Ariella Moon's Blog, page 10

Writing Young Adult Fiction: A Chance to Do-Over High School

“You can tell what age an author got stuck in by what genre he or she writes.”
I think it was Lin Oliver who, years ago, said the above quote, right after she had introduced an author who had skateboarded up to the podium at a Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators conference. I remember thinking at the time, Uh oh. Then I’m still reliving high school!
The Do-Over AspectAlthough my teen years are but tiny specs in the rearview mirror, I love reading and writing Young Adult fiction. Maybe it is the Do-Over fantasy aspect. YA stories allow readers to recapture the deep emotions they felt in high school. Friendships, betrayals, first love, peer pressure — the highs and lows play out on the page. Adding paranormal elements — dragons, demons, witches, vampires, werewolves, gods and goddesses, amps up the stakes. Those who thought high school was tough, can read a paranormal YA and think, at least the Mean Girls at my school weren’t vampires.

Paranormal YA stories intoxicate with What if? I was well into adulthood before I became a shaman. But what if I could have commanded shamanic skills in high school? Would I have misused my magic? It would have been tempting to use spirit flight to spy on my secret crush. My high moral code might have justified my placing a binding spell on a bully, instead of placing a protection spell on myself. Then who would have had the karmic lesson to work on?
Maybe I am stuck in my teen years. Maybe the Teen Wytche Saga is my Do Over. Luckily, the company is interesting and there is always hope that Love and Good will triumph. How about you? Why do you love reading YA?


Copyright 2018 Ariella Moon
Adapted from"My Fascination With YA Fiction" by Ariella Moon, published on 12/9/13 as a guest post on Fly High Blog.

New Young Adult Mermaid Series by Denver Evans!

Do you love mermaid stories? Shallows by Denver Evans has an intriguing premise. The first book in a new series, you can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited, on purchase it for $0.99 on Amazon.

A luminescent mermaid. A bookish inventor. A terrible truth.
Blurb:
The sea isn't safe. Only the bravest and strongest become sailors. Luminescent mermaids roam the depths and the shallows, mouthing words no one can hear, never surfacing.
Raised all his life in an island fishing village, bookish Emerson Kadwell has always been warned away from the shore. But an infant memory of a song and the lapping of waves continually draw him.
When Emerson finds a mermaid stranded in an isolated part of the shoreline, the truth about his past and hers will change his world forever.
A luminescent mermaid. A bookish inventor. A terrible truth.

Shallows is a clean YA fantasy novel with elements of paranormal and romance. It is the first in a series.

See Shallows on Amazon

About Denver Evans
Denver is a fun-sized person who dislikes talking about herself in third person. (Feels pretentious, ya know?) She lives with her handsome hubby and an army of small gnomes that look suspiciously like the two of them combined. She spends her days desperate to write a good story without too many dumb typos.
She thrives on hearing from her fans. (Like, really!)
Catch her latest writings pre-publication on Wattpad: https://my.w.tt/NodHrS1LLM
Follow her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Denver-Evans...
Even better, join her group of insiders! https://www.facebook.com/groups/56859... Or follow her on Instagram: http://instagram.com/denverevansauthor
Never miss a new release by signing up for her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dt97C5

Palm Springs Book Signing!

Bring Mom to Meet the Authors Join Fantasy, Poetry, and Inspirational AuthorsAriella MoonD. Marie FitzgeraldUlrike
Saturday May 12, 2018(The day before Mother's Day)2-4 PMRistretto@The Five HundredPalm Springs, CA

Book Release!

Spell For Sophia Available Now For Pre-order!Spell For Sophia by Ariella Moon, Book 4, The Teen Wytche Saga has just been re-released for pre-orders on Amazon. Official re-release will be May 22nd. Read it on Kindle Unlimited, or buy the e-book for $2.99.
Order Here


Deceived and kidnapped by her outlaw bio-parents, Sophia Perez-Hidalgo resorts to thievery and arson to escape. Then Fate delivers her into the arms of Shiloh Breaux Martine and his grand-mère, a voodoo priestess living deep in the bayou. Now Sophia’s survival depends on her mastering magic and the supernatural.
Sometimes the worst scars are the ones you cannot see.
Copyright 2018 Ariella Moon

Radio Interview and Book Giveaway!

My first radio interview!This Sunday, 11:15 am
http://travelingwithfrancoise.com http://travelingwithfrancoise.com on the "Traveling With Francoise" show.
Money Radio 1200 AM & the “NEW” 100.9 FMwww.MoneyRadio1200.comOne lucky listener will win an autographed copy of SPELL FIRE, Book 3, The Teen Wytche Saga.

Cover Reveal!

I am so excited for the upcoming re-release of Spell For Sophia!Amanda Matthews of AM designs created the fabulous new cover.

Pre-orders will be available soon.Spell For Sophia, Book 4, The Teen Wytche SagabyAriella Moon
Release Date: May 22, 2018
Deceived and kidnapped by her outlaw bio-parents, Sophia Perez-Hidalgo resorts to thievery and arson to escape. Then Fate delivers her into the arms of Shiloh Breaux Martine and his grand-mère, a voodoo priestess living deep in the bayou. Now Sophia’s survival depends on her mastering magic and the supernatural.
Sometimes the worst scars are the ones you cannot see.

April's Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations to Donna Rickey and Andrea McParland!You have each won an ebook copy of THE BELTANE ESCAPE!
Please watch your inbox for an email from me.



Happy reading!
Ariella Moon

Happy Beltane!

Today conjures fond memories of Beltanes past when I danced the Maypole with friends.

Beltane is a Celtic fire and fertility festival, and is the last of the three spring fertility festivals, following Imbolc and Ostara. It marks the halfway point between the vernal (spring) equinox and the summer solstice. In ancient times, Beltane celebrated life, the end of the dark time of winter, the beginning of summer, and the virility of the Sun God, known during the festival as the May King or Green Man.
On May Eve, Druids lit the Bel fires (bright fires, balefires) for luck and protection. Witches jumped the flames to fortify the protection spells. Cattle were driven between the balefires to safeguard the herd.
I recreated a medieval Beltane festival in THE BELTANE ESCAPE, Book 1, The Two Realms Trilogy. Here's a small glimpse:

Near the top of the hill, two piles of wood were silhouetted against the sky. Cloaked figures, murmuring among themselves, lurked near the shadowy stacks. Druids.             Shouts and nervous laughter rang up and down the hill. Cattle on the moor protested loudly as they were nudged towards the lake.
Beltane forms the "ticking clock" in THE BELTANE ESCAPE. Fenella, Thaness of Thorburn, branded, stolen, betrothed, and lured back centuries in time into Fairy, bears the key to everyone’s fate. She has nine days to cross a dangerous world of magic, unshackle herself from a sorceress, and return through time before her kidnapper destroys all she holds dear.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1OQMyp3Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/2zNAZP4iTunes: http://apple.co/2hiI8Qn
Happy Beltane and happy reading!

Elayne Lockhart on Sea Witchery

Hereditary witch Elayne Lockhart writes about one of her fondest past life memories in today's guest post, "Sea Witchery." Although there are dissimilarities between sea witches and the Lady of the Lake and water mages in my Two Realms novella, The Amber Elixir, Lockhart perfectly captures the essence of female water magicians when she says, "The sea witch works with the chaotic forces of nature and often walks the path alone." Viviane, the young Lady of the Lake, would heartily agree.


Sea WitcheryWhen I think of the Sea Witch, I see her standing upon the cliffs, arms upraised, as she harnesses the power form the waves crashing against the rocks below. Sometimes I see her walking barefoot along the beach, whispering words of magic while the light of a full moon casts a soft glow around her.She makes use of the things cast up by the sea; shells, hag stones, glass fishing floats, hooks, rope sea glass, fishing net, driftwood, seaweed, bird feathers, as well as using sand and sea water. Her magic is tied tot he tides, the moon, fog, storms and the bright sun. She controls the winds.Her most powerful spells would be performed during the high tides, while banishing spells would be worked when the tides were ebbing or low.Weather magic is the domain of the Sea Witch. She could tie up the wind in a rope or handkerchief. Sometimes she would give or sell these to sailors. Sometimes, sailors would bring her a length of rope and ask for favorable winds and a safe journey. She would take the rope and depending on the ships destination, would tie 3 knots into the rope, harnessing the appropriate winds for the journey. When the sea was calm and no wind furled the ship's sails, the sailor could untie one of the knots to release the wind that the Sea Witch had captured there.
She could raise the fog for concealment or to cause ships to wreck upon the rocks. The power of a storm could be channeled into a glass fishing float and later smashed to release the porwer for use in her magic.If you were to visit her home, you might find wind chimes made from seashells, or strung to make door curtains. Seashells are protective as they once protected the creatures that lived with in them. A hag stone (a stone with a natural hole) may hang from the rafters or from around her neck, another protective amulet.On her altar, she might have a starfish or sand dollar (pentacle), a piece of driftwood for a wand, shells to hold sand, salt and sea. She may have a glass fishing float to use for scrying and another hag stone for seeing spirits.A fisherman's net may be draped in one corner or she may wear a shawl in a fishnet pattern. Nets were used to 'tangle' up the energy of another or used to 'capture' a goal.The Sea Witch works with the chaotic forces of nature and often walks the path alone. Not many choose the path of the Sea Witch today, but you can use some of the ideas in this post to bring a little Sea Witchery into you life.Copywrite 2015 by Elayne Lockhart
About Elayne Lockhart


Elayne Lockhart was raised in a family of healers, herbalist, psychics, card readers and magic workers. She brings these gifs and talents into everything she does. Elayne’s family has walked the path of the Witch for 140 years. 

Connect with Elayne Lockhart
web: https://www.anenchantedlife.org
FB https://www.facebook.com/AnEnchantedLifeCoaching/




In the Amber Elixir, an Arthurian tale of magic, fairies, shape-shifters, and the quest to win back a forbidden love, readers will meet the Lady of the Lake and Merlin as they have never seen them before, young, impulsive, competitive, and jealous.;
Kindle: http://amzn.to/2zPCi0UNook: http://bit.ly/2xR0orbKobo: http://bit.ly/2wvo5Ui

Edit For Success Boot Camp

My second author boot camp this year under the auspices of the Palm Springs Writers Guild.
I love working with aspiring and experienced writers! Smaller workshop size allows for lots of one-on-one help with each author's specific writing issues. I may be offering writing workshops during the summer. We'll see how many authors will be staying in the Coachella Valley during the dreaded heat!

Thank you, PSWG!

~Ariella