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¤ 
¤ 
Tanya Huff is perhaps best known for her many fantasy novels set in the world of Quarters, but she has also gathered many earnest fans for her Victoria Nelson PI "Blood" series and her other novels. Miss Huff was born in Nova Scotia and still lives in Canada with a small menagerie of cats and other animals. Her titles include:
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Here is an excerpt from her latest novel, Summon the Keeper, about a young woman who helps to keep renegade supernatural forces in check, and the haunted hotel she stumbles into.
¤ "If you don't hurry," Austin complained from the bedroom, "I'm going down to breakfast without you."
Claire rummaged through her makeup case, inspecting and discarding a number of pencils that needed sharpening. "I'm moving as fast as I can."
"I don't see why you bother with all that stuff."
"This from the cat who spent half an hour washing his tail." One eye closed, she leaned toward the mirror. Her reflection remained where it had been. "Oh, no." Straightening, she put down the pencil and looked herself in the eyes -- not at all surprised to notice they were no longer dark brown but deep red. "Now what?"
A skull, recently disinterred, appeared in the reflection's left hand. "Alas, poor Yorik. I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest."
"And oft times had you kissed those lips." Claire folded her arms and frowned. "I'm familiar with the play. Get to the point."
The reflection lifted the skull until it could gaze levelly into the eye sockets. "Now get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let her paint her face an inch thick, to this favor she must come..." A fluid motion turned the skull so that it stared out from the mirror. "...make her laugh at that."
"Not bad, but I imagine you have access to a number of actors. Your point?"
"Open the pentagram. Release us. And we shall see to it that you remain young and beautiful forever."
"You're kidding, right? You're offering a Keeper eternal youth and beauty?"
The reflection looked a little sheepish. "It is considered a classic temptation. We thought it worth a try."
"Oh, please."
"That means no?"
Claire sighed and, both hands holding the edge of the sink, leaned forward. "Go to Hell," she told it levelly. "Go directly to Hell, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars."
The skull vanished. Her reflection began answering to her movements again.
"Was that wise?" Austin asked from the doorway.
"What? Refusing to be tempted?"
"Making flippant comments."
"It wasn't a flippant comment." She finished lining her right eye and began on her left. "It was a stage direction." ¤