https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog daily 0.75 2026-10-31 https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/lets-talk-about-hobgoblins-because-they-are-not-just-spicy-goblins monthly 0.5 2026-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/d87359f3-2134-4ecf-8b0b-1d291bd57ec7/HobGobHobGob.png Blog - Let’s Talk About Hobgoblins (Because They Are Not Just Spicy Goblins) - Fast forward a few centuries, and pop culture has taken the "hob" prefix and run absolute marathons with it. Today, when people hear hobgoblin, their minds might bounce to one of these 3 iconic adaptations: Marvel’s Hobgoblin: Forget domestic chores—this guy is trading cream for glider tech and pumpkin bombs. Emerging as one of Spider-Man’s most cunning foes (shoutout to the OG, Roderick Kingsley), the comic book Hobgoblin took the aesthetic of the Green Goblin and gave it a sharper, corporate-backed, calculated upgrade. The Hobbes of Fable: If you spent any time playing Lionhead’s iconic RPG series, you know the hobbes. They are those screeching, wild little gremlins that swarm you in caves across Albion. They wear crude rags, hurl fireballs, and sound like absolute lunatics. And they used to be normal kids who got kidnapped. Creepy? Yes. Accurate to folklore? Not really. Delightfully chaotic to battle? Absolutely. Hogsqueal from The Spiderwick Chronicles: Ah, Hogsqueal. A literary example of a creature both helpful and troublesome. He’s foul-mouthed, utterly obsessed with eating birds (and collecting shiny objects), and fiercely loyal in his own abrasive, distractible way. Peak faery-folk energy. We don't talk about the fascinating lore interpretations in The Spiderwick Chronicles enough. https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/what-is-a-dullahan-unmasking-the-headless-horseman monthly 0.5 2026-10-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/96c03f65-2406-49ae-9ba3-48059e98ebdf/Featured-Image-19.webp Blog - What Is a Dullahan? Unmasking the Headless Horseman - Sleepy Hollow (1999) That tree is even more terrifying than the undead Hessian. Trust me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/0501dc05-6b4d-46d1-b27f-142194c2fdb4/1b29055cd49363b38cbb756b5e5a7676e797a3415d29a45fb9e16532a0224a3e.jpg Blog - What Is a Dullahan? Unmasking the Headless Horseman - Sleepy Hollow (2013) This was the kind of gloriously dramatic, monster-of-the-week television that glued me to the screen. (And can we talk about the Bones crossover episode? Mixing forensic science with an ancient apocalyptic curse is the exact kind of shameless, chaotic storytelling I live for). https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/6-books-that-secretly-built-my-book monthly 0.5 2026-09-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/edc20e74-ed52-4878-86c3-431e6b2454a5/CharmedHalliwellSisters079927.jpg Blog - 6 Stories That Secretly Built My Book - There 2 two distinct versions of Charmed in my head: the reruns I watched as a naive kid, and the reruns I rewatched as an adult when I finally understood all the innuendo that went right over my head the first time. What always fascinated me about this show was its strict classification system: witches, warlocks, and wizards were entirely different entities. Male magic-users were still witches because “witch” was a species/human classification; warlocks were a type of demon; and wizards were... well, mostly evil-aligned (it’s complicated, so watch the episode). My deep love of magical leading women started here. It’s a big reason why every magic-user in How to Seal a Curse is a ‘sorcerer’ regardless of gender—while a “witch” is considered something else entirely in my world. Thanks for the terminology inspo, Halliwell sisters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/4df5a804-fa0a-4863-ba0f-693d8c7dc50d/The_Summoning_QL80_.jpg Blog - 6 Stories That Secretly Built My Book - The Setup: After seeing her first ghost, Chloe Saunders’ brand of ‘crazy’ gets her locked up in Lyle House, a group home for ‘troubled’ teens. She quickly realizes her fellow residents aren't just troubled—they’re holding dangerous, supernatural secrets (like sorcery and lycanthropy). This is a book where teenagers actually act like teenagers. Not tiny adults, not precocious children, but genuine, messy teens. As a writer, Kelley Armstrong's work is a constant reminder to craft characters who make real, age-appropriate mistakes. My characters at Cairn-Gait make selfish choices, act on impulse, and mess up—frequently. That’s what schools are for, right? They have to learn from their blunders and face the consequences. Armstrong is very skillful in crafting characters who are far too powerful for their own good, with their best and worst impulses getting them into—and out of—serious trouble. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/caac9cef-2c2c-4d11-b5cb-db278c2c6552/images_Willow_Candlecasting.jpeg Blog - 6 Stories That Secretly Built My Book - The Setup: In every generation there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer. Armed with a stake, a Watcher, and a loyal group of friends (Scoobies), Buffy keeps the apocalypse at bay one episode at a time. Magic in the Buffyverse is very much a soft magic system—it bends to whatever the plot needs, though it constantly hints at physical limits, conduits, and heavy emotional tolls. Willow’s journey with magic is a long, messy arc about power, intimacy, and consequence. My biggest takeaway for my own writing? A character can possess universe-altering power and still feel powerless. And sometimes, magic isn’t the key to solving the problem at all—bashing through the chaos with your besties is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/99f7195c-4abf-45e0-926d-96c4c8e62021/6+Inspo+Stores+4+Blg+%28Blog+Banner%29.png Blog - 6 Stories That Secretly Built My Book - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/the-rules-that-make-magic-happen-hard-vs-soft-systems monthly 0.5 2026-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/ee3ef6da-4a8c-40fb-ae7b-2f9a94423ee0/Hard+Soft+Magic.jpg Blog - The Rules That Make Magic Happen: Hard vs. Soft Systems - Make it stand out A few examples of how popular IPs fit into hard magic and soft magic systems. https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/the-artificial-elephant-in-the-room monthly 0.5 2026-08-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/7a1f28fa-8f2e-40af-a5fe-c172d2058257/unsplash-image-eGGFZ5X2LnA.jpg Blog - AI: The Artificial Elephant in the Room - Most of what we interact with breaks down into 2 categories: Machine Learning (ML): Systems that find patterns in massive data sets. (Think facial recognition or smart search algorithms.) Large Language Models (LLMs): Systems that predict the next most likely word in a sentence. (Think ChatGPT or Gemini.) https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/class-is-in-session-9-movies-all-about-cinematic-scholarly-angst monthly 0.5 2026-08-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/52fdb0c0-986e-4cc6-978e-983c794a1b84/dead+poets+society.jpg Blog - Class is in Session: 9 Movies All About Cinematic Scholarly Angst - Dead Poets Society (1989) The Plot: An unconventional English teacher at a strict boys' prep school uses poetry to embolden his students to "seize the day" and defy the status quo. The DA Vibe: Looky, looky, it's the first of two Robin Williams entries! This is the ultimate blueprint for the genre: boarding schools, secret societies, and the crushing weight of academic expectation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/d3c29dd5-5142-4f20-85e7-b3b5d3bd6a59/51L9v2hupIL._AC_UF894%2C1000_QL80_.jpg Blog - Class is in Session: 9 Movies All About Cinematic Scholarly Angst - The Ninth Gate (1999) The Plot: A rare book dealer is hired to authenticate a centuries-old manual rumored to have been written by the Devil himself, leading him into a world of occult conspiracies. The DA Vibe: This is the "dangerous research" niche at its best—where the quest for knowledge involves literal demons and the aesthetic is 100% dusty-archive-noir. https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/the-magical-people-sorcerer-wizard-mage-or-witch monthly 0.5 2026-07-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/1784075590641-IO2LUWOJB6K13FV8J675/Blog+Post+-+Sorcerer+vs+Wizard+-+What%27s+the+Difference.png Blog - Magical People: Sorcerer, Wizard, Mage, or Witch? - Let’s play a quick game of word association. Is is the pointy hat that defines a magical person? Not quite. But we do like a really sharp hat. https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/choosing-your-degree-dark-vs-light-vs-urban-academia monthly 0.5 2026-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/8935090d-3283-43ec-9ac6-558659be36e1/Gemini_Generated_Image_ggym1pggym1pggym.png Blog - Choosing Your Degree: Dark vs. Light vs. Urban Academia - Here is your crash course in the Trinity of Academia, and how to use them to make your characters pop off the page. https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/what-is-dark-academia-and-why-are-we-all-obsessed-with-it monthly 0.5 2026-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/1776834494065-C3VK1ZQETDVMGZTH4N7E/Gemini_Generated_Image_la40pla40pla40pl.png Blog - What Is Dark Academia? (And Why Are We All Obsessed With It?) - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/so-you-think-you-know-the-neighbors-irish-vs-scottish-faeries monthly 0.5 2026-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/1774224550016-IE1XY3TEJ5DK87VMDRDZ/Gemini_Generated_Image_cq2pa9cq2pa9cq2p.png Blog - So, You Think You Know the Neighbors? Irish vs. Scottish Faeries - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/93fb5844-5a70-43b8-818e-73c1cc9fbab1/Screenshot+2026-03-22+at+5.55.24%E2%80%AFPM.png Blog - So, You Think You Know the Neighbors? Irish vs. Scottish Faeries - Make it stand out A quick guide to how to tell Irish and Scottish faeries apart in tales. https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/can-faeries-lie monthly 0.5 2026-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/92c895c1-893d-4078-a70e-7b099b580620/Gemini_Generated_Image_p8srccp8srccp8sr.png Blog - Can Faeries Lie? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/rl4uwm9d9fizit7zcgw7cl1qmvaiym monthly 0.5 2026-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/1774222624801-2YERVZ144LPUXVJ2BZY7/Gemini_Generated_Image_m87ca5m87ca5m87c.png Blog - Faery or Fairy? A Guide to Spelling the Fair Folk - To “Y” or not to “Y!” There are so many spellings available to name those tricky Good Neighbours. https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/tag/magic monthly 0.5 https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/tag/folklore monthly 0.5 https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/tag/dark+academia monthly 0.5 https://www.anierossbooks.ca/blog/tag/faery monthly 0.5 https://www.anierossbooks.ca/home daily 1.0 2026-07-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/4eef47a2-8978-46f9-9327-953d352a9364/Front+and+Back+mockup.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/d3eb67bf-cb97-4a6a-b169-2eb8ffd2f5f2/Gemini_Generated_Image_n9gndmn9gndmn9gn.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/f161c4c2-9c90-4e7d-8853-7ffb86094ced/IMG_6793.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/a0482d0a-833d-43f6-bcb4-8b4360d0c3d3/Gemini_Generated_Image_1ow3iw1ow3iw1ow3.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/66588880-ccd7-4a2d-a580-bef6a2379e2a/Untitled+design+%283%29.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/59e56f22-d8f9-4467-9d5b-9478f61aad16/Gemini_Generated_Image_dtqaoqdtqaoqdtqa.jpeg https://www.anierossbooks.ca/how-to-seal-a-curse daily 0.75 2026-07-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/4eef47a2-8978-46f9-9327-953d352a9364/Front+and+Back+mockup.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/b999af3d-2529-4bc1-92e8-c43b2c74b2bc/Audio+Bookcover.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/50420467-6071-4470-82bc-7322f7065bc0/Untitled+design+%283%29.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/b999af3d-2529-4bc1-92e8-c43b2c74b2bc/Audio+Bookcover.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/d49359c5-38d2-4121-a3c6-9b64421f193e/Gwen_profile.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/faacbc9c-aac7-4040-9fcd-80836c48ffca/Will_profile.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/837b0f26-848a-4295-93e5-0194f7da4a7c/Cal_profile.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/d40d0c2f-82e0-40a9-9063-712530491c25/Sloan_profile.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/8dccce64-44bd-493f-b244-402ce36c75f9/Tristan_profile.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/67d367e7-2bf6-43a0-9e19-bf30bb20f868/Bryn_profile.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/17717c01-e78a-4c16-91ab-91b216cf0b33/Eddow_profile.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/e595a973-3178-40c6-884d-4c337ea1939e/Julian_profile.png https://www.anierossbooks.ca/about-author-faq daily 0.75 2026-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/66588880-ccd7-4a2d-a580-bef6a2379e2a/Untitled+design+%283%29.png https://www.anierossbooks.ca/contact-anie-ross daily 0.75 2026-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/76864e89-1c6e-49c2-896c-291ab3875bf2/IMG_6794.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/69c065c9a44b055a94f75d8f/66588880-ccd7-4a2d-a580-bef6a2379e2a/Untitled+design+%283%29.png