Marking the Signs and Other Tales of Mischief

by Laura J. Underwood

"hese edgy and sometimes disturbing tales evoke the southern Appalachian folkways and mythology with a deftness that only a native can manage.  Whether it’s black magic against white, in “Marking the Signs”, or a country boy’s passion for his truck, in “Nice Truck”, Laura J. Underwood has the right combination of believable characters, authentic mountain settings, a twist of humor, and cold-down-the-backbone touch of horror."– Elizabeth Moon, author of The Speed of Dark

48 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2005

About the author

Laura J. Underwood is the author of numerous short stories in the field of fantastic fiction which have appeared in such publications as Marion Zimmer Bradley’s FANTASY Magazine, SWORD AND SORCERESS, LOW PORT, TURN THE OTHER CHICK, Adventures of Sword & Sorcery, SUCH A PRETTY FACE, CATFANTASTIC, BUBBAS OF THE APOCALYPSE, FOUR BUBBAS OF THE APOCALYPSE, INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF BUBBAS and many others. She is a born and raised East Tennessee, and has found much inspiration while hiking her native mountains as well as from her travels through England and Scotland. By day, she is a librarian, and her fields of expertise range from Scottish folklore and fencing to playing harp. She is, in fact, the owner of the original Glynnanis who has appeared in a number of her tales that were collected together in MAGIC'S SONG: TALES OF THE HARPER MAGE (Wildside Press 2003). Her novels include ARD MAGISTER (Yard Dog Press 2002), CHRONICLES OF THE LAST WAR (Yard Dog Press 2004) and DRAGON'S TONGUE (Meisha Merlin 2006) THE HOUNDS OF ARDAGH (Five Star Press 2006) and THE LUNARI MASK (Yard Dog Press 2008)

In spite of rumors started by the late Marion Zimmer Bradley, Laura does not have a multitude of children like Harriet Beecher Stowe, nor does she live in a house full of cats. There is, in fact, only one Gato Bobo (he of the few brain cells) whom she keeps around because cats truly are fun toys...