Richelle E. Goodrich's Blog
June 10, 2025
Interview with Gavin
Interviewing Gavin from Secrets of a Noble Key Keeper
Interviewer: Welcome, Gavin! You have quite the
adventurous life as Dreamland’s keykeeper. What does that title mean exactly?
Gavin: It means I’m responsible for guarding the
gates of Dreamland. If dreamers wander too close, it’s my job to make sure they
find their way back to where they belong—before they stumble into places they
shouldn’t be.
Interviewer: That sounds like a lot of
responsibility. Do you ever wish you had a different life?
Gavin: [chuckles] Why would I? Dreamland is
exactly what I make it, and I get to have the wildest adventures. Fighting
pirates, outwitting monsters, exploring endless hallways of doors—how could I
ever be bored?
Interviewer: Speaking of pirates, you recently faced
off against the legendary Captain Drake Blackmont. How did that go?
Gavin: [grins] Let’s just say, I lasted longer
than most. And that’s something to be proud of.
Interviewer: You carry a very special key. Can you
tell us what it unlocks?
Gavin: Now that would ruin the mystery, wouldn’t it?
I’ll say this—the right door only opens for the right person, and you’d better
be sure before you turn the key.
Interviewer: Dreamland sounds incredible. If someone
were to stumble inside, what’s the first thing they should do?
Gavin: That depends—do you want to explore, or do you
want to get lost? [smirks] The first thing I’d tell them is to choose
wisely, because in Dreamland, what you believe becomes reality.
Interviewer: That’s a little ominous. Have you ever
met someone who got lost in their own dream?
Gavin: [expression darkens] More than once.
It’s easy to lose yourself when you don’t want to wake up. But every dream has
a door, if you’re willing to find it.
Interviewer: Be careful what you wish for, right?
Gavin: Exactly. Some dreams are harder to wake up
from than you think.
___________________
Read Gavin's story in Secrets of a Noble Key Keeper by Richelle E. Goodrich. Find it on Amazon.
“Reality depends a great deal upon one believing what he sees—or seeing what he believes. Either way.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich
Meet Gavin, a curious young man whose calling it is to guard the gates of his homeland. As a keykeeper, Gavin comes across many outsiders whom he creatively steers away from the borders of his magical world: A world where ogres bowl for their dinner. A world where pirates sail the clouds to plunder diamonds from the night sky. A world where bubbleberries make a person burp out loud. It is a place where anything imaginable is commonplace. All the while, the young keykeeper finds himself increasingly intrigued by stories of the outside. Snooping about, he is captivated by a dreamer who piques his interest in the ordinary.
May 13, 2025
3 Signed Books to Give Away!
Are you ready for another book giveaway?
Heck yes! We love books!
Fantastic! Because I have two copies of three different paperback books to give away, each signed by the author. That's me. It's easier than pie to enter for a chance to win. Just click on the link that takes you to my author website — RichelleGoodrich.com — and then scroll a little way down the page to the " Book Giveaway " section. Enter your name and your email and then click on " Enter to Win. " You can't get much simpler than that!
Six lucky winners will win one of three books filled with 365 days of original quotes, poetry, and the occasional short story: Making Wishes, Slaying Dragons, or Being Bold. It's the luck-of-the-draw, but you stand a good chance of winning if you enter today!
Being Bold:
Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year
Making
Wishes:
Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year
Slaying
Dragons:
Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year
March 14, 2025
Book Character Interview—Meet Duvalla
Interviewing Duvalla from The Tarishe Curse
Interviewer: Welcome, Duvalla. Thank you for taking
the time to speak with me. Let's start with something simple—how would you
describe yourself in a few words?
Duvalla: [frowns] A survivor. A fighter. And cursed.
Interviewer: That last part—“cursed”—seems to weigh
heavily on you. Can you tell us about it?
Duvalla: [looks away] If I could, I would have
broken it by now. This curse runs through my blood, marking me as a... weapon.
It is a vengeful torment I never deserved.
Interviewer: That sounds terrifying. Do you feel that
this curse defines you?
Duvalla: [scoffs] No. I define me. The curse
is just a chain I intend to break.
Interviewer: I admire your determination. Tell me, if
you could live a life free of this curse, what would you want most?
Duvalla: [pauses to think] A quiet life. To
live a secluded existence from the rest of the world. To dwell safely with my
family—my husband, my children, my people.
Interviewer: That’s a fair wish. One last
question—what’s the one thing you would never sacrifice, no matter what?
Duvalla: [voice turns quiet but resolute] My
heart. The curse can command my actions, force my hand, confuse my mind, but it
cannot wholly erase the love I have for those who matter to me… or the hatred I
hold for those who deserve it.
___________________
Read Duvalla's story in The Tarishe Curse by Richelle E. Goodrich. Find it on Amazon.
"Vengeance is a monster of appetite, forever bloodthirsty and never filled." --Richelle E. Goodrich
Tarishe is a modest village surrounded by fortress walls meant to keep out one thing: werewolves. In truth, the wolves are scarcely bothersome and seldom seen excepting one night a year when a blood-red moon appears. This full Tarishe moon never fails to herald the arrival of an entire pack of hairy beasts, drawn to the village like greedy dragons to golden treasure.It is difficult enough to protect a young family in this world of dangerous creatures, but such a feat proves near impossible when an old witch bent on vengeance casts a curse that manipulates both heart and mind. The battle for survival is not only with a sword but an internal struggle to love those the curse has targeted for hatred, and to hate the one who through evil enchantment manipulates her enemy’s affections. How long will it take to learn that the old monster, vengeance, is insatiable?
This Tarishe tale is a thrilling piece of fiction told from the Queen of Werefolk's point of view.
February 21, 2025
Font Facelifts for my Books
Font Facelifts for All of my Books Have you searched on Amazon for my books lately? If so, you probably noticed that the covers have undergone a slight change. The illustrations and the written manuscripts are the same, but each book has undergone what I call a "font facelift."
You will discover now that every book has a bolder, easier to read title on its cover. And my signature name is no longer printed at the bottom; it has been replaced by typed font, which is also easier to read.
Personally, I like the changes. I think the new fonts make my covers more noticeable and unique. Previously, my book titles were all printed in the same font, but no more! These new fonts were chosen for their artistic character and their ability to stand out rather than meld within the illustrations. What do you think?
You can find all of my books with their "font facelifts" on Amazon.com in various formats. Look for them in audible, Kindle, paperback, and hardcover. Just search my name!
October 30, 2024
Halloween Quotes & Poems
#1
Be truthful with the things you say and do
Or else the imps may get ahold of you.
Each lie you tell will make them ever bold.
They’ll feed your greed and tempt you sevenfold!
Then turn your credibility to ash.
At last, your lying tongue is theirs to lash.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Hope Evermore
#2
“Tell me the truth,” I said to the jack-o-lantern. “Do you make those spooky faces just to scare little children on Halloween night?”
With a glowing wink and a grin that bared his pumpkin fangs, the jack-o-lantern answered me with a lyric poem.
“I must grin full-wide
so my glow will be bright
and light up the way
on this Halloween night.
The faces I make
urge each child not to tarry.
My big eyes aglow
tell them all to be wary!
For goblins, foul witches,
and ghosts will give chase
if boys and girls linger
too long in one place.
So look sharp and hustle
those two little feet!
Remember this truth
as you shout, ‘Trick or treat!’
My pumpkin face lights
a safe path through the street.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Hope Evermore
#3
Halloween.
Screech and scream!
Monsters rally, fierce and mean.
Devils dance.
Pixies prance.
Trolls will trail you, giv’n the chance.
Witches fly.
Up so high!
Imps and goblins multiply.
Ghosts in sheets.
Tricks or treats!
Truth be told, it’s all for sweets.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Hope Evermore
#4
Halloween trickster.
Spiders on string.
Children in costume.
Startle and scream.
Halloween treater.
Apples on sticks.
Caramel. Chocolate.
Come, take your pick.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold
#5
On Hallows Eve, we witches meet
to broil and bubble tasty treats
like goblin thumbs with venom dip,
crisp bat wings, and fried fingertips.
We bake the loudest cackle crunch,
and brew the thickest quagmire punch.
Delicious are the rotting flies
when sprinkled over spider pies.
And, my oh my, the ogre brains
all scrambled up with wolf remains!
But what I love the most, it’s true,
are festered boils mixed in a stew.
They cook up oh so tenderly.
It goes quite well with mugwort tea.
So don’t be shy; the cauldron’s hot.
Jump in! We witches eat a lot!
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold
#6
Treats of hot cocoa,
pumpkin pie, and candy corn.
Yummy Halloween.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold
#7
Black cat,
Get off my mat.
You bad-luck feline, scat!
Don’t come my way, stay where you’re at!
Oh, drat.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold
#8
When I was a youngster,
I trick-or-treated.
I dressed up in costume,
rang doorbells and pleaded.
Today I’m a grown up
who treats and tricks.
I cackle at children
and share candy sticks.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold
#9
Frankenstein.
Big oaf by design.
The monster pines for romance.
But sadly, he cannot dance.
―Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold
#10
Vampire,
Share your secret.
Turn into a black bat.
Quench your thirst before the day dawns.
Drink blood.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold
#11
“Halloween colors, less or more, are pumpkin, witch, and bloody gore.”
“You must mean orange, black, and red.”
“Indeed, that’s what I said.”
―Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold
#12
Bat, fly high.
Pumpkin, sit.
Black cat, cry.
Spider, knit.
Wicken, chant.
Phantom, moan.
Mummy, rant.
Zombie, groan.
Werewolf, howl.
Owl, hoot.
Goblin, growl.
Pirate, loot.
Skeleton,
Frankenstein,
Curse the sun.
Poem, rhyme.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold
#13
What do Halloween creatures eat?
Hot spider soup with pumpkin meat
and toasted, no-salt, bat-wing chips,
served best with Transylvania dips.
A thistle-horehound salad mix
has added crunch from sun-dried ticks.
The plat du jour is hairy beast
fried crisp in grimy goblin grease.
Now, don’t forget dessert so sweet;
try puss-cream pie or candied feet!
―Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold
#14
Pumpkins
in October,
as fat as the full moon,
they sit on our doorstep at night
and glow.
―Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold
#15
When a monster grows quiet and crumbles to the ground weeping, you feel sorry for him. You may approach with caution and hope, whispering words of peace. But in the morning he will rise to his full height, roaring and stomping and baring his sharp teeth because he is, after all, a monster.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold
#16
Go put on your mask.
Say “trick-or-treat” in costume.
It’s All Hallows Eve.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
#17
The coldest day in fall
is at the Hallows Evening Ball
where ghoulish fun
avoids the sun
as monsters mingle wall to wall.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
#18
Treats and tricks.
Witch broomsticks.
Jack-o-lanterns
Lick their lips.
Crows and cats.
Vampire bats.
Capes and fangs
And pointed hats.
Werewolves howl.
Phantoms prowl.
Halloween’s
Upon us now.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
#19
Witches cackle.
Goblins growl.
Specters boo,
And werewolves howl.
Black cats hiss.
Bats flap their wings.
Mummies moan.
The cold wind sings.
Ogre’s roar.
And crows, they caw.
Vampires bahahahaha.
Warlocks swish their moonlit capes.
Loch Ness monsters churn the lake.
Skeletons, they rattle bones
While graveyards crack the old headstones.
All the while the ghouls, they cry
To trick-or-treaters passing by.
Oh, the noise on Halloween;
It makes me want to scream!
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
#20
The whispers you hear in your ear that you fear
in the air everywhere,
they are ghosts.
The moans and the groans in the lowest of tones
no one owns or condones,
they are ghosts.
You might deem them gremlins or water or wind,
while others say shadows or rodents or sin.
But oh! I say no!
‘Tis not so, child, for lo!
The chills that you feel in a thrill that proves goose
bumps are frightfully real,
they are ghosts!
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
#21
A Halloween flower,
if ever there was one,
would smell like an onion,
have thorns like a rose.
With charcoal black petals
and vines that entangle,
t'would grow under moonlight
in mud, I suppose.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
#22
The jack-o-lantern follows me with tapered, glowing eyes.
His yellow teeth grin evilly. His cackle I despise.
But I shall have the final laugh when Halloween is through.
This pumpkin king I’ll split in half to make a pie for two.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
#23
A pumpkin lives but once a year
when someone sets its soul afire,
and on that night it stirs up fear
until its flame is snuffed.
But e'en one night of eerie light is fright enough.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
#24
“Silly little monster” all would say.
They’d scratch its head and turn away
until it snatched their tiny noses.
They couldn’t even smell the roses!
Ever after, every child
dreaded monsters, fierce or mild.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons
#25
The Harvest Moon glows round and bold,
in pumpkin shades outlined in gold,
illuminating eerie forms,
unnatural as a candied corn.
Beware what dare crawls up your sleeve,
for 'tis the night called Hallows Eve.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
#26
Haunt an old house.
Ask for a treat.
Laugh like a witch.
Lick something sweet.
Offer a trick.
Wander a maze.
Echo a boo.
Exclaim the phrase—
Normal’s unnatural on Halloween!
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
#27
Life is a walk through the forest.
Don't fear the trees, fear what lurks behind them.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Making Wishes
#28
Monsters excite us
in this way or that.
They make our pulse thrum
and steal lives from the cat!
They’re frightening creatures,
one peek and you’ll see.
Yet life without monsters,
how dull it would be.
Your tense, nervous laugh
tells me you disagree?
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway
#29
The handkerchief—or so I thought it was—tugged away from my fingers until I let go. It was shocking to discover the piece of fabric could move of its own accord. The cloth twisted itself, forming wing-like appendages at two corners that fell on the book and cleaned the pages, magically sweeping a new cloud of dust away from me. When the job was complete, the square of fabric fell limp onto the table. I stood there frozen and utterly amazed. The words my husband had said earlier echoed in my mind: “People believed this place to be haunted.” I could understand why.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, The Tarishe Curse
#30
The guardians are in fact those hideous monsters concealed within the shadows of Dreamland’s surrounding forest. They are terrifying creatures—the essence of a spine-chilling nightmare! With giant eyes like a pair of full moons bulging from fur-covered faces, and fangs as sharp as daggers snapping over a nasty growl, and claws protracting from heavy paws, these ferocious monsters perform their function well; they act as deterrents to anyone nearing the ivy-covered gates.
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Secrets of a Noble Keykeeper
#31
On Halloween night we will come to your homes
in costume as witches, foul goblins, and gnomes.
Our cackles and howls will pervade the night air,
entangled with screams as we frighten and scare.
We’ll hold open bags for your offerings of sweets.
Beware childish tricks if you cheat us of treats!
―Richelle E. Goodrich, Smirk & Snicker
September 5, 2024
New Book Release!
“ I have come to the conclusion that there are some things only God can teach a person, and His lessons come in the form of personalized life experiences. ”
― Richelle E. Goodrich,
Hope Evermore
My newest book is scheduled to be released in a few short days... on my birthday! Woo-hoo! Yes, I am a tad bit excited. Both for the release of my latest book and for a chance to celebrate another birthday. I am thinking P.F. Chang's for dinner prior to a fun movie at the theater. How does Beetlejuice Beetlejuice starring Michael Keaton sound? Shhh, don't say Beetle... you know... a third time!
Anyway, Hope Evermore will be available for readers on September 16th, 2024 in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover formats. You can preorder the Kindle version right now on Amazon.com and it will be auto-delivered to your Kindle on my birthday! (That is September 16th.) The audible version will take a little longer before it becomes available, but I will let you know when that happens.
Hope Evermore is the next in a line of my inspirational and motivational collections. This book was written with more spiritual influence than my previous "daily quote" books but still includes an original quote, poem, or short story for every day of the year, including the following:
"Love accepts you as you. It will never ask that you be someone else."
“There are many things in this world that we do not know, that we cannot see, that we do not perceive or comprehend. But I have faith in a god who sees and perceives all, who knows and comprehends all. It is God upon whom I rely.”
“If faith without works is dead, then in the same vein, compassion without action is dead, and concern without voice is also dead.”
"It may look crazy to you, but if you had traveled another’s road in their shoes, you would see and understand the underlying sanity in their actions. This is why we should love more and judge less."
"Tomorrow is just another synonym for hope."
“Take away your trials, and you take away the magnificent reward of overcoming.”
This book is a wealth of hope and inspiration, written to uplift individuals on a daily basis. If you are anything like me, when you get your copy, jump to your birthday first and see what it says. I hope it is a thought worth pondering.
Book Giveaway - Enter to Win!
Go to my author website at RichelleGoodrich.com and enter your email and name for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher. This book giveaway ends on my birthday, September 16th, 2024! I am excited to give away gifts on my birthday that are precious to me. Three winners will be chosen, and their names will be posted on my author website as well as on my Facebook page and Instagram page. I will contact the winners via the emails they provided for physical mailing addresses. Best of luck!
What am I working on now?
I am writing a new fictional story, a paranormal adventure with a heroic duo who may just save the world despite their personal roadblocks and human weaknesses. The title of this book is not yet decided, but I am considering Phantom's Veil as a possibility at the moment. This book takes place in the present, but involves some old Mayan mythology. I am about 40% done with the first draft as we speak!
August 12, 2024
Discover Annabelle Fancher's Story: Enter to Win
Visit RichelleGoodrich.com and enter both your name and email address for one chance to win a signed paperback copy of the novel, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher , and be added to Richelle E. Goodrich's mailing list for her periodic newsletter.*
This book giveaway ends September 16th, 2024. Winners will be posted here as well as on the author's official website, Facebook page, and Instagram account.
Enter today to win 1 of 3 signed copies!
BOOK SUMMARY:
What does a child do when life hurts? She dreams up a hero.
A childhood trial of survival.
Realism and fantasy beautifully intertwined.
This is a fictional tale that mirrors the unfortunate reality of many young people whose home lives are private nightmares. Annabelle's story tenderly acquaints the reader with her lonely struggles while sharing her courage in the face of adversity. Many of the events were taken from the real lives of individuals known by the author.
Annabelle Fancher lives with her mother and her often-absent, alcoholic father. When he is not on the road, his presence at home creates heightened anxiety in his wife and daughter—fear caused by years of abuse. Annabelle copes with her circumstances by escaping into popular fairy tales where she dreams characters to life. When her dreams cross over into waking fantasies, and the ghostly image of a dreamed character appears before her, Annabelle begins a real struggle to separate reality from pretend and sanity from beautiful madness.
* You can unsubscribe to the periodic newsletter at any time.
July 4, 2024
March 6, 2024
Reading With Goodreads
This year, 2024, I set my Goodreads reading goal small―a total of 10 books in all. So far, I have made it through one and a half. Most of the time I read thicker books because I like a story with substantial character and plot development. I do use Audible on occasion; however, I prefer curling up on the sofa with a tangible book in my hands. Paperback or hardcover, it does not matter so long as I can feel the texture of the pages as my fingers turn them one by one.
After finishing Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, I started Eragon again, written by Christopher Paolini. I first read Eragon about fourteen years ago and loved it. This time around I am finding it even more enjoyable as I note details missed during the first read. I plan to get through all four books in this series, hopefully before the end of 2024. I’ll let you know how it goes.
In the meantime, give Goodreads a try for yourself and make a personal reading goal. It can be as few or as many books as you like; you set the pace. Let me know if you add one of my books to your reading list; I would love that.
Happy reading, everyone!
―Richelle E. Goodrich
February 8, 2024
Valentine's Cupid and True Love
You know Cupid. That naked, chubby, smiling cherub who shoots his magic arrows at unsuspecting men and women to make them fall in love. He is a busy little match-maker whose image appears on many Valentine's Day cards. Now, I do not believe in an actual Cupid any more than I believe in the reality of Greek gods, but I do believe in the genuineness of love. True love. Love that equates with service and sacrifices made over time. What is this kind of love? I'll let Derian answer that question for you as he answered it for Eena in the book, Eena, The Return of a Queen . I think he got it spot on.
“Love is so much more than an emotion. True love, Eena, is something that develops over time. It’s not the initial infatuation nor the shivers and butterflies that take your breath away when you’re first attracted to someone. Those things are nice, but they are barely the beginning of what could become true love."
She shook her head. “I don’t quite follow.”
The captain inched closer, fixing her with the sincerest of gazes. His hands cupped as if he were holding his very heart in them.
“True love is a developed and intense appreciation for someone. It’s that perfect awareness you’re finally whole when she’s with you, and that hollow incompleteness you suffer when she’s gone. True love takes time. It’s an earned comfort that tells you she’ll be right there beside you no matter what you do, not necessarily happy with your every action, but faithful to you just the same. Love is knowing someone so deeply, understanding her so completely, you can finish her thoughts without hesitation, confident in reading her face, her body, even her slightest gesture means something to you. Love is years of devotion, sacrifice, commitment, loyalty, trust, faith, and friendship all wrapped up as one. True love does more than cause your heart to flutter. It upholds your heart when the infatuation no longer makes it flutter.”
