Where to Begin?

Where to Begin?

Telling the beginning of a story should be the easiest part. I was born. I arrived in this city. I met this person. It should be a simple, concrete event that you can easily point to and say “hey, that’s where all of this started.” I wish finding the beginning of this...
10 Spooky Stories for Spooky Season

10 Spooky Stories for Spooky Season

1. The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike I’ve loved Christopher Pike since I was a kid (probably my first favorite author) so in compiling a list of spooky stories I had to include at least one of his. My job was made even easier by that fact that Netflix is releasing...
Why King Arthur?

Why King Arthur?

I will admit, having a blog all about the stories around a king who may or may not be a complete fabrication is a tad strange. Like most, I first came across the stories of King Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, and the knights of the round table as a child. Growing up, I...
Top YA Books Set in Psychiatric Hospitals

Top YA Books Set in Psychiatric Hospitals

I’ve always had a fascination with madness and with psychiatric hospitals in particular. Maybe it has to do with my own issues with mental health, a family history of mental illness, or a simple interest in the macabre. Whatever the reason, I have always been...
Nightmare Fuel: Best Books About Nightmares

Nightmare Fuel: Best Books About Nightmares

Unsurprisingly for someone who writes about nightmares, I love a good nightmare story. Below, I’ve compiled a list of recommendations if you too find yourself intrigued by the world of dreams and nightmares. (Some descriptions are from GoodReads and are noted below....
Top 10 YA Fantasy Quotes

Top 10 YA Fantasy Quotes

As a writer it is probably unsurprising that I am obsessed with words and therefore quotes (see my quote Pinterest page for further proof). Below are 10 of my favorite quotes from some of my favorite YA fantasy books. “The problem with wanting,” he whispered, his...
Top 10 YA Novels Based on Fairy Tales and Mythology

Top 10 YA Novels Based on Fairy Tales and Mythology

As The Mara Chronicles are based on a story for Norse and Germanic mythology I wanted to share a few of my favorite YA books that are based on fairy tales, folklore, or mythology. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: This four book series is a fantasy saga loosely...
Mara: The Nightmare Legend

Mara: The Nightmare Legend

The mara or mare (mara is Old High German or Old Norse, while mare is Old Dutch) is a creature featured in Scandinavian folklore and Nordic legends associated with sleep and nightmares. The mara is described as a being who would sit on the chest of a sleeping person...
We’re Copyrighted!

We’re Copyrighted!

The day to day of being a self-published writer is often a monotonous existence of continuously throwing your book out into the world and seeing if anyone pays attention. It can suck but every once in awhile something happens that makes the author within squee with...