The Riga Hayworth Project

Wacky Relatives and Other Wedding Woes... And a New Riga Hayworth Mystery

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:32:32 -0700

Wacky Relatives and Other Wedding Woes... And a New Riga Hayworth Mystery:

Thanks to Kassandra Lamb at misterio press for this terrific launch day blog! Book 4 in the Riga Hayworth series is here!

When my husband and I were planning our wedding a few of his, shall we say, less stable family members were being a bit problematic. For the sake of cordial relations with the in-laws I wonâ…

The Infernal Detective is Here!

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00:59 -0700

Today The Infernal Detective launches on Amazon! Buy it now!

More flying goats from the Compendium Maleficarum, 1608 (wood...

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:00:56 -0700

More flying goats from the Compendium Maleficarum, 1608 (wood engraving).

Occult History

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:01:03 -0700

Wow. There is some really interesting stuff on Scribd.

Occult History

I’ve got an old manuscript - a mystery with a Victorian...

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:25:39 -0700

I’ve got an old manuscript - a mystery with a Victorian British heroine set in the California Gold Rush. It honestly didn’t deserve to be published, but I’ve hung onto it, thinking I could revisit it someday. After all the fun at the Maker Faire, I’m wondering if I could make it steampunk. Or would that be heresy?

Anyway, this image is by Albert Robida, circa 1883, and is his imagining about what life would be like in the 20th century. With the fish-shaped airship, it seems rather steampunk to me!

So what do you think? Is the Gold Rush 20 years too early for steampunk? Or should I just make my own world and not worry about it?

Still recovering from Maker Faire madness. And I confess, the...

Sun, 19 May 2013 19:41:12 -0700

Still recovering from Maker Faire madness. And I confess, the Steampunkers were my favorite.

Still trying to decompress from Maker Faire. Wow. Just wow....

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:01:12 -0700

Still trying to decompress from Maker Faire. Wow. Just wow. Steampunk. Fire art. 3-D printers. Combat garden gnomes…

Christopher Walken makes an awesome angel of… whatever.

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:00:50 -0700

Christopher Walken makes an awesome angel of… whatever.

(via The Infernal Detective, a Paranormal Mystery Novel)

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:54:44 -0700

(via The Infernal Detective, a Paranormal Mystery Novel)

Video

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:01:04 -0700

Walpurgisnacht, Gemälde von Albert Welti (1862-1912), 1896/97....

Sat, 18 May 2013 13:01:39 -0700

Walpurgisnacht, Gemälde von Albert Welti (1862-1912), 1896/97. Though it’s a bit hard to make out, the witch in flight is whacking a curious onlooker with her broom, while another witch helps a third out of a chimney. And as a side note, shamans often use chimneys to rise to upper world, so the concept of witches rising from chimneys (and heck, maybe even Santa Claus) may be rooted in shamanic traditions.

As to Walpurgisnacht, it’s a Germanic holiday celebrated the night before May Day, and like Halloween is themed around the supernatural. It’s also of pagan origin, celebrated with bonfires to welcome spring.

Supposedly it’s also celebrated in Estonia, but I have no memory of it when I was living there. That said, by April 30th, spring still hadn’t quite arrived in Estonia (the winter lasts sooooo long there) so the bonfire holiday season that I remember was really centered more around the summer solstice.

"There must be possible a fiction which, leaving sociology and case histories to the scientists, can..."

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:00:52 -0700

““There must be possible a fiction which, leaving sociology and case histories to the scientists, can arrive at the truth about the human condition, here and now, with all the bright magic of the fairy tale.””

- Ralph Ellison

Okay. I’m not a huge fan of reality shows (hey - I’m...

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:00:54 -0700

Okay. I’m not a huge fan of reality shows (hey - I’m a writer. And I can get reality looking out my damn window. I don’t need to pay a monthly cable bill for it.). Anyway, TLC is looking for a female funeral director for a reality show.

Yeah, how could that go wrong?

But then I saw this video, and…

I spent nearly four years in the Republic of Georgia. The...

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:01:13 -0700

I spent nearly four years in the Republic of Georgia. The country is magical, and the dance is amazing. I love, love, love this video!

fiktshun: theunseeliequeen: Favorite Little Things → Books So...

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:49:19 -0700

fiktshun:

theunseeliequeen:

Favorite Little Things → Books

So pretty!

Now THIS is sexy!

Emblem 50. Atalanta Fugiems. Michael Maier, 1617. “The...

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:01:11 -0700

Emblem 50. Atalanta Fugiems. Michael Maier, 1617.

“The Mansion of Dragons is in Caverns of the Earth; but of Men upon the Earth, in the Immediate Air; which two Elements are contrary and yet are appointed by the Philosopher to be joined together, that one may act upon the Other. But by the Woman, Others understand the Eagle, as Basil in his Second Key, for tis not convenient ( says he ) for an Eagle to place her nest upon the Alps, because her Young ones would die by the coldness of the Snow upon the top of the Mountains, but if you add to the Eagle a cold Dragon, that hath a long time had his Habitation in the rocks, and is crept out of the caverns of the Earth, and put them both into an infernal Cell, then will Pluto blow, and by his last, draw a Fiery Volatile Spirit from the cold Dragon, which with its great Heat will burn the Eagle’s Feathers and Excite a Sudorifick Bath, as will melt the Snow upon the top of the Mountains, and turn it into Water, from whence a Mineral Bath may be well prepared, to contribute health and Fortune to the King.” - Atalanta Fugiems

“When [one] is afraid [of death], when he doesn’t...

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:00:56 -0700

“When [one] is afraid [of death], when he doesn’t look forward, he looks back, [death] petrifies him. He dies before his time. But when he’s living on, looking forward to the great adventure that is ahead, then he lives.”

- Carl Jung

I know, this has nothing to do with the theme of my blog. I just...

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:01:00 -0700

I know, this has nothing to do with the theme of my blog. I just thought it was awesome (and I’m using it in a presentation to the Kiwanis tomorrow about the paranormal. Yeah, I’m not sure how that happened, either.)

How to Kiss - Life Magazine, 1942

Photo Credit: x-ray delta one via Compfight cc

I'm Going on a (Virtual) Book Tour!

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:00:53 -0700

Thanks to these great blogs for helping me get the word out about The Infernal Detective (available on Amazon, May 21st).

5/13 - Curse of the Bibliophile

5/14- Little Read Riding Hood

5/15- Curling Up With A Good Book

5/16- Page Flipperz

5/17- Book Lovin Mamas

5/18- Confessions of the Paranormal

5/19- You Gotta Read Reviews

5/21- United by Books

5/22- FUONLYKNEW

5/23- Queen of All She Reads

5/24- Jessie’s Book Place

5/25- Mythical Books

5/26- Auggie Talk

5/28- Toot’s Book Reviews

5/30- Over The Edge

5/31- Book Monster Reviews

How Does Tarot Work?

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:58:19 -0700

How Does Tarot Work?:

It’s Mystic Monday today for the Guinea Pig Diaries and I’m pleased to welcome paranormal writer and Tarot reader, Kirsten Weiss sharing how and why Tarot can make you happier! Thank you, Catie Rh…