Introducing a new series I started with Western author, Lee Pierce. Each novel will be available as an ebook for only 99 cents! If you would like a review copy, please contact me. I’d be happy to send to you one.
In 1842, something nightmarish arrives in the Colorado San Juan Mountains, and now it threatens the small mountain man community of Horton’s Crossing.
One-eyed mountain man Jack Patch and his rather large friend Valentine Smith have lived, hunted, and trapped on Uncompagre Peak and the surrounding mountains for decades. When one of their own is gruesomely murdered, Jack and Valentine must prepare for enemies they could never imagine.
Together with a band of Ute warriors and some of the fiercest mountain men in the area, Jack and Valentine sharpen their Green River blades, prime their Hawken’s rifles, and do everything they can to survive.
I am cheating a little by using information I learned from today’s Daily Weird History newsletter. Its theme today had to do with circuses and carnivals, the main setting of my novel Freakshow Summer. In particular, I would like to focus on the sideshow performers of the bygone era. Today, we view such exhibits of placing human beings on a stage for the sole purpose to be gawked at as insensitive and morally reprehensible. Although we can look back now and realize that these people had lives, feelings, and aspirations–many of the performers had little choice when it came to making a decent living. Like most current entertainment careers, it was a matter of luck how popular and/or well-treated a sideshow performer was. Most had talents beyond their physical differences, and sometimes that was the tipping point for success. Nevertheless, a few sideshow acts went on to become a part of history, which leads me to the Weird History article “14 Astonishing Human Marvel throughout History.”
On this page, readers can find other links to other great performances and odd pastimes throughout circus and carnival history. This particular list contains some of the inspirations for characters in my own novel like Beep, Harriet, Yuri, Theodore, and Ben. There are many, many fascinating articles to be found on Weird History, so I hope you enjoy the page and the website as a whole.
For writers, a host of potential topics can be found. It is a treasure trove of the strange, inspiring, and horrifying. I hope you find something compelling on the site.
Image provided by Ranker.com as found in the daily Weird History newsletter
Teachers, parents, preachers, poodles and everyone else: come one, come all! A free teaching guide PDF is available for my debut novel Freakshow Summer. It’s great for classroom and home schools. Just go to this link and look over the PDF. If you want it, it is yours for the low, low price of, well…FREE! Download it and use it whenever you like.
Just a very short announcement. Take a look at my new page that now includes two pieces of flash fiction, “Anatomy Lesson” and “Treasure.” The stories are available as PDFs. More stories will be posted in the near future.
Since I have been “a bit” unpredictable with my posts, I had to change the title of my series from Monster of the Week to a showcase for weird, interesting, and terrifying monsters.
The creature showcased is one from India, the Anchheri.
The Anchheri are malevolent mountain spirits, typically the ghost of a young girl who suffered a traumatic death due to murder, disease, or abuse. This would explain their emaciated appearance and the hollow eye sockets. Stories tell of how a group will often come down from the hills or mountains to “play” near water or in meadows. Upon first glance, the spirits seem innocuous and good-natured. Yet, they bring disease and death to those who interact with them. Legends tell that the mere shadow of a Anchheri is deadly. If the shadow falls upon a victim, typically the very young or very old, the person will be infected with a fatal respiratory illness.
A couple of tactics can be used to protect oneself or one’s family from the ire of the Anchheri. The first is to bribe the ghost with gifts such as jewelry, clothing a young girl might enjoy, or a traditional Indian eye ointment called “kajal” (which makes sense considering the ghost’s eye situation). Much like other associations of ill-repute, the ghosts need to be “bribed” on a regular basis to ward off their cruelty. The second tactic is to wear the color red. But like the previous strategy, it does have a drawback. Some believe that wearing a simple red ribbon is enough to keep the Anchheri away. Too much red, however, could cause rage to well up in the creatures, leading them to attack with more ferocity.
Perhaps like many other mythical and legendary creatures, the Anchheri have a basis in reality. Not the creature itself, but the invisible dangers of disease that can sneak up on the vulnerable like a silent shadow. When considering the horrific treatment of women and girls around the world, it makes sense that the Anchheri would represent such abuse and mistreatment. They have been unfairly targeted simply because they were female, so vengeance from beyond upon other innocents is the spiritual response.
Although the Anchheri is a relatively unknown spirit for most people, it is worth further study in a cultural context.
This leads to an internet misunderstanding I have found while researching this entity. For some reason, this creature is also associated with the Ojibwe culture, but I could not find any such creature in their myths and legends. Perhaps there is some ghost/spirit/entity that represents a child and causes suffering, but I was unable to find it in my research. It is unfortunate because one of the creepiest pictures of the Anchheri had its theme based on the Native American form of the creature. You can see it here.
If someone is able to find the connection between the Indian Anchheri and a similar creature associated to the Ojibwe nation, please point me in that direction and I will amend this post. Until then, check out one of my resources: https://www.bestiary.us/bestiary/acheri/en
Freakshow Summer recently won a silver medal for historical fiction at the 2022 Moonbeam Awards! I am so proud that the novel has been recognized. Maybe awards don’t equal sales, but it does validate a writer’s effort when recognized by educators, other authors, and those working in the field of children’s literature. I am very grateful to my publisher, Artemesia Publishing, and the man behind the company, Geoff Habiger.
For those interested in getting a copy of the book, it can be found on most major bookselling sites.
In the hopes of making this novel accessible for teachers and students, I have completed a teaching guide for my debut novel Freakshow Summer. I will provide a digital copy of the guide for free. I have provided a sample of the guide below. For libraries interested in purchasing multiple copies, a 50% discount ($7.98) is available for orders of five or more books. Artemesia Publishing, however, is willing to give a general discount on all school purchases.
Beautiful artwork from Ian Bristow. This is the official front cover of my debut novel. Be on the lookout for the audiobook and teacher’s guide. Release date will be in July of 2022.
Alligator Man and his cat. The Leprechaun Family: Smallest Family in Show Business (Nickel, Penny, Buck, and Sally). Yuri the Yeti and Harriet the Bearded Woman. A Fool’s Errand (Hammer grease, A glass hammer, grasshopper screw, left-handed screwdriver, and a fly whistle).
I am really proud of the great work Ian Bristow has done for my novel. Geoff Habiger of Artemesia Publishing made an excellent choice for the illustrator. Stay tuned for more looks at the new novel Freakshow Summer. A PDF teacher’s guide is forth coming. A link will be provided when it is complete.
Anthony Bartley 
