C. C. Harper - Author

  Happy folklore Friday people! Usually I post a bit earlier, but unfortunately my work life took the best of me today. However, for the sake of some consistency, let me quickly dive into the mystical world of water sprites since they decided to crash into my thoughts today.  Unbeknown to many, these watery wonders have been making a splash in folklore and mythology for ages, hanging around rivers, lakes, and springs like enchanted party guests. From their beauty to their mischief, water sprites have been soaking up attention worldwide, showing us the deep connection between humans and the aquatic realms they call home.  In European tales, these freshwater guardians are quite the celebrities, flaunting their beauty, frolicking nature, and occasional mischievous streak. Back in ancient Greece, for example, they went by the name naiads - freshwater nymphs in charge of fountains, wells, and the whole H2O gang. Often seen as youthful and exquisite maidens, naiads symbolize th...

  In my quest to master the chaos and add a sprinkle of order to my blog, I discovered a genius trick – dedicating specific days to celebrate certain themes. Et voilà! Just like my iconic Folklore Fridays, now I shall be rolling out Prompt Wednesdays for your (or mine, to be more honest) midweek inspiration. Not the most original names, granted, but hey, they will surely get the job done! So, here I am on this wonderful Wednesday pondering all things dark, gothic, and fantastical. It seems I can't help but drift towards this sub-genre; there's just something always intriguing about the gloomy, decaying world of dark, gothic fantasy where characters tend to lean towards madness or turn to the (un)dead. Nevertheless, despite the heavy dose of tragedy and impending doom that defines this genre, who can resist indulging in a nice cup of tea or coffee while diving into Bram Stoker's "Dracula" or Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman"? Given these considerations, whe...

  Today, on folklore friday, I'm going to tell you a bit about werewolves. After all, they are characters in my book, so might as well explain a little about them.  The myth of werewolves, or lycanthropy, is a widespread and persistent part of folklore in many cultures, and the concept of humans transforming into wolves dates back to ancient times. The term "lycanthropy" comes from the Greek word "lykánthropos", meaning "wolf-human", and one of the earliest known accounts is the story of King Lycaon in Greek mythology.  According to the myth, told in Ovid's "Metamorphoses", Lycaon, king of Arcadia, doubted the divinity of Zeus and decided to test the god's omniscience. So he decided to invite Zeus to a banquet and served him a dish made from the flesh of a sacrificed boy, which was either one of his own sons or a hostage, depending on the version of the story. This heinous act was intended to mock Zeus and test whether he would recogn...

  I've been wondering for a while about the distinctions between "authors" and "writers," but I never really bothered to dive into it. But hey, here I am now actually thinking about it. Why the sudden interest? Well, I'll attribute it to my crazy allergy situation and all the pills I'm popping to keep it under control. So here goes nothing. What I figured out, during my research, was that when it comes to literature and storytelling, people tend to use "author" and "writer" interchangeably, which can be confusing. Even though both involve creating written works, there are actually some important differences between the two. So, let's look into these distinctions and unravel what it truly means to be an author versus a writer. **Defining Authors and Writers:** At first glance, it might seem that authors and writers perform the same function: they write. However, the distinction lies in the scope and intention of their work. **Autho...

  When I began reading the book 'Provoking the Lost', I initially assumed it would be a story involving vampires. I refrained from reading any reviews because I prefer forming my own opinions when reading a book. The presence of the word 'Lost' in the title brought to mind the 1987 film 'The Lost Boys' directed by Joel Schumacher. While some may consider the vampire theme overused in literature, there remains potential for fresh angles, different viewpoints, and unique storylines. Thus, the connection seemed logical to me. It appears that I was completely wrong. Aside from the bear's fangs as it tried to scare off salmon thieves, there were no other fangs in this book. Despite the upset bear, one thing I got right was the fresh and unique narrative style that the book presented. The contemporary dialogue in the book is so natural that it feels like you're eavesdropping on the characters, making it very engaging. The characters are strong, realistic, and ...

  Long before fairies mass invaded contemporary literature, they were already widely featured in classical works such as William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan," as well as numerous fairy tales and legends from different cultures worldwide. It is evident that fairies and their magical escapades have long been integral to folklore and mythology in various societies, with some cultures holding notably robust traditions and beliefs concerning these mystical entities. Examining, for example, the Celtic cultures, Fairies play a significant role in their folklore, particularly within Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and Breton traditions. In Celtic mythology, they are often referred to as "sidhe" or "aes sídhe" and are believed to inhabit hills, mounds, and natural landscapes. In contrast, Scandinavian folklore depicts fairies known as "huldufólk" in Iceland, "huldre" in Norway, and "h...

"Between the Shadows" distinguishes itself from the first two books in the Sky Watcher series. The initial book delves into Charlotte's tale, while in the second, her friends attempt to correct what they see as a mistake by tampering with the timeline. In contrast, the third book finds them once more meddling with time, oblivious to the metaphorical presence of a frustrated lady holding scissors, who is starting to be perturbed by the repeated interference in her thread-cutting endeavors. Nonetheless, before her anger fully surfaces in a gradual building process throughout the book, we explore Ben and Charlotte's everyday life as a married couple. We see them tackling the challenges together. Some of these challenges, I must confess, truly tested my patience. However, when I recalled Ben's insecurities about why Charlotte would leave her modern life for him, I couldn't help but think, "How sweet!" Despite this, Keen Wolf remains unbeatable, but still...