Wednesday, October 31, 2018

RELEASE DAY! GOETIA by Sam Poling



Goetia 
The Oldenrai Archives
Book Two
Sam Poling

Genre: Fantasy / Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing

Date of Publication: 10/31/18

ISBN: 9780463828861
ASIN: B07GKYH54D

Number of pages: 180
Word Count: ~74,500

Cover Artist: Cora Graphics

Tagline: Integrate your shadow

Book Description:

After imposing a controversial quarantine, Adelstadt Mayoress Mirabel Fairfax finds herself in the crosshairs with vengeful highwaymen. When they target her family and the vital shipments her village desperately needs, she turns to witchcraft to restore order herself. But something is wrong: her magic becomes unreliable, and monstrous images torment her mind's eye.

When gruesome murders terrorize Adelstadt, she suspects the highwaymen have turned to the occult, allying with a demonic entity. A Goetia. The hallucinations become all-too-real, and Mirabel must rely on her cunning, wrath, and what few friends she has left if she hopes to rescue her valley, her beloved, and her mind.

Felix Fairfax does the best he can as the husband of a controversial mayoress witch, but his life is once again turned into a fight for survival when he’s kidnapped by the highwaymen. They force him to help investigate his wife’s hidden lair, where they become trapped with creatures of unspeakable horror. Whatever Mirabel had locked away hunts indiscriminately—it hunts him—and if it gets out, plagues and highwaymen won’t be Adelstadt’s problems any longer.

Amazon     Amazon UK     Smashwords     Apple     Kobo     BN

Excerpt:
Mirabel’s boots clicked down a stone, spiral stairway, blowing past the half-melted candles lining the steps. The candles provided the only light, at times leaving her to fumble for footing on the disrepair of the steps. The descent into darkness went on longer than she’d ever recalled experiencing before. What a time for metaphysical nonsense. An echo of raspy, hollow screams chased her, reverberating within the stairwell, challenging her to keep up speed.
She stumbled off the final steps, at last on the ground floor, and clawed her wild, deep red hair from her face. Archaic, religious candle racks illuminated the chamber. Nothing had changed down here. At least, not yet.
She sped past rows of dilapidated tables and pews, reached a laboratory-style workbench, and threw her arms against a stack of journals, scattering the research. Upon snaring a specific handful of pages, she sprinted for the tower entrance.
A bony tusk punched through a nearby wall, knocking candles from their altar. They struck silver offering plates on the floor, crashing like cymbals. Mirabel leaped back, one hand clutching her research against her body, the other gripping the handle of her rapier.
Black, viscous slime poured from the hole around the horn, crept over the altar, and dripped onto the floor. Small, misshapen hands sprouted from the goop like blooming black-fingered flowers, grasping at the stone tiles. A reek like sweet, rotting fruit flooded the air.
She closed her gaping mouth, turned away, and continued running down the hall. Her burned-orange cape fluttered and whipped, a nuisance, rescinding its value.
The entire tower quaked, followed by more disembodied shrieking. A spiny, gray tentacle as thick as a branch smashed through the wall ahead in a deafening boom, lashing and twisting like an eel out of water. She drew her rapier and severed the tip with the sharpened, distal edge of her weapon. The piece of otherworldly flesh fell away, but several more tentacles punched through imperfections in the surrounding walls, blocking her path. Each unique arm contorted at varied rates, some more aggressive than others.
Still holding her sword, she extended her arm and channeled magic through it with a rush of heat. Upon releasing her focus, the heat fled her body and flames burst in front of her, engulfing the tentacles and transforming them into crackling ash.
Vertigo crashed over her in waves as penalty for her sudden, great expenditure of soul energy. With inhuman moans drifting on the air, she shook off her fatigue and proceeded to the iron double doors ahead, ramming her shoulder against them. They opened a crack, blasting her face with freezing air from outside.
She pushed against the door, and it ground open, scraping through a layer of fresh snow. She slipped her thin frame through, dropped her research and rapier, and shoved the door closed.
“Mayoress?”
She spun and straightened her posture. “Under no circumstances is anyone to approach the tower.”
Two guardsmen clad in vermillion red, double-breasted uniforms stood at the base of the tower steps, shoulders dusted with snow. They possessed several weapons: muskets with bayonets, sabers, and crossbow pistols. All useless.
“Aye,” said the leading guard. “We thought we heard some rumbling from our post. Another quake?”
She knelt, sheathing her rapier and collecting her papers. And then she saw the ooze. Not much, but strands of it slithered under the door. She backed away and marched down the steps.
“Evacuate.”
“Excuse me, Mayoress?”
She stopped between the guards and faced the shift lead. “Evacuate. It’s a simple concept. Do it now.”
“Evacuate what? Ironsnow?”
“Yes, the entire hamlet. Get everyone to Adelstadt at once.” She looked past him at dozens of wood-framed homes at the base of the tower’s hill, billowing smoke from their chimneys. “No one goes near the tower. Get everyone out now.”
The other guard spoke. “But why? Minor quakes happen all the time. My family lives here.”
The three marched down the hill. Mirabel said nothing.
“Mayoress?”
“Miasma. I’ve discovered the tower is the source of plague-infested miasma. Likely the cause of other outbreaks around Adelstadt. Deadly strains. None can reside here any longer. I’m sorry.”
“Tordin’s mercy,” said the guard. “I’ll have my family pack right away.”
“Nay. Full evacuation. Immediately. Have the citizens take only what they can carry on their way out.”
“It’s that urgent?”
“I am the Mayoress and a syndicate-certified disease specialist. You think I give this order lightly?”
“Of course not, Mayoress Fairfax,” said the lead guard. “We’ll get everyone out within the hour.”
“Faster if you are able. Much faster.”


About the Author:

Sam Poling has been writing fantasy and science fiction for the thrill of it his entire life, from short stories to screenplays. His love for each of the subgenres led to dedication to writing genre-skirting fiction with all the elements that make up the human condition. He holds a strong enthusiasm for medical studies and currently works as a medical assistant in a large clinic while taking classing for nursing. He also serves on a health and safety committee, including disaster preparedness and infection control. His interest in epidemiology and medical science tends to spill over into his writing endeavors.

Find Sam Online:




a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tuesday, October 30, 2018

SPOTLIGHT: WITCHES' QUARTERS by Laura M. Snider



Today we have author Laura M. Snider stopping by to answer some questions about her new novel, Witches' Quarters.

SC: What is the significance of quarters in Witches’ Quarters?

LMS: Witches’ Quarters has four main characters, who are all siblings. The Quarters are the avenue they use to enter the world of Nova. The oldest child, Charlotte, gives her youngest sister, June, the bag of quarters and coin bank to help distract her from their parents’ arguing.

June chooses the North Dakota quarter. She drops it into the coin bank, and the four siblings are transported to the scene on the back of the quarter. This is where they meet the first native Novians, the bison on the back of the quarter.

SC:  What quarters did you use in the book, and why did you choose those particular quarters?

LMS: I started by gathering all the quarters I had and examining their backs. The first time I did this, I was sitting on the bathroom floor with coins dumped out all around me. My husband walked in, found me there, cocked his head to the side and said “what are you doing?” I said “just wait,” and he let it go. I guess he didn’t press me on it because I do weird things sometimes and he has decided it’s best not to ask too many questions. Eventually, I let him read the first draft of the book and he understood.

Mostly I chose the quarters that had animals on them and made the animals characters in the book. The Oklahoma quarter has a scissortail flycatcher on it, which becomes a very important character in the book. Nevada has three horses that become primary characters as well.  I used Nevada, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Iowa.

The Iowa Quarter doesn’t have any animals on it, but I live in Iowa and love Iowa so I wanted to use it in the book.

SC:  What happens when the characters in Witches’ Quarters use the traditional American quarter with the eagle on the back?

LMS: The answer to this question would be a huge spoiler, so I’ll just say that it’s a part of the book and something the reader has to find out.

SC:  Sans spoilers, what are the central conflicts in Witches’ Quarters?

LMS: The first conflict readers encounter is familial conflict. The parents of the four primary characters, Charlotte, Ava, Nolan, and June, do not get along. There is some domestic violence, and neither the reader or the children know how the situation will pay out for the mother (at least until the end).

The second conflict is familial as well. The two oldest children, Charlotte and Ava, are constantly disagreeing with one another. These two are the closest in age, 16 and 15 respectively, and they both have very different ideas of what is best for their family. This leads to some decisions that get both Charlotte and Ava into some trouble. 

The third conflict involves the entire world of Nova. There are two separate groups with separate cultures. Intelligent, talking animals are native to Nova. Witches from America are the second group. The groups each have different types of powers, but the power is transferrable. I won’t go into too much detail into this because it would have to include spoilers, but I’ll say that greed fuels the conflict between native Novians and the witches.

The final conflict is amongst each separate group, the animals and witches. I won’t go into detail here, but the reader will find there to be conflict amongst the animals as well as conflict amongst the witches.

SC: Is there an inherent good or bad side to any of conflicts in the story?

LMS: Yes and no. Some conflicts have a clear right and wrong, while others do not. For example, domestic violence is always wrong. So, obviously the children’s father is wrong when he physically abuses his wife. But the conflict between Ava and Charlotte is less clear. Same with the conflict between the characters living in Nova.

For the most part, readers have to decide who is good and who is bad. Each group/character has good and bad traits. They all have reasons and justifications for their actions. Each reader may come to a different conclusion as to who is right and who is wrong, depending on what values that particular reader finds are most important.

SC: Relationships between characters is an important part books. What relationship did you enjoy the most?

LMS: I would have to say Ava and Paloma. Paloma is one of the three horses the siblings encounter in Nevada. She is a war horse and an important part of the animal’s resistance to the witch. Ava is a witch, although she doesn’t know it at the beginning of the book.

The fact that Ava is a witch and Paloma is a witch hater places them at odds early on. But they are forced together. Paloma and the animals need Ava and her sibling’s help. Ava and her siblings need the animal’s help. For this reason, they have to spend time together and learn to appreciate one another.

Eventually, they get to know one another and set aside their cultural differences. They decide to look at one another as individuals rather than as a group. The friendship that blossoms between the two characters at that point is unshakable.

SC:  Writers often have a deeper meaning to their novels than that which is obvious from the book. Did you have a deeper meaning in mind when you wrote Witches’ Quarters?

I did. I wanted to challenge the issue of good vs. bad. Our world is so polarized these days and everyone seems to think they are firmly on the side of “good.” But what does that mean? 

I practice as a criminal defense attorney as my “day job,” and I’ve spent a large part of my career addressing the “good” vs. “bad” question. People seem to think that prosecutors are good and defense attorneys, along with their clients, are bad.

The truth is much more complicated than that. Yes, a prosecutor seems good when she tries a case and ultimately convicts a burglar who broke into a house and beat the homeowner to death. Those facts always elicit strong emotions in everyone, and naturally people want to hold someone accountable.

But what if the person who was convicted was actually innocent? What if law enforcement missed some key pieces of evidence and arrested the wrong person? Who is the victim in that scenario? Who is good and who is bad? It’s a lot more complicated than initially thought.

From the standpoint of the innocent person who was wrongfully convicted, the prosecutor and cops are firmly on the bad side and the defense attorney is good. For law enforcement and the family of the person killed, the defense attorney and defendant are bad while the prosecutor is good.

 

I say the latter part because these two groups won’t likely believe the wrongfully convicted person was wrongfully convicted. To come to this conclusion, law enforcement would have to admit that they are the villains in the story. The family would have to admit that a killer is still out there and they rooted for the destruction of an innocent person’s life. Both of these things are contradictory to human nature. Both of these things are extremely unlikely.

SC:  June is the youngest character in the book and she is epileptic. Why did you choose to give June this disease when you wrote her character?

LMS:  I have a family member who has suffered with Epilepsy since she was a baby. It is a disease that not many people know much about. Actually, since it is a disease of the brain, doctors still don’t know a lot about it.

SC: I decided to give June epilepsy for a couple of reasons. First, because I’ve never read a book that had an epileptic character and I wanted to draw some attention to the disease. Second, the disease created additional conflict in the story. I won’t go into detail because it would have to include spoilers, but it is important to the conflict between Ava and Charlotte.

SC:  Will there be a sequel to Witches’ Quarters?

LMS: I didn’t write Witches’ Quarters with a specific intention either way. I was careful to make sure the book could stand alone without a sequel. But I also allowed room for the possibility.

A number of people who have read the book have encouraged me to make Witches’ Quarters a series. I don’t have specific plans to continue it at this point. I’d like to work on something entirely different for a little while. But if I do write another book in the series, I think it will likely be a prequel, not a sequel.

SC:  What are you working on next?

LMS: I’m currently working on a manuscript about the criminal justice system. It is geared towards an adult audience. It is a fiction novel, but it addresses some of the issues I saw in the criminal justice system when I worked as a public defender.

SC: Sounds intriguing! Thanks for stopping by today. Let's look at your novel now.

Witches’ Quarters
Laura M. Snider

Genre: YA fantasy




Publisher: Clear Fork Publishing


Date of Publication: 10/8/18

ISBN: 978-1946101792

Number of pages: 336
Word Count: 85,655

Tagline: Greed and inequality leads to bloodshed in the mythical world of Nova.

Book Description:

Charlotte's parents are fighting again. As the oldest of four children, Charlotte needs something to distract her three siblings. June, the youngest, takes a quarter from a bag and drops it in a tree-shaped coin bank. But these are no ordinary quarters. The kids are transported to a new world - one that resembles the scene on the back of the coin.

That world is Nova, and Nova is at war. The four siblings are now thrust into the middle of this war between the witches and the animal warriors. A raccoon named Ringo offers a way home - but the kids must first fight alongside the animals. Younger sister Ava wants to fight. Charlotte doesn't trust the warriors and wants to look for her own way out. 

Charlotte and Ava become separated when they each follow their instincts. On their own, each girl discovers mysteries about Nova that place their family in peril. Now Charlotte and Ava have to find one another again - a task wrought with danger and deception - before it's too late.



About the Author:

Laura M. Snider is a writer residing in Des Moines, Iowa. She grew up in Topeka, Kansas with seven siblings, one of which is her twin sister. Laura moved to Des Moines in 2006 to attend Law School and fell in love with the city. She still lives in Des Moines and is a managing partner in the law firm Johnson, Bonzer and Barnaby, PLC. Laura lives with her husband, three children, two dogs, and one very old cat.

While Laura's career has been law, she has always loved books. And after finding so much joy in the writing of others, Laura decided to start writing novels of her own. It was this love of books coupled with Laura's close-knit family that propelled her to finish her first novel. Laura wrote her debut novel, Witches Quarters,' as a Christmas present for her niece, who shares Laura's love of books.




a Rafflecopter giveaway



WICKED HARVEST GUEST BLOG with Jerrod S. Smelker




Why Fall? Why Halloween? Why Michigan? And what does this have to do with these stories and books?

Let’s start with the great state of MICHIGAN. I consider myself lucky to have been born and raised in Michigan; a state I consider to be the absolute best in the country.  I was born in Hastings in the early 70s, and then when I was about 18 months old, my mother, sister and I moved to the charming small town of Ionia. My mother was originally from Ionia; in fact, my grandparents owned and operated a locksmith and bicycle business there, started in the 1940s. My child-rearing years were spent living in town, living on a farm and living in a trailer park until I graduated high school. I had a good childhood, a typical childhood where my imagination was able to run wild.

Once I became an adult, I moved around quite a bit; Kalamazoo, Lake Odessa, Grand Blanc, Pewamo, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Middleville and on and on. I’ve had the pleasure of driving all over the state visiting beautiful and wonderful towns like Petoskey, Holly, Munising, Harbor Springs, Mackinac City, Lexington, Flint, Fenton, Port Austin, and Grand Haven to name a few. All of these towns have left lasting memories, thoughts and ideas for me because they each offer unique sights, architecture, people and history.

Living in Michigan my whole life not only have I seen some amazing cities, towns, parks and beaches, but I have also heard many of its spooky legends, ghost stories and tales about its many haunted locations. I thought to base a series of spooky stories and books that included actual Michigan locations would be an excellent way for me to pay tribute to the people, places and things. As I said, it is the greatest state in the nation!

Nothing on earth gets my mind, body and soul aroused like the season of FALL. I get excited about the three months of September, October and November more than a person probably should (But I know I’m not alone). I look forward to the fall season every year and have since I was very young. And every year and I get asked, “What is it about fall you love so much?”

First, I call it fall; always have, always will. Some people call it autumn. I guess it depends on who you ask or where they’re from. I love the word autumn, but most people I know say fall. I guess for me, it doesn’t really matter what you call it, what matters is all that comes with it. It’s a laundry list of things that come with the season that gets me excited and makes everything in the world seem…right.

It’s the chill in the air and the crisp clean cool breeze, wearing warm cozy sweatshirts or my favorite flannel shirts, making s’mores over a bonfire with family and friends, drinking cider and eating donuts from a visit to the local cider mills and orchards, picking out those perfect pumpkins at the pumpkin patch to carve Jack O‟ Lanterns or just place as decorations, driving around taking in the sights of the beautiful colored leaves, drinking hot flavored coffee or hot cocoa on the porch, tasting all of the fall seasonal craft beers and hard ciders, the smell of burning leaves and wood burning in fireplaces, not having to deal with those pesky summer bugs, crock pot slow roast dinners, chili cook-offs, and yes, even the pumpkin spice everything!

To me, there’s no emotion and sensation like what I get and feel during the fall months. Even though I know the dreaded winter will soon follow. Still, I embrace the season for all it’s worth and bask in the pure comfort on how everything about it makes me feel. I could go on, but I’m sure you understand.

Everyone has their favorite holiday. Sure, I love Thanksgiving for the bounty of delectable food and watching the traditional football game. Christmas with the pretty lights, gifts and more delicious foods and even St. Patrick’s Day isn’t too bad with a cold Guinness in hand. But, for me, hands down, the best holiday is HALLOWEEN.

For starters, it’s smack dab in the middle of my favorite fall season. Second, it’s just so much fun, has so much tradition and you get to dress in costume to become anything and anyone you want…even if it’s for just one night. Oh, then third; the candy. Lots and lots of candy! 

Yes, even as an adult I like, nope, love the candy.

Granted, I don’t go Trick-or-Treating anymore, but I thoroughly enjoy decorating the house and handing out candy to all the little ones in the neighborhood. And if I have candy left in the bowl at the end of the night…so be it. Halloween is just fun and it can make us all remember what being a kid is all about.

I have enjoyed celebrating Halloween since I was a toddler. I love and appreciate the folklore behind it, the traditions, the parties, and the creatures and costumes. I’ve always admired and respected the classic tales of Dracula, Frankenstein and the myths and legends told by friends and family…especially real-life ghost stories. I look forward every year to watching The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and movies like Sleepy Hollow, Trick R Treat, Hocus Pocus, Young Frankenstein, Underworld, Zombieland, The Lost Boys and so many others. So bring on the bats, skeletons, black cats, witches, Jack O‟ Lanterns, ghosts, ghouls and goblins, and creatures and monsters of all kinds!

So why this book? Why now?

When I started writing articles and stories years ago, I never envisioned myself as a horror writer or any kind of scary story writer. Then one day in the fall of 2017 I was talking to my wife and kids about scary stories and then immediately got an idea in my head for one. That idea eventually became the Stone Hollow story. Funny enough, written about the very subdivision that I live in.

Once I wrote that first one I got hooked and couldn’t stop writing. The ideas and thoughts were pouring out of my head faster than I could type. I had notepads and pieces of paper strewn everywhere with ideas. I finally created a document called Ideas and it was just that; all kinds of story ideas, characters, partial paragraphs, locations, dialog…everything to keep my thoughts together so I wouldn’t lose them. There’s nothing worse than having a great idea and then forgetting it later.

Once I had a dozen full stories together, I wondered what to do with them. I thought about trying to enter writing contests and submit some to anthology books (which I did a few), but then I thought maybe I would just put them in book form and do things my way. My hope was that people would read them and enjoy them as much as I do.

Heck, I know there are hundreds of horror writers out there and I know my stories may not be made into blockbuster movies, but I'm going to let my imagination run wild and do the best I can. The plan is to make Michigan Monsters & Macabre a series of books; perhaps 5 to 10...if I’m lucky.

...add now it has really got my gears moving and I'm excited not only to write scary stories but to write other short stories and books as well. Looks like I have a lot of work ahead of me. I better make a few pots of coffee...it’s going to be a long year!







Wicked Harvest: Michigan Monsters and Macabre
Book One
Jerrod S. Smelker

Genre:  Fiction, Horror

Publisher: Last Leaf Publishing

Date of Publication: Sept 24th, 2018

ISBN:1720157022

Number of pages: 193
Word Count: 36,600

Cover Artist: BookDesign

Book Description:

Welcome to the Wicked Harvest: Michigan Monsters and Macabre spooky short stories books.

Inside you will read 10 chilling haunts of encounters with terrifying creatures, cursed fountains, the undead, an abandoned asylum and other creepy and frightening things.

All stories take place in and around Michigan cities and towns and transpire during the delightful season of fall and the greatest holiday of Halloween.

These startling tales are fictional stories of course…or are they?





About the Author:



Jerrod S. Smelker is the owner/operator/writer for Last Leaf Publishing, Our Michigan Travels and Wicked Harvest MI. Author of “Vigilant in Today’s World” series of crime prevention books, “Wicked Harvest: Michigan Monsters & Macabre” series of spooky short stories and books and numerous other short stories. He is a proud member of the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers. He grew up in Ionia, a quaint small town smack dab in the middle of Michigan between Grand Rapids and the state’s capital, Lansing. He enjoys history, writing, reading, fine cigars and pipes, craft beers and hard ciders, coffee, and Michigan road trips. He currently lives in Grand Blanc Michigan with his wife, kids and cats.











a Rafflecopter giveaway




EVERYDAY ENCHANTMENTS with Maria DeBlassie






Everyday Enchantments
Musings on Ordinary Magic and Daily Conjurings
Maria DeBlassie

Publisher: Moon Books

Release Date: October 26, 2018

ISBN-10: 1785359231

ISBN-13: 978-1785359231

Book Description:

Everyday Enchantments is a love letter to the magic of everyday life, the sweet moments and the profound that we often overlook in our hurry to get from one place to the next. What if we had the power to unplug from our daily hustle and bustle and conjure a more profound way of living rooted in natural mysticism?

We do. All it takes is the whispered wish for more everyday enchantment breathed onto a dandelion head. This collection of essays reminds us to escape into the ordinary, find beauty in a simple cup of tea or rereading a beloved novel—and joyfully let our world turn upside down when synchronicity strikes in the form of wrong turns down forgotten lanes and unexpected midnight conversations with the moon.  

This book is a study in what it means to live deliciously, joyfully, and magically. And it’s an invitation to conjure your own bliss—-because let’s face it: we could all use a little more magic in our lives.  


Amazon      Moon Books



Excerpt:

ENCHANTMENT: A spell wrapped in a noun. Three syllables. One state of being.
To live with Enchantment is to see beyond the brick and mortar that make up your home and into the magic infused within its frame. It is made up of stories and dried bay leaves and dreams whispered into the heads of dandelions. Of bare feet on carpeted floors and the smell of burning sage. Crystals—amethyst, citrine, amazonite, smoky quartz—winding in and around your books; all the better to magnify their magic. It is to peel back the layers of your day-to-day and search for that elusive energy that winds its way up your spine and outward into your life. Let the snake at your base wriggle free of its coil to climb up to your shoulder blades and across your open back. There is no room for tightly stacked discs here, just the taste of joy when the sun licks your skin.
You might find it at the bottom of an empty teacup. Your future written in soggy leaves, or in the whisper of trees, their leaves rustling and murmuring secrets only they can understand. Sometimes they are kind enough to translate for you—if you listen long enough. If you shower their roots with distilled love songs and feed them the black earth from your compost. It’s there, too, when you run your tongue along the grooves and ridges of a well-loved sentence. It’s everywhere. Even in the spaces you think have lost hope, like the junk drawer where you keep your faded dreams, stray screws, and half-forgotten heartbreaks along with wine corks and a few rubber bands. They’re not lost, just resting like seeds in the earth before they are ready to break open.
That is the first syllable.
The second is to learn from Enchantment, to listen to Coyote's call when he plays his tricks. Coyote loves his tricks. And you should too. What delicious messages wrapped in matted fur and a lolling tongue! All he wants is for you to take that leap of faith when only you can see the soft earth on the other side of the cliff. Don’t you know that you have wings? They are just rusty from disuse. Just listen to Coyote’s long-winded stories (he does so admire himself) and watch the flick of his tail. All he asks is for you to trust him, even if he can’t be trusted; his les- son is real, hard as onyx in your palm, ephemeral as the desert rain that you feel in your bones when all you see is a cloudless sky. No weatherman can ever map the storms and sunshine work- ing their way across your body.
Coyote has no room for logic, just the reason in his unreason.
Just those perfect coincidences set in motion by the padding of his paws. You are raw power, he says, a spark of the universe set in motion. And you must trust this power that is you, that is the earth, that is the beating of your heart. A rhythmic tattoo forever pounding out your path, however many times you try to stray from it. All Enchantment asks is that you absorb the wisdom of the moon and the stars, and the prophesying of the seeds burrowed deep in the dirt. Coyote is there to make sure you listen, even when the rest of the world prefers your ears stopped with cotton and your heart beating as slow as melting snow in winter.
And the third syllable? To conjure. Here you weave your spell with vowels and consonants and beeswax candles. You seal them with pure starlight and a handful of chamomile. Then you burn away the dry brush and the brittle ideas that don’t hold up against the moonlight. There is no room here for literal…things or the people who think them. Not if you want to create. Not if you want to believe that the most important part of your everyday occurs in the moments others can too easily overlook. (Seldom can you find a person strong enough to brave the stillness or wade into the bottomless waters of imagination.) You make your life here, in the infinite potential of seconds and minutes and hours unfurling into vines and roots. Because when you are looking for everyday enchantment, it finds you. Always. And if you let it, it will settle inside your skin and feed your soul with dreams grown ripe under the sun’s caress. It drops you deep down into the rich earth and forgotten caves buried between heartbeats—places that many are too afraid to venture inside. For how can you absorb the marvelous, if you do not recognize it reflected in yourself, feel it settle in your bones like so much calcium?
That's Enchantment.
A three-syllable spell wrapped in a noun, planted in the earth and nourished with moon- light. Let the roots stretch to the underworld and the leaves unfurl toward the heavens. Walk across the star-kissed bridge made of hollyhock seeds and strong will. There is your passage into the unseen universe.


Reviews and Endorsements

An insightful collection of short writings that make you look at the everyday in a whole new light. ~ Erin Elliot, The Sword of Lumina

To build everyday bridges between the magick and the mundane out of the long-sought and hard-won materials of will and wonder is the act of a true Priestess. In this book, DeBlassie offers rich glimpses of daily rituals, miniature spells in their own right that prompt the reader to look for the quiet divinity in their own lives, to see the subtle majesty in their day-to-day routines, and to question their perceived barriers between the modern and the mystical. ~ Danielle Dulsky, author of Woman Most Wild

Maria DeBlassie has crafted magic within the pages of her new book, Everyday Enchantments. Her eloquent words offer the ‘promise of soul replenishment’ as one traverses the journey of her -and their- metaphorical metamorphosis. Page after page, readers will experience the soothing balm of DeBlassie’s words as they encourage one to open her heart, her mind, her ear, her thoughts and her soul to the unique transpersonal book they hold in their hands. Just as DeBlassie mentions early on in Everyday Enchantments when writing of the unexpected delight of discovering a double yolk, her heartfelt writing is like ‘cradling…gold’ in one’s hands. Reading and absorbing the beauty of Maria DeBlassie’s Everyday Enchantments will have readers conjuring their own magical life. Her words will caress their soul and embrace their heart with inspiration and encouragement. Everyday Enchantments blends together poetic consciousness such as from Maya Angelou and Mary Oliver all while weaving in powerful and deep inner wisdom such as from Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Yet, Maria DeBlassie beautifully stands out given the uniqueness of Everyday Enchantments. It’s a must read and a must to be gently and lovingly held in a sacred place of honor in one’s personal library. DeBlassie’s Everyday Enchantments is like a heart song that every woman should feel. ~ Janelle Alex, Ph.D.,The Writer’s Shaman

Reading this enchanted collection is so much more than reading a book…it’s an unearthing of things half-remembered and bringing them into the light. Gorgeous and luminous…thank you, Maria, for unwinding this spell for your readers. ~ Laura Bickle, critically-acclaimed author of Nine of Stars, Bewitching Book Tours

An insightful collection of short writings that make you look at the everyday in a whole new light. Ponder how different life could be if you stop taking everything for granted and find joy in the simplicity of it all~ Erin Elliott, author of The Sword of Lumina series, The Editing Hall


About the Author:

Maria DeBlassie, Ph.D. is a native New Mexican mestiza blogger, writer, and award-winning educator living in the Land of Enchantment. Her blogging life started in 2012 as a year-long journey to write her back into happy, healthy, and whole through daily posts about life’s simple pleasures, everyday magic, and radical self-care. That year-long experiment turned into a lifestyle, a book, and her ongoing blog, Enchantment Learning and Living. She is forever looking for magic in her life and somehow always finding more than she thought was there.

Find out more about Maria and conjuring everyday magic at www.mariadeblassie.com







a Rafflecopter giveaway