Top Three Books about the Art of Writing and Being a Writer (Lauricia)

I set out to write a festive, seasonal Top Three post about things I’m thankful for in fantasy stories, but I’ve already written about all of the books involved, so I decided on a different approach. I’ve been thinking a lot about why I love writing and how to become better at it. Coincidentally (but probably not), the non-fiction books I’ve been reading have all mentioned writing as an act of service. In one way or another, they’ve all talked about “serving the writing” and how being a good writer means serving the writing well. Since Lands Uncharted has a thread about writing, today I’m sharing my top three books about the art of writing and being a writer.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Modeled after The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The War of Art is a collection of very short chapters (most are less than a page) that define the resistance most authors think of as writer’s block, identify its sources, and offer strategies to counter this particular road block. I don’t often suffer from this particular malady, but The War of Art helped me identify a types of resistance I experience frequently. Since I finished reading this book, I have written more regularly simply because I now recognize when I’m resisting.

Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson

Andrew Peterson is a singer, a songwriter, an author, and a filmmaker. Based in Nashville, he founded The Rabbit Room, “a non-profit ministry dedicated to fostering spiritual formation and Christ-centered community through story, art, and music.” I’m quoting the About the Author section here because the story of how these things occurred is what this book is about. Adorning the Dark discusses Peterson’s journey to becoming the artist he is today and meditates on the lessons he’s learned along the way.

I connected with this book on so many levels, and I came away encouraged, inspired, and determined to… (wait for it…) serve my writing better.

Walking on Water by Madeline L’Engle

Have you ever answered the question of who you would have lunch with if you could have lunch with anyone from any time period? My answer to this question is always Madeline L’Engle. Unfortunately, she has passed away, so her writings will have to do. Fortunately, those writings are uniquely suited to me, just as her stories always were.

In Walking on Water, L’Engle talks about what it means to be a Christian who is an artist. I began the book this morning, so I have only read the first chapter, but already L’Engle has talked about… you guessed it… serving the writing well. Based on the experiences I have had with other L’Engle works on writing, and the fact that I am already inspired after only one chapter, I can’t wait to see what this book holds.

As Thanksgiving officially signals the start of the holiday season, I hope your holiday is filled with love and laughter. I hope you are surrounded by kindness and compassion, and that the wonder of the season fills your days. If you are in a darker place, I pray that you find peace, fellowship with others who love you if you so desire, and the love of a Father who carries you even through the darkness.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Top Three Recently Discovered Myths (Lauricia)

I take special delight in fairy tales, fables, and myths. I enjoy studying cultural myths and learning about the culture that produced them through the stories so much that I call myself a collector of fairy tales. I have a complete anthology of the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm; a separate, annotated anthology of the same works; all of the color fairy books; and a couple of anthologies of myths specific to a few certain cultures. I’m also amassing a large collection of myths from all over the world on Pinterest. (Technically, I call it research, since elements of these myths may end up in a story some day.)

I find fairy tales, fables, and legends to be such an interesting pass-time that I was overjoyed when my husband and children “kidnapped” me for my birthday a few weeks ago and took me to the Mythic Creatures exhibit at the Witte Museum in San Antonio. If you’re even somewhat near the area, it is worth the detour to visit this tour (Sept. 28, 2019 – Jan. 12, 2020).

While there, I toured cultural myths and artifacts that either told their stories or displayed them in an artistic way. There were also plenty of statues, and I took selfies with unicorns, dragons, griffons, and mermaids. It was an absolute blast! In addition to my familiar favorites, though, I also learned of some new stories from other cultures. My top three favorites of these are:

Mishepishu – This is a creature known to the Native peoples in and around the Great Lakes on both the U.S. and Canadian shores. A water-dragon type creature, it possesses the body and scales of a sea serpent, spikes on the back, copper horns, and a face that resembles a lynx. Mishepishu stir up storms and sink boats, but also gives aid to hunters.

Ahuizotl – A legend of the Aztec, this creature is described as a dog with pointed ears; hands and feet like a monkey; and a long, flexible tail with a hand on the end. It is said to cry like a baby in order to lure people near, then grab them with the hand on its tail and drag them under water. This creature looks a lot like a feral, deadly version of the Pokemon Aipom.

 Bunyip – The bunyip is a man-eating monster that dwelt in Australian lakes, swamps, and rivers. It howled at night, causing people to fear entering the water as it prowled the land in search of women and children to devour. It looks a lot like a monkey with the face of an ape, typically depicted with shaggy fur although some are described as having scales or feathers. Roughly the size of a small cow, the bunyip possesses sharp tusks and flippers for swimming that change to legs capable of walking on land at night.

At first glance, I thought the museum exhibit was much too small to satisfy my curiosity. I know that I will never be able to explore all of the myths of every culture in our world, no matter how much research I do, but I had hoped to be immersed for a long while, at least. Two hours later, I was almost finished exploring every facet of the exhibit, and I was much surprised and greatly pleased by the depth and detail the seemingly-short exhibit actually had to offer. I am so thrilled at the thoughtfulness of my family, and (like the indulgent glutton that I am) I am already looking forward to the next fairy tale/myth based experience.

Do you have any favorite myths or fairy tales that are not common in modern Western culture? Or do you know of any exhibits, websites, podcasts that feature mythology and fables? Please share about either or both of these things in the comments below!

Top Three New to Me Books (Lauricia)

I was recently invited to be a book reviewer for a book website called ReedsyDiscovery. I had never heard of this website before, but now that I’m occasionally reviewing books for them, I have found some new-to-me authors that I’m pretty impressed with. The top three stories I’ve read so far are:

The Star of Fate by David T. Myers

Lando Bailey is having a bad day.

He’s having a string of bad days, actually – six months of them. All he wants is a chance to turn his life around, to change his fate.

Which is exactly what he gets after witnessing the death of a girl he’s never seen before. This single event sparks an action that alters the course of Lando’s life forever. His sudden change in fortune would be a dream come true if it didn’t feel like a practical joke. When people start dying, however, Lando realizes that his reversal of fortune is a joke to no one except, maybe, the Fates, themselves. Even so, Lando is determined to be the master of his destiny – if he can only wrestle it from the hands of the Moirai and the cult that serves them.

Set in Melbourne, Australia, The Star of Fate is an urban fantasy thriller filled with ancient Greek goddesses, demigods, shamans, and shadowhounds. The equivalent of Percy Jackson for adult readers, this fast-paced story draws readers in with its constant action and leaves no chance to walk away until the end. There is some mild adult content, but it is minimal.

I enjoyed this novel immensely – so much so that I will look for more from this author – and I recommend this story highly.

Raven Thrall (Legends of the Ceo San #1) by J. Elizabeth Vincent

Mariah is Ceo San, touched by the gods and gifted with the ability to shape-shift into a hawk. It’s supposed to be a blessing, but for Mariah, it feels more like a curse. Stuck somewhere between Human and animal form, Mariah must hide the wings that betray her identity or else she will be conscripted into the king’s army, enslaved to live as nothing more than a weapon.

Betrayed by someone she thought she could trust, Mariah is forced to flee her home. She manages to create a life of safety, even if it does mean being alone, until she meets Xae, a raven shifter whose family has been captured. Mariah is forced to choose between her life of relative safety or helping Xae rescue his family. In the process she learns more about herself than she ever thought possible and receives a calling on her life that could change the fate of the Ceo San forever.

Raven Thrall is an epic fantasy novel that examines the impact one person can make. Mariah’s conflicts do not influence her world on a grand scale, but they represent the common battles each of us face on a regular basis. Mariah’s growth throughout the story is organic and realistic and speaks to the way each person’s life can make a difference. This book will be especially appealing to readers who like strong female characters with strengths that lie outside the realm of mastery in weapons.

The Magician’s Sin by Alexander Thomas

Anson Walker is a retired-wizard-turned-monster-hunter who can’t die.

It’s a curse, really. One that can only be reversed during the Aberration, a magic event that occurs once every seventy years. Exhausted by the centuries and jaded with life, Anson plans to take advantage of the upcoming Aberration and end his unnatural existence.

Until the disappearance of Dixie Dupree, Anson’s ex-wife. When Dixie’s daughter recruits him to find her mother, Anson can’t turn her away. And as he searches for his former love, he discovers that he’s not quite as ready to die as he thought.

The Magician’s Sin is a fantasy noir novel that combines the elements of a gumshoe detective story with splashes of superhero, classical mythology, and occult motifs. The story is well written, and the pacing and tension are nicely balanced. I enjoyed the story and recommend it to fans of the genre. The only reason I gave it three stars instead of four is because the copy I read contained frequent typographical errors.

As a hard-core fan of fantasy literature, I’m always on the look-out for a new, really great book, so I’d love to hear what you’ve come across. Who are some of your favorite new-to-you authors?

Top Three Summer Reads (So Far) (Lauricia)

Ah, summer! Most notably recognized for vacations, summer is a time when school is out of session and a vast number of people experience long spans of down-time (at least in America). Since I am a teacher as well as an author, I have a few months to spend schedule-free, which means more opportunities to write and read.

Which is exactly what I’ve been doing. From fiction to non-fiction (because I am still working a bit), from traditionally published to indie, from classic to new, I’ve been a book-devouring monster since Memorial Day, which is my first official day off. So far, the top three novels that stick out are:

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Maya is the favored daughter of Raja Ramchandra of Bharta, but she is cursed with a horoscope predicting a marriage wedded to death and destruction. This makes her a target of malice and suspicion within her harem family and marks her as undesirable for a prospective bride. Maya has no desire to be a harem wife, however, and looks forward to a future as an unmarried scholar. The last thing she ever anticipated was being commanded by her father to marry and sacrifice her ideal future in order to save the kingdom of Bharata and everything she loves.

I love, Love, LOVE this story. Rich in Indian mythology and folklore, The Star-Touched Queen transported me to a fascinating world of mystery and magic, love and betrayal, danger and sacrifice. Superbly written, the artistry of the author allowed me to slip fully into the story and gave me no desire to ever leave until long after I read the last words. Fair warning: Don’t start this story until you have time to finish it because you won’t be able to put it down.

Raven Thrall by J. Elizabeth Vincent

Mariah is Ceo San, touched by the gods and gifted with the ability to shape-shift into a hawk. It’s supposed to be a blessing, but for Mariah, it feels more like a curse. Stuck somewhere between Human and animal form, Mariah must hide the wings that betray her identity or else she will be conscripted into the king’s army, enslaved to live as nothing more than a weapon.

Betrayed by someone she thought she could trust, Mariah is forced to flee her home. She manages to create a life of safety, even if it does mean being alone, until she meets Xae, a raven shifter whose family has been captured. Mariah is forced to choose between her life of relative safety or helping Xae rescue his family. In the process she learns more about herself than she ever thought possible and receives a calling on her life that could change the fate of the Ceo San forever.

Raven Thrall is an epic fantasy novel that examines the impact one person can make. Mariah’s conflicts do not influence her world on a grand scale, but they represent the common battles each of us face on a regular basis. Mariah’s growth throughout the story is organic and realistic and speaks to the way each person’s life can make a difference. This book will be especially appealing to readers who like strong female characters with strengths that lie outside the realm of mastery in weapons.

Dune by Frank Herbert

Okay, bear with me. Dune is not a fantasy novel. It is a science-fiction classic that I have been wanting to read for AGES, but it is foundational to the speculative fiction canon, which is why I’m including it here.

Set on the desert planet of Arakis, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, the son of a scapegoated Duke exiled to a hostile planet. Instead of dying like he’s supposed to, Paul adapts to the rough demands of the desert and its people, even becoming a messiah of sorts to the planet’s native race.

This is an intriguing story. It would be easy to read it and think of it as cliché, but remember that it was written forty years ago. Although it is often criticized as a book filled with genre stereotypes, this is actually the work those stereotypes were born from. If you are a fan of speculative fiction, Dune is a must-read. 

As I said in my last post, I hope you are enjoying a summer filled with rest, recuperation, and good books. I’m always looking for good books, so I’d love to know your top three reads so far. Please list them in the comments below.

Top Three Places to Find New Books (Lauricia)

Greetings fellow lovers of story and fans of fantasy. Welcome to another Top Three installment. I hope your summer is going well, whether you are on an extended break or not.

In my house, all of our activities center around school. My husband and I teach in the same school our teenage sons attend, so we are all at the beginning of our off-season. While my husband and I do a lot of work tutoring, writing, and planning for the next school year, I still have a large amounts of time to spend on indulging in a good book. Although my to-be-read pile will outlast me by several years, my older son (who is also a reader) is never more than two books away from needing something new to read. This leads to the question of where to find that something new. My top three sources (after this blog, of course) are:

(My to-be-read pile.)

The Fellowship of Fantasy Indie Book Club

This Facebook group is a book club like no other (at least, no other that I’ve been a part of). With over 700 members, this club features free electronic downloads of each month’s books and frequent author posts throughout the month. Many of the group members are also authors, so you never know who you’ll run into. The most relevant feature for this blog post, however, is the group’s companion website. At FellowshipOfFantasy.com you will find a directory of indie and small press authors. This treasure trove is the perfect place to go when you’re on the hunt for something new.

RealmMakers Bookstore

Realm Makers is an annual conference for writers of all types of speculative fiction. Now in its eighth year, this conference is HUGE, which enables the directors to host a book store that features the works of group members. You will find works from authors of all types, including well known faces like Tosca Lee and Ted Dekker and new names in the indie and small press industries. All of these books have been vetted by the conference directors, so you know they will be top-notch quality.

ReedsyDiscovery

I recently learned of this website, which features reviewed new releases of books as they are being released. Once you make an account, you can explore featured books recommended by Reedsy reviewers and filter through new titles recommended by other readers. (In the interest of full disclosure: I just became a reviewer, and I’m reading my first feature book now—I can’t wait to see how this experience turns out!)

So there are my three places to seek new treasures waiting to be discovered. How about you? Do you have a to-be-read pile that just won’t quit, or are you constantly on the hunt for your next read? Where do you go to find your newest treasures?

Quick disclaimer: none of the above links are affiliate links.

One Draft, Two Draft (KaLyn)

One Draft, Two Draft (a writer’s parody)

One draft.

Two draft.
Bad draft.
Blaah draft.

Half draft.

Whole draft.

Rotten draft.

Cold draft.

This one’s beginning lags.

This one’s middle sags.

Say! What a lot

Of drafts there are.

Yes. Some are bad. And some are blaah.
 And some you wish, you never saw.

Some don’t begin.
And some won’t end.
 And some—never ever, ever send.

But don't let
Fear hold you back.
You can learn
Any skill you lack.

Make some friends
And share your work
Connecting is the point.
Don't just lurk.

From bad to good, from good to bad, 
Writing lessons
Must be had.

It takes time
To find a way
And that's okay!
You only need to pray.

Oh this! Oh that!
Oh dear! Oh me!
What a lot
Of writing lessons we see.

This is my last post as a regular contributor on the spectacular Lands Uncharted, with the lovely ladies of Lands. But this isn’t goodbye! You can find me on my blog at authorkacummins.com or hanging around social media (@authorkacummins).

See ya later, alligator! ;)

Top Three Gifts for Fantasy-Reading Moms (Lauricia)

Welcome back to Lands Uncharted. For this week's Top Three installment, I was going to discuss the best moments from Avengers Endgame, but if you're like me... you haven't seen it yet. So I decided it was still too soon for spoilers and that picking the top three moments would be best left to one of my fellow bloggers.

With all the Avengers excitement going around, it might be possible to forget another important day that's coming up soon. Mother's day is on May 12 this year. While that may seem a way off yet, it's closer than it appears. The time to think of how to honor Mom is now.

If you have a book-loving mom, what to get her is always easily solved. Books, books, and more books! However, this year I recommend putting a bit of a twist on things: a book reading package.

Every book reading package should be developed around a book. For your mom's reading entertainment, I recommend The Blood Rose Rebellion, by Rosalyn Eves. This historical fantasy takes place in 1847 London in a version of history where magic is wielded only by the upper class and its usage is governed by a select few known as The Circle. Anna Arden lives as a Barren member of this society. Not only does she lack the ability to use magic, but magic tends to go horribly wrong in her presence. When Anna accidentally ruins the societal debut of her sister, her mother sends her away to Hungary. There, Anna discovers that things are much more complex than she could have imagined, both in her life and in society, and she is forced to make a decision that will change the world as she knows it.

I enjoyed this book for it's Pride and Prejudice-with-magic vibe. The characters are well drawn and complex, and the conflict is believable and relevant. Although the page count of this book may seem hefty, the prose reads so smoothly that when you are finished reading you will wonder how you devoured the entire story so quickly.

As your mom is reading, she's going to want something to drink. I recommend Twinnings Orange and Cinnamon Spice tea. I have spent many years searching for the perfect orange-flavored tea, and I believe this is the one. It is light with a mild touch of fruitiness and a dash of cinnamon spice. The flavor can best described as that first hint of autumn that you sense in the cold breeze on a late August day. Mmmm...

Of course, your mom is going to be so in love with her book that she won't be able to stop raving about it. This will make you want to read it. She knows this, as well as she knows the likeness of never getting the book back, so round out her book reading package with a personalized book embosser. It's like a book plate, but on a much more elevated level. I learned that this was even a thing a few weeks ago, when one of my students was showing off the effect of the embosser she had just received from her mother. Oh. my. Goodness. Y'all, I'm not sure how I ever lived without this in my life. I'm not ashamed to admit that I ordered one for myself without even thinking about waiting to receive on for Mother's Day. As soon as mine arrives, I am going to spend however-many-hours-it-takes personally embossing every book in my library.

Granted, your book-loving, fantasy-reading mom will love whatever you do to remember her on Mother's Day. You will even earn high marks if your gift consists of nothing but books. But for the touch that really says, “I love you, Mom,” these Top Three picks are unique and personal.

(Okay, I have to confess I feel like a sponsor on an infomercial, but I truly hope you found this Top Three helpful. Let's keep the momentum going for those who are still searching for gift-giving inspiration. Please leave your gift recommendations for fantasy-reading, book-loving moms in the comments.)

Until next time,

~ Happy Reading!

Top Three Fantasy Stories that Feature Pets (Lauricia)

I love pets. I mean, I REALLY LOVE pets, so much so that I currently have too many. As of today I share my living space with three dogs, three ducks, to Rex rats, two red-eared slider turtles, a blue-crowned conure, and an English sparrow rescued as a hatchling when a high wind blew him out of his nest. It’s quite a menagerie, I’ll admit, but I know I’m not the only one who is captured by the cute loveable-ness and companionship bound up in all that fur…or feathers…or shell.

As humans, most of us possess the desire to nurture and love other living things that will ideally reciprocate our affection. This is why it surprises me a little that pets are not featured in more fantasy stories. It’s also the reason why the dog Bree and the raven Gaoth appear in my Ceryn Roh Saga novels. In honor of beloved pets everywhere, today’s Top Three post features my favorite pets in fantasy novels.

  

Menolly’s fire lizards

Anne McCaffery’s Pern novels are a huge collection of science-fiction laced fantasy stories set on a planet where dragons and humans live and work together to overcome a mutual environmental menace. This collection includes many sub-series, one of which is the Harper Hall trilogy. These three stories feature Menolly, a young adult whose love of music makes her an outcast in her own home but eventually leads her to find her place among the Harpers of Pern. During the course of the first book, Menolly finds a clutch of fire lizards, miniature dragons about the size of an African Grey parrot. In this story world, it is hard enough to bond with one of these creatures (who act a lot like parrots, with the added features of flying and breathing fire), so when Menolly bonds with nine of them and teaches them to sing, she causes quite a stir among harpers and dragon riders, alike.

 Quantaqua the wolf from the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series by Tad Williams

Tad William’s story world of Osten Ard is populated with at least eight distinct races. Among them are the Quanuc, a dwarf-ish/troll race who strongly resemble the Inuit of North America. One of these, a troll named Binabik, has a wolf companion named Quantaqua. The two make an amazing team, and their journeys together are what inspired me to allow Bree to accompany Sabine in my Ceryn Roh stories.

Image courtesy of Sipa from Pixabay

 Hedwig (and, really, all the pets of the Harry Potter series. Well, except for Scabbers.)

One of the things I missed the most during my time in college was my pets. How cool is it, then, that Hogwarts not only allows but requires students to bring their pets with them? Add to that the beauty, majesty, and mystique of the snowy owl, and it’s no wonder so many people fell in love with Hedwig.

This is not, by any means, an exhaustive list. I mean, who can forget about Toothless from Disney’s How to Train Your Dragon? However, it is rather difficult to take care of pets when you’re running from certain doom and trying to save the world, so I understand why pets are not exactly a common thing in fantasy stories. However, there are so many books out there that I haven’t read yet, that I’m guessing it might be a more common occurrence than I know, so I’d love to hear from you! What are your top three stories that feature pets?

Top 3 Unique Elements of The Tethered World by Heather L.L. Fitzgerald (Lauricia)

The Tethered World features Sadie Larcen, the eldest daughter of six children. As a homeschooled student whose mother runs a popular blog about myth and lore, she’s used to a life that defies definition as “normal”. When her parents mysteriously disappear, it’s up to Sadie to keep everyone calm, safe, and protected. That’s a lot to ask of a sixteen-year-old, but it’s only the beginning of the seemingly-impossible things Sadie will have to deal with in order to get her parents back.

The things I enjoyed the most about this story were the unique elements the author incorporated. My favorite of these were:

The Twist on the Bigfoot Legend

In The Tethered World, Sadie’s mother is deeply knowledgeable of folktales and fables, especially when it comes to the legend of Bigfoot. So when Sadie’s parents appear to have been abducted by a genuine Sasquatch, Sadie finds this unusual but not outside the realm of possibility. She doesn’t even begin to consider the word “impossible” until she discovers that Bigfoot is real, there are quite a few of them, and humans have a hard time finding them simply because we’ve been misidentifying them for so long.

The Twist on Autism

Sadie’s brothers Broc and Brody are twins identical in every way except one: Broc has Autism. As the mother of a child with high-functioning Autism, I found Broc to be especially endearing. I appreciated the way Fitzgerald presented Broc’s manifestations of Autism with dignity and respect, and I loved the way she made a qualifying strength out of this condition that mainstream culture often perceives as a weakness and, sometimes, even as a liability.

The Twist on Setting

The Tethered World is a cross-over story. Although Sadie and her family live in contemporary America, most of the story takes place in a fairy world that is richly developed with original details. This isn’t Narnia or Middle-Earth; it’s a unique fae realm unlike anywhere else explored before.

Readers who enjoy middle-grade books with strong female protagonists and a light romance thread (free of clichéd love triangles) will enjoy this book, as well as the already completed sequels The Genesis Tree and The Flaming Sword.

Top Three Fantasy-esque Phenomena found in Real Life (Lauricia)

I love the sense of grandeur and awe that an amazing fantasy setting can produce. I will forever be entranced by well-described castles, elven tree cities, dwarven mountain catacombs, and dragon eyries, as well as some of the more spectacular magical elements those locations can contain. Sometimes, however, the world we actually inhabit contains fantastic elements that exceed the imagination of any author. Here I list the top three I have recently discovered.

The Rainbow Eucalyptus

When I first saw a picture of this tree, my instant reaction was, “Who in the world would paint a tree? The mosaic-like pattern of bright colors on the rainbow eucalyptus look too staged to be real, but it turns out that rainbow eucalyptus are a thing. Native to the Philippines, this tree can be found in a limited number of other places where the air is warm and the ground is wet. It can grow six feet wide and over 250 feet tall in its native habitat. Its vivid colors come from the random shedding of patches of bark. The newly exposed bark starts out a bright green color, then fades to darker green, blue, purple, pink-orange, and maroon in that order. Because the shedding of bark happens randomly, different patches of the tree exhibit different colors, giving the tree its rainbow effect. You can view several pictures of this tree here.

Fata Morgana

When I was a teen, there was a song (which I can’t remember the title of) about building castles in the sky. Apparently another song about the same idea is gaining notice now. All of this recognition begs the question, what does “building castles in the sky” mean?

The phrase is based on a type of mirage known as the fata morgana, which occur frequently near the straits of Messina. Named after Morgana le Fey in Arthurian legend, this type of mirage is built of multiple images that compile to look like floating castles and cities, among other things. Their name comes from the archaic belief that Morgan created these images to lure sailors to their deaths. Added side note: this natural occurrence is also responsible for the myth of the Flying Dutchman and other ghost ships.

To learn more about the fata morgana, check out this detailed (but slightly colorful) article on Wired.com.

A parahelic circle (photo source: By Commander John Bortniak, NOAA Corps - http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/corp1608.htm 

Image ID: corp1608, NOAA Corps Collection, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=406349)

The Parahelion

Also called the sun dog, the parahelion is another form of optic phenomenon that occurs when sunlight is refracted and scattered from ice crystals in the atmosphere. A parahelion appears as bright patches of light in a halo path around the sun and can occur anywhere in the world. The ultimate parahelion, manifests as four spots of light: one each above, below, and to the right and left of the sun, all at a distance of about 22 degrees away from the sun. A really crisp parahelion will even include a parhelic circle, which is a horizontal white line crossing the sky on the same level as the sun.

You can see a stunning example of the parahelion here. Although there is some debate about whether the occurrence in this video is real or staged, it’s an excellent example of the amazing effect the parahelion could possibly produce.

I'm curious to know what awe-ispiring, sense-of-mystery-inducing things you have found lately. Please share them with me in the comments.