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A Festival for the Moon Goddess, Mooncakes and Lanterns

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Today, Sept. 29, is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival. This traditional holiday falls on the night of a full moon that coincides with the fall harvest. The moon on this night is believed to be at its brightest and fullest for the year. The festival is associated with the moon goddess Chang’e, who also is the goddess of immortality. Chang’e was the wife of Hou Yi, a legendary archer. According to one version of the myth, there was a year when 10 suns rose in the sky, which led to disaster and great suffering. To save the people, Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns, leaving one. The archer was made king after this heroic feat. Hou Yi’s ego grew, and he became a tyrant. He eventually approached an immortal and asked for the elixir of immortality so he could cheat death. Chang’e, fearing that her husband would rule forever with an iron fist, stole the elixir and drank it. Hou Yi shot at his wife to stop her. She escaped by flying up to the moon, where
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Start Off the Spooky Season With Fantasy-Themed Horror Movies

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Happy first day of fall! It’s still a little early for Halloween, but I start gearing up around now by watching horror movies. If you’re looking to do the same, here are 10 horror movies with an emphasis on fantasy. None of the movies is super scary. The list may be a little heavy on witches, but hey, who doesn’t love witches?! In no particular order: 1. Practical Magic (1998) A tale about good witches who must battle a psycho lover returned from the dead. This quirky movie boasts beautiful visuals (a gorgeous Victorian mansion with its own conservatory; a picturesque town located on an island) and photogenic stars (Sandra Bullock and Nichole Kidman, among others). And the last scene, where the townsfolk gather on Halloween to watch the witches “fly” down from the roof of their mansion? Pure magic. 2. Sleepy Hollow (1999) Tim Burton’s dark retelling of the adventures of Ichabod Crane sets just the right mood for Halloween. As the headless horseman stalks Crane, you can almost f
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The Spirit Houses of Southeast Asia

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One of the things I like about urban fantasy is finding magic in the most unexpected places. Well, what if magic were everywhere? It is in some places. I introduce you to … the spirit houses of Southeast Asia. Many Asian cultures believe nature and places are rife with spirits who may interfere in human affairs. These spirits can be good or evil, good-natured or bad-tempered, helpful or mischievous. In Southeast Asia, this animistic belief is so strong that many people erect actual accommodations for the spirits outside their homes and businesses. Spirit houses come in all sizes (some are large enough for humans to enter). They are most often small, mounted on pillars or daises and located in an auspicious spot on the property. Some people place little figurines in these structures. They also place gifts—usually flowers, fruits, food and drink—in or near the houses. Anything to keep the spirits happy. Spirit houses are especially popular in Thailand and Cambodia. They were startin
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New Novella 'Offerings for the Dead' Now Available

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I'm excited to announce that my new novella  Offerings for the Dead  is now available for download. It's exclusively for my newsletter subscribers.  The novella is a bonus adventure to my urban fantasy  Geomancer's Apprentice  series.  Here's the blurb:  ******* Treasure. Betrayal. Death. A tomb hidden in a remote mountain in China, filled with treasure. This should be an easy job for grave robber and art thief Pearl Tham. However, things go wrong from the start. A storm springs up, forcing Pearl and her team to seek shelter in an abandoned village. She discovers before long that the village isn’t abandoned after all. The things there have been around for hundreds of years and they’re hungry. Very hungry. Pearl has her Dragon powers, her katana and her gun. Will they be enough to save her life, let alone the lives of her lover and her friends? Offerings for the Dead  is a bonus adventure to  The Geomancer’s Apprentice  urban fantasy series. This tale is for you if you l
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‘Dungeons & Dragons’: A Fun Fantasy

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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) is entertaining and zany. I’ve never played the game by the way (please don’t kill me), so I have no idea how closely the movie follows the game. The story, as with many fantasies, revolves around a quest. A likable thief and his band of misfits set out to recover a magical relic that can bring his dead wife back to life. He also hopes to win back the love of his daughter. Predictably, he and his mates must escape some dicey situations and overcome evil along the way.    Michelle Rodriguez was hilarious in the role of potato-loving, ass-kicking warrior Holga Kilgore. I also have a soft spot for Sophia Lillis, who did a great job as Doric, a tiefling druid who can shape-shift into various animals (my favorite being the fearsome owlbear). The special effects were good, the scenery lovely, the writing fun and light. One complaint is that the movie felt kind of long (and at 2 hours, 14 minutes, it might well be). The opening sequence,
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Yay, It’s Time for a Cover Reveal!

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I hope you like the cover for Offerings for the Dead as much as I do. The novella will be available Sept. 1. It’s exclusive to my newsletter subscribers, who will be able to download it on that date and read for free. Some of you may be familiar with Pearl Tham, the main character in Offerings for the Dead . Those of you who’ve read my Geomancer’s Apprentice books know that Pearl makes her first appearance in The Forgotten Guardian , the second installment in the series. I suppose Offerings can be viewed as a prequel. I like to think of it as a bonus adventure. You can sign up for my author newsletter in advance of the novella’s release.  On Sept. 1, you’ll receive my newsletter telling you how to download the novella.
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The Gates of Hell Are Open. And the Ghosts Are Hungry

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The Chinese Hungry Ghost Month begins today, Aug. 16. It’s the first day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar. From today until Sept. 14, Chinese people of the Taoist or Buddhist faiths believe the gates of hell are open and hungry ghosts wander the earth in search of food and entertainment. (If you’ve read The Four Perils (book #4 of my Geomancer’s Apprentice urban fantasy series), you would also know yin energy is dominant now, which is attractive to ghosts.) During Ghost Month, Chinese communities all over the world burn hell money and ghost goods—such as paper-mache cars, cell phones, houses and jewelry—to ensure their ancestors are well taken care of in the afterlife. The Hungry Ghost Festival falls on the 15 th day of the month (Aug. 30). Some people will serve large feasts on offering tables for the dead on this day. Others may light lanterns in the shape of lotus flowers and release them in rivers. As they float away, the lanterns help guide the dead back to
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