Book excerpt: The Golden Nugget “Matilda’s Night Out and the Fortune Teller” is a fun short fiction story meant to offer its readers a bit of adventure and enjoyment. The story is a contemporary urban fairy tale that is bestowed upon the story characters by requiring that they each use “magical realism,” which is needed in order to create positive change and which arrives by way of encouragement of a warm, very likeable well-traveled experienced fortune teller. Unlike Cinderella, the magic of the fairy tale continues on into the everyday world in which the characters live. An unexpected special occasion and night out results in all having a fun time and a welcome surprise. The story identifies the significance of past, ancient story tales of many world cultures, which still influence us today for positive good. Folklore and foxfire used in past tradition is known today as contemporary folk magic, which gives each of us a bit of stardust and offers each of us hope today in understanding why superstitions, personal beliefs, good versus evil, the powers of “magical realism,” positive thought and one’s belief in self-magic reveal how folktales intend to heal the human spirit and instill one’s belief in both natural and self-magic. The purpose of the book is to encourage each of us to appreciate the true meaning of the first gypsy legends, who were the first trendsetter pioneers and human legends, whom both established and carried on enjoyable American traditions. The book encourages each of us to “never stop believing in the magic.” If you know of at least three superstitions you personally believe in or know of just for fun and know of a few special fairy tales, you should enjoy this book.