Category: Uncategorized
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Comeuppance of Gratitude
Come to think of it,gratitude is neither the key to success nor a lock on it Gratitude is easy when the roof above is Spanish tile, the rug below is silk Tabriz, and your organic bread is buttered with Kerrygold butter. But when life kicks you in the gut, gratitude can gasp and chug, like…
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Merrow Steals Hearts and Wealth
Alluring yet ambivalent, the Merrow is a sea faerie, famous for stealing men’s hearts and wealth. With her glistening, fish-like tails hidden by waves, she would seduce sailors and fishermen as she posed on rocky precipices, combing her windblown, radiant hair. As a solitary faerie, the merrow has a natural antipathy toward humans. According to…
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Headless Dullahán—An Ancient Agent of Death
Like the banshee, the Dullahán is a harbinger of death. Unlike a banshee, though, the Dullahán does not warn. When he stops riding and calls out a name, death is swift and imminent. Commonly known as the Headless Horseman or Gan Ceann (pronounced gan chann, meaning “without a head”), Dullahán means “dark man.” Clad in…
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The Leprechaun—A Dangerous Trickster
Saint Patrick, who is revered for having single-handedly converted Ireland from Celtic paganism to Christianity, is nonetheless associated with a very pagan character—the leprechaun. With a reputation for chicanery and a predisposition toward foul play, the legendary trickster may be the embodiment of an ironic last laugh. Leprechauns In general, leprechauns are solitary, dangerous, and…
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Maximize Book Success with Amazon Reviews
Come to think of it,are you relevant? This afternoon, a friend told me she had just finished reading Chick Stories. She related a story in her own life that was similar to one of mine. “One of the reasons I wrote the memoir,” I said, “was to encourage readers to connect with the adventures lived,…
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Banshee Legends—Keen on Death
My fascination with Celtic mythology began with the 1959 movie Darby O’Gill and the Little People. It wasn’t O’Gill’s obsession with the mischievous leprechauns that caught my attention. Nor was it the handsome Sean Connery, or even the pretty young girl who fell over a cliff—and for him. It wasn’t even the headless horseman who…
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Engaging Readers: The Real Timeline Behind Writing a Book
Come to think of it, the clock starts ticking as soon as the reader is engaged. A reader recently asked me how long it took to write a book. According to Reedsy, a self-described “ecosystem for authors and publishing professionals,” it takes most authors between six months and a year to write a book (based…