Sèphera Girón's Blog, page 17

March 8, 2016

Simon Townshend and The Who

I went to see Simon Townshend at Hugh's Room on Monday, February 29 in Toronto. It was a fantastic show! And a thrill to be so close and intimate.








My friends Troy and Malcolm came as well and we all sat together!









Malcolm bought me a CD and I got it signed! Thanks, Malcolm! Thanks, Simon!


On my way to see The Who at the ACC on Tuesday March 1, 2016. It was Roger Daltrey's birthday! Kylo Ren was pretty stoked to see his first Who concert.



Before the concert, Troy, Malcolm and I grabbed a bite to eat at The Old Spaghetti Factory. It was great!

Then after we walked through the biggest blizzard of the year the few short blocks, we arrived at the ACC!





I ran into Brian Baker who happened to be sitting in the same section as I was but I was up in the thirties and he was closer to the floor. Troy, Malcolm, and Patrick were also in the same section as him and me! It was too funny!






















I was too busy dancing to get any good pictures. A phone camera doesn't do these kinds of shows justice. You can see lots of pictures and Youtube videos online! Gotta love the modern age!

This was an amazing Who concert. Roger Daltrey's voice hasn't sounded so fantastic in years. Not that he ever sounds bad. He can out sing most on a bad day. But the clarity and range was all there. He must have gotten rest during his illness. I hope he's healthy enough to be doing this tour and it doesn't kill him. At any rate, he sounded fantastic and I was so thrilled. I was up by the boxes and so could dance without blocking anyone at all. I don't think I've ever stood at a Who concert before. Usually security makes you sit down, even if you're clapping for a song because of the crushing deaths many years ago in the seventies.

As the show rounded the three quarter mark, a couple of people smoked pot. I could smell it from three different spots. So could security. One set of unfortunate people were escorted out by bona fide police people and they never returned so I guess they didn't have their medical cards on them.

Even if pot ever becomes legal, there is no smoking inside any buildings in Toronto. At all. Even  most apartment buildings have a no smoking policy these days. Although there was a lot of talk in the media not long ago about people with medical cards can light up anywhere they desire, even in no smoking zones such as a streetcar. It has to do with being able to take medicine anywhere when it's supposed to be taken. It will be interesting to see how that will all play out as more medical cards are dispensed.

When The Who were last on tour, there were signs everywhere asking people not to smoke anything including pot because it wrecks Roger's voice but to eat a brownie instead or something like that. In both Toronto and Hamilton the signs were up, and most people respected the request.

Anyway, The Who were fantastic. They were really together. Of course there was the odd technical issue but they came and went. It was so fun to be a teenager again for a couple of hours and just rock out and not think about anything but the world's greatest rock and roll band!

Long live Rock!
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Published on March 08, 2016 21:54

March 7, 2016

Am I a Beggar?




I ask myself this a lot. Especially in recent years when the struggle is real on every single level.

Yes, I suppose I am.

 A loser. A panhandler.

I made bad choices with my heart instead of a self-preservation mind. I own my choices. But it doesn't change the fact that times are a bit rough right now, for everyone, not just me.

If you think I'm begging, than please move along. You don't need to waste your time reading my entry today.

I'm on Patreon, again, still.

I had taken myself off when my campaign to write and publish a ghost hunting book a couple of years ago didn't garner one single sponsor. And that's totally fine.

I was thrilled with the response to my Go-Fund-Me for the Stanley Hotel. I was able to make the trip, write the story, and I got into the Frankenstein Project anthology from RothCo Press that I wanted to get into that was only open to people who attended the retreat. I set my writing goal and made it. And I'm grateful to all who helped me!

Writers on Patreon
More writers are going to Patreon to work on their books.

We've seen tons of publishers raise funds for anthologies on KickStarter.

Why not go right to the source, the actual creators? The writers.

Brian Keene is giving away a chapter a month (minimum) from his new novel for pay-as-you-go pledges, which is the model I'm using as well. This model seems sane to me for a writer.

Caitlin Kiernan is on Patreon to write her new book.

Of course, Amanda Palmer is on there as well, and since she's married to Neil Gainman, by default, he's on there.

I've been seeing "screaming" for two days about the fact that Caitlin is on Patreon "begging" for money. Seriously? Some of these are people who should know better. Way better.

I have no idea what Caitlin's life or financial situation is like but just because she's had some best-seller success, that doesn't carry her forever. I'm also sure that someone like Caitlin thought very long and hard before coming to Patreon to ask for sponsorship as she works on a new book. Does she "need" money? Who knows? Who cares? You either want to help her write her new book or you don't.

There are tons of writers on Patreon representing all levels.

And why not?

The artists of yore often had patrons. Some people think it's cool to watch art being made, books being written, music being recorded, dance companies mounting shows, and so on. They are intrigued by how the process works. And Patreon allows that to happen. A patron feels more connected to the work of an artist they respect or are curious about when they see the product being created and then launched into the world for others to enjoy. They can be proud they contributed to the art being made by giving the artist a bit of financial assistance. And it doesn't cost much at all. Most artists are happy for one dollar a month from a patron. I know I would be!

Patreon Artists
Filmmakers have been doing it for years; what are "producers" and "investors?" What's the difference if my readers want to buy one chapter at a time as I write it or wait for the final book to come out, or do both?

As I poked around Patreon, I saw that people who do a lot of the Youtubes, fan art, and Tumblrs of Star Wars, AHS, and other shows have Patreons. Some get big big big bucks! And that's for doing art in other people's universes most of the time.

At least with me, Brian, Caitlin, and Amanda, you are getting brand new, fresh, original, unique product right from our veins and into your mouth.

Sponsor an Artist
So, this time around, I don't think Patreon has as much of a stigma as it used to. People want to support their favourite artists and help them create. Whether an artist is "perceived" as rich or poor is irrelevant. All art costs money to create.

I'm at my desk every day at 9 am seven days a week. I sleep about five hours a night. I have no interns, no secretary. I do all my own social media, Youtubes, blogs, and so on. I love what I do and want to do more and do it better.

I've run the HWA Ontario Chapter for over twenty years which is my way of helping writers of all levels network and create viable career paths, and now I am now part of a new podcast,The Great Lakes Horror Podcast, that was created through our chapter.

But in the meantime, I want to entertain you. I want to write. I want to do what I'm here to do.

Let Me Entertain You!
Instead of crying into my pillow that I can't get ahead (it's been two steps forward, one step back like a painfully slow inchworm for about five years now) no matter how exhausted and lonely I am from trying, DOING,  I'm fuelling my energy into writing a Space Opera Romance.

Yes, something fresh and shiny and new.

A genre I played with a bit as a teen.

Something fun and funny, with some romance and some danger.

No more darkness. No more horror. Well...maybe just a touch.

As I said, I will be giving one chapter a month to my patrons. I doubt I can do much more because I'm also writing Witch Upon a Star (which I receive quarterly royalties after the fact way down the road).  That, too, is great fun to write.

I figure a buck a month for eight to twelve months isn't much for the first look of a book being written as it happens. The final book cost could be as low as $12! It's pay what you want beginning at $1 a month. And you can quit at any time.

So, is that begging? Sounds like work to me.

You get a book, a lot of notes, and a glimpse into my writing process.

You can do it or not. But try to have an open mind about the concept for the sake of your peers. You'd be surprised who is on there!

Didn't Many of Our Heroes Write Serial Chapter Books?
Is this any different than serial chapters or comics back in the day?

Nope.

Remember when everyone lost their minds thinking Stephen King had lost his when he did that thar ebook thing and charged per chapter. Ayup.

And now EVERYONE is doing that thar ebook thing and writing and publishing endless series and some people are making a shitload of money in the ebook game!

Now here we are looking at a Patreon model.

My Patreon Model
I offer you one chapter a month plus notes and musings.

You know you will get a pretty professional story from me even in the first draft.

You know the book will have a beginning, middle, and end.

You know I will love my characters because I always do.

You know I will finish this book because you can see on my Amazon page that I've been published a lot by a lot of real publishers because I can finish a book. That doesn't even include my pen names.

So, come along for a space ride, hurtle through the galaxies with me on a cosmic adventure, battling forces of good and evil, confront danger and fall in love!

Or don't!

I'll have fun either way! I to those of you who choose to participate, thank you!

I've already begun...
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Published on March 07, 2016 20:25

February 28, 2016

No Snow in Toronto!


Someone's On a Mission
Kylo Ren had spring fever today. After all, it was 12 degrees and sunny out. Not a flake of snow for February 28, 2016 in Canada!







He went for a walk. No snow here! It looks like fall still. Is it Halloween?



No snow here! Usually this is buried this time of year! Not even slippery with ice! It's a gorgeous day for walking and scheming...er dreaming. 









Nice walk along the lake. No ice. No snow!





Yes, that's the CN Tower behind you, Kylo Ren!







Looks like moss is growing here instead of ice!

Where are you going, anyway?


You've done it now! Lost in a garden!

Peek-a-boo! I see you!


The white stuff isn't snow. It's salt, dirt, sea gull mess, sand...
 Ah-ha! I get it now!



Making plans for the new Starkiller Base, are you?
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Published on February 28, 2016 20:44

February 26, 2016

Samhain Publishing Shuts Down


Experiments in Terror


The news of Samhain Horror Publishing, in fact Samhain Publishing as a whole shutting down has spread like wildfire across Twitter and Facebook. Those of us who are on the inside, authors in the horror genre, for instance, weren't suprised at all.

My only surprise was that the romance line wasn't doing well.

Samhain Publishing has been around since 2005. I have several friends who have written romance for them for years. Samhain didn't really become known for horror, although they published it, until Don D'Auria came aboard. His presence enticed former Leisure authors and others to submit to Samhain and if this were the nineties, everything would have thrived. It was the perfect plan.

But we're in 2016. That plan didn't work. It had nothing to do with the calibre of authors. Nothing to do with Don's fantastic work. Nothing to do with all of the rest of the great team at Samhain including the President.

It's a weird wacky world we're living in.

It's a wild west.

Publishing and readership is mutating by the minute like an out of control virus.

No one knows what's going to happen or how to adapt.

Grab a surfboard and ride the wave.

It's quite funny when you think about it, how within even my own publishing career, people were bemoaning the handcuffs of the traditional houses. There was and always has been small press, micro press, etc. but somehow, more authors in speculative fiction began to turn to them.

However, most authors took a traditional path to publishing. We wanted to be on best sellers lists, go to publisher parties, do book tours, talk shows, and all of that. Advances could pay the bills for a month or for a couple of years so who didn't want to have that? Writing a book was actually like a real job. You had some freedoms but you also had to tow the line, whatever that meant.

Some authors didn't like the control of publishers and even agents over their careers. As I said, there have always been entrepreneurs and rebels. But now, technology has changed everything in so very many ways, that publishing books the traditional way is becoming archaic; slow, expensive, wasteful, controlling.

Smaller presses give authors and artists more control because there are less chefs in the kitchen.

Self-publishing gives authors and artists complete control over every step of the process. Some authors aren't up to wearing all those hats, they want to just write. And that's fine, too.

Savvy, prolific authors have always published with more than one house. My own career has about a dozen publishing houses, perhaps more. It's a fool's game to be with only one house. Your entire career rises and falls with their ship.

I look back on some of the publishing houses that fell while I was with them, or was one of the last authors published by them.

Darktales Publishing
Neon - Imprint of Orion
Blue Moon - Vivid Video
Leisure Books
Samhain Horror

There were a couple of anthologies and magazines that died while holding one of my accepted stories as well.

If I wasn't old enough to know how history repeats itself, I would feel cursed. But I don't. This is how it is. This is how it's always been. Businesses come and go.

I suspect most of my horror counterparts have diversified in recent months, if they hadn't before Don was abruptly fired. I have no idea what will happen to authors' carers on the romance side of Samhain because I've never published romance with them. I know a lot of people have long-standing careers and most of the ones I know also publish with other companies. But I suspect many don't. I would say to them, "Fear not! You're an established author with a fan base, just self-publish those suckers and reap the rewards!"

We're in the Wild West. We can control our own careers.

Of course I'm sad Samhain has to shut down like this. I obviously saw the writing on the wall long ago from the inside so have been waiting for the other shoe to drop.

My new series, Witch Upon a Star is not with Samhain, in case anyone thought it was. I have four Samhain horror books and they will continue to be for sale indefinitely and after that, I'm not sure, so if you've been wanting to read them, better do it now in case the rights get tied up or something.






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Published on February 26, 2016 16:31

February 21, 2016

Talk to Me on February 24 on the Supernatural Radio Show



I'm going to be a guest once again on the Supernatural Radio Show with Corrine de Winter.

Call in to ask me about tarot, crystal balls, ghost hunting, Lizzie Borden house, Alcatraz, the Haunted Mansion Retreat in California, my new erotic astrology horror series, Witch Upon a Star, or ask me a question.

Don't be shy, give us a call!

Wednesday February 24, 2016  8 pm

Supernatural Radio Show


Have you watched this week's free horoscopes at RomanceBeat.com?
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Published on February 21, 2016 14:08

February 18, 2016

Great Lakes Horror Company Podcast is Live!



I've been insanely busy with writing my new series, Witch Upon a Star, as well launching a new horror podcast. Life is good when you're busy! At least it is for me. I've barely noticed it's minus twenty out there!
The Great Lakes Horror Company podcast is the brainchild of Andrew Robertson, a member of the Horror Writers Association Ontario Chapter. At our November meeting, he pitched the idea, and now a couple of months later, we've been on the air for two weeks. Good job, Andrew!
The cast will rotate with various members of the Ontario Chapter of the Horror Writers Association but the first taping of four shows included: Sèphera Girón, Andrew Robertson, Monica Kuebler, Suzanne Church, and Bill ZombieZak Snider.
The show includes a roundtable with a discussion about a timely topic such as Women in Horror since it's Women in Horror Month with several HWA ONT chapter members and features an interview with a different person working in the horror field each week.
Here it is on Apple iTunes
Here it is on HWA ON
Interviews with horror creators are conducted off-site and members Crystal Bourque, Brad Middleton, Tonya Liburd, and Brian Clement will also be contributing. 
Interviews that are already up include:
Marie BilodeauNancy Kilpatrick
Interviews airing soon include:
Lisa Mannetti Linda Addison Monica J. O'RourkeMike McCartyLisa Morton
New episodes are posted on Mondays.
Let us know what you think!
In the meantime, it's back to work for me. I find acting out scenes with dolls and writing notes on cue cards really helps to keep twelve books and thirteen major characters straight. Of course, there are no Star Wars characters or even skeletons being boiled alive in these books, but toys trigger the imagination, as we all know. Kylo Ren's look is so fantastically witchy that he is a joy to have on my desk while writing an erotic witch romance series. I also find it amusing that I have a character named Adam (created years ago with most of the other characters up to the Taurus book) so I have the maskless Kylo hold his cue card. It doesn't take much to amuse me.
I've been sharing a few of my creative process pictures on social media although I'm sure some people think I've lost my mind if they don't understand what I'm doing.












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Published on February 18, 2016 15:46

February 9, 2016

Witch Upon a Star Series has Launched!


Buy Capricorn: Cursed today!

The first book of my new Witch Upon a Star series has now launched.

Each book contains an erotic horror mystery occult astrology romance book. Although characters are threaded throughout each others' stories, each book can be read on its own. The horror element in these books is not as extreme as my regular horror work.

The stories revolve around twelve witches in a coven run by a thirteenth witch, Lucy. Each witch represents one sign of the zodiac. Each books shines a spotlight on one particular witch's love life. Once a month the coven gathers to cast a love spell for whoever has a birthday that month. These books follow the results of these spells.

Capricorn: Cursed follows Natasha who is a medium with a secret. She can channel ghosts willingly and not so willingly. She also plays the violin at various events around the town of Hermana. She met tall, dark and handsome Gus on New Year's Eve and they share a kiss before dashing away at dawn. Her passions lead down a dangerous path and she may have to finally pay the price.

The next book will be Aquarius: Haunted Heart which follows ghost hunter Madeline.

Interview about Witch Upon A Star series.


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Published on February 09, 2016 21:08

February 6, 2016

It's All Fun and Games Until You Meet A Real One

Strange Days
These are difficult times we live in. I see it in my children. I see it in my friends. I see it by the lack of stability in relationships, careers, housing, investments, and even the weather patterns.

Yes, there has always been flux and evolution and survival of the fittest and such. But what monstrous times we live in.

We can look back at history at other monstrous times: WWII, The Spanish Inquisition, Romans, Biblical events.

There are have always been despicable people performing alarming acts on others. These stories, these realities, these historical facts, should be teaching the human race to evolve.

But we don't.

Villains in Fiction
It's fun to watch villains in fiction. We love the Joker, Kylo Ren, Darth Vader, Snidely Whiplash, Dandy Mott, Alex, Dracula, The Wicked Witch of the West, Cruella deVille, and so on. We love to watch them do evil stuff and either find redemption or pay the price by the end of their story. Fiction is fun. Without evil, there would be no good. How would we know who the hero is since there wouldn't be one? Stories would suck.

In real life, it's not so fun to dance with a psychopath/narcissist/sociopath. And they are getting harder to avoid as they are Academy Award winning actors and actresses roaming around our every day world. And there is often no redemption or happy endings in any story they star in, which is all of them.

The barrage of TV shows about these dysfunctional people indicates we are hungry to hear these stories. We marvel from the outside at the clues we're fed by the writers. How are people so easily conned? Why don't they leave if they think they are abused? How could she not know her husband is a serial killer?

Greed
As a horror writer, I'm interested in real life horror and keep the TV on a lot for company. I watch American Greed, Dateline, 20/20, all those OWN shows about con artists, serial killers, cheaters and though it gets depressing, it's also interesting to see rich, famous, intelligent people get just as conned as Joe Everyone who lives next door.

The human condition is a strange and complicated one. Yet in many ways, very easy to contemplate as well. We all want to survive. Some people think surviving is manipulating others to get what they want, no matter the price. Others believe that helping others is the way for everyone to just get along and all get what we want in the end. Most of us fall somewhere in-between, living our lives, doing our best, hoping for the best, and getting by and assuming everyone else is doing the same.

But some people aren't. They will stop at nothing to lie and cheat their way to ...what? "The Top" whatever that means to them. To some, it's to be President of Something, a judge, a doctor, a movie star, and others it's to own their own business or have a car or own their own home. Goals may vary but the lies and deceit don't. People who lie and cheat to get what they want will do it in every level of their life. It can seem exhausting when watching it in action, but that's just how some people are. And those types of people aren't very good for most other people. They know how to push buttons, how to seduce and manipulate, whether it's a conscious act or just a natural gift/curse. It behooves us to learn to recognize their games early on.

These people make great villains in fiction like in the hits Wolf of Wall Street and Catch Me If You Can but the people who lived through those crimes would likely have a different version of the story.

No one wants to live through that kind of drama and trauma. But people do every day on different levels. And no one talks about it. This is why it's hard to get untangled from the spider web once it's recognized. Then when people do finally break free, it's rare they are applauded for their efforts.

No, the target is often considered stupid, selfish, weak, insane, abusive, if he or she dares to leave or even more so, to speak out at all about any of the abuse.

Domestic abuse is so insidious that to relay one or two incidents often sounds ridiculous. The listener has to bear in mind all the rest of the set dressing of the event. Get into that D-box chair and put on the 3D glasses. Think about tone, facial expressions, body language, seduction, setting, family repercussions, financial repercussions...it's never so very simple as, "Oh, he slapped you? Why didn't you just up and leave?" or "Just kick him out."

No, it's not easy to decipher the truth and perception and perspective and experience. But if a person feels fearful of another, that is never good. And to feel fearful enough to try to please him or her? That's co-dependency and a thing of its own which also needs to be recognized and talked about.

The Trial of Jian Ghomeshi
The trial of Jian Ghomeshi is happening right now. Already witnesses are being raked through the coals about what appears to be contradictory acts on the part of the alleged victim. This is an opportunity for people to be educated about the dangerous manipulations of seduction, abuse, hypnosis, gaslighting, and more. This is the chance for people to learn that yes, you can be smacked around and horrified by it, yet still want to please your abuser because you feel like YOU did something wrong for this ugliness to happen and you will tie yourself into knots trying to understand it, to fix it, to avoid it happening again. However, it can take a lifetime and some people never figure out that it wasn't their fault, that they had been gaslighted/abused/lied to/manipulated and kept on a string.

Until such behaviour is experienced in one's own life, such situations can look like ridiculous, ludicrous behaviour. People who haven't been through a mind-fuck don't understand how a perfectly intelligent, sane person can be driven to madness by loving or trying to please someone who turns out to be abusive.

People don't go into an abusive relationship knowing its abusive. They are seduced by magnificent behaviour, gifts, romance, hot sex, and so on and only very slowly does it all erode into a nightmare. So slowly that it's barely perceptible. And that's why it's difficult to see from the inside, as the seduced target, that something is horribly wrong even if people on the outside can see it plain as day. There's no specific place to pinpoint what happened and often the target will blame her or himself for somehow making things fall apart. And so he or she will try to please the abuser more, who of course, is getting away with bad behaviour and so it all escalates.

Get Educated About Toxic Relationships
At any rate, there are hundreds of websites, groups, and books these days geared towards toxic relationships. If your relationship suddenly seems to have taken a left turn at Albuquerque, get educated about domestic abuse, narcissistic personality disorder, and learn how to set your own personal boundaries. Keep in mind that material possessions mean nothing if you or your children are dead whether from mind games, health issues, or physical violence.






Print version of (Stop) Dancing in the Gaslight


The trial of Jian Ghomeshi will bring abusive behaviour out into the light. Hopefully the proceedings  will open up some dialogue about abusive relationships.

In the meantime, let's keep the villains in fiction. Real life ones suck.





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Published on February 06, 2016 16:51

February 5, 2016

Scorpio Actors Playing Psychopaths


It does tickle me on some level and so I thought I'd share what other fans of these actors have also likely figured out.

As followers of my blog know, I took great delight in the Dandy thread on American Horror Story: Freakshow. Dandy was my new favourite obsession for a while there.

Then Dandy was gone.

Now, Kylo Ren from Star Wars: The Force Awakens has tickled my psychopath bone as we can see from my growing toy collection and daily Instagrams.

Scorpio
So like any fan, I long ago checked out a bit about actors Finn Wittrock and Adam Driver and find it amusing that they are both Scorpios close in age and both recently married their sweethearts from when they attended Julliard.

It's interesting that these young Scorpio actors scored iconic roles and also married their sweethearts and all four attended Julliard. The two Scorpios brought great acting work to what could have been really cheesy roles for either one. But they both brought a depth and compassion to their psychopaths that keeps/kept the audience engaged and sympathetic to the story.

I don't know what it means, if anything, It's just one of those things that makes me go, "Hum."

Aquarius
I also managed to figure out the volatile nature of Emma Roberts and Evans Peters relationship and why they keep reconnecting though anyone can see they aren't good for each other.

They are both Aquarians. As an Aquarian myself, I will vouch for the fact that Aquarians have a mean streak. It's usually with our sarcastic tongue. There's a reason this air sign is signified by the suit of swords in the tarot deck. We're the kindest, nicest people in the world until you cross us. Then it's all over. Roberts and Peters keep going back and forth despite domestic violence issues. They are still young and need to realize they can and should move on from each other. Of course, it doesn't help that they are always working together or near each other, that their worlds are always touching, so I can see how they want to ride that "famous couple" wave while it lasts as well. Absolutely. I hope they can work through their issues as they mature. We'll see.

That also explains why they are so compelling to watch even when their acting may not be at its strongest. Peters blew it out of the water this year as psychopath Mr. March in American Horror Story: Hotel. I give him 100 stars for his role and he kept continuity throughout the entire series. A great feat in what is an uneven show.

I'd like to see Emma Roberts back on American Horror Story as a bitch actress/model/rich girl like she was on Coven. Something where she can be mean and cold and doesn't have to act much. Some kind of serial killer would be good.

At any rate, it's fun to see how star signs and celebrities may or may not have patterns.

Do you find any similarities in celebrities or characters?

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Published on February 05, 2016 18:12

February 2, 2016

Valentine's Day is Time for Love Magic



Love Magic: The Good Witch's Guide to Healing Your Heart is a little book I wrote a few years ago. It contains advice and exercises to heal your heart and move on towards healthy, happy relationships.



 Love Magic is available both in print and ebook.

Do you have a Love Magic story to share?
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Published on February 02, 2016 22:56