Last Minute Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Are you running out of time? Did you miss someone on your Christmas list? Do you need a little something that will make your kid's stocking sparkle? Don't worry we have some great suggestions for the readers in your lives.

First I will show you how super easy it is to send an e-book to the one you love in three easy steps.

Step 1 - Find that book your loved one will love!
If you haven't found that book we have some great suggestions later on in the post. Once you find that book on Amazon or the Barnes and Nobles website there should be a link next to where you can purchase the item that allows you to send that ebook as a gift.

Step 2 - Fill in some basic information.

All you have to do is simply fill in the recipients' e-mail, your name and theirs, and write a personal holiday message.

 

The nice option that Amazon offers is that you can actually print the instructions yourself in place of sending it through an e-mail. This allows you to print the voucher, place it in a Christmas card, or perhaps give it as a white elephant gift.

Step 3 - Place the order.

Press the place your order or submit button and all is done!   

Now for those suggestions I've been hinting at! 

Children's Books

If you have some little ones that you need to shop for here are a couple of suggestions we think they will love!

Our first two are the creations of Fabled Garden Press' own Suzanne Nikolaisen. Beautifully illustrated fun and silly poems to make a kid in your life smile. 

-The Cupcake Tree by Suzanne Nikolaisen 

The sweet and magical cupcake tree, branches loaded with ripe cupcakes, is one of the silly poems in this delightful collection to read with your children. Colorful illustrations of lollipop flowers, cuddly bears, a snowman in the sun, and more highlight the collection. Some poems are pure silliness while others like The Cupcake Tree are simply sweeter. Join the tickety-tockiting clock, razzleberries, the singing roosters, and crickets cricking softly in a book of poems perfect to read at bedtime or on the go. 
You can find it here for Amazon Kindle.

-B is for Bigfoot: An ABC Book of Wonderful Creatures by Suzanne Nikolaisen
This illustrated alphabet of wonderful creatures includes an imaginative crew of memorable fantasy creatures with a dragon, werewolf, robot, mermaid, the kraken, Bigfoot and more. Each cheery illustration shares a colorful letter and visual clues about the creatures and is accompanied by a lighthearted poem with fun rhythm. Explore the ABC’s with these legendary creatures.
You can find it here for Amazon Kindle.

Teen Books

We are working on some teen fiction here at Fabled Garden Press that will hopefully come out in the upcoming year. Until then here is a book that we think you will love from one of our dear friends, M.L.Smith.

-Chrysalis by M.L.Smith 
Alexa Morgan is like most teenage girls. She only gets to use her cell phone for emergencies, she has trouble getting her homework done and she's crushing on the school's bad boy. But Alexa really isn't like any of her high school peers. When she turns eighteen, she will be the most powerful mage in the world. Until then, she has other mages, vampires, werewolves and fairies hunting her. Some of them want to kill her, others want to turn her into a monster. She's in the middle of a war and the winner gets to claim her life.
You can find it here for Amazon Kindle.

Paranormal Fun
Paranormal and fantasy are at the heart of Fabled Garden Press and we think that these selections will have your loved one's spine tingle or let them escape to a fantastical world. Maybe even a bot of both.

-SandShadow by Suzanne Nikolaisen
Michael lives alone in a crowded city where he is haunted by an extraordinary nightmare. He’s made some bad decisions and the woman he loves is halfway across the world. Time is running out to find what’s behind the paralyzing dreams and the presence that comes with them. 

Drawn into an ancient society of watchers who say they know what’s hunting him, he begins to wonder if zombies are real. The answer is coming for him from the desert sands where it has never rested in peace.
You can find it here for Amazon Kindle and here for the Nook. 

-Cora Frost by Matthew Leland Smith
“Come now my pet it's time we get started.”

Cora Frost, the proprietor of a small shop called Eerie East End's, is caught in the middle of a dangerous paranormal game. The year is 1886 and a young girl comes to the oddball shop seeking answers to a recent attack. Nichole Kelly's world has been turned upside down when she's attacked by creature that some have dubbed Spring-Heeled Jack. With her own supernatural gifts, Cora's investigation leads her down a road that includes exorcism, venturing into the memories of a man and being enthralled in a game of wits against a psychic.
You can find it here for Amazon Kindle and here for the Nook.

-Cora Frost: the Gift by Matthew Leland Smith
Some social engagements are simply to die for. 

Moira Dent, a young beautiful heiress, has only one thing that groups her with the lower class; one day she will die. To her luck, a passer-by offers her a gift. With a simple ritual she will be able to raise another as a vampire. Through this pact, she will be able to join the risen vampire in immortality. Moira only needs her closest friends to join her deadly pact, and perhaps a few to be a little midnight snack. 
Under the guise of a dinner party, Moira invites her cousin, Webster Pruitt, to take place in this hideous act. Luckily, Webster has a guardian in the form of his new friend, Cora Frost. Using the magical abilities and expertise she will have to face the horrors Moira Dent has unleashed on her dinner guests. 
Cora must make strange alliances with the deviant vampiric Veronica Bowman, the beautiful and airy actress Irene Adler, and the mysterious kingly Siegfried Richter. Cora and her allies must survive until the morning and the mysterious forces Moira has summoned will be put to an end. Though some things are easier said, than done. 
You can find it here for Amazon Kindle and here for the Nook.

We hope that this gives all of you little elves a couple of ideas, and we thank you in advance for considering making us a part of your holiday this year. From all of us here at Fabled Garden Press we hope you have a merry Christmas and a happy holiday.

B is for Bigfoot - Just in Time for St. Nick!

Before St. Nicholas Arrived
Twas the night before publishing our magical ABC book.

We’d gathered the creatures, we thought we were off the hook.

A crash and a splash, then all was a-clatter.

I sprang from my computer to see what was the matter.

Bigfoot had stepped on the vampire's toe,

who changed to a bat causing a big row. 

The lamp tipped over in a flash when the thunderbird landed.

The sea monster filled up the tub single handed.

I looked at my friend Matt & he shrugged despondently saying,

“Suz, it was a good idea, but look at this mess from their playing!"

“It’ll be okay,” I responded tossing him some sugarplums sweet

and we rounded up creatures, “Wait 'til the kids they get to meet!"

The pages from the friendly book started to glow.

The jinn gave a nod, and the phoenix flew low.

The werewolf jumped in with a side glance and wink,

The kraken made a splash right there in the ink.

One after another they snuggled into their pages,

these wonderful creatures from out of the ages.

Beeps from the robot, a dragony hiss.

This was certainly an ABC book not to miss!

As we prepared to share the book links with you.

We think when you read it you’ll be glad you took kung foo!

Suddenly a cold chill came as the yuki-onna breezed in

and together at last all the creatures settled in.

Creatures with feathers, fur, and fins came quite quick

The howling and hooting—calming down just in time for St. Nick.

Cover for "B is for Bigfoot" by Suzanne Nikolaisen and Matthew Smith, Kindle version.

We're so grateful for the early feedback that kids are already having fun with the book, and are picking out their favorite creatures! We hope the kids in your life enjoy B is for Bigfoot an ABC Book of Wonderful Creatures too! A special thanks to all of you for sharing the book with your kids, family and friends! 

It's been really great to hear the feedback that the kids are enjoying the book!

Suzanne and Matt

*Update: Be sure to sync your Kindle for version 1b a minor edit needed to be made. We're preparing versions for the Nook and iBooks and will release links when these versions are available.

Available on the Kindle at: http://amzn.to/1vLL0ls

Look for news and updates about B is for Bigfoot at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabledgardenpress

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BisforBigfoot

Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzchirp

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Twinfrodo

B is for Bigfoot - Countdown

Suz at the Mac laying out the book.

Last winter my foundation drawing teacher in college suggested I do something with my art, like a children's book. I think this drawing of the Princess and the Pea is what may be why she brought it up. Whatever the case, I took her advice and started working on drawings for an alphabet book. 

Pencil drawings for "B is for Bigfoot." See the letter B.

My process started with pencil drawings, traced in ink on a light table. Then I applied color and shading with colored pencils. Once scanned I did a little digital touching up here and there.

We used Prismacolor colored pencils to add color to the ink drawings.

During the summer Matt and I decided to collaborate on our writing and this fall we really started to pour-on-the-coal with "B is for Bigfoot" for release in December. I've spent many lunch breaks at Barbacoa with my sketchbook creating the letters, sharing the table with a bowl of chicken soup and corn chips.

I re-drew my giant robot drawing to include in the book.

Read "B is for Banana Bread (and Bigfoot)" a snapshot from October when I was working on
the cover drawing. I posted some pics along with my favorite banana bread recipe.

Applying colored pencil to the ink cover drawing of the sunflower that frames the ABC's.

It was nice to have Matt help me with the poems with his cracker-jack writing skills! (if you haven't read his Cora Frost novellas, I hope you'll look them up! They're spine-tingling, spooky, and an interesting spin on the late 1800s and spiritualism. Read more about the series. You can read Cora Frost: The Fasting Spider for free on the Kindle and Nook.) Matt's also been helping as colorist on some of the illustrations. (Check out what he did with "W is for Werewolf" for example, it turned out really cute!)

The cover work in progress.

The last letters have been scanned and the book is in it's final edit. The eBook will be published to Kindle and Nook later this week. Fabled Garden Press is a small digital press that's very grass roots. We hope you'll share B is for Bigfoot with your friends and help us get the word out!

Most of all we hope that this book will help share worldwide myths and legends with children at an early age and open a conversation about the creatures, the cultures they come from in a fun and colorful way!

B is for Bigfoot will make a great eGift that you can always have with you on your mobile phone or mobile device. Read it at bedtime, on-the-go, even when you're out camping next summer!

Take care, Suz

New Release: The Cupcake Tree

Click to Zoom. Released to Kindle on November 10th, 2014.

A Note About the Book (Available on Kindle)

Before I share the book description for The Cupcake Tree, I wanted to share a personal note about this collection. I wrote this book for my daughter when she was young. You'll see her pop up in the book in illustrations like in the dandelion crowns poem. This book was pure silliness and sentimental rhyme that helped me capture a little bit of the fun and joy. I hope that the poems are universal to your family too! We used to love to read together and were especially fond of books of silly poems which inspired me to create this collection.

The Cupcake Tree & Other Silly Poems for Silly You

Written and Illustrated by Suzanne Nikolaisen

The sweet and magical cupcake tree, with branches loaded with ripe cupcakes, is one of the silly poems in this delightful collection to read with your children. Colorful illustrations of lollipop flowers, cuddly bears, a snowman in the sun, and more highlight the poems.

Join the tickety-tockiting clock, razzleberries, the singing roosters, and crickets cricking softly with this book of poems perfect to read at bedtime or on the go.

Get a copy of The Cupcake Tree to enjoy today!

B is for Bigfoot: Behind the Scenes

"B" is for Bigfoot, An ABC Book of Wonderful Creatures
by Suzanne Nikolaisen and Matthew Smith

Behind the Scenes...
When I started on the cover art for "B" is for Bigfoot I was trying to be logical about it. "It's a cover. Reach for InDesign." But then as I was struggling to make it what I really wanted, I realized ... "I really should be hand drawing this." So I pulled out my drawing paper and drawing board, sharpened up my #2 pencil and went to work. The initial drawing was in 2B pencil, then black ink, and last of all I applied color and shading with Prismacolor colored pencils.

This fall has been a blur of "plein-air" (outdoor) painting, color theory and other classes as we continue on our way through our college art courses. Matt's rolling up his sleeves to help me finish color application then we'll be moving the book through the final stages of editing. We can't wait to share "B" is for Bigfoot with other fantasy and cryptozoology fans and their kids! There were no books like this when my daughter was little and now that fans of cryptozoology, fantasy, creatures, and the supernatural are coming "out of the forest" so to speak we think it's the perfect time to share our book about these wonderful creatures for the littl-er fans.

"A" is for Abominable Snowman, "B" is for Bigfoot & "C" is for Centaur...
"B" is for Bigfoot is more than another ABC book as the subject matter by default makes it a great story-telling companion and conversation starter whether at bedtime or on-the-go. Perfect to have on your iPad or mobile device for a bedtime read or when you're camping for fun storytelling. For example "B" is for Bigfoot depicts the redwood forest. With each letter of the alphabet you can delve into what the picture has to do with the mythos of the creature. For Bigfoot you can talk about the huge trees (show them the Nat Geo Redwood Portrait that features climbers in the trees), about the "Patterson-Gilmin" film taken at Bluff Creek in California, native American myths, Jane Goodall's study of primates and if you watch any of the Bigfoot reality shows--? "B" is for Bigfoot, the creature they're looking for.

"B" is for Bigfoot, 2 is on the publication schedule, but we haven't released a publication date yet. It will include more illustrations about the creatures and myths, legends and research about each creature. This book will be for older kids and adults.

Now that the physical cover art has been completed we'll be taking it digital for final processing, as we're preparing to release the book for preorders on the Kindle and Nook. Watch for links coming soon!

Watch for Updates on the Blog, Twitter, Facebook & Pinterest

You can follow SuzChirp on Twitter if you want realtime updates (like the link to the blog post "B" is for Banana Bread (and Bigfoot) and the pic of the cover nearly completed). We also have a Fabled Garden Press Facebook page and are on Pinterest too. For super easy updates, sign up to be automatically emailed each time we post to the blog (look for the form field on the right side of the blog to sign up and be sure to click to verify your subscription when you get the verification email).

Watch the video about Fabled Garden Press.

We're looking forward to sharing "B is for Bigfoot!" It's been so much fun to work on!

Suzanne

Copyright 2014, Fabled Garden Press (A digital press by Suzanne Nikolaisen and Matthew Smith)

Parallel Lives Art Project: Vampire Pt 1 Rough Draft

I am a big fan of Magic the Gathering and it stemmed my love of art. I am currently taking art classes in college and I thought it would be awesome to start a project. Over the weekend I began a project that has been going through my head for a while. In Magic there is a very popular block called Innistrad. It is full of classic horror troupes such as vampires, werewolves, and zombies. In such a place as Innistrad one human could possibly end up as any one of these monsters, or just a meal for them. It could also survive and remain a human, or could ascend an join the angels. So my goal is to paint the same man as a vampire, a werewolf, a zombie, a human, and an angel (maybe a demon too.) These paintings are mostly for my own benefit to practice and gain experience. The first painting in this series is the man as a vampire. I am starting each one as a rough pencil sketch on canvas, and then will paint them in acrylics. Maybe towards the end I will try using oils, but that all depends on how I feel the series is going.

So here is the rough sketch. One comment already is to make the eyebrows more dramatic. Please share if you have any comments (including constructive criticism) or ideas please comment. A cool artist who did a lot of vampire art for Innistrad is Cynthia Sheppard. Please visit her blog for amazing art here. 

SandShadow and a Little History

Pyramid of Djoser 
Image source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imhotep

The leaves are beginning to change and the mountainsides look as though they're slowly being painted by an amazing watercolor brush brimming with brilliant fall colors. This is the time of year when SandShadow begins to unfold. SandsShadow is a supernatural suspense/paranormal romance story that was first released in 1998 as a PDF. In 2014 I released the novel as an eBook to Kindle and Nook.

I wrote SandShadow when I thought I was going to be a horror writer, but as you can see from my drawings posted here, writing horror is not my thing. This book is a kinder-gentler scary story that I wrote in the mid-90's. I learned a lot from studying the history and mythology of Egypt and Imhotep. Outside of books and the usual TV specials on Egypt I dug into further research at the University of Utah Marriott library and met with a women's group from the Islamic faith to gain a better understanding of the religion. I met with people from the deaf center, joined a local writers group, rewrote, edited, and decided the story had wound it's way to completion.

One of the main characters deserves an introduction: Imhotep. His name means "He who comes in peace." I was introduced to him (or reminded of him from past specials I'd seen on Egypt) when I found him listed in The Macmillan Illustrated Encycolpedia of Myths & Legends I was inspired by his stories to think of a "what would have happened if..." scenario.

When you hear about brilliant people in history Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Isaac Newton, and Leonardo Da Vinci may come to mind. I think Imhotep deserves a spot among them. He was a trail blazer during the Egyptian 3rd Dynasty and he worked for the pharaoh Djoser. His many jobs included architect, engineer, carpenter, doctor, high priest of Ra and it sounds like he was a master artist. Besides being a very busy guy as vizier and his other achievements, he was deified posthumously. Not sure if you've heard of him or seen his work? Have you seen the step pyramid? (See the Pyramid of Djoser shown above?) Imhotep designed that pyramid.

SandShadow $2.99 

by Suzanne Nikolaisen
Available on Kindle and Nook 
Michael lives alone in a crowded city where he is haunted by an extraordinary nightmare. He’s made some bad decisions and the woman he loves is halfway across the world. Time is running out to find what’s behind the paralyzing dreams and the presence that comes with them.

Drawn into an ancient society of watchers who say they know what’s hunting him, he begins to wonder if zombies are real. The answer is coming for him from the desert sands where it has never rested in peace.

"This was a good solid thrill."

- Steven, Amazon Reviewer

As autumn arrives I hope you have fun finding your favorite pumpkin shake and that you can carve out a minute, be it on your lunch break or curled up late at night, for a spooky read!

Suzanne

Sources Cited:
- Cotterell, Arthur. Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Myths and Legends. NewYork: Macmillan Publishing Company (1989): 105. Print.
- "Imhotep."  Wikipedia Web. 8 Oct. 2014
- Photograph "Pyramid of Djoser." Wikipedia Web. 8 Oct. 2014

SandShadow was written by Suzanne Nikolaisen. All rights reserved. Copyright 1998-2014.

The Court and the Nephilim, Villains of the Cora Frost Series.

When looking for villains for Cora to face I wanted them to be very much a part of the time period. I knew I wanted there to be many one off villains in an almost 'monster-of-the-week' fashion, but I wanted there to be a force that is always a constant threat in disrupting Cora's efforts. Secret societies have always fascinated me. I think they represent a basic fear of the unknown mixed with the power the wealthy holds over us. The Court wasn't necessarily built off of any specific secret society but more on the fear and mystery surrounding them.

The East End of London during the 1800's was rampant with over population, crime, and poverty. For those who don't know the East End is home to the Whitechapel district, the scene for the Jack the Ripper murders. Knowing that I wanted the Cora Frost series to play out mostly in the East End, I wanted the major villains to be in contrast to the poor and downtrodden citizens of the East End.

I knew that I wanted this social elitist group to be dangerous, decadent, and macabre. The reason I brought up one of the most nefarious serial killers of all time was because he had a part to play for the inspiration of the Court. Early on I was thinking of having Cora be enthralled in the heart of the serial killer's plot. While doing research into some of the suspects I realized that I would have to be patient, I still plan on having Cora face against the killer, but it's not a story I want to rush.

While Cora will have to wait to meet Saucy Jack the suspects did offer me some villains to play with in the mean time. Some of the suspects noted in the files are those driven by pure speculation. Given only a name without any concrete evidence that they even existed. One of those names was Dr. Stanley. The name gave me a lot of play room while still nodding a bit to Ripper lore. Dr. Stanley David Cohen is an amalgamation of this random name in the Ripper files and a real suspect who was either going by the name David Cohen or was given the name due to his name being to 'hard to spell' for the officer writing the report.

Dr. Stanley David Cohen is very much a Moriarty to Cora's Holmes. They are evenly matched when it comes to their mental powers, literally psychically and logically. What makes him fun is that he is very much a stereotypical mustache twirling villain you could see tying someone to train tracks, but there is also this hidden menace behind him. He can see the future so he in a way shapes it to best fit his purposes, this sometimes put's him in Cora's way, but at times he will even help Cora if it means the future he is hoping to create.

Another suspect that caught my attention was Robert D'Onston Stephenson, a journalist who had a preoccupation with the occult. I thought that he best represented the opposite of what Cora is. Cora uses good or white magic to help others while Stephenson uses the darkest magics to help himself.

In the first draft of Cora Frost, the only villains Cora faced were the Court and the Spring-Heeled Jack entities that they controlled. During the first draft I felt that we never got really close to Cora, she was strong, but we didn't know why she got into the occult or why she wanted to try and help people. Knowing that I had to get a little more personal to the titular character, I looked back at the inspiration for Cora, Cora Scott. Many believed that she and her husband at the time were charlatans, hoaxing people out of their money. So I thought it would be a brilliant idea to showcase her and her first husband as con artists, using the idea of the supernatural to cash in on peoples money.

While having this new back story brewing I realized there needed to be something to bring Cora from being a con artist pretending to speak to the dead to being a hero who uses sorcery to benefit mankind. I wanted there to be a new foe, one that made the members of the Court seem like little kittens in comparison. The first idea that came to my mind was a seemingly alien monster like Cthulhu or an elemental and demonic creature like the Balrog from Lord of the Rings.

Another idea came to me while watching the supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows. In Dark Shadows the character of Julia Hoffman started the show nearly as malevolent as Barnabas Collins, but after seeing the consequences of her actions and her part in the death of her friend, she quickly became more benevolent and much more a power for good. So my next idea was to have someone who seemed entirely frail like Julia, but extremely intelligent and without any kind of remorse.

Having the two ideas floating around in my head I thought that the elemental creature wouldn't be as compelling as a villain whose presence was going to be felt throughout most of the Cora Frost stories. On the other hand the idea of a frail intellectual woman seemed more in line with the already established slew of Court villains. For some reason I then began to wonder what an elemental creature like the Balrog would be like if it was trapped in human form. Then all of a sudden the two very different ideas merged into one character.

Now that I had a basic sketch in my mind of what Cora's most recurring villain would be like I began to do research into mythological creatures who would best fit the idea. After wondering a bit through Wikipedia (which I have a near addiction to sometimes) I fell upon an article about a creature alluded to in the bible, the Nephilim. In the bible they are only described as being giant, and in modern literature they have been assigned as everything from angelic beings to strange alien like creatures. Because of this ambiguity I chose to have the Nephilim in my story be creatures born of pure elemental magic. They would be able to 'cloth' themselves in flesh and look like anything they wanted to.

So the Nephilim was born, a creature born of magic alone, and as such can only be destroyed the same way. The Nephilim in the Cora series has since been one of my favorite characters to write for. She is always sly and her presence is felt in every scene she is seen in or even the ones she is simply mentioned in. There is another short story in the works that will reveal more about the Nephilim (including her name) coming soon. Meanwhile to catch up on Cora, the Court, and the Nephilim be sure to check out the series on Amazon and Nook. A free short story can be found here for Amazon and here for Nook. More information on the Jack the Ripper suspects can be found here.       

Robot Placing the Evening Stars

Did you see the movie Pacific Rim with the giant robots? While there was plenty of "cheese" to go around and the monsters were a little over the top for me, the giant robots with psychic links between the pilots, in my opinion were pretty cool. As far as other movies with robots we all have our favorites; Westworld, C-3PO,  The Iron Giant, AI, Wall-e, Hal 9000, The Last Mimzy there are some pretty big robot movie lists out there. The robot I drew lives in a peaceable world placing and straightening stars while the night wind passes through the flowers.

I'm working on converting The Cupcake Tree to eBook for Kindle and Nook so I'm sharing a drawing from the archive. The Robot Placing the Evening Stars was an assignment for my Foundation Drawing class in college last fall. This giant robot, on task placing the stars in the night sky, was a Halloween themed drawing reinforcing perspective and drawing with straight lines. I was tasked with creating a "monster" from a series of boxes, drawn in perspective on the horizon line. I found inspiration from children's book illustrator Etienne Delessert's bird and flowers and Van Gogh's 1889 painting, The Starry Night. The primrose helped to both soften and frame the vignette even though the flowers were drawn with straight lines just like the robot. Our diligent, star-placing robot friend treks through the night where only pencils, rulers and imaginations roam.

I've thought about taking this drawing from the confines of straight lines and perspective to a regular drawing. "R" could be for "Robot" in the upcoming book "B is for Bigfoot an ABC Book of Wonderful Creatures." What do you think?

- Suzanne

Copyright 2014, Fabled Garden Press (A digital press by Suzanne Nikolaisen and Matthew Smith)

The Princess, The Pea, and The Pencil

The Princess & The Pea

Drawing by Suzanne Nikolaisen

This pencil drawing was an assignment for my Foundation Drawing class that I took at my local community college during the fall of 2013. I studied under Sandra Gagon. This drawing is a study in placing objects in a grid, showing perspective and dimension while using straight lines. I was inspired by the Rand McNally rendition of The Princess and The Pea from 1965 that was illustrated by Anne Sellers Leaf.

This was a tough assignment! First drawing a perfect (perfect being up for debate) grid to place everything in, then it became a puzzle of figuring out how to present things within these confines. Like the peas in the pea pod, turning them into gems that are easier to identify, and uniform, rather than trying to make random straight lined circles. The pea pod turned out to be one of my favorite parts of this drawing.

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Click to see larger image.

Copyright 2014, Fabled Garden Press (A digital press by Suzanne Nikolaisen and Matthew Smith)

Inspiration, Spiritualism and Cora Frost

During Halloween time I always get an itch to visit the world of my first published piece, Cora Frost. Inspiration seems to abound when the air becomes crisper, the leaves begin to change to vibrant crimsons, and the most macabre holiday begins to peak around the corner. It was about this time nearly three years ago that I began to etch out my first novella featuring the arcane and eldritch sorceress and shopkeeper.

Cora's origins come from a variety of different sources. One day I was watching Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. and it really began to make me think. Sherlock Holmes is a great character analytical, brilliant, and inventive. He always figures the case out, the villain for the most part always is caught in Holmes' web (with the exception being Irene Adler). While Sherlock is an amazing character I began to think of what I thought was missing from his extraordinary tales.

I for the most part surround myself with fantasy. While science fascinates me, I would rather spend my time thinking about the improbable (I don't believe that something can be one hundred percent impossible) rather than the practical. Sherlock Holmes is for the most part the opposite, even opposite from his creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle was a believer in Spiritualism a movement popular in the late 1800's that believed that the walls between the living and the dead were thin, and communicating between the two worlds was possible.

When I started brainstorming ideas in what would eventually become Cora Frost, I began to look at Holmes. I love the mystery, the grittiness of Victorian England. At first it seemed like a no-brainer, Sherlock Holmes is public domain after all, I thought I would craft my own Holmes story with a flair of the supernatural. I looked at the movement that Doyle so fervently believed in, and stumbled upon a character within its history that peeked my interest.

Cora L.V. Scott was a medium within the Spiritualism movement. She would stand before masses in a trance like state and claimed to speak for the dead. She was young and pretty which seemed to be at odds with her claimed unearthly abilities. While all of this absolutely intrigued me, another fact intrigued me more. Cora had been married four times. Today that would be considered commonplace, but in the 1800's it was practically unheard of.

When I read about Cora an idea seemed to pop into my head. In many ways this girl was the complete opposite of Holmes. She wasn't bound by science or laws, being married four times is a good indication that she was a creature of passion versus Holmes' analytical mind. So in place of writing a Sherlock Holmes story I thought it would be a better idea to craft a character that was more of his foil.

Cora Scott was a great start but I felt my main character still needed more than to be an interpretation of this historical character. Paranormal private investigators are a staple in the modern fantasy genre and it seemed perfect for my character to be like a Victorian era equivalent. While the Spiritualism movement fascinates me I wanted my 'anti-Holmes' to be more than a medium, but a sorceress who could deal with the baddies that came her way with a much more direct approach if needed.

In many ways I took Cora Scott, Sherlock Holmes, and a dash of the Halliwell sisters and stirred it in a giant pot. After pouring it out I found that I created a character who uses her mind and her passion to solve problems.

Next time I will write about the inspirations for the villains in the Cora Frost tales. For more information on Cora Scott visit this link here. For a free Cora Frost story visit here to download it for Kindle or here to download it for the Nook.

- Matt

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cora_L._V._Scott

About Fabled Garden Press (Video)

Here's a little video that shares a bit about our view of the Fabled Garden.

Salt Lake Comicon (September 4-6th)

Look for Matthew Smith, author of the Cora Frost series, at the Salt Lake Comicon this fall. We're sharing eGiveaways of The Fasting Spider from his Cora Frost series which you can download now on the  Kindle and Nook.

About The Fasting Spider: Cora Frost, the proprietor of a small shop called Eerie East End's, is caught in the middle of a dangerous paranormal game during which she meets a boy who is said to commune with spirits in the form of spiders. After an accident young Jacob Fancher is left in an eternal state of fasting. Blind, he still amazingly weaves brilliant embroidered works. On death's door Jacob Fancher wishes to bestow a gift to Cora. A gift given by the spiders that possess him.

What Readers Are Saying:
"This was a awesome little story! The whole thing was creepy and crawley. Yeah, I'm definitely going to be reading more of Mr. Smith's work!"
    - Lisa

"This thrilling little tease of book makes you want to read more by the author and more about Cora Frost."

    - Hillary

Copyright 2014, Fabled Garden Press (A digital press by Suzanne Nikolaisen and Matthew Smith)

Books & Projects

See what books and projects we're working on and what's already available.

PRE-RELEASE (IN PRODUCTION)

"B" is for Bigfoot, an ABC Book of Wonderful Creatures
Illustrated by Suzanne Nikolaisen, Co-written with Matthew L. Smith
KIDS
See an initial sketch for the "B" is for Bigfoot eBook. This is one of the early drawings in the font series being created by Suzanne Nikolaisen for the eBook. Further illustrations are being created by Suzanne and the book is being cowritten by the illustrator with Matthew Smith. (Scheduled for release in December 2014.)

Updated: 10/04/14 
Delve into the wonderful world of our favorite legendary creatures as gathered from folklore around the world. Playful and silly hand-drawn illustrations share letter-shapes and present the creatures in memorable ways while the poem drops tidbits about their stories. Written mindfully for young children learning to read.

• Introduction to the storybook of world myth
• A poem accompanies each letter from A-Z
• Hand-drawn illustrations 
• Free audio download. The authors read the poem aloud

Title TBD (Short Story Collection)
by Suzanne Nikolaisen and Matthew L. Smith
FANTASY, PARANORMAL
Details and release date for this collection TBD.

RELEASED

Cora Frost (1) $0.99 (Available on the Kindle and Nook)
by Matthew L. Smith
PARANORMAL, OCCULT
Cora Frost, the proprietor of a small shop called Eerie East End's, is caught in the middle of a dangerous paranormal game. The year is 1886 and a young girl comes to the oddball shop seeking answers to a recent attack. Nichole Kelly's world has been turned upside down when she's attacked by creature that some have dubbed Spring-Heeled Jack. With her own supernatural gifts, Cora's investigation leads her down a road that includes exorcism, venturing into the memories of a man and being enthralled in a game of wits against a psychic.

Cora Frost: The Fasting Spider (2) Free (Available on the Kindle and Nook)
by Matthew L. Smith
PARANORMAL, OCCULT  |  REVIEWS
After an accident young Jacob Fancher is left in an eternal state of fasting. Blind, he still amazingly weaves brilliant embroidered works. On death's door Jacob Fancher wishes to bestow a gift to Cora. A gift given by the spiders that possess him.

Cora Frost: The Gift (3) $0.99 (Available on the Kindle and Nook)
by Matthew L. Smith
PARANORMAL, OCCULT
Moira Dent, a young beautiful heiress, has only one thing that groups her with the lower class; one day she will die. To her luck, a passer-by offers her a gift. Through this pact, she will be able to join the risen vampire in immortality. Moira only needs her closest friends to join her deadly pact, and perhaps a few to be a little midnight snack. Under the guise of a dinner party, Moira invites her cousin, Webster Pruitt, to take place in this hideous act. Luckily, Webster has a guardian in the form of his new friend, Cora Frost. 

SandShadow $2.99 (Available on the Kindle and Nook)
by Suzanne Nikolaisen
SUPERNATURAL, ROMANCE  |  REVIEWS

Michael lives alone in a crowded city where he is haunted by an extraordinary nightmare. He’s made some bad decisions and the woman he loves is halfway across the world. Time is running out to find what’s behind the paralyzing dreams and the presence that comes with them.

Drawn into an ancient society of watchers who say they know what’s hunting him, he begins to wonder if zombies are real. The answer is coming for him from the desert sands where it has never rested in peace.

The Cupcake Tree & Other Silly Poems for Silly You $2.99
(Available on the Kindle)
Written and illustrated by Suzanne Nikolaisen
KIDS, POETRY
The sweet and magical cupcake tree, with branches loaded with ripe cupcakes, is one of the silly poems in this delightful collection to read with your children. Colorful illustrations of lollipop flowers, cuddly bears, a snowman in the sun, and more highlight the poems.

Join the tickety-tockiting clock, razzleberries, the singing roosters, and crickets cricking softly with this book of poems perfect to read at bedtime or on the go.

All works listed on this post were created by Suzanne Nikolaisen and Matthew Smith. All rights reserved. Copyright 2014.