Ersatz Manor

Psychosis stole into her mind like a demented thief, incorporating deviant ideas and cultivating a new personality to derail the original. Thoughts that others would have dismissed as bizarre started to take shape and grow roots. They started to make sense in one epiphany after another, forging new horizons, luring her further and further from the original course until she was so far astray that it seemed right and good.

Natalie cried nearly nonstop for the first 24 hours after birth and for the first six months had difficulty sleeping, exhibited frequent bouts of trembling and twitching, and had difficulty gaining weight. Then after six months those symptoms disappeared, she grew like a weed and for all intense and purpose Natalie settled into a seemingly normal childhood. That is as normal as a preschooler can be who hears and converses with voices in her head.

During the early school years, she delighted in capturing, torturing and ultimately killing animals. She had no difficulty with social interaction especially with boys and adults in authority or in carrying out daily life activities. Therefore, it is not clear when or where Natalie went insane. Whether it burst upon her suddenly one day like the big bang theory of the universe or crept upon her slowly and insidiously, bending her to its will, but insane she was.

In high school she amused herself by murdering those that she took a dislike to and strangers for the sheer challenge and excitement she derived from killing.

Her life was idyllic for the six years after high school, traveling the world, indulging in her favorite pastime as the mood struck. Until she received that e-mail from Ersatz Manor for the 10-year high school reunion.

The return to home was the beginning of the end--in more ways than one.


Author_Bio: Peter Thomas Brodowski is an American author. 39N-86W is his first science fiction novel. Confluence is the follow up to 39N–86W and Summer Seed is book III and conclusion to the Crem Creation trilogy.

Peter's fourth novel begins a new trilogy, this time in the Horror genre. Volume one is titled Matanto, volume two is the recently completed Ersatz Manor and the final installment, currently in draft, will be titled Summer Vacation.

Interestingly, all of Peter's novels are set in Carmel Indiana, with some of the characters and locations reoccurring in each trilogy. Individual novels are stand alone, yet the trilogy concept provides continuity and a depth and richness to characterization. 

Peter was born June 6, 1948, in Brooklyn, New York. His maternal grandparents were immigrants from Poland. 

He attended Saint Michael's elementary school, John Jay public high school and the City University of New York before ultimately graduating from California State University Fullerton with a bachelor's degree in Biological Science in 1981. Peter went on to a master's degree in Business Admisistration in 1986, from the University of Phoenix. Between his time in New York and completing his education out west, he served four years in the U.S.A.F stationed mainly in the Pacific region and Southeast Asia with the Military Airlift Command.

Peter was married to Janice Lynne Boule in 1971, and has two sons, David Thomas and Joseph Thomas, and has recently become a grandfather. After spending more than 20 years in Southern California, Peter and Jan relocated to Carmel, Indiana in 1994.

Peter's writing career began after working more than 40 years in the medical device industry as a Chemist, Scientist, Engineer, Manager, Director and Notified Body auditor and consultant. He has recently retired from active employment but continues to provide consulting services as requested while writing novels.

Peter enjoys driving his sport car, healthy cooking, reading novels and keeping fit through a balanced program of cardio and weight training.


Keywords: Fiction, Mystery, Psychological, Thriller, Murder, Speculative