Meet the Fae of the 21st Century

Here’s the thing Reader, I LOVE a research rabbit hole. When I’m learning about something new, my mind runs down every possible path to find out what might be related or connected to the idea I started with. For example, as I mentioned last time, I started researching fairy rings after watching an episode of Bluey (the Australian kid's cartoon). My first question was: do fairy rings make you dance? (As the episode of Bluey suggested). The answer was Yes! Entering a fairy ring will cause you...

There's a lot of shitty things happening in the world right now, Reader, from devastating fires to unjust wars to selfish politicians to wild weather and on and on and on. And while I'd rather deep dive into folklore topics, I learned something disturbing yesterday that I wanted to amplify here. There are a gazillion social/environmental problems with AI and a few lifesaving benefits, but the latest news about them hurts my book-loving heart! These damned companies are buying rare books en...

It all started with… a nap. Not a kiss. Not a spell. Not a curse, but a nap. Every spring, I think of Thomas the Rhymer, who fell asleep under a Hawthorn tree and woke to meet none other than the very Queen of Elves. It was a fateful moment that changed his life forever, as the kiss, the spell, and the curse would soon follow. Ever since I heard the tale and subsequently fell into a research hole on Hawthorn trees, I wondered why Thomas chose that particular tree to sleep under. The web...

Reader, I want to take you somewhere wild and ancient… and just a little bit eerie. We’re heading into the misty Highlands of Scotland to meet a figure who’s older than the mountains themselves: the Cailleach. (sounds a bit like the word kayak) If you’ve never heard of her before, don’t worry. She’s not as famous as Nessie or the kelpies, but honestly? She might be one of the most powerful beings in all of Scottish folklore. The Cailleach—sometimes called the “Veiled One” or the “Hag of...

Well, Reader, the sun now sets at 4:30pm and it finally snowed! Which means it's officially winter season and the elves and trolls are coming! Icelandic folklore is full of stories of trolls and elves (or as they call them, the Huldufólk), but have you noticed how many of them seem to take place during the winter? This happens for several reasons. #1 - The sun largely disappears across most of the island. In the south-west capital city of Reykjavík, on the shortest day of the year, the sun...

Click Here for Free Sci-Fi and Fantasy November Reads Remember, remember the fifth of November. The gunpowder, treason, and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot. On this day, 420 years ago, Guy Fawkes and his friends attempted to blow up England’s parliament to kill King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) and reinstate a Catholic regime. And this year, I did forget. Initially. Except, I’m doing a bit of research on the Scottish Witch Trials in the 17th...

Hey Reader, have you ever reread a book or rewatched a movie from your childhood and finally understood the main message? For example, when I was 4 or 5 The Sound of Music was my favourite movie. I would watch it several times per year and still know all the songs by heart. I knew the storyline well—at least what my child brain could register. I distinctly remember watching it again when I was 12, having just studied WWII in school and was stunned to understand who the Nazis were for and...

Hey Reader, Is there something you wish you knew more about folklore, Iceland, writing, or my stories? Go ahead, ask me anything. If I don't know the answer, I'll get it for you from my trusted sources. Because here's the thing... there is a lot of fake information out there. Especially about Iceland. Whether it's the language barrier, not having access to experts, or content creators valuing clicks over truth. What makes me your trustworthy source? >> On Iceland: My grandfather was...

Well, Reader, I'm late to the ACOTAR party. That's the short form for the book "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas. I've heard A LOT about this book, both positive, negative, and indifferent, but I'm only on chapter five, so I don't have an independent opinion yet. Yesterday, however, I stumbled on a Reddit discussion of the villains in the ACOTAR series. Contributors were discussing what they loved, hated, and wished Maas had done differently. which prompted me to consider my...