​​Monkshood Manor is alive and is about to swallow unsuspecting sixteen-year-old Cate. She'll meet the home's terrifying occupants face-to-face, and not everyone is who they seem. A night that began as a date with a mysterious, handsome guy she met at the library, quickly becomes her worst nightmare. Things go from flirty to murder-y fast. Will Cate survive?

It's the time of year when the seasons are shifting and the smell of pumpkin something will permeate the atmosphere. And bibliophiles everywhere are looking forward to snuggling up with new books and slipping into another world.

The fall and winter season for Algonquin is going to give readers that little slice of cozy and grit that we all love.

​When you hear the words "quiet horror," what does it make you think of? I first heard the term several years ago. The idea of spooky happenings without a lot if blood and gore really appealed to me. I've never been one to enjoy the graphic details of horrific stories about murder and mayhem. Instead, I've always liked for most of the violence to happen off-stage. We, the reader (or watcher, as this applies to film, as well) know what happens without having to suffer too many terror-ridden images.

It's difficult for me to forget something once I've seen it, which may be why I prefer this sub-genre. As a child, I'd have those awful scenes flash in my head over and over again, causing nightmares and paranoia of any dark place, no matter how familiar. Maybe it's the creative in me--the writer with a vivid imagination--who's able to see and feel things even when they're not there. I'm not sure, but either way, quiet horror became my go-to when I needed that spooky escape. And with Halloween just around the corner, I've sought out to better define this sub-genre while sharing some books to add to your TBR list.

Nellie Bly, known for her book Ten Days in a Madhouse, was born in 1864 just outside of Pittsburgh. Unlike her prissy childhood nickname, Pink, she would become a true suffragette and leader in women's voices. Nellie grew up living a typical life of domestic womanhood, but she had a voice that needed to be heard. In 1885, she wrote to the Pittsburg Dispatch, going against an article that said the only purpose for women was to clean house and take care of children and that they had no business working outside the home. In her letter, she evoked a woman's God-given abilities to work and do other jobs well, despite what society thought. Her passionate rebuke landed her a job with the Dispatch for $5 a week. But women weren't respected in journalism. Women were allowed to write about food, gardening, household topics, and fashion. Nellie wanted to be a real journalist.​

​Of all the sea-folk stories out there, selkies are my favorite. I love that so much of their tales blur into the real world, with humans. After researching selkies for Episode 19 of Fabled, I couldn’t help but seek out other sources of selkie entertainment.
 
​Hope you enjoy this list of selkie books and movies!

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​People love strange historical objects, but one stands out from the typical collection of oddities—a tear catcher.
 
The Victorians are known for using lachrymatories or tear catchers. If there’s one thing Victorians knew how to do, it was to mourn. They had elaborate rituals they had to follow to properly show their dead loved ones how much they meant to them. Not only did they wear fancy black clothing, but they also couldn't attend certain social events during their mourning season. They had to dress and act in a way that was appropriate for someone who was mourning.

​The city of Ybor is a district covering the historic Ybor neighborhood in Tampa, Florida. The area has is covered in rich architectural, culinary, cultural, and historical heritage that reflects its multi-ethnic background. Uniquely, Ybor was a thriving industrial community founded and inhabited almost exclusively by immigrants. It was founded in 1885 by a group of cigar manufacturers under the direction of Vicente Martinez-Ybor as a separate city yet attached to Tampa in 1887. The original population consisted mainly of Cuban and Spanish immigrants who worked in cigar factories. Shortly after that, Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe arrived. They brought a wealth of industry with them, including many retail outlets, farms and grocery stores, boxes, printers, and other companies dealing with cigars and their employees.