My mother’s favorite Christmas music from the 1940s, Glenn Miller’s Christmas album. Enjoy and here’s wishing everyone the very best during this Winter Season.
Mistletoe: A Holiday Plant with a Long Story
When winter arrives and the holidays grow near, many of us hang a small bundle of mistletoe in our homes. Some place it over a doorway while others tie it to a beam or light fixture. Everyone seems to know the rule: if two people meet under it, they must share a kiss! But where did this tradition come from? And why mistletoe, of all things? Let’s take a closer look at this famous holiday plant and learn how it went from forest tree-tops to festive winter celebrations.
What is Mistletoe?
Mistletoe is a green plant that grows on trees instead of in the ground. It is called a parasitic plant, which means it attaches itself to a tree branch and takes water and nutrients from the tree. It doesn’t always hurt the tree, but it depends on it to survive. Mistletoe stays green even during cold winters when many other plants lose their leaves, and this made people long ago see it as a symbol of life, love, and hope during the dark months of the year.
The plant makes small white berries, smooth round leaves, and grows in clumps high above the ground. Because it is usually out of reach, mistletoe can seem a little magical — and people in ancient times thought so too.
When Did It Become Part of Human Ritual?
Mistletoe has been part of human customs for thousands of years. Long before Christmas existed, ancient Celtic Druids in Europe believed the plant had special powers. They used mistletoe in winter festivals and thought it could bring good luck, heal sickness, and protect homes from evil spirits. Because it stayed green when everything else looked dead, it symbolized life during winter’s darkest days.
Later, the Norse people of Scandinavia told a story about the goddess Frigg and her son Balder. In their myth, Balder was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe. When he was brought back to life, Frigg declared the plant a sign of peace and love. Some believe this is where the idea of kissing under mistletoe may have started — as a way to show friendship and forgiveness.
By the Middle Ages, people in England and Europe hung mistletoe in homes to bring good fortune for the new year. Over time, as Christmas traditions grew, the old mistletoe customs blended with winter celebrations, and the plant became part of holiday decorations.
Mistletoe in Modern Times
Today, mistletoe is best known for a fun winter tradition: kissing under the mistletoe. Many families enjoy hanging a sprig in doorways or near the Christmas tree. The custom says that if two people meet beneath it, they are supposed to share a kiss for good luck. Some versions say they must pluck a berry each time they kiss, and when the berries are gone, the kissing must stop!
Besides romance, mistletoe brings warmth and playfulness to holiday gatherings. It appears on greeting cards, wrapping paper, ornaments, and even in winter songs and movies. Florists sell fresh or artificial sprigs, and some people enjoy making their own mistletoe decorations for parties or family celebrations.
It’s also worth noting that mistletoe berries can be toxic if eaten, especially by pets or small children, so it’s safest to hang it high and admire it from a distance.
Why Do We Still Love It Today?
Mistletoe is a small plant, but it carries a big story. It reminds us of ancient winter traditions, myths, and the idea that love and life continue even in the coldest season. When people meet under the mistletoe and share a kiss, they are participating in a ritual that stretches back thousands of years, connecting modern celebrations with ancient history.
In a season filled with lights, music, family, and warmth, mistletoe brings something simple and gentle — a moment of connection. Whether it is hung for fun, romance, tradition, or just decoration, mistletoe remains one of the most charming holiday plants we know.
🎼 The Ballad of Tom Dooley — That Appalachian Murder Song
In the late 1950s, my younger brother and I used to hear the Kingston Trio’s song “Tom Dooley” daily on the radio. We eventually learned the lyrics and used to sing it often. At the time we had little to no idea about the actual story behind the popular folk song. Yesterday, I discovered a video of Sean Dietrich’s “The Murder Ballad that Shook Appalachia” (link below) and gained renewed interest in both the song and the story.
Few American folk songs carry the eerie weight of Tom Dooley. Originating in rural North Carolina in the late 1860s, the ballad draws on the real story of Thomas C. Dula (pronounced “Dooley” in rural Appalachia) and the murder of Laura Foster in Wilkes County.
Dula, a former Confederate soldier, returned home to a tangled web of relationships involving Laura and her cousin Ann Melton. Laura’s disappearance and subsequent murder in 1866 triggered a sensational trial. Dula was found guilty and hanged in 1868.
From these facts, the ballad emerged. A local poet, Thomas C. Land, is credited with writing one of the earliest versions, which was passed down orally in the mountains. The Appalachian tradition preserved the song until the folk-music revival of the 20th century, when singer Frank Proffitt learned it from family lore and passed it to collectors.
In 1958, the folk trio The Kingston Trio recorded Tom Dooley and took it to No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts. That burst of popularity swung the door wide open for the folk-music boom that followed.
What makes the ballad enduring is its blend of simplicity and darkness: a haunting melody, a tale of love and death, and the Appalachian setting adding a touch of place and myth. Whether Dula did it, covered for someone else, or was a victim of his era’s circumstances, the song leaves us with that line:
“Hang down your head, Tom Dooley, hang down your head and cry.”
It’s a mournful reminder that some human stories outlast memory—captured forever in the chords of a guitar, the rasp of a mournful country fiddle, the hush of a mountain holler, or the voices of children like my brother and I singing it around the flicker of a mountain camp-fire night.
Listen to this rendition and story of Tom Dooley as told by Appalachian native Sean Dietrich’s “The Murder Ballad that Shook Appalachia” on YouTube. I think you will find it interesting. Sean even explains how the name Dula became Dooley in Appalachia.
Remembering Robert Louis Stevenson
Every November 13, lovers of literature pause to honor the birth of Robert Louis Stevenson, one of Scotland’s most beloved storytellers and a master of adventure, imagination, and moral inquiry. Born in Edinburgh in 1850, Stevenson’s frail health and restless spirit shaped a life devoted to travel and the written word—a journey that took him from the gray streets of Scotland to the sunlit islands of the South Pacific.
Though plagued by chronic illness since childhood, Stevenson’s imagination burned with a fierce vitality. He studied engineering and law before surrendering to his true passion: writing. By his late twenties, he was producing essays and short fiction that captured both the beauty and contradictions of the human spirit.
A Writer of Dual Worlds
Stevenson’s work reflects a lifelong fascination with the dual nature of humanity—the struggle between light and shadow within every soul. Nowhere is this more powerfully explored than in his 1886 masterpiece, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Written in a feverish burst of creativity, the tale is both psychological thriller and timeless moral allegory. It continues to haunt readers and inspire countless adaptations across film, stage, and television.
But Stevenson was far from a writer of darkness alone. His 1883 adventure novel Treasure Island and one of my very favorites, redefined the pirate story, giving us enduring images—the treasure map marked with an X, the one-legged seafarer with a parrot on his shoulder, and the moral ambiguity of heroism itself. It’s a story alive with danger, courage, and the lure of the unknown—qualities that run like a current through all of Stevenson’s work.
A Life of Travel and Imagination
Restless by nature, Stevenson spent much of his adult life roaming the world in search of health and inspiration. His journeys took him across Europe, America, and finally to the islands of the South Pacific, where he settled in Samoa. There, he became affectionately known by locals as Tusitala—“the teller of tales.” He built a home in Vailima and continued to write until his death in 1894 at the age of forty-four.
Though his life was short, Stevenson’s influence endures. His prose combined lyrical beauty with moral tension; his stories invite readers to explore both the outer world of adventure and the inner world of conscience. Writers from Ernest Hemingway to Neil Gaiman have credited him as a touchstone of imagination and craft.
Legacy of the Teller of Tales
Robert Louis Stevenson remains a bridge between romanticism and modernism, between the fireside story and the psychological novel. Whether he was charting seas of danger or the depths of the soul, his compass always pointed toward truth.
More than a century after his passing, we still hear his voice in every whisper of the wind across a far shore, in every flicker of light and shadow within the heart.
“You can give without loving,
but you can never love without giving.”
— Robert Louis Stevenson
Confessions of a Retired Jack-o’-Lantern
A retired Jack-o’-Lantern sits slumped on a porch beneath a waning moon, his carved grin fading but his spirit still aglow with Halloween memories.
Every Halloween, a thousand glowing pumpkins grin proudly or threaten menacingly from porches across the land — but what happens when the candles burn out, and the candy’s all gone? In this witty yet wistful poem, I imagine the thoughts of a once-celebrated Jack-o’-Lantern reflecting on his glory days beneath the moonlight. It’s a tale of laughter, decay, and one pumpkin’s undying love for Halloween.
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I once lit the night with a wicked grin,
Now squirrels gnaw holes where my teeth had been.
My candle’s gone cold, my glory has passed,
I’m soft in the middle and sinking fast.
Oh, I remember that Halloween eve—
Children in masks who would never believe
That pumpkins could talk once the moon climbed high,
Or that one of us might even refuse to die.
I thrilled to their laughter, their candy delight,
Their shadows dancing in porchlight night.
I guarded the steps with a grin of pride,
While witches and ghosts came side by side.
But dawn came cruel with its frosty breath;
A pumpkin’s sunrise spells certain death.
Now I slump in silence, my candle out,
Dreaming of shrieks and the trick-or-treat shout.
The trash bin waits like a coffin wide—
A fitting end for my orange hide.
Still, if you listen when leaves drift down,
You might hear me chuckle from pumpkin town.
So, carve me again when next year nears,
I’ll rise once more through the candle’s tears—
For no flame dies, though the gourd may rot,
And a Jack’s old grin is never forgot.
Best-Selling Book Genres — Then, Now, and Tomorrow
A vintage bookstore shelf meets a glowing e-reader — symbolizing the bridge between pre-internet paperbacks and today’s digital bestsellers.
Before streaming, smartphones, and TikTok trends, Americans still devoured stories—only their favorite genres and how they discovered them looked very different. Comparing the pre-internet publishing world to today reveals what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what writers should keep an eye on next.
Before the Internet: The Age of the Spinner Rack
In the late 20th century, mass-market paperbacks ruled the newsstands and grocery aisles. Their clear winner? Romance.
By 1991, romance accounted for nearly half of all U.S. mass-market paperbacks sold. Its formula—fast production, familiar tropes, emotional payoff—made it irresistible. Mystery and suspense followed closely, led by names like Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark, and Tom Clancy. The system rewarded quantity, distribution, and recognizable series.
Readers discovered books by browsing in person, relying on catchy covers and brand-name authors. Success depended on shelf space, not algorithms.
Today: Same Passions, New Platforms
Fast-forward three decades and the story’s remarkably familiar. Romance still reigns, only now it’s powered by hashtags and handheld screens.
- Print romance sales doubled between 2020 and 2023, with “romantasy”—the blend of romance and fantasy—exploding on BookTok.
- Fantasy and thrillers remain close contenders, boosted by social media fandoms and bingeable audiobook adaptations.
- Audiobooks are the fastest-growing format, with U.S. revenue surpassing $2.2 billion in 2024.
- Print endures, even outpacing pre-pandemic numbers in 2024.
Discovery has shifted from grocery aisles to algorithms. Viral videos now make or break careers—the new “front table” is TikTok.
Did the Internet Change How Much We Read?
Surprisingly, not much—though how we read has changed dramatically.
According to Pew Research, about three-quarters of U.S. adults read at least one book a year, a rate largely unchanged since 2011. Yet daily leisure reading time has fallen by more than 40% since 2003, replaced by scrolling and streaming.
So reading isn’t dying; it’s competing. The genres thriving today—romance, fantasy, thrillers, and horror—win by keeping readers emotionally hooked and binge-ready.
How the Internet Changed the Game
- Discovery became social. BookTok, Instagram, and YouTube now drive bestsellers. “Backlist” titles from years ago can surge overnight.
- Formats diversified. Ebooks plateaued, but digital audio exploded, and self-published ebooks remain strong, especially in romance.
- Gatekeepers shifted. Online platforms replaced newsstand distributors. Independent and hybrid authors now compete directly with major houses.
- Genre cycles sped up. Viral trends burn hot—“romantasy” today, dark academia or cozy horror tomorrow.
Current Chart-Toppers
- Romance — still the undisputed sales leader, now with fantasy and dark subgenres flourishing online.
- Fantasy/Sci-Fi — adult fantasy sales rose 85% in 2024, fueled by romantasy crossovers.
- Thriller/Suspense — classic favorites with strong audiobook audiences.
- Horror — up 24% in 2023 U.S. sales; gothic and folk horror are trending.
- Graphic Novels/Manga — off pandemic highs but still major for younger readers.
Tomorrow’s Forecast: Stories That Travel
Perhaps a bit of crystal ball gazing here, but I think the future favors writers who understand community and cross-media storytelling.
- Romance and romantasy will stay strong through 2026, blending emotion with spectacle.
- Thrillers will remain a safe bet for both print and streaming adaptation.
- Horror is climbing again—its emotional intensity fits short-form viral storytelling.
- Audio-first fiction will keep expanding, driven by immersive sound design and serialized listening.
And one quiet truth: every thriving genre invites readers into a shared world—whether that’s a small-town romance or a dark myth reborn.
In Summary
| Era | Dominant Format | Top Genres | Discovery Method |
| Pre-Internet | Mass-market paperback | Romance, Mystery/Thriller | Bookstores, racks, word-of-mouth |
| Today | Print + Audio + Ebook | Romance, Fantasy, Thriller, Horror | Algorithms, social media, fandoms |
The mediums evolve, but our hunger for story doesn’t. What worked for readers in 1985 still works now—emotion, suspense, truth, and escape—only the channels have changed. For writers, that’s good news: keep telling human stories, and let the technology worry about how they find their way home.
The Witch at Wookey Hole
A haunting rendition of Wookey Hole Cave — moonlight glinting on the underground river, a faint silhouette of the witch in stone, and mist curling through the cavern mouth.
🎃 The Whisper of the Witch at Wookey Hole — A Halloween Legend Retold
As we near All Hallows Eve, it seems appropriate that I have a post about a great site in England. After all, my grandfather’s grandfather came from Todmorden, a market town and civil parish in the Upper Calder Valley in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England. Far west of Todmorden, however, in the shadowed Mendip Hills of Somerset, England, lies a cave whose legend has chilled generations — the tale of the Witch of Wookey Hole. Once a story whispered by villagers on dark autumn nights, it now echoes through the limestone caverns where the river still runs. This retelling, inspired by ancient folklore, blends myth, history, and atmosphere in true Celtic-mystery fashion — just in time for Halloween.
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Nestled beneath the ancient Mendip Hills near the western sea, the caves at Wookey Hole hold more than limestone chambers and echoing water-courses. On an autumn night—when the wind breathes cold and the veil between worlds thins—one may almost hear a legend stir in the chill of the air.
Visitors today explore lit tunnels and historic chambers, but long ago, villagers spoke in hushed tones of a woman who lived in the cave and whose sorrow turned to malice. It is said that her heartbreak became a curse: a young couple doomed, a monk from Glastonbury sent in pursuit, and water from an underground river used as the instrument of her petrification. At the heart of the cave, the stalagmite still shown in “her shape” stands as silent testament.
On All Hallows’ Eve, I like to imagine the ancient flame that once flickered in that cave is still alive—as if the witch, though rooted in stone, continues to whisper across the river’s flow and the descending mist. The caves were home to human voices for tens of thousands of years—tools, bones, and even cheddar-ageing chambers testify to that long habitation.
If you listen very closely when the rustle of fallen leaves fades and the sea wind sighs through crevices, you might hear her call:
“Who dares awake the memory of the stone witch’s fall?”
So, give the caves both awe and respect. For some fires never die, and in the shadows of Wookey Hole, the past remains disturbingly close.
For more information concerning the Wookey Hole, check out this article from Time Travel Britain.com
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The Haunted Typewriter
A vintage typewriter glows under candlelight as ghostly wisps curl from its keys — a haunting muse at work.
Writers have their quirks — and sometimes, their writing tools have a few of their own, I know my computer does. But back in the ‘old days’ I used a typewriter. In this playful Halloween poem, I imagine what might happen if an old typewriter refused to rest in peace. Whether you’re a poet, novelist, or bleary-eyed blogger, you may recognize a little of your own creative spirit (or perhaps a ghostly one) between the lines.
The Haunted Typewriter
by Jack Ronald Cotner © 2025
In the corner of my study, where cobwebs twist and creep,
An old Remington sits waiting, awakened from its sleep.
Its keys are chipped and yellowed, yet sometimes late at night,
They rattle out a story by the flickering candlelight.
I’d meant to write a mystery—just one more Celtic crime—
But the ghost inside my typewriter preferred a darker rhyme.
It clacked and rang with laughter, the carriage slid with flair,
And every word it conjured dripped with gothic, ghostly air.
I tried to type “The End” once, to stop its manic spree,
But the carriage bell just dinged again—three dots, then “Wait for me.”
It typed a scene of midnight moans, a graveyard veiled in rain,
Where skeletal poets rose to write in meter’s grim refrain.
Now every page I finish smells faintly of the tomb,
And ink runs red at twilight in the flicker of my room.
Yet still I sit here grinning, while my phantom muse takes flight—
For horror writes itself, my friend, on every haunted night.
🎃
🕯️ Three Sisters Gone Home
Beneath the moon’s unholy gleam,
Three sisters whisper through the dream.
Their hollow eyes, once full of grace,
Now mirror stars in death’s embrace.
They danced in life with silken pride,
Their laughter echoed far and wide.
But time, that thief with ghostly hand,
Drew veils of dust across the land.
Now marble blooms their brows adorn,
Where roses weep and night is born.
The lilies carved in grief and bone,
Mark where the sisters turned to stone.
One loved the dawn, one loved the sea,
One swore her heart to mystery.
Together bound by fate’s design,
They crossed the veil at autumn’s sign.
So, when the wind through graveyards hum,
And pale bells toll where twilight drums,
Listen close — their song still roams,
Three sisters gone, yet not alone.
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There’s something timeless about the way art and memory intertwine — especially as autumn’s shadows deepen toward Halloween.
This piece, titled “Three Sisters Gone Home” began years ago as one of my original t-shirt designs modified slightly for use here. The carved skulls, etched with floral motifs, seemed to whisper their own story — of beauty, mortality, and the bond that even death cannot sever.
Inspired by that artwork, I present this gothic poem as a reflection on family, eternity, and the quiet elegance of the macabre.
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Halloween has always held a certain allure for artists and poets — that fine balance between what fades and what endures. “Three Sisters Gone Home” reminds us that love and loss are carved from the same stone, and that even in the silence of the grave, stories endure.
Artwork & poem © Jack Ronald Cotner — Cotner Artworks, 2025.
🎃 The Magic and Mystery of Halloween Stories: Five Authors Who Keep the Spirit Alive
Every October, when the nights grow longer and the wind whispers through the trees, readers everywhere turn to stories that tingle the spine and stir the imagination. Halloween isn’t just a night of costumes and candy — it’s a season of storytelling. The best Halloween tales don’t just frighten us; they remind us of wonder, courage, and the thin veil between the worlds of the living and the dead.
Here are five of my favorite authors who’ve captured that eerie magic — from Ray Bradbury’s bittersweet nostalgia to Shirley Jackson’s quiet terror.
🕯️ 1. Ray Bradbury — The Halloween Tree
Bio:
Ray Bradbury (1920–2012) was one of America’s greatest storytellers and my personal favorite — a dreamer, philosopher, and poet of the fantastic. Known for Fahrenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and hundreds of short stories, Bradbury celebrated imagination as humanity’s greatest gift.
The Story:
The Halloween Tree (1972) follows a group of boys who set out on a Halloween night adventure to save their friend Pipkin, guided by the mysterious Mr. Moundshroud. Their journey takes them through time and across cultures, exploring the origins of Halloween — from ancient Egypt and Celtic Samhain to Mexican Día de los Muertos.
Why It Works:
Bradbury’s novel is both a celebration and a history lesson — rich in myth, wonder, and the bittersweet beauty of childhood’s end. It’s perfect for readers who see Halloween not just as fright night, but as a living tradition that connects us to the past.
🕸️ 2. Shirley Jackson — The Lottery and We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Bio:
Shirley Jackson (1916–1965) was a master of psychological horror and suburban unease. Her work explored how ordinary people can harbor extraordinary darkness. Her most famous story, The Lottery, remains one of the most haunting pieces of American fiction ever written.
The Story:
Though not set specifically on Halloween, The Lottery (1948) captures the same atmosphere of ritual, fear, and social dread that defines the season. In a small town, villagers gather for their annual lottery — and the prize is nothing short of horrifying.
Later, in We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962), Jackson creates a gothic, claustrophobic world where two sisters live in isolation after a family tragedy, surrounded by suspicion and superstition.
Why It Works:
Jackson’s stories tap into the psychology of fear rather than the supernatural. Her worlds feel too real — and that’s what makes them unforgettable. Her work proves that Halloween horror isn’t only about ghosts; sometimes, it’s about what people are capable of doing to one another.
🕯️ 3. Neil Gaiman — The Graveyard Book
Bio:
Neil Gaiman (b. 1960) is a British author of fantasy, myth, and dark wonder. From Coraline to American Gods, his work blends whimsy with shadow, appealing to both children and adults. Gaiman’s stories often explore the beauty in darkness and the courage found in curiosity.
The Story:
The Graveyard Book (2008) opens with a chilling scene: a toddler narrowly escapes the murder of his family and is adopted by ghosts in a graveyard. Raised among the dead, the boy — Bod, short for Nobody Owens — learns life lessons from his spectral guardians while growing up between two worlds.
Why It Works:
Gaiman’s novel feels like a modern fairy tale with Halloween in its bones — filled with mystery, danger, and heart. It celebrates the wisdom of ghosts, the bravery of youth, and the idea that growing up means leaving behind the safety of the graveyard.
🕯️ 4. Washington Irving — The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Bio:
Washington Irving (1783–1859) was one of America’s first literary celebrities. Best known for Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, he brought European storytelling tradition into early American folklore, shaping how the nation saw its own myths.
The Story:
First published in 1820, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is set in a quiet New York valley haunted by the legendary Headless Horseman — said to be the ghost of a Hessian soldier who lost his head in battle. When the awkward schoolmaster Ichabod Crane tries to win the heart of Katrina Van Tassel, he encounters the ghostly rider one fateful night.
Why It Works:
Irving’s tale defined the American ghost story. Its humor, suspense, and gothic atmosphere created a timeless Halloween archetype — the chase through the dark woods, the flash of a spectral figure, the echo of a galloping horse. Sleepy Hollow remains the foundation upon which modern Halloween storytelling stands.
🕯️ 5. Stephen King — Pet Sematary and Something Wicked This Way Comes
Bio:
Stephen King (b. 1947) is the undisputed modern master of horror. With over 60 novels and 200 short stories, his works range from supernatural nightmares to psychological thrillers. His writing captures both the terror and tenderness of small-town America.
The Stories:
In Pet Sematary (1983), King explores the ancient human wish to reverse death — and the horror that comes from granting it. When tragedy strikes a young family, a hidden burial ground promises resurrection at a terrible price.
Though not written by him, King often praises Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) — a story that deeply influenced his own career. It tells of two boys in a Midwestern town who face an evil carnival that feeds on fear.
Why It Works:
King’s genius lies in showing how the supernatural amplifies real grief and love. His Halloween isn’t only about monsters in the dark — it’s about the monsters within us, and the impossible choices we make when faced with loss.
🌙 The Threads That Bind Them
From Bradbury’s lyrical warmth to Jackson’s unnerving realism, these writers reveal that Halloween stories endure because they speak to something timeless in us.
They remind us that:
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Fear can teach us courage.
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Death can reveal life’s meaning.
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Darkness makes the light burn brighter.
Each of these authors turns October’s chill into a whisper from another world — an invitation to listen, to imagine, and to feel the pulse of ancient magic under modern skies.
So, light a candle. Pour a cup of cider. And open one of these stories this Halloween. I will! The ghosts are waiting — and they have tales to tell.