Category: Uncategorized
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From Sheerie to Jack-o’-Lantern—Luring Travelers to Death
Floating like greenish-gold or cerulean blue orbs over bogs, swamps, and marshland at twilight, water sheerie (SHEAR-ree) appear to be small children or pinky-sized faeries with lanterns. Sometimes murmuring a musical mewl, they entice lost or weary travelers to follow them to a warm, well-lit haven in the distance. But the sheerie never let unsuspecting…
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Audiobooks: Not Just Spoken Books
Now Hear This! Audiobooks Are Not Just Spoken Books, Part 2 Navigating Distribution Channels Come to think of it…Navigating audiobook distributionis not as simple as the “red, right, returning” rule of nautical navigation. No sooner had I cried, “Done!” with recording Chick Stories than I faced getting it to market. My contract with Drew Howard…
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The Changeling—Swapping Life for Life
Although found in many cultures, the Celtic changeling is a faerie that has been exchanged with a human child by other nefarious faeries. The motives for such a swap range from punishment, revenge, and jealousy to a complicated hoax in which the changeling is an elderly faerie who needs to live out his years in…
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Big Grey Man Incites Fear
Enveloped in mist and trailing a dank chill in his wake, Am Fear Liath Mòr (pronounced am fair LEE-ah mor) emerges from the sea as fog to haunt the British Isles. Also known as the Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui in Scotland, he has other names in Ireland—the Brolaghan (which means “a formless or…
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From Flat to Forever
By Deborah E. Garofano, Guest Contributor Come to think of it … We writers can be savvy when we set our minds to it. She breezed into the bar of my favorite restaurant on a steamy July afternoon perfect for lounging in the pool or, in my case, on an all-too-familiar bar stool in air-conditioned…
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Chick Stories now on YouTube
Share the Adventures Lived, Laughter Shared, and Lessons Learned on YouTube Are you a chick? Do you have a story? Do you like eavesdropping on other women’s stories? Then this channel is for you. Inspired by Chick Stories, the memoir and presented in short, casual conversations, the Chick Stories YouTube Channel features women sharing their…
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Kelpie Hauntings
Typically appearing as a strong, magnificent stallion or a gentle, lost pony, the kelpie was a malevolent shapeshifting spirit that haunted the lochs (lakes) and deep rivers of the Scottish Highlands. With the legendary strength of 10 horses and a wet, dripping mane, its tail crashed like thunder when it hit the water. The kelpie…
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From 1976 to 2026: A Nostalgic Time Warp
Reflecting on America’s 250th anniversary, the author reminisces about their experiences during the 1976 Bicentennial in Philadelphia. They participated in a fellowship that combined American literature with historical explorations, observing cultural shifts over fifty years. The nostalgic recollection contrasts past patriotism with contemporary societal changes, highlighting enduring values amidst evolving contexts.
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Caorthannach—A Fire-Spitting Demon
Considered by some to be the devil’s mother, by others as the forebearer of all things wild who claimed birth and death to herself, and yet others as the progenitor of all the gods, Caorthannach (KEER-hawn-nock) is known to the Celts as the Fire Spitter. An oilliphéist (great sea monster), she haunted swamps and lakes,…