What Lurks Inside the Forest of Cannock Chase...

So, you might ask, "Where on earth have you been, Debbie? I mean you haven't posted a thing for well over a month now...and really...how boring is that?"

Well, the answer to that question is---I've been busy catching up with life, and working on my latest work in progress. What could be better than all that? However, I do want to take a minute and tell you all that we now have an audio version of my sweet fantasy Romance, Bound by Oath and Honour, narrated by the fabulous Andrew McDermott! Do you love that "warms you all the way to the bone, spine tingling in a most fabulous way Irish accent? Then this audio book is definitely for you!

Cover created by Debbie Taylor! What do you think?

Yep!

Anyway, since malevolent shifters are the antagonists in this book, I thought I'd share some of the crazy goings on in England--all purported to be true--that inspired the villains in my book.

In central England there is a lovely, but spooky forest known as Cannock Chase. There are those who will tell you encounters with enormous felines, ghostly canines, werewovles, and even creatures akin to Bigfoot have become a common thing for those who venture inside the woodland. We even have a newspaper report as recorded in the Stafford Post, April 26 in the year 2007 relating to this that states:

Dragsholm Castle and the Ghosts Who Chose to Stay...

Near Copenhagen, on the islet by the draugh (or small stretch of land), proudly stands the Castle known as Dragsholm. Peder Sunesen, the Bishop of Roskilde erected the original fortress during the 12th century, but the imposing structure has changed many times since its first medieval design. 

Dragsholm Castle in Winter, by Niels Elgaard Larsen

As one might imagine, over the centuries, the castle served as a home to a variety of noblemen and kings. Then from the 14^th to the 15^th century, Dragsholm became a prison to men of no small reputation, such as the last Catholic Bishop in Roskilde. Joachim Rønnow, a former owner, was imprisoned within her walls. So was the 4th Earl of Bothwell, the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. We also have Ejler Brockenhuus, deemed a raving lunatic…but was he really?

The castle now serves as a hotel, and if you’re thinking of booking a reservation any time soon, you might prepare yourself for encountering a few things from the past during your stay. No, I’m not talking about the antiques. I’m talking about those who call Dragsholm Castle home and have called it home for centuries.

All Hallow's Eve approaches....

We call the event Halloween, the Irish, Samhain, or La Samon. The Druids referred to it as Feast of the Sun, one of four ‘Fire Festivals’. They celebrated this festival on the first day of November. But since the ancient Celts marked their days from sundown to sundown, All Hallow’s Eve began with the setting of the sun on October 31st. 

The Fire Festival... The Druids built the only permissible fire on this particular day. Those who needed a hearth fire (and that included just about everyone) had to obtain a start from the sacred burning alters of the Druids, for a donation or a fee of course. After all, a Druid has to do what a Druid has to do to survive.

To the Romans, the time was called the Feralia and set aside for sacrifices, oblations, and prayers. This celebration, adopted by the Church in Rome, was a day to honor the dead and bring them peace. Originally held in February, the church moved the observance to November 1^st.

Calan Gaeaf is the Welsh name for the first day of winter. They call the eve of Calan Gaeaf, Nos Calan Gaeaf. At this time, spirits converge upon the land. Those honest in heart will avoid churchyards, stiles, and crossroads, as they believe these are the places spirits gather.

Of Supermoons and Lovespoons...

By the light of the silvery moon,

I want to spoon, to my honey I'll croon love's tune,

Honeymoon keep a-shining in June,

Your silvery beams will bring love dreams, 
we'll be cuddling soon,

By the silvery moon.

With all the excitement building for the first "Supermoon Lunar Eclipse" to occur in over thirty years--coming to a place near you on September 27th-- this old song popped into my head. 

My mom still sings this song on occasion, but I heard her sing it most often in my childhood. I got to wondering then about “spooning,” which, in my mother’s generation meant showing love and affection by kissing... a lot... and most often in a car parked high on a hill while gazing at the sparkle of city lights below or taking in the glimmering luster from the stars and moon overhead. Most especially a full moon, harvest moon, blue moon and maybe even a supermoon!

Did you know there's even a black moon, which is sort of important in my fantasy romance, Bound by Oath and Honour...

End of Summer Sale: Solstice Island by Mae Clair is FREE 8/31 and 9/1 #cryptidfiction #romance #adventure!!

I'm so excited to pass along this great deal from my good friend and fellow author, Mae Clair! If you haven't read one of her books, now is a GREAT time to begin!  Take it away Mae!

I know summer isn’t officially over until the autumnal equinox rolls around mid-September, but by the time the calendar reads August 31, I’m already thinking fall. My husband and I will be closing our pool this coming weekend, Halloween stuff is stocked in most every store I visit, and the days are growing noticeably shorter. I live in the northeast where summer is much, much too short. Blink and it’s easy to miss. I love fall, but I thrive on summer. So…I’m lamenting the demise of my favorite season with an end of summer sale on SOLSTICE ISLAND, my breezy romantic adventure novella.

Why should you read it (other than the fact it’s like a shot of summer wrapped up inside Kindle pages)? I’m glad you asked. 

The Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Read Solstice Island by Mae Clair:

The Haunting Ruins of Pennard Castle...

Half buried in windblown sand along the Gower Peninsula in South Wales, is what's left of the once majestic, Pennard Castle.

By Eiona R

Commissioned by Henry de Beaumont, the first Earl of Warwick in the twelth century, the castle has slowly been consumed by time and sand after its abandonment right around the turn of the fifteenth century. Now all that's left is the gatehouse, the curtain wall, and the remains of the Norman Hall - oh - and the ghosts, of course.

They say that the Gwrach y Rhibyn (The scary banshee creature of Wales) haunts the area. Stories handed down through the centuries tell us that anyone daft enough to spend the night inside the castle, won't live to see the dawn! We also have tales of a ghostly woman, consumed by sorrow, who walks the grounds on moonless nights. Some say that despair caused her to walk into a nearby lake from which she never emerged--at least not in mortality. No one is quite sure who she is, or what caused her sorrow.

Personal Photo of Three Cliffs Bay near Pennard Castle

The Phantoms of Powis Castle...

Since many of the scenes in "Court of the Hawk" take place in an ancient castle, I thought I'd share some of the ghostly goings on inside the castle known as Powis.

Now, on a rocky promontory in Welshpool, Wales, Powis Castle has proudly stood for centuries. This magnificent fortress served a dynasty of Welsh princes and as one might expect, a host of residents died within its boundaries. Some have remained.

When it comes to the spirits of Powis, we have a little something for everyone!  There are shy spirits who lurk about the Dukes room and the ballroom wing. We also have accounts of a lady dressed in black. For whatever the reason, she sits in a chair facing the fireplace in the Duke’s Room. No one knows quite who she is though. Is she sad? Or just bored?

Would you like to actually feel a ghost if not see one? Over the years, some have reported physical contact by an otherworldly presence. They say they can feel a hand brushing their arm and when they turn to look, no one is there. At least, no one living.

Many hear the piano in the ballroom wing played by unseen hands, and some have even seen the stool moving when the room is empty of mortals. Loud knocking on doors and windows after the castle is locked up tight is a common occurrence as well.