The Bookworm Prize Winning Novelist to Speak in Mok Hill Have you ever dreamed of leading a double life? Probably so. But most of us rarely get that chance. Erika Mailman is an exception. With two successful adult novels to her credit (“Woman of Ill Fame” and “The Witch’s Trinity”), she has turned to a young adult audience with the just released “Haunted.” The byline Erika has chosen for this new genre is Lynn Carthage. “Haunted” is the first of what will become the Arnaud-Legacy trilogy. Erika-Lynn will discuss the mystique of the young adult novel and the writing life itself at the Mokelumne Hill Library at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 29. The event is free and open to everyone. A resident of El Dorado Hills, Erika teaches creative writing at American River College. She was a resident at the artists’ community of Yaddo and a Bram Stoker Award finalist. Now, how’s this for a plot: Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Irving trades life in San Francisco for her stepfather’s ancestral mansion in rural England. It’s supposed to be a jump start for her troubled family, but from the moment Phoebe crosses the threshold of the manor house, she senses something scary. Are you thinking classic Gothic? Guess again, there’s also a love story in the mix, “a gorgeous guy” who gives Phoebe mixed messages. Most females can relate to that, can’t they? But at least Miles doesn’t laugh at Phoebe’s mounting fears about her new residence. She can trust him . . . maybe. The townsfolk whisper about the manor’s infamous owner, Madame Arnaud.

They tell grim tales of vengeful spirits, missing children. Phoebe vows to protect her little sister, Tabby. Get ready for a different kind of paranormal thriller. Why did an established author choose a pen name for her young adult work? Erika-Lynn explains it this way: “My first novel, ‘A Woman of Ill Fame,’ was about a scheming, unabashed prostitute. Somehow creating a new identity for a younger audience seemed a wise idea.” Diana Gabaldon, author of the popular Outlander series, described “Woman of Ill Fame” as “hilarious, tough and perceptive.” The book went on to be nominated for a Pushcart Press Editors’ Book Award. It tells the story of the story of a woman who comes to Gold Rush San Francisco with a plan to strike it rich by trading on her good looks. But then a string of murders take place —murders linked to her. It’s fun read, fast and sexy. Erika-Lynn’s next novel was the gripping “Witch’s Trinity,” a story of supposed witchcraft in 16th Century Germany. Personally, I found the tragic tale to be a true spell binder. It’s a story that questions the nature of truth while bringing to life the power men’s fear has over women’s lives. It couldn’t happen now . . . or could it? How many women in the 16th century sought merely to heal yet were condemned to hideous deaths for their efforts? “Witch’s Trinity” recreates the horror of the women who lost the struggle and the inspiration of those who managed to survive this most appalling battle of the sexes. Erika has been fascinated with witchcraft since childhood.

When a story line at last came to her, she sat down to write. Only then did Erika receive a surprise email from her mother telling her that their ancestor, Mary Bliss Parsons, had twice been tried for witchcraft in 17th century Massachusetts. “Happily, my ancestor was acquitted both times and died of old age,” Erika says. “My novel is about a fictional woman and another place, medieval Germany. The character of Gude came to me as I listened to a history professor’s lecture about the statistical phenomenon of daughters- in-law accusing their husband’s mothers of witchcraft. In many cases they were driven by starvation and the desire to rid the family of an older, seemingly useless member. “The witchcraft craze in Europe qualifies as a holocaust. It lasted for 400 years. When I heard those stories of atrocity, I thought not of numbers, but of the effect on a single solitary individual. My character, Gude, like many real accused witches, is older, somewhat unstable mentally, and a burden to her family. “I kept mulling over this horrifying idea until I hit upon a plot element that could enable me write a novel: what if a woman were accused of witchcraft but suffered from senile dementia and therefore did not know herself if she was a witch or not?” The ultimate result of this “mull” was a novel that received the coveted San Francisco Chronicle Notable Book Award. The ”double dealing” author (Erika Mailman and Lynn Carthage) will be talking about and signing copies of all three books Sunday. The event is sponsored by the Mokelumne Hill Friends of the Library.