M.A Grace's Blog, page 8

Blog Tour: Forbidden Life

The road to redemption begins in darkness. 
A sinister force waits for them in darkness, ready to devour their powers and take their lives.
Sam's baby is the key to a lock that must never been opened. To keep her child safe, Sam will do anything.Drake might have found a way to get his powers back and save his family, but is it too late?
Luke and Lucy uncover secrets in an organization they thought they could trust, and the lives of all Rent-A-Kid children are at stake.
In this last Forbidden Trilogy installment, the secrets to Rent-A-Kid will finally be revealed.


MEET KIMBERLY (The Author)



• Website http://KimberlyKinrade.com • Twitter: @KimberlyKinrade • IPI Twitter: @IPIAcademy • Facebook: /KimberlyKinrade  • IPI Facebook: /IPIAcademy





NOTE: Kimberly's married name is Karpov-Kinrade, but my books are published as just Kinrade


Kimberly Kinrade was born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for children, YA and adults and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal novels Forbidden Mind and Forbidden Fire and her illustrated children's fantasy chapter books Lexie World, and Bella World, all on Amazon. 
She lives with her three little girls who think they're ninja princesses with super powers, her two dogs who think they're humans and her husband, also known as the sexy Russian Prince, who is the love of her life and writing partner. 




MY REVIEW!!!! Kimberly has an art of capturing you in the story pulling you through the intense series and then closing all the questions. There is no room for second guesses or maybes. Every question is answered and every I is dotted. 
But don't think that sells the book short. You still have to follow the heart racing breath holding story line of adventure, romance, love, hate, desire, strength, and even humor. To twin all these emotions into a can't put you down story is a gift. And Kimberly has mastered that gift. 
I highly recommend you own the complete Forbidden Series and display it proudly on your bookcase. IT is a story you won't mind reading over a half dozen times.

Blog Tour: The Three Lost Kids and the Death of the Sugar Fairy

Halloween is here and Lexie, Bella and Maddie couldn't be happier. But why does everything feel so different? Fewer houses are decorated and fewer kids are out trick-or-treating. Still, that's not going to stop the three girls from eating as much candy as they can before their parents can stop them, even if that means fighting each other for it.
When they finally discover a haunted house worthy of their favorite holiday, they forget their parents' warnings and go in alone, only to discover that the house really is haunted, and not only that, but they've been transported to a whole different world!
A dying Sugar Fairy in one of the abandoned rooms send them on a quest to find her Sugar Baby and the magic Sugar Flower in order to save her and Halloween. If they fail, Halloween will be gone forever, and they'll never return to their family.
But with Sugar Bug attacks, the Cavity Caves where they must face their deepest fears, and giant gummy bears armed with candy cane swords, the girls aren't sure they'll make it.
Their only chance is to work together, using each of their strengths to help each other. Can they stop fighting over candy long enough? Or will they be trapped in the dying Sugar Land forever?









ONLINE LINKS:·         Website  http://KimberlyKinrade.com·        Twitter: @KimberlyKinrade·        IPI Twitter: @IPIAcademy·        Facebook: /KimberlyKinrade·        IPI Facebook: /IPIAcademy




Kimberly Kinrade was born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for children, YA and adults and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal novels Forbidden Mind and Forbidden Fire and her illustrated children's fantasy chapter books Lexie World, and Bella World, all on Amazon.
She lives with her three little girls who think they're ninja princesses with super powers, her two dogs who think they're humans and her husband, also known as the sexy Russian Prince, who is the love of her life and writing partner.
 




MY REVIEW  TO CUTE TO PASS UP!!! What a wonderful adventure to send your child on for Halloween. Who doesn't want to save the sugar fairy? As you follow the three sisters on their engaging adventure you find that even as an adult you giggle like a little kid again in parts. A very easy read for children probably 6+. I recommend anyone with a child, grandchild, niece/nephew, teachers or even babysitters have a copy of this book on their shelves. If an adult can enjoy giggling through the quest to save Halloween and the Sugar Fairy then I know children will too.

Savannah Chase Flash Fiction and contest

Chasing the RushBy Savannah ChaseCopyright Savannah Chase 2012



She sucked in a deep breath at the pain burning through her. It seared her flesh like someone placed her hand into an open flame. A cold shiver ran down her skin the moment he grabbed a hold of her chained hand. “Please don’t,” she pleaded.He didn’t care; she was at his mercy and his meal for the night. All because she’d not listened and gone hunting alone. Wanted revenge for what he’d done to one of the family. Revenge drove her, and common sense abandoned her. She’d let her hunger drive her to chase the rush of the capture, the kill.“Please, I will not tell anyone of your existence,” she begged once more but it fell on deaf ears.His dark emotionless eyes glanced at her before he ran his tongue over his fangs and sank them into her. Her heart beat raced as fear continued to pull her deeper into its grasp. He’d pierced her wrist and his lips wrapped around her tiny hand, sucking at the sensitive spot, taking her life with each drop filling his mouth. He was killing her with every passing second, just so he would stay alive. Her life was draining and she couldn’t do anything about it. Her head fell back against the cold stone wall. This could not be her end. Someone had to find her, save her from this monster. One of the other hunters would come after her.Her body began to go limp as he continued to feed on her. Blackness took hold of her sight; her gaze fell to the sky at the full moon shining above. The same full moon that her sister had seen when she’d been taken and ravaged by these animals a few weeks ago.“Please,” she managed to get out.“You can beg all that you want but nobody will ever hear you. After tonight you are no more to the world. You think I’m stupid, but I know who you are. You’ve been carving out my brethren and now you will pay for your crimes. He released her from his grasp and smiled, one that would bring fear deep within your soul. Reaching for her hair he tugged her head up.“I want you to watch as I carve you till you’re unrecognizable you stupid bitch. Every slice will be for each one of my kind you slaughtered.”He pulled out a silver blade from his back pocket, her blade, and twirled it in front of her. “They all deserved to die for their crimes. They murdered the innocent, broke the code of your world,” she said as she tried to struggle out of his hold.Taking the blade he hooked it under the top button of her blouse and slowly ran it down the seam, cutting off one button and then the next, each one falling at her feet till he reached the very bottom.With the blade still in his hand he grasped the material and ripped open the remainder of her blouse, exposing her to the coldness of the night air.Moving the blade towards her he ran it down her flushed skin before he thrust the tip into her flesh sliced through it. One cut over her stomach, another over her hip, and another over her ribs. He kept cutting into her like she was a piece of meat.“Ssssss,” she sucked in the air at the feel of the blade slicing into her.Each carve of the blade sent more pain against her weakened body. His hand moved higher and higher, marring her with wounds. Over and over, he branded her body with revenge for what she’d done. Suddenly he stopped; every inch of her now pulsed with pain as blood dripped down her body. He ran the blade over the valley between her breasts and slipped it under the clasp of her bra. The blade sliced through the delicate material letting her breast fall exposed in front of him.“Mmmmm,” he groaned as he came closer and licked at one of her nipples where blood had cascaded down to before he ran his tongue over her flesh, one of the spots he’d cut, before he sunk his fang into the expose part of her breast.She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. His very presence raged her and disgusted her. His touch made her cringe, sick to her stomach. She hoped that if this would be her last night he would just get it over with instead of draining her body slowly. Torturing her as he sought fit. Or worse turned her into one of his kind, the very thing she feared.“My life will be revenged if you take it you sick son of a bitch,” she said as her breath hitched.His tongue lapped at her skin as he took more of her essence.“Don’t be so sure of yourself,” he said as he released her. She’d tried to hold on, keep herself from letting go but he’d taken too much. She knew that she had moments left as her life force detached itself and began to let go.“Vanus.”Her eyes blinked open, but all she saw was a tall dark figure standing behind her killer. Nothing but a blurred image of whoever had now joined them. Letting her eyes shut she gave into deaths hand.
****
His swirling silver eyes piearced through her from the very first time their gaze met that faithful night when he saved her from deaths door. He took hold of her heart and held it tight. She'd never wanted danger, or welcomed it into her life. It was just something she’d been born into. But now she craved it, his kind of danger, and his kind of life. Surrendered herself to everything it had to offer and everything that had to do with it. She gave herself to him and his world, to her savior.  She needed it, she desired it. He'd changed everything she’d ever know the moment he'd come into her life. The world she once knew is not the world she now lived in. Something different now drove her path. Lucy crossed her arms over her chest and glanced out the window at the railroad tracks a few floors below. Trains were pulling in and out of the station as minutes of day light ticked away, waiting for the sun to set on another day. The sky painted in hues of gold, yellow and orange casting shadows across the city. Soon the darkness would awake with the full moon that was to come tonight. Each full moon reminded her of what she’d survived. A world below oblivious to what was truly hiding in the night.  Turning away from the window and glanced it him asleep in her bed. There hadn’t been a night when she’d not seen him restless. Even his dreams and slumber could not bring him a moment of peace. Demetre tried to hide it from her but she sensed it, something plagued him, and if she didn’t know better it even frightened him. She couldn’t stand to watch him hurt, especially when she didn’t know what to do, felt helpless. She paused for a moment and took in the sight of him before making her way over to the bed where he lay naked and sprawled over the black silk sheets she sat next to him.“Oh my beautiful Demetre, I wish you could feel safe even when you close your eyes to rest,” she said and leaned over towards him a placed a searing kiss against his lips.An aura of danger, and beauty surrounded him and she hungered for every bit of it.Her body yearned for his touch and she anticipated the moment the sun would set for the night and he would be free of what plagued him.Looking back towards the window she watched the last few seconds of the sun set.Demetre’s cold fingers suddenly wrapped around her tiny wrist brushing against her scars from that night. He’d done everything he could to heal the marks but the damaged was too deep.“Lucy, my love. When I’m with you nothing else matters. I can protect you from the monsters that haunt the night,” he said and pulled her on top of him.His hard cock dug into her body and she moaned as he captured her lips. His fangs swiped over her lower lip, slicing her skin gently. His tongue lapped at her blood.His fingers cupped her face before he slowly trailed them down her neck and under her red silk robe. Demetre’s strong hands caressed her heated flesh as he pushed the robe down her back, sending chills along her spine. His touch made her hunger for him. Every swipe of his tongue against her own fired off her body, her ache for him to be inside her intensified. His taste was intoxicating and beautiful in the most sensual way.Without breaking their kiss he tore off her robe and tossed it to the side before he flipped and pinned her to the bed. The silk sheet he’d been covered with cascaded down his skin exposing his bare flesh. She moaned at the very sight of him. The man that lay on top of her exuded intense power and fear to the world, but to her he fed her unquenched hunger.“You take my breath away,” he said as he broke their kiss and gazed into her eyes.“As do you my love,” she said and turned to his arm that was next to her.She would’ve been dead if he hadn’t saved her that night. Now here she was with him, living in his world, no longer a hunter. His life was now bonded with hers. He was now a part of her for eternity. His blood had saved her.“Do you ever regret doing what you’d done that night?” she asked him as she lifted up her hand and cupped his cheek.His silver eyes gazed back at her and he lowered his head down for a moment, letting his long black hair cascade down his face, making it hard for her to see his expression.“If I were to do it all over again, I would give you this gift of immortality once more” he said as he lifted his head and gazed into her eyes.“But you could only do that once. How could you know I was the one?”I’ve searched for someone all my life and in the centuries I’d been alive I’ve never felt the way I did when I found Vanus killing you. “Didn’t you know who I was?” He had to have known she was the slayer. She was an enemy of his world, but yet he still saved her.“I didn’t care. I’d watched over you for the longest time, keeping you safe when I could. When I heard that he’d finally caught up to you I couldn’t stand by and let him kill you.”Lucy reached up with her other hand and pulled him closer. He’d not only risked his life to save her but his very existence.“I am forever yours, I belong to you for the rest of eternity,” she said and recaptured his lips. Gently Demetre nudged her thighs further apart she wrapped her leg around him.  He slid inside her and she moaned as her body basked in the power that was him. Every part of her came to life as he pushed deeper inside her wet aching pussy. Abandoning her lips he left a chaste trail of kisses from her earlobe, down her neck. With each kiss his warm tongue lapped at her heated flesh. Each kiss, each feverish thrust left her panting and hungry with need. “My love, I am yours for the taking,” she said breathlessly.The words barely left her when his lips sucked at her neck and the sharp pain of his fangs piercing her skin shot through her. This was the only place on her body where Vanus hadn’t touched and scared.Time had healed most her wounds but she needed more to let him feed from her anywhere else. Their hearts beating in synch as their entwined bodies moved in the dance of ecstasy. The feel of his lips sucking against her flesh, taking her essence to feed made their connection euphoric and erotic.“Ohhh Lucy, you taste so sweet,” he said as he released her.His silver eyes now a deep blue, gazed at her. His tongue lapped at the drops of her blood from his lips before he thrust harder, pushing her over to the edge of bliss.Arching her body into him drove him deeper inside her. When his own release came he let out a powerful roar, it vibrated through him, straight into every part of her sensitive nerve endings, sending her into a shattering orgasm. This was the sound that she couldn’t get enough of.Leaning back down his kissed her lower lip and she knew she was lost to him. There was no going back. He was hers for till the end of their existence.








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Meet the Authors!!!!  Pavarti K Tyler is an artist, wife, mother and number cruncher. She graduated Smith College in 1999 with a degree in Theatre. After graduation, she moved to New York, where she worked as a Dramaturge, Assistant Director and Production Manager on productions both on and off Broadway.

Later, Pavarti went to work in the finance industry as a freelance accountant for several international law firms. She now operates her own accounting firm in the Washington DC area, where she lives with her husband, two daughters and two terrible dogs. When not preparing taxes, she is busy penning her next novel.

Author of many short stories, Pavarti spans genres from Horror and Erotica all the way to Fantasy. Currently Pavarti is hard at work preparing for the release of her upcoming novel Shadow on the Wall, a Muslim Superhero Literary Fiction.





 A unique author with a passion for her family, Catrina Taylor is in love with the written word. As an avid reader she finds her mind enjoys the worlds created uniquely in Fantasy, Science Fiction and various crossover genre. As an author, she most often plays in a universe of her own creation.

Introducing us to the imaginary world of Xarrok, she has hooked readers, waiting to see where her imagination takes us next.

When she is not playing in the universe of her mind, she is playing with her children who she encourages to follow her passion for words, and excel in every area they show interest. In fact, this talented word smith finds that life through their eyes is a constant lesson in self discovery, happiness and curiosity.

Inspired by her everyday world of family, infused with an unquenched curiosity, and gifted with the ability to take us to places we could never have imagined, Catrina Taylor is an author who promises to keep you fully immersed in a world of wonder and intrigue, waiting for more.



 Favorite Quote: "
"When a gentle girl can win, Prayer from out the lips of sin, When a child gives up tears
And the barren almond bears, When the silent chapel bell Sounds the ghostly sinners knell
Then shall the house be still and Peace shall come to Canterville" Oscar Wilde, The Canterville Ghost


My name is D.J I am an Indie Author of Paranormal Fiction. Right now I am a college student earning my bachelor's degree in Creative Writing, concentrating in Fiction.
I am engaged to the love of my life who is Active Duty Army at this moment. We live in Missouri with our German Shepherd Reich, a Great Dane/ Lab mix named Gambit and three ... yes three cats.

When I'm not doing school work, I'm writing my novels, currently The Unholy Trinity Chronicles. Or taking photo's for Southern Allure Photography I am above all a professional equestrian, I began riding at the age of three and never have lost the love I have for horses.




International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within us are her favorite reads.

Her muse for penning this series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. The revenge on all those who hurt and betrayed Edmond Dantes and the incredible rollercoaster ride his journey takes you on intrigued her. Ashley's love for this book is what sparked her desire to write her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy, Eviscerating the Snake. With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero Balance focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answered that question: far and wide.

Born and raised in California, Ashley now calls Arkansas home with her husband and four children. She also enjoys writing poetry and short stories and recently published Ramblings of a Mad Southern Woman: A Collection of Short Stories and Poetry on Life, Love, Loss and Longing, which is available on Amazon. Ashley is also a supporter of the Joyful Heart Foundation that assists victims of violent crime seek help and find healing, and donates 10% of all book sales yearly to the cause.



 Alexandrea Weis is a registered nurse from New Orleans who has been published in several nursing journals and textbooks. She has been writing novels and screenplays for over twenty years. Her first novel, To My Senses, was a finalist for commercial fiction in Eric Hofer Book Awards, a finalist for romance in the Foreword Magazine book of the Year awards, and a finalist for romance in the USA Book Awards. Her second novel, Recovery, won the Gold Medal for best romantic suspense from The Reader's Favorite Book Awards and was named best Romantic Suspense by the NABE Pinnacle Book Awards in 2011. Her third book, Sacrifice, closes out the Nicci Beauvoir Series. Her fourth book, highlighting her love of rehabbing wildlife, called Broken Wings, is now out in paperback and ebook.

Ms. Weis is also a permitted wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and when she is not writing, Ms. Weis is rescuing orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives outside of New Orleans with her husband and a menagerie of pets.





 The Cat is K. B. Dundee Author of Spam Vs The Vampire. He told Elizabeth what to write.

 (Elizabeth Scarborough)
Altogether I've written and collaborated on 38 novels, 22 solo and 16 in collaboration with the fabulous Anne McCaffrey.

Among my solo novels is THE HEALER'S WAR, the 1989 Nebula Award winner for best novel, loosely based on my experiences as a nurse in Vietnam.

I have also written a traditional, though humorous, 4-book fantasy series, SONGS FROM THE SEASHELL ARCHIVES, a feminist Arabian Nights fantasy, two fantasies set in the Wild West and the Yukon Goldrush respectively, my obligatory science fiction writer's apocalypse book and the sequel, both set in Tibet, and three books about folk music and magic that made a big hit with the Library of Congress Folk Music Archives, which I blew up in the first book. Three of my books are about fairy godmothers, one is about Christmas and computers, one features Sir Walter Scott in a Victorian gothic mystery set in Edinburgh, and two are about Queen Cleopatra as the living "Past life" of two different women.

Just last week I released for the first time anywhere, a new e-book (available soon as Print on Demand as well), SPAM VS THE VAMPIRE. Spam is a cat whose mistress disappears suddenly, leaving him and his 14 feline housemates alone and soon to starve. When someone breaks into the house, Spam takes the opportunity to escape into the outside world, where he's actually never been before, to hunt for his human, or at least some other human to feed and care for him and his friends until their friend Darcy comes back. The more he hunts, the more he becomes sure that she is not going to be coming back on her own.




Hunter Shea is the author of the novels Forest of Shadows and Evil Eternal. His stories have appeared in numerous magazines, including Dark Moon Digest, Morpheus Tales and the upcoming anthology, Shocklines : Fresh Voices in Terror. His obsession with all things horrific has led him to real life exploration of the paranormal, interviews with exorcists and other things that would keep most people awake with the lights on. He is also half of the Monster Men video podcast, a fun look at the world of horror. You can read about his latest travails and communicate with him at www.huntershea.com, on Twitter @HunterShea1, Facebook fan page at Hunter Shea or the Monster Men 13 channel on YouTube.



Jeff LaFerney has been a language arts teacher and coach for more than twenty years. He earned his English and teaching degrees from the University of Michigan-Flint and his master's degree in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Davison, Michigan. Both of their kids, Torey and Teryn, are currently college students. His first two books, Loving the Rain and Skeleton Key, were self-published through CreateSpace, but they have been republished by World Castle Publishing who has also published the third book in the Clay and Tanner Thomas series, Bulletproof.

Win an ebook copy of Paulette Mahurin's book The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap

A women's Brokeback Mountain. The year was filled with memorable historical events: the Dreyfus Affair divided France; Booker T. Washington gave his Atlanta address; the United States expanded the effects of the Monroe Doctrine in South America; and Oscar Wilde was tried and convicted for gross indecency under Britain's recently passed law that made sex between males a criminal offense. When news of Wilde's conviction went out over telegraphs worldwide, it threw a small Nevada town into chaos. This is the story of what happened when the lives of its citizens were impacted the Wilde news. It is a chronicle of hatred and prejudice with all its unintended and devastating consequences, and how love and friendship bring strength and healing.




 Paulette Mahurin

From the time I was ten year old, I've loved to write. While in college I wrote two award winning short stories. This encouraged me to continue to write, and write I did but never completed any of my novels due to other responsibilities: education, jobs, family, etc. After attending and receiving a Master's Degree in the Nurse Practitioner Program at UCLA, I went to work in the second busiest emergency room in Los Angeles county. I saw and learned about things that haunted me, until bit by a tick and diagnosed with Lyme Disease (which went to my heart valves, brain, and muscular skeletal system) knocked me down and afforded me time to write and release the memories onto pages before me. I wrote, and wrote, and released what was stored inside, which finally gave way to a story that was to change my life, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap. When I began to feel better, I joined a writing class, in Ojai, CA, where I live. The teacher, Deb Norton (screenwrite/playwrite of The Whole Banana) had us do an exercise involving a photo. We were to write a 10 minute mystery. The photo I picked was of two women huddled close together in clothing that looked circa turn of the twentieth century. I made them a Lesbian couple trying to avoid being found out. In my research, I came across Oscar Wilde's imprisonment. Britain had recently changed it's laws to make homosexual activity, a man having sex with another man, a criminal offense resulting in a two year hard labor prison sentence. The combination of the photo from that writing class and Oscar Wilde's imprisonment were the seeds that started the story, six years in the making. For those six years, I studied Wilde, the history of Lesbians, western settlement in the United States, and I opened to what it must have been like to live in fear of being persecuted because of the nature of one's existence, that can no more be changed than the color of grass. As I wrote, I saw myself in the characters who I dialogued with, related with as if we were friends today, and in doing this I learned that external factors may change (the environment, technology, family relating, etc.) but the nature of the human condition and how we manifest remains the same. There will always be stories to tell, to write, to read, to appreciate, because we invest in literature from our humanness, our emotional composition, and we relate to the imagery created with narrative and dialogue that suit our preferences. We are drawn in, over and over and over again, to similar story lines, themes, sequels, because of this human experience--that in sitting down before a book or ebook, we are transcended out of our ordinary lives to magical places that written words create, no matter how similar or repetitive the story, because,after all, we are all living, breathing, stories.
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So winning is simple as leaving a blog comment with your email to the following question: 
If you were friends with Mildred would you help keep her love life a secrete or would you throw her to the wolves of the prejudice communities? 

Get advice on Halloween Rituals you can do by Deborah Blake

Deborah Blake Guest BlogOctober 2012
I love this time of year. Where I live, here in upstate New York, the summer’s heat has given way to autumn’s chill, the leaves are shifting into colorful hues of yellow, orange, and red, and the farmer’s markets are filled with pumpkins ready to be carved.
There is a palpable sense of change in the air, as we move out of the light half of the year and into the dark. And, of course, Halloween is coming. For me, that is the most special part of this time of year, because I’m a Witch.
Don’t worry—I’m a good witch, not a bad witch (smile). As a Pagan, I follow a nature-based religion, worship a god and a goddess, and believe in the power of magic to create positive change in the world. And yes, I cast spells (although never on anyone else) and do rituals. Especially on the night of Halloween, which we call Samhain [pronounced sow-win], after the ancient Celtic holiday it is based on.
Samhain is the Witch’s New Year; both the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. It is a time for letting go of all the things that no longer work for us, and saying goodbye to those we have lost in the last year. It is said that the veil between the worlds is thinnest on this night, and so we pay respect to our ancestors and those who have gone before us. You can see how the “ghosts and things that go bump in the night” aspect of the holiday came about!
It is also a celebration, and as the final of three harvest festivals in the Pagan Wheel of the Year, it is often used as an excuse to gather with like-minded friends and feast on seasonal foods like corn, squash, and apples. You don’t have to be a Witch to bring some of the more relevant Pagan aspects of the holiday into your life, either. Here are a few small, simple rituals you can do, no matter what spiritual path you follow, that will help you to tap into the special energy of this singular night.
Set up an ancestor altar: Take a small table or your mantle top (any place that is safe from children and pets) and spread a pretty cloth on it. The holiday colors are black and orange, but you can also use something with sparkly moons and stars, or a cloth that has particular meaning to you. (For instance, my grandmother was a weaver, so I tend to use something she made.) On the altar, place photos or representations of any deceased family members, friends, or pets. For each one, light a black or white candle (tea lights will do) and set it in or on a fire-safe holder. You can say a prayer, talk to the deceased one, or simply take a moment of silence to remember those you have lost. This doesn’t have to be sad! Focus on the positive aspects they brought to your life, and what you still carry in your heart. Leave the candle burning, if it is safe, or say a quiet goodbye and blow it out.
Celebrate the harvest: Take some time to appreciate the gifts of the season, and all that you have harvested in the year now behind us. You can make a harvest feast for yourself, or invite a few friends over to share it with you. Be sure to use seasonal foods (I’m a big fan of apple pie, in case you were thinking of inviting me) and either go around the table or sit down before hand and talk about the things you are grateful for, and what you anticipate harvesting at a later time.
Tune in to the dark: Samhain is a great time to ask for guidance from your ancestors, the spirits, or the universe (however you want to look at it). You don’t have to be a professional tarot card reader to tap into the openness of the night. If you have a tarot deck or a set of rune stones, you can form a question in your mind and then pull a couple of cards or stones to try and get an answer. Remember, this is more about gut feelings than intellect. You can also meditate on a candle flame, or look into a dark bowl filled with water. Open your mind, and see what comes.
Whether you do a ritual or not, I hope you have a fun and not-too-spooky Halloween!





 Deborah Blake is the author of 6 books on modern Witchcraft from Llewellyn Worldwide, including The Goddess is in the Details, Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook, and the recently released Everyday Witch Book of Rituals  
http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Witch-Book-Rituals-Magickal/dp/0738733431/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331243897&sr=1-1
   She also writes fiction (often featuring witches, of course) including Witch Ever Way You Can, available on Amazon. She can be found at http://deborahblake.blogspot.comor www.deborahblakehps.com

Win a Signed Copy of Russell James Book Dark Inspiration

Doug and Laura thought they bought Galaxy Farm, but the old house is possessing them instead.

Doug and Laura Locke are New Yorkers who need a fresh start, so they move to Galaxy Farm, an old thoroughbred stable in Tennessee. There Doug finds inspiration to write his epic novel and Laura renews her love of teaching. They also rediscover the love that first drew them together.

But the home has many secrets. There’s a graveyard hidden at the property’s edge, and tragic deaths stalked the previous owners. Doug has become entranced by the abandoned taxidermy he discovers in the attic. And Laura falls under the spell of the ghosts of twin girls she meets in the old nursery. Only a local antiques dealer senses the danger. She has gruesome premonitions of horrible events to come. She knows she must convince Laura of the threat before the dark force in the house can execute its plan. But time is short, and something seems to be very wrong with Doug…




MEET RUSSELL  Russell R. James was raised on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Dark Shadows, despite his parents' warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn't make things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida.

After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, he became a technical writer by day and spins twisted tales by night. He has written the paranormal thrillers "Dark Inspiration" and "Sacrifice", and the alternate history "Touch and Go". His work "Black Magic" releases in 2013.

His wife reads what he writes, rolls her eyes, and says "There is something seriously wrong with you."

Visit his website at http://www.russellrjames.com and read some free short stories.


HOW TO WIN A SIGNED COPY!!!Leave a comment with your answer to the following question and a way to get in touch with you if you win!!!
Question:If you could go anywhere to get a "fresh start" on life where would you move to? 

Win ebook of The Unforgiven The Crave by DJ Kile

Southern Belle, Faith Ru'elle is on summer break from college and is working as a tour guide on the Kinder Plantation in Saint Francisville, Louisiana. During the night dreams consume her transporting her back through time to France, 1469 where she lives the part of Damiana Lior the daughter of Vlad Tempes III of Romania, which has been captured and is now a captive of the King of France. There she discovers the wonders that life can behold under the veil of secrecy with the Irish knight sworn to guard her, Hadrian. When awake Faith goes on with life with trials of love with her best friend Mica and a newcomer that has come for more than friendship... her life. Yet there is something about her that stops his primal instincts and makes him fight against all odds, including his creator to find the connection to him that she possesses.




MEET DJ!!!
Favorite Quote: "When a gentle girl can win, Prayer from out the lips of sin, When a child gives up tears. And the barren almond bears, When the silent chapel bell Sounds the ghostly sinners knell. Then shall the house be still and Peace shall come to Canterville" ~Oscar Wilde, The Canterville Ghost
My name is D.J I am an Indie Author of Paranormal Fiction. Right now I am a college student earning my bachelor's degree in Creative Writing, concentrating in Fiction.
I am engaged to the love of my life who is Active Duty Army at this moment. We live in Missouri with our German Shepherd Reich, a Great Dane/ Lab mix named Gambit and three ... yes three cats.
When I'm not doing school work, I'm writing my novels, currently The Unholy Trinity Chronicles. Or taking photo's for Southern Allure Photography I am above all a professional equestrian, I began riding at the age of three and never have lost the love I have for horses.





ENTER TO WIN!!!!
To win leave a comment answering the following question and with a way for me to contact you if you win!
Question: Have you ever had a dream about another time and place in history? Tell us about it. And if not then what time and place would you like to go back to?  


GOOD LUCK!!!

Win Elizabeth Seckman's Book Past Due!

Jenna Austin is a young, widowed artist raising a teenage son on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. As the costs of living in paradise rise, she struggles to make ends meet. Life isn't easy, but she manages.

When her car breaks down, she trudges on. She assumes life can't get any more complicated than it is. But it can...

Chance brings her nose to well-formed chest with Tres Coulter, the handsome, affluent aid to Governor Hunt. Jenna and Tres share a history; they also share a love they thought long lost. Their lives are about to be altered forever as the deceptions of the past transform the very foundation of the present.

The price of happily ever after may be too steep to pay once the past comes due.





 Elizabeth divides her time between her beach cottage and her scrupulously clean house in the hills of West Virginia. Ooops. That's fantasy Elizabeth. The real Elizabeth spends her days schlepping after her four boys (five if you count their father) and the assortment of pets they swore they'd take care of. She does live in West Virginia; the house is clean when the mother-in-law visits; and she does have serious dreams of living at the beach. Elizabeth is a Marshall University graduate with a degree in counseling. This has proven very beneficial when dealing with the make-believe friends she hangs out with all day (she calls this 'writing'). Follow her blog at: http://www.eseckman.blogspot.com 




WIN YOUR OWN PAPERBACK COPY!!!!!
Leave a comment answering the following question and a way to get in touch with you if you win!! That easy!
If you could reconnect with a long lost love would you? Why or why not?

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Fun prizes for those knights at heart.

Queen Morgana will not allow free passage between the realms of the Fae and of humans. Because of this, both realms are dying. The only bridge between the worlds is the place where dreams live in the daylight: Renaissance Faires!
A group of humans stumbles through the portal: a cocky movie make-up man who hits on the wrong woman, a Vietnam vet whose nightmares make living a chore, a private detective on the strangest case of his career, a crippled cop and a burger store manager who loves to go LARPing.
One of them has to show the Queen of the Fae what true love is or they will perish in the greater darkness that is growing day by day. Oh, and in the process, they have to try and figure out who the strange guy in the Viking helmet is and why he is giggling all the time... 












Every Knight needs a dragon trophy to show off to his friends. And this one could be yours. 






Stepping back in time to stories of queens, knights, vikings, dragons and more there is something for all of those whose hearts lie in the time of Renaissance. 


To enter to win either the ebook or dragon statue l eave a comment with your best idea of a knights name. Can be scary, funny, original, romantic, etc. Make sure you leave a way for us to contact you if you win as well!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!