The Chicks welcome back Esme Addison, whose newest Enchanted Bay Mystery, A Hex for Danger, launched yesterday. Today, Esme tackles a great topic…
On Finding Inspiration Everywhere
Most writers probably know that inspiration for stories can be found everywhere. I have a hard time turning that off – the ability to see something, meet someone or experience something and get an idea for a story. I am constantly writing down ideas and creating the first three chapters for an idea I have.
Some may become a novel, some may not.
But it happened the last time I went to Poland. Not with mermaids… but something else.
I was not looking for more ideas – trust me – mermaids being real is enough.
But the last time we visited the Wavel Castel, the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world we learned about the myth surrounding the castle… It involves dragons.
Yes, you heard me.
Dragons.

According to Wavel.Krakow.pl Wavel Castle is located on Wavel Hill, which is “…situated on the bank of the Vistula river and surrounded by its waters and marshes, the hill had provided a safe haven for people since the Paleolithic Period. From the 7th century A.D. onwards Slavic peoples inhabited the hill. Early medieval legends tell of a fearsome dragon that lived in a cave beneath Wawel Hill, of Prince Krak the dragon slayer, and of his daughter Wanda, who drowned herself in the Vistula rather than marry a German knight.”

I am not a dragon person per se. I don’t enjoy reading about dragons, I don’t watch movies or television shows with dragons. But when I discovered the myth of the Smok Wawelski – The Wavel Dragon – and the Polish myths around them in general… I thought, I will have to write about that somehow… someday.
It’s an interesting subject once you go down the dragon rabbit hole – lol – because every culture has dragon mythology and almost every royal family claims to have comes from dragons… it’s weird but also fascinating. And it begs so many questions.
Why is there an actual cave under the castle known to be the dragon’s lair?
Why are their bones of a Pleistocene creature purported to be the dragon hanging from the entrance of the Wavel Cathedral since medieval times???
Why do so many royal families claim their divine right to rule came from a dragon?
I didn’t think I’d find a way to incorporate dragon mythology into my Enchanted Bay Mystery series… but I did! And I think it’s as authentic and as organic as it can be.
So yes, when you read A Hex For Danger… you’ll learn a little more about Polish mythology and maybe… a dragon or two.
Readers, has inspiration every struck when you didn’t expect it?

Synopsis: The annual Mermaid Festival is the setting for Esme Addison’s sunny-yet-sinister second Enchanted Bay mystery, perfect for fans of Heather Blake and Bailey Cates. The small town of Bellamy Bay has its share of skeletons in its closet, but it isn’t used to bodies turning up in the local history museum. After all, this coastal North Carolina town is much like any other…except, of course, for the mermaids.
Helping to run the family business, an herbal apothecary while keeping her supernatural secret hidden is no easy feat for water witch Aleksandra Daniels. But somehow she’s still found time to help her friend Celeste, who has her own Caribbean mermaid heritage plan the annual Mermaid Festival. As fun-seekers throng the beaches, Alex gets to know and is intrigued by renowned artist Neve Ryland, who’s in town to decorate the local park with a mermaid-themed mural. Celeste, however, is less enamored with the artist, as Neve has been spending entirely too much one-on-one time with her boyfriend Jasper, director of Bellamy Bay’s history museum. Then, a reception for Neve ends abruptly when the artist is found dead in his office.
The police investigation nets Celeste who asks Alex to find the true culprit. With the help of her magically-inclined aunt and cousins, Alex dives in to clear her friend’s name. But there was more to Neve Ryland than met the eye…and Alex fears she may be in way too deep. Will she catch the crook or be next on the hook?

Love the pictures.
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Thank you!
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How can you resist writing about a dragon AND mermaids?
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Right? My mind was blown up with ideas. lol
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Thanks for guesting, Esme. Your photos have inspired me to put a visit to Krakow on my bucket list!
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Awesome. It’s a really beautiful city.
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If you’ve got mermaids, why not dragons? Thanks for sharing the background of your book.
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You’re welcome.
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What a great story, Esme! And yes … so many questions. (Frankly, I’m always amazed when people ask where I get my ideas. The answer, of course, is where DON’T I get ideas! Maybe that’s just the difference between writers and nonwriters.) What a gorgeous castle that is! Very photogenic.
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I think you’re right – maybe it’s just something that comes naturally to writers?
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Congrats on your latest book, Esme! I’d like to see that fire-breathing dragon statue up close!
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Thanks, Jennifer. 🙂
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My mom had a thing for dragons (I think it started when she read The Hobbit back in the early ’60s) and not only crafted many dragon sculptures over the years (she was a potter), but also wrote a YA book called The Dragon’s Hoard. So I’ve been around the beasts most of my life, lol.
Thanks so much for visiting the Chicks today, and congrats on the new book–it looks terrific!
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Thanks, Leslie Yes – some people really love dragons. Interesting story about your mother. Did you ever ask her what she found so attractive about dragons?
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So glad you dropped by Chicks today, Esme–and congrats on A Hex for Danger. It sounds awesome! Loved the pix, too–looked like a nice, moody day to meet the dragons.
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It was a gloomy day but nice for sightseeing. Very atmospheric!
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Adding Krakow to my travel wish list! Thanks for visiting with the Chicks today — and congrats on the new book!
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Thanks Vickie!
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Hi Esme: Happy launch week! Hope you’re having a wonderful celebration. 🎉
What a fascinating post–sounds like an incredible trip. Mermaids AND dragons = a perfect pairing. Thank you so much for visiting us today!
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Thank you, Cynthia. 🙂
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Thanks for being here, Esme, and congrats on the book!
I’m FASCINATED by dragons so this is right up my alley! I loved learning about the source of your inspiration and now want to go to Wavel Castel. 🙂
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Thanks – I’d like to go back too.
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I love dragons! This is a fascinating article. Congrats on the new release!
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