked. AFTERLIFE will whisper to you between readings and sizzle in your mind like liquid light. No matter your genre, this is a book you won’t want to miss.”—Wayne Thomas Batson, author of The Door Within Trilogy, Isle of Swords, Isle of Fire, and The Curse of the Spider King

“Merrie Destefano has crafted a premise that’s powerful in its simplicity. The perfect blend of urban fantasy and science fiction, there are characters to cheer for and settings that spook. From the City of the Dead to the Underground Circus, from gen-spikes to liquid light, from dogs to their human counterparts, Afterlife has so much to love, and the second Resurrection Chronicle can’t come soon enough! (No cliff-hanger ending, though – it’s a gorgeous standalone.)”—Tez Miller at Tez Says.

“The plot is complex and inspired. The mood is dark and suspenseful. It’s rare when I’m so impressed by a debut. And this science fiction novel definitely took me by surprise. The narrative is fast-paced, jumping around among several key characters’ point of view. So readers see what’s coming a bit before Chaz, building suspense and excitement. The mystery builds to a climactic ending, offering several surprises. And I finished the book with a smile, loving every bit of Destefano’s thought-provoking tale.”—Angela from SciFiChick.com

“Destefano’s first in The Resurrection Chronicles provides plenty of food for thought by creating a world divided by those who choose resurrection vs. those who decide not to tamper in God’s domain. The antagonist is sufficiently strong to balance the protagonists without overwhelming the story and the climax leaves an interesting opening for more adventures. With lots of action, technology and a strong antagonist, this series is one to watch.”—Monsters and Critics.com

“Death is a natural phase of life; creation follows death as death follows creation, it’s a cycle of fact. Merrie Destefano takes the fear of dying to the next level in AFTERLIFE by throwing readers into another apocalyptic universe where the race to immortality becomes unavoidable and chaotic with the technology of resurrection in the works.”—Fresh Fiction.com

“I found this story to be highly unique. I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it before. It has an edgy feel to it that is definitely going to appeal to those that like Mad Max. It has adventure, violence, betrayal and loyalties. Things aren’t always what they appear. I couldn’t imagine the ending yet it’s excellent. I’m not sure where this author will be going next but I’m sure where ever it is, it will be fantastic.”—Terri at Night Owl Reviews.com

Synopsis:

Chaz Domingue works as a professional Babysitter in New Orleans. His job is to integrate and protect the recently deceased into their new and improved lives—a position he reluctantly accepted after his father was murdered. Though Fresh Start has always been the only game in town, resurrection isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Nine lives are all a person can get—and a powerful group of desperate, high-level Nine-Timers will stop at nothing to possess the keys to true immortality. Unfortunately, this places Chaz at the lethal center of a maelstrom.

Now the only hope for Chaz and his family—and the ultimate fate of the human race—is secretly locked away in the mind of Angelique, the beautiful, mysterious Newbie who’s been entrusted to Chaz’s care…

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER HERE:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Borders

When I’m not hanging out on Facebook or Twitter, you might find me over at the new Supernatural Underground blog, a group blog with fellow HarperCollins authors: Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson, Melissa Marr, Joceyln Drake, Juliana Stone, Tera Lynn Childs, Pamela Palmer, Terri Garey, Joss Ware, Tracey O’Hara, Kimberly Derting, Leah Clifford, Kerrelyn Sparks, Dakota Banks and Sophie Jordan.

I picked her up, checked her pulse, sheltered her in my arms for a moment while my head cleared. “She’s fine,” I said to myself, as if I needed some sort of reassurance.

But deep down inside I knew that wasn’t true. There was something wrong here, too much information was trying to get through. Almost as if whoever did her jump didn’t know what the hell they were doing.

I was too tired to care about another Newbie whose life just got mangled and torn in Fresh Start machinery. Too tired to realize that there might be more going on here than just a rugged jump.

It was the first mistake I would make on this case. But that didn’t really matter. Because I was about to make plenty more.

ENDORSEMENTS:

“AFTERLIFE is like smoke in the darkness—intriguing and illusive. Merrie Destefano led me on a gritty page-turning journey of life, death and resurrection. I was riveted from the first page to the last and personally can’t wait for her next one.”—Tracey O’Hara, author of Night’s Cold Kiss

“Life, death and AFTERLIFE–a haunting story that seamlessly blends the hard-boiled twists of cyberpunk with the noir flavor of a Southern Gothic thriller. Gritty and compelling, Destefano’s debut tackles the big questions of immortality and faith amidst a labyrinthine web of murder and deceit. Truly high octane stuff, sure to please both fans of science-fiction and mystery.”—Marc Giller, author of Hammerjack

“Merrie Destefano storms the world of urban fantasy with AFTERLIFE, breathing new life into the vast genre of the undead. Gritty, poignant, in the tradition of Bladerunner with the nostalgia of New Orleans. With crisp and beautiful prose, AFTERLIFE blurs the line between the living and the dead to ask life’s ultimate questions–even if they take nine lives to solve.”—Tosca Lee, author of Havah and Demon: A Memoir

“AFTERLIFE is a seamless combination of mystery, science-fiction exploration of a future based on cloned survival after death, and a fantasy struggle for the survival of good in an evil world. Merrie Destefano has made a fine start on a promising career.”—James Gunn, Science Fiction Grand Master, author of The Immortals

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER HERE:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Borders

How to Draw Vampires, published by Walter Foster, came out in June 2010. Artist Mike Butkus and I co-authored the book, which is filled with vampire-mayhem. Lots of gory how-to illustrations, vampire history, immortal factoids and monster eye-candy. Enough to keep you occupied on those nights when you’re too tired to go out trolling the Fantasy Underground alone.

BACK COVER COPY:

Join us on another journey to The Fantasy Underground, a land where legends twist and turn like a medieval cobblestone street. In this volume, you’ll meet the rock star of monsters: the vampire. From the 18th-century vampire frenzy in Eastern Europe to the gypsy legends of ancient India to the vampire hunters in the Carpathian Mountains, you’ll discover the folklore and history of this immortal creature—and how he was transformed from a ghoulish demon into a romantic charmer. Renowned entertainment illustrator, Michael ButkUs, and urban fantasy author, Merrie Destefano, lead the expedition through Romania, Transylvania and around the world, revealing how you can create your own undead beast. You’ll discover how to capture the vampire in pencil, acrylic and oil, in a variety of illustration styles from realistic to anime. You’ll also learn how to take your illustrations and paintings and manipulate them on the computer. Projects include a provocative vampire slayer, a romantic teenage vampire and a deadly flying vampire—captured in the midst of transformation. But there is one thing you should remember. Vampires have waited centuries for this day, when they would be resurrected by the fresh blood of fans around the world. And they’d love to add you to the menu.

Learn how to create your own legion of the undead. All the information, inspiration, and instruction you need is inside.

From Walter Foster Publishing.

How To Draw Zombies, published by Walter Foster, is out now. Co-authored by artist Mike Butkus and me, the book contains gruesome how-to illustrations, zombie history, undead factoids and monster folklore. Fun stuff for monster lovers.

BACK COVER COPY:

Welcome to The Fantasy Underground, a land where nightmares emerge from the mists of imagination. In this volume, the once-shrouded history of zombies will be exposed, from voodoo legends to magic curses, from cannibalism to scientific experiments gone awry. Renowned entertainment illustrator, Michael Butkis, and urban fantasy author, Merrie Destefano, lead you through the dark, twisted realm of the undead, where you’ll discover how to capture the likeness of one of the world’s most dreaded monsters: the zombie. You’ll learn how to create pencil drawings and acrylic paintings of this legendary creature, and how to manipulate your illustrations on the computer. Among the projects included are a voodoo queen, a zombie climbing out of the grave, a zombie out for a midnight snack, and the great zombie apocalypse. But consider yourself warned. You should probably read this book with all the lights turned on, and all the windows and doors locked. Because the zombies are loose. And the latest rumor is they’re hungry.

Learn how to create your own legion of the undead. All the information, inspiration, and instruction you need is right here.

EXCERPT:

From Walter Foster Publishing. Read an excerpt here.

PURCHASE:

Available for purchase here:

Amazon

Borders

Barnes & Noble

Interview and review by The Zombie Nation here.

Review and contest giveaway at Terror 4 Fun here.

This is another project I worked on for Walter Foster Publishing, this time as a copy editor. Here’s the back cover copy: Enter the fantastic imagination of artist Jacob Glaser as you learn how to draw everything from an alien lord and a werewolf to a jester and a black knight. In this 144-page book, you’ll learn how to draw fantasy characters that you didn’t even know existed—except in the far-reaching corners of your mind. After an introduction to the basic tools and techniques of pencil drawing, you’ll discover 60 easy-to-follow, step-by-step demonstrations, including a robot attack pod, Frankenstein, a vampire bat, an evil sorcerer, a barbarian warrior, and a damsel in distress. Many projects include a digitally colored final image and color palettes so you can see just one of the many ways you can bring your characters to life in vivid color.