Ariella Moon's Blog, page 28
October 15, 2014
From Goddess to Hag: The Demonization of the Crone
A primary symbol of Halloween is the bulb-nosed, black-clad, eat-your-children-for-breakfast old witch. You’ll recognize her by her pointy hat, broom (besom), cauldron, and black cat. She’s depicted as one of two extremes: a belittling crone caricature or a fierce embodiment of dark magic. Neither image reflects her true origins.Many cultures throughout the world once revered the triple Goddess. She manifested in three aspects: Maiden, Mother, and Crone. These archetypes matched the phases of the moon, the cycles of a woman’s life, and the Earth’s annual seasons. Halloween and its Celtic precursor Samhain (SOW-en) follow the abundant harvest period of the Mother and mark the fallow season of the Crone.
Before the Christian Church redefined and demonized the Divine Feminine and Her followers, the Crone, a word derived from “crown,” symbolized tribal leadership and/or a priestess in the old religion. The word “hag” derived from the Greek hagia, meant holy woman. The Crone was a Wisdom Keeper, tribal elder, medicine woman, Grandmother, and sage. She is the waning moon and the Gateway to Death. Her cauldron is the vessel of rebirth. Her broom (besom) sweeps away the negative past. Her black cape symbolizes the darkness of long winter nights, death, and the Otherworld. Although a pointy hat has replaced her crown, the hat symbolizes the cone of power witches raise when they perform magic.
The Crone in the Teen Wytche SagaIn Spell For Sophia (November 2014, Astraea Press), Book #4, The Teen Wytche Saga by Ariella Moon, a teen runaway finds temporary sanctuary with an aged voodoo priestess. Sophia’s survival depends upon her mastering magic and the supernatural before her lawless parents and their vengeful boss catch up to her.
Sometimes the worst scars are the ones you cannot see.
October 8, 2014
The Evolution of Trick or Treating
From Samhain to Halloween Centuries before modern-day Halloween and its army of costumed trick-or-treaters, Celtic people in Ireland, northern France, Scotland, and Wales celebrated Samhain. The tradition of trick-or-treating evolved from this pre-Christian festival.
The Celts
Samhain (SOW-in, SAH-win, or SAH-ween) marked the end of summer. The veil between realms was thinnest, and the souls of those who had died during the past year traveled into the otherworld. But the portal worked both ways. nacestors and other spirits from the otherworld and fairies from fairy mounds could cross into the human world.
Photo: Ariella Moon. Stone carving,Barclodiad y Gawres, Wales
The Celts disguised themselves in animal skin costumes to a drive back the spirits. They left food offerings to appease the ghosts and fay. Bonfires were lit to deflect unwanted spirits and to light the way for departing souls.
Mummers
Mummers. Photo found on PinterestIn 601 A.D. Pope Gregory the First issued an edict directing missionaries to no longer directly try to obliterate native beliefs and customs. Instead, his followers were instructed to overlay Christian beliefs. Wells sacred to the goddess Brigid became wells dedicated to Saint Bridget. The festival to the goddess Oestra became Easter. Jesus’s birthday was switched to coincide with the winter solstice. The list goes on. In the 9th century A.D. the church tried to subsume Samhain with All Saints Day/All Hallows. All Hallow’s Eve incorporated the belief in high supernatural activity. But the church claimed the Celtic otherworld was the Christian Hell, and demonized spirits, witches, and fairies as well as the Celtic priests, the druids. Mummers, people disguised as the demonized folk, would perform antics and threaten more mischief (tricks). Villagers would appease them with food (treats). All Hallow’s Eve became Halloween.
Souling
In 1000 A.D. the Catholic Church designated November 2nd (Samhain) as All Soul’s Day. In England, the poor would visit the wealthy and promise to pray for the wealthy people’s deceased kin in exchange for soul cakes. Later, children would take up the task of souling for treats or coins.
Samhain traditions have survived for over 2,000 years. For an inside look at how one American coven celebrates Samhain, click here.Copyright 2014 Ariella Moon
In Spell Check by Ariella Moon, high school freshman Evie O’Reilly must prevent her best friend from casting a binding love spell on Evie’s secret crush, Jordan. Soon it will be Halloween, the anniversary of Evie’s father’s death. It’s also when the moon will be optimum for spell casting. Can Evie push past her grief in time to save Jordan? To read an excerpt or purchase any book in the Teen Wytche Saga, click below.http://www.amazon.com/Ariella-Moon http://www.smashwords.comhttp://store.kobobooks.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com
October 5, 2014
Moon Magic for Global Peace
Aries Blood Moon and Total Lunar EclipseThe lunar eclipse begins on October 8, 2014 at 6:25AM, Eastern Daylight Time. The Full Moon will occur the same day at 6:55AM EDT.
Wednesday’s Blood Moon will be nearly the size of a super moon, appearing 5.3% larger than last April’s Blood Moon. The total lunar eclipse, lasting about an hour, will be visible over Australia, the Pacific, and the Americas.
The eclipse marks the completion of a cycle and a particularly good year for those born on October 8 or April 8. Additionally, according to Pam Ciampi, co-author of Llewellyn’s 2014 Daily Planetary Guide, this eclipse “can be a major positive influence on national or global power struggles.” Let’s hope so!
Moon MagicUse a burnt red-orange or white cloth on your personal altar. Add a dark red candle to represent the fire sign Aries and the sun’s rays slipping around the periphery of the Earth and reddening the moon. Add a white candle to represent peace and the moon in its normal state. Consider performing personal magic for completion and global magic for peace.
String Magic For personal magic you will need a length of red yarn or string that is long enough to fit around your wrist (or ankle) after knotting. Or you may make it 9 inches to harness the power of three times three, wrap it around your wrist or ankle, or leave it on your altar.
1. Perform this spell the night before the Blood Moon or during the full moon before it becomes void of course (10:20 AM, EDT).
2. Before you begin the working, thread a bead or in some other way mark the point where you will begin the spell. Then knot each end of the yarn to keep it from unraveling. For global magic, use a white or pale blue yarn.
3. What project or cycle do you wish to complete? Light the red candle. List three things you can do to wrap up the process. Place the list on your altar and read it out loud. Holding the red yarn or string, envision completing the tasks or actions with ease and grace. As you say the spell below, tie the first knot near the bead, then the second wherever the placement feels right, then the third near the end away from the bead:
A knot of one, the work has begun.A knot of two, I see it through.A knot of three, so mote it be.
4. Over the next three days untie the knots in the order your tied them. Day One: begin the work; untie the first knot.Day Two: see it through; untie the second knot.Day Three: release the third knot as you complete your goal.
For Global Peace and/or Wellness
1. If possible, perform this spell on Tuesday before the Blood Moon. Tuesdays are the best day for magic involving men, conflict, and politics.
2. Use a nine-inch white or pale blue yarn. Thread a bead to mark the point where you will start, and then knot each end of the cord. Decide on your intent — conclude one particular conflict or more? Stop Ebola? Choose how long you wish to power the magic. Three weeks? Three months?
3. Light the white candle. Hold the cord as you envision a global conflict or health pandemic ending. Envision the crisis as it is now, and then imagine the steps that must be taken (peace treaty brokered, creation and dispersal of a vaccine, etc.) to achieve a positive outcome. Then envision peace or wellness. Once knotted, do not wear the string. Leave it on your altar.
A knot of one, the work has begun.A knot of two, I see it through.A knot of three, so mote it be.
4. The day after you perform the spell, untie the first knot. If you chose a three-week spell, then untie the second knot on the second week, the third knot on the third week. For a three-month spell, untie the first knot on the day after you cast the spell. Release the second knot at the November full moon and the third knot at the December full moon.© 2014 by Ariella Moonhttp://www.AriellaMoon.com
Related article on the Blood Moon CNN Coming November 2014: Spell For Sophia by Ariella Moon, Book #4, The Teen Wytche Saga
Wednesday’s Blood Moon will be nearly the size of a super moon, appearing 5.3% larger than last April’s Blood Moon. The total lunar eclipse, lasting about an hour, will be visible over Australia, the Pacific, and the Americas.
The eclipse marks the completion of a cycle and a particularly good year for those born on October 8 or April 8. Additionally, according to Pam Ciampi, co-author of Llewellyn’s 2014 Daily Planetary Guide, this eclipse “can be a major positive influence on national or global power struggles.” Let’s hope so!
Moon MagicUse a burnt red-orange or white cloth on your personal altar. Add a dark red candle to represent the fire sign Aries and the sun’s rays slipping around the periphery of the Earth and reddening the moon. Add a white candle to represent peace and the moon in its normal state. Consider performing personal magic for completion and global magic for peace.
String Magic For personal magic you will need a length of red yarn or string that is long enough to fit around your wrist (or ankle) after knotting. Or you may make it 9 inches to harness the power of three times three, wrap it around your wrist or ankle, or leave it on your altar.
1. Perform this spell the night before the Blood Moon or during the full moon before it becomes void of course (10:20 AM, EDT).
2. Before you begin the working, thread a bead or in some other way mark the point where you will begin the spell. Then knot each end of the yarn to keep it from unraveling. For global magic, use a white or pale blue yarn.
3. What project or cycle do you wish to complete? Light the red candle. List three things you can do to wrap up the process. Place the list on your altar and read it out loud. Holding the red yarn or string, envision completing the tasks or actions with ease and grace. As you say the spell below, tie the first knot near the bead, then the second wherever the placement feels right, then the third near the end away from the bead:
A knot of one, the work has begun.A knot of two, I see it through.A knot of three, so mote it be.
4. Over the next three days untie the knots in the order your tied them. Day One: begin the work; untie the first knot.Day Two: see it through; untie the second knot.Day Three: release the third knot as you complete your goal.
For Global Peace and/or Wellness
1. If possible, perform this spell on Tuesday before the Blood Moon. Tuesdays are the best day for magic involving men, conflict, and politics.
2. Use a nine-inch white or pale blue yarn. Thread a bead to mark the point where you will start, and then knot each end of the cord. Decide on your intent — conclude one particular conflict or more? Stop Ebola? Choose how long you wish to power the magic. Three weeks? Three months?
3. Light the white candle. Hold the cord as you envision a global conflict or health pandemic ending. Envision the crisis as it is now, and then imagine the steps that must be taken (peace treaty brokered, creation and dispersal of a vaccine, etc.) to achieve a positive outcome. Then envision peace or wellness. Once knotted, do not wear the string. Leave it on your altar.
A knot of one, the work has begun.A knot of two, I see it through.A knot of three, so mote it be.
4. The day after you perform the spell, untie the first knot. If you chose a three-week spell, then untie the second knot on the second week, the third knot on the third week. For a three-month spell, untie the first knot on the day after you cast the spell. Release the second knot at the November full moon and the third knot at the December full moon.© 2014 by Ariella Moonhttp://www.AriellaMoon.com
Related article on the Blood Moon CNN Coming November 2014: Spell For Sophia by Ariella Moon, Book #4, The Teen Wytche Saga
September 24, 2014
3 Most Haunted Cities In the USA
The Three Most Haunted Cities in the USA:New Orleans, San Francisco, and San Antonio
Photo by Ariella Moon
Haunted cities aren’t the best place for a shaman. Horrific people and tragic events leave ominous or heartbreaking energy imprints on buildings, battlefields, prisons, and long-gone field hospitals. Luisah Teish, author of Jambalya: The Natural Woman’s Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals (Harper One 1985), identifies New Orleans and San Francisco as “psychic seaports.” In regard to New Orleans, Teish explains:
“Visitors to the city become `tipsy’ after being there only a short time. `Tipsy’ is the name given to that state of mind that precedes possession.”
I believe tourists drink heavily in New Orleans to dull the waves of psychic energy. Personally, I avoid the French Quarter even though I love its architecture. But research for my fourth novel in the Teen Wytche Saga, Spell For Sophia (November 2014, Astraea Press), compelled me to visit the Big Easy. Two months later, I landed in San Antonio for the Romance Writers of America national conference. San Francisco? After decades of living near “the city” I no longer feel its psychic pulse. But what should you do if you if you visit a haunted city?
The Alamo, as drawn in 1854
Source: en.wikipedia.org
3 Tips for Avoiding A Psychic Assault
1. Research. Highly haunted cities have violent or catastrophic pasts and a high concentration of fatalities within a narrow vicinity. New Orleans has experienced multiple battles, slavery, plagues, and floods. It has also housed some notoriously macabre personalities. In San Antonio, roughly 800 people died during the 13-day siege at the Alamo. San Francisco lost an estimated 3,000 people during the 1906 earthquake and the fires that followed. Research will warn you which buildings and areas to avoid.
1906 San Francisco Earthquake
Looking toward the fire on Sacramento Street
Photo by Arnold Genthe
Source:en.wikimedia.org
2. Shield. Do not walk around with an Open-to-be-Haunted attitude. Nasty entities and energies will react as though issued an invitation to harass, frighten, and invade you. Instead, envision yourself completely covered by a silver psychic HAZMAT suit. Then mentally pull in the suit until it becomes a second-skin superhero suit. Visualize it deflecting unwanted energies and entities.
3. Fight Magic With Magic. Wear an amulet, a magically charged protective item. In Spell For Sophia, Breaux, the grandson of a voodoo priestess, gives Sophia a silver dime on a red string to ward off evil. Some people wear a cross. Others carry jet, a stone that protects against evil spirits. An amulet could be a symbol of your ancestors or your totem animal. I wear amethyst, a healing stone that also wards off danger.
New Orleans, San Francisco, and San Antonio are beautiful cities, well worth visiting. Just be informed, shield, and wear or carry an amulet so you can have a magical time minus the evil entities.~Ariella MoonCopyright 2014 Ariella Moon
http://www.AriellaMoon.com
Photo by Ariella MoonHaunted cities aren’t the best place for a shaman. Horrific people and tragic events leave ominous or heartbreaking energy imprints on buildings, battlefields, prisons, and long-gone field hospitals. Luisah Teish, author of Jambalya: The Natural Woman’s Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals (Harper One 1985), identifies New Orleans and San Francisco as “psychic seaports.” In regard to New Orleans, Teish explains:
“Visitors to the city become `tipsy’ after being there only a short time. `Tipsy’ is the name given to that state of mind that precedes possession.”
I believe tourists drink heavily in New Orleans to dull the waves of psychic energy. Personally, I avoid the French Quarter even though I love its architecture. But research for my fourth novel in the Teen Wytche Saga, Spell For Sophia (November 2014, Astraea Press), compelled me to visit the Big Easy. Two months later, I landed in San Antonio for the Romance Writers of America national conference. San Francisco? After decades of living near “the city” I no longer feel its psychic pulse. But what should you do if you if you visit a haunted city?
The Alamo, as drawn in 1854Source: en.wikipedia.org
3 Tips for Avoiding A Psychic Assault
1. Research. Highly haunted cities have violent or catastrophic pasts and a high concentration of fatalities within a narrow vicinity. New Orleans has experienced multiple battles, slavery, plagues, and floods. It has also housed some notoriously macabre personalities. In San Antonio, roughly 800 people died during the 13-day siege at the Alamo. San Francisco lost an estimated 3,000 people during the 1906 earthquake and the fires that followed. Research will warn you which buildings and areas to avoid.
1906 San Francisco EarthquakeLooking toward the fire on Sacramento Street
Photo by Arnold Genthe
Source:en.wikimedia.org
2. Shield. Do not walk around with an Open-to-be-Haunted attitude. Nasty entities and energies will react as though issued an invitation to harass, frighten, and invade you. Instead, envision yourself completely covered by a silver psychic HAZMAT suit. Then mentally pull in the suit until it becomes a second-skin superhero suit. Visualize it deflecting unwanted energies and entities.
3. Fight Magic With Magic. Wear an amulet, a magically charged protective item. In Spell For Sophia, Breaux, the grandson of a voodoo priestess, gives Sophia a silver dime on a red string to ward off evil. Some people wear a cross. Others carry jet, a stone that protects against evil spirits. An amulet could be a symbol of your ancestors or your totem animal. I wear amethyst, a healing stone that also wards off danger.
New Orleans, San Francisco, and San Antonio are beautiful cities, well worth visiting. Just be informed, shield, and wear or carry an amulet so you can have a magical time minus the evil entities.~Ariella MoonCopyright 2014 Ariella Moon
http://www.AriellaMoon.com
September 22, 2014
Take a Shamanic Journey During the Autumnal Equinox
Shamanism and the Autumn EquinoxMonday, September 227:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time
[[File:Tokoroa (May 2012).jpg|thumb|Autumn in the New Zealand town of Tokoroa.]]
The Autumnal Equinox, known among pagans as Mabon, marks the final harvest festival on the Wheel of the Year. In traditional cultures, communities would gather to ritually thank their ancestors and/or regional spirits or deities for abundance. Shamans often led the rituals. In some cultures, the shaman would open herself or himself to receive messages for the community from the ancestors or gods. Often the message warned the community to take collective action to ensure its survival through the winter or abundance in next year’s harvests. End strife. Pray for rain.
In the northern hemisphere, days shorten. Nights lengthen. Our physical world grows increasingly dark. During Autumnal Equinox light and dark are in balance. Enter stillness and envision what a balanced life would look like to you. Identify your inner darkness. Recognize your inner light. Begin your shamanic journey inward.
As you journey, shake a rattle or drum to call forth your inner darkness. Leverage the energetic force of the equinox to befriend or banish your inner darkness. If it no longer serves your highest good, then why retain it?
Know that you are strong enough to shed your demons. Believe that the coming dark of winter is a time of reflection and gathering strength. Your shamanic journey can be made in small bursts of courage and repeated as often as needed. After all, it is a journey. You’ll know when to quiet your drum or rattle and sit unafraid in the silence.
~Ariella Moon
© 2014 by Ariella Moon
Coming in October: Witchy WednesdaysComing in November: Spell For Sophia, Book #4, The Teen Wytche Saga by Ariella Moon
.jpg)
[[File:Tokoroa (May 2012).jpg|thumb|Autumn in the New Zealand town of Tokoroa.]]The Autumnal Equinox, known among pagans as Mabon, marks the final harvest festival on the Wheel of the Year. In traditional cultures, communities would gather to ritually thank their ancestors and/or regional spirits or deities for abundance. Shamans often led the rituals. In some cultures, the shaman would open herself or himself to receive messages for the community from the ancestors or gods. Often the message warned the community to take collective action to ensure its survival through the winter or abundance in next year’s harvests. End strife. Pray for rain.
In the northern hemisphere, days shorten. Nights lengthen. Our physical world grows increasingly dark. During Autumnal Equinox light and dark are in balance. Enter stillness and envision what a balanced life would look like to you. Identify your inner darkness. Recognize your inner light. Begin your shamanic journey inward.
As you journey, shake a rattle or drum to call forth your inner darkness. Leverage the energetic force of the equinox to befriend or banish your inner darkness. If it no longer serves your highest good, then why retain it?
Know that you are strong enough to shed your demons. Believe that the coming dark of winter is a time of reflection and gathering strength. Your shamanic journey can be made in small bursts of courage and repeated as often as needed. After all, it is a journey. You’ll know when to quiet your drum or rattle and sit unafraid in the silence.
~Ariella Moon
© 2014 by Ariella Moon
Coming in October: Witchy WednesdaysComing in November: Spell For Sophia, Book #4, The Teen Wytche Saga by Ariella Moon
September 15, 2014
Food and Fragrance Blog Hop Tour
Food and Fragrance Blog Hop
I’d like to thank author Jennifer Comeaux, author of Crossing the Ice, for inviting me to join the Food and Fragrance Blog Tour.
Food! I made myself hungry with all the brownies and pizzas in Spell Check, Book #1 in the Teen Wytche Saga. By the time I wrote the third book in the series, Spell Fire, I had switched to healthier fare — turkey sandwiches and organic apples. Expect sugar and spice in my upcoming fourth novel, Spell For Sophia, a Young Adult fantasy romance (Astraea Press, November 2014).
Fragrance! As you’ll see below, an angry spell book can be pretty noisome!
If my character were a glass of wine... Sophia, is a foster teen that makes the mistake of looking-up her lawless bio-parents. Wine? My beta reader suggested Malbec because Sophia is fiery, complex, and Latina.
Feta Avocado Chicken Salad
RecipeWhat sort of meal is my book?Spell For Sophia is a paranormal romance with an awesome New Orleans time travel twist. Sophia is fond of gumbo and beignets. But her BFF Ainslie loves California Cuisine. Spell For Sophia is both — a mashup of flavors and cultures — fresh, organic, varied, and satisfying.
Snack?The enduring power of friendship is an underlying theme in three of the books in the Teen Wytche Saga, including Spell For Sophia. When long-separated friends Sophia and Ainslie think of each other, they think of sleepovers and munching popcorn popped in Ainslie’s home theater popcorn machine.
Your character's choice of candy?Candy is in short supply when Sophia takes refuge with a voodoo priestess who has withdrawn deep in the bayou. The hero, Breaux, is the kind of guy who’d give Sophia Dove Dark Chocolate with Almonds. He’d want her to feel special, eat candy that has some nutritional value, and heed the advice printed on the inside of the purple foil wrapper.
What sort of fragrance would be associated with your book?Alas, swamp water and brimstone! In the Teen Wytche Saga, an ever-expanding group of teens protect a grimoire that keeps morphing in appearance and magic. In Spell For Sophia the spell book has gone dark and voodoo. If you dare open it, the grimoire will emit a foul mist.
What is your most memorable meal?Thanksgivings were always insane. My mother has been known to tell everyone to bring dessert. It took my siblings and me a few years to catch on and to offer to bring healthy side dishes. Otherwise, Thanksgiving was turkey, mashed potatoes, and a lot of pies. No wonder I have a sugar addiction! How would you describe your writing?Deceptive. New readers to the Teen Wytche Saga might expect the books to be frothy because they are sweet romances. They'll discover the serious, often life-altering issues my characters face — parental death, sibling rivalry, mental illness, child abduction, poverty, and more.
Preferred salty snack? Almonds or popcorn!
Find out more about the Teen Wytche Saga here.
Next up on the blog tour will be Krysten Lindsay Hager, who will tell us about her latest release, True Colors, and Teresa Howard, author of the new historical romance, For Love Alone.
I’d like to thank author Jennifer Comeaux, author of Crossing the Ice, for inviting me to join the Food and Fragrance Blog Tour.
Food! I made myself hungry with all the brownies and pizzas in Spell Check, Book #1 in the Teen Wytche Saga. By the time I wrote the third book in the series, Spell Fire, I had switched to healthier fare — turkey sandwiches and organic apples. Expect sugar and spice in my upcoming fourth novel, Spell For Sophia, a Young Adult fantasy romance (Astraea Press, November 2014).
Fragrance! As you’ll see below, an angry spell book can be pretty noisome!
If my character were a glass of wine... Sophia, is a foster teen that makes the mistake of looking-up her lawless bio-parents. Wine? My beta reader suggested Malbec because Sophia is fiery, complex, and Latina.
Feta Avocado Chicken SaladRecipeWhat sort of meal is my book?Spell For Sophia is a paranormal romance with an awesome New Orleans time travel twist. Sophia is fond of gumbo and beignets. But her BFF Ainslie loves California Cuisine. Spell For Sophia is both — a mashup of flavors and cultures — fresh, organic, varied, and satisfying.
Snack?The enduring power of friendship is an underlying theme in three of the books in the Teen Wytche Saga, including Spell For Sophia. When long-separated friends Sophia and Ainslie think of each other, they think of sleepovers and munching popcorn popped in Ainslie’s home theater popcorn machine.
Your character's choice of candy?Candy is in short supply when Sophia takes refuge with a voodoo priestess who has withdrawn deep in the bayou. The hero, Breaux, is the kind of guy who’d give Sophia Dove Dark Chocolate with Almonds. He’d want her to feel special, eat candy that has some nutritional value, and heed the advice printed on the inside of the purple foil wrapper.
What sort of fragrance would be associated with your book?Alas, swamp water and brimstone! In the Teen Wytche Saga, an ever-expanding group of teens protect a grimoire that keeps morphing in appearance and magic. In Spell For Sophia the spell book has gone dark and voodoo. If you dare open it, the grimoire will emit a foul mist.
What is your most memorable meal?Thanksgivings were always insane. My mother has been known to tell everyone to bring dessert. It took my siblings and me a few years to catch on and to offer to bring healthy side dishes. Otherwise, Thanksgiving was turkey, mashed potatoes, and a lot of pies. No wonder I have a sugar addiction! How would you describe your writing?Deceptive. New readers to the Teen Wytche Saga might expect the books to be frothy because they are sweet romances. They'll discover the serious, often life-altering issues my characters face — parental death, sibling rivalry, mental illness, child abduction, poverty, and more.
Preferred salty snack? Almonds or popcorn!
Find out more about the Teen Wytche Saga here.
Next up on the blog tour will be Krysten Lindsay Hager, who will tell us about her latest release, True Colors, and Teresa Howard, author of the new historical romance, For Love Alone.
September 12, 2014
Shea McIntosh Ford on The Stone of Kings
I love a good faerie tale, don't you?
I'm pleased to turn the blog over to Shea McIntosh Ford, author of
The Stone of Kings
Thanks so much, Ariella, for hosting me today! I’m thrilled to introduce The Stone of Kings to everyone! I’m one of those quirky folks who actually like to write research papers. After I finished college, I would get cravings to be assigned a research project. TSOK is a blending of my love of research and history with my love of fiction. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much I did writing it.
Just open the book…
Blurb: Twelve year old Ardan is hopelessly distracted because he wants to meet a real faerie. But when he gets his hands on a mysterious red book loaded with faerie spells and accidentally sends himself three hundred years into Ireland’s future, he soon learns that there are more important things on which to focus his attention. Throw in some immortal druids, fun storytelling, a touch of forbidden romance, along with the music and antics of the legendary Irish harper, Turlough O’Carolan, and you’ll become swept up in a very real Irish mythological adventure.
Excerpt 1:Abandoning his work as he was so prone to do when he got excited about something, Ardan led Thomas into the library, but not before doing the forbidden—he opened its closed door.
Once inside the room, both of them forgot about looking for a story book. On Bresal’s hand‑carved writing desk was his curious little red book. The old scholar must have been distracted by the sight of his musician friend nearing the cottage from the library window and neglected to hide the book as usual. Its pages lay open, and unmistakable magic hovered over the leaves. They heard light random notes, like the sound of the tiniest of wind chimes played by a faint breeze. As they gaped, they noticed each tinkling sound corresponded with a tiny point of light which would burst and disappear above the book.
Thomas breathed out a gasp of surprise. “Who is this Bresal fellow anyway?”
Ardan could not answer. He began to wonder the same thing. His pulse quickened as he neared the book.
“What are you doing?” Thomas dropped his voice to a whisper as he grabbed onto the boy’s shoulder. The color in his face had drained away.
“I merely want to read it,” Ardan said. He shrugged away Thomas’s hand.
“I do not think we should go near it.”
But Ardan continued nearing. Despite his own warnings, Thomas followed closely behind. Ardan picked up the book and began to turn the pages. He expected to hear more sounds and see the lights dance quicker, but instead, these features decreased until the pages settled again.
“What does it say?” whispered Thomas.
“Some is in Irish and some English.” Ardan’s gaze, as expected, went for the Irish text. He read aloud, “Solas agus airy biedh tú, Leabhar na mianach mo lámha chun saor in aisle.”
Right away, the tinkling noise intensified as did the lights. But what shocked Ardan was the book lifted from his fingers and hovered in front of him.
“Saints be blessed,” said Thomas and he let out a burst of high‑pitched laughter.
They both stared in awe a moment until Ardan saw Bresal and Turlough advancing toward the house from their walk in the garden. “No,” he gasped. His heart hammered at the trouble he would be in if Bresal found them out.
“Does it say how to reverse it?” asked Thomas, his voice raised in pitch.
Ardan’s gaze scanned the pages, desperate to avoid punishment, but none of the lines written in Irish appeared to fit the need. When Ardan reached for the book to try another page, it shied away from him. Frantic, he read aloud one of the English lines without comprehending the meaning.
“A need I have to mend a mistake, a new time please, for lives are at stake.”
Nothing happened.
“This sounds like the right one,” said Thomas. “Perhaps you should say it in Irish.”
Ardan could not find the Irish counterpart and so struggled a moment with the translation then said, “Is mór agam a cheartú botún, le do thoil A am nua a shaoradh ó na terror.”
The book filled the room with such a bright light, Ardan could see nothing else.
Excerpt 2:“I think the young boy has a gun.”
Hannah heard Stephen’s voice cry out to the guards as she neared her car. While she smashed the button on her keyless entry over and over, she wheeled Thomas’s chair around the oak tree and flung open the passenger side door. Thomas pulled himself in the car remarkably fast for someone with a wounded foot, and Ardan clambered in on his lap. Hannah heard Thomas cry out in apparent pain as she closed the door and guessed Ardan must have stepped on Thomas’s injured foot.
She ran around to the other side and glanced up to see the guards were feet from her car. They would be able to stop her from shutting her door. But she got in anyway, and was surprised she still had time to turn on the engine. The guards should at least be at her window by now. But when she took a quick look up, they were not there at all. She put the car in reverse and ignored Ardan who cried out, “We are going backward,” in Irish. She saw guards on the ground under the oak tree. One grasped an ankle, the other clutched a knee. She also noticed, just before peeling away, the roots of the oak tree had come up high out of the ground, and she was certain the tree’s roots had been under the ground the last time she saw it. The boys apparently noticed it too. They gaped as she sped away.
“Bless my soul,” Thomas breathed. “’Twas as if the tree was helping us.”
Hannah let out a burst of nervous laughter. She was jittery because of the excess adrenaline coursing through her body, and she was incredulous at the scene her eyes had just shown her. Her throat became tight and caused her next words to come out like a squeak. “It isn’t possible.”
“But ‘tis possible. Ardan and I were born over three hundred years ago,” Thomas stated.
Buy Links: http://www.amazon.com/Stone-Kings
http://www.barnesandnoble.com
http://www.smashwords.com
Author Bio:Shea McIntosh Ford is also the author of Harp Lessons and lives in Florida with her loving husband of eleven years and two boys, ages four and six. Growing up, she lived under the delusion that prejudice and bigotry were no longer being taught to children. Oh, how much she has learned. After feeling powerless as a first year teacher when one student adamantly said that Americans should send ALL Mexican’s back to Mexico, Shea has found her voice through her writing. While she knows that bigotry probably won’t be eradicated altogether, at least she’s doing her part to help decrease it.
Social Media Links:Blog: http://sheaford.wordpress.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheaMcIntoshFordTwitter: @SheaFord1Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shea-McIntosh-Ford
I'm pleased to turn the blog over to Shea McIntosh Ford, author of
The Stone of Kings
Thanks so much, Ariella, for hosting me today! I’m thrilled to introduce The Stone of Kings to everyone! I’m one of those quirky folks who actually like to write research papers. After I finished college, I would get cravings to be assigned a research project. TSOK is a blending of my love of research and history with my love of fiction. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much I did writing it.
Just open the book…
Blurb: Twelve year old Ardan is hopelessly distracted because he wants to meet a real faerie. But when he gets his hands on a mysterious red book loaded with faerie spells and accidentally sends himself three hundred years into Ireland’s future, he soon learns that there are more important things on which to focus his attention. Throw in some immortal druids, fun storytelling, a touch of forbidden romance, along with the music and antics of the legendary Irish harper, Turlough O’Carolan, and you’ll become swept up in a very real Irish mythological adventure.
Excerpt 1:Abandoning his work as he was so prone to do when he got excited about something, Ardan led Thomas into the library, but not before doing the forbidden—he opened its closed door.
Once inside the room, both of them forgot about looking for a story book. On Bresal’s hand‑carved writing desk was his curious little red book. The old scholar must have been distracted by the sight of his musician friend nearing the cottage from the library window and neglected to hide the book as usual. Its pages lay open, and unmistakable magic hovered over the leaves. They heard light random notes, like the sound of the tiniest of wind chimes played by a faint breeze. As they gaped, they noticed each tinkling sound corresponded with a tiny point of light which would burst and disappear above the book.
Thomas breathed out a gasp of surprise. “Who is this Bresal fellow anyway?”
Ardan could not answer. He began to wonder the same thing. His pulse quickened as he neared the book.
“What are you doing?” Thomas dropped his voice to a whisper as he grabbed onto the boy’s shoulder. The color in his face had drained away.
“I merely want to read it,” Ardan said. He shrugged away Thomas’s hand.
“I do not think we should go near it.”
But Ardan continued nearing. Despite his own warnings, Thomas followed closely behind. Ardan picked up the book and began to turn the pages. He expected to hear more sounds and see the lights dance quicker, but instead, these features decreased until the pages settled again.
“What does it say?” whispered Thomas.
“Some is in Irish and some English.” Ardan’s gaze, as expected, went for the Irish text. He read aloud, “Solas agus airy biedh tú, Leabhar na mianach mo lámha chun saor in aisle.”
Right away, the tinkling noise intensified as did the lights. But what shocked Ardan was the book lifted from his fingers and hovered in front of him.
“Saints be blessed,” said Thomas and he let out a burst of high‑pitched laughter.
They both stared in awe a moment until Ardan saw Bresal and Turlough advancing toward the house from their walk in the garden. “No,” he gasped. His heart hammered at the trouble he would be in if Bresal found them out.
“Does it say how to reverse it?” asked Thomas, his voice raised in pitch.
Ardan’s gaze scanned the pages, desperate to avoid punishment, but none of the lines written in Irish appeared to fit the need. When Ardan reached for the book to try another page, it shied away from him. Frantic, he read aloud one of the English lines without comprehending the meaning.
“A need I have to mend a mistake, a new time please, for lives are at stake.”
Nothing happened.
“This sounds like the right one,” said Thomas. “Perhaps you should say it in Irish.”
Ardan could not find the Irish counterpart and so struggled a moment with the translation then said, “Is mór agam a cheartú botún, le do thoil A am nua a shaoradh ó na terror.”
The book filled the room with such a bright light, Ardan could see nothing else.
Excerpt 2:“I think the young boy has a gun.”
Hannah heard Stephen’s voice cry out to the guards as she neared her car. While she smashed the button on her keyless entry over and over, she wheeled Thomas’s chair around the oak tree and flung open the passenger side door. Thomas pulled himself in the car remarkably fast for someone with a wounded foot, and Ardan clambered in on his lap. Hannah heard Thomas cry out in apparent pain as she closed the door and guessed Ardan must have stepped on Thomas’s injured foot.
She ran around to the other side and glanced up to see the guards were feet from her car. They would be able to stop her from shutting her door. But she got in anyway, and was surprised she still had time to turn on the engine. The guards should at least be at her window by now. But when she took a quick look up, they were not there at all. She put the car in reverse and ignored Ardan who cried out, “We are going backward,” in Irish. She saw guards on the ground under the oak tree. One grasped an ankle, the other clutched a knee. She also noticed, just before peeling away, the roots of the oak tree had come up high out of the ground, and she was certain the tree’s roots had been under the ground the last time she saw it. The boys apparently noticed it too. They gaped as she sped away.
“Bless my soul,” Thomas breathed. “’Twas as if the tree was helping us.”
Hannah let out a burst of nervous laughter. She was jittery because of the excess adrenaline coursing through her body, and she was incredulous at the scene her eyes had just shown her. Her throat became tight and caused her next words to come out like a squeak. “It isn’t possible.”
“But ‘tis possible. Ardan and I were born over three hundred years ago,” Thomas stated.
Buy Links: http://www.amazon.com/Stone-Kings
http://www.barnesandnoble.com
http://www.smashwords.comAuthor Bio:Shea McIntosh Ford is also the author of Harp Lessons and lives in Florida with her loving husband of eleven years and two boys, ages four and six. Growing up, she lived under the delusion that prejudice and bigotry were no longer being taught to children. Oh, how much she has learned. After feeling powerless as a first year teacher when one student adamantly said that Americans should send ALL Mexican’s back to Mexico, Shea has found her voice through her writing. While she knows that bigotry probably won’t be eradicated altogether, at least she’s doing her part to help decrease it.
Social Media Links:Blog: http://sheaford.wordpress.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheaMcIntoshFordTwitter: @SheaFord1Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shea-McIntosh-Ford
September 9, 2014
Wrong Place, Right Time Cover Reveal
Wrong Place, Right Time by Brooke Williams September 9, 2014 Cover Reveal (Blog Tour Below)
PRESENTS. . .
A Cover Reveal
for
Wrong Place, Right Time
by Brooke Williams
Release Date: December 9 , 2014
Published by The Writers Coffee Shop
As the bumbling town TV traffic reporter, Kate Covington is a constant source of entertainment, but Kate sticks with her dead end job because of her love for news anchor Brian Schaffer. When Brian spontaneously runs off to marry his high school sweetheart, Kate panics and quickly follows. She finds herself in a Las Vegas wedding chapel, desperate to tell her best friend how she feels before he makes a huge mistake and marries the wrong person. The mistake, however, is all Kate’s.
As the scorned bride runs back down the short aisle, Kate quickly realizes she just interrupted the wrong wedding. The would-be groom, Chad Leida, explains the predicament Kate has caused him…he needs to marry before turning 30 in order to inherit his family fortune…and he no longer has a bride.
When Chad asks Kate to marry him and promises her a million dollars for a year of her time, Kate isn’t sure what to do. She has a great deal of debt to her name due to caring for her ailing grandmother, but she also doesn’t want to let go of the idea of love and marriage going together.
Kate’s impulsive decision changes her entire lifestyle…and her ideas about love. From Las Vegas to San Francisco and even to the Midwestern city of Omaha, Kate learns that even when she turns up in the Wrong Place, sometimes it is at just the Right Time.
Goodreads * Add to Want To Read List
Brooke Williams is an award-winning author and freelance writer. She has written hundreds of articles as well as several novels, including Someone Always Loved You and Beyond the Bars. Brooke has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morningside College, with a double major in Mass Communications and Religious Studies. She has twelve years of experience in radio broadcasting, both behind the scenes and on-air. She was also a television traffic reporter for a brief time. Brooke and her husband Sean married in 2002 and have two daughters, Kaelyn and Sadie.
Facebook * Blog
________________________________
Blog Tour
September 8, 2014
Harvest Full Supermoon
Harvest Moon 2014Full Moon 9:38 pm ESTSeptember 8, 2014
Harvest Moon is the traditional name for the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox (September 22). Like the Hunter’s Moon next month, the Harvest Moon is unusual in that it rises early in the sky at nearly the same time for several successive nights. Tonight’s moonrise happens seventeen minutes before sunset. The consistent early light aids in bringing in the harvest. When the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox occurs in October, then the September full moon is called the Full Corn Moon.
Tonight’s Harvest Moon will be the last “Supermoon” of the summer. A Supermoon is a full moon that coincides with lunar perigee, when the moon’s orbit brings it closest to earth. The moon will appear at its largest just after sunset.
With the Harvest Moon in Pisces, a mutable water sign, expect heightened feelings, intuition, and imagination. The motto for Pisces is “I Believe.”
Harvest Moon Altar and MeditationAdorn your altar with fiery colors, and apples, grapes, corn, or other produce from local harvests. Light a candle in honor of the Sun God, whose power begins to wane at the equinox. Express gratitude for the abundance in your life. Reflect upon what you have sown over the past few months, and what you have reaped. If you wish to make new goals or buttress existing goals, tap into this month’s heightened creativity. Make a vision board or a fresh goal’s list. Place your creation where you will see it every day.
MabonThis pagan festival occurs on the autumnal equinox, September 22. To learn about the three meanings of Mabon, please visit: http://www.ariellamoon.com/moonsmagicandmore.html
Harvest Moon is the traditional name for the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox (September 22). Like the Hunter’s Moon next month, the Harvest Moon is unusual in that it rises early in the sky at nearly the same time for several successive nights. Tonight’s moonrise happens seventeen minutes before sunset. The consistent early light aids in bringing in the harvest. When the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox occurs in October, then the September full moon is called the Full Corn Moon.
Tonight’s Harvest Moon will be the last “Supermoon” of the summer. A Supermoon is a full moon that coincides with lunar perigee, when the moon’s orbit brings it closest to earth. The moon will appear at its largest just after sunset.
With the Harvest Moon in Pisces, a mutable water sign, expect heightened feelings, intuition, and imagination. The motto for Pisces is “I Believe.”
Harvest Moon Altar and MeditationAdorn your altar with fiery colors, and apples, grapes, corn, or other produce from local harvests. Light a candle in honor of the Sun God, whose power begins to wane at the equinox. Express gratitude for the abundance in your life. Reflect upon what you have sown over the past few months, and what you have reaped. If you wish to make new goals or buttress existing goals, tap into this month’s heightened creativity. Make a vision board or a fresh goal’s list. Place your creation where you will see it every day.
MabonThis pagan festival occurs on the autumnal equinox, September 22. To learn about the three meanings of Mabon, please visit: http://www.ariellamoon.com/moonsmagicandmore.html
September 5, 2014
Teresa Howard's New Historical Romance, For Love Alone
Today's Spotlight on Summer Reading focuses on Teresa Howard's new historical romance, For Love Alone. Blurb
Summer Skye Danvers
Summer changes like a shifting kaleidoscope from a naïve southern belle to the elusiveDuchess of Tyndale to a mother, to a widow. Through it all, she loves one man, Lord Charles Zachery Clayton, the Earl of Somerset. Will she ever possess him as her own?
Lord Charles Zachery “Chaz” Clayton
Since Summer was little more than a toddler, she held a special place in Chaz’s heart. Indeed, she has been the guiding force throughout his life, though neither of the star-crossed lovers knew just how much until they are forced to wed. But will she ever be his wife in more than name only?
Summer and Chaz share joy, loss, danger, tragedy and rebirth. Through it all, their loves thrives. But the road to their happily ever after is strewn with obstacles. Will their love survive the challenges that face them?
In a world where marriage is a matter of politics and property, can they ever marry just for love alone?
Excerpt
"Why didn't you tell her how you feel?" Nate asked once they were alone.
Skye's despair turned to anger. Tears welled in her eyes. She dropped her gaze to hide her feelings and stared at the hands clutched in her lap.
"What would you have me say, Nate? Would you have me beg and plead? Wail like an infant because I am being sacrificed to a man old enough to be my father? Sacrificed so that I might erase the scandal created by my father, a man whose only sin was wanting to be loved by a flesh and blood woman other than his daughters, the father who promised that I could marry for love alone, even if he did not. Especially since he did not."
"Well, I wouldn't put it quite that way. She is our mother, after all. But you might have mentioned that you are opposed to this marriage."
Skye felt her brother looking down upon her. She couldn't bear to meet his gaze. He would see her pain. And no one must see her pain. "I mentioned it often enough to have postponed the event for five years. Not an easy task considering Tyndale's desire for an heir. An heir I will strive to give him."
Placing his gloved hand beneath her chin, he lifted her face. "You're following the same path as Father. An arranged marriage, devoid of love. It can only lead to disaster."
She covered his hand with her own. "No. I will not make Papa's mistakes. I am stronger. I must be. Mother needs this alliance with Tyndale. Papa's—" her voice broke "—death and betrayal destroyed her safe, secure world. She can't leave this house for the scandal he created."
Her grip tightened unconsciously. "Gracious Nate, he died in another woman's home — one that he provided for her. As a Christian, I don't judge him. After all, I don't know what was in his heart at the moment of his death. And as a daughter, I make allowances for him. I loved and respected him. I always will."
Though her words were powerful, her voice was flat, as if she were bloodless, dispassionate. So unlike the girl she had once been. She could see worry reflected in Nate's eyes. But this was her way of coping with the pain… the loss… the future.
"As a woman, I understand mother's position. She has to get away from here, but it can't look like she's running away."
"Surely things are not bad enough to send the two of you fleeing across the sea."
"You have to know what mother's been through to understand. Her dearest friends pity her. You know mama's pride. She can't bear the shame. She's hurt and she's scared and she's desperate."
Unconsciously, she straightened, trying to appear more substantial than she felt. "She wasn't reared to withstand a scandal like this, and she certainly wasn't reared to live in a world where Yankees might burn the house down over our heads at any moment."
Pain darkened her gaze. "And tomorrow, after Tyler joins you in this insane war, strangers will run Crimson Hills. Strangers, Nate. Mama can't bear to see that. If I marry his grace and mama accompanies me to England, she can come home one day, after the war, when it's safe… after the scandal dies down. When you boys are home to take care of her and Crimson Hills, she can return in triumph, as the mother of a duchess."
Nate pulled her to her feet. He held her by the shoulders, looked deep into her eyes, trying to see into her very soul. "What about you, birdie? Marriage is forever. Are you willing to sacrifice yourself?"
"I will do as I must." When he made to argue again, she pressed her fingertips against his lips. "Please Nate, I've accepted my fate." Her voice broke slightly. "Don't make this any harder for me than it already is."
Nodding, he kissed the tips of her fingers then brought her hand to his heart. "You are a remarkable woman, Skye Danvers."
"I pray to God Almighty that you are right."
"I'm always right." He dimpled.
She smiled as he intended. "I love you, Nate."
"And I love you, Skye birdie." His gaze suddenly turned mischievous. "You haven't asked when your prospective bridegroom will arrive."
"When?"
"He won't."
"I don't understand."
"He sent someone to stand proxy in the ceremony." He paused for emphasis. "An old friend of yours."
"Gil?"
"No."
Skye felt a sense of foreboding.
"Tyndale was occupied with affairs of state and unable to leave the Isle. So he asked Chaz…"
Skye no longer heard her brother for the roar in her ears. It was the far side of too much. The same afternoon Chaz had stolen her heart, her sixteenth birthday, he had made her promise to marry for love alone. Now he would make that an impossibility. A fist of betrayal squeezed her heart. Her last girlhood dream slipped through her fingers.
But she twitched not so much as an eyelash.
For Love Alone Can be Purchased at teresahoward.net.
About Teresa HowardFrom the time Teresa was a child. sitting under a huge Magnolia tree in her front yard, she visited fantasy worlds. During those private moments, she lived a life quite unlike her own. As a novelist, she draws from the innate creativity nurtured on those lazy days of childhood.
When Teresa inhabits the real world in both body and mind, she enjoys watching old movies, listening to golden oldies, adding to her cross collection, visiting with family and friends, and most of all, hibernating at home with her husband, Dr. George E. Howard.
Teresa is the author of four historical romances, newly released as Ebooks. They include CHEROKEE EMBRACE, DESIREʼS BRIDE, CONFEDERATE VIXEN, and VELVET THUNDER. In March, her first Time Travel romance will be released as an Ebook. It is titled YESTERDAYʼS PROMISE. The sequel will follow in June and is titled WINGS OF LOVE.
