Samuel DenHartog's Blog: The Road to 1,440, page 3

Bringing Thai Folklore to Life Through "Tales from the Thailand Temples"

When I began researching Thai folklore, I quickly realized that it is a tapestry woven from many threads: Buddhist tradition, local animist beliefs, heroic epics, and folk stories passed down in villages for centuries. Every temple mural, spirit house, and festival seemed to hold a doorway into another story. I wanted to capture that sense of discovery and share it with readers who may not have encountered these tales before.

The book brings together a wide range of figures, from protective land spirits and rice goddesses to mischievous ghosts and legendary kings. Some stories are tender and filled with devotion, like the tale of a goddess guarding the harvest, while others lean toward the eerie, such as restless spirits who wander when rites are left undone. There are also epic adventures, with heroes facing crocodile demons, princes falling in love with celestial maidens, and even a white-furred monkey warrior whose antics are unlike anything in Western myth.

What fascinated me most while writing was how these stories are not only ancient but also still alive. You can see them in the guardian giants standing watch at temple gates, in the annual fireball phenomenon on the Mekong, and in the offerings left at shrines by people who believe these spirits remain active today. The folklore has a way of shaping everyday life, blurring the line between the sacred and the ordinary.

"Tales from the Thailand Temples" grew from my desire to bring that living world of myth and belief into a collection where readers could experience it for themselves. My hope is that it feels less like reading a book and more like stepping into a temple courtyard at dusk, with the scent of incense in the air and stories waiting to be told under lantern light. Each tale carries with it a sense of wonder, mystery, and the enduring spirit of Thai culture.

Unraveling Time, Elemental Power, and Sisterhood in "The Forgotten Coven"

After all the buildup, the story finally continues. In this latest installment, our four witches leave behind the familiar streets of East Haven and step into a fractured past where magic still lingers in stone and silence. The riverbank, once a place of quiet reflection, becomes the entry point into something far older. They find themselves in Alexandria during the last days of its great Library, where a secret coven entrusts them with a task only they can complete.

Each girl is pulled into a different thread of time and place. Laurel walks among the firekeepers of ancient Ireland. Susie finds herself in a village ruled by fear during the witch trials of England. Blanca witnesses the fall of a kingdom in Spain as earth magic slips beneath the soil. Andrea follows the wind into the depths of the Black Forest, where superstition and truth twist together. These chapters test who these girls are becoming and ask who they are willing to be.

The heart of this story lives in the way the past speaks to the present. Each setting reveals something elemental about the girls, both in terms of their magic and their character. The history they walk through is not static. It asks for something in return. It demands courage, honesty, and sometimes loss. As they recover the ancient texts, what they truly gather is a deeper sense of what legacy means and how much power lives in what we choose to carry forward.

Back in East Haven, life seems unchanged. But under the stillness, something new stirs. The girls have brought more than magic back with them. They carry memory, responsibility, and a bond shaped by everything they had to survive alone. In the quiet moments after the final page, that feeling lingers. The sense that what was lost has only been waiting to return. And now it has.

Find Fresh Beauty in Familiar Words with "Psalms in Rhyme"

For generations, the Psalms have offered comfort, strength, and inspiration to people walking through every kind of season. Their language is rich and evocative, their themes timeless. But for many, especially in our fast-paced world, the style can feel distant or hard to absorb. That’s what sparked the idea to reshape these ancient songs into gentle, rhyming verse that invites the reader in and unfolds naturally, like a familiar melody.

In creating this collection, I wanted to preserve the beauty and depth of the original text while offering a fresh voice that flows easily off the tongue. Whether read aloud in a quiet moment or tucked into daily reading routines, each poem seeks to reflect the heart of a Psalm in a way that feels accessible and deeply personal. The language is poetic but not lofty, meant to stir the spirit without straining the ear.

Some poems follow the familiar rhythms of paired rhymes, others use alternating lines to create a gentle sway, like waves or walking pace. That variety grew out of the Psalms themselves, which are emotional and varied, sometimes overflowing with praise, other times aching with lament. Matching the tone of each passage with the right poetic structure became part of the joy and challenge of writing.

If you love the Psalms but have longed for a new way to engage with them, or if you're simply drawn to meaningful poetry rooted in faith and experience, I hope this book finds a place on your shelf and in your heart. When reimagined in verse, there is something ancient yet immediate about these songs, and I’m grateful to share that experience with you in "Psalms in Rhyme."

Beneath the Stones of Tintagel in "The Sorcerer's Key"

The journey from East Haven to Cornwall isn’t just a shift in setting. It’s a crossing into something older, something wilder. The cliffs and moors of Cornwall, especially near Tintagel, don’t just hold history, they pulse with it. The land feels like it’s waiting for someone to listen. For the girls at the heart of this story, stepping into that landscape means stepping into something much bigger than themselves.

These four witches have long shared a bond, but this time, the magic they face is more personal. It doesn’t ask them to fight. It asks them to choose. Each of them arrives in Cornwall carrying something different, uncertainty, curiosity, hope, or doubt, and the land responds to all of it. I wanted their magic to feel alive, tied to more than just spells and elements. It’s shaped by what they believe, what they fear, and how far they’re willing to go to protect one another or themselves.

Cornwall gave the story its breath, but Tintagel gave it its bones. I’ve always loved places where myth and landscape blur, and writing in that space allowed the story to shift between what’s real and what’s remembered. The girls aren’t just tested by what they find, they’re tested by what they want. And sometimes, those are the same thing.

What started as a story about magic quickly became a story about decisions, the quiet kind that change everything. These girls may come from East Haven, but the heart of their strength is forged among sea-worn stone and whispered legends. The rest of the story waits for you in "The Sorcerer’s Key."

Exploring Magic, Sacrifice, and Choice in "Three Princes, One Heart"

When I first began shaping this story, I knew it wouldn’t be about crowns or cleverness alone. It would be about what someone gives up without knowing what they will get in return, and how real love rarely arrives with trumpets. I set it in a world brushed with the wonder of old stories, vanishing cities, rose-lit towers, sea-bound palaces, but gave it a heart that beats through silence and sacrifice. There are echoes of "One Thousand and One Nights" here, but this tale travels its own path.

At its center stands Princess Nouronnihar, raised in silk and ceremony within the Jasmine Court, yet quietly restless beneath it all. When three foreign princes come from distant lands, Persia, Arabia, and the Maghreb, the Sultan refuses to choose among them by lineage or wealth. Instead, he sends them outward, each to find something truly rare. Their quests stretch across kingdoms and beliefs, each prince tested not just by what he finds, but by who he becomes in the finding.

The magic in this story is unmistakable: a carpet that can fly, a telescope that peers across continents, an apple whose breath can heal. But those are not what linger. What matters more is the way each gift reflects its bearer, and the moment when these rivals must act together, not to win, but to save. When a vengeful genie steals the princess away, everything shifts. The rescue depends not on power, but on trust and loss and timing that cannot be undone.

At its heart, this book is about love with choice at its core. Not a contest to be won, but a gift to be offered. I hope readers will find wonder in the journey and perhaps see a little of themselves in the characters who travel so far, not just to earn love, but to understand it. That is the soul of "Three Princes, One Heart."

Secrets, Siblings, and Summer Heat in "Fried Plantains and Fatal Secrets"

This summer, I told myself I would write something simple. A beach novella, maybe a picnic romance. But instead I found myself tangled up in murder, secrets, and family dynamics, especially when the Florida heat starts pressing in. This time, I’ve taken Margot Bellamy out of Cozy Cove and into the vibrant streets of Ybor City, where the scent of garlic, citrus, and fried plantains drifts through every conversation. What begins as a quiet invitation from an old friend quickly becomes a case of long-held grudges, missing money, and a suspicious cup of espresso.

This book gave me the chance to explore new settings that still feel deeply tied to Florida’s character. Ybor City, Sarasota, and St. Petersburg each offered something different, including history, elegance, and even a surreal twist or two. The atmosphere became its own kind of puzzle, full of color and contrast, helping to shape the tension in the story. I enjoyed watching Margot walk through unfamiliar streets, trying to read between the lines while pretending she was just enjoying the architecture.

One of my favorite parts of writing this novel was developing the Del Castillo family. Five adult siblings, each with a stake in the family restaurant and their own version of the truth. I didn’t want villains. I wanted people with pressure points, buried wounds, and reasons to lie that sometimes even made sense. That’s always the most satisfying kind of mystery, where guilt and grief often sit at the same table.

You can now find the latest in Margot Bellamy’s journey in "Fried Plantains and Fatal Secrets," a story full of family loyalties, complicated legacies, and the quiet strength of someone who knows how to listen more than she speaks. I hope readers enjoy uncovering each layer as much as I did.

A Ball, a Blade, and a Grave-Grown Tree in "Cinderella and the Roots"

Fairy tales were never meant to be harmless. They were warnings, maps of pain, and blueprints for survival. In this book, readers return to the ash-covered bones of one of the oldest and most unsettling stories, where magic does not sing, it watches, waits, and remembers. The beauty is sharp, the dresses are not woven with joy but with grief, and every gift from the grave demands something in return.

Set in a world of birds that do not chirp but choose justice, and trees that do more than grow, this novel unearths the raw nerves of a girl’s survival in a house built on cruelty. You’ll find no fairy godmother here, only the grave of a mother who listens more closely in death than anyone did in life. It is not kindness that saves the heroine, but persistence. Not charm, but endurance. Each chapter digs deeper into the soil of mourning and transformation, revealing roots that reach far beyond childhood tales.

The horror here is slow and elegant. It creeps in through daily humiliations, glints in the stepmother’s calculated smile, and lands sharp with the crunch of a glass slipper soaked in blood. The prince is not a savior, the palace is not safe, and the birds do not forget. There is justice, but it is not gentle. What you’re left with is not a happily-ever-after, but something older and far more honest.

This is a story about pain that refuses to stay buried, about love that is twisted by grief, and about a girl who does not forgive. She does not need to. If you're ready for a fairytale that remembers its own teeth, step carefully into "Cinderella and the Roots."

Experience Dragon Flight, Strong Bonds, and Betrayal in "Dragon Rider’s Journey"

Some stories begin with destiny. This one begins with a decision. From the first page, the reader stands in a place of ancient heat and silent wings, facing the legendary rite of passage known only as the Choosing. The dragons do not offer comfort. They offer possibility and risk. With every decision the reader makes, a new path opens, and an old one closes forever. The result is not just one story, but a living tapestry of what-ifs, triumphs, and catastrophes.

This book became a way to explore more than just fantasy adventure. It’s a look at power and trust, at what we sacrifice for freedom or companionship. No two readers will experience the same journey. Some may bond with a hatchling and grow through loyalty and patience. Others may pursue older, more dangerous dragons, or even turn away from the Eyrie altogether to chase forgotten truths buried deep beneath the mountain. No one path is right. But all of them demand you to make tough decisions.

The dragons themselves are forces of nature and personalities with wings. Some are fierce and noble. Others are distant, or even cruel. The bond between dragon and rider is central, but it isn’t guaranteed. It must be earned. Or stolen. The world is unforgiving, but it’s also full of wonder: caverns lit with ghost light, warfronts in the clouds, secrets bound in ancient fire. Every twist in the story offers a new lens on what it means to fly, to fall, and to rise again.

I wanted to create a book that felt alive in the hands of its reader, where each turn of the page carried real consequences. That vision became "Dragon Rider’s Journey," a forge-your-own-path fantasy that rewards courage, curiosity, and the willingness to leap into the unknown.

A Bounty Hunter Falls for His Mark in "Wanted for Love"

The story begins with three sisters robbing banks across the Old West, but it does not stay about crime for long. What starts as a bold spree through towns like Dodge City and Guthrie quickly turns into something darker and more intimate. A final job in Fort Worth shatters the trio forever, leaving the youngest, Sadie, running for her life and questioning everything she ever believed about loyalty, freedom, and herself. It is the end of one story and the uneasy beginning of another.

The man who finds her is not looking for redemption. Jackson Thorne is a bounty hunter used to riding alone, taking names and coin, and leaving nothing personal behind. Sadie is just another face on a poster until something in her eyes unsettles the quiet rules he lives by. Their paths cross far from town, and what happens next is not a clean chase, but a long, difficult journey that neither of them expected. Along the way, decisions become blurred and duty gives way to something neither of them wants to name.

This book does not rush the romance or soften the hard edges. Sadie is grieving and furious, and Thorne is guarded and unsure. The land they ride through is unforgiving, but in the stillness between storms, a new kind of bond begins to form. There are near-misses, shared silences, and moments that burn brighter for being quiet. Their connection does not bloom because it is easy, it survives because they fight for it.

By the end, the question is no longer whether she will escape or whether he will turn her in. It becomes something much harder to answer. What does it mean to choose someone, even when the world says you should not? If you are drawn to Westerns with grit, emotion, and slow-burning stakes, you will find what you are looking for in "Wanted for Love."

Preserving the World's Fables for a New Generation

For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to old stories, the kind that used to be passed from mouth to ear across generations, worn smooth with use like a favorite stone in the hand. These tales have outlived their tellers, stretching across continents and centuries, shaped by landscape, belief, struggle, and joy. What I do now with the Fables Anthologies series is, at its heart, an act of care. I take these stories from their dusty corners, from public domain collections, forgotten folktale volumes, and scattered translations, and I restore them for modern readers.

Some call what I do writing, but I think of it more as restoration. Much like someone working in a museum, I do not paint over what is already there. I clean it, I repair the cracks, and I sometimes touch up the fading color so the original shape and soul of the piece can be seen more clearly. I want young readers, and grown ones too, to see the full beauty of these stories as they were meant to be experienced, not buried under archaic phrasing or obscure references. My job is not to invent the tale but to make it shine again.

Stories by Culture, Not by Convenience

Each book in the Fables Anthologies series focuses on the stories of one culture. That is a key part of my approach. Unlike older collections that mix together tales from many places, I believe it is important for readers to know where a story comes from. Cultural context matters. It shapes the rhythm of a tale, the nature of its humor, the challenges its characters face, and the wisdom it tries to pass down. When a reader opens Fables from Nigeria, Fables from Japan, or Fables from Ireland, I want them to step into that world fully and respectfully.

Some books, like Fables from Nigeria or Fables from Simla, draw mostly from a single source or collector, carefully reworking the material into stories today’s readers can enjoy. Others, such as Fables from the Philippines or Fables from Wales, are assembled from multiple translations, folk collections, and retellings, requiring research, comparison, and thoughtful reconstruction. I always name my references at the start of each book, both out of respect and so that readers can explore the sources further if they wish. I am not the author of these stories in the traditional sense, and I never claim to be. What I do is act as a bridge between old text and new eyes.

Modern Retellings with Honest Roots

The stories themselves are traditional, but the way I present them is modern. I rewrite each tale using language that today’s children can follow with ease. If there are words or concepts that might feel unfamiliar, I explain them within the flow of the story itself, in a way that feels natural and welcoming. I do not shy away from keeping cultural terms or important original elements, but I give them context so that the magic is not lost in confusion.

I also add dialogue to help bring characters to life. Where the original tale might summarize a dramatic moment in just a line, I expand it, letting readers linger in the moment, hear the voice of a clever fox or a frightened child, and feel the emotional pull of a difficult decision. These small touches do not change the story’s heart, but they make it beat more clearly for a modern reader.

Following in the Footsteps of Lang and the Grimms

I see my work in the tradition of collectors like Andrew Lang and the Brothers Grimm . Lang’s Fairy Books gathered stories from around the world, adapting them for English-speaking readers in the late 19th century. His versions were shaped by his era and his audience, and while he sometimes blurred the origin of the tales, his work helped preserve them in a way that brought wonder to generations.

The Brothers Grimm, too, were not originators of the stories they are famous for. They gathered, edited, and reshaped German and European folktales, changing them over the years to suit their goals and audiences. Like them, I recognize the value of shaping a story so that it can survive. Unlike them, I aim to keep each culture’s tales clearly labeled and individually celebrated.

Books like Fables from South Africa, Fables from Czech, Fables from Blackfeet, and Fables from Turkey are part of this mission. These are not just stories for children. They are cultural treasures that deserve thoughtful presentation, clear language, and just enough creative guidance to make them sing again.

Why It Matters

What drives me is not nostalgia or academic interest alone. It is the belief that these stories matter. They carry within them the dreams and fears of past generations, the wisdom of elders, the humor of farmers, the songs of wanderers, and the quiet strength of those who survived hard winters and deep sorrows. To lose these stories to time or to language barriers would be a tragedy. To restore them, to make them live again for readers today, is a kind of quiet triumph.

The Fables Anthologies are my offering to that effort. They are meant to be read aloud, to be shared, to be loved. They are meant to stir curiosity, invite laughter, and pass on something precious. In every tale I retell, I try to honor the voices that came before me and the young minds who will carry those voices into the future.

This is not new work, but it is necessary work. And it is work I am proud to do.

Keeping Them Accessible

To make these stories as accessible as possible, I have priced all the Kindle eBooks in this series at $0.99. I want anyone, anywhere, to be able to read and enjoy these tales without cost being a barrier. These stories belong to the world, and my goal is simply to help them find their way into new hands and new hearts.