Celebrating Christmas in July with Christmas Reflections by Joanne Jaytanie #RB4U #Romance #Christmas

This month we at Romance Books 4 Us, are celebrating Christmas in July. It may be hot and sunny outside, but at Forever Christmas tree farm, every day is a celebration of that one extraordinary day of the year. 

Forever Christmas Tree Farm is the heart of Glenville. The place where locals and visitors gather and attend events, not only at Christmastime but all year ‘round. An enchanting place, a place of new beginnings, a refuge for those in need—a place of love.  

Forever Christmas In Glenville~Buy Link

Just this past week, I was honored by author Kristine Raymond, as she chose to read the first few pages of Christmas Reflections, book one in the Forever Christmas In Glenville Collection, on her new YouTube channel - First Pages. Take a break from your ‘To Do’ list or your hectic schedule, grab a seat and enjoy.

Christmas Reflections~Buy Link

I based this collection on my home town and my early Christmases. I believe my longing to write these stories are best described in the dedication in Forever Christmas in Glenville Collection.

DEDICATION

To my hometown of, Sherburne, New York. Where bringing home your Christmas tree meant, treading through the snow and hiking the hills to find that special one.

Where Christmas was celebrated with a life-size manger in the village square. Santa arriving on a big red fire engine, handing out oranges and candy canes.

Where brightly colored lights glistened though a thick layer of sparkly, pure-white snow.

Where carolers strolled from house to house, stopping along the way to partake in their neighbor’s offerings of piping hot apple cider and cocoa.

And children could spend the day sledding, building snowmen, making snow angels, and having friendly snowball fights.

Christmas is the time to give thanks. Take the time to reflect on your life and be grateful for those you love…

Immerse yourself in the spirit of the holidays.

  

Revel in today. Take time to lay on the beach, read a book, and soak up the sun. Because all to soon autumn with be upon us and will quickly slide into those long chilly winter nights. But that doesn’t mean we still can’t enjoy – Christmas in July!

Until next month…

Joanne

Visit my website

Chatting with Sheri Lynn on @RomanceBooks4Us #Romance #contemporary

Summer is my favorite season.  I love the sun.  I love the water.  I love reading.  What better place to read than lounging by the beach or pool.  What better thing to do while lounging at the beach or pool than reading.  And living in Alabama where the humidity is off the charts, being in a body of water while outdoors is a necessity.

If you are looking for a quick, fun read this summer take a look at The Heart Will Lead.  It is free with kindle unlimited.  It is book 2 in The Heart Facts duet, but both books can be read as standalones.  Frannie from the first book does make an appearance in book 2 so you may want to read The Heart Won’t Forget first if you want to be surprised at how things turn out in her love life.

The heart can certainly wreak havoc with what one’s mind has planned for one’s future, and both these stories provide perfect examples of this dilemma.

The Heart Will Lead

The Heart Facts:  Book Two

By:  Sheri Lynn



Do relationships ever respect the boundaries we stake? Not when the heart leads.

Celebrating her twenty-third birthday alone, Jessica is not sure what she wants to do with her life. She completed college with two degrees and guards a secret that she was born a trust fund baby.  

When her hot neighbor shows up at her door asking a favor, she acts on her rampant attraction and throws herself at him. Both parties are quick to agree to keep things casual and pursue a physical relationship only.

Jessica has built a fortress so high and solid that she hasn’t breached its walls since she set the first stone.

Corey has a malicious ex-wife and he didn’t realize how detrimental the situation was until he met Jessica.

Will they face their personal demons together, or alone?


Buy links:  https://blushingbooks.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=4837


Keep up to date with Sheri:

https://www.facebook.com/sherilynnauthor/

https://sherilynnauthor.com/

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0182IRER8

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14678523.Sheri_Lynn

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sheri-lynn

my newsletter link   http://eepurl.com/cWoyZ5

https://www.instagram.com/sherilynnauthor/

sherilynnauthor@yahoo.com

Christmas Story by Janice Seagraves

Christmas in July is a big event. We had a contest going for Romance Book "4" Us website.
I think it's cool. It makes you think of cold weather while we're sweltering in the heat.

I only have one Christmas story: Matrix Crystal Christmas.

I love these two stories. My characters didn't leave me alone after Matrix Crystal Hunters, so I continued my couples adventure in a book two.

https://www.amazon.com/Matrix-Crystal-Christmas-Crystals-Book-ebook/dp/B00GJCNBAY/

 Matrix Crystal Christmas is made up of two short stories (one erotic and one sweet) for the fans of my novel, Matrix Crystal Hunters, who told me that they wanted to know what happened next.

In Crystal Flower Christmas: Vach and Maya are on a mission to undam the Laonooco River for the drought stricken region. As heartache fractures their marriage, will the gift of a crystal flower mend their relationship or break it beyond repair?

In Crystal Clear Christmas: Plague has struck the village of Zama and the citizens blame the only human left on Zenevieva, Maya. Will Vach make the ultimate sacrifice to save his wife?

Excerpt from Crystal Flower Christmas:

After she rolled up the futon, Vach walked in, picked it up and took it out. The sexy way he smiled at her reminded her of how they’d met five years ago on a trip to a dig site, looking for matrix crystals on Hymeneal Night.
She’d desired him then. After they married, she’d longed to have babies with him and now look at the result. They’d lost their one and only child.
It’s my fault. If I had accepted what had been given to me and not wanted it all, perfect husband and children, we wouldn’t be suffering now.
After pulling on her coat and a tugging knit cap over her head, Maya dragged herself out of the tent. Vach brought her breakfast a flat bread sandwich made with tama cheese and lightly fried winter veggies. She nodded her thanks and took the food, then sat by the fire and stared into it.
Vach knelt down to look at her. “What happened? You were fine just a little while ago, and now you’re not.”
She pulled away and shook her head. “Never mind. It’s not important.” She gazed into the fire. “Nothing important.”
“What’s wrong?” Xeno asked.
Vach stood. “I don’t know.”
After breakfast, the tents were struck down and the snags loaded up. Vach pulled a winter riding cloak around Maya, and then directed her to a rock so she could mount Brawley. She was glad that the aging sherakey would follow the other animals and all she’d have to do was sit in the saddle.
Once she was astride her mount, her husband checked the stirrups like he always did. He stopped and looked up at her. “I have something to give you that I was saving for Winter Solstice or your Earth Christmas.”
He took out a wrapped item out of Zareth’s saddle bag and brought it to her. He pressed the gift into her hand. Something about the feel of the present seemed familiar. She unwrapped the gift. It was one of her missing crystal flowers. She tightened her jaw and glared at him. “It was you!”
“Yes, it was.” He smirked at her and ran to get on his mount.
She took the reins and kicked Brawley so she could get closer to Vach. “You’re the one who’s been stealing the flowers I made?”
“Yes.” He gave her another one of his smug smiles. Vach urged Zareth into a canter, leaving her and Brawley in the dust.
“It took hours to make those flowers, you jerk!” Maya shoved the flower in her coat pocket, then dug her heels into her steed’s sides and took off after him. “Move it, Brawley. I know you can go faster than this.”
“Hey, wait! Where are you two going?” Xeno yelled from behind them.
Maya chased her jackass of a husband all day. Every time she got close to him, he’d smile back at her in that insufferable way. “So, what are you going to do about it?” he said each time.
Then he’d leave her in the dust again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For the kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Matrix-Crystal-Christmas-Janice-Seagraves-ebook/dp/B00GJCNBAY
For the Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/matrix-crystal-christmas-janice-seagraves/1119971272?ean=2940045632089
On Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/448778
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

History of Tequila

Today, July 24, is National Tequila Day. Sounds fun, right? Back in the day, I drank my share of tequila, with salt and lemon.  As a nod to my younger days, I thought I’d research the history of tequila.

Tequila is the name for a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, 40 miles northwest of Guadalajara. The red volcanic soil in the surrounding region is particularly well-suited to the growing of the blue agave plant. (Wikipedia)

Mezcal wine, tequila’s grandparent, was first produced only a few decades after the Spaniards came to the New World in 1521. Agave played a much larger role than the source of an alcoholic drink. Its leaves were used for a hemp-like fiber to make mats, clothing, rope and paper. It was also the source of the nutrient and vitamin-rich brew, pulque. (Source: Los Cabos Magazine)

The distillation of pulque into something stronger may have originated by the Conquistadors as early as the 1520s. You’re all familiar with Cuervo Tequila. Jose Antonio Cuervo was the first licensed manufacturer of tequila. He received the rights to cultivate a parcel of land from the King of Spain in 1758. Today, Cuervo is the largest manufacturer of tequila in the world. (Source: Los Cabos Magazine)

Mexican laws state that tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and limited municipalities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Planting, tending, and harvesting the agave plant remains a manual effort, largely unchanged by modern farm machinery and relying on centuries-old know-how.

The men who harvest it, the jimadores [ximaˈðoɾes], have intimate knowledge of how the plants should be cultivated, passed down from generation to generation. (Wikipedia)

"Tequila worm" misconception

A young agave plant

THE WORM
Another interesting error is an urban legend related to a worm. The worm-in-the-bottle myth is old and tired. The truth has been broadcast and expounded for years by the cognoscenti of tequila, in newspapers, magazines and on the internet. Yes, it’s true, some American-bottled brands put one in their bottle to impress the gringos and boost sales, but it was a marketing ploy developed in the 1940s, not a Mexican tradition.

Sometimes however, there is a worm, properly a butterfly caterpillar, in some types of mezcal. You may also get a small bag of worm salt and chile powder tied to a mezcal bottle. There are two types of worms in mezcal: the red, gusano rojo—considered superior because it lives in the root and heart of the maguey—and the less-prized white or gold gusano de oro, which lives on the leaves. The red gusano turns pale in the mezcal, the gold turns ashen-gray. Both larvae are commonly eaten as food and are sold in Zapotec markets.

Yes, you’re supposed to eat the worm in mezcal. Don’t worry: it’s quite well pickled and free of pesticides (they’re often raised just for use in mezcal, cooked and pickled in alcohol for a year). But dispel any idea it has any magical or psychotropic properties, that it’s an aphrodisiac or the key to an "unseen world." It’s merely protein and alcohol—but it’s very rich in imagery. Note: Yuck.

In Mexico, the most traditional way to drink tequila is neat, without lime and salt. Outside Mexico, a single shot of tequila is often served with salt and a slice of lime. This is called tequila cruda and is sometimes referred to as "training wheels", "lick-sip-suck", or "lick-shoot-suck" (referring to the way in which the combination of ingredients is imbibed). The drinkers moisten the back of their hands below the index finger (usually by licking) and pour on the salt. Then the salt is licked off the hand, the tequila is drunk, and the fruit slice is quickly bitten. Groups of drinkers often do this simultaneously. (Wikipedia)

Note: I always thought you used lemon. That’s what we did. We used to drink it this way in groups in a bar, mostly the summer of 1971, at the Jersey Shore.

Now that you know all the important facts about tequila, go out and celebrate National Tequila Day.

While drinking your tequila, settle down with a sizzling, fun romance.

SALE!!

A Groom for Christmas

Only 99 cents for a very limited time.

Fun holiday read.

A GROOM FOR CHRISTMAS is a new twist on the classic Hallmark Christmas movie full of family, humor, love, and a little bit of redemption.

Family pressure just might make her do something crazy...

When a young woman hires her hometown’s former bad boy to be her pretend fiancé for the holidays, she finds she can’t wrap up her feelings as easily as a Christmas gift.

New York jewelry designer Graceann Palmer has two days to find a fiancé to bring home to Pennsylvania for the holidays so her matchmaking mama will quit fixing her up with jerks. The Falcon, a motorcycle-riding, leather-clad former high school crush, helped her out once before. Maybe he'll do it again.

Jake Falco, man of many mysteries, is back in town on a mission—one the people of Spirit Lake most likely won't appreciate. When Graceann presents him with her crazy scheme, it gives him something he's always wanted—a chance to get to know Graceann. It also gives him the perfect opportunity to add fuel to his project of revenge. 

But as Jake and Graceann grow closer, their engagement-of-convenience begins to feel like the real deal—until Jake’s secrets are revealed. 

Can a relationship that began with lies and secrets bloom like a rare Christmas rose into happily-ever-after?

2013 Snow Globes Award Contest Finalist
Winner! 2014 New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award
2014 Readers' Choice Nominee, Best Couple, Love Romances Cafe
2014 RomCon Awards Finalist

There’s no tequila in A Groom for Christmas, but I’m now writing the sequel, Wedded on a Dare, and I have scene where the heroine and hero are drinking tequila. Let’s hear it for tequila!

Here’s what some Amazon reviewers have said about A Groom for Christmas.

…“The story grabbed me in the beginning and kept me interested to the end. I urge you to read Jake and Graceann's story.”

…”A fun warm sweet romance that will have you laugh and see that you can't judge a person by who they were for you may miss something wonderful.”

https://books2read.com/u/4AwNnq

Usually I post in here about my writer self but as many of you probably know, I am also a publisher! Decadent Publishing is one of the best parts of my life and recently, when KindleWorlds decided to close, two of the authors who owned worlds there gracious offered us the opportunity to continue these amazing series!.

The fabulous Desiree Holt granted us rights to work with The Omega Team  and the Phoenix Agency and the gracious Mari Carr her Wild Irish. I hope you'll stop by our webpage and check out the many titles 

For today, I'd like to share one of my stories, The Soviet Connection...my dip into the spy genre. I combined one of my favorite places, The Bahamas--even the little island resort I visited there a long time ago with a tale of murder, political intrigue and romance. I hope you'll enjoy the story. Also, I have a few ARCs of this book available, so for the first 10 newsletter subscribers who contact me at katerichards09@gmail.com...your copy is free!

When Carson Ames is assigned by The Omega Team to investigate the mysterious death of a Senator's son, his assignment takes him to a small island in the Bahamas currently in the grip of Hurricane Annika, which is rapidly becoming the storm of this century.

Sophia has bad luck with boyfriends. They have a tendency to have accidents and the last guy she spent time alone with has ended up dead. Ruled a suicide. His Senator father wants to know what happened but is afraid bad publicity could affect his campaign for president and wants things handled without too much fanfare.

When his number one suspect turns out to be a familiar face, Carson is stuck between a beautiful blonde and his duty. If he makes the wrong choice, someone else might die.

Today's #Guest #Interview #romanticsuspense ALL THOSE MILES I WALKED by @ViviMackade

Welcome to Romance Books 4 Us, a place for all romance and all genres. We’re very happy to have you here with us today. First, tell us a little bit about yourself…

I’m Viviana, from south Florida by way of England and, before that, Italy. I write contemporary suspense, but ready to dip my laptop into the Fantasy genre (this is kind of a newsflash).

-What kind of research do you do for a novel and how extensive do you get?

It depends of the subject. As a general rule, I research enough to get me started, then I research as I go. Which sometimes gets me stuck for a day or two because I’m nuts and I at that point I want to know EVERYTHING about a subject.

-Is there any other genre that you would love to try writing?  If so, what is it?

Fantasy. There. I said it. Which means when the third and final book in the Crescent Creek Series will be done (September–just saying) I’ll have to start writing this new thing buzzing in my head.

-Do you ever see yourself as the heroine/hero or find yourself relating to them when you write a story?

Oh, no! I’m nowhere near that interesting and/or gutsy. I’d be the lamest Heroine ever.

-What is your favorite method of writing...as in laptop, desktop, iPad or the old-fashioned pencil and paper?  And do you plot out your story or go with the flow of your muse?

It’s computer for the actual writing, but good ole’ pencil and paper to plot, note, and the such. I’m a hybrid, meaning I need to have a general idea about the book, for which I’ll plot, and then let the character move through it freely.

-When you need a break or some time off from the trials of being a writer, what can you be found doing?

Taking a walk with my earbuds blasting music. It used to be jogging, but I have MS and jogging doesn’t happen anymore. So, I walk.

-Share your favorites:

Favorite color – purple

Favorite dessert/snack – tiramisu (when I make it) / cinnamon rolls

Favorite Season – Spring when I was in Europe. Here in Florida, winter.

Favorite sad song – Tonight I’m Gonna Cry by Keith Urban

Favorite Romantic movie – Australia

Favorite Actor – Too many I like–I’m such a tramp….

Favorite way to relax – walking or pool

Where can our readers find you?  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ViviMackade

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011982152461

Website/blog: www.viviana-mackade.blog

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B01KKY6WLQ?redirectedFromKindleDbs=true

Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it? 

All Those Miles I Walked

by Viviana MacKade

At eighteen, DJ made a choice–her heart or her dreams. Neither was wrong, yet either would break her heart. She chose the world. Over a decade later, she returns to Crescent Creek and to the one regret she's ever had–Scott.

Scott’s always been steady as a rocky reef. He’d loved once and when she’d left, his strong heart had crumbled like a sandcastle. Now DJ is back, and Scott wants nothing to do with her. If only Eva, his and DJ’s old friend, didn’t need their help. Because of her, he’s stuck with DJ and he’d be damned, she still gets under his skin.

DJ is a free spirit who needs the road under her feet. Scott is a family man who wants to groom his roots. With danger on their doorstep and a baby to keep safe, how much are they willing to compromise for love?

Amazon ebook  paperback

Why I Didn't Renew My Membership in Romance Writers of America by Marianne Stephens

I first joined in 1994. So much has changed since then. Just look at how many options people now have to read books!

I needed to be part of that BIG Romance Group in the beginning. I needed the conventions/workshops/access to other authors. I also joined a local RWA group. Got lots of good information.

Now, I don't see any benefit in joining. I haven't been to a conference/convention in years. Hated when RWA switched to forum format for group contacts/information. 

And the whole ebook issue in earlier years left me very disappointed with RWA. I published an ebook in 2007...but was made to feel like the outcast cousin in RWA. I didn't have a BIG publisher or a print book. I had an ebook, and this was not looked upon with favor.

I knew back then that technology would change reading. Ebooks would flourish. I tried to explain this to people and my predictions weren't well-received.

When Harlequin decided to pursue an ebook line, I could only image RWA members running around saying, "The sky is falling!". Suddenly, RWA had to change their attitude about ebooks since Harlequin was venturing into those publishing waters. 

I quit my local group. I'd offered many times to do workshops about ebook publishing. I believe I did one quick one where there was little enthusiasm for what I was saying. I don't like the rules RWA places on chapters. 

I was a PAN member (Published Author Network). Got in before RWA made it almost impossible for e-pubbed authors to become members. I stayed in RWA/PAN just to annoy those who placed little value on epublishing.

But now the time has come for me to quit since I no longer see any value in being in RWA.

The two times I asked for help with chapter business, I didn't get any. I actually got more help from The Author's Guild than RWA.

Goodbye, RWA. You were relevant in my life before, but now supply no benefits for me. I'm older, wiser, and have moved on. 

And, technology will keep our writing/reading industry in a state of constant flux. Will RWA embrace those changes?

Marianne Stephens

photo:Flickrr: Peter Kaminski

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT: A Challenge for Fantasy Writers

Posted by Author R. Ann Siracusa

I NEVER WOULD HAVE BELIEVED…

When I first started writing romance novels in the mid-1980s, the “rules” were so restrictive an author couldn’t write about women in traditional men’s professions, much less about a heroine in the entertainment business or sports. “Readers can’t relate,” Harlequin told my agent. Phooey. I was an architect, and I didn’t want to read about nannies.

At the time, I never would have believed someday we’d be writing romances including vampires, but now they’re crawling all over the shelves in the book stores [if Amazon has allowed any brick and mortar bookstores to survive]. Along with them are romances about werewolves, zombies, shape shifters, demons, angels, dragons, aliens, witches, gnomes, elves, ad infinitum.

So, what will be the next big thing? We need something new and fresh, your editor will tell you. I was at a loss for ideas until I remembered the bogeyman [also spelled bogyman, boogeyman, bogieman, and boogieman].

“IF YOU DON’T BEHAVE, THE BOGEYMAN WILL GET YOU!”

Did you ever hear your parents use those words when you were a kid? I’m not sure whether I learned about the bogeyman at home or somewhere else, but I grew up knowing this monster meant business.

Today’s parenting doesn’t buy into the concept of frightening children into good behavior, but for thousands of years it has been a main stay. After all, throughout history parents around the world have wanted good behavior from their children. I’m sure what constituted good behavior varies a lot.

According to Melissa Breyer*, “Creating compliance in children is surely a universal desire, and there’s no easier way than to scare the bejesus out of them. Although it seems somewhat cruel to intensify the fears that are already part and parcel of childhood, as long as there are benevolent Santa figures used to affect behavior, the malevolent counterpart will remain alive and well. Because when the promise of presents and candy doesn't work, the threat of being eaten by a monster can be rather persuasive.”
Clipart: https://kadampalife.org/boogey-man/

WHAT DOES HE - SHE - IT LOOK LIKE?What I didn’t learn growing up is what this Bogeyman monster looked like. It was a non-specific incarnation of terror which leapt out of nowhere on the days when a child had been particularly difficult, ornery, mischievous, or just plain “bad.”

 He usually lived under the child’s bed or in the closet, and preferred to appear at night after the child was alone in the dark.

Not knowing the appearance of the monster makes it even that more frightening. You don’t know what to expect. You don’t have any clue to look for.

Although the bogeyman is usually thought of as masculine, he/she/it can be anything. “The bogeyman himself varies in appearance. It’s common belief that he will embody the fears of the person he has targeted. If you’re afraid of spiders, he could appear as a giant spider. If you’re afraid of a specific person in your life, he could appear as that person. The possibilities are endless.” https://9thcircleofhorror.com/2015/11/01/the-legend-of-the-boogeyman/

O.M.G. WE’RE SURROUNDED!

It’s no surprise, then, that nearly every culture in the world developed their own equivalent of the Bogeyman. If you want the full list, go to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogeyman Here are just a few of the ones I found interesting.

● Sack Man [Spain and many other Spanish-American countries]

Sack Man [Hombre del Saco] carries away naught children. The inspiration likely comes from a very real person who, during the 16^th and 17^th centuries, was in charge of collecting orphan babies to take to orphanages. He put them in bags or wicker baskets and carried them through the province. Most of them died before reaching the orphanage.

Drawing: http://whitewolf.wikia.com/wiki/Skin_and_Bones

● Bicho Papão [Portugal and Brazil]
Sources suggests that the Portuguese brought to Brazil the bogeymen, Bicho Papão [The Eating Beast]. Residents of Brazil use the names interchangeably with Sack Man. The only difference between the two is that Bag Man comes during the day and The Eating Beast comes during the night.

Photo: Pinterest https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/290411875962782524/?lp=true 

● El Coco / El Cuco / El Cucuy [Spain, Portugal, Latin-America]

Coco is also known in folklore as Cuco, Coca, Cuca, Cucuy. It is a mythical dragon or a ghost monster which is said to appear in many different shapes and forms. So, there is no description of the beast which can be applied to all the places where it appears.

Photo: By C.A.Christensen March 2016 https://aminoapps.com

The monster Coco’s origins are Portugal and Spanish Galicia, where it appeared as a monster with a pumpkin head, two eyes, and a mouth. During medieval times, it transformed into a female dragon. In Portugal it has remained popular until today.

El Cuco is the more common name in most of South and Central America, and among Mexican-Americans, El Cucuy is portrayed as a small humanoid with glowing red eyes that hides under children's beds at night and kidnaps or eats a child who does not obey his parents.             Photo: http://www.ancient-origins.net/ 

● L’uomo Nero / Babau [Italy and parts of Mediterranean]
The Black Man monster is depicted as a tall man wearing a heavy black coat and a black hood or hat, or sometimes a demon appearing as a man or ghost without legs.

Sometimes parents knock loudly under the dining table [like someone knocking at the door] and say “Here comes the Black Man. He knows a child who doesn’t want to drink his soup.”
Photo: http://www.horrormagazine.it/1442/chi-ha-paura-dell-uomo-nero

● Bubak [Czech Republic and Poland]

This scarecrow-like bogeyman hides on riverbanks and makes           sounds like a lost baby to lure both children and adults into                 his clutches. He drives a cart pulled by cats and weaves                     clothes for the souls he has stolen.

Photo: http://listverse.com/2009/10/24/15-bogeymen-from-around-the-world/

● Mörkö / Marrän / The Groke [Scandinavia]

In the northern countries, the Bogeyman is substantially different. She is a large, scary, dark blue, ghost-like creature with a shapeless, blobby body, two staring eyes, and a wide row of shiny teeth. She isn’t malicious but so lonely that wherever she stands, the ground freezes and plants die.

Photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Groke

● Lulu-khorkhore / لولو [Iran]

In Iran, children are warned about Lulu who eats naughty children. The threat is usually to make them eat their meals.

Lulu - Originally shared by zahra lotfi 

● Namahage [Japan]

The Japanese bogeyman is a demon spirit who warns children not to be lazy or cry. He visits each house on New Year’s Eve and asks if the children have been lazy. If the parents can say “no”, then he moves on to the next house. I don’t know what he does if the parents say “yes.”

Originally hailing from the cold parts of the Oga Peninsula, the name comes from the blisters that form on one’s feet when they are close to the fire for too long, indicating the person was too lazy to move. 

Drawing by Yuko Shimizu from Pinterest  http://listverse.com/2009/

● Boggart [Scotland]

Boggart is a malicious fairy who causes big and small disasters for people. If you name it, it will follow you and your family everywhere you go. I don’t know if naming it means giving it a proper individual name or just calling it a Boggart. A horseshoe over the door protects you from Boggarts.

Photo: Fandom / http://boogeymen.wikia.com/wiki/Boggart

●Baboulas / Μπαμπούλας [Greece]

In Greece the bogeyman is used by parents to scare their children into behaving. Baboulas is a cannibal who eats children.

Photo: https://europeisnotdead.com/video/images-of-europe/european-monsters/

● Abu Rigl Maslukha / al-Bu'bu' / Man With A Burnt Leg [Egypt]

Abu Rigl Maslukha is got his leg burnt when he was a child because he did not listen to his parents. He grabs naughty children to cook and eat them. The same as, who is often depicted as a night creature dressed in black, who haunts children who misbehave.

Photo: https://emeraldfury.deviantart.com

ORIGIN OF THE WORD

While the true origin of the English term “bogeyman” isn’t known, there are plenty of theories. One comes from England where the “buggy man” was the driver of the carts that went around English cities and picked up dead bodies during the time of the Black Plague.

Another theory is that the word was derived from the Middle English word bogge / bugge which means hobgoblin. According to Wikipedia, it is “generally thought to be a cognate of the Berman bögge, böggle-mann.”

THE CHALLENGE
Okay, fantasy romance writers, your challenge is to pick one of the prototype bogeymen and make him the protagonist of a fantasy romance.□

AUTHOR R. ANN SIRACUSATravel to Foreign Lands for Romance and Intrigue

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Sources
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https://europeisnotdead.com/video/images-of-europe/european-monsters/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Groke http://boogeymen.wikia.com/wiki/Boggart https://brickthology.com/2014/10/31/bogeyman/ https://hubpages.com/family/the-bogeyman https://emeraldfury.deviantart.com/art/October-6-Namahage-331328703 https://emeraldfury.deviantart.com/art/Oct-3-Abu-Rigl-Maslukha-330592619 https://bizarre-and-amazing.blogspot.com/2016/09/el-sacoman-sack-man.html http://cryptozoology.wikia.com/wiki/Bogeyman Photo: https://europeisnotdead.com/video/images-of-europe/european-monsters/