Merrie Destefano
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Are you in a book club?


Are you in a book club? If so, that's really cool, because reading rocks! I just wanted to mention that AFTERLIFE could make a great selection for your group--and you can download a FREE Discussion Guide here.

To the right, you can see the members of The Ladies Guilty Pleasures Book Club, on the evening they invited me to chat and answer questions. We had a wonderful time!


Picture

AFTERLIFE Playlist


Writers need inspiration. Lots of it. In my playlist, you'll hear a small collection of the music I listened to while writing AFTERLIFE--songs by Coldplay, Moby, and Jars of Clay. Even though the main character in the book, Chaz Domingue, loved jazz and played a mean saxophone, I chose a different style of music to get in the mood. Listen to the music HERE.


AFTERLIFE Slang


Babysitter: Highly skilled individual who guards Newbies during their first week

Backatown: Section of New Orleans, from North Claiborne Avenue to the Mississippi River

BP collar: Child safeguard device, protects children from being kidnapped

Bruh: Common way to address men

Cell: Small school with 5 to 20 children in attendance, similar to one-room schools in 1800s

City of the Dead: Last historic, above-ground cemetery in New Orleans

Clone: Custom-designed body made from owner’s original DNA

Death cert: Death certificate, proves that the person will not resurrect, necessary document for having a child

Download: The process of transferring soul, life force and memories during resurrection process 

F’true: New Orleans slang that means “for true” or a statement of truth

Flying horses: Merry-go-round

Fresh Start: The world-wide monopoly that owns the rights to resurrection; company is owned by the Domingue family

Gen-spike/spike: Highly addictive drug that causes genetic restructuring

Gris-gris: A voodoo spell

Gutter punks: Gang members in the Ninth Ward

Gutterspeak: A NOLA dialect, born in the blue collar district of the Ninth Ward

Huck-a-bucks: Frozen Kool-Aid, served in a Dixie cup

Implant: Resurrection chip

Jive-sweet: Inexpensive, legal drug; often chewed like tobacco, it stains the teeth

Les enfants sans sourire: French term that means “children of no joy/smiles,” refers to Stringers who have jumped so many times they have lost their entire family

Liquid Light: Malleable, gum-like weapon that ignites when thrown, resulting in an electrical current that wraps around victim and renders them temporarily helpless

Marker: Small tracking chip that can be inserted beneath the skin

Master Keys: Five pre-programmed commands hardwired into every Newbie at start-up

Mugs: Slang for police officers

Newbie: Person in the first week of resurrection

Nine-Timer: Person who chooses resurrection over death

Nine-Timer Scenario: Apocalyptic event where thousands of Stringers die at the same time

One-Timer: Person who chooses to live only one life, foregoing resurrection

Resurrect: To jump from one body to the next at the point of death

Sous-terrain société: Organization that helps you design your own family through social networking

Stringer: Person who resurrects, usually multiple times

The Ideal Plan: Government-enforced plan wherein all children must decide whether or not they will choose resurrection

The Grid: A three-dimensional, virtual reality version of the Internet

TRS: Federally approved operation that temporarily reverses sterilization

Underground Circus: Black-market organization that both kidnaps children and then provides their use to the highest bidders

Verse: Smart phone that is implanted in the ear

VR: Virtual reality

VR suit: Full-body suit worn when traveling from one place to another while using VR

Where Y’at: Familiar greeting, similar to “how are you?”

AFTERLIFE, the movie (I wish!)


If AFTERLIFE was a movie and I was the casting director, here are the actors I would cast in the leading roles.
  • Home
  • ABOUT
    • GUEST POSTS
    • BIO
    • FAQ
    • AUTHOR VIDEOS
  • BOOKS
    • VALIANT & EXTRAS >
      • VALIANT EXCERPT
      • RENEGADE EXCERPT
    • SHADE >
      • SHADE EXCERPT
      • DUSK EXCERPT
      • DAWN EXCERPT
    • LOST GIRLS
    • FAIRYTALE CHRISTMAS
    • DARK HEART SERIES
    • FATHOM
    • AFTERLIFE >
      • AFTERLIFE EXTRAS
    • FEAST
    • THE PLAGUE CARRIER
  • For Writers
    • For Writers >
      • Books & Resources
    • Articles >
      • Where Story Ideas Come From
      • Why do some people like to read scary stories?
      • What happens when the imaginary people in your story take over?
      • Sometimes you have to create a new monster
      • When writers have to make tough decisions
  • Blog
  • Newsletter
  • Short Stories
    • Afterlife: Chasing Spring-Heeled Jack
  • Extras
    • NEWS
    • PHOTO ALBUM
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Secret Santa