animals
Maneki-neko
Then I was reminded of Japan's Maneki-neko, and I decided, that's it. That's the folkloric cat I want to write about this week. So first off, what is the Maneki-neko?
essay
aapi heritage
The Stag: Celtic vs. Indian
And as I’ve been working on L&F Book 2, I’ve also had a point of curiosity hopping foot to foot in the back of my mind. As I’m exploring the concept of avatars in my series, I’ve been wanting to explore the mythology around Pan-type guardians of nature.
aapi heritage
Mermaids in Asian Stories
Inspired by our recent trip to the pool (1st time swimming since the beginning of this summer – thanks, global warming), I decided to “dive” (c’mon, had to do it) into researching merfolk in Asian folklore and mythology.
blog
Animals in Stories, Part 2
article
Animals in Stories, Part 1
And it’s a lot more convenient telling a story about a wolf or an ox that may have a passing resemblance to a few people in your village than telling a story about a guy named Frank who seems to look and act remarkably like Frank down the road.
article
Flying in Fantasy
What have our stories told us about mortals (not Gods) being gifted the ability to fly? Initially, my searches universally pointed to the story of Daedalus and Icarus, but their story isn’t one of magical gifts ...
newsletter
May is out and June is in…
Hi, everyone. It’s my first monthly update post – recapping the last month and highlighting what I’ve got planned for the next one.
article
So Foxy!
In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month, which is ending this week, I’m writing about one of my favorite animals with magical powers – the fox.
News
There Be Dragons (part 1 of what will be many)
Growing up, I wasn’t all that into dragons. Pretty much every story I read as a young child had them rampaging across the European countryside, grabbing maidens off of stakes and hoarding them along with piles of gold and jewels.
article
Sacred Trees
The magic of the number three, the lotus, stars. Dragons and phoenixes have soared through all our imagined skies (both are a personal obsession, so lots more on them later). The one that had me down rabbit holes, this week, was trees.