Here at www.kerryzukus.com, there is a website within a website. Some of you may have found it; some of you perhaps not.

It’s called www.cousinsinlove.com. It came into being when the protagonist of THE FOURTH HOUSE seeks to find some solid information on cousins becoming “involved” with each other (and I don’t mean opening a lemonade stand together).

I had to find a URL that didn’t already exist. During the writing and rewriting of the book (don’t get me started on how many times one has to rewrite one’s first novel — the first draft was about 900 pages, which means that about 2 entire books ended up on the cutting room floor), I had to keep changing the name of the fictional website because people kept buying the domain name of whatever I made up.

I had to pick a fictitious name because, eventually, people might read the book (from my lips to God’s ears) and then go looking to see if the site was real. If I directed them to someone else’s website, I could have a real headache on my hands (how do you get a headache on your hands?).

But on the other hand…once people went to that URL, there had to be something there, right? So if you’re adventurous, give it a visit.

My only problem was that, while I write humorously, not everyone in the world shares my sense of humor. I was particularly in fear of people who have a very “open” view of “kissin’ cousins” and might take offense at my stabs at being jovial. Some of the most humorless people I’ve met in my life have been “people with a cause.”
Luckily, I got some feedback from said representatives (unelected, I would assume, and thus unofficial) saying they got a kick out of it, and particularly enjoyed the fact that I also attempt to steer folks to “real” websites dealing with this issue. So cousin lovers are now on my list of “cool people.”
This “hidden” webpage also contains the most “hidden” surprises. Run your cursor over the pictures and see what you might link up to. Kind of like the prize inside a Cracker Jack box.

Peace,

Kerry