Isra Sravenheart's Blog - Posts Tagged "dark-fantasy"
"Her Blackened Soul" Goodreads Giveaway Approved!!!
Hello everyone Isra here, just dropping in to let you know my Goodreads giveaway for "Her Blackened Soul" has finalliy been approved. I did add it before end of September but most likely, there has been a glitch.
Anyway, not to worry if you haven't seen my works or books before, here is a quick look at "Her Blackened Soul" so you can get a feel for what the story is about:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Blackene...
And as promised, here is the giveaway link if you wish to enter:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
I apologise for the lack of updates, I am very busy at the moment working on my second novel, "Her Blackened Heart" :)
If you wish to keep up to date with my work, here are my social media links, which you can follow:
Amazon Author Central Page:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Isra-Sravenh...
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/IsraSravenhe...
https://www.facebook.com/Isra-Sravenh...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/israsravenheart
Tumblr: http://israsravenheartauthor.tumblr.com/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isra-srav...
My Goodreads Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Anyway, not to worry if you haven't seen my works or books before, here is a quick look at "Her Blackened Soul" so you can get a feel for what the story is about:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Blackene...
And as promised, here is the giveaway link if you wish to enter:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
I apologise for the lack of updates, I am very busy at the moment working on my second novel, "Her Blackened Heart" :)
If you wish to keep up to date with my work, here are my social media links, which you can follow:
Amazon Author Central Page:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Isra-Sravenh...
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/IsraSravenhe...
https://www.facebook.com/Isra-Sravenh...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/israsravenheart
Tumblr: http://israsravenheartauthor.tumblr.com/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isra-srav...
My Goodreads Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Connecting on Social Media
Hello everyone, Isra here.
Today I want to talk to you about the important of connecting. I am talking about all connectivity in all forms, whether you are an author, business owner, someone selling products, this is for everyone.
Okay so firstly you need to connect with people. You need to connect with their interests, their likes, their dislikes. You need to connect at their level and have something that makes them go, "wow, that is so like me" or words that are similar. Give them a reason to be interested in you. Give them a reason to connect.
Be professional, but be real on social media, in all connecting with people. We all want to see the real person! If you are someone who is really nice and caring and polite on social media but is really rough and unkind in real life, then you won't get that far. It is important to be real, obviously keep some things that don't make you look good, off the internet, such as swearing, political views, hate speech, because none of these will make you look interesting or good to connect with! Show real aspects of yourself, talk about your life. Talk about your likes, talk about what you do. Give people an element of the real you. It's okay to talk about negative things such as problems but keep it to a minimum on social media.
Another crucial element is building relationships. Don't just spam your website and go off on your merry way! Talk to people. Answer their questions and queries. If someone expresses interest in your work or what you do then reply to them. Give them a follow up, ask how they are, how their day is going! Connect with people.
You may find someone who is really interested in you and your work and what is the mistake most make? They immediately spam that person with their link. No that is not how to do it. Start a conversation, whether it is something simple such as, "Hi, thank you for your interest in "insert thing here" or "Thank you for your comment, how are you today?" If they have questions, answer them honestly and thank them for taking the time to comment/ interact with you. Always thank people for making the connection! Always be nice and thoughtful! So a good tip is never to reply when you are upset, angry or just in a bad mood.
Somebody may ask for your links, if so, give them the links to all your relevant websites... but add in a conversational talking point so it is simply not just links. Offer them something if you can, when something is offered it creates an incentive. Incentives are very good for starting relationships and it gives that person a reason to return to you!
If someone wishes to connect with you on your personal profile, then by all means do so, but check out your content. Is it professional? Is it interesting? Is it kind? Is it thoughtful and positive? Is it something that stands out from the crowd? Remember only put out content you would be happy seeing if you were viewing another profile... if something irks you or is negative, discouraging in any way, then consider to remove it. Make sure that any public personal profiles give people positive reasons to connect with you, the same with business/ professional profiles. Make sure they are exciting looking, stand out and truly say what you want to say, in regards to what you are promoting online!
I can't begin to stress enough how important connections are. You must make a connection, rather than just spamming. Be real. Be a person. Take the focus off you, in a sense but be real. Smile. Be positive. Happy! Post as often as you can and post content that relates to your brand and does so in a positive way.
I hope this helped.
I just really wanted to express the importance of connecting!
Isra xx
I have also recently updated my social media links so check those out, if you wish to connect with me, feel free to do so!
Amazon Author Central Page:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Isra-Sravenh...
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/IsraSravenhe...
https://www.facebook.com/Isra-Sravenh...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/israsravenheart
Tumblr: http://israsravenheartauthor.tumblr.com/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isra-srav...
My Goodreads Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Today I want to talk to you about the important of connecting. I am talking about all connectivity in all forms, whether you are an author, business owner, someone selling products, this is for everyone.
Okay so firstly you need to connect with people. You need to connect with their interests, their likes, their dislikes. You need to connect at their level and have something that makes them go, "wow, that is so like me" or words that are similar. Give them a reason to be interested in you. Give them a reason to connect.
Be professional, but be real on social media, in all connecting with people. We all want to see the real person! If you are someone who is really nice and caring and polite on social media but is really rough and unkind in real life, then you won't get that far. It is important to be real, obviously keep some things that don't make you look good, off the internet, such as swearing, political views, hate speech, because none of these will make you look interesting or good to connect with! Show real aspects of yourself, talk about your life. Talk about your likes, talk about what you do. Give people an element of the real you. It's okay to talk about negative things such as problems but keep it to a minimum on social media.
Another crucial element is building relationships. Don't just spam your website and go off on your merry way! Talk to people. Answer their questions and queries. If someone expresses interest in your work or what you do then reply to them. Give them a follow up, ask how they are, how their day is going! Connect with people.
You may find someone who is really interested in you and your work and what is the mistake most make? They immediately spam that person with their link. No that is not how to do it. Start a conversation, whether it is something simple such as, "Hi, thank you for your interest in "insert thing here" or "Thank you for your comment, how are you today?" If they have questions, answer them honestly and thank them for taking the time to comment/ interact with you. Always thank people for making the connection! Always be nice and thoughtful! So a good tip is never to reply when you are upset, angry or just in a bad mood.
Somebody may ask for your links, if so, give them the links to all your relevant websites... but add in a conversational talking point so it is simply not just links. Offer them something if you can, when something is offered it creates an incentive. Incentives are very good for starting relationships and it gives that person a reason to return to you!
If someone wishes to connect with you on your personal profile, then by all means do so, but check out your content. Is it professional? Is it interesting? Is it kind? Is it thoughtful and positive? Is it something that stands out from the crowd? Remember only put out content you would be happy seeing if you were viewing another profile... if something irks you or is negative, discouraging in any way, then consider to remove it. Make sure that any public personal profiles give people positive reasons to connect with you, the same with business/ professional profiles. Make sure they are exciting looking, stand out and truly say what you want to say, in regards to what you are promoting online!
I can't begin to stress enough how important connections are. You must make a connection, rather than just spamming. Be real. Be a person. Take the focus off you, in a sense but be real. Smile. Be positive. Happy! Post as often as you can and post content that relates to your brand and does so in a positive way.
I hope this helped.
I just really wanted to express the importance of connecting!
Isra xx
I have also recently updated my social media links so check those out, if you wish to connect with me, feel free to do so!
Amazon Author Central Page:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Isra-Sravenh...
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/IsraSravenhe...
https://www.facebook.com/Isra-Sravenh...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/israsravenheart
Tumblr: http://israsravenheartauthor.tumblr.com/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isra-srav...
My Goodreads Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Happy Halloween/ Halloween Traditions
Hello all, Isra here. I just wanted to say Happy Halloween to all my followers wherever you may be in the world and hope it is a lovely occasion for you! As a witch I look forward to Halloween most out of all of the holidays and so I thought in honour of that, we would talk about Halloween Traditions and just explain what it is all about for those who don't know!
So Halloween, better known as Samhain that happens every year on October 31st actually started many years ago when people would dress up as ghouls to ward off the dead, years later candy companies jumped on this and now we have what is known as trick or treating, which has nothing to do with Halloween whatsoever but it can be fun for the younger generation. Halloween or All Hallows Eve is said to be the one day of the year where the dead can come back and visit us. It is also an auspicious time so the veil between our world and the spirit world is incredibly thin, and it is a time where we honour those who passed on and also our ancestors by manner of rituals, offerings and letting them know we are thankful to them for all their assistance.
Halloween has a few traditions. My favourite in partilcular is the apple love one. You simply peel an apple all the way without breaking the peel until you come to the end. Once you have the peel throw it over your shoulder and whatever the initial is, will be the initial of the one you are meant to marry!
Another is to light a red candle while staring into a mirror in a dark night with just candle light for lighting. By concentrating on the vision, you should be able to see who your true love is in the mirrors reflection!
There are some myths surrounding Halloween, which I found online as I did some research so I cannot take credit for these. I hope you enjoy reading them as I did.
Black Cats
Often used as symbols of bad luck, black cats grace many Halloween decorations. The black cat's bad reputation dates back to the Dark Ages, when witch hunts were commonplace. Elderly, solitary women were often accused of witchcraft, and their pet cats were said to be their "familiars," or demonic animals that had been given to them by the devil. [Read: Here Kitty, Kitty: 10 Facts for Cat Lovers]
Another medieval myth told that Satan turned himself into a cat when socializing with witches. But nowadays, black cats aren't synonymous with bad luck and mischief everywhere — in Ireland, Scotland and England, it's considered good luck for a black cat to cross your path.
Jack-O'-Lanterns
A fun fall activity, carving Jack-o'-lanterns actually has its roots in a sinister, tragic fable. Celtic folklore tells the tale of a drunken farmer named Jack who tricked the devil, but his trickery resulted in him being turned away from both the gates of heaven and hell after he died. Having no choice but to wander around the darkness of purgatory, Jack made a lantern from a turnip and a burning lump of coal that the devil had tossed him from hell.
Jack, the story goes, used the lantern to guide his lost soul; as such, the Celts believed that placing Jack-o'-lanterns outside would help guide lost spirits home when they wander the streets on Halloween. Originally made using a hollowed-out turnip with a small candle inside, Jack-o'-lanterns' frightening carved faces also served to scare evil spirits away. When the Irish potato famine of 1846 forced Irish families to flee to North America, the tradition came with them. Since turnips were hard to come by in the states at the time, pumpkins were used as a substitute.
Bats
Medieval folklore also described bats as witches' familiars, and seeing a bat on Halloween was considered to be quite an ominous sign. One myth was that if a bat was spotted flying around one's house three times, it meant that someone in that house would soon die. Another myth was that if a bat flew into your house on Halloween, it was a sign that your house was haunted because ghosts had let the bat in.
Spiders
A common source of fear, spiders make for creepy, crawly Halloween staples. They join the ranks of bats and black cats in folklore as being evil companions of witches during medieval times. One superstition held that if a spider falls into a candle-lit lamp and is consumed by the flame, witches are nearby. And if you spot a spider on Halloween, goes another superstition, it means that the spirit of a deceased loved one is watching over you.
Witches
The stereotypical image of the haggard witch with a pointy black hat and warty nose stirring a magical potion in her cauldron actually stems from a pagan goddess known as "the crone," who was honored during Samhain. The crone was also known as "the old one" and the "Earth mother," who symbolized wisdom, change, and the turning of the seasons. Today, the kind, all-knowing old crone has morphed into the menacing, cackling witch.
Cauldrons
The pagan Celts believed that after death, all souls went into the crone's cauldron, which symbolized the Earth mother's womb. There, the souls awaited reincarnation, as the goddess' stirring allowed for new souls to enter the cauldron and old souls to be reborn. That image of the cauldron of life has now been replaced by the steaming, bubbling, ominous brew
Witch's Broomstick
The witch's broomstick is another superstition that has its roots in medieval myths. The elderly, introverted women that were accused of witchcraft were often poor and could not afford horses, so they navigated through the woods on foot with the help of walking sticks, which were sometimes substituted by brooms.
English folklore tells that during night-time ceremonies, witches rubbed a "flying" potion on their bodies, closed their eyes and felt as though they were flying. The hallucinogenic ointment, which caused numbness, rapid heartbeat and confusion, gave them the illusion that they were soaring through the sky.
Trick-Or-Treating in Costumes
In olden times, it was believed that during Samhain, the veil between our world and the spirit world was thinnest, and that the ghosts of the deceased could mingle with the living. The superstition was that the visiting ghosts could disguise themselves in human form, such as a beggar, and knock on your door during Samhain asking for money or food. If you turned them away empty-handed, you risked receiving the wrath of the spirit and being cursed or haunted.
Another Celtic myth was that dressing up as a ghoul would fool the evil spirits into thinking that you were one of them so that they would not try to take your soul. In the U.S., trick-or-treating became a customary Halloween tradition around the late 1950s, after it was brought over by Irish immigrants in the early 1900s.
Halloween Colors
The traditional Halloween colors of orange and black actually stem from the pagan celebration of autumn and the harvest, with orange symbolizing the colors of the crops and turning leaves, while black marks the "death" of summer and the changing season. Over time, green, purple and yellow have also been introduced into the color scheme of Halloween decorations.
Mischief Night
From some — namely troublesome teenagers — Halloween is also a time for neighborhood pranks. From egging and toilet-papering houses to smashing jack-o'-lanterns, "devil's night" can be full of mischief and menace.
The ancient Celts celebrated Samhain with bonfires, games and comical pranks. By the 1920s and 30s, however, the celebrations became more rowdy, with rising acts of vandalism, possibly due to the tension caused by the Great Depression, according to Jack Santino's "Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life" (Univ. of Tennessee Press, 1994). To curb the vandalism, adults began to hand out candy, reigniting the forgotten tradition of trick-or-treating in costume in exchange for sweets. This successfully replaced most of the mischief elements from Oct. 31 celebrations, so the troublemakers instead adopted Oct. 30 as their official night to pull pranks and wreak havoc.
Candy Apples
Candy apples are popular Halloween treats, and the sugary fruit on a stick was handed out during the early days of trick-or-treating in North America — before concerns over unwrapped candy became an issue. Today, candy apples can be covered in caramel or chocolate with nuts, as well as in the classic, shiny red syrup.
The fusion of Celtic and Roman traditions is behind Halloween's candy-apple staple. Samhain was around the time of the Roman festival honoring Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees. The goddess is often symbolized by an apple, so the fruit became synonymous with Samhain celebrations of the harvest.
Bobbing for Apples
In ancient times, the apple was viewed as a sacred fruit that could be used to predict the future. Bobbing for apples is one of the traditional games used for fortune-telling on Halloween night. It was believed that the first person to pluck an apple from the water-filled bucket without using their hands would be the first to marry.
If the bobber lucked out and caught an apple on the first try, it meant that they would experience true love, while those who got an apple after many tries would be fickle in their romantic endeavors. Another myth was that if a girl put her bobbed apple under her pillow on Halloween night, she would dream about her future husband.
Candy Corn
The candy most synonymous with Halloween, candy corn was invented in the late 1880s and began to be mass-produced in the early 1900s. The original process for making candy corn was cumbersome and time-consuming, as each color of syrup had to be heated up in large vats and carefully poured by hand into specially shaped molds.
But the yellow, orange and white candy — meant to resemble a corn kernel — was a huge hit and remains a popular part of Halloween to this day.
Halloween is also about honoring our ancestors so an idea here is light a few candles, place an offering on your alter or outside, doesn't have to be anything fancy, could be some candy, an apple, bread, sweets or gold coins.
You can also say some words to honor your ancestors there are many already written chants online, but I would suggest you write your own words as it will be more personal and will fit the occasion better.
But here is one I found that you can use:
Perform this rite outside if at all possible. If you normally cast a circle, do so now. Say:
Samhain is here, and it is a time of transitions.
The winter approaches, and the summer dies.
This is the time of the Dark Mother,
a time of death and of dying.
This is the night of our ancestors
and of the Ancient Ones.
(Taken from paganwiccan.com)
Well that's all for now. I hope you all have a super spooktacular Halloween and I will be with you again very soon.
Isra xxx
So Halloween, better known as Samhain that happens every year on October 31st actually started many years ago when people would dress up as ghouls to ward off the dead, years later candy companies jumped on this and now we have what is known as trick or treating, which has nothing to do with Halloween whatsoever but it can be fun for the younger generation. Halloween or All Hallows Eve is said to be the one day of the year where the dead can come back and visit us. It is also an auspicious time so the veil between our world and the spirit world is incredibly thin, and it is a time where we honour those who passed on and also our ancestors by manner of rituals, offerings and letting them know we are thankful to them for all their assistance.
Halloween has a few traditions. My favourite in partilcular is the apple love one. You simply peel an apple all the way without breaking the peel until you come to the end. Once you have the peel throw it over your shoulder and whatever the initial is, will be the initial of the one you are meant to marry!
Another is to light a red candle while staring into a mirror in a dark night with just candle light for lighting. By concentrating on the vision, you should be able to see who your true love is in the mirrors reflection!
There are some myths surrounding Halloween, which I found online as I did some research so I cannot take credit for these. I hope you enjoy reading them as I did.
Black Cats
Often used as symbols of bad luck, black cats grace many Halloween decorations. The black cat's bad reputation dates back to the Dark Ages, when witch hunts were commonplace. Elderly, solitary women were often accused of witchcraft, and their pet cats were said to be their "familiars," or demonic animals that had been given to them by the devil. [Read: Here Kitty, Kitty: 10 Facts for Cat Lovers]
Another medieval myth told that Satan turned himself into a cat when socializing with witches. But nowadays, black cats aren't synonymous with bad luck and mischief everywhere — in Ireland, Scotland and England, it's considered good luck for a black cat to cross your path.
Jack-O'-Lanterns
A fun fall activity, carving Jack-o'-lanterns actually has its roots in a sinister, tragic fable. Celtic folklore tells the tale of a drunken farmer named Jack who tricked the devil, but his trickery resulted in him being turned away from both the gates of heaven and hell after he died. Having no choice but to wander around the darkness of purgatory, Jack made a lantern from a turnip and a burning lump of coal that the devil had tossed him from hell.
Jack, the story goes, used the lantern to guide his lost soul; as such, the Celts believed that placing Jack-o'-lanterns outside would help guide lost spirits home when they wander the streets on Halloween. Originally made using a hollowed-out turnip with a small candle inside, Jack-o'-lanterns' frightening carved faces also served to scare evil spirits away. When the Irish potato famine of 1846 forced Irish families to flee to North America, the tradition came with them. Since turnips were hard to come by in the states at the time, pumpkins were used as a substitute.
Bats
Medieval folklore also described bats as witches' familiars, and seeing a bat on Halloween was considered to be quite an ominous sign. One myth was that if a bat was spotted flying around one's house three times, it meant that someone in that house would soon die. Another myth was that if a bat flew into your house on Halloween, it was a sign that your house was haunted because ghosts had let the bat in.
Spiders
A common source of fear, spiders make for creepy, crawly Halloween staples. They join the ranks of bats and black cats in folklore as being evil companions of witches during medieval times. One superstition held that if a spider falls into a candle-lit lamp and is consumed by the flame, witches are nearby. And if you spot a spider on Halloween, goes another superstition, it means that the spirit of a deceased loved one is watching over you.
Witches
The stereotypical image of the haggard witch with a pointy black hat and warty nose stirring a magical potion in her cauldron actually stems from a pagan goddess known as "the crone," who was honored during Samhain. The crone was also known as "the old one" and the "Earth mother," who symbolized wisdom, change, and the turning of the seasons. Today, the kind, all-knowing old crone has morphed into the menacing, cackling witch.
Cauldrons
The pagan Celts believed that after death, all souls went into the crone's cauldron, which symbolized the Earth mother's womb. There, the souls awaited reincarnation, as the goddess' stirring allowed for new souls to enter the cauldron and old souls to be reborn. That image of the cauldron of life has now been replaced by the steaming, bubbling, ominous brew
Witch's Broomstick
The witch's broomstick is another superstition that has its roots in medieval myths. The elderly, introverted women that were accused of witchcraft were often poor and could not afford horses, so they navigated through the woods on foot with the help of walking sticks, which were sometimes substituted by brooms.
English folklore tells that during night-time ceremonies, witches rubbed a "flying" potion on their bodies, closed their eyes and felt as though they were flying. The hallucinogenic ointment, which caused numbness, rapid heartbeat and confusion, gave them the illusion that they were soaring through the sky.
Trick-Or-Treating in Costumes
In olden times, it was believed that during Samhain, the veil between our world and the spirit world was thinnest, and that the ghosts of the deceased could mingle with the living. The superstition was that the visiting ghosts could disguise themselves in human form, such as a beggar, and knock on your door during Samhain asking for money or food. If you turned them away empty-handed, you risked receiving the wrath of the spirit and being cursed or haunted.
Another Celtic myth was that dressing up as a ghoul would fool the evil spirits into thinking that you were one of them so that they would not try to take your soul. In the U.S., trick-or-treating became a customary Halloween tradition around the late 1950s, after it was brought over by Irish immigrants in the early 1900s.
Halloween Colors
The traditional Halloween colors of orange and black actually stem from the pagan celebration of autumn and the harvest, with orange symbolizing the colors of the crops and turning leaves, while black marks the "death" of summer and the changing season. Over time, green, purple and yellow have also been introduced into the color scheme of Halloween decorations.
Mischief Night
From some — namely troublesome teenagers — Halloween is also a time for neighborhood pranks. From egging and toilet-papering houses to smashing jack-o'-lanterns, "devil's night" can be full of mischief and menace.
The ancient Celts celebrated Samhain with bonfires, games and comical pranks. By the 1920s and 30s, however, the celebrations became more rowdy, with rising acts of vandalism, possibly due to the tension caused by the Great Depression, according to Jack Santino's "Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life" (Univ. of Tennessee Press, 1994). To curb the vandalism, adults began to hand out candy, reigniting the forgotten tradition of trick-or-treating in costume in exchange for sweets. This successfully replaced most of the mischief elements from Oct. 31 celebrations, so the troublemakers instead adopted Oct. 30 as their official night to pull pranks and wreak havoc.
Candy Apples
Candy apples are popular Halloween treats, and the sugary fruit on a stick was handed out during the early days of trick-or-treating in North America — before concerns over unwrapped candy became an issue. Today, candy apples can be covered in caramel or chocolate with nuts, as well as in the classic, shiny red syrup.
The fusion of Celtic and Roman traditions is behind Halloween's candy-apple staple. Samhain was around the time of the Roman festival honoring Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees. The goddess is often symbolized by an apple, so the fruit became synonymous with Samhain celebrations of the harvest.
Bobbing for Apples
In ancient times, the apple was viewed as a sacred fruit that could be used to predict the future. Bobbing for apples is one of the traditional games used for fortune-telling on Halloween night. It was believed that the first person to pluck an apple from the water-filled bucket without using their hands would be the first to marry.
If the bobber lucked out and caught an apple on the first try, it meant that they would experience true love, while those who got an apple after many tries would be fickle in their romantic endeavors. Another myth was that if a girl put her bobbed apple under her pillow on Halloween night, she would dream about her future husband.
Candy Corn
The candy most synonymous with Halloween, candy corn was invented in the late 1880s and began to be mass-produced in the early 1900s. The original process for making candy corn was cumbersome and time-consuming, as each color of syrup had to be heated up in large vats and carefully poured by hand into specially shaped molds.
But the yellow, orange and white candy — meant to resemble a corn kernel — was a huge hit and remains a popular part of Halloween to this day.
Halloween is also about honoring our ancestors so an idea here is light a few candles, place an offering on your alter or outside, doesn't have to be anything fancy, could be some candy, an apple, bread, sweets or gold coins.
You can also say some words to honor your ancestors there are many already written chants online, but I would suggest you write your own words as it will be more personal and will fit the occasion better.
But here is one I found that you can use:
Perform this rite outside if at all possible. If you normally cast a circle, do so now. Say:
Samhain is here, and it is a time of transitions.
The winter approaches, and the summer dies.
This is the time of the Dark Mother,
a time of death and of dying.
This is the night of our ancestors
and of the Ancient Ones.
(Taken from paganwiccan.com)
Well that's all for now. I hope you all have a super spooktacular Halloween and I will be with you again very soon.
Isra xxx
Tying up Loose Ends/ Plans for End of 2016/ "Her Blackened Heart"
Hello everyone, Isra here.
I am taking some time to touch base with you on a few things. I really hope you had a good Halloween and had lots of spooky fun!
I am doing a twitter book promotion on my twitter page https://twitter.com/israsravenheart which I hope you will join, I hope to draw this around end of 2016, maybe start of 2017. It depends ultimately on timings and how my editor works on things.
The goodreads giveaway on here is also bound by the same timings, again I will be keeping you updated and may extend the giveaway if I need an extension of time!
I am also hoping to release "Her Blackened Heart" in 2017. I am hoping before March 2017 but maybe a little later. It depends on my editor really!
I am working my butt off to finish "Her Blackened Heart" and it is almost at that point so I am just tying up the remaining loose ends, there.
Also if you like my facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/IsraSravenhe... you can also win a copy of my book, "Her Blackened Soul" I hope to have all of this up and running by December 2016, but possibly 2017 because I am awaiting my editor to tidy things up.
Okay well that is all from me for now, it's back to writing!
Have a good day everyone.
Isra xx
I am taking some time to touch base with you on a few things. I really hope you had a good Halloween and had lots of spooky fun!
I am doing a twitter book promotion on my twitter page https://twitter.com/israsravenheart which I hope you will join, I hope to draw this around end of 2016, maybe start of 2017. It depends ultimately on timings and how my editor works on things.
The goodreads giveaway on here is also bound by the same timings, again I will be keeping you updated and may extend the giveaway if I need an extension of time!
I am also hoping to release "Her Blackened Heart" in 2017. I am hoping before March 2017 but maybe a little later. It depends on my editor really!
I am working my butt off to finish "Her Blackened Heart" and it is almost at that point so I am just tying up the remaining loose ends, there.
Also if you like my facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/IsraSravenhe... you can also win a copy of my book, "Her Blackened Soul" I hope to have all of this up and running by December 2016, but possibly 2017 because I am awaiting my editor to tidy things up.
Okay well that is all from me for now, it's back to writing!
Have a good day everyone.
Isra xx
Updates December 2016
Hello everyone.
Merry December to you all!
So I have a few updates for you.
Firstly "Her Blackened Soul" is back from the editor. I will need to go through it a little bit but it is much better than the first editor who originally "edited" it! She sent it to me last night so it should be formatted and ready by time my Goodreads Giveaway finishes! As this will be the third time lucky for "Her Blackened Soul" I am likely to be releasing it as a third edition.
Also "Her Blackened Heart" is also finished and will be the next project on my editors desk! I finished that one on the 28th of November but have been so busy, only had time to update!
I will be starting on my latest one, soon! So stay tuned for that! In the meantime here is the giveaway for those of you who would like to enter! https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Well if I don't update you before, Merry Christmas.
Isra xx
Merry December to you all!
So I have a few updates for you.
Firstly "Her Blackened Soul" is back from the editor. I will need to go through it a little bit but it is much better than the first editor who originally "edited" it! She sent it to me last night so it should be formatted and ready by time my Goodreads Giveaway finishes! As this will be the third time lucky for "Her Blackened Soul" I am likely to be releasing it as a third edition.
Also "Her Blackened Heart" is also finished and will be the next project on my editors desk! I finished that one on the 28th of November but have been so busy, only had time to update!
I will be starting on my latest one, soon! So stay tuned for that! In the meantime here is the giveaway for those of you who would like to enter! https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Well if I don't update you before, Merry Christmas.
Isra xx
Goodreads Giveaway Over/ Tying up Loose Ends over December/ New Publish Release Xmas 2016/ Early 2017
Hello everyone, Isra here. I realise this blog post title is a bit of a mouthful so I'll get right to it!
The Goodreads giveaway has now ended so I just wanted to touch base on the things that will be occurring in the next few weeks!
"Her Blackened Soul" is currently undergoing formatting, once this is done I will be re uploading it with another publisher, it will be still be on amazon but the distribution is greater! I hope to have it re uploaded and listed by Xmas but if not definitely early 2017!
The Goodreads winners shouldn't have any delays to the books as I will order the copies right away as soon as it is listed! However if any problems do arise I will update!
This is a very exciting process for me, while I will still be going down the self publishing route, the chances of exposure and more knowing my book will be greater and what a better way to kick off the new year!
If I don't update before Xmas, I wanted to wish everyone of my followers a very happy christmas and new year. Until next time, Isra xx
The Goodreads giveaway has now ended so I just wanted to touch base on the things that will be occurring in the next few weeks!
"Her Blackened Soul" is currently undergoing formatting, once this is done I will be re uploading it with another publisher, it will be still be on amazon but the distribution is greater! I hope to have it re uploaded and listed by Xmas but if not definitely early 2017!
The Goodreads winners shouldn't have any delays to the books as I will order the copies right away as soon as it is listed! However if any problems do arise I will update!
This is a very exciting process for me, while I will still be going down the self publishing route, the chances of exposure and more knowing my book will be greater and what a better way to kick off the new year!
If I don't update before Xmas, I wanted to wish everyone of my followers a very happy christmas and new year. Until next time, Isra xx
My story with Author House ~ Stay away from Author House ~ Isra Sravenheart
Hello everyone Isra here. I have actually been designing this post for quite a while. It is imperative that this is brought out!
Many of you know that I first went with a company called Author House before I went the indie publishing route. What many of you don't know is the story behind it and I'm talking about the nitty gritty parts that author house won't want you to read. My blog is a place of truth and so the truth will always be spoken!
Author House first contacted me in early 2011, I ignored their attempts to publish my book as it was a project I had lost interest in. Around 2013, I began working on what we now know as "Her Blackened Soul" and Author House vastly gained interest yet again. I ignored all their emails at this time. It was in Febuary 2015 that they finally got a response from myself!
In March 2015, they sold me the package! They promised to publish me with the promise of top notch editing and highly desired marketing. Which of these do you think they delivered on? It was all going smoothly, until I signed on the electronic dotted line. Once they had they money, It was all plain sailing for them. They designed the cover which I liked. There was a lot of things I couldn't do with the company which immediately gave me doubts, even though we were three weeks into the process at this time. First thing was my price for the book was fixed at £12.99 and I had no say over it. The Hollywood Coverage was atrociously bad and not relating to the strong element of the story at all. I sent it back three times for re-writes. At the third they wanted to charge me for the privilege, this was in early July 2015, so naturally by this point I was wondering if it was going to work. Not only that, but the so called marketing and editing of the book became very clear.
A marketing agent called Kate Lopez very rudely and clearly demonstrated to me that selling eight copies of "Her Blackened Soul" was not good enough in her eyes. And that I was a failure as an author. I knew I wasn't of course and I knew she was just being overly negative. How did I know this? She expected me to purchase 100 copies of my book! To which I declined and after this meeting I made my decision, Author House weren't going to get anymore money from me. On that day Author House lost all my trust and respect. I continued with the act, for a while and didn't tell them I had intentions of leaving.
I did this in December 2015, after having £1500 of my money and now knowing they would never get any more, they happily let me end the contract. That was it. No big fight to please me. No apologies. Just okay, sign this form and you're done. It was at this point I decided to move forward with republishing again with Amazon. So it would mean, a brand new cover, editing and formatting for "Her Blackened Soul" which was a small price to pay to put the Author House experience behind me.
Now I don't hold any resentment or grudges against Author House. Because I got off lucky, I only paid out £1500 to them. I know of people who have paid out thousands and they are in debt because of it. I got off very very lucky. I learnt a lot from this experience also. I learn't very quickly what not to do.
But Author House, despite ripping their authors off, being listed as a no go publisher with hundreds of complaints against them, tearing authors down, telling them they ARE NOT selling; are sadly still in business!
This is why it is crucial for myself and others to spread the message. Don't touch this company at all. Don't go near them. I know there are a lot of naive authors out there. Like I was. And Author House truly takes advantage of this. You can see this is self evident even as we are drawing to a close of 2016. Because their 16,000 likes facebook page is filled with bad reviews and some as recent as month ago, with authors telling people of their bad experience with the company. And who can blame them? They were most likely promised the world and as soon as Author House had them on the dotted line, the honeymoon was indeed over! The phone calls likely stopped. The money was swiftly rolling in and they didn't care. Because the truth of this company: they just want one thing. The Author's Money. Once they have it. You don't mean a thing to them and there's a very good chance, you didn't to begin with, but niceties were probably added in to keep you sweet.
I will continue warning those who mention the company to me and I will continue to tell those who don't know the industry at all, "to not go to Author House" as well as "Do not publish your book with Author House" and why will I continue this? Because I don't benefit. There are already hundreds upon thousands of pages including complaints and bad reviews on Author House on the web saying this exact thing about them! So why am I doing this? Because it is important that people continue to raise awareness of a company like this, a company who just takes people down and crushes their dreams, just like that. And I will continue to spread this awareness because that is just the kind of person I am. If anybody from the company is reading this, "I'm sorry but I will continue to spread my truth!"
Do you have a story like this? Have you had first hand experience of Author House? Please contact me on any of my social media or you can email me at israsravenheart@gmail.com
Isra xx
Many of you know that I first went with a company called Author House before I went the indie publishing route. What many of you don't know is the story behind it and I'm talking about the nitty gritty parts that author house won't want you to read. My blog is a place of truth and so the truth will always be spoken!
Author House first contacted me in early 2011, I ignored their attempts to publish my book as it was a project I had lost interest in. Around 2013, I began working on what we now know as "Her Blackened Soul" and Author House vastly gained interest yet again. I ignored all their emails at this time. It was in Febuary 2015 that they finally got a response from myself!
In March 2015, they sold me the package! They promised to publish me with the promise of top notch editing and highly desired marketing. Which of these do you think they delivered on? It was all going smoothly, until I signed on the electronic dotted line. Once they had they money, It was all plain sailing for them. They designed the cover which I liked. There was a lot of things I couldn't do with the company which immediately gave me doubts, even though we were three weeks into the process at this time. First thing was my price for the book was fixed at £12.99 and I had no say over it. The Hollywood Coverage was atrociously bad and not relating to the strong element of the story at all. I sent it back three times for re-writes. At the third they wanted to charge me for the privilege, this was in early July 2015, so naturally by this point I was wondering if it was going to work. Not only that, but the so called marketing and editing of the book became very clear.
A marketing agent called Kate Lopez very rudely and clearly demonstrated to me that selling eight copies of "Her Blackened Soul" was not good enough in her eyes. And that I was a failure as an author. I knew I wasn't of course and I knew she was just being overly negative. How did I know this? She expected me to purchase 100 copies of my book! To which I declined and after this meeting I made my decision, Author House weren't going to get anymore money from me. On that day Author House lost all my trust and respect. I continued with the act, for a while and didn't tell them I had intentions of leaving.
I did this in December 2015, after having £1500 of my money and now knowing they would never get any more, they happily let me end the contract. That was it. No big fight to please me. No apologies. Just okay, sign this form and you're done. It was at this point I decided to move forward with republishing again with Amazon. So it would mean, a brand new cover, editing and formatting for "Her Blackened Soul" which was a small price to pay to put the Author House experience behind me.
Now I don't hold any resentment or grudges against Author House. Because I got off lucky, I only paid out £1500 to them. I know of people who have paid out thousands and they are in debt because of it. I got off very very lucky. I learnt a lot from this experience also. I learn't very quickly what not to do.
But Author House, despite ripping their authors off, being listed as a no go publisher with hundreds of complaints against them, tearing authors down, telling them they ARE NOT selling; are sadly still in business!
This is why it is crucial for myself and others to spread the message. Don't touch this company at all. Don't go near them. I know there are a lot of naive authors out there. Like I was. And Author House truly takes advantage of this. You can see this is self evident even as we are drawing to a close of 2016. Because their 16,000 likes facebook page is filled with bad reviews and some as recent as month ago, with authors telling people of their bad experience with the company. And who can blame them? They were most likely promised the world and as soon as Author House had them on the dotted line, the honeymoon was indeed over! The phone calls likely stopped. The money was swiftly rolling in and they didn't care. Because the truth of this company: they just want one thing. The Author's Money. Once they have it. You don't mean a thing to them and there's a very good chance, you didn't to begin with, but niceties were probably added in to keep you sweet.
I will continue warning those who mention the company to me and I will continue to tell those who don't know the industry at all, "to not go to Author House" as well as "Do not publish your book with Author House" and why will I continue this? Because I don't benefit. There are already hundreds upon thousands of pages including complaints and bad reviews on Author House on the web saying this exact thing about them! So why am I doing this? Because it is important that people continue to raise awareness of a company like this, a company who just takes people down and crushes their dreams, just like that. And I will continue to spread this awareness because that is just the kind of person I am. If anybody from the company is reading this, "I'm sorry but I will continue to spread my truth!"
Do you have a story like this? Have you had first hand experience of Author House? Please contact me on any of my social media or you can email me at israsravenheart@gmail.com
Isra xx
My Xmas Eve Headache ~ Non Festive Cheer
Hey everyone, Isra here.
I appreciate that this isn't the most positive post in the world but I have to be real with you guys about myself and what I do.
As Christmas approaches, I wish all of you who choose to celebrate it, a very happy Christmas and I hope it is everything that you hope it to be. I personally do not celebrate the season. I'm an adult and overtime I have vastly outgrown it. So it is just a normal day to me. A day where I consider working on writing projects or craft projects (I'm quite the crafter) I have on going, or maybe I'll watch a movie and tomorrow I am looking forward to the peace and quiet as everyone will be out of my building celebrating with their families.
Of course the festive season isn't the reason for my bah humbug post today, no. It is actually because of publishing difficulties. As many of you know, I have been planning to move over to a different company, aside from amazon and I have been doing my best today to get my work uploaded. And will it have it? Will it heck! There has been non stop technical problem after another and after two hours I felt like I was going to pull my hair out! And who wouldn't after seeing the same page for almost an hour on your screen!!!
So of course after two hours I gave up and admitted defeat. Someone may be helping me upload it but if in the instance this thing doesn't work out, well guess what I'll be sticking with amazon's createspace because with all the hassle today, well if I can make my life a bit easier and in turn, make the readers life a bit easier with the content neatly uploaded and ready, then hell I will do that!
At the moment I am undecided on what to do. Whether I should stick with this new company or go back to amazon? The author life for a self published indie author isn't plain sailing. To be quite honest, I did have some doubts over this new company. I'm still not sure why, but those doubts must have been there for a reason! And a few things have cropped up after today's incident that have given me reason to pause, and think, well should I do this?
I imagine every writer goes through this at some point and I want to be real with you guys. This isn't an easy career. It's not guaranteed to make you $$$$$'s. But it is a passion and a creative one at that. It is also one I enjoy, hence why I stick with it. And I encourage others to stick with it too. There will be hardships. You are going to make mistakes and most importantly it won't be easy but it will be worth it! So while I am undecided at this time, which way to go, I do know one thing, it will be worth it! And that's the important part to remember.
So I end this point with a positive note, a silver lining, because everything always happens for a reason!
Isra xxx
I appreciate that this isn't the most positive post in the world but I have to be real with you guys about myself and what I do.
As Christmas approaches, I wish all of you who choose to celebrate it, a very happy Christmas and I hope it is everything that you hope it to be. I personally do not celebrate the season. I'm an adult and overtime I have vastly outgrown it. So it is just a normal day to me. A day where I consider working on writing projects or craft projects (I'm quite the crafter) I have on going, or maybe I'll watch a movie and tomorrow I am looking forward to the peace and quiet as everyone will be out of my building celebrating with their families.
Of course the festive season isn't the reason for my bah humbug post today, no. It is actually because of publishing difficulties. As many of you know, I have been planning to move over to a different company, aside from amazon and I have been doing my best today to get my work uploaded. And will it have it? Will it heck! There has been non stop technical problem after another and after two hours I felt like I was going to pull my hair out! And who wouldn't after seeing the same page for almost an hour on your screen!!!
So of course after two hours I gave up and admitted defeat. Someone may be helping me upload it but if in the instance this thing doesn't work out, well guess what I'll be sticking with amazon's createspace because with all the hassle today, well if I can make my life a bit easier and in turn, make the readers life a bit easier with the content neatly uploaded and ready, then hell I will do that!
At the moment I am undecided on what to do. Whether I should stick with this new company or go back to amazon? The author life for a self published indie author isn't plain sailing. To be quite honest, I did have some doubts over this new company. I'm still not sure why, but those doubts must have been there for a reason! And a few things have cropped up after today's incident that have given me reason to pause, and think, well should I do this?
I imagine every writer goes through this at some point and I want to be real with you guys. This isn't an easy career. It's not guaranteed to make you $$$$$'s. But it is a passion and a creative one at that. It is also one I enjoy, hence why I stick with it. And I encourage others to stick with it too. There will be hardships. You are going to make mistakes and most importantly it won't be easy but it will be worth it! So while I am undecided at this time, which way to go, I do know one thing, it will be worth it! And that's the important part to remember.
So I end this point with a positive note, a silver lining, because everything always happens for a reason!
Isra xxx
Happy New Year ~ Taking Stock of 2016!
Hello everyone, Isra here! Happy new year to you all and may it be a prosperous one. I just wanted to do a mental stock take of the year we've just witnessed before us! It has certainly been a learning curve and lots of highs and lows, but how has it been for you? What did you learn from this year? What did you love? What did you hate about it?
For me personally, I learn't a lot about the publishing process and just what goes into a finished work and I am still learning but it goes to show a lot of effort, goes a long way! I love the fact that my book, "Her Blackened Soul" has been through the revamp procedure for the last time because I finally found a editor that was up to scratch, professionally speaking. The thing I hated this year was all the setbacks and obstacles I found along the way, very frustrating, but you live and learn. Some will try to get you to go along with their way and that's okay if it goes along with what you have in mind. The vision you have!
So updates:
I have paperback copies of the newly edited "Her Blackened Soul" and they will be going to the giveaway winners once the post office resumes service, so that is very exciting.
I also will be re-releasing "Her Blackened Soul" in early 2017, following this edit and I will update you all accordingly when this is live.
I am still slowly working on "Her Blackened Rose" slowly, because that's the way I find best.
Okay well I'm off to relax and do some deep thinking. I will talk to you all soon. Isra xxx
For me personally, I learn't a lot about the publishing process and just what goes into a finished work and I am still learning but it goes to show a lot of effort, goes a long way! I love the fact that my book, "Her Blackened Soul" has been through the revamp procedure for the last time because I finally found a editor that was up to scratch, professionally speaking. The thing I hated this year was all the setbacks and obstacles I found along the way, very frustrating, but you live and learn. Some will try to get you to go along with their way and that's okay if it goes along with what you have in mind. The vision you have!
So updates:
I have paperback copies of the newly edited "Her Blackened Soul" and they will be going to the giveaway winners once the post office resumes service, so that is very exciting.
I also will be re-releasing "Her Blackened Soul" in early 2017, following this edit and I will update you all accordingly when this is live.
I am still slowly working on "Her Blackened Rose" slowly, because that's the way I find best.
Okay well I'm off to relax and do some deep thinking. I will talk to you all soon. Isra xxx
"Her Blackened Soul" live for 2017!
Hey everyone, Isra here.
I just wanted to present to you, my debut novel "Her Blackened Soul" Brand new edition, all made for 2017! For both paperback and Kindle! It has taken some time to get it all up and running but here we are! At last. I am very excited to bring this work to you and look forward to feedback!
"Her Blackened Soul" is a dark fantasy fairy tale unlike no other! With dragons, angels, a raven and a snake featured, it plays host to a range of characters as you delve into the bewitching world of Lady Isra! Can you enter her kingdom and live to tell the tale?
I also am posting the giveaway winners books today as I have the hard copies, thank you to everyone who entered and if you didn't win you can still get yourself a copy of the book here.
Available on Amazon worldwide and some bookstores online.
UK : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Blackene...
UK Kindle: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Blackene...
US: https://www.amazon.com/Her-Blackened-...
US Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Her-Blackened-...
Well that's all from me today, I have a lot to do. Blessings. Isra xxx
I just wanted to present to you, my debut novel "Her Blackened Soul" Brand new edition, all made for 2017! For both paperback and Kindle! It has taken some time to get it all up and running but here we are! At last. I am very excited to bring this work to you and look forward to feedback!
"Her Blackened Soul" is a dark fantasy fairy tale unlike no other! With dragons, angels, a raven and a snake featured, it plays host to a range of characters as you delve into the bewitching world of Lady Isra! Can you enter her kingdom and live to tell the tale?
I also am posting the giveaway winners books today as I have the hard copies, thank you to everyone who entered and if you didn't win you can still get yourself a copy of the book here.
Available on Amazon worldwide and some bookstores online.
UK : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Blackene...
UK Kindle: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Blackene...
US: https://www.amazon.com/Her-Blackened-...
US Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Her-Blackened-...
Well that's all from me today, I have a lot to do. Blessings. Isra xxx
