The Purple Vale

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Hello friends! Today I’ve got two things for you: an offer to read an ARC (advanced reader copy) of Double Alchemy, plus this month’s folklore-inspired poem. Want a free ebook of Double Alchemy? ARCs in exchange for an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads can be a huge help for indie authors like me. It helps other readers find my book and lets them know if it’s a book they’d like to read too. Reviews don’t have to be long or 5 stars. They just need to be honest and, preferably, kind.

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It’s the first post of 2024, friends. If you’re new here, welcome. There are a lot of newsletters and media clamoring for our attention. It means a lot that you choose to be here, and return here, too. I struggled to write this post, partly because this is still the weird, in-between time for us.

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Hello, friends. I am so grateful for all of you who have joined me here. Your comments, reading, and support of The Purple Vale have truly been one of the highlights of this year. Are you curious about what 2024 might hold here in the Vale? I hope so, because I want to share some things with you.

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I find it interesting that one source claims that the Catholic Church took Frau Perchta, the beautiful, youthful gaurdian of the souls of unbaptized babies, and turned her into the ancient, bloodthirsty hag. I haven’t found any other sources that support that. Instead, it seems widely held that those were the two visages of the same goddess.

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Today, I turn 38 years old. The Purple Vale is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. My birthday falls on the day after Winter Solstice, and it always finds me in a contemplative state of mind. I love this solstice. We have January and February ahead, so for many of us in the Northern Hemisphere it feels as though winter is just beginning. But in terms of light and dark, we have reached the turning point.