May 25, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
In Game Of Thrones, it is the King’s Hand who exerts some real power of the Seven Kingdoms. His symbol, appropriately enough, was a pin depicting a hand. But in yet another example of reality being stranger than fiction, it was the Groom of the Stool—named for...
May 1, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
May Day is an official holiday in 66 countries and unofficially celebrated in many more. In Greece, it is celebrated as a workers’ strike. So, naturally, everyone goes to the countryside and… erm… makes themselves a May wreath to hang on their doors....
Apr 5, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
Wherever does Rowling come up with her amazing ideas? Well, in the case of Dobby, it could be any from a number of mythological sources, helpfully compiled by Eric Grundhauser of Atlas Obscura in his collection of household spirit-related myths. Slavic Mythology: The...
Mar 16, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
Mary Natalie loves her flap books so much that we now have an assortment of them. My personal favorite is probably Spot, although that was before I realized what a scandalous history flap books have, courtesy of Sarah Laskow of Atlas Obscura. To my great surprise,...
Mar 6, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts
What language do modern Hawaiians speak? The answer, as Dan Nosowitz of Atlas Obscura points out, is not nearly as simple as you might think. There are several languages co-existing on the Hawaiian islands: Hawaiian, the Polynesian language of the original Hawaiians...
Feb 14, 2017 | Events and Giveaways, Fun Historical Facts
It’s Valentine’s Day today, and I hope it’s a happy one. May you all have all the love in your life you can possibly hope for! However, as Atlas Obscura reminds us, today is the day when we are forced to deal with an ugly question: what if you don’t...
Feb 4, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts, My Publications
This is a post on my sci-fi/fantasy series, Pearseus, and the real-life inspiration behind it. It’s actually a reblog, originally posted back in 2014. I am reposting because (a) it’s one of my favorite posts, and (b) most of my readers weren’t...
Feb 2, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts, Marketing
The first thing that visitors of my blog will see is a banner advertising my latest releases and offers. I also advertise within my books themselves. You know, a simple, “If you liked this book, you may also enjoy the rest of this series, now available on...
Jan 15, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts, Interviews Features and Reviews
Yes, I borrowed the title from the well-known Month Python sketch from Life of Brian. Knowing my interest in religions and history, Electra got me The Evolution Of The West by Nick Spencer, based on a recent review by The Economist (from which I’m quoting...
Jan 13, 2017 | Fun Historical Facts, My Publications
Pearseus: Endgame, the nail-biting (if I do say so myself) conclusion to the Pearseus series, ends not with a whimper, but with a bang. With quite a lot of bangs, in fact, the greatest of which occur during the Battle of Fennel Bay. This is not-so-loosely based on the...
