| My month has been wild but I am looking forward to the holidays. I’m excited because I have a new nephew. He is adorable and weirdly enough has three kidneys. The doctor told my sister that more people have extra organs than you would think. Now, I am wondering if I have something extra like a spleen. LOL Did you know that Amazon has series pages? I didn’t! Could you give me a review on the Red Witch Chronicles page? This is a new feature and I don’t have any reviews there yet. Thank you! I’m doing something a little different for this email. I am going not use pictures since I was told that they don’t always show up for people. If you don’t like it, let me know! |
| What am I researching now? Jinns Crafted from smokeless fire, the shapeshifting jinni (known as ‘genie’ in the Western world) are far more important, and frightening, than pop culture would have us believe. Jinn are powerful, emotional beings capable of living for thousands of years. This video is a fun introduction to the Jinn. The Bandage Man The Bandage Man is a phantom of a man completely wrapped in bandages that haunts this small community. The bloody figure, who smells of rotting flesh, jumps into vehicles passing on a road outside of town, notably pickup trucks or open-topped cars, but also sedans, station wagons, and even sports cars. He haunts Cannon Beach in Oregon which is mentioned in Book 3 as a place where Red and Vic did a case. Window Areas In his Strange Creatures From Time And Space, John Keel writes about “window areas”: “We have a theory. It is not very scientific but it is based upon the known facts. These creatures and strange events tend to recur in the same areas year after year, even century after century…” This concept of certain locations drawing mystical energy or being on the cusp of dimensions ties in heavily to the setting in Small Town Witch.. Mae West Born in Brooklyn in 1893, Mae West always knew she was destined for more than life as a staid Victorian housewife. “I was a child of the new century just around the corner,” she writes in her 1959 autobiography, “and I ran towards it boldly.” I am fascinated by Old Hollywood and the vaudevillian days. I have an idea for a paranormal historical set in this time period. |
| What the readers’ recommend! I asked in the last newsletter for reader recommendations and ya’ll came through with a lot of recs! They all seemed pretty interesting, and eclectic across genres, so I decided to share some of them! The Firstborn Daughter by Laurel Quinn – Harper Chase is blindsided by her father’s sudden decision to sell the family business, as well as her magic. Uncanny Kingdom by David Brussel – The UK is under siege by supernatural forces, and it’s up to three unlikely heroes to save the realm from annihilation… The 13th Witch by Mark Hayden – Norse gods in twenty-first century England. Awaken Online by Travis Bagwell – Tired of video games and books where you always hear the hero’s tale? Perhaps it’s time to embrace your evil side! Signs of Portents by Lou Paduano – Portents is a city like no other and Detective Greg Loren can’t wait to escape. |
| Reads to Sink Your Fangs Into |
| If you want more to feed your kindle with, you can check out these collections I curated: Demons, Darkness, and Dangerous Women They aren’t damsels in distress. Vampire assassins, werewolf hunters, and supernatural women just trying to make it in a modern moonlit world- these are the badass women of urban fantasy. Modern Vampires In mythology, you should never invite a vampire into your home. One false move, one stretch of the neck, and you could find yourself prey. The thrill is in the danger. Seductive, dangerous, and good to the last drop- these are the books for vampire fans. Upcoming Releases I asked the Fans of Urban Fantasy group for all the indie Urban Fantasy/Fantasy/SFF titles that are releasing in the next 2 months. You can find the list on my website (click here). Two spotlights include: Cormorant Run By JC McKenzie – the latest in Raven Crawford world. This features Cora, a Crawford sibling, on a solo adventure. Magic Sacrificed by Elizabeth Kirke – Rise of the Arcanist is a complete six-book serial. This is the last. |
