IWSG Question: What elements do you include in your book launch? Or what do you have in mind for your future book launch? Or what advice do you have to offer to others planning to launch a book?

I've only done one true book launch. It was for Bloodstone. I did a halfish one for Oscar. Here’s what I learned and what I would recommend. I’m eager to read everyone else’s response to this.

1. Plan it out well in advance, like months; a year would be better. Starting early, you can set a schedule, find resources, even plan and pre-write posts, Q&A, interviews, etc.

2. Have a blog tour. Yes, I still recommend this. Not only to get the word out but to get your name, the book name, and description into search engines. This needs to be set up three to six months before your release. This can be tricky. If you can find a company to book blogs for you, that's great. It’s better to have blogs that are active and have readers and comments. The one I used seemed good, but the bloggers who scheduled me ended up not having many views, and the ones who signed up for a book review flaked. Still, those sites get crawled by search engines. Because of this, I also recommend reaching out to your regular visitors. I did, and they all came through.

3. Post on Instagram and other social media starting a few months out, slowly, but put out teasers. Two weeks before the launch, post daily—not the same thing. Do a cover reveal, list the tropes, lines from the book, etc. These are in addition to the blog tour.

4. Read everything you can about launching a book, and do what you feel capable of doing. Set a budget and don’t go over it.

There are so many other things out there, but I think these are key for any author.

IWSG

The first Wednesday of every month is about writing—our fears, missteps, concerns, doubt, and also encouragement, tips, and success stories. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) blog hop is for writers and authors. There’s also a monthly question you can answer.

If you’d like to sign up, click here.

📌Commenters:

If this is your first time here, don’t forget to leave your BLOG URL in your comment so I can visit your blog.

In writing

In other exciting news, I’m writing again. At the beginning of January, the itch to write came back, but it was fickle. I was still having difficulty focusing on serious type stuff. So, I switched gears to write something different … something goofy and fun. It’s a Christmas story. Well, it’s a Christmas horror (light horror). And it’s working. I’m plotting and giggling like an evil creator.

If you have had a rough go, when you get an itch, try something different. It doesn’t have to be for anyone but you and your cat.

In drawing

I’ve also been trying a new art style. It’s still line art but with thicker lines and line variations—and a different coloring technique. I’m pushing myself to learn new tools and digital techniques, and to do more with backgrounds. Below is my cartoon octopuses. I love the flapjack, he is so cute in really life! The last to show the new styles. My January zombie-witch with the January’s birth flower and gem with flat coloring. And my Bloody Mary Fairy, which took me over a month to do (and redo 😉).

That’s where I’m at this month. How are you doing? Are you starting anything new?

IWSG

The first Wednesday of every month is about writing—our fears, missteps, concerns, doubt, and also encouragement, tips, and success stories. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) blog hop is for writers and authors. There’s also a monthly question you can answer.

If you’d like to sign up, click here.

📌Commenters:

If this is your first time here, don’t forget to leave your BLOG URL in your comment so I can visit your blog.

I love FAQs and Q&As. And sure, no one may have asked me these questions, but I feel deep down they are questions your subconscious wants the answers to.

You: Have you had any supernatural experiences?

Me: Sort of. Maybe. Probably. When I was a teenager, my bestie and I were hanging out at the beach in the evening. We were with a larger camping group, but we were off chit chatting. One of us suggested heading back. The other quickly agreed. As we started heading up the long wooden stairs, one said she’d had a bad feeling—the other saying she’d felt dread and discomfort. We stopped talking and hurried up the stairs, then ran across the cliff.

We both had the sense Evil was watching us. We listened to our guts and got outta there. 😏

You: Have you ever seen a ghost?

Me: No. They are invisible. 😉

You: What’s your favorite fruit?

Me: Lemon is great, yet grapefruit is my top pick! It’s the best.

You: Who was your most interesting neighbor?

Me: The who is in fact a what, a bull. When I was a kid, the place that abutted our backyard had a bull. Those neighbors also had chickens that would “hop the fence” to lay their eggs in our yard.

You: Have you ever been chased by a mountain lion?

Me: Wow, that’s a weirdly specific question, but yes, yes I have. Quite some time ago, we were driving from Zion to Bryce Canyon (two National Parks in Utah) around midnight. We were camping at Bryce and visited Zion during the day. The amazing stars twinkled above us, as we enjoyed a leisurely straight-shot drive on a warm summer evening, with the top off our Jeep, the wind in our hair. But then…glowing eyes caught my attention, coming fast, getting bigger. I don’t condone speeding, but yeah, I yelled, “Floor it!” That kitty cat chased us down the highway! She gave up, but I was shaky till morning!

You: Do you have any newsletter pet peeves?

Me: Why yes I do! I loathe when it’s addressed to me. It creeps me out. I know it’s being sent to a lot of people, which makes it feel disingenuous. I don’t like newsletters that have a “subscribe to the paid version” listed multiple times in the newsletter. Once is more than enough. It’s a big turnoff.

You: Tell me more about this sequel you say you wrote. What’s it about?

Me: My in progress blurb: Amidst the chaos of a magical attack, where terrified screams cut through an eerie fog that replaces missing townsfolk, Katie struggles against both magical forces and her own personal crisis.

You: So you write urban fantasy. What kind of monsters or creatures do you have?

Me: Across all the planned books I have: witches, fae & company, gods & goddesses, vampires, lamias, spiritwalkers, ghosts, zombies, griffins, and dragons.

You: Will you write any more children’s books?

Me: I have a middle grade fantasy book set on an alternate earth in the works. That one has unicorns and evil butterflies.

Have questions for my next Q&A? Let me know!

Originally published in “Down The Rabbit Hole” on Dec. 15, 2022 combined with the June 21, 2023 newsletter, edited for the website

I haven’t set goals for the year yet. I need the new year to settle in first. 😉

But let’s start with all the weird, silly, fascinating predictions for 2026.

But first, the IWSG Question:

Is there anything in your writing plans for 2026 that you are going to do that you couldn't get done in 2025?

Dare I say it … everything? I really want to finish drafting the nonfiction book. And I’d like to write something in the fantasy fiction area. Sure, book two would be good, but I’m not picky—whichever one gets words on paper. I’ll take!

Grab your coffee and buckle up—

2026 is the …

➺Year of the Horse

The Chinese New Year starts on February 17th. It’s the year of the Fire Horse, and it “charges in with a vibrant, unstoppable energy that sweeps us all up, ready or not. It’s bold, fast-paced, and deeply personal, pushing us to take steps forward—even if we’re not quite sure where we’re headed.”—TheChineseZodiac.org

Sounds like fun, let’s go!

➺Year of Neutral, Calming Colors

Colors of 2026

Pantone’s color of the year is Cloud Dancer*

“... a lofty white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection. A billowy white imbued with serenity, … Cloud Dancer encourages true relaxation and focus, allowing the mind to wander and creativity to breathe, making room for innovation.”—Pantone

Benjamin Moore went with Silhouette

“Reminiscent of tailored suiting, this elegant color weaves rich espresso hues with refined notes of charcoal.”—Benjamin Moore

Sherwin-Williams chose Universal Khaki

“Find strength in simplicity”—Sherwin-Williams

Pantone’s pick has created controversy! There are a lot of articles popping up calling it boring, tone-deaf, a "recession indicator," and even politically loaded, while others defended it as a “calming, balanced neutral for digital burnout.” Tell me what you think!

➺Fashion Trends for 2026

• Bubblicious—balloon pants, dresses, and sleeves on shirts I do like them on sleeves, but everything has to go!

• Gummy-inspired—gummy-looking accessories? I don’t get it.

• 80s Glam—power suits with padded shoulders, oversized fit, and chunky, gold, and bold No, please, just no.

• Poetcore—oversized turtlenecks, vintage blazers, messenger satchels, capes, and ties. Count me in!

• Retro Paleontologist—utility jackets, linen shirts, Bermuda shorts, khaki-colored Another look I like!

• Wilderkind—kinder, softer animal prints, more of an interpretation of animal and nature aesthetics with an enchanted forest feel or zebra safari. “Fawn freckles” and earthy tones. I think this might work, but I need to see more if it. I’m not opposed to it.

• Alien Core—avant-garde cosmic silhouettes, holographic tones, opalescent eye shadows, and iridescent jewels Maybe for a night on the town, or Halloween

• Opera Aesthetic—”sumptuous drapery and luxurious jewels” plus hats! Meh

• NeoDeco—blending 1920s glamour and geometry (chevrons, arches, symmetry) with contemporary materials I love the style of the 20s. The jury’s still out on the neo part of the aesthetic.

• Circus Core—yup, bold stripes, sculptural shapes, and “clownish charm” Nope

• Vampire Romantic—gothic romance with menacing reds, blacks, velvet, lace, leather and accessories. Could be fun, if done tastefully and not overdone.

• Victorian Revival—corsets, waist emphasis, exaggerated rear shapes, bell-shaped skirts, lacey undersleeves, ruffles, rich velvets, brocades, lace, and embroidery I grew tired just reading about it.

• Afrohemian—blending traditional African patterns and textiles with the free-spirited, layered Bohemian look. This is a cool look.

• “Mystic Outlands”—blending rugged, adventure-ready wear with a mystical, wanderer-inspired aesthetic I still don’t understand what this is.

• Snow-kissed—icy blue tones and “frosted” makeup Meh

• big bloom—one giant flower over a flower pattern I’m down for this.

• Brooches No strong feelings on this.

• Lacey everything, even fingernails Nope

• Mismatched manicures and makeup Meh

• Asymmetry No strong feelings on this.

• Scent Stacking—combining different perfumes and scented body products to create a unique personal fragrance I like the idea behind this, but please don’t put too much on. It just makes me sneeze!

• gray tones from monochrome No strong feelings on this.

• the low waist Meh

➺Food & Drink Trends in 2026

• Up and coming cuisines: Indian, Caribbean, Georgian (the country) Count me in

• Fermented honey Huh?

• Toum (pronounced toom), a Lebanese creamy garlic condiment Count me in

• Kimchi in everything from pasta to cocktails Meh

• Mushrooms in everything, including soda I like mushrooms, but not in soda, nope.

• Spicy over hot Yes, please

• Mexican pastries like concha, a Mexican sweet bread (pan dulce) with a crunchy, shell-patterned sugar topping, often filled with chocolate or fruit Always loved

• International Cheesecakes Always loved

• Tropical fruit explosion Yes? Some are so delicious and some are … not

• Added protein (in potatoes and soda?) Nope

• And added fiber (in juice and power bars) Nope

• Yemini and Filipino coffee houses Yes, please

• Sourdough I would never turn this down.

• Cardamom I love cardamon

• Black sesame Solid

Beverages

• Drinks with adaptogens (mushrooms, herbs, and roots)

• More non-alcoholic options

• International spirits and wines

• Sweet and spicy blends like pineapple-chili cocktails

• Matcha blends like banana matcha latte Sorta meh on all of them/

➺Publishing Trends for 2026

• Audio book growth

• Interactive storytelling

• Publisher selling directly to the consumer

• Serialization

• Un-social marketing, meaning newsletters and blogs are the way to go

• Upscaled print books—by which I mean special covers, unique binding, things that can’t be digitized

I can see audio taking off. Podcast are really popular right now.

➺Design Trends in 2026

• Naive—simple, unsophisticated, unpolished, flat, childlike, basically doodles

• Catalog—set of images that are numbered and/or labeled 

• Gritty Glow—grainy textures over bright colors with halo effects

• TornPunk-grunge—messy, authentic aesthetic with torn paper-look, distressed fonts, layered textures, and ransom-note lettering

• Blueprint Aesthetic

• KidCore—cute, playful kawaii-inspired details

Have you set goals yet? What trends up there interest you and which ones have you shaking your head? What are your thoughts on the Pantone color pick?

sources:

• [1] TheChineseZodiac.org

• Pinterest Predicts

• Vogue Scandinavia

• Fashion United

• 99Designs

• Baum+Whiteman

• WWD

• Yelp Food Trends

• Publishing State

IWSG

The first Wednesday of every month is about writing—our fears, missteps, concerns, doubt, and also encouragement, tips, and success stories. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) blog hop is for writers and authors. There’s also a monthly question you can answer.

If you’d like to sign up, click here.

📌Commenters:

If this is your first time here, don’t forget to leave your BLOG URL in your comment so I can visit your blog. You can check to see if you’re in my Blog Roll here!

Happy New Year everyone! What did you toast the New Year with? I celebrated with sparkling apple cider, which is my favorite bubbly beverage! I also celebrated with good quality chocolate. That’s my basic New Year tradition in a nutshell.

I’m always willing to try new things. There’s a tradition in some places to eat pork on New Year’s because the pig roots forward. Austria even makes sweet candy pigs and cookies! And there’s a Victorian custom of gifting peppermint pig candy. It came with a hammer to break it apart so you could share it with friends and family for good luck.

Next year, I might add pig candy or cookies to my menu. 😉

It’s Hot Chocolate Season

Why I do declare, hot chocolate season is in full swing. I like to make mine using bittersweet baker’s chocolate. Depending on how I feel, I use milk only or use a combination of milk and cream. I add a little sugar and some vanilla. I like it thick, but I use a milk frother (or whisk) to lighten it.

For a special treat, my variations include:

• Mint: add Andes Chocolate Mints, I like that over extract. One or two is more than enough.

• Spiced: add cinnamon and nutmeg, and use brown sugar.

• Caramel: heat a good spoonful of caramel sauce with the milk, skip the sugar.

For something extra special, I make my French Hot Chocolate

This recipe serves 8. It’s in my 365 Night’s cookbook.

• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 1/4 cup light corn syrup

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

• 1 quart milk*

Over low heat, stir chocolate chips, corn syrup, and water until chocolate has melted. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until cool. Stir vanilla into chocolate mixture. In another bowl, beat cream while gradually adding the chocolate syrup. Beat until the mixture just mounds. Spoon into bowl and refrigerate. Bring milk just up to the boil.

*Use only the amount of milk necessary for this serving, 4 cups to serve 4, 5 cups to serve 5. To serve, spoon some of the whipped chocolate mixture into a cup, then fill with the hot milk. Stir.

What are your favorite hot chocolate variations? ☕

Originally published in “Down The Rabbit Hole” on Jan. 14, 2022, edited for the website

Holiday Traditions

I love learning about holiday traditions, especially ones that are unique to families or communities. It’s also interesting what we adopt, and we let go.

For example, my mom told me that when she was little on Christmas Eve, after she’d gone to bed, her parents went to “work.” They would decorate the house, bring in the Christmas tree, put up the lights, decorate it, wrap presents, and place them under the tree. Then they would wake her and tell her Santa’s come. She woke up to a wondrous sight. They’d unwrap presents. Finally, her parents would go to bed. She did not keep that tradition. 😉

When I was a kid, every year my mom made a “New Year’s Ball.” It’s a ball with small toys and trinkets hidden in streamers (the kind used for decorating parties). My mom would decorate them with Christmas themes—like elves or reindeer. She would place it by my stocking on Christmas, but I couldn’t open it until New Year’s Day. As much fun as it was to open, it was just as much fun to play in the streamers afterwards.

This year I looked them up. They are “surprise balls,” which seem to have originated in Germany.

“Surprise Balls became vogue in America in the 1950s when a gent named Charles Gregor in New Orleans created, ‘The Surprise Ball: The Toy You Destroy to Enjoy.’”

He based it on a tradition from Germany. “Mothers in Germany taught their daughters how to knit by hiding toys and trinkets in the ball of yarn. As the child knit, she came across little toys and continued knitting.” —source Surprising History of Surprise Balls (note the original page has been removed)

And guess what? They’re making a comeback.

Learn How to Make Surprise Balls, DIY Surprise Balls - HonestlyWTF

Christmas Characters Around the World

I wanted to do an art piece for Christmas. Last year was the Honduras white bat (2020). This year I wasn’t sure what to do. I’ve been nostalgic this year, so I was leaning toward a vintage feel. But what? Then an ad came up for a movie called Krampus. Ah yes. That’s right, there are a bunch of cool not-Santas. So, I did a set of scary and weird Christmas characters from around the world.

• First, La Befana from Italy. She’s an old woman who declined to accompany the Three Kings on their journey. Later she changed her mind, and now wanders looking for the Christ Child. She rides a broomstick and delivers candy (or coal) on January 6th.

• Next up is Tió De Nadal from Catalan, Spain. It’s a . . . wait for it . . . a pooping log. Beginning on December 8th, families put out a small hollow log, which is propped up on legs and has a face painted on it. A blanket is left out for it to keep warm as well as some bits of food. Then on Christmas, they beat the log until it “poops” out gifts.

• Greece has Kallikantzaroi, goblins. These mischievous holiday creatures come out a night during yuletide to create havoc.

• Julbock, the Yule Goat in Sweden, often accompanies Santa on his rounds.

• Ded Moroz, or Father Frost in Russia, delivers presents on New Year’s Eve. He’s typically dressed in blue, but there are many images of him in red as well.

• In Wales, Mari Lwyd is a horse's skull on a pole. Carrying the Mari Lwyd, people go from house to house, singing to gain entry and receive food and drink. People in the home sing back to deny them entry. They go back and forth until one gives up.

• France’s Père Fouettard accompanies St. Nicholas on his rounds. Père whips naughty children. He was an evil butcher who murdered three boys. St. Nicholas resurrected the children and forced Père into working for him. I’m not sure how beating kids atones for one’s sins.

• One more well-known one is Krampus from Germany. He’s a half-goat demon who punishes naughty children on Krampusnacht, the night before the Feast of Saint Nicholas.

• And finally, Iceland’s cat. Jólakötturinn eats anyone who doesn’t receive new clothes for Christmas. It’s believed one is gifted new clothes when they work hard. So, if you didn’t get new clothes, you must have been a lazy layabout. 😉

Those are just a few. There are a lot more and that’s not even including things like the Christmas spider or Christmas pickle!

Happy Holidays!

Do you have a fun holiday tradition? Do you know of any cool Christmas characters? I hope whatever you celebrate, it’s marvelous!

Originally published in “Down The Rabbit Hole” on Dec. 17, 2021, edited for the website

I have been writing though, not as much fiction as I would have liked, but writing is writing and I don’t want to lose that muscle.

This month's ISWG question has to do with gifts for writers. Imma tweak it a bit and show you what I have that you can give your writer and reader friends or yourself! Sometime ago I created an “I write” series. I’ve been redoing them, dropping the “I write,” so it works for genre lovers. I haven’t done them all, but here is a sample. You can see them all here.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday and ring in 2026 with pizzazz!

IWSG

The first Wednesday of every month is about writing—our fears, missteps, concerns, doubt, and also encouragement, tips, and success stories. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) blog hop is for writers and authors. There’s also a monthly question you can answer.

If you’d like to sign up, click here.

📌Commenters:

If this is your first time here, don’t forget to leave your BLOG URL in your comment so I can visit your blog. You can check to see if you’re in my Blog Roll here!

Thanksgiving is almost here. I found some great trivia you can use at your Thanksgiving feast or during cocktail hour if you’re outside the U.S. 😉

But first I will confess a Thanksgiving tradition I don’t like.

It’s going around the dinner table and saying something we are thankful for. I find this to be personal. I don’t want to share it with all the relatives and the people they brought. Sure, I can say, I’m thankful for this food. That was usually my go to, but then people came back with, “Can’t do that, it’s too easy” or “Someone else already said that.” Who makes up these rules? Now, I raise an eyebrow and give a firm, “Skip,” which seems to broker no comment. 😈

Anyway…

Did you know November’s moon is called the Beaver Moon? 🦫🌑According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, this was because both the colonists and the Algonquin tribes set beaver traps during this time, so they’d have furs to keep warm over winter.

Psst: November’s moon has also been referred to as the Digging Moon, Deer Rutting Moon, and the Frost Moon.

Ancient Etruscans (900 BCE-27 CE) believed chickens could foresee the future. The priesthood used hens to predict the future. The art of chicken forecasting is simple: draw a circle in the dirt, divide it into 20 segments, inscribe each with a letter of the Etruscan alphabet, and then sprinkled with some grain. Ask a question. Set a hungry chicken down in the center of the circle and let it peck out the answer.

After divining the future, the priests sacrificed the chicken and removed its wishbone. These were symbols of good fortune, and Etruscans stoked them for good luck and to have their wishes come true.

Then the Romans came in and took over. These sacred bones were now in short supply, and brawls ensued. Wishbones were broken. The holder of the longer piece was the victor—and their wishes would come true.

This is where the phrase “lucky break” comes from.

Of course, the chicken becomes a turkey for Thanksgiving. I wonder if the bigger bones make for better luck.

And…

• In the early 1900s, children dressed in rags and wore masks on Thanksgiving, going door to door, asking, “Anything for Thanksgiving?” They’d receive a piece of candy, a penny, or an apple.

• Frozen turkey bowling.

• Turkey calling competitions.

• The Turducken (chicken inside a duck inside a turkey). I still can’t wrap my head around this one.

Do you have any weird or unusual traditions you’d like to share?

Have a great rest of the month and a Happy Thanksgiving.

Originally published in “Down The Rabbit Hole” on Nov. 14, 2024, edited for the website

Happy Holiday Season

Pretty much no matter who you are or what you celebrate, the holiday season has started. For some of us it started in October 😉

We all handle the holidays differently. I go with low-stress and fun. I had my era of perfecting it and getting to all the friends and families, but I stopped that mumble-mumble years ago. And I love it. We all love it. We still see everyone, we just spread it out. Perfection is a leftover idea from the past. And it’s the imperfections we end up cherishing, is it not? Like...

• the time the dog stole the turkey.

• the year the oven was out so you went on a road trip and had Thanksgiving at a café by a lake.

• the cat knocked over the Christmas tree, twice.

• the Christmas you went to the beach because it was 90°F (32°C) and watched the sunset in Christmas t-shirts.

—Yup, those have all happen to me!

Top 10 Seasonal Joys

This got me thinking about things that make us happy. Not the big events, the little things that bring us joy. Here are my top ten little seasonal joys. In no particular order:

1. The leaves changing color

2. Pumpkin patches

3. Fresh hot apple cider bonus if it comes with apple cider donuts

4. Eating turkey mixed with mashed potatoes 

5. The first snow

6. Christmas lights

7. Snuggling under warm blankets watching a late night movie or movie/tv show marathon (they are abundant this time of year)

8. People walking their dogs in sweaters

9. Beautiful sunrises and sunsets

10. Staying up late reading a good book – sure this is good any season but it’s even better during the holidays

By the way, did you know that catching a falling leaf is good luck? Now ya do!

Tell me what little things makes you happy during the holiday season? 

Originally published in “Down The Rabbit Hole” on Nov. 14, 2022, edited for the website

Coloring Autumn

Colors have always been associated with the seasons. But I take it a little deeper, associating each month with a color. November is orange. September is yellow; October is red.

Growing up in Southern California, it wasn’t due to a change in the leaves that pulled me to orange, but the food: pumpkin, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes. They are some of the best veggies around and make for comforting dishes like pumpkin cookies, pumpkin custard, cinnamon-roasted butternut squash, butternut soup, fried sweet potato fries, and sweet potato pie. . . . . Where was I? Oh, yes—

Smelling & Eating Autumn

This got me thinking … what scent do I associate with the months? November is definitely cinnamon. September is apple cider. October is anise. I couldn’t tell you why it’s anise, but October is most certainly anise.

Then I thought, what about cuisines? November is Thai food. Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup), Thai Cashew Chicken, Pad Thai (fried noodles)—yes, please! September is Mexican (enchiladas and tostadas), while October is Spanish (paella and albondigas soup).

Autumn Feels & Sights

In California, fall is the season of the Santa Anna winds. These are hot, dry, high-pressure winds swooping down from the inland regions. Though they blow all year long, they are the strongest in the autumn. And they are like no other wind. They have a keenly kinetic energy. As kids, this was great for all our imaginary adventures as we forged through the dragon’s breath to find the secret passages.

In New England, the tree leaves. OMGoodness, a breathtaking site to see. The colors are more vibrant on a gray day. I was fortunate enough to drive a stretch of the Kancamagus Scenic Byway on a particulate vibrant fall.

What started this rabbit hole?

The turkey. I wanted to do an illustration for Thanksgiving. Looking for inspiration and “models,” I learned of the beautiful ocellated turkey that’s native to the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, and parts of Belize and Guatemala.

The body feathers are a mix of bronze and green iridescent colors. They don’t have the beard typically found in wild turkeys. Tail feathers are blue-gray with an eye-shaped, blue-bronze spot (ocelli) near the end. Both sexes have blue heads with orange or red nodules. Isn’t he gorgeous?

What do you associate with November?

Originally published in “Down The Rabbit Hole” on Nov. 19, 2021, edited for the website

IWSG Question: When you began writing, what did you imagine your life as a writer would be like? Were you right, or has this experience presented you with some surprises along the way?

I never imagined myself as a writer. I still don’t, which, now that I think about it, might be weird, ‘cause I spend a huge chunk of my day writing! 🤣

The image in this post would be where my brain goes … though hardly realistic.

I suppose the biggest surprise is that I am a writer. It’s harder than being an artist (of drawing and painting), but there are similarities.

The Sameness

• Time spent thinking and planning. In writing, this takes up way more time. Maybe because I’m still a newbie. Though I have a large canvas acrylic piece that is taking a lot of prep work. 🤔

• Both have drafts. Art includes sketches and color palettes; writing has (for me) 50 drafts. Okay, I may be exaggerating.

• Ya gotta know when to stop. Both can be overworked. With a painting, if you go to fall, you scrap it and start over. In writing, if you’ve been saving the various versions, you can go back to the previous one.

I’m still figuring out this life as a writer thing. Honestly, I’m still figuring out life as an artist too.

Hey, what’s the “classic” drink of an author?

Last month I posted several Halloweeny posts, this month it’s Thanksgivingy.

These are all from my old newsletter. This month look for:

• The colors, scents, and sights of fall.

• Top 10 Seasonal Joys

• Thanksgiving Oracles

IWSG

The first Wednesday of every month is about writing—our fears, missteps, concerns, doubt, and also encouragement, tips, and success stories. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) blog hop is for writers and authors. There’s also a monthly question you can answer.

If you’d like to sign up, click here.

📌Commenters:

If this is your first time here, don’t forget to leave your BLOG URL in your comment so I can visit your blog. You can check to see if you’re in my Blog Roll here!

Bats have always been one of my favorite creatures. Fossil records show they’ve been around since the Eocene (that’s 50–55 million years ago) They belong to the Order Chiroptera, which means “hand-wing.”

There’s so many things I could talk about, like how they were once in the Primate order or how there are micro- and megabats (not small vs large but echolocating vs Old World fruit bats). But it’s Halloween season, so I’m talking about superstitions today.

And these ideas are a treasure trove of storytelling possibilities!

Bat Folklore, Old Wives’ Tales, and Superstitions 

• Bats in the house mean death is coming—or that the occupants are moving away soon.

• If you see a bat flying around, a ghost is nearby.

• If you see a colony of bats flying about long before twilight, it’s a sign that good weather is on the way.

• If a bat hits a window or a building, it means it’s going to rain.

• Killing a bat shortens your life.

• Bats in a church during a wedding ceremony is a bad omen.

• If a bat flies into a kitchen and hangs on to the ceiling right away, it’s a lucky omen, but if it circles the room twice before perching, it’s a bad omen.

• Bats flying straight up and then dropping back to earth mean that the Witches Hour has arrived.

• In the West, people perceive bats as evil spirits and have associated them with death, disease, and vampires.

• In Chinese culture, bats are a symbol of luck and good fortune.

• And in Chinese culture, five is a cardinal number, and a grouping of five bats is called Wu Fu, or the Five Blessings, which are Virtue, Health, Long Life, Wealth, and having a Peaceful Death.

• In South Sulawes, Indonesia, farmers believe if flying foxes roost near their rice fields they will have a good harvest.

• In Mexican folklore, bats herald the arrival of the chupacabra, a half-man, half-bat creature that attacks and drinks the blood of livestock.

• Among the Ibibio people of southern Nigeria, if a bat touches someone, that person has become bewitched and will die because something will eat their heart at night. 

• Old folklore in Sierra Leone says that the Hammer-headed Fruit Bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus) sucked the blood of sleeping children until they died. The bats could also to turn into a stone. Side note: there has never been a blood-sucking bat in Sierra Leone.

• Early Slavic societies (specifically Romania) believed that a bat flying over an unburied corpse could reanimate the recently deceased into a vampire.

That’s all I got. Now, you have some conversions starters for the season. I’m sure it will come up in conversation naturally.

Have any I missed? What was your favorite?

Originally published in “Down The Rabbit Hole” on Oct. 15, 2024, edited for the website

Apple Bobbing

There are two “games.” Women mark apples, and men “bob” for them to find their match. The other is for women bobbing. If she gets an apple on her first try, she’d marry her desired mate. Two attempts, the relationship is ill-fated. But more than that? It was never meant to be.

Mirror Gazing

On Hallowee’n look in the glass,
your future husband’s face will pass.

Yup, just look in a mirror in a dark room with a single burning candle on Halloween to see your future spouse.

Dreamland

Place a small piece of wood in a glass of water and place it near your bed. Go to sleep and you shall dream of someone falling off a bridge and into the water. Rescue them as they are your future spouse. Easy peasy.

Throw Your Hair

Snip a lock of your hair off and, at midnight, toss it into the night air. It will blow the direction of your future honey.

Three Cups

Place three cups on a table on Halloween. One empty, one with clean water, one with dirty water. Move them around and send in someone blindfolded. If their fingers land in clean water, they will marry a young person. Dirty, they’d marry a widow, or perhaps marry late in life. If their fingers landed in the empty cup, it’s spinsterhood/bachelorhood for them.

Eating Cake

Cupid’s Cake to be more precise. Similar to King Cake on Mardi Gras, but this cake has a ring in it. Everyone has a slice at midnight. The person who gets the slice with the ring will marry next.

Nut Crack Night

In Scotland and Northern England, an old tradition involved fortune telling with nuts. People wrote names onto nuts. A couple wishing to know their future would put their nuts into a fire. If they burn together, a smooth relationship was to come. But is it jumps, it’s rocky times or an unfaithful mate.

Now you know how to find your future partner!

You're welcome.

Originally published in “Down The Rabbit Hole” on Oct. 13, 2023, edited for the website

The monkey hung by its tail, its body swaying gently in the breeze. No one approached. Maybe it was just playing possum, or maybe it had one of those lab viruses that turned everyone into zombies. Maybe it was a zombie!

We needed to cut off its head. Big pruning shears would do the trick, but there are no garden sheds in the jungle. We did, however, have machetes and duct tape. We could jerry-rig our own.

Someone must do the cutting; no one volunteered. We drew sticks. Of course, I drew the short one.

I took the machete scissors and poked the monkey--just to be sure it was dead. Its eyes opened. It screeched, grabbed me, and clamped its teeth into my skin.

"Vampire monkey!"

…or was it.

✽✽✽

flash fiction, ~2020, word count: 130

‘Tis the season of frights and scary movies. I love fall and I love Halloween. It’s probably why I gravitate to urban fantasy.

I grew up in a rural area—a cow grazed in the pasture next door and the neighbors’ chickens often opted to lay their eggs in our yard. We all knew each other. Trick-or-treating might include a house giving out warm apple cider or home-baked treats.

My elementary school had an annual pumpkin decorating contest. The cafeteria tables and benches were covered in pumpkins decked out with everything imaginable. It was magical. Everyone participated. Everyone received a ribbon.

I still look forward to seeing jack-o’-lanterns and children—and dogs—in costumes, but now I make up a batch of hot chocolate and sit down with a scary story or movie (or two).

Top 7 Halloween Night Movies

These are seven of my favorite flicks, in no particular order.

• Let the Right One In

• The Time of Their Lives

• Lady in White

• Zombieland

• Practical Magic

• The Thing

• What We Do in the Shadows

Top 7 Spooky Stories

Nothing is quite as satisfying as a good scary story. Here’s seven of my favorites!

• The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson

• The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

• Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

• Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

• Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

• Touch the Dark by Karen Change

• Coraline by Neil Gaiman

And a shout out to my friend Denise Covey, she has a spooky read out for the season:

FAST AND FURIOUS SHORT FICTION : HALLOWEEN

Spine-chilling stories to read by the campfire. A bite-sized compelling collection of short stories. Kindle edition: Trick or Treat, Death Comes to Town, The Strange House in the Snow, Monsters are Real, Wired, Murder Most Foul, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Meet me at Union Station, I Remember, and The Hungry Ghost!

What are your favorite Halloween reads and watches?

Originally published in “Down The Rabbit Hole” on Oct. 15, 2021, edited for the website

IWSG Question: What is the most favorite thing you have written, published or not? And why?

Bloodstone. My novel is my favorite due to its complexity (compared to my short stories) and how things came together. I learned so much through the process. Learning to hold back, add a detail, drop characters, every time a scene tightened up, it made me all tingly!

This is where I go off on a tangent. Beta readers are the best! One beta reader caught something I’d left out. A big something. Mom’s grave. Yup, that rather large detail slipped my mind. I added that and a few other key elements, and now that is one of my favorite scenes.

Another beta (thanks Loni) commented that it felt like I had a lot of little mysteries left unresolved, but if it was a series it was okay. Sure, it’s a series, but I didn’t want people to feel like there was too much unresolved. So, I kept an eye out during revisions, and I dropped on and pulled on in this book. It’s about a keyhole in the wall. We get to see it in action, and the last line in the epilogue uses that mystery to [hopefully] propel one into the next book.

Encourage your readers to comment on stuff they like and dislike and why. They don’t know it, but my beta battled over a few scenes. Some loved it; some didn’t. When they can articulate why, you can decide if you need to clarify it—which is probably all you need to do.

If my missed my last post, check it out it’s 13 Things You Might Not Know About Witches!

I have several Halloween-inspired post coming out this month.

I’m leaving you with photos of my garden in the fall.

photos: stinkhorn fungus (it was indeed stinky!), celosia, hibiscus, bee sleeping on my tomatillo, dahlia, ghost plant (dead), pansy,

IWSG

The first Wednesday of every month is about writing—our fears, missteps, concerns, doubt, and also encouragement, tips, and success stories. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) blog hop is for writers and authors. There’s also a monthly question you can answer.

If you’d like to sign up, click here.

📌Commenters:

If this is your first time here, don’t forget to leave your BLOG URL in your comment so I can visit your blog. You can check to see if you’re in my Blog Roll here!

My book, Bloodstone, is about witches. Good ones and bad ones. So, I thought I’d share some witch trivia with you.

13 Things About Witches

1. King James VI of Scotland believed witches existed and were actively plotting treason against him. He wrote a book about witches and demons titled Daemonologie. It was published in 1597.

2. In medieval Europe, witches were women who used black magic (bad magic) against others.

3. Witchcraft could be thwarted with counter-magic provided by the cunning folk, who practiced white magic/good magic.

4. Dame Alice Kyteler (c. 1260) was the first recorded person condemned for witchcraft in Ireland. She was an influential noblewoman, but people didn’t like her due to her Dutch heritage. She was accused of: renouncing the church — therefore, she obviously worshiped the devil, sacrificing animals to her demon lover, having relations with said demon lover, asking demons for advice, holding coven meetings and burning candles in the church at night without permission, making dark magic ointments and potions from body parts of unbaptized children, worms, skulls, and chicken innards, which she used to corrupt her husbands. And lastly, for bewitching and then killing her four husbands. She escaped before the trial, never to be seen again. Her servant wasn’t so lucky.

5. Witches are associated with animals. It’s considered one of their defining features. In some parts of the world, witches can shapeshift into animals or their spirit travels from their body and takes the form of an animal. In other places, witches have animal helpers, known as “familiars.”

6. German churchman and inquisitor Heinrich Kramer, aka Henricus Institor, wrote The Malleus Maleficarum. He wrote how to identify a witch by a “witch’s mark” — any unusual mole, wart, spot on the body. He wrote that torture was an awesome way to get confessions.

7. In the Middle Ages, you might be a witch if you were … independent, defending yourself, poor, or if you knew how to swim — since if you could swim, it’s because the water rejected you. And water rejects witches, I guess.

8. In Sweden, Easter is celebrated with Påskkäring, or the Easter Witch. Children dress as witches and go door to door for treats on Maundy Thursday. This tradition comes from the 15th century, when it was believed that Easter was the witches’ Sabbath.

9. Befana, a good witch, is part of the Christmas celebration in Italy. She was busy when the Three Kings stopped by to invite her to go with them to see the Christ Child. She changed her mind and set out, but she got lost. So, now she heads out every January 5th to deliver candy and toys to children.

10. In medieval Europe, people buried “witch bottles” (jars filled with hair, nails, and urine) to ward off curses and evil spirits.

11. Traditionally considered to be between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., this hour was thought to be when supernatural activity was strongest. —Though it does vary by country.

12. The rise of the “witchcore” aesthetic on platforms like TikTok and Instagram combines witchcraft, magic, herbs, gem collecting, astrology, and tarot.

13. The idea of witches flying on broomsticks may stem from pagan fertility rituals, where hallucinogenic salves were applied with broomsticks and created a “flying” sensation.

And My Witch Book

Amazon | Apple | Kobo | B&N | Books2Read

Originally published in “Down The Rabbit Hole” on Aug. 15, 2024, edited for the website

Back in 2013, I wrote a blog post about first lines in published novels I liked. But today, I want to share with you how the first line of my novel changed over time from rough draft to finished book.

Ready? Here we go:

• My boots clacked on the wet brick pavement.

• The brownstone looked identical to the five other brick buildings that lined the street—three stories, black shutters, elaborate trim decorating the roof, wrought iron rails leading up stairs to a door—however, this one, this building felt different; lonely, almost lost.

• The cab turned down a narrow cobblestone street.

• Standing on the sidewalk with luggage in hand, I tracked the taxi as it made a U-turn, drove back down the street, and disappeared around the corner.

• Mottled yellow leaves drooped from tree limbs like tears waiting to fall.

• My aunt died. 

• I’d never been far from home. 

In the end, my first line:

🥁 🥁 🥁 🥁 🥁 🥁

The chainsaw slid through the last limb.

I’ll tell you a secret. I was walking on a brick path in the rain, listening to my boots clickety-clack and the story popped into my head.

Here’s the the second line.

I hit the kill switch and pushed up my goggles. 

She’s a gardener.

Interesting in reading the book?

Bloodstone

Family secrets hold the key to buried magic. Her legacy awaits.

Katelyn Grey is a gardener in Southern California. She’s content with pruning shrubs and looking after her step-mom, the only family she has left. That is, until a lawyer shows up and tells her that her long-lost aunt died, leaving her the family home on the other side of the country.

Though Katelyn hates to travel, a weird clause in her aunt’s will forces her to visit a quaint New England seaside town. Her world changes when she discovers she’s inherited a haunted brownstone, fickle magic, and a hidden key that someone else wants. And they’re willing to kill for it.

Now, she must learn how to use magic, find the key, and figure out what it’s for before she ends up like her long-lost aunt. Dead.

You can get it here: Amazon | Apple | Kobo | B&N | Books2Read

Originally published in “Down The Rabbit Hole” on May 15, 2024, edited for the website

I don’t know what to write about today. It’s kind of trending for me right now. There is the IWSG question, but it feels like we had something like that recently or maybe I’m just reading about it a lot.

In writing, I’ve mostly been fleshing out my skeletal outline. That’s something! I may not be able to string sentences together at the moment, but jotting down notes, that I can do!

What writerly things do you do when the sentences won’t come?

Super short today.

Look for The Evolution of the First Line posting later this month! It’s how the first line in my novel Bloodstone, started and changed. I originally posted it in my newsletter.

IWSG

The first Wednesday of every month is about writing—our fears, missteps, concerns, doubt, and also encouragement, tips, and success stories. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) blog hop is for writers and authors. There’s also a monthly question you can answer.

If you’d like to sign up, click here.

📌Commenters:

If this is your first time here, don’t forget to leave your BLOG URL in your comment so I can visit your blog. You can check to see if you’re in my Blog Roll here!

In April 1815, Mount Tambora, on the island of Sumbawa in present-day Indonesia, erupted. It’s considered the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded human history. It spewed ash and volcanic matter for over four months.

10,000-11,000 people died from direct volcanic effects, and 49,000-90,000. More died from post-eruption famine and epidemic diseases on Sumbawa, Lombok, and Bali.

The ash dispersed around the world and lowered global temperatures. This triggered extreme weather and harvest failures around the world. The sun disappeared, hidden by ash. Global temperatures dropped by three degrees. Summer temperatures in Europe were the coldest on record. This created major food shortages as crops failed across the Northern Hemisphere.

Gloom. Doom. Rain. Bleak, dark days loomed.

But writers wrote.

Lord Byron wrote Darkness, which begins,

I had a dream, which was not all a dream. The bright sun was extinguish’d…

John Polidori wrote The Vampyre, which has this line,

The sky is changed!—and such a change; Oh, night!

Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein.

How slowly the time passes here, encompassed as I am by frost and snow!

And you, how do you push through? Do you incorporate what’s happening into your writing or go the complete opposite direction?

Originally published in “Down The Rabbit Hole” on Jul. 20, 2023, edited for the website