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Mood and Mystique
Midnights in October is a collection of thirty-one fifty-five-word tales offering glimpses into the supernatural, giving readers an eerie story to cherish each night in October. What was the inspiration for this unique collection?
October is my favorite month of the year. I love the changing light, the temperature cooling, and the overall anticipation of All Hallows Eve. It occurred to me that having a nightly morsel to read would be a great way to add to the mood and mystique of such a month while enticing us, every night, to spend an hour or two by candlelight making up our own fables on the spot.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in putting together this book?
As Angel Numbers go, five is an intriguing one, and so are double fives. Infected by the notion of combining powerful numbers and words into a spellcasting fest, I committed to keeping my micro-fictions within a 55-word limit. I won’t lie, the revisions were numerous, at least five for each one, and word placement was maddening, but after extensive beta-reading, editing, and proofing, each micro fiction felt just right. It helped that there are specific observances in the month of October, which gave me a ready topic to explore. The other 13 days became a mixture of supernatural slices, wishful thinking, or expressed views.
Do you have a favorite selection from Midnights in October? One that was especially fun to write.
My favorite is October 31, “Halloween.” Every time I read it, I pat myself on the back because it paints such a dreamlike picture. As far as fun ones to write, I’d have to say October 2nd, “The Sky is Falling,” and October 17th, “¡Salud!”
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
My Faerie Legacy series, chronicling the lives of 3 matriarchs in hybrid faery-human family, is currently a trilogy (now available in Spanish), and I’m contemplating writing a 4th book. I’ve barely started the outline process, so it won’t be a 2026 publication— 2027 might be more on the mark.
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But words said in October will inevitably conjure a spellcasting fest.
‘Tis the season for lit-tricky-treats, so dive in, make a ritual of it and, on the fly, compose your own nightly fable in fifty-five words or less.
Why fifty-five?
It’s all about the energy double fives lend to the moment or task.
When casting in October, let your words, or the components of your spell, be 55 in number. Its power will infuse your intention with signature energies like adventure, change, development, opportunity, and transformation, all vital when seeking to begin afresh.
Midnights in October – eerie nightly escapes
Midnights in October is a collection of 31 tiny tales, each just fifty-five words, crafted to match the eerie, mystical mood of every October night. Each story aligns with a calendar day in October, some rooted in real-world observances and others purely imagined. The book doesn’t follow a linear plot but rather unfolds like a haunted advent calendar, with each entry offering a flash of the supernatural, a flicker of fear, or a jolt of dark whimsy. Ghosts, witches, misfits, rebels, and spirits lurk behind every page, waiting to whisper their fifty-five-word truths into the reader’s ear.
I wasn’t sure what to expect at first. I’ve seen microfiction before, but never quite like this. The tight word limit could’ve been a creative straitjacket, but Bossano wears it like armor. Each story punches harder because there’s no room to soften the blow. The writing is sharp, vivid, and almost lyrical. It dances between poetic and unsettling without getting bogged down in over-explanation. I found myself rereading many entries just to let the mood sink in again. One second, you’re smirking at a sly jab; the next, you’re genuinely creeped out. It was like sipping thirty-one shots of moonlight and ink, each with a different burn going down.
What I liked most, though, were the ideas hidden behind the shadows. There’s anger here. Power. Longing. Justice. Loss. Bossano doesn’t just want to scare or amuse you, she wants you to see something. Sometimes it’s political, sometimes it’s personal, sometimes it’s just raw. Stories like “¡Salud!” and “Uprising” stirred something deep and real. Others, like “It’s My Party Day” or “National Cat Day”, brought a strange tenderness to the eerie. It’s rare that something so short can carry so much weight, but these stories do. They sneak up on you. You’ll feel a little haunted afterward.
Midnights in October is a perfect companion for dark, quiet nights when the wind starts to rattle the windows and you want something strange to keep you company. I’d recommend it to fans of flash fiction, lovers of all things spooky, and anyone who craves clever, offbeat storytelling that doesn’t overstay its welcome. If you enjoy Halloween vibes with a side of soul-searching, this is for you.
Pages: 39 | ASIN: B0FJMVJF85
The Heart of the Trilogy
El legado de Nahia follows a fairy torn between love for her human-turned-family and her duties in the Soberanía de las Hadas (Fairy Realm). What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
El legado de Nahia is Book 3 in my Faerie Legacy Series and Nahia is the rebellious faery princess whose story fills in that 200-year gap between books 1 and 2 (Herencia Encantada and Un Don de Cuna). Her strengths and weaknesses lead her to change her family’s genetic footprint and, after a great many adventures, to a bittersweet victory.
What character did you most enjoy writing about? Was there one that was more challenging to write than others?
I loved writing Nahia’s character arc; she matures so much throughout this novel. Not sure why, but I also get a fiendish kick out of writing antagonists, and in El legado de Nahia, it was very satisfying to develop Alaia and Ederne as their own plots threatened our heroine.
Friendship, love, sacrifice, and duty are virtues that are highlighted throughout the story. Why are these important in telling the story?
Beyond the fantasy in this novel (really the whole series) we find a great deal of realism. At the heart of the trilogy is the relationship between women in a family, hybrid though it might be. How mothers and daughters communicate and relate to one another is a critical aspect of this 200-year saga driven by generational love.
Where do you see your characters after the book ends?
At the end of El legado de Nahia we leave the family poised to move forward in blissful interdimensional harmony. Although that has the traditional fairytale happy ending vibe, the thought of a 4th book has been nagging at me. The chronicle of the latest descendant of the Santillán clan is just too tempting to leave alone. As soon as I come up with a proper conflict for young Aintza, I’m sure book 4 will take off.
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El legado de Nahia
El legado de Nahia, the third book in El Legado de las Hadas series, dives deep into a rich, multi-generational tale of family, loss, identity, and the eternal tug-of-war between the mystical world of the fairies and the grounding pull of humanity. Centered around Nahia, a fairy torn between love for her human-turned-family and her duties in the Soberanía de las Hadas, this story weaves together folklore, emotion, and a hefty dose of existential pondering. It’s got betrayal, longing, interdimensional drama, and a whole lot of heart.
I was pulled in by the elegance of Bossano’s world-building. That intro on the mythology of fairies is gold. Who doesn’t love the idea of a hidden, ancient race with a code of ethics more complicated than ours? The description of the glamour, their powers, and the strict structure of their matriarchal society sets the tone for a story that isn’t just fantasy—it feels like a believable, fleshed-out parallel reality.
What got me the most, though, was how human Nahia is. Her grief over losing Celeste felt raw and real. She’s not some shiny, perfect fairy—she’s messy, angry, petty even. When she talks about how unfair it is that Celeste died of old age while she, Nahia, still looks eighteen… oof. That bitterness, that jealousy—that’s the kind of vulnerability that made me root for her even when she did something awful.
There were moments when I wanted to shake Nahia. Her hatred for Alaia? It’s kind of intense. I get that Alaia’s a little uptight and maybe not the fairy-loving granddaughter Nahia dreamed of—but it goes beyond petty. Even Nahia’s internal struggle after stealing Calisto—like when she’s hit with the reality of caring for a baby who screams all night was funny and sad and brutally honest.
The writing is lush, poetic in places, and surprisingly down-to-earth in others. Bossano doesn’t shy away from waxing lyrical, but it never feels pretentious. Even when the fairies are flying around glowing like bioluminescent marbles, the story stays grounded in very human emotions: longing, regret, the desire to be remembered, to leave a legacy. That tension between the eternal life of a fairy and the brief, messy beauty of human life? It’s everywhere in this book, and it hits.
El legado de Nahia is about family—chosen, born, and lost. It’s about the ache of time, the price of decisions, and how love—real love—can stretch across worlds. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s a sucker for character-driven fantasy or who’s ever felt like they’re caught between two worlds and not fully at home in either. If you like your fairy tales with a side of real emotion and a splash of bittersweet, this book will resonate with you.
Pages: 305
Gift of Lucid Dreaming
Un Don de Cuna follows a teenage girl whose gift of lucid dreaming allows her to travel to other worlds while she sleeps. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Un Don de Cuna is the second book in a trilogy that covers 200 years. Book 1 is set in the 1800s, and I wanted book 2 to be in modern times, so the story kicks off with the protagonist (Maité) receiving the cradle gift of lucid dreaming from her faery godmother. Maité knows nothing about faeries or about her ancestors, but through her cradle gift, she will discover that the faerie realm is in jeopardy and that she has a huge part to play in saving it.
The loss of Maité’s parents sends her on a journey of self-discovery and helps her understand the depth of her abilities and strength. Do you think there’s a single moment in everyone’s life, maybe not as traumatic, that is life-changing?
To be sure! I believe that we change every time we journey from home —the farther we go, the longer we stay away, the greater the transformation.
It seemed like you took your time in building the characters and the story to great emotional effect. How did you manage the pacing of the story while keeping readers engaged?
Maité’s story truly wrote itself. I loved intertwining her dreams and thoughts into realities that surprised her from one chapter to the next. Each lucid dream revealed more of a sinister plot to take over the realm that had been her ancestral home. When our protagonist realizes she’s at the center of a battle she knows nothing about, she also realizes that, through her dreams, she gained the strength and wisdom needed to succeed.
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
Book 3 of the trilogy features Nahia. She is the faery princess who is a common denominator in books 1 and 2, and her story fills in the 200-year gap between them. A thrilling adventure unfolds when Maité and her faery godmother, Nahia, team up to save the realm. Through love, glamour, courage, and sacrifice, they aim to guarantee its sustainability for years to come.
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A los diecisiete años, el entorno cotidiano de Maité se desgarra con la trágica pérdida de sus padres. Desterrada del único hogar que conoce y aislada en el extranjero, la joven lucha por encontrarle sentido a su nueva vida. Ajena al conflicto en la Soberanía de las Hadas, que se cierne inexorable sobre su realidad, Maité descubre que ella, una humana, está en el centro de la gran batalla por el control absoluto de la soberanía.
A través de su don de cuna, Maité empieza a vislumbrar la magnitud de la influencia feérica en su vida. Dispuesta a retomar las riendas de su destino a partir del transcendental descubrimiento, Maité se apoya en Emily, su mejor amiga, y en David, un joven cuyo interés por la genética ilumina posibilidades que cambiarán la identidad de Maité para siempre.
Un Don de Cuna
Un Don de Cuna presenta una narrativa intrincada que entrelaza magistralmente lo cotidiano con lo etéreo, centrada en Maite, un personaje agraciado con la habilidad de soñar lúcidamente y navegar otros reinos, un regalo de su hada madrina. Esta novela profundiza en la personalidad de Maite, retratándola con una mezcla de vulnerabilidad y resiliencia. Tras el trágico fallecimiento de sus padres a los diecisiete años, Maite emprende un viaje conmovedor, su desarrollo se despliega con profundidad y compromiso. Esta evolución no es solo un testimonio de su carácter, sino también un reflejo de la experiencia humana universal, enriquecida por sus únicas habilidades sobrenaturales.
La trama es tanto intrigante como cohesiva, con cada desarrollo en la vida de Maite atrayendo al lector más profundamente en su mundo místico. La revelación de su papel en una batalla cósmica más amplia introduce una capa adicional de suspenso y urgencia. La autora, Patricia Bossano, mantiene hábilmente un equilibrio entre los elementos fantásticos y la maduración emocional y psicológica de Maite. Su escritura es vívida y evocadora, mezclando sin problemas lo tangible con lo etéreo y evocando un amplio espectro de emociones. La novela emplea el sueño lúcido no solo como una herramienta narrativa, sino como una metáfora para el viaje interior de Maite y un portal literal a otras dimensiones.
Los personajes secundarios como Emily y David añaden profundidad a la narrativa, cada uno contribuyendo significativamente al crecimiento de Maite y a la progresión de la historia. La inquebrantable amistad de Emily ofrece un sólido anclaje emocional, mientras que la fascinación de David por la genética introduce un aspecto científico convincente que enriquece la trama.
Un Don de Cuna es una historia fascinante que armoniza la evolución de los personajes, la intriga de la trama y la prosa poética. Explora elocuentemente temas de auto-descubrimiento y comprensión del lugar de uno en los reinos visibles e invisibles. La novela se erige como una celebración del encanto perdurable de la fantasía y su capacidad profunda para reflejar los aspectos más profundos de la condición humana.
A Star-Dusted Feat
Cuentan Mis Estrellas takes young readers on a journey into the cosmos to learn about how constellations influence our personalities and destinies. Why is this an important topic to teach to children?
Astrology has been a favorite topic of mine since I was very young—I love my horoscope sign! (Aquarius). The fact that thousands of years ago, humanity had the wisdom and patience to observe the heavens, map out the constellations, and pinpoint their influence over the earth and its inhabitants, is a star-dusted feat that has shaped minds since the beginning of time. Cuentan mis Estrellas introduces young readers to that vast, ancient world, in a relatable, whimsical way.
How did you approach writing about zodiac signs, ruling planets, elemental affiliations, and how they relate to birthdates in a manner that would appeal to and be understood by children?
There is plenty of information out there on astrology, the zodiac, horoscopes, etc., but my most trusted source is The Secret Language of Birthdays by Gary Goldschneider and Joost Elffers. It contains “personology profiles for each day of the year”. Cuentan mis Estrellas identifies each sign (dates, elements, constellations, etc.) and highlights a couple of the main traits with a fanciful verse and lively illustration.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
As ever, my goal in writing is to amuse and provide an escape. Cuentan mis Estrellas was a challenge because each sign included only a short verse. I’m not a poet, so as a writer of prose, condensing large amounts of information into mere sentences with a degree of musicality, was difficult, but after various re-writes, I think each page is bound to put a starry smile on the young reader’s face.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what topics will the next book cover?
Alas, Cuentan mis Estrellas, is not a series. I do have an unrelated project coming out in December 2023. It is the translation into Spanish of Cradle Gift, book 2 in my Faerie Legacy Series. The new book is entitled: Un Don de Cuna.
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Tu corazón recién nacido esconde muchas verdades cósmicas y si estás pendiente del cielo nocturno, el brillo de una estrella fugaz o la cola de un cometa, te mostrarán el rasgo estelar que te hace ser tú.
Estaba escrito en las estrellas, hace mucho tiempo, que serías independiente, cariñosa, imaginativo, decidida, generoso, inquisitiva, valiente, optimista y mucho más.
¡Créelo! que las estrellas no mienten.
Cuentan mis Estrellas
Cuentan Mis Estrellas es una historia extraordinaria y cautivadora que transporta a los jóvenes lectores en un viaje celestial que abarca el cosmos. Esta narrativa magistralmente elaborada revela la profunda influencia de las constelaciones en nuestros destinos, una exploración que se despliega a través de la revelación de nuestros propios “rasgos estelares” distintivos. Frente a un telón de fondo de imágenes vibrantes y resplandecientes, los lectores son introducidos a los diversos signos celestiales, cada uno intrincadamente entrelazado con atributos de personalidad acompañantes.
La autora Patricia Bossano exhibe una ingeniosidad notable en su enfoque para introducir a los jóvenes lectores en el reino de la astrología, invocando el esplendor de las estrellas y la vasta extensión del cielo. Entre estas páginas, se despliega un tapiz de conocimiento, entrelazando signos del zodíaco, planetas regentes, afiliaciones elementales y matices coincidentes con la fecha de nacimiento; un mosaico que es a la vez fascinante y placentero de explorar.
La narrativa se desarrolla con una prosa evocadora que pinta un retrato vívido del firmamento nocturno, convirtiendo las estrellas fugaces y los cometas en emisarios de revelaciones profundas. La afirmación del libro de que nuestros rasgos están impregnados en las estrellas mucho antes de nuestra llegada resuena como una declaración empoderadora, avivando un sentido de agencia en cada lector. La enumeración de atributos, que van desde la independencia y el cariño hasta la curiosidad y la valentía, conforma una hoja de ruta para el crecimiento personal, un faro luminoso para navegar por las incertidumbres de nuestro mundo.
Mediante la maestría del lenguaje y el concepto, la autora Bossano fomenta la maravilla y la curiosidad, invitando a los lectores a elevar su mirada más allá de lo común y desentrañar los hilos cósmicos tejidos en la trama de la existencia. Cuentan Mis Estrellas se erige como una fusión armónica de prosa elocuente e ilustraciones cautivadoras, una auténtica obra maestra que alienta a los lectores a dirigir su mirada hacia el cielo con una nueva perspicacia. Este libro sirve como una luz guía para navegar por el firmamento del autodescubrimiento y el asombro cósmico, un regalo que resonará en los lectores mucho después de que se gire la última página.
Pages: 33 | ASIN : B0CC3SLK8R
LITERARY TITAN 