Grootslangs are from South African mythology. They're half elephant, half snake, which must be tricky at times. Favorite pastimes are collecting diamonds and digging rivers.
It's the digging rivers part that causes some trouble in Six Grootslangs Playing.
Alicantos are from Chilean mythology. They are great birds who eat metals — the rarer the tastier.
In Five Golden Wings, an Alicanto has a surprise for a Leprechaun during the Ornament Decorating Contest.
Tatzelwurms are a sort of dragon from German mythology. They live underground, and depending on what you read, are anywhere from six to twenty feet long, and have a cat face.
On the second day of my Christmas series, in Two Tatzelwurms, a Tatzelwurm has a forbidden relationship with a Brownie, which comes to light rather spectacularly during the Gingerbread House Contest.
I had a crazy idea to do a paranormal version of short stories based on the Twelve Days of Christmas for next month. Traditionally, the first day is a Partridge in a Pear Tree, but that isn't very paranormal.
So, I came up with a Penghou In a Pine Tree!
What the heck is a Penghou, you ask? I couldn't find a good picture, so get your imagination ready — it's a tree spirit from Chinese mythology that takes the form of a black dog with a human face.
They are said to inhabit camphor trees, so you'll have to pretend there's a Penghou in the tree.
On the first day of Christmas in my series, the Penghou Shen finds Zacky, his long lost Dryad love, at the Tree Decorating Contest in Ashana.