Here's Your All Hallows Eve Treat

Having received more than one request for the newest chapters in The Tarishe Curse to be posted a day early because... 

"Halloween is too filled with festivities; there's no time to read."  

"I'm torn between wanting to curl up on the sofa and read vs getting into costume to go out with friends"  

"I hate trying to speed read so I can be done before trick-or-treating starts."

I've sucumbed to these valid arguments. So, this chilly autumn day preceding All Hallow's Eve, I give you the next installment of the Queen of Werefolk's harrowing story.

But first, for those new to our holiday tradition, allow me to fill you in...

A few years back I thought it would be fun to write a short Halloween story for my friend, Cathie, who happens to be the holiday's biggest fan. I posted my completed work on my blog—a grim tale about the cursed Queen of Werefolk—and let Cathie know to read it.

She did.

And then she asked, "So, what's the rest of the story?"

Uh….what? The rest? You mean, you want to know what happens next? Well, I don't know; I meant for it to end.

"You should extend the story for next Halloween."

The idea appealed to me. So I wrote more about the werewolves, their enemies and challenges, and posted the result the following Halloween. That day a tradition was born. Ta-dah! Read from the beginning by clicking here.

Now, sit back and enjoy what happens next...

Dedicated to my friend, Cathie Duvall,

the true Queen of All Hallows Eve.

Copyright 2015 Richelle E. Goodrich

Countdown to Halloween—Newly Posted Chapters of The Tarishe Curse!

Is your skin crawling with notions of what's in store for the queen of werefolk? 

Oh the horror!  

Uh―waiting, that is.  

The newest chapters of 
The Tarishe Curse 
will be posted in a few days!  A sneak peek, you say?  I love sneak peeks!  How about a tempting taste of what's to come?  Enjoy these excerpts:

“It isn’t always true that a critical end justifies desperate means.”

"The werewolves’ howling increased in unison, mixed with vicious yapping and the sound of splintering wood echoing from various points outside the gates. I continued screaming out in pain when Baron released my hand—bloody and mangled. He swiped my sword and stepped aside, once again dropping to a knee like a trained monkey.

'I will deal with you next,' the witch warned me in a hiss."

“My ears interpreted a mix of nearby voices as calm, friendly, ordinary chatter. With that as background noise, I enjoyed the silent attention of my mate. The way his hand brushed softly over every inch of my bare skin tempted my eyelids to close and my mind to wander, but I kept focused, not wanting to miss a moment of admiring this beautiful man and his seductive, wild look. I felt a flood of emotion set in, born from absolute, interminable love for him. I wished for the voices to cease, for time to halt, for the moment we were living to replay over and over and over again perpetually. The world could have its gain and glory, its vengeance and victories—all I wanted was the enduring love and attention of this man who most assuredly was my soulmate.”

“I drifted off after a while, staring at the only star visible through the thick covering of leaves. Hope seemed a futile wish, but I troubled the lonely star to grant it anyway.”

“Stop it!" I screamed, scrambling to my knees. “Stop your cruelty this instant! Leave them alone! Is vengeance all you know, you awful, haggard, old crone?”
My outburst proved successful at putting a halt to whatever evil had been in motion. The old woman turned her eyes full on me for the first time, looking genuinely shocked by my audacity. I continued to struggle with my bands, desperate to slip free.
“Such insolence, Catherine?”
“That is not my name, you barbarian!”

 Have I peaked your curiosity?  Good.  

See you on Halloween.  (Maybe the day before.)

The Tarishe Curse for your Hallows Eve Pleasure

It's so close to Halloween my head is spinning!  I'm writing like a madwoman, preparing the next installment of our traditional All Hallows Eve story.  A few short days and it will be time to post the next portion of this dark adventure.  Hey, that gives you just enough time to read the Queen of Werefolk's story from the beginning... bahahahaha!

THE  TARISHE  CURSE 

by American author, Richelle E. Goodrich

My Quotes in Pictures

     While on a curious stroll through the internet (a virtual walk guided by Google) I was tickled to find a number of my original quotes posted on websites, tweeted via Twitter, Facebooked, and pinned on Pinterest.
     My words have been framed over beautiful scenes that effectively emphasize the spirit of each quote, revealing the marrow of each passage's meaning. As an author, I am pleased. As a human being whose life experiences inspired me to summarize these truths, I am deeply touched. I thought I would share a few visually enriched quotes I stumbled across; they are marvelous!

Saying Goodbye

Saying goodbye is easy. Parting ways is what tears your heart out.

I am thrilled my son, Philip, chose to serve a mission, and I was tickled pink when I learned he would serve in Tokyo, Japan. The truth is, I have been so excited for him that a smile has adorned my face through most of the packing and formalities and preparations... because I have been right there at his side.

This morning he stepped in line to board a plane, and for the first time I could not remain at his side. Saying good luck, farewell, I am proud of you, goodbye; that has been easy because I know he needs to go do this—to learn and to help and to serve and to grow. He is ready. It is all good. But I did not realize that at the moment I had to stop moving forward while he continued walking on through that line and out of my sight (waving graciously to his mom) my heart would claw out of my chest and go with him. It was hard for me to smile. And for the first time, I cried. Really cried. It hurt.

Don't get me wrong, I am still very happy for my son. He is exactly where he should be. And the experience will make him a better person. But I already miss him, and I miss the part of me he took with him.

My son is going to be a great missionary. I know it.

A Moonless Knight

I wished upon the moon one night, bewitched by how it shone so white.  While staring up with some excite my eyes beheld a wondrous sight!  The moon, so lustrous and white, transformed into an armored knight who caused me just a moments fright when he jumped down from such a height.  No more a soft celestial light, he was my lover, day and night. 

This caused the world a serious plight.  How harsh a sting and deep the bite inflicted on the world, alright, to lose their blackest-hour light. 

And so I've come to set things right, to offer up without a fight my lover wished for one clear night.  I hold him close.  He hugs me tight, then climbs again to heaven's height to glow a bluer shade of bright.  I stare at my beloved knight, not wanting to be impolite, and in my heart with all my might I wish a wish that isn't right. 

Now and then the world still spites a shadowless and moonless night when we steal softly out of sight to hold each other 'til daylight and share in lovers’ true delight.

Contemplating Crazy Things

I contemplate a lot of things,

Like why the sky's a shade of green,

And how it is that lions fly

While birds with wings refuse to try.

It's strange how snowmen never melt,

And sweaty feet are sweetly smelt,

And how so commonly we see

Young hippos nesting in a tree.

I wonder how they get up there,

And why the world is mostly square,

And how huge every nose would be

If we had only one, not three.

I cannot guess why hills are flat,

Nor can I say why twigs are fat.

I do not know how mud keeps clean,

Or why small kittens act so mean.

And while I'm thinking all this stuff,

Consider black marshmallow fluff,

And how the rainbows twist and coil

Around the clouds down to the soil

Imagine if our teeth were white

I'd want to keep them out of site!

It's crazy stuff I see in dreams,

To contemplate so many things.

― Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes

Copyright 2015 Richelle E. Goodrich

Bad Day

Imagine the following true incident foreshadowing every stretch of my waking hours, and you'll understand exactly what sort of day I've had....

After dealing with an unpleasant phone call interrupted by an inconvenient surprise visit, I left the house to go run a necessary errand.  Slipping into the front seat of my car, I immediately realized some irritated, buzzing insect had entered with me.  I imagined an angry wasp.  Then I panicked, noticing the thing was attached to my hair and struggling to break free.  Shoving open the car door, I jumped onto my feet while vigorously shaking my hair, hoping the wasp would fly free and leave me unharmed.  Imagine the immense relief I felt when a fly (not a wasp) escaped my tangled curls!  It lasted for a split second—until the stupid fly flew up my nose.  No amount of gagging could save him.

Some days you wonder why you even bothered to venture out the front door.  

Happiness Found Me Alone

Happiness found me alone one day and took me by the hand.
He showed me how the sun gave out its warmth across the land.
Sadness found me content and smiling upward at the sun.
He talked of droughts and blindness and what burning rays had done.

Happiness found me alone again and pointed to the sky.
He showed me how the storms created rainbows way up high.
Sadness found me intrigued and took me to the rainbow’s end.
He showed me how it disappeared to ne’er return again.

Happiness found me alone and taught me how to sing a song.
He sang a dozen melodies as I chirped right along.
Sadness found me singing out and covered up his ears.
He said the noise was deafening, and wished he couldn’t hear.

Happiness found me alone and gave me seven coins of gold.
He showed me many fancy things that merchants often sold.
Sadness found me admiring the pretty things I’d bought.
He pointed out my empty purse and money I had not.

Happiness found me alone and helped me talk to someone new.
He called the boy my friend and said that I was his friend too.
Sadness found me together with my kind, attentive friend.
He whispered of betrayal and how broken hearts don’t mend.

Happiness found me alone and held me tight in his embrace.
He whispered kindness in my ear and kissed me on the face.
Sadness found me with Happiness but before he spoke at all,
I told him he’d have better luck at talking to the wall.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes

Making Wishes

Introducing the successor to Smile Anyway; another book designed to be used on a day-to-day basis.

Making Wishes

by 

Richelle E. Goodrich

Available in  PAPERBACK   KINDLE
NOOK   KOBO  iTUNES

A note: This book was written as a graduation gift. Half the royalties are gifted to the author's son to help with college and living expenses, so keep in mind that every purchase is a kind donation to help put this boy through college.

Making Wishes mirrors its predecessor, Smile Anyway, with new and inspirational quotes, poems, and thoughts written by American author, Richelle E. Goodrich. This book gives you something to ponder for every day of the year, including a small number of emotional mini-stories that sweetly deliver life lessons. For those who enjoy poetry, each month begins with an original haiku. Other varieties of poems are scattered throughout the reading as well. Making Wishes is both thought-provoking and entertaining; it can be enjoyed one entry per day or, if preferred, taken all-in at one sitting. Enjoy the following excerpts:

"Dress yourself in the silks of benevolence because kindness makes you beautiful."

“Temptations don't appear nearly as harmful as the roads they lead you down.”

“Don't seek to be happy; let everyone else chase after that rainbow. Seek to be kind, and you'll find the rainbow follows you.”

“If I must start somewhere, right here and now is the best place imaginable.”

“There are times you find yourself standing by the wayside, watching as someone struggles to dig a well with a spoon, and you wish with all your heart you had arms and a shovel.”

“Sorrow on another's face often looks like coldness, bitterness, resentment, unfriendliness, apathy, disdain, or disinterest when it is in truth purely sadness.”

This book is your 'thought for the day' in hand and includes a saying for leap year.

And your thought for the day.....

 

The Jealous Sun

"The sunlight whispers in my ear, his breath a warm, sultry tease.  I shrink and duck beneath a tree.  My eyes squint to scan the horizon for a glimpse of the wind, but there are no ashen ribbons or golden waves in sight.  He is missing. 

Trickling, tinkling notes reflect loudly off a chandelier of glimmering droplets.  The rain sings to me, and I shield my eyes, admiring the song.  Far off in my western view I expect to see snow, but the sun grows hot with jealousy, knowing this.  He refuses my snowman a place to set. 

My sight drops to search for the man in the moon.  Normally he rises dripping wet from out of the lake, often pale and naked, supple and soft to my caressing gaze.  On rare occasions he dons a pumpkin robe as luminous as fire.  Today he is draped in silks of the saddest blue.  My heart weeps as he steals up and away. 

An army of stars in shining armor come to my aid, and they force the sun into the ground—a temporary grave.  I am fed with a billion bubbles of laughter until I feel I will burst.  But the stars will not stop giving, and I will not stop taking. 

A kiss brands my cheek, and I turn abruptly to find my snowman.  He landed safely in the dark.  We hide from the man in the moon behind a curtain of flurries to dance on polished rainbows and feast on stars until I hear a fire-red growl.  The sun claws its way out of the soil, and everyone scatters."

― Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes

Copyright 2015 Richelle E. Goodrich

Dandelions—A Story of Youthful Courage

"Of all the books you've written, which is your favorite?"

This is a question I've been asked many times.  The answer is easily, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher.  Why?  Because the story is powerful.  It grips the reader emotionally from the very beginning when the main character, Annabelle, nuzzles in close to your heart.  From that point on, your humanity bleeds for her amidst laughter, tears, anger, and silently-offered prayers—all on behalf of children like Annabelle.  It is a fictional story, yes, but it is also a dark shadow of what sometimes proves real. 

Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher 

is available in paperback and e-book formats.  Read it today.

in PAPERBACK or E-BOOK

KINDLE   NOOK   KOBO   iTUNES

Good, Wise, Brave, & God-Fearing

This 4th of July I celebrate the continuing independence of the United States of America. I honor those many individuals who sacrificed in diverse ways so this independence and freedom might exist. Likewise, I honor those who continue in their stead, preserving the precious human gifts this country boasts and cherishes. Acknowledge that your opportunities were won and are still preserved by the spilling of blood and by the sacrifice of good souls. Refuse to take this truth for granted. 

"Years ago, a group of good, wise, brave, God-fearing men stood up to claim and defend the human right for independence. Those men are now dead. Their work is not. If good, wise, brave, God-fearing men fail to stand up in their stead, that independence will cease to exist."

— Richelle E. Goodrich

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