Story ideas sometimes come in the most unusual ways and often at the strangest times. On a late July afternoon in 2015, I was driving home from work. I remembered a blue moon would occur that month.
A blue moon happens when there is more than one full moon in a calendar month. (Some definitions support the idea that a blue moon is the fourth full moon of a season.)
In case you don’t already know, I’m fascinated by full moons. My creative mind began churning. I imagined a young woman, Erin, whose next-door neighbor, Russell, was a Native American artist who specialized in making pottery.
Someone is murdered on the night of a blue moon, Russell is falsely accused, and the Erin sets about trying to prove his innocence. Throw in an attractive male to help in the quest (and in whom Erin has a romantic interest) a faithful dog, and you have the makings of a romantic suspense story.
Fast forward to the spring of 2016 when I had the opportunity to take part in an anthology of westerns. The only prerequisite was the story had to take place in the American West. I knew it was a perfect opportunity for my idea.
I thought, “What if a series of murders occurred? Each happened on the night of a blue moon.” When I began to research, I came upon a legend related to the rare lunar event.
“When one family member dies, three more will follow.”
Excerpt:
Time running out. Blood will be spilled.
“The blood moon. He isn’t going to wait until the next blue moon.”
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Erin parked near the road and turned off her headlights. Got out of the car and closed the door quietly. She walked softly toward the house and tried to stay in the shadows. The moon was now in full eclipse and looked blood red. An eerie silence surrounded her. More than once, she looked over her shoulder and wanted to run back to the car, but there was no turning back. Kate’s life was in danger.
The Blue Moon Murders is a part of the anthology Unshod published by AIW Press. Nine female authors took part in this collection and best of all it’s free! You can download a copy by clicking this link.
Oh, and beware. The next blue moon is on October 31, 2020. Halloween, a full moon, and a blue one to boot? The possibilities are endless!
Joan Hall 
It is really amazing how authors come up with ideas and find interesting bits to make them work. A fabulous idea for a book, Joan.
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Thanks, Robbie. I enjoyed writing this one.
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I loved your story, Joan. You know I have a thing for moons, too, so that one really spoke to me.
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I was so excited when I came across that legend! Didn’t know about it when I first got the idea for the story. And yes, we share a thing for moons.
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Oh wow!! That’s something to look forward to on Halloween in 2020!! Thanks for sharing the excerpt, Joan. I too am fascinated by the moon cycles and always put my crystals out under the full moon for charging and renewing them.
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I think it’s so cool that it’s happening on Halloween! I do have a fascination with the moon.
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I have never heard of a blue moon, thanks for sharing info on it- sounds spooky!
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The phrase “once in a blue moon” came about for a reason. I love studying the phases of the moons as well as the Native American names for each full moon.
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I always love hearing where story ideas come from. And how cool is it that the next blue moon in on Halloween next year!
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Isn’t it cool that it will happen on Halloween?
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That sounds like another target date for publication. It doesn’t quite work, because it misses the Halloween season, but it’s pretty cool.
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Oh, but you’ve given me an idea. Now to just get busy and write the story! I’m (fingers crossed) hoping to publish two books next year.
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Me, too, but I have a head start. Might even work in another hat story.
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Another Hat story? That would be awesome!
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Oooh, a blue moon on Halloween in 2020? That is VERY cool!
I love moon folklore and think it’s awesome the way you wove it into your story. I enjoyed your tale and the entire Unshod collection. Nice to see it featured here today!
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Thanks, Mae. I enjoyed writing this story as well. And I also loved the entire Unshod collection. A blue moon on Halloween is super cool!
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I am fascinated with the full moon as well. I have used it a few times in stories I have written. Now to find out that the next blue moon is Halloween 2020 the possibilities are endless.
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I think a fascination with the moon is a family trait. My brother once hiked through Grand Canyon by the light of a full moon. He timed his trip in order to do this.
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Sounds like a good story. Cool that the anthology is free.:-)
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Thanks, Priscilla. We have three or four such collections.
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That’s a fascinating Halloween with those moons. Your love for moons shines through (sorry for the pun!). Thanks for sharing, Joan 🙂
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Love the pun! Yes, you know me and the moon! 🙂
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I can’t believe how excited I am to learn next Halloween is a full moon and blood moon. I will download a copy so I can read your story that caught my interest:)
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Yes, that will be exciting!
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