Reader Photo Spotlight: @tldr_bookreviews

This month’s featured reader is @tldr_bookreviews! Many thanks to her for the lovely photograph of The Deadbringer. Give her a follow at @tldr_bookreviews.

Horror fantasist E.M. Markoff writes about damaged heroes and imperfect villains; she is also an inkblot artist. She is the creator of The Ellderet Series, a diverse dark fantasy epic exploring how family bonds are tested in a violent world.

Stop Asian Hate

Eugene Lee Yang from The Try Guys put together an informative and nuanced video essay discussing Anti-Asian hate. Not only does Eugene give his own perception, but he also includes other voices from the Asian community as well as the Black community. A lot of the information presented in the video is new to me, and I’m thankful for it.

Horror fantasist E.M. Markoff writes about damaged heroes and imperfect villains; she is also an inkblot artist. She is the creator of The Ellderet Series, a diverse dark fantasy epic exploring how family bonds are tested in a violent world.

Mexica New Year 2021: The Year of Chicnahui (9) Calli (House)

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Welcome back <3 I hope everyone’s March has been going well. Quick post sharing an event to celebrate Mexica New Year, 9 House. This link will take you to the website where you can find all the deets. The first event starts tomorrow at 6 am with a live Sunrise Ceremony.

Stay safe and healthy, everyone!

Happy Mexica New Year from me and Kanoqui!

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Horror fantasist E.M. Markoff writes about damaged heroes and imperfect villains; she is also an inkblot artist. She is the creator of The Ellderet Series, a diverse dark fantasy epic exploring how family bonds are tested in a violent world.

Winter Storm: How to Help Texas | Donation Links (Homeless, Immigrants, Elderly)

I was born and raised in Texas, and it’s not an understatement to say that the infrastructure for this kind of weather does not exist.

Horror fantasist E.M. Markoff writes about damaged heroes and imperfect villains; she is also an inkblot artist. She is the creator of The Ellderet Series, a diverse dark fantasy epic exploring how family bonds are tested in a violent world.

Kanoqui Dreams of Eutau’s Pet Woodrats

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Happy Caturday!

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend,

EMM and Kanoqui

 
Horror fantasist E.M. Markoff writes about damaged heroes and imperfect villains; she is also an inkblot artist. She is the creator of The Ellderet Series, a diverse dark fantasy epic exploring how family bonds are tested in a violent world.

Reading "Leaving the #9" on 12/9 + the Meaning Behind Cuetlaxochitl

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"All I could make out was that her skin was a warm sandy brown, like mine, her lips full and stained a deep red, like a cuetlaxochitl." - from "Leaving the #9"

Morning, everyone! I'll be joining Anya Martin (Sleeping with the Monster) for Story Hour hosted by Laura Blackwell and Daniel Marcus. When: Dec 9 at 7pm PDT/10pm EDT via Zoom and Facebook Live! I'll be reading my short ghost story "Leaving the #9." Check it out!

Photo taken and modified from www.storyhour2020.com

Photo taken and modified from www.storyhour2020.com

In the story, I include both Spanish and Nahuatl, which is one of the many native languages of Mexico and is still spoken today by 1.7 million people. I describe one of the character's lips as being stained a deep-red like a cuetlaxochitl, which you might know as the "poinsettia" or "noche buena" for Spanish speakers.

While doing research for this story, I learned that the poinsettia was co-opted after colonization and had its indigenous origins rewritten to accommodate its new Christmas narrative. The name cuetlaxochitl means “mortal flower that perishes like all that is pure" and also symbolizes the life force of blood. The flower was introduced to the United States by then-U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who apparently hated the native indigenous peoples. Surprise, surprise (not really), the native flower was named after him, with no recognition of its indigenous roots.

I grew up knowing this flower as the "flor de noche buena" and associating it with Christmas and thus Catholicism--colonialism at work, y'all. Not until I wrote "Leaving the #9" did I learn its true origins, and it broke my heart to learn of the erasure. Mexica (Aztec) history is not ancient; it's a culture and a people who are still very much alive to this day. So now that you know the truth, next time you see this lovely flower, you'll know its history ❤️

Have a great day!

Please check out these sources for more information over the cuetlaxochitl: https://bit.ly/33AwbOk, https://bit.ly/3lCPFrA


Stay in touch!

Subscribe to my blog, connect with me on social media, or read my books :)

Read the books already? Please consider leaving a review on Amazon. It really makes a difference in helping others take a chance <3

Horror fantasist E.M. Markoff writes about damaged heroes and imperfect villains; she is also an inkblot artist. She is the creator of The Ellderet Series, a diverse dark fantasy epic exploring how family bonds are tested in a violent world.

Reader Photo Spotlight : @tanyainbookland

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An ode to Ellderet readers, who are some of the damned best photographers 💙⚔️

This month’s featured reader is @tanyainbookland! Many thanks to her for the lovely photograph of The Deadbringer. Give her a follow at @tanyainbookland.


Stay in touch!

Subscribe to my blog, connect with me on social media, or read my books :)

Read the books already? Please consider leaving a review on Amazon. It really makes a difference in helping others take a chance <3

Horror fantasist E.M. Markoff writes about damaged heroes and imperfect villains; she is also an inkblot artist. She is the creator of The Ellderet Series, a diverse dark fantasy epic exploring how family bonds are tested in a violent world.

Bosses from Hell, by Loren Rhoads | A Post about Asmodeus from As Above, So Below

My first real "adult" job was working as the private secretary for one of the main lecturers at the Dental School at University of Michigan. Bradley was an intimidating man, large, with a booming voice when he lost his temper. He got angry at his lab assistants a lot …

Horror fantasist E.M. Markoff writes about damaged heroes and imperfect villains; she is also an inkblot artist. She is the creator of The Ellderet Series, a diverse dark fantasy epic exploring how family bonds are tested in a violent world.

¡No Manches! (Not a Book Review): As Above, So Below (Duology) by Loren Rhoads & Brian Thomas

Welcome back! I hope everyone is keeping safe and staying healthy <3 Today I’m coming at you with a book review of the duology As Above, So Below by Loren Rhoads and Brian Thomas. For longtime readers, this is not the first time you’ve seen the name “Loren Rhoads” here on my blog. But here’s the thing—I picked up the first book in the duology, Lost Angels, long before Loren and I met …

Horror fantasist E.M. Markoff writes about damaged heroes and imperfect villains; she is also an inkblot artist. She is the creator of The Ellderet Series, a diverse dark fantasy epic exploring how family bonds are tested in a violent world.