Spooky Season: Vampires!

It’s my favorite time of year! The leaves are changing, the weather is cooling and it’s spooky season! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays (when my house isn’t haunted–which it isn’t… currently).

This month I wanted to talk about the two classic Halloween monsters, vampires and werewolves. So first… a brief history about vampires–which is surprising and kinda cool!

Vampires in Legend

After a quick google search, I thought I’d find that the first legends of the vampire came from Vlad III (or Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula) from Romania. Vlad III was a ruler who was known for his barbaric executions by impaling. I’ve read articles and seen documentaries about him and how his name inspired the name of Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula. (Have you read it? It’s a great read!)

But he was not the first! The first was inspired by a legend about a man named Jure Grando Alilović or Giure Grando. There isn’t much information about his life, but he lived in a small village in what is now Croatia, died in 1656, and was buried in the local cemetery. Shortly after he was buried, legend says that Jure would rise from his grave and could be seen walking through town and knocking on doors**shudders** Whenever he knocked on a door, a person of that household would die a few days later. They said that he came back to eat them… ugh… 

Jure terrorized the town for 16 years until the mayer finally decided to recruit some brave young men to stop him. They tried stabbing him with a hawthorn stick, but couldn’t penetrate his skin. Finally, one man decapitated his corpse with an axe and the terror stopped.

 https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/jure-grando-and-first-documented-case-vampirism-europe-006640

I recognized two things as I was researching that I thought were cool since they’re related to two very popular vampire series. 

First, the name the called the creature who knocked on doors was called strigon which is very similar to the strigoi of the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead.

Second, was that the children of Jure Grando fled from Croatia to Volterra, Italy at a young age. If you’re a Twihard, you know that Volterra is where the original vampires of the Twilight universe, the Volteri, live.

Which has the better vampire: 

Twilight or Vampire Academy?

I want to know which vampires you like better! If you haven’t read the books/series, I put a brief description below.

Twilight 

Immortal, glistens in the sun, drinks blood of animals, is insanely strong, dies in sunlight

Vampire Academy (two types)

Moroi - mortal, drinks blood but also eats food, has elemental magic, the sunlight is uncomfortable

Strigoi - Immortal, insanely strong, has no humanity, dies in sunlight

Tell me in the comments which is your favorite!

More Books with Fae Creatures

Last week I told you about all the cool creatures in the Raven Court series, but there are so many other fae books/series that also have awesome creatures.

Here are a few:

Hanna Sandvig’s Faerie Tale Romance novels are fairy tale retellings all set in Faerie! She has a few that overlap with the Raven Court, but with a different twist.

• Cait Sìth - A powerful race of fae who can shift into the form of a black cat nine times. The ninth time they are trapped in cat form forever.

• Cirein-cròin- Giant sea serpents, rumored to eat whales or even large ships. - These sound terrifying!

• Cù Sìth - giant green hounds with glowing red eyes. Their bark is an omen of death. - Also cool/scary

• Peiste - Giant serpents that lurk in lakes, bogs, and moats.

• Poukha - Shape shifters. Natural form is like a shaggy black cat crossed with a rabbit. They are prone to mischief.

• Sheerie - also called will-o’-the-wisp. A tiny winged faerie that lives near swamps and often guides travelers to their doom.

I got these directly from her website. If you want to read about more of here creatures you can view them on her faerie glossary: https://hannasandvig.com/faerie-glossary/

And you can find Hanna’s books here: 

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Tessonja Odette has two series set in Faerie. Entangled with Fae is also a series of fairy tale retellings in fae. And The Fair Isle Trilogy is an epic series set in the same world.

• kelpies and puca - water horses similar to the cabyll ushtey

• selkies - women who shift into seals with a sealskin

• sylphs - air spirit

• centaurs, fauns, and satyrs

You can find Tessonja’s books here: 

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Rose Garcia’s Fae Bloodlines series are probably most similar to the Raven Court series since they are both portal fantasy with the contemporary world. Her world of Faerie has some epic creatures. 

• Enbarr - a horse that can traverse both land and sea

• Rarog - a fire demon in the appearance of a fire bird or phoenix

You can find Rose’s series here:

I hope you’ve enjoyed a month of fae creatures!! Next week will be a September wrap up, then we’ll switch gears to a more spooky/Octobery topic.

Raven Court Fae Creatures

A couple weeks ago I told you about some of my favorite creatures of faerie that I’ve learned about while researching and writing the Raven Court Series. Now I have another confession…

I twisted some of the lore to fit Aria’s and Amberle’s stories. Meaning… some of the details in the realm of Faerie–both the Raven Court series and Courting Fae Thieves and Crowns–are fictional. Or even more fictional than the lore. Like… I made then up. *gasp!*

Some of the reasons I did this is because the real legends can be very gruesome and terrifying. Since my novels and stories are on the lighter side, I wanted to tone this down. Another reason I took some artistic liberties is because I couldn’t find the exact details or information while researching what I needed for certain scenes, so I added my own or changed a few things.

Here are some of the ways I’ve fictionalized certain fae creatures.

• Cabyll-ushtey - To create my cabyll-ushteys, I also took from legends of kelpies which are horse-like or pony-like, luring men to jump on their backs then jumping into a body of water to devour them.

  The cabyll-ushteys in Aria and Amberle’s world have two different forms. On land, they look like typical horses–although they are some sea-like color of green, or gray, or blue. In the water, their snouts become hook-like, their manes lengthen and look like seaweed and their teeth sharpen because they are carnivores. When a rider hops on their back, they stick like glue to it (I found this detail in my research, but I can’t remember which water horse-like creature it was) and if they aren’t tamed they will drag them down to the depths and eat them. 

• Cait sith - In my Raven Court world, they are large, intelligent cats with a bit of magic. They haven’t played a huge role yet, but they are being featured more prominently in Courting Fae Thieves and Crowns.

• Will-o’-the-wisp - will-o’-the-wisp or wisps are found all throughout my fae stories. But they are semi-intelligent creatures who flit around creating ambience light for revels (while also enjoying themselves) and on sconces of palaces (as directed by palace staff/royalty). They are a bluish or green color, and their counterparts, the light wisps are made up and are colored more warmly in yellows, oranges and pinks.

  In Courting Fae Thieves and Crowns, a light wisp is also a companion creature. 

• Morrigu - If you’ve read Exiling a Fae Queen, you know that Iris is a morrigu. She can shift into a raven and back again. There are also a group of morrigu in the main Raven Court series who create some havoc. They are more or less just raven shifters.

The creatures of the Raven Court world don’t end with these four. Here is a list of more creatures that can be found in the realm of Faerie

Sylph - air spirit

Cu sith - canine version of cait sith

Foul fiend flibbertigibbet

Div - demons of Persian mythology

Phouka - trickster shapeshifter

Top Nine Fae Tropes (I love)

I had only read a few fae books before I decided to write a series set in fae, but as I brainstormed different tropes and elements, I read a LOT of fae books. I’ve made a list of my favorite tropes and elements.

#9: Mortal main character heroine

I love this because it’s the everyday person being thrown in the dangerous world of fae. Meaning, that any reader can imagine themselves in this fantasy world.

#8: Dangerous faerie food

Something that looks as harmless as an apple can do crazy things to a mortal in faerie. From making them intoxicated, to causing any future human food they eat again to taste like dirt, I love it when faerie food creates tension and an added layer of danger to the protagonist. 

#7: Enemies to lovers romance

The main couple start out hating each other and doing things to be mean or get away from each other, but by some forced proximity or duty they have to spend time with each other until they lurve each other. *swoon*

#6: Revels

A party with lots of food, dancing, a moody atmosphere where anything can happen.

#5: Different courts

I love the political intrigue of the different courts which are usually tied with the seasons (summer, winter, autumn and spring). In many fae books depending on the season determines which court is in power. All four are within the Raven Court series with the addition of the Underwater Court and, of course… the Raven Court.

#4: Glamour

Magid that only the fae possess to disguise themselves, make themselves invisible to human eyes, or make their features more attractive. (especially the really ugly, terrifying types of fae)

#3: Broody fae prince

The main love interest is usually this character. He’s the bad boy type who is a little cruel or maybe just cranky. Who doesn’t love a tall, dark and handsome love interest?

#2: Unique/fictional creatures

Whether from actual lore, or fictional ones the author created, I love seeing the characters interact with the different fae creatures. (I mean… I’m spending an entire month talking about fae creatures, so that HAD to be on the list.)

#1: Forced to dance

I love LOVE this trope! When the main romantic couple are forced to dance and they don’t want to, but also when it’s the type of faerie dance that a mortal can’t stop themselves (so they must dance until they collapse with exhaustion.) And then the couple must get over their animosity toward each other because the fae prince is suddenly panicked that the mortal girl will be hurt or killed by this dangerous dance.

Types of Fae (fay, fairy, faerie, etc.) Creatures from Legend and Why They’re Cool

Confession: I didn’t know much about fae books or even fae creatures when I began researching/brainstorming for my Raven Court series. I wasn’t already a die-hard fan of fairies.

So… being a dutiful author, I bought a book. The Element Encyclopedia of Fairies has been my right-hand vat of information since the beginning. From there, I have found and implemented lots of fae creatures from actual legends.

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Cabyll-ushtey - a water horse that frequents the banks after dark and was believed to steal cattle and young children.  

  Why (I think) they’re cool: Horses are always seen as docile creatures, or companions of man, so I liked the idea of a horse that is more like riding a tiger or a shark. Something powerful and fast… that could also eat you. I’m also a huge fan of Maggie Steivfator’s Scorpio Races which is all about the carnivorous water horses: capaill uisce.

• Cait Sith - is a fairy cat who is thought to be a witch turned into a cat. When a person dies, their body must be carefully watched because if a cait sith leaps over the corpse, it can steal its soul.

  Why (I think) they’re cool: Magical cats? Need I say more? Cats are always surrounded by mystery and suspicion so it only makes sense that they’re featured so much in different lore.

• Will-o’-the-wisp - are small lights seen over marshes or swamps and sometimes in graveyards. It’s said these lights are created by fairies to lure travelers away from safety. 

  Why (I think) they’re cool: Just imagine walking through a dark forest and seeing these lights. Then wanting to see what they are or where they lead, ending up lost in the woods! I imagine they’re beautiful, mysterious and terrifying all at once.

• Morrigu - I wanted to focus on creatures of faerie this month and dive into humanoid faerie creatures in a future month, but the morrigu fit in both. They are women who manifest as ravens or crows who have magical powers to stir emotions during war. They cause confusion, stir fury or bestow courage on their chosen victors in battle. 

  Why (I think) they’re cool: I’ve always had a fascination with crows and ravens. It probably has something to do with my love for walking through cemeteries and always seeing crows in cemeteries. So a strong, warrior-like woman who shifts into a crow or raven just seems super cool!

I accidentally... got a dog!

You read that right. My family accidentally got a dog. Haha.

A little background, my husband has wanted a dog since we were married 17 years ago. I've never had a dog and I've never felt it was the right time. First, we both were in school and working full time and I didn't want to leave a pet at home all day. Then when kids started coming in the picture, I didn't want to deal with babies and diapers while also stressing about a dog.

But my baby just turned 6, so we're no longer in the baby stage. We've kicked the idea around, but haven't been serious about it yet because of upcoming vacations and an upcoming renovation.

So here's what happened. We were having a hot dog roast at my in-law's house when their neighbor's cocker spaniel puppies came over to play. My kids love playing with the puppies. We were talking about dogs and puppies and I pulled up Facebook marketplace to see what sorts of dogs were in our area and costs, and rescues, etc.

I looked for about 5 seconds, then put my phone down.

The next thing I knew, I was getting messages. The first one said:

“Yes, we have 1 puppy left.”

I realized… whoops! I accidentally hit the “Is this available?” button on one of the dogs I had just searched.

I was just going to ignore it and set my phone down again, but then I got another message with pictures:

“This is the puppy we have left.”

Then…

“Would you like to come by tonight and look at her?”

By this point, I realized I should probably respond and showed the messages to my husband, like haha look what I accidentally did!!

Straight faced, he looked at me and said, “let's go see her.”

The location was close to our house, so at 9pm Saturday night, we pulled up to this house and before we exited the car, my husband said “prepare yourself, because I'm not going to say no to getting a puppy."

And we fell in love.

Then of course, it was a mad dash to the grocery store to get some dog food and bowls, etc, but now we have a family dog!

Her name is Shadow and she's half Alaskan, half Siberian husky.

...It was the best of times...

When was the last time you had one of those moments or events in your life where you just knew that you'd remember it for the rest of your life?

I recently attended Storymakers Conference--a writers conference--and several of my author friends came too. I've been a part of an author mastermind group for two years, and out of the thirteen of us who meet via zoom once a week, SEVEN of us were there! (the seven of us are in the bottom right picture)

I had some amazing conversations, reconnected with old friends, and I have not laughed so hard in a LONG time!

I also got a copy of The Giver signed by Lois Lowry!! It was an epic weekend!

Top 5 favorite oldies...

Do you like classic literature? There was a period in my life when I'd ONLY read classics. I had to read a lot of them in college and I preferred them for a long time--along with the occasional sci-fi book recommended by my dad. But then… I found young adult books. Fantasy, spec fiction specifically (ahem… Twilight!) I haven't read any classics in a while because now I'm all about the fantasy and the sci fi books, but I've read a lot!

Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order except for the first one):

1. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë

2. Watership Down, by Richard Adams

3. East of Eden, John Steinbeck

4. King Lear, Shakespeare

5. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens

In this weeks Reading Queens Podcast, Valia Lind, Hanna Sandvig, and I talked about classic literature. You should listen!

READING QUEENS

I shouldn't do this... but I'm gonna!

I’m in love!

I had to share a tiny piece of the art I commissioned for Courting Fae Thieves and Crowns. Isn’t it lovely?

WRITING UPDATE: I wrote a bunch of RAVEN COURT #4 last week! It's so fun to be back in Aria's world and writing about the craziness that's happening in her story! I *may* have a preorder link for that book soon. I'll let you know!

Episode #43 of Courting Fae Thieves and Crowns launched last Friday and Episode #44 launched today!

You can start reading it here: Courting Fae Thieves and Crowns.

Tis the season for Giveaways!!

This week has been HARD!! I won't get into the details, but it's just been a really hard, exhausting week and it's not over yet. But I'm okay. I'm surviving!

I am really excited for some artwork I commissioned for COURTING FAE THIEVES AND CROWNS. It's not finished yet, but the drafts I've seen so far are AMAZING!! I can't wait to share it with you! (and order some swag with it so I can give some away!!)

I have a few giveaways going on right now. I'm sharing one with you today, then I'll share another one with you next week (so make sure to check your email!) I also have several friends who have upcoming and current book releases, so get ready to hear about a bunch of amazing new releases!

Here’s the first giveaway: FANTASY PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY