KAREN: Mariposa Cruz is an author at the Wild Rose Press and pens howling good shifter tales! After Mariposa is finished with her day job as a paralegal, and when her characters aren't demanding attention, you may just find her salsa dancing. This lovely author is here today to share one of her favorite chilling childhood poems.
CONTEST: Mariposa will be giving away an E-book copy of HOWL. So read on to find out how you can add this amazing treat to your goodie bag. Contest ends on Oct. 25th.
MARIPOSA: Every Halloween my mother would read “Little Orphant Annie” to me. Thanks to James Whitcomb Riley and his “Gobble Uns”, I was a good girl from October 1st well into Santa season. Those shadowy creatures were scarier than anything that might be lurking in my closet.
The 1885 children’s poem was inspired by Mary Alice “Allie” Smith, a 12 year-old orphan who lived with the Riley family after her father was killed in the Civil War. Allie did chores ‘shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep…” to earn her keep. In the evening when her chores were finished, she’d tell witch tales to the younger children including James. Some of her tales, no doubt included goblins, and Riley’s poem is a cautionary tale of when bad things happen to naughty children.
Since the poem is written in 19th century Hoosier dialect, the wording may look strange to modern readers, but it still reads aloud well.
“An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,
An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wuz there,
She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!
An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,
They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side,
An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!
An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!”
The poem’s title would later become the inspiration for Harold Gray’s Little Orphan Annie comic strip as well as the Raggedy Ann doll designed by Johnny Gruelle. The poem also inspired a life-long love of scary things for yours truly.
***CONTEST: TO be entered to WIN an E-BOOK COPY OF HOWL, answer the question.
Name your favorite shifter. It could be from a movie, TV show, Book. Leave your answer in the comments along with your email and you're entered in the drawing. Good Luck! Contest ends Oct. 25th at midnight!
Blurb for Roar: Focused on the bottom line, corporate paralegal Linda Underwood answers to no one. Linda’s world is torn apart when a bear shifter turns her romantic weekend rendezvous into a desperate struggle to stay alive. Now a recently-turned shifter herself, she is determined to beat the affliction by ignoring her newly awakened beastly impulses.
After the accidental death of his wife, shifter Flynn Cromwell finds solace immersed in his computer network security work in a remote mountain cabin. When he discovers Linda’s ravaged body near the brink of death, he’s compelled to protect her.
Can Flynn save Linda from her own stubborn nature and defend her from a vicious shifter with a taste for her blood?
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Can't wait! Purchase ROAR at:
The Wild Rose Press
Vist Mariposa Cruz at:
http://mariposacruz.blogspot.com/
14 comments:
Karen,
We haven't heard much about goblins outside of Harry Potter. I'm glad to have the opportunity to share one of my favorite scary creatures. Thanks for having me here today!
Wow, that is a TERRIFIC poem. Love spooky tales that leave the end to your imagination. Thanks, Mariposa.
I really enjoyed the poem. Appeals to my rather quirky and dark sense of humor!
My favorite shifter at the moment would be Alcide Herveaux from the show True Blood
skpetal at hotmail dot com
Mariposa,
I remember this poem well! It was in a collection of children's books we had called The Bookhouse Books. The pictures in those books are just lovely, and that poem had some great illustrations. As I remember it was rather a long poem, and that book had all the verses in it. I'd forgotten it until I read this post! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
Cheryl
Jannine,
The whole poem is very spooky, I expect the tales Allie told after chores were pretty scary.
Jean,
I agree Alcide Heveaux is smoldering!
If you'd like to hear the rest of the story-here is a link to the entire poem http://www.jameswhitcombriley.com/children%27s_poetry.htm
Cheryl,
The poem is long and I had a tough time choosing the best excerpt. Thanks for stopping by!
Never heard that poem before. Kind of spooky. I think I would of been a good girl too if I heard about goblins. LOL. Your book sounds very good.
Sue B
katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com
Nice poem. My favorite shifter is Alcide from True Blood.
bn100candg(at)Hotmail(dot)com
Sue B,
What's interesting is such a spooky poem was the inspiration for plucky Little Orphan Annie and sweet Raggedy Ann.
bn100-Charlaine Harris has provided some hot supernatural heroes both between the pages and on the screen.
Mariposa,
Thanks you so much for joining us at Haut-o-ween! Fantastic poem!!
Love shifters!!
Jean,
I agree, Alcide Herveaux does it for me, too. :)
Hi! Your book sounds great! My favorite shifter? I have so many!! I cant name just one. I love Eve Langlais shifters. Her books are so good!! Thanks for sharing! :)
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
I don't have single shifter that stands out to me but the Selkie has always been my favorite kind.
Wolverine from X-Men...love Hugh Jackman
Shadow,
I haven't read Eve Langlais yet, more for my TBR list!
Dusty Katt,
One of the many things I like about writing about shifters-so many possibilities.
PC,
Gotta love Hugh Jackman, in claws or in a tux.
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