A Time for Martinmas
Once upon a time, the world used a different calendar called the Julian calendar During this time, Samhain aka Halloween occurred on November 11 instead of October 31. November 11 is still known as Martinmas.
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Happy Halloween & A Tell-Tale Heart!
Happy Halloween! To celebrate, I thought I’d write about Edgar Allan Poe who published his most famous short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, in 1843. This story
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The Hungry {Romance} Writer: Hard Cider Brats
It’s the Friday night before Halloween, that means it’s time for my annual Hocus Pocus movie (the original!) watch party!
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History of Werewolves
Legends about werewolves have been around since ancient times, and the stories cross all continents and cultures. While doing research for a super-secret writing project, I learned all sorts of strange and interesting facts about werewolves that could explain our fascination with these stories
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An Irish Halloween
As we get closer to October 31st, more and more stories are popping up about the history of this holiday. As an avid Irish folklore researcher, I’ve learned a lot about the stories of pagan Ireland.
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The Highwayman: A Romantic Halloween Poem
This time of year I tend to read thematically darker poems and stories, and The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes is one of my favorites!
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Witch Trials: Beyond Salem
Everyone has heard about the Salem Witch Trials, but there’s a darker history behind why that event happened. A history that began fifty years earlier, in 1642.
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Three Days of Spooks, Saints, & Souls
It’s November First, also known as All Saints Day, the second in a three-day celebration that celebrates the living and the dead.
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Happy Halloween
May you all have a happy and safe Halloween! And, if you’re not too scared, read The Raven aloud at Midnight.
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A’Souling on Halloween
A brief history behind the tradition of A’Souling and the reasons why I updated the traditional soul cakes recipe to a delicious shortbread PB&J version.
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Abhartach: The Celtic Vampire
Yes, there were vampires in Ireland and they inspired Bram Stoker’s famous novel Dracula.
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Legend of the Jack O’Lantern
It’s that time of year again to start carving pumpkins. But did you know that we make Jack 0’Lanterns because Stingy Jack once outwitted the devil?
