One of my favorite pieces of advice for new writers looking to make more sales is to consider trying some non-fiction. As an author who is known for both fiction and non-fiction, I periodically get requests for articles from editors who tell me that for every 300 short story submissions they receive, they get…well, zero non-fiction submissions. ...More...

Although magazines and books like to tell us that Halloween is an ancient festival with pagan roots, the truth is the holiday as we know it is really only a few centuries old, especially in terms of being a night that incorporates dark enchantments and spooky tales. Combining the Celtic Samhain with the Christian All Saints Day and All Souls Day (the latter wasn’t instituted in the Catholic Church until 998 A.D.), references to the holiday are basically nonexistent prior to the 16^th century, and those few scarce mentions hardly sound at all like the holiday we love. For example, this mention from the 1511 Festyvall notes, “We rede in olde tyme good people wolde on All halowen daye bake brade and dele it for all crysten soules.” Not exactly a thrill-ride description, is it?. ...More...