{"id":5812,"date":"2021-09-30T13:49:47","date_gmt":"2021-09-30T17:49:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/?post_type=books&#038;p=5812"},"modified":"2025-06-17T14:46:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T18:46:29","slug":"comfort-of-the-dark-mother","status":"publish","type":"books","link":"https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/book\/comfort-of-the-dark-mother\/","title":{"rendered":"Comfort of the Dark Mother"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1035\" data-attachment-id=\"5848\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/book\/comfort-of-the-dark-mother\/thwcrowsquill-vampires\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/postphotos\/ThwCrowsQuill-Vampires.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"800,1035\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ThwCrowsQuill&amp;#8212;Vampires\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/postphotos\/ThwCrowsQuill-Vampires.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/postphotos\/ThwCrowsQuill-Vampires.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/postphotos\/ThwCrowsQuill-Vampires.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5848\" style=\"width:378px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/postphotos\/ThwCrowsQuill-Vampires.jpg 800w, https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/postphotos\/ThwCrowsQuill-Vampires-600x776.jpg 600w, https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/postphotos\/ThwCrowsQuill-Vampires-768x994.jpg 768w, https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/images\/postphotos\/ThwCrowsQuill-Vampires-200x259.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p><strong>FEATURED IN:<\/strong>\u00a0The Crow&#8217;s Quill &#8211; Issue 2: Vampyres from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.quillandcrowpublishinghouse.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Quill &amp; Crow Publishing House<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Publication date:<\/strong>\u00a0October 2021<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Editors:\u00a0<\/strong>Cassandra L. Thompson, KM Weiland, William Bartlett<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ABOUT\u00a0<em>COMFORT OF THE DARK MOTHER<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An aging vampire Queen fights to preserve her legacy just as her brood plans to subvert her rule.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kb-btns5812_dcaa88-0a{gap:var(--global-kb-gap-xs, 0.5rem );justify-content:center;align-items:center;}.kt-btns5812_dcaa88-0a .kt-button{font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}.kt-btns5812_dcaa88-0a .kt-btn-wrap-0{margin-right:5px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns5812_dcaa88-0a .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button{color:#555555;border-color:#555555;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns5812_dcaa88-0a .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button:hover, .wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns5812_dcaa88-0a .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button:focus{color:#ffffff;border-color:#444444;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns5812_dcaa88-0a .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button::before{display:none;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns5812_dcaa88-0a .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button:hover, .wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn.kt-btns5812_dcaa88-0a .kt-btn-wrap-0 .kt-button:focus{background:#444444;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn kb-buttons-wrap kb-btns5812_dcaa88-0a\"><style>ul.menu .wp-block-kadence-advancedbtn .kb-btn5812_736ad5-18.kb-button{width:initial;}<\/style><a class=\"kb-button kt-button button kb-btn5812_736ad5-18 kt-btn-size-standard kt-btn-width-type-auto kb-btn-global-fill kt-btn-has-text-true kt-btn-has-svg-false  wp-block-kadence-singlebtn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quillandcrowpublishinghouse.com\/thecrowsquill2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"kt-btn-inner-text\">MORE INFO<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">PUBLICATION DETAILS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Blood-draining tales of vampyres. 8 short stories teeming with tension and terror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rebecca Jones-Howe<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hansen Adcock<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stephen Black<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Alice Callisto<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mary Rajotte<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lucas Mann<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kristin Cleaveland<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spyder Collins<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cassandra L. Thompson<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AN EXCERPT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left\"><blockquote><p><em><br>In a labyrinthine hive concealed underground, we slumber well past daylight. At dusk, we awaken. My offspring, to feed, and I, their Dark Mother, to command them.<\/em><br><em><br>Our nest is a subterranean network of honeycombed alcoves, natural coffins affixed by the worker drones to the cavern ceiling. When the moon rises, I emerge to my waiting brood, peeling away the protective membrane of veined skin across my cell and sloughing off viscous amber jelly that clings to me in ribbons.<\/em><br><em><br>Dozens of taloned fingers trail along the back of my legs and grasp at my face. Clinging to me, my scions collapse to their knees, their starkly angular cheekbones underscoring obsidian eyes. With their heads bowed, they shudder under my gaze, awaiting my instruction.<\/em><\/p><cite>\u00a9 MARY RAJOTTE<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FEATURED IN:\u00a0The Crow&#8217;s Quill &#8211; Issue 2: Vampyres from Quill &amp; Crow Publishing House ABOUT\u00a0COMFORT OF THE DARK MOTHER An aging vampire Queen fights to preserve her legacy just as her brood plans to subvert her rule. PUBLICATION DETAILS Blood-draining tales of vampyres. 8 short stories teeming with tension and terror. CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS AN EXCERPT&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5850,"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"book-authors":[],"book-series":[],"book-tags":[450,505,430,578],"class_list":["post-5812","books","type-books","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","book-tags-free","book-tags-freebies","book-tags-short-stories","book-tags-vampires"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.8.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Comfort of the Dark Mother - MaryRajotte.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover books, stories, poetry and articles written by Canadian author Mary Rajotte\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/maryrajotte.com\/blog\/book\/comfort-of-the-dark-mother\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Comfort of the Dark Mother - 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