Leta P. Hawk's Blog, page 13
April 28, 2016
The Snow Princess by Matt Larkin
The Sea Princess is determined to drive the he’e from the mer capital. Namaka’s people have lost battle after battle, never able to stand up to the might of the octopus god-king’s army and magical powers. To win the war, Namaka turns to the brutal nanaue–weresharks feared by mer and he’e alike.
But the nanaue live on the island of the Snow Princess, Poliahu, a sorceress quick to anger. If Namaka is to succeed in recruiting the weresharks, she must first deal with this new Princess and her powers of mist and cold.
Poliahu doesn’t care about nanaue or he’e or politics. Her passion is the Art, taught to her by the snow spirits who raised her. Driven ever deeper into the Art, Poliahu is determined to become a sorceress unlike any other in history. She’s poised to do it, too, as long as she can keep the power of the Art from consuming her.
The Snow Princess
by Matt Larkin
Series
Worldsea Era #3
Genre
Fantasy
Publisher
Incandescent Phoenix Books
Publication Date
March 28, 2016
The Worldsea Era Series
About Matt larkin
Matt Larkin is an American fantasy and science fiction author. He lives in Florida with his wife Juhi and daughter Kiran. With a background in philosophy and publishing, Matt started a small press dedicated to top notch speculative fiction. He adores mythology and history, passions he conveys through his mythic fantasy novels. His works include the Skyfall Era, the Ragnarok Era, the Worldsea Era, and Sins of Angels.
Got a Question? I’d love to hear from you. Email me at:
matt@incandescentphoenix.com
Author Links
April 24, 2016
Cover Reveal: #AmWriting–A Collection of Letters to Benefit the Wayne Foundation
Knowing what you know now of writing, publishing, and putting your art out into the world, if you could go back to the day you sat down to start typing in your very first manuscript, what words would you offer to yourself? Words of encouragement? Words of advice? Caution against certain pitfalls? Would you change anything about how you got to where you are today?
The publishing community is so much bigger than it was before the self-publishing boom and it continues to grow exponentially every day. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a handbook or support group. The book is to provide words of encouragement or advice to those just starting out or those who have become discouraged in their art. At Pure Textuality PR, we believe in supporting each other as a community, and we felt this project would be a good way to bring writers together and maybe give some new artists just the right nudge to keep going.
100% of the net proceeds of #amwriting will go to benefit The Wayne Foundation, a charity dedicated to offering aid and services to young women victimized by illegal sexual exploitation and the sexual trafficking of minors.
KEEP READING TO SEE THE COVER!
#AmWriting
A Collection of Letters to Benefit
The Wayne Foundation
Publisher
Pure Textuality PR
Cover Art
Pure Textuality PR
Publication Date
June 7, 2016
Who Contributed a Letter?
A.D. Ellis
Addison Kline
Amber Lynn Natusch
Amy Joy Lutchen
Andrew Jericho
Ashlynne Laynne
Becky Flade
Beth Dolgner
Brandy Dorsch
Brenda J. Pierson
C.L. Foster
C.L. Matthews
Cassia Brightmore
Cecilia London
Cherron Riser
Cithara Patra
Courtney Houston
Crystal Dawn
Dulaney-Glen
E.J. Stevens
Elizabeth Sharp
Ella Col
Emersyn Vallis
Emily Cyr
Emma Nichols
Erin Hayes
Erynn Crittenden
Felicia Starr
Gabbie S. Duran
Geri Glenn
Harlie Williams
J. Nichole Parkins
J.B. McGee
J.M. Gregoire
Jeaniene Frost
Jess Haines
Jessica Cage
Jody Pardo
K.c. Stewart
Karina Espinosa
Kasey Belle
Katie Kenyhercz
Katie Lewington
Kendall Grey
Kory M. Shrum
Kristina Borden
L.E. Chamberlin
L.U. Ann
Leanna Renee Hieber
Lexi Ostrow
Leyla Kader Dahm
Louisa Lo
M. Never
M.L. Steinbrunn
Mary Crawford
Michelle Mcloughney
Mike Gonzales
Misha Carver
Misha Elliott
Muriel Garcia
Nicole L. Daffurn
Nikki Rae
Pamela K. Kinney
R.A Mizer
Rachel Walter
Rebecca Sherwin
Renee Dyer
Sara Dobie Bauer
Scarlett Metal
Serena Kearney
Shakuita Johnson
Shannon Bell
Susan Schwartz
T.J. Michaels
T.L. Manning
Taylor Lavati
Tracie Podger
April 21, 2016
Cover Reveal: Breaking the Darkness series
Paranormal Fantasy Author Felicia Starr has given her Breaking the Darkness series a face lift just in time for the release of DELIRIUM, the third full-length book in the series!
KEEP READING TO SEE THE NEW COVERS!
TAKEN
– Breaking the Darkness #1 –
You must betray your heart and walk amongst the darkness in order to find the truest light. Opening her eyes to an imposing prison of complete darkness, Kasha is accused of possessing powers and abilities she had no previous knowledge of until the moment she comes face to face with herself while meditating. Haunted by memories strung together by lies and deceit, she soon discovers that maybe her beloved grandmother kept a few secrets she hadn’t been aware of. Secrets that could be her salvation… or her undoing. As she struggles to control her new found powers, only time will tell if they will be enough to help her decipher who has imprisoned her or what they want from her. She must search for the answers and the freedom she so desperately desires. Could a handsome guy who vows to help her get away prove to be the man of her dreams… or perhaps her worst nightmare? Not knowing who to trust, she must find a way to escape before she pays the ultimate price and finds herself taken by the darkness.
MARKED
– Breaking the Darkness #1.5 –
While Kasha gets ready to graduate from college, her grandmother, Magenta Alexander, prepares for her return. Mage wanted Kasha to grow up and have a normal life, even knowing there was a possibility that Kasha would be anything but normal. Mage has kept things from her granddaughter, secrets that she must be told.
Dangerous pacts are made, while magic and darkness lurk around every corner, and even those with the purest intentions must make tainted choices to protect the ones they love.
Deals are struck, secrets are revealed, sacrifices will be made…but will it be enough to ward off the darkness?
BETRAYED
– Breaking the Darkness #2 –
Kasha Alexander has been through a great deal since the death of her Gram, kidnapped, and abused, she has fought her way out of captivity with the help of the one man who just might be her saving grace, Graven.
Graven has been searching for Kasha for a millennia and now that he’s found her, he’s not about to let her go. He will protect her in any form, no matter what the cost…
Little does he know how high that cost will be…
NEW! COMING MAY 17TH!
DELIRIUM
– Breaking the Darkness #3 –
While trapped in her dreams by Phaela’s sleep spell, Kasha’s friends search desperately for an antidote but soon realize it will not be so simple. And they find themselves encountering perilous obstacles on their mission to rescue their beloved friend.
Kasha’s dreams will force her to confront her heart’s nemesis, and while she wants no part of Kaden, he could be her true salvation.
Kasha must be willing to sacrifice everything, even seducing her captor, who seeks the unthinkable from her. Will her plan work, or will her friends find a way to break the sleep spell in time to save her?
About Felicia Starr
Felicia Starr was born and raised in New Jersey. She has been an avid traveler starting at a young age taking magical adventures exploring scenic and historic sites across America with her grandparents. Lover of almost all things paranormal and science fiction, yes that includes fantasy and no it does not include movies about giant ice spiders.
Her days are spent counting down the minutes until her next cup of coffee, preferably with a caramel swirl, her nights are filled with reading and quiet meditations drawing inspirations for her stories.
Felicia has been writing in one form or another for as long as she can remember and still has her first bound book that she wrote and illustrated in grade school. When not wrapped up in writing or reading she is finding the next best way to create lasting memories with her husband and sons.
Reading for fun, writing for passion… always thinking and dreaming in scenes.
Author Links
April 18, 2016
Closet Thoughts
When you think of a closet, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Skeletons in your closet?
The monster hiding in your closet?
Coming out of the closet?
Skeletons and monsters coming out of your closet?
Or maybe just a place to throw everything when your mom tells you to clean your room?
For me, I guess, it’s a little of all of the above, and then some.
Like a lot of other kids the world over, I went through a phase of being afraid of the closet. I couldn’t get to sleep at night if the closet doors weren’t shut tight. Everyone knows that if the closet door is even a little bit ajar, some supernatural being can slither out and “get me,” whether it’s a ghost, an alien, Bigfoot, or even Ramona Quimby’s boneless gorilla.
My kids, thankfully, don’t seem to suffer from that fear, but oddly enough, when I go in to say goodnight to them, if I notice their closet door is ajar, I make it a point to shut it tight before turning their light off.
When I was a teenager, after my brother went off to college, I moved into his room. It was bigger and had a bigger closet. Most people will likely think, “Oh, of course a girl wants a bigger closet for all her clothes and shoes.” Well, that was partly true, but my brother’s closet was even better because it was big enough for me to clear a space on the floor inside and sit there and read, write, or just be alone with my thoughts. My parents thought I was weird, but they allowed me this little space, as long as I didn’t shut the doors (They were worried, I think, that I’d somehow suffocate in there).
I know that “coming out of the closet” is a term usually attributed to someone claiming their homosexuality, but I have used the term occasionally when I feel that I am revealing some part of myself that I have deliberately kept hidden out of fear of being ridiculed or rejected. One of my biggest “out of the closet” confessions has been my belief in the paranormal. For a long time, my husband and I attended a church that holds the belief that ghosts, in the generally-accepted sense, do not exist, that the spirits we experience are only the Holy Spirit, or angels and demons. Human spirits cannot and do not walk the earth for any reason. For the longest time, I tried to accept that belief, denying my own experiences and scoffing at those who believed in ghosts. At one point, I even taught a Bible study about why belief in the paranormal was silly and wrong. I just wanted to fit in.
Long story short, I busted myself out quite by accident on social media and got into a bit of a disagreement with someone at that church (That post is here). I suppose you could say that while others may have skeletons in their closets, I have ghosts in mine. We ended up leaving that church, and for a long time, I kept my beliefs to myself, not trusting anyone, fearing another backlash like I experienced at that other church.
Then I started writing. I wrote ghost stories, some based on my own experiences. Those stories turned into a novel, and then two novels. I published them, and now my books are out there for anyone to read, and I am out there for anyone to see. My author bio declares plainly and publicly that I believe in ghosts and I have seen ghosts. I feel as though I have stepped out of the closet. Some days I feel quite brave in declaring who I am, and other days I just want to crawl back in the closet and hide again. It’s an ongoing process.
So, what’s in your closet? Feel free to share below in the comments.
Old
I loved this!
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat that doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me…
Jenny Joseph
Three “old” poems — one for my grandmother, one for my mother, and one for me.
When I am old, I shall buy a piano
And rest my fingers lightly on the keys, curved just so.
I’ll retrain them to move the way they did when I was a girl,
The time I accompanied my brother, Nichol,
While he played his violin for Calvin Coolidge.
I’ll play hymns on the upright
And sing along
With the nobody in the room.
And I will drink dessert wine
Even though I am a Baptist
One glass every night before bed
Because my doctor said I could.
When I am old, I shall plant a garden
Not of practical vegetables like green beans and carrots,
But a banquet for the eyes.
Flowers,
A sumptuous…
View original post 124 more words
April 14, 2016
Just Peachy Cover Reveal
Hi, I’m Desreé Shaw. I’m a self-made woman and the new owner of Shaw Mile High Ranch and Orchards. I’m a bona-fide shoe whore, lover of cowboys, kink and karma. Come for a visit. I’ll supply the rope.
KEEP READING TO SEE THE COVER
AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BOOK!
Just Peachy
by T.J. Michaels
Series
A Twilight Teahouse Story
Genre
Erotic Contemporary Romance
Publisher
Bent West
Publication Date
May 17, 2016
The Twilight Teahouse Series
Click on a cover for more info.
About T.J. Michaels
USA Today and New York Times bestseller, T.J. Michaels, is also an award-winning author of several romance genres, including paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi and urban fantasy romance.
No matter the genre TJ is penning, her favorite thing to do is build worlds. To take you somewhere extraordinary. To transport you to a place where you can close your eyes and slip into your fantasy…
Author Links
April 12, 2016
Hellhounds and Gunshots: Bedtime in My Head
Most people look forward to bedtime as a time of rest and rejuvenation.
I am not most people.
Bedtime for me more often than not ends up being a time of slipping in to crazy dreams that leave me anything but well-rested. Take last night’s feature presentation.
It was nighttime, and someone had broken into the house. He was either looking for my family so he could kill them, or he had already killed them, and he found me in the kitchen, with the bright overhead light on.
I probably didn’t need to worry much about my family, because this guy shot at me at point-blank range and missed. I wanted him to think he had killed me, so I fell to the ground, closed my eyes, and held my breath, hoping he wouldn’t notice the lack of blood and try shooting again.
Well, then he took off back the hallway to find someone else. Somehow, I willed something in the basement to fall over and make a loud noise, which brought him back out the hallway and down to the basement. Once he was downstairs, I shut and locked the basement door, grabbed my keys and the dog, and left the house.
I drove out to my seminary in Myerstown so I could find one of my former professors. I pulled him out of a meeting so I could talk to him about my book, and somehow we came around to talking about what had happened at my house.
At this point I woke up and looked at the clock; I still had about an hour till I had to get up, so I rolled over and went back to sleep.
I began dreaming again,, and I somehow used the first part of the previous dream to plan out one of the final scenes of my next Kyrie Carter book. Kyr’s house had been broken into by the bad guy of the book, this time a flesh-and-blood person. She knew he was going to kill her if he found her, so she was hiding *somewhere* in the house (couldn’t really figure out where).
Just as he reached for the doorknob of the closet she was hiding in, there was a crash somewhere else in the house. He took off for that part of the house, thinking that’s where Kyr was hiding.
Kyr ran out of the house towards the woods at the back of the property, intending to head for her neighbor Helen’s house.
By the time she crossed the footbridge in the woods (you must not go to the wood at night, ringing in her head), the bad guy had somehow caught up to her and tackled her.
He pulled out a gun and held it up, pointed right at her head. “I’m really sorry it has to end like this, Kyr. If you would have just let me have the house, you wouldn’t be here. Your boyfriend will be devastated to find you out here, but he’ll know it was your fault.”
Before he could pull the trigger, there was a chorus of growls, and a large “hellhound” launched from the trees onto the bad guy. Another one jumps in and seizes his wrist in his teeth, making him drop the gun, which Kyr picks up and points at him.
A third hellhound approaches, intent on going for his throat, but Kyr stops him with a word, which frightens him. No one had ever controlled those beasts before. Maybe it was true what everyone said about her.
The dogs back off, and he tries to get up, but Kyr tells him not to move. She warns that if he tries anything, either she will shoot him or she’ll have the dogs rip his throat out.
***
This is why I’m always tired when I wake up in the morning…
Sacred Hearts Coven Omnibus by Felicia Starr
All love needs is a pinch of magic!
The Sacred Hearts Coven box set contains the first three stand alone novels in this series. Sexy contemporary romance with a pinch of magic; workplace romance, romantic comedy, second chances.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E4BL1V2
Dark and Stormy
The sisters of the Sacred Hearts Coven gather every month with one intention, to ignite a flame of passion into one lucky person’s love life.
Light and Sweet
The sisters of the Sacred Hearts Coven are at it again. This time sister Maiden Esmeralda asks her sisters to help her cast a spell to help friend and café patron Lilly fill her heart with something that lasts more than one date.
Jack and Ginger
Ginger Thorn has lost everything. Struggling to deal with the truth of her devastating divorce, which pales compared to the heartache she feels in losing her father, Ginger attempts to regain her once familiar life. She has decided to start fresh by moving into her father’s condo and taking a chance on a new business venture.
Sacred Hearts Coven Omnibus
by Felicia Starr
Series
Sacred Hearts Coven #1, #2, & #3
Genre
Steamy Paranormal Romance
Publisher
Independent
Publication Date
April 12, 2016
Goodreads–> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29486297-scared-hearts
DARK & STORMY, SACRED HEARTS COVEN #1
The sisters of the Sacred Hearts Coven gather every month with one intention, to ignite a flame of passion into one lucky person’s love life.
Regina’s work is her driving force. She strives to be the top of her game, but there is a large thorn in her side—Reddick, her apparent nemesis. His confident and somewhat arrogant persona makes her blood boil, but as the saying goes: there is a thin line between love and hate.
Will a touch of magic have Regina opening her heart to the unknown? Or will she run from this storm only to be crushed by her greatest fear?
Steamy Paranormal Romance
18+ Adult Content
MORE INFO –> https://feliciastarr.com/felicias-books/sacred-heart-coven-series/dark-and-stormy/
LIGHT & SWEET, SACRED HEARTS COVEN #2
The sisters of the Sacred Hearts Coven are at it again.
This time sister Maiden Esmeralda asks her sisters to help her cast a spell to help friend and café patron Lilly fill her heart with something that lasts more than one date.
Lilly has spent the better part of a year going on one blind date after another. Esmeralda think she knows the perfect guy for her. The only problem is that she doesn’t want to set them up on another blind date. If only she could get them to meet in the coffee shop they both frequent on a daily basis.
When things don’t quite go right with Esmeralda’s spell, she doesn’t know what to do. Will some enchanted salted caramel syrup be enough to heat up Lilly’s love life, or will it lose steam? Her heart’s desires might only be a cup of coffee away.
MORE INFO –> https://feliciastarr.com/felicias-books/sacred-heart-coven-series/light-and-sweet/
JACK & GINGER, SACRED HEARTS COVEN #3
Ginger Thorn has lost everything.
Struggling to deal with the truth of her devastating divorce, which pales compared to the heartache she feels in losing her father, Ginger attempts to regain her once familiar life. She has decided to start fresh by moving into her father’s condo and taking a chance on a new business venture.
When Ginger reunites with her friend, Jasinda, she has no idea that this beguiling woman will help bring magic not only into her career path, but also a little spice into her love life. Ginger’s life gets a bit complicated, but she never suspected that fate, and possibly a bewitching spell from the Sacred Hearts Coven, will give her a shot at love.
Will their enchantment be enough to bring this lost soul a second chance, or will she let her shattered trust and heart stop her deepest desire?
MORE INFO –> https://feliciastarr.com/felicias-books/sacred-heart-coven-series/jack-and-ginger/
About Felicia Starr
Felicia Starr was born and raised in New Jersey. She has been an avid traveler starting at a young age taking magical adventures exploring scenic and historic sites across America with her grandparents. Lover of almost all things paranormal and science fiction, yes that includes fantasy and no it does not include movies about giant ice spiders.
Her days are spent counting down the minutes until her next cup of coffee, preferably with a caramel swirl, her nights are filled with reading and quiet meditations drawing inspirations for her stories.
Felicia has been writing in one form or another for as long as she can remember and still has her first bound book that she wrote and illustrated in grade school. When not wrapped up in writing or reading she is finding the next best way to create lasting memories with her husband and sons.
Reading for fun, writing for passion… always thinking and dreaming in scenes.
Author Links
Website –> https://feliciastarr.com/
Facebook –> https://www.facebook.com/FeliciaStarrAuthor/
Twitter –> https://twitter.com/feliciastarr111
Goodreads –> https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/808755.Felicia_Starr
Amazon –> http://www.amazon.com/Felicia-Starr/e/B00GKTCE72
Newsletter –>http://eepurl.com/H37OL
April 10, 2016
YAPA Teen BookCon
It was a beautiful snowy (?!?!?!) Saturday morning in April, and I was headed to Camp Hill, PA, for my first book convention as a participating author, and not just an attendee.
YAPA Book Convention was the brainchild of YA author Tom Tancin and Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop owner Deb Beamer, who both felt the need for more teen book events. The convention, eighteen months in the making, was held at the Fredricksen Library in Camp Hill and was sponsored by Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop and Cupboard Maker Books in Enola.
I was honored to be a part of this (hopefully annual) event, and I wanted to just toss out some of my impressions of my first official book convention.
Overall Set-up
The convention was held at the library, from 10am – 4pm. Authors arrived starting at 8am to set up their tables and get the lay of the land, so to speak. The main lobby of the library was set up with two long rows of tables to accommodate the twenty-odd authors who were in attendance.
Most of the day for the authors involved sitting at their tables, talking to convention attendees and library patrons who stopped by to chat, inquire about their books, or even ask for writing tips. There were also author discussion panels at intervals throughout the day.
Book sales were handled in the back of the library by the sponsoring bookstores, which was a relief to me. I always get so flummoxed at vendor events or signings when I have to handle my own sales. It’s simply overwhelming to me to have to write up sales slips, take money, make change, and still be sociable and engaging as I sign books.
Author Tables
I’ve attended quite a few signings, both individually and as part of a group of authors, and I’ve had tables at vendor events. I’m always interested to see how other authors personalize their tables, and in all honesty, I’m always looking for fresh ideas to steal borrow for my own tables.
Most of the authors, of course, had some kind of table covering, which ranged from a simple black or white cloth to color-coordinated tablecloths that complemented their book covers. Table decorations, too, ran the gamut from minimalistic to very creative. Quite a few authors took a no-nonsense approach and displayed only their books. Others had various items on their tables that related to their books. One author, whose book was set in Japan, had a beautiful Japanese doll as a focal point. Another author who wrote historical fantasy stories displayed pieces of paper made to look like aged parchment. Still another author played upon her last name and displayed various keys on her table. Of course, my table was adorned with various ghosts, and I brought out Gigi Giwoggle, who garnered quite a bit of discussion.
Almost all the authors had something to give to readers who stopped by their tables, mostly items that advertised their books, such as bookmarks, business cards, or postcards. The most unique item I saw was a plastic tote bag emblazoned with a picture of the book being sold.
Panel Discussions
The discussion panels included Fan Fiction, Researching, World and Character Creation, and Social Media. I was so thrilled to be part of the Fan Fiction panel, since my books originated as Ghost Hunters fan fiction.
I thought the discussion went very well. There were only about fifteen teens and adults in the audience, which lent itself to a manageable discussion. The moderator kept things moving, and we covered topics such as favorite fandoms, copyright issues, being respected as an author who writes fan fiction, and how we as authors felt about readers write fan fiction of our works.
Not surprisingly, the teens in attendance were very knowledgeable about the realm of fan fiction. They had very intelligent and insightful questions and comments, and I am not ashamed to admit that they taught me a few things about fan fiction/art.
Networking and Exposure
This was the biggest reason I wanted to do this convention. Book sales at these events are always desirable, of course, and I was disappointed that I didn’t do well in that aspect, but the biggest advantage of participating in these events is to be able to network with other authors, the library, and the bookstores involved. I was pleased to make new contacts with several of the authors, plus I now have possible future opportunities for bookstore signings and speaking engagements with the library’s teen writers’ group.
***
Overall, this was a wonderful opportunity, and I am so thankful to have been a part of it. As I grow as a writer and add to my published works, I hope to be a part of future YAPA Bookcons, as well as others. I’m already looking forward to next year.
April 8, 2016
Superstitious Much?
Today’s Daily Post is about superstition, one of those topics that has always held my interest. Overall, I don’t think I’m very superstitious anymore, although I can recall freaking out one Friday the 13th when a black cat ran across my path as I drove to work. I figured I was either in for a double-whammy of bad luck, or else they’d cancel each other out. Thinking back, it must have been the latter, because I don’t have any recollection of that day being any worse than other days.
I went on a bit of a superstition scavenger hunt just to get some ideas of what to post, and I found some interesting superstitions that I’d never heard before. Just for fun, I’ll post my favorite ten superstitions.
Ivy. Ivy growing on a house is said to protect the house from witchcraft and evil. I’ve always thought that ivy covering a house was a sign of neglect, and something a homeowner didn’t want to allow to happen. In light of this superstition, it makes sense why some folks let the ivy take over. This is also quite a good plot bunny.
Birth beliefs. There is a little poem that talks about a child’s lot in life if they are born on certain days of the week. I’ve heard the poem, but I never thought of it as more than a cute children’s ditty. I do know that I was born on a Thursday, and it does seem sometimes that no matter what I do, I’ve still got far to go. Monday’s child is fair of face;
Tuesday’s child is full of grace;
Wednesday’s child is full of woe;
Thursday’s child has far to go;
Friday’s child is loving and giving;
Saturday’s child works hard for a living.
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
is fair and wise, good and gay.
Onions. An onion cut in half and placed beneath a sick person’s bed will draw out the sickness. I actually did know this one, but I still find it fascinating, especially since I’m growing more and more interested in natural healing. I’ve read a lot about why this supposedly works or does not work, and honestly, I have yet to try it. I have also heard of using onion poultices for respiratory infections. This is something else I have tucked away to use in a story.
Pencil. If you use the same pencil for a test that you used to study with, the pencil will remember the answers. Yeah, wish I’d had that one for higher math.
Raven. To kill a raven is to harm the spirit of King Arthur, whose spirit visits in the form of a raven. Okay, I am a huge fan of Arthurian literature, and I have NEVER heard this one. You can bet that one will be tucked away for later!
Sneezes. I’ve actually heard the second part of this poem, but I never knew what it referred to. I came across it when I read Seven For a Secret by Victoria Holt. If you sneeze on a Monday, you sneeze for danger;
Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger;
Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter;
Sneeze on a Thursday, something better;
Sneeze on a Friday, sneeze for sorrow;
Sneeze on a Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow.
Sneeze on a Sunday, and the devil will have domination over you all week. One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a letter
Four for a boy.
Five for silver
Six for gold
Seven for a secret, never to be told.
Spiders. A spider is a repellent against plague when worn around the neck in a walnut shell. Again, an interesting little tidbit to tuck away for a story.
Windows. All windows in a home should be opened at the moment of death so the person’s soul can leave. I wonder if ghosts haunt some places because they didn’t open the windows when someone died? Yet again, I can see this in a story, with a conversation taking place between two old women. One says to open the windows to let the dead person’s soul out, while the other argues that she’ll let the cold in and someone else will catch their death, probably her.
Bed/Sleep. I actually found a contradiction here. One said if you place your bed aligning north and south, you will have bad luck. The other said it is best to sleep with your head to the north and your feet to the south. Sounds like damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Guess it’s good that I don’t sleep much.
Rosemary planted by the door will keep witches away. I know a few folks who consider themselves witches, and at least a few of them plant rosemary close to their doors so it’s within easy reach.
