LOOKING DEATH IN THE EYE by Rolynn Anderson

Writing about a boutique funeral planner has brought me nose to nose with death issues.  What a surprise!  I’m a pantser, you see, so the first book ‘happened,’ then pretty soon a second book ‘developed;’ now a third book in the series ‘will occur.’  Sigh.  I never thought I'd be tweeting with funeral homes, morticians and thanatologists!

Here’s how it happened.  Since I made up the term ‘boutique funeral planner,’ I had to research ALL the rituals of the major religions.  In other words for my funeral planner to be quirky and different, I had to discover what was ‘normal’ in the world of memorials.  Let me tell you, what I learned was an eye-opener…there’s nothing tame in traditional! (I’ll report my learnings in another blog.)

I found out about thanatology (the realm of palliative care; it’s a Greek word meaning ‘the personification of death’),  which broadens into the sociological aspects of planning for death.  That research led me to ‘DEATH CAFES,’ a loosely organized group of people who meet occasionally to talk about death and dying issues.  See:

http://www.deathcafe.com/   and http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2012/jul/09/westerville-home-first-death-cafe-us-ar-1097143/

What’s more, even more impressive, I learned about the ‘aging to saging’ movement, a truly fascinating organization that helps people live their last 20-30 years with verve!  Check out ‘aging to saging’ on your browser as well as the term ‘eldering.’

http://elderinginstitute.com/

Morbid?  Absolutely not.  I’ve learned so much in this journey.  More important, I’ve got grist for my next novel.  For now, here’s the Funeral Planner Series:  FADEOUT and SWOON.

“Don't miss SWOON by Rolynn Anderson! If you like an interesting cast of characters, a heavy dose of mystery and a lot of fabulous surprises, you'll be happily turning pages late into the night.ˮ

~ Brenda Novak, NYT and USA Bestselling Author of WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES

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Her dead clients won’t rest in peace.

When the dead tell tales, Jan Solvang’s first reaction is to RUN!  But then she gets caught up in their mysteries.

Jan’s a boutique funeral planner, new to risk, hired to bury a missing woman and memorialize an infamous man.  Yet when she digs for clues to write their eulogies, she disturbs family secrets and unmasks killers.

Roman Keller, hard-driving documentary writer, is in complete control of his life and his stories, until he falls for Jan, a woman who trusts her dog, her faint-dreams, and her instincts more than she trusts him.

Can they make the sacrifices necessary to cement their relationship or will the mayhem caused by the dead ruin their second chance at love?  

Buy page:  http://www.rolynnanderson.com