Happy Holiday #Book #SALE - #awardwinning #paranormal #darkfantasy #99cents #bestseller

Happy Holiday SALE

My award-winning books are 99 cents until the end of December!
Happy reading!

AMAZON US
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#FolkloreThursday - #Scandinavian Water Spirits

This is Part Two of Folklore Thursday - Scandinavian Water Spirits.
You can read Part One HERE

Bjørn som Tegner GFDL

CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Fossegrim

Fossegrim is a troll or water spirit who plays the fiddle. An exceptionally talented fiddler, he is often willing to teach his skills in exchange for food offerings. Many stories tell of travelers who have tried to offer something less than acceptable, resulting in the traveler being taught to tune rather than play his instrument. Fossegrim can also lure travelers into lakes and streams in order to drown them.

 

 

 

 

Theodor Kittelsen [Public domain],

via Wikimedia Commons

Nøkken

The nøkken is a fresh water relative of Fossegrim. The nøkken is especially attracted to women and children and will play the violin to lure them onto thin ice where he is waiting for them. Nøkken can shapeshift into a horse or a man. In their horse form, they will try and make the victim touch their long tail. If they do, the victim will often become stuck and dragged under the ice into the depths of the lake. The nøkken are particularly dangerous after sunset. Swimmers can protect themselves by throwing steel into the water. The nøkken may also be defeated by calling out their name, which causes them to lose power. 

Draugen

A draugen is the spirit of someone who died at sea. Always evil, they exist only to guard undersea treasure and drown the living. They wear fisherman's clothing, have sharp teeth, skin made of rotting fish scales and a tangle of seaweed where their head should be. The draugen also have magical abilities. They can affect your dreams, shapeshift, control the weather, and walk through stone. They sail the seas in half of a boat with weathered sails. If a traveler spots a draugen, they are in mortal danger unless they can race the draugen and win.

#MeatlessMonday - Grandmother's Apple Dumplings #British #dessert #recipe

My British grandmother was a wonderful cook, especially when it came to desserts. Before she emigrated to America, she worked as a housekeeper for a well-to-do manor house in Sheffield, England. She would tell me many stories about England and how much she missed it. I loved hearing them and found myself pining for the green hills of Yorkshire with her. Many years after her death I was able to travel to her birthplace and saw why she missed it so. My latest paranormal novel, Whispers in the Wood, is a nod to her as it takes place in England.
This was one of my favorite childhood recipes she taught me how to make. If you don't wish to venture into homemade pastry, frozen sheet pastry will do (buy enough for two pies). Enjoy!

Ingredients 

Pastry

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
5-7 T cold water

Cut shortening into flour and salt mixture until it resembles small peas. Add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until pastry sticks together. Roll out into a thin sheet and cut into 4 squares.

Apples 

4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
Fill each core with a pat of butter, a teaspoon of sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon

*Wrap each apple with pastry, closing the top like a drawstring purse, and set in a baking pan.

Sauce

Mix:
1-3/4 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
3T butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Boil mixture for 3 minutes and pour over pastry wrapped apples.

Bake uncovered at 500F for 5-7 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350F and bake for 35-40 minutes more. Enjoy with tea (of course!) and a good book.

#FolkloreThursday - Trolls, Hulder, and Nattmara - #Scandinavian Mythological Beings

Theodor Kittelsen [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Part One - Scandinavian Mythological Beings

In Scandinavian folklore, there are several kinds of mythological beings. Trolls (jotnar), hulder and nattmara, to name a few. 
Trolls (jotnar) are said to dwell in isolated rocks, mountains, or caves. They often live together in small family units but are rarely helpful to humans. They are towering, stone-like creatures with colossal limbs. Some of them are so unkempt that plants will root in their skin. The ugliest jotnar can have single eyes or multiple heads. It is said they turn into stone when exposed to sunlight. Trolls are traditionally dim-witted creatures, boasting brute strength and a connection with nature.

Bernard Evans Ward [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The hulder are seductive creatures and can easily be mistaken for attractive humans. They have beautiful voices that mimic wind or water. It is said they can lure men into caves or forests in order to suck the life from them. The only giveaway to their deceptive form is they have a cow or fox-like tail, which they usually keep hidden. If a hulder can convince a man to marry them in a church, that tail falls off and they will become human. However, their beauty will also be lost and the hulder transforms into an ugly creature.

Nattmara (nightmares) are a race of female werewolves. They appear as a pale, skinny woman with long black hair and talon-like fingernails. They have the ability to turn themselves into sand and slip through the smallest crack. Once they've breached the home, they straddle the victim's chest at night to cause nightmares. Nattmara could also tangle one's hair so that the knots would have to be cut out. In some tales, they are similar to the banshee in that they are a death omen. The nattmara would leave a dirty poppet behind to cause a member of the family to contract tuberculosis. To avoid being targeted by a nattmara, a person could leave shoes (or nail a horseshoe) at/to the foot of the bed. Supposedly, the nattmara would see this are being an uncrossable boundary or find them distracting. They would then leave that person alone.

Stop by next Thursday for Part Two: Scandinavian Water Spirits

Tangled Tuesday - National Novel Writing Month #NaNoWriMo

It's National Novel Writing Month 

Committed to writing 50,000 words in the 30 days of November?

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun approach to doing just that. 

On November 1, participants can work towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.

NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.

 Many of my author friends are participating and what a great way to kick a novel into high-gear.
I thought I'd post a collection of photos to inspire anyone looking for photo prompts.
A picture is worth 1000 words, right?
All of the photos are mine (except for the old car, skull and apples, and the shoes, which are Creative Commons) and you are welcome to use them on Twitter.  Good luck!

May you be inspired to write The Next Great Novel... 

#MeatlessMonday - Tomato and Brown Rice Soup #vegan #vegetarian

This is a very easy recipe to make and it's vegan. Enjoy!

Photo courtesy of FOX via Pexels

Tomato and Brown Rice Soup

Ingredients:


1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped leeks
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup chopped carrots
3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable stock
1 - 16-ounce can diced tomatoes

6 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 cup brown rice, cooked
Salt and pepper to taste


Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the leeks, red bell pepper, carrots and garlic. Sauté over medium heat until the leeks are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock, diced tomatoes, spinach and parsley. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Blend in food processor.

Cook the brown rice according to directions. Add rice to soup.

Season with salt and pepper. Heat and serve. Voila! Dinner is served!