Ragnarok

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FenrirScandinavia

“Monstrous wolf destined to devour the world.”

Basic Facts:

  • Fenrir is the son of Loki and the giantess, Angrboda.
  • This huge wolf was chained up because the gods knew how powerful he was. He was only going to break free when Ragnarok occurred, which is Doomsday. And no, we’re not going to start talking about the Marvel movies.
  • Fenrir has made more appearances in modern culture than people realize, mainly references in video games but has made an appearance or two in movies and on TV.
  • He’s a father! He has two sons: Skoll (meaning ‘treachery’) and Hati (meaning ‘he who hates’ or ‘enemy’) with the giantess, Hyrrokkin. Though this is just an assumption. Also, like father like son.
  • His other name is “Fenris.”

 

The Bubble Has Burst

We’re talking about the creative bubble bursting. If it has, this may be a bad sign. PSA: this is not okay.

In the situation where your creativity has run dry, we have a few kind words to send your way. Take a step away from your computer, notebooks, or brainstorming station. It’s time for you to recharge your creative energy in hopes of coming back with a bang.

Creative spurts or waves…they come and go. That doesn’t mean you have to exhaust your brain and learn to hate what you once loved.

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An Eternal Flame

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Phoenix | Greece

“Fire bird that eternally regenerates from its own ashes.”

Basic Facts:

  • There are many different tales which reveal the life expectancy of the phoenix before it is reborn…one being a span of 500 years.
  • The phoenix was considered a royal bird because it had been associated with a place called Phoenicia. Phoenicia was known for producing a rich purple dye which was deemed expensive and used exclusively for the upper class.
  • When we think of the phoenix, we think vibrant colors associate with the sun. In truth, the phoenix has never been described in great detail in original folklore.
  • Phoenix is Greek for ‘crimson’ or ‘purple.’
  • The modern adaptation of the phoenix make claims that the tears of the bird can heal and if they’re nearby, lying doesn’t occur.

Wake Me Up When September Ends [6]

Don’t worry: we’re up.

And we’ve got a list of newly released audio ready for your ears. Get ready!


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9/1

  • Alex Rivers // STOLEN SOUL
  • Kate Stewart // THE REAL

9/4

  • Mila Young // CURSED
  • Elle Cross // SO DARK THE NIGHT

9/11

  • Bella Winters // MY BEST FRIEND’S DAD

9/12

  • Eva Chase // 2 TITLES
    • CONSORT OF PAIN
    • DRAGON’S FATE
  • Gia Riley // WRONG SIDE OF HEAVEN
  • LJ Swallow // THE FOUR HORSEMEN: DESCENT

9/18

  • Jaxson Kidman // 2 TITLES
    • IN HER WORDS
    • LET YOU GO

9/19

  • Ashley Meira // SMOKE AND MAGIC
  • Crystal Daniels & Sandy Alvarez // THE DARKEST OF LIGHT
  • Joanna Blake // RIDE WITH THE DEVIL

9/25

  • Elle Cross // SO BRIGHT THE DAWN
  • Jamie Schlosser // TRUCKER
  • Jenna Wolfhart // A TOUCH OF STARLIGHT
  • Lisa Suzanne // THE POWER TO BREAK
  • Mila Young // CLAIMED

9/26

  • Kathleen Wheeler // BROUGHT TO OUR SENSES

Will It Do Any Good?

Have you ever come across bookmarks, notebooks, or any other forms of physical memorabilia for a book? Have you ever wanted your own books to have this form of promotional material?

We usually like to encourage anyone to follow what they think is best for their books to gain exposure, but here we suggest you consider this option.

Handing our bookmarks at readings or signings will always get your fans excited for free merchandise. But if you’re an indie author with a large online audience and market for yourself (meaning you’re more an eBook-established author)…you have to consider what your audience would utilize.

For example, people love key chains. Especially decorative ones…or is that just me? Maybe getting a load of key chains printed with your book cover or favorite creatures from your book on the face…that’ll get people talking.

Unfortunately, not a lot of genres can venture down the road of promotional material because it just doesn’t fit. So, we’ll keep brainstorming how other genres can be promoted with physical gifts!thinking.gif

Wrong Alps

When I first saw the name of our next mythological creature, I immediately thought, “how are the Swiss Alps lore?” I would like to confirm, we are not talking about the Swiss Alps. Just regular alps.


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AlpGermany

“Shapeshifting goblin that evokes nightmares in sleeping victims.”

Basic Facts:

  • Similar to the picture above, an alp appears small and child-like. Most times, elf-like. But don’t be fooled: they’re still goblins! These little creatures are male a good chunk of the time, too.
  • They can be summoned by witches.
  • What’s so threatening about an alp? Well, they wear a little hat which gives them the powers they do use to terrorize people. They come into a person’s home while they’re sleeping. They’ll sit on the person to cause nightmares. Sometimes, they’ll travel through the person’s nostril to gain control of their whole being for a short period of time.
  • These little guys may be bad most of the time, but there’s a reason! The evil eye is what causes the alps to act out. You can remove it…forcing them to lose their evil intent.
  • If an alp is caught in the act of terror by morning, the alp can be asked to leave. They’ll try to bargain so don’t fall for their tricks! Beware!

A Writer’s Self Care Routine

  1. If you write with the help of a beverage, we suggest anything caffeinated.
  2. Eat. This is a gift not many writers get to enjoy. We would advise sticking to something quick and fatty, but if you’re watching your health, don’t listen to us.
  3. Remember that killing off characters is necessary in some stories. So, sit back, relax, and plot the next death in your tale.
  4. Stuff your handy-dandy notebooks with every single idea that comes to your head. Your brain will thank you later.
  5. Sleep. You deserve it.

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Meanings Here and There

A lot of prominent writers (the ones who land traditional pub deals, go on talk shows, get to see their books become films…) tend to write with deep meaning between the lines. A writer can use ways to create meaning behind the face value of the story using symbolism, their protagonist, and general commentary on society outside of the fictional tale.

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Research becomes a writer’s best friend in this scenario. When research is applied to the writing, particularly in the setting, creates meaning for the story as a whole. Knowing where your story will take place will help narrow down symbolism as well. Check out folklore, mythology, any literary history of the country you choose. Even names contain meanings sometimes.

You also have to keep in mind that your subconscious will become more apparent in your writing and the only person who will notice is you.

Re-read your draft and see if you’ve executed the story and given the deeper meanings justice. And if you haven’t, well…what are you waiting for? Get back to it!

The Water Fairy

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XanaSpain

“Exquisite female water nymphs with hypnotic voices.”

Basic Facts:

  • Unlike the ceasg from Scotland, the Xana can be found in fresh water, not seawater. Places like fountains, rivers, waterfalls, or forests with water banks. They also are not mermaid-like creatures. They have legs like me and you!
  • With her charm, no one could reject her. She always gets what she wants whenever she speaks.
  • A xana can also be a beneficial spirit/entity. She can sing songs of peace and love, gift people love water, gold, or silver to those worthy.
  • They can bear children but cannot raise them. Instead, they swap their offspring with human babies (sort of like changelings) and let them live on. They’re called “xaninos” or “xanin” (plural versus singular.)
  • If the name “xana” translated to anything, no one knows what it is. Some think it relates back to the goddess, Diana…but we don’t see the correlation.

As Summer Comes To An End…

…our reading becomes a bit more spookier!

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At the top of our list is A Killer’s Mind by Mike Omer, one of our writers with HRM. Published by Thomas & Mercer, an Amazon imprint, we are so excited to display this on our shelves!

Want a blurb? Here you go:

Three Chicago women have been found strangled, embalmed, and posed as if still alive. Doubting the findings of the local PD’s profiler, The FBI calls on forensic psychologist Zoe Bentley to investigate.

Zoe quickly gets off on the wrong foot with her new partner, Special Agent Tatum Gray. Zoe’s a hunter, intense and focused; Tatum’s a smug maverick with little respect for the rules. Together, they must descend into a serial killer’s psyche and untangle his twisted fantasies, or more women will die. But when the contents of three inconspicuous envelopes reveal a chilling connection to gruesome murders from Zoe’s childhood, suddenly the hunter becomes the hunted.