...but a taxidermist makes for an interesting character!I've been working on this pair of stories for quite a while now. It started with a visit to a local state park where the ranger station has several dioramas of taxidermied local species. I find stuffed dead animals morbidly fascinating because they never look quite right. And if they are lifelike, they're actually all the creepier. Since the ranger didn't seem too busy I asked her a bunch of questions about the animals--in particular how to clean them. My story Sleepwalker was born.
Then I realized I wanted to tell the followup story, and that I needed to know more than the ranger could tell me. My boyfriend is getting really sick of "Let's visit the taxidermy!" although I maintain that every time I pop in on them I get another new idea. 
neyronrose sent me a delightful book about taxidermy she unearthed--but it's about 50 years old! I felt like I needed to know who, in this day and age, would skin and re-create animals for a living.I'm about to find out! A taxidermist is letting me visit his studio and pick his brain this Friday. WOO HOO! He even lives in an area topographically similar to my character. Yes! Score! I'm totally jazzed.
And here's a preview of the cover art!
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I was less creeped out by the dead animals when I discovered they're really skin on a framework. The meat and bones are all gone.
For the flashlight shot, the photographer had already cropped it that way. I decided (despite my loathing of headless bodies) that it worked better than the "stupid naked manchest" because the focus was on the flashlight hand and the rest of the figure was less important.
I hadn't thought about the Channeling Morpheus covers at all. Talk about putting a definite face on a character. Although some readers tell me they visualize Michael differently, so that's a risk you take if you ever decide to show a face.
I can't wait to read these two stories.
I'm intrigued to see what you've done with taxidermists :o)
Here's my entry about the books I read: http://neyronrose.livejournal.com/44242.html. You really have to read the books yourself to get the full effect.
The book about the dioramas at the Natural History Museum in New York is really good, as well.
I guy I went to art school with tried to do stuff with found-dead-animals but I don't think he managed to do more than clean the skeletons--which is actually really difficult, since bleach makes the bones crumble. I remember one year he gave me a coyote spine for my birthday. Yay! I still have it, actually.
My loose plan is to finish Zero Hour and PsyCop 6 first. Then, concurrently, I'm working on a historical m/m horror for NaNoEdMo that may also end up being done this year. Also Josh and I plan to have another Petit Morts batch July/August. Since I know you like to plan ahead! :D
(and I do... you, Josh Lanyon and KA Mitchell are my only 'must buys'. everyone else is only a 'maybe'!)
Let us know how it goes eh?!
Now there's a search party I would pay to join.