Fairies, Myths, & Magic II

Let’s welcome a special guest to Entertaining Stories today. Coleen is a long-time friend and she has something to share with us today. This is her newest book baby, so feel free to use those sharing buttons. She also shares one heck of a great story hook. She also has a prize to be drawn from those who leave comments along her tour.

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Thank you, Craig for the opportunity to share the news of my new book, just in time for the winter solstice and Yule.

Every Halloween, Craig joins me to celebrate the holiday. I think we’ve done this for eight years now, so I couldn’t think of anyone better to share my spooky Halloween tale with from Fairies, Myths, & Magic II, called The Changeling.

In this second book in the series, I start with late autumn and work forward into winter and Yule.

What do you know about the scary fairies? Celtic traditions share with us the fey, or Good Neighbors, are nothing to mess around with. During the darkness of autumn and into winter, the Unseelie Court of fairies makes its appearance. The darkness and lack of sunlight during this time of year spawned many a myth and tale.

Here’s a short excerpt from The Changeling, in Fairies, Myths, & Magic II:

“Alyssa, it’s time to come inside. Daddy’s home.”

Trish stepped outside and shielded her eyes against the red glare of the setting sun. She surveyed the backyard in a tight squint. The play area revealed two empty swings swaying in their own rhythm in the hot desert breeze. The door to the playhouse stood ajar, and the tiny curtains fluttered against the windows.

“Alyssa? Did you hear me? Daddy’s home.”

In the afternoon heat, Trish pushed the hair off her damp forehead and walked to the side of the house. Her footsteps crunched in the loose gravel. In the far corner of the yard, the wrought iron gate yawned open.

“What’s the matter? Where’s Alyssa?” David stepped outside and loosened his tie.

Trish jumped at the sound of David’s voice. “I don’t know. She was here before you pulled into the driveway. She was trying on her Halloween costume to show you how cute she looked. She went out back to play until you came home. You know, Alyssa never leaves the backyard.”

Bile burned the back of Trish’s throat. She gagged. Her breath caught, and terror sucked the breath from her lungs. Something wasn’t right. She felt it in the energy that swirled around her in a dense, vibrating whirlwind. It was the same sensation she felt before a monsoon hit and when electrical charges filled the desert sky with bolts of lightning.

David pulled her into his arms. “Shhhh… I’ll look in the front yard and down the street. She can’t be far. Meanwhile, check with the neighbors. You know how Alyssa loves Mrs. Craymore’s cat. She could be next door.”

Trish wrapped her arms around David’s waist. Her tears soaked his shirtfront. “What if someone took her?” Her voice sounded small in the descending eventide.

“Don’t jump to conclusions. Come on, go check with the neighbors, and I’ll meet you out front in a few minutes after I look around.”

David gently wiped the tears from Trish’s eyes with his fingers.

“Find Alyssa. I’ll check with Mrs. Craymore.”

Trish hurried down the street in the opposite direction.

~ ~ ~

Do David and Trish find their daughter, Alyssa? And what do the fairies have to do with her disappearance? Learn the answers and more in Fairies, Myths, & Magic II.

About the Book:

In this second book in the Fairies, Myths, & Magic series, step into a world where dark fairies, and other magical beings converge in a collection of poetry and short stories inspired by winter and the celebration of the winter solstice.

From Autumn’s scary fairies to the forgotten female characters of Yule, prepare to embrace the magical winter solstice myths from around the world. Meet Frau Holle in the Wild Hunt, Befana—the Christmas Witch of Italy, and the Japanese goddess Ameratasu who controls the springtime. Prepare to embrace the Scottish trows, The Irish Goddess of Winter—the Cailleach Béara, and Snegurochka—the Snow Girl.

Learn how to make Yuletide rituals part of your celebration by embracing the symbols of Yule by decorating with evergreens and crystals.

Fairies, Myths, & Magic II Links:

Colleen’s Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Colleen-M-Chesebro/e/B01N9MV2RX

Amazon Universal Link: https://mybook.to/FairiesMythsMagicII

About the Author:

An avid reader, Colleen M. Chesebro rekindled her love of writing poetry after years spent working in the accounting industry. These days, she loves crafting syllabic poetry, flash fiction, and creative fiction and nonfiction.

In addition to poetry books, Chesebro’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of her writing community on Word Craft Poetry.com by organizing and sponsoring a weekly syllabic poetry challenge, called #TankaTuesday, where participants experiment with traditional and current forms of Japanese and American syllabic poetry.

Chesebro isan assistant editor of The Congress of the Rough Writers Flash Fiction Anthology & Gitty Up Press, a micro-press founded by Charli Mills and Carrot Ranch.

In January 2022, Colleen founded Unicorn Cats Publishing Services to assist poets and authors in creating eBooks and print books for publication. In addition, she creates affordable book covers for Kindle and print books.

Chesebro lives in the house of her dreams in mid-Michigan surrounded by the Great Lakes with her husband and two (unicorn) cats, Chloe & Sophie.

Find Colleen here:

Word Craft Poetry: https://wordcraftpoetry.com

Colleen M. Chesebro, Author, Poet & Unicorn Cats Publishing Services: https://colleenmchesebro.com

Facebook Page: Colleen M. Chesebro, Poet & Author: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085941528913

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/colleen-m-chesebro-6b856b237

Distractions

I looked up from the roll-top desk in my paranormal office and sighed.

Lisa Burton, my robot personal assistant was lounged out on the couch. “What’s the matter?”

“I added fourteen-hundred words today and it looks like Lizzie’s story is going to come up a little short. I still have to add her big tantrum at the end, but the President and the courts are messing with me over that. I have no idea how student debt is going to play out.”

“Then make it up. You have the basis in fact that you’re always harping about.”

“I know, but I’m not completely in the swing again.”

“These are supposed to be short novels. They seem to be character driven, so you know, drive that.”

“I am. I keep thinking up junk for a story about three books down the line and just need to focus.”

“I’ve been your PA for enough years to know how it works. Just let it happen. You have a brand new book on the shelves and you can wrap this one up later. Go back to Mari’s story for a while.”

“I need to do that, too. There’s just this missing piece for the future storyboard I can’t quite get a grip on.”

“Maybe we can help.”

I snapped around so fast I nearly fell over.

                                                             Research Sirens

“I don’t have time for your antics right now.”

“Actually, you have nothing but time.” Libraria, the leggy blonde, took her time slowly leaning over the coffee table to put her books down.

Conversia slid into my easy chair, stretching her legs out full length of my ottoman. “Tell us about the problem. I’m sure you’re due for a break. Sounds like a decent word count already.

I wheeled my chair over. “I really want to write this Asian afterlife tale into the Hat Series, but there are some problems. I want to respect the differences between Japanese, Chinese, and other cultures, but I also kind of want a bit of all of them. If I explain that the afterlife has everyone all together, maybe I can get away with it.”

“What’s the story about?” Wiki turned her iPad mini my direction. “I can look some things up for you.”

“It’s the Chinese version of Armageddon. I’ve already discovered the lore from it. I want to steal some from Journey to the West and made some notes there.”

“I have a complete, unabridged version.” Libraria tapped one of her books. “What seems to be the problem?”

“I also have a ghostly character who is Yakuza. That’s Japanese. Lizzie fights monsters, so I’ve been looking into Japanese monsters. Some Asian things are scary as hell, like the one whose head leaves it’s body at night and flies around with its entails trailing after it. All of them are big on demons, too, so I need to consider some of that. I also don’t want the same old thing for Lizzie to deal with and have other characters to consider.”

“I think you should take a tour of Asia,” Conversia said. “Just the Pacific coast. Talk to some of these people. I think you’ll find a lot already blends together, despite the source. There are a lot of variations as well, so you can meld and merge to your heart’s content.”

“You’ve been trying this for years. I’m not going on an extended trip with you.”

“We could make it fun.” Libraria practically sang the last word.

“Stop that. I’ve already pushed it back and another year isn’t going to kill me now. I have two books before that one. I just have to figure out how to—.”

“Why’d you push it back?” Wiki asked.

“Because I came up with another cool character, and it would be perfect to use him. His intro is in a different book, so it has to come first. Then I have to figure out how to write a musical competition show and not have one of the judges come across like Simon Cowell. It’s a chance for Lizzie’s band to climb out of the doldrums a bit.”

Wiki flipped her iPad around to display a creepy picture. “Jiangshi.”

“Gesundheit.”

“Not that. Jiangshi is also known as the hopping vampire. He hops because of rigor mortise, and sucks souls instead of blood. Some legends have it as more of a zombie. Lots of variables, so you can put your own spin on it. Cool stuff with vinegar, yellow paper, and something called Joss paper. He’s afraid of a rooster’s crow. Maybe she can fight these things.”

“My cool new character is actually a rooster. I can work with this.”

Libraria selected one of her tomes and started flipping through it. Stopping at Joss paper.

Conversia said, “Maybe I can set up a Zoom meeting with an actual Shaman for you. Do you speak Cantonese?”

Lisa stood up. “I’ll put on the coffee. I can tell where this afternoon is going.”

 

The Goblin Trilogy, on Lisa Burton Radio

You've found Lisa Burton Radio, the show that brings you the characters from books you love. We have a very special guest with us in the studio today. I'm your host, Lisa the robot girl, and my guest today is Haghuf the goblin. “Welcome to the show, Haghuf.”

“I trust your guest status is like ours, that none will attempt harm to me in your dwelling?”

“Of course. My bio tells me that you're hundreds of years old, and can legitimately call yourself a warrior, a scholar, and magician. That seems like a pretty full life. What did it take to draw you above ground, away from your library and apprentice?”

“I came to the surface for the first time in 800 of your years because a human was dancing in a time long after humans had forgotten magic and the power of The Dance. I discovered Count Anton, a magician who had become the ruler of the handful of humans who survived the last cataclysm. I've avoided humans since the goblin wars of old, but we found much to talk about and he respected the need for goblins to remain unknown from most humans.”

“Is this a case of, keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer?”

“Something like that. Anton and I have things in common, but he is still human. Humans have killed goblins whenever they meet and I would not bring danger to my people. We come from the same ancestors and can breed across species, yet they call us ugly and attempt to kill all goblins whenever humans discover we exist. It's better to let the stories fall into old legends and be thought imaginary.”


“You've got to admit there are similarities to the human beliefs in demons. It makes me wonder which came first; goblins from underground that caused them to make up demons, or belief in demons that were easily tagged onto goblins.”

“The Deep Dwellers, like myself, apparently frighten humans because we look very different. As you can see, my skin is green. I have strong ridges on my brow and a strong, square jaw. The bottom fangs upset them too, though I haven't bitten a human… yet. There are many like me. I suspect some were seen in the days when we exchanged younglings with humans, changelings, to strengthen the bloodlines of both.”

“Tell me about it. People are afraid of anything different. I have religious wackos who want to see me destroyed, just because I'm a robot. They're afraid I'll try to take over. Me, one robot girl. I am different in many ways, but I try really hard to fit in.”

“You should be like goblins. We learned to hide and to live underground to avoid humans. Only Those Who Provide come to the surface usually, the goblins who… source food supplies. “

“We could all learn a lot from each other. My library is called The Internet, and I'll bet you'd like it. I can access it at any time with a good wifi connection. Your library probably has things that would benefit us all too. Fear keeps us from sharing things that would help each other.”

“Anton is always pestering me for information about my people. I tell him what he needs to know, but no more. There is power in secrets and the less a human knows of goblin ways, the better. Remember that humans don't live very long. How can I trust future rulers not yet born? Recording information, whether it is in a book or on your Internet, makes that information available to anyone. I keep the books of magic safe. Other information, like how the planet turns and the history of our people is made known through the Storytelling.”

“The Storytelling?”

“It is a goblin custom. We gather. We share food. Whoever wishes to speak goes to the front of the cavern and tells us what they wish. Maybe something of what you call science. Maybe history. Maybe just a story from imagination or a telling of exploits from the surface or other grottos. News of significance. At some point someone will pick up a drum, followed by others, and we begin to dance in cadence with the rhythm of the planet. It becomes ecstatic, magical, and the females choose mates. We have too few young.”

“Haghuf, I really appreciate you taking time to visit with us today, and I wish you well in your attempts to keep the peace.”

“Keeping humans and goblins out of each other's worlds is the only way to keep peace.”

“The sponsor of today's show is The Goblin Trilogy, by Jaq D. Hawkins. If you'd like to know more about Haghuf and Anton, I'll include the links on the website. Now don't forget to use those sharing buttons, I'm sure Haghuf will appreciate it, and you'll appreciate it too when your character appears here.”

***

Jaq D Hawkins is a published writer with 9 books in publication in the Mind, Body and Spirit field published by Capall Bann Publishing as well as four Fantasy novels in print and E-book; The Goblin Trilogy which consists of Dance of the Goblins, Demoniac Dance, and Power of the Dance (Combined Trilogy edition available in paperback and only on Amazon in ebook form), also the Steampunk book, The Wake of the Dragon, an airship pirate adventure among the opium trade in an alternative history, also available in audiobook. More coming soon.

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A saga spanning three generations in a feudal world governed by magicians.

 

Will you dare to enter a world of darkness among the goblins to join into The Dance?

Dance of the Goblins

The goblins lived unseen by man for many generations and were forgotten, consigned to legend, but a fluke sighting when a man wanders into the entrance of a forgotten underground transportation system revives an ancient war between the species, originated by misunderstanding and prejudice of a species which appears alien to the superstitious humans.

Demoniac Dance

A young girl running away from an unwanted marriage finds a new life among the mysterious magicians in the land across the river. What she didn’t bargain for is the presence of the goblins who have befriended her benefactors.

Power of the Dance

Khemael is a creature of beauty and grace with a mostly human appearance. His love of stretching his leather-like wings and flying freely in the world of men brings far too much attention to the existence of the goblins. Haghuf knows that the inevitable responsibility will fall to him to destroy Khemael who, in the world of the humans, would be called his grandson.

Worlds of magic await to be discovered in the complete series, The Goblin Trilogy!

 

Book trailer:

The Combined Trilogy: Amazon or Lulu

Separate books and other ebook formats:

Smashwords

Amazon

Lulu

A writing lesson, Craig style

Lisa* the robot girl and I sat in the front office at the cabin. I pecked away at The Yak Guy Project for about thirty minutes. Part of my story involves a gradual movement from the guy’s familiar environment to one that is a bit more Asian. This requires a little more world building. I suppose it’s because the yak screams Asia to me.

“What kind of world building should I do to make it real for the readers?”

Lisa said, “I suppose clothing and style might help. Maybe some mannerisms.”

“I don’t know, clothing is always your thing. It kind of feels like low hanging fruit at this point. What about silk?”

A knock came at the door. Lisa spread her hands to indicate she wasn’t expecting anyone as she walked to the door. When she opened it, three beautiful women barged into the writing cabin and headed for me.

A blonde in a tailored skirt-suit spoke first. Her hair was in a tight bun. She lowered her glasses and looked over the top, revealing her perfectly arched brow. “I’m Libraria, these are my sisters Consultia and Wiki.”

Consultia had light black skin, a spiral perm so huge it sagged at the ends. She wore a shiny black top with a collar so wide it hung off one shoulder, and was dangerously close to falling completely off. She paired it with a black and white skirt and a pair of those low-topped, high-heeled boots. Her smile could serve as a beacon to lift anyone’s spirits.

Wiki had a denim skirt with black tights underneath. She paired that with tennis shoes, and an Abercrombie tee-shirt that showed off her athletic physique. She wore red hair, straight from the bottle. It had an A-line cut and layers that gave her a Sonic the Hedgehog look. She wore a cluster of string friendship bracelets on one wrist, and a necklace that amounted to a gold plated thumb drive.

Libraria opened a book bag and pulled out an old leather covered book. She slid it slowly across the desk with her perfect French-tips. As she slid it she leaned over farther and farther. I saw all the way to her navel between two perfectly tanned breasts. “This is the complete history of the Silk Road. It’s fascinating stuff, and will give your story a deep sense of reality.”

Wiki tapped away at her iPad-mini with her home-painted nails in alternating black and white. She turned the iPad toward me. “Look at this video. These cute little silkworms are munching away at fresh mulberry leaves.” She wrinkled her nose and smiled. Mesmerizing.

Consultia walked around the desk and sat beside me. She had some of the longest legs I’ve ever seen. From her position on the desk, and my position in the chair, we were close to having a Sharon Stone moment. “Did you know the Chinese kept the secret of silk away from the rest of the world for centuries? A person could be executed for smuggling out silkworm eggs.” She grabbed my hand and placed it on her top. “Feel this, it’s 100% pure silk. Nice huh?”

I managed something like, “Uh-huh,” right before Consultia sat in my lap.

Libraria said, “The cultivation of silk worms is called, sericulture. It’s been going on for thousands of years.”

Wiki said, “Here is a documentary about sericulture you should watch. And look at these beautiful Chinese dresses.”

Consultia reached for the iPad. “I love the cherry blossoms against the sky blue background. I think I could pull this off. Do they have one that’s a little shorter, or with a split for my leg?”

Wiki wrinkled her nose again and smiled. “You could totally pull that off. Let me check for other styles.”

Consultia ran her fingers through my hair. “Do you think I could pull that look off?”

“Oh yeah.”

She pulled my head to her chest and hugged me. “You’re so sweet.”

Libraria touched a nail to her collar bone and slowly slid it down over her breast. “The Silk Road began at the Pacific Coast and went over the Himalayas.” She kept moving downward. “It wound up in the fertile Mediterranean area.”

I think my jaw must have popped open somewhere around Nepal, because Consultia eased it shut.

Wiki said, “Look at these silk paintings about sericulture. Isn’t it cool that it’s a painting about silk, and it’s actually made on silk?”

Consultia pulled me tighter and looked up. “You know what? We should actually go to China.”

“Looking up tickets and accommodations,” Wiki said.

Libraria said, “Or we could take your little gyrocopter. I mean it goes into outer space and everything.”

“Great idea, but it’s only built for two.”

Libraria said, “We can double up. Wiki is tiny, and she could sit in your lap.”

Wiki clasped a hand to her heart, smiled and nodded. “Sounds like a blast.”

The sky grew dark and dimmed the light in the writing cabin. Thunder rolled across the meadow, and the door kicked in. Lorelei* stood in the doorway, and she was pissed.

“What are you doing here?” Libraria asked.

“Call it an intervention. Now you bitches get out.”

“That isn’t very nice,” I said. “These girls are helping me with my book.”

“Helping! Is that what you think? These are Sirens, Research Sirens, and their job is to enrapture you and distract you until you abandon your story. Then you’ll think of a better story, and a better one after that. You’ll never finish another story. Now I said move, and I meant it.”

The girls slowly backed away, stuffing things into book bags, purses, and in Consultia’s case her blouse. They walked in-step to the door. The view from this direction was just as fabulous as the other way. I put my elbows on the desk, and my face in my hands.

Lorelei slapped me across the cheek.

“Ouch!”

“Oh you liked it. They are distant cousins of mine, and have been wrecking authors for centuries. Fiction isn’t the same as other writing. Speculative fiction is even less connected to facts.”

“Yeah, but there still needs to be a basis in reality to ground the reader.”

“Absolutely, but after you’ve developed the world, you can plow through some of it. Imagine your story about Yak Guy growing up. He’s coming along nicely, and then your readers are shifted into ten thousand words about the history of silk. They’ll be disappointed. They’ll lose the story.”

“That sounds bad alright. So where’s the line?”

“It’s different for every story. In something like Panama, you needed to research the area, and get the names right. In Wild Concept and Arson, you can make some of it up. Some science fiction is less adventure and more theory based, in that case you have to do your research.”

“How do you suggest I proceed? They seem like great researchers.”

“They are the absolute best researchers. That’s part of their spell, but their goal is different than yours.” She put an arm around Lisa. “This is all the research you need. She can Wiki, Library, and Converse with the best of them. She can even feed a video to your monitor if she has to. She isn’t trying to derail your career, and keep you from success. Remember, a paragraph or two is usually enough in the stories you write.”

“But I learn so much cool stuff when I research.”

“Yes, it looked like you were having a good time. You can’t share everything you learn. Take some tidbits and bullshit your way through it. The Raven of Doubt will be there for you at the end.”

“How did you know to show up here?”

“Lisa called me. She told me what was going on and emailed me pictures of the Sirens. I came as soon as I could.”

“Thanks, I think.”

“I’ve been helping you write since the day you started. Your talent has improved over the years, and your success has grown too. You have to trust me on this one. Part of that success is your ability to finish what you start. Perfection is impossible, but damned good is a possibility. Those girls would ruin all of that, and have you thanking them for it.”

“Lisa, make a note to always be here when I’m researching. If something goes off the rails, you can intervene.”

“I’ve got your back, boss.”

* Lorelei is my Muse. Lisa is my robotic personal assistant.