Lori J. Fitzgerald's Blog
August 28, 2017
Writer's Digest Conference 2017
I was excited to attend this year’s Writer’s Digest Conference (known as #WDC17 on social media).
Loved the genre buttons this year!
The energy in a gathering of writers, readers, and lovers of all things bookish is quite magical. We encourage and inspire each other as only fellow writers can because we understand everything -- the passion, the fears, the effort. And the speakers at the conference sessions are like gurus; they've been there, done that, and are here now to motivate. I was touched by their genuine generosity of spirit (what we would call gentilesse in the medieval code of chivalry). They all truly wanted to help the aspiring writers before them.
The whole conference was a wonderful experience, but there were a few stand-out moments. My absolute favorite line at the conference came from literary agent/ author Paula Munier:
The best stories are tapestries, all woven together.
The Unicorn Tapestries, the Cloisters
I have to admit, I do love a good outline, but I've been feeling a bit constricted by my need to plan ahead in my writing lately. Author Stephen James taught two excellent sessions that refueled my well and emboldened me to trust my creativity and the story itself. And he threw papers at us. Brilliant! I wish I had done that to my students.
Author Tabitha Lord, who won the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award 2016 with her space opera Horizon, held a fantastic session on indie publishing. She inspired me to really organize my time for the upcoming autumn and back-to-school, including writing along with house/family matters and self-care. I can see how scheduling these things give them weight and helps you honor your life reality and be present in each moment, no matter what aspect of life it is.
I was so happy to have all three of the above sign their books during the cocktail hour on Saturday and chat with them a bit.
There were three keynote speakers, but my favorite was Lisa Scottoline. She was so down-to-earth and honest. Writing is hard work. (Oh God, yes.) But I think it’s safe to say that her life story inspired all of us to keep writing, keep persevering. And she had us belly-laughing as well!
Round Table Companies (RTC), the main sponsor, hosted a Vulnerability wall (shown below) and question game played in the lounge, which I’m so glad I joined. I met a group of fabulous writers across several genres, and we all went out to dinner together afterwards! I’m so grateful to have met them and look forward to continuing friendships.
Overall, WDC17 was a successful learning and professional experience for me. And my bonus was a lovely Anniversary dinner with my husband at one of our favorite restaurants, The Palm. (Our marriage is sweet 16!) I'm looking forward to next year's conference.
*Middle three pictures are from Pinterest. First and last pictures are my own.*
Loved the genre buttons this year!The energy in a gathering of writers, readers, and lovers of all things bookish is quite magical. We encourage and inspire each other as only fellow writers can because we understand everything -- the passion, the fears, the effort. And the speakers at the conference sessions are like gurus; they've been there, done that, and are here now to motivate. I was touched by their genuine generosity of spirit (what we would call gentilesse in the medieval code of chivalry). They all truly wanted to help the aspiring writers before them.
The whole conference was a wonderful experience, but there were a few stand-out moments. My absolute favorite line at the conference came from literary agent/ author Paula Munier:
The best stories are tapestries, all woven together.
The Unicorn Tapestries, the Cloisters
I have to admit, I do love a good outline, but I've been feeling a bit constricted by my need to plan ahead in my writing lately. Author Stephen James taught two excellent sessions that refueled my well and emboldened me to trust my creativity and the story itself. And he threw papers at us. Brilliant! I wish I had done that to my students.
Author Tabitha Lord, who won the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Award 2016 with her space opera Horizon, held a fantastic session on indie publishing. She inspired me to really organize my time for the upcoming autumn and back-to-school, including writing along with house/family matters and self-care. I can see how scheduling these things give them weight and helps you honor your life reality and be present in each moment, no matter what aspect of life it is.
I was so happy to have all three of the above sign their books during the cocktail hour on Saturday and chat with them a bit.
There were three keynote speakers, but my favorite was Lisa Scottoline. She was so down-to-earth and honest. Writing is hard work. (Oh God, yes.) But I think it’s safe to say that her life story inspired all of us to keep writing, keep persevering. And she had us belly-laughing as well!
Round Table Companies (RTC), the main sponsor, hosted a Vulnerability wall (shown below) and question game played in the lounge, which I’m so glad I joined. I met a group of fabulous writers across several genres, and we all went out to dinner together afterwards! I’m so grateful to have met them and look forward to continuing friendships.
Overall, WDC17 was a successful learning and professional experience for me. And my bonus was a lovely Anniversary dinner with my husband at one of our favorite restaurants, The Palm. (Our marriage is sweet 16!) I'm looking forward to next year's conference.
*Middle three pictures are from Pinterest. First and last pictures are my own.*
July 8, 2017
Through the Oak Door Book Launch
On Sunday, June 25th, we celebrated the official launch of Through the Oak Door at the Knockdown Center, a renovated door factory that is now a unique venue for art exhibitions and events. It was the perfect place for the launch, both physically and symbolically.
As I wrote in my post series Sacred Groves and Writing: On Ogham and Oak :
In Love Lies Bleeding, the word marker between sections is "duir," which is the Ogham symbol for the letter/sound D and the oak tree. It carries the same root as "Druid," which means "one with the wisdom of oak." In fact, the root of "duir" actually holds three meanings: oak, door, and stag.
So holding the launch in an artist space that was once a door factory was definitely the universe conspiring to create magic!
The Ready Room of the Knockdown Center is a spot perfect for book readings. It has gorgeous open-brick walls, plants, artwork, and a bar for refreshments! The entire staff was wonderfully accommodating and genuinely happy to have the book launch; it is obvious that they are committed to being a patron of the arts in the community. Check out their website here: https://knockdown.center
Once everyone settled in with a book I took the podium. (By the way, I LOVE PODIUMS. I haven't been at one in years! I want one in my house. Think that will go over well?)
As I was reading the first few pages of Love Lies Bleeding, haunting music began to play from an exhibit setting up in the next room...it was actually very atmospheric! Some of the audience even thought I had it piped in from somewhere on purpose. (I did not! But it worked!) Here's a clip:
I also read from Songs Within Stone for the first time ever! In the Q&A session afterwards, one comment really struck me: How my character William reminded the listener of Michelangelo, in the sense of an artist feeling like a power is moving through them into the art. I was so thrilled because this was spot-on part of what I was writing into William, although in a Celtic mythological sense. And really, isn't this what all artists of any medium, including myself, feel when they are creating?
Then I had lovely chats with my audience during the signing. It really was a happy occasion, and I am so thankful to all who participated!
Special thank you to Tyler and Alexis at the Knockdown Center, and to my ever-supportive friends who bought me those gorgeous roses in the picture and the wrapped bottle (it's St. Germaine -- they know me well). And the most gratitude goes to my husband, kids, and parents, whose presence at the launch were priceless.
As I wrote in my post series Sacred Groves and Writing: On Ogham and Oak :
In Love Lies Bleeding, the word marker between sections is "duir," which is the Ogham symbol for the letter/sound D and the oak tree. It carries the same root as "Druid," which means "one with the wisdom of oak." In fact, the root of "duir" actually holds three meanings: oak, door, and stag.
So holding the launch in an artist space that was once a door factory was definitely the universe conspiring to create magic!
The Ready Room of the Knockdown Center is a spot perfect for book readings. It has gorgeous open-brick walls, plants, artwork, and a bar for refreshments! The entire staff was wonderfully accommodating and genuinely happy to have the book launch; it is obvious that they are committed to being a patron of the arts in the community. Check out their website here: https://knockdown.center
Once everyone settled in with a book I took the podium. (By the way, I LOVE PODIUMS. I haven't been at one in years! I want one in my house. Think that will go over well?)
As I was reading the first few pages of Love Lies Bleeding, haunting music began to play from an exhibit setting up in the next room...it was actually very atmospheric! Some of the audience even thought I had it piped in from somewhere on purpose. (I did not! But it worked!) Here's a clip:
I also read from Songs Within Stone for the first time ever! In the Q&A session afterwards, one comment really struck me: How my character William reminded the listener of Michelangelo, in the sense of an artist feeling like a power is moving through them into the art. I was so thrilled because this was spot-on part of what I was writing into William, although in a Celtic mythological sense. And really, isn't this what all artists of any medium, including myself, feel when they are creating?
Then I had lovely chats with my audience during the signing. It really was a happy occasion, and I am so thankful to all who participated!
Special thank you to Tyler and Alexis at the Knockdown Center, and to my ever-supportive friends who bought me those gorgeous roses in the picture and the wrapped bottle (it's St. Germaine -- they know me well). And the most gratitude goes to my husband, kids, and parents, whose presence at the launch were priceless.
November 7, 2016
Revelations: An Interpretation of Loves Lies Bleeding in Dance
The playbill of the performance, part of the Crossing Boundaries Series at Dixon Place
On October 25, I had the honor of watching Corporeal Arts Inc. perform Revelations , a work in progress based on my novelette Love Lies Bleeding: The Lady of the Forest.
It was every writer's dream - Selma took inspiration from my story and how the characters made her feel to create something unique and magical.
Dixon Place is a 30 year old off-off Broadway theater known as "one of NYC's most important and fiercely experimental artists' nests." The minute I walked in I was struck by the welcoming, open atmosphere: wood-paneled walls covered in photos and art, a bar (the city's only non-profit one, I believe!) and an intimate lounge with a stage. The actual theater was a flight below and could seat around 50 people. This was a place I wanted to be, a true artist's nest, safe and encouraging.
One of the frames on the wall held an old program from 1992, with a Thursday literature series. The last performance of the night showed a science fiction series of readings, curated by...Gordon Van Gelder! Those of you who subscribe to The Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy will understand why I almost fell to the floor - he was the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of the magazine (the top in the genre, publishing such authors as Asimov and Bradbury back in the day) for many years and is still the Publisher. To think my work was being adapted in the same place that Gordon Van Gelder once curated readings...I was over the moon!
The performance focused on the transformative effect of story. Selma made the reader (herself) a character and had the two main characters (Aislin and the Forest Lord) interact with the reader. The movements evoked both the character's personalities as well as the reader's reactions to them: the unfolding transformation of Aislin, the menacing yet sensual strength of the Forest Lord, and their competition to capture the emotions of the reader.
There was so much richness and symbolism here that I could probably write a paper to analyze it all! But instead I mingled with the artists and spectators afterwards, a glass of wine in hand, and talked about performance and literature. It was truly a magical experience!
Unfortunately we were unable to take pictures of the performance itself, but - good news - Selma intends to expand Revelations and perform once again at her home-base studio! So hopefully pictures will be forthcoming!
All the world's a stage...the players and I!
March 23, 2016
Sacred Groves and Writing: On Enchantment and Elder
Lady Ellhorn is my muse. She is the "figment of my imagination" that I turn to when I am stuck with my stories.
She has never failed me.
But all magic comes with a price.
It may be a compulsion to write or create that distracts from other things in your day, that makes you feel incomplete until you attend to the muse. Or it could be days of writer's block before the onrush of inspiration. Or perhaps a day where the laundry just doesn't get done...or creativity doesn't get done because of laundry, appointments, or life getting in the way. The price can simply be the time and energy it takes to complete your passion. As I often tell my children, nothing "worth its weight in salt" comes without effort.
The poem "A Song of Enchantment" by Walter de la Mare expresses the fickle magic of creativity:
A song of enchantment I sang me there,In a green-green wood, by water's fair,Just as the words came up to meI sang it under the wild wood tree.Widdershins turned I, singing it low,Watching the wild birds come and go;No cloud in the deep dark blue to be seenUnder the thick-thatched branches green.Twilight came; silence came:The planet of Evening's silver flame;By darkening paths I wandered throughThickets trembling with drops of dew.But the music is lost and the words are goneOf the song I sang as I sat alone,Ages and ages have fallen on me -On the wood and the pool and the elder tree.
The English Elder tree, the Sambucus nigra or Ogham "Ruis," is the most enchanted of the Ogham trees. Beneath her roots lies a gateway to the Otherworld, the fairy realm. The Elder Mother, or Lady Ellhorn, can be associated with Titania, Shakespeare's Fairy Queen. The Elder tree is also used for spirit contact and symbolically for connection with our own subconscious and the collective unconscious...the otherworld without and the otherworld within. Like in Walter de la Mare's poem, the outer landscape mirrors the one within.
The Elder is such a powerful and revered tree that its wood should never be cut without obtaining permission from the tree first. In Celtic society elders often grew near a sacred spring or well, as they were a deep source of magic themselves, but were also planted by homes to grant the dwellers the Elder Mother's protections.
When I received my Ogham stave pouch, I placed great significance on the wood that I would pull out the very first time. It was Elder. I admit I was a bit taken aback, because at that time I felt my affinity was to Oak. But upon reflection I realized Elder was trying to tell me something about the pattern of my life and my art. From then on I turned to that wood for advice, comfort, and inspiration. When I practice yoga, I give my intentions to the Elder Mother and wish for a greater connection to her.
My Lady Ellhorn Talisman of Eldritch, a custom order from WytchenWood shop on Etsy.
The Elder tree is symbolic of sacrifice (which is why it is an appropriate wood in the Harry Potter books for Dumbledore's wand, by the way). "Ruis" means red and is symbolic of blushing or the embarrassment we may feel when we make mistakes. Thus the Elder Mother teaches us that all great gain comes with sacrifice. Loyalty to Lady Ellhorn, however, in the form of tapping into our own inner otherworld and tending the roots of our creativity, can result in wondrous enchantment!
For more information on Elder, and other exclusive content about my writing, sign up for the Corvus Calling newsletter in the right sidebar.
She has never failed me.
But all magic comes with a price.
It may be a compulsion to write or create that distracts from other things in your day, that makes you feel incomplete until you attend to the muse. Or it could be days of writer's block before the onrush of inspiration. Or perhaps a day where the laundry just doesn't get done...or creativity doesn't get done because of laundry, appointments, or life getting in the way. The price can simply be the time and energy it takes to complete your passion. As I often tell my children, nothing "worth its weight in salt" comes without effort.
The poem "A Song of Enchantment" by Walter de la Mare expresses the fickle magic of creativity:
A song of enchantment I sang me there,In a green-green wood, by water's fair,Just as the words came up to meI sang it under the wild wood tree.Widdershins turned I, singing it low,Watching the wild birds come and go;No cloud in the deep dark blue to be seenUnder the thick-thatched branches green.Twilight came; silence came:The planet of Evening's silver flame;By darkening paths I wandered throughThickets trembling with drops of dew.But the music is lost and the words are goneOf the song I sang as I sat alone,Ages and ages have fallen on me -On the wood and the pool and the elder tree.
The English Elder tree, the Sambucus nigra or Ogham "Ruis," is the most enchanted of the Ogham trees. Beneath her roots lies a gateway to the Otherworld, the fairy realm. The Elder Mother, or Lady Ellhorn, can be associated with Titania, Shakespeare's Fairy Queen. The Elder tree is also used for spirit contact and symbolically for connection with our own subconscious and the collective unconscious...the otherworld without and the otherworld within. Like in Walter de la Mare's poem, the outer landscape mirrors the one within.
The Elder is such a powerful and revered tree that its wood should never be cut without obtaining permission from the tree first. In Celtic society elders often grew near a sacred spring or well, as they were a deep source of magic themselves, but were also planted by homes to grant the dwellers the Elder Mother's protections.
When I received my Ogham stave pouch, I placed great significance on the wood that I would pull out the very first time. It was Elder. I admit I was a bit taken aback, because at that time I felt my affinity was to Oak. But upon reflection I realized Elder was trying to tell me something about the pattern of my life and my art. From then on I turned to that wood for advice, comfort, and inspiration. When I practice yoga, I give my intentions to the Elder Mother and wish for a greater connection to her.
My Lady Ellhorn Talisman of Eldritch, a custom order from WytchenWood shop on Etsy.
The Elder tree is symbolic of sacrifice (which is why it is an appropriate wood in the Harry Potter books for Dumbledore's wand, by the way). "Ruis" means red and is symbolic of blushing or the embarrassment we may feel when we make mistakes. Thus the Elder Mother teaches us that all great gain comes with sacrifice. Loyalty to Lady Ellhorn, however, in the form of tapping into our own inner otherworld and tending the roots of our creativity, can result in wondrous enchantment!
For more information on Elder, and other exclusive content about my writing, sign up for the Corvus Calling newsletter in the right sidebar.
March 5, 2016
Amazon's New Review Policy
Unfortunately, Amazon has decided to take down the five star reviews that I received from Tome Tender Book Blog, an Amazon Top 500 Reviewer, due to its new, inexplicable policy of "weeding." This is a shame, not only because both Love Lies Bleeding and Songs Within Stone are exclusive on Kindle Select, but because Tome Tender does such a beautiful and thoughtfully honest job of reading and reviewing books for all types of published authors.
So lest people think I am a liar, below are the full texts of Tome Tender's reviews that appeared on Amazon up until recently and still appear on the Tome Tender website.
I must add that when I first offered Tome Tender an ARC copy for review, I did not know that they were a Top 500 Reviewer (that was quite the gasping-for-breath moment, one I won't forget) and no way did I or will I ever pay for a review.
LOVE LIES BLEEDING (Click here to see it on Tome Tender)"Never underestimate the power of well-chosen words! Love Lies Bleeding by Lori J.Fitzgerald brings the tale of a free-spirited girl and the Spirit of the Forest into your heart as it pricks long ago memories of feeling the magic of fairytales dancing through your mind.
Young Aislin always felt the call of the forest, beckoning her, surrounding her with warmth, but young girls grow up and reality seems to get in the way of fantasy and childhood musings. When her life takes a horrendous turn and becomes a living nightmare, only the magic of the forest can bring her eternal joy and love.
Centered on the very soul of myths and legends, the Celtic world, magical beings, life, tragedy and the final ultimate enchantment of happiness is full to overflowing with the magic of Lori J. Fitzgerald’s words.
I received this ARC edition from Lori J. Fitzgerald in exchange for my honest review."
SONGS WITHIN STONE (Click here to see it on Tome Tender)"There is beauty and magic in the hands of an artisan, no matter what they create. William, a mason’s apprentice hears the beauty of the songs that stones sing to his heart as he brings raw stone to life with his carving. One brutal incident leaves William’s kind heart hardened and bitter, and in search of another Master Mason to train under. Was this punishment or did fate guide him to the place where he could make peace with his demons while finding his true calling and a place to call home?
Once again, Lori J. Fitzgerald had me entranced by her almost poetic style of writing! Songs Within Stone is a quick read that captures the feel of long ago times, the magic of friendships and believing in oneself to do the right thing. Ms. Fitzgerald has woven another tale filled with characters from mythology, some beasts and some fae and created a tapestry rich with character, color and atmosphere as one apprentice finally finds his very soul singing to him as clearly as the stones he brings to life. Feel the magic of fantasy, watch each scene play out and escape into a world meant to be found by all of us who believe in the magic of the written words within books. With a gentle pace, moments of awe and even sadness and joy, Lori J. Fitzgerald’s world is spellbinding to behold with her rich words and obvious love for her characters and her work.
I received this copy from Lori J. Fitzgerald in exchange for my honest review."
So lest people think I am a liar, below are the full texts of Tome Tender's reviews that appeared on Amazon up until recently and still appear on the Tome Tender website.
I must add that when I first offered Tome Tender an ARC copy for review, I did not know that they were a Top 500 Reviewer (that was quite the gasping-for-breath moment, one I won't forget) and no way did I or will I ever pay for a review.
LOVE LIES BLEEDING (Click here to see it on Tome Tender)"Never underestimate the power of well-chosen words! Love Lies Bleeding by Lori J.Fitzgerald brings the tale of a free-spirited girl and the Spirit of the Forest into your heart as it pricks long ago memories of feeling the magic of fairytales dancing through your mind.
Young Aislin always felt the call of the forest, beckoning her, surrounding her with warmth, but young girls grow up and reality seems to get in the way of fantasy and childhood musings. When her life takes a horrendous turn and becomes a living nightmare, only the magic of the forest can bring her eternal joy and love.
Centered on the very soul of myths and legends, the Celtic world, magical beings, life, tragedy and the final ultimate enchantment of happiness is full to overflowing with the magic of Lori J. Fitzgerald’s words.
I received this ARC edition from Lori J. Fitzgerald in exchange for my honest review."
SONGS WITHIN STONE (Click here to see it on Tome Tender)"There is beauty and magic in the hands of an artisan, no matter what they create. William, a mason’s apprentice hears the beauty of the songs that stones sing to his heart as he brings raw stone to life with his carving. One brutal incident leaves William’s kind heart hardened and bitter, and in search of another Master Mason to train under. Was this punishment or did fate guide him to the place where he could make peace with his demons while finding his true calling and a place to call home?
Once again, Lori J. Fitzgerald had me entranced by her almost poetic style of writing! Songs Within Stone is a quick read that captures the feel of long ago times, the magic of friendships and believing in oneself to do the right thing. Ms. Fitzgerald has woven another tale filled with characters from mythology, some beasts and some fae and created a tapestry rich with character, color and atmosphere as one apprentice finally finds his very soul singing to him as clearly as the stones he brings to life. Feel the magic of fantasy, watch each scene play out and escape into a world meant to be found by all of us who believe in the magic of the written words within books. With a gentle pace, moments of awe and even sadness and joy, Lori J. Fitzgerald’s world is spellbinding to behold with her rich words and obvious love for her characters and her work.
I received this copy from Lori J. Fitzgerald in exchange for my honest review."
October 22, 2015
Autumn & Samhain Sale
"Time and their kiss stretched, eternal, like the ancient grove itself. The forest was satisfied, basking in autumn’s molten glow and love’s wild breath."
In honor of my favorite season, Love Lies Bleeding: The Lady of the Forest is ON SALE!Only 99 CENTS for a limited time!
An autumn color palette on the cover design evokes the seasonal theme of transformation found in this folkloric fantasy romance.
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited
Click Here to Experience the Magic of the Tylwyth Teg...
The forest is waiting...Sale ends October 26th midnight EST
In honor of my favorite season, Love Lies Bleeding: The Lady of the Forest is ON SALE!Only 99 CENTS for a limited time!
An autumn color palette on the cover design evokes the seasonal theme of transformation found in this folkloric fantasy romance.
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited
Click Here to Experience the Magic of the Tylwyth Teg...
The forest is waiting...Sale ends October 26th midnight EST
September 12, 2015
The Tapestry of Words
Words have power.
Perhaps because they are strung together to start a spell in a fantasy book:
"Black Dragon. From darkness to darkness/ my voice echoes in the emptiness."
Or because they are placed together in a character's catch-phrase that becomes a theme of a show:
"All magic comes with a price!"
Or woven into a phrase that also inspires other works:
"By the pricking of my thumbs/ Something wicked this way comes."
Words can craft together whole worlds, birth characters, and plant thoughts and inspiration, and just simply yet profoundly tell a wonderful story that changes the reader's life.
The power of words never ceases to amaze me. It is in the exhilaration I feel every time I get that certain sentence or paragraph to convey just the right idea or emotion or description when writing a literary article or a fantasy story.
"Lightning strikes, maybe once, maybe twice...but it all comes down to you..." "Gypsy" by Fleetwood Mac, sung by Stevie Nicks
What are your favorite words or quotes? Which ones have changed your life or inspired you?
Perhaps because they are strung together to start a spell in a fantasy book:
"Black Dragon. From darkness to darkness/ my voice echoes in the emptiness."
Or because they are placed together in a character's catch-phrase that becomes a theme of a show:
"All magic comes with a price!"
Or woven into a phrase that also inspires other works:
"By the pricking of my thumbs/ Something wicked this way comes."
Words can craft together whole worlds, birth characters, and plant thoughts and inspiration, and just simply yet profoundly tell a wonderful story that changes the reader's life.
The power of words never ceases to amaze me. It is in the exhilaration I feel every time I get that certain sentence or paragraph to convey just the right idea or emotion or description when writing a literary article or a fantasy story.
"Lightning strikes, maybe once, maybe twice...but it all comes down to you..." "Gypsy" by Fleetwood Mac, sung by Stevie NicksWhat are your favorite words or quotes? Which ones have changed your life or inspired you?
August 23, 2015
Believe: The Magic of a Garden
Nothing quite whispers "Believe" like a garden.
Believe in the possibility of growth...
Looks like a loaf of bread that somebody threw over my fence next to my Frog Prince, right?That's what I thought.Wrong.
It's a giant mushroom that literally grew overnight!
Believe in the beauty of nature...
"The earth laughs in flowers." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Believe in the magic of the greenwood...
Look closely....you'll see the little Green Man who guards the door to the Tylwyth Teg in my garden...
I don't have an enchanted way with plants, like the protagonist in my work-in-progress does (the third tale in the Wood & Stone Series), but I have had great pleasure and some success with my herb container garden in my backyard this year.
My pride and joy: chocolate mint...yum. Great in iced tea, as a hot infusion, or in a simple syrup poured over ice cream or tossed in fruit salad!
And I have been deriving great satisfaction from drying herbs in my kitchen window and creating little sachets of lavender and chocolate mint. Sometimes I need a break from actual writing (egads!) to refresh my thoughts, and dried chocolate mint and lavender crushed together make an intoxicating scent that both calms the senses and clears the mind. The serenity I feel knowing that the green magic of nature is guiding me to express my own creativity is truly priceless.
I've added a cleansed/charged bloodstone and a fabric leaf to this sachet. Bloodstones are a very dark green jasper, almost black-looking, with red and yellow inclusions that show up best in sunlight.
Bloodstone is one of my favorite stones, and it has an important part to play in the entire Wood & Stone Series...for example:
Aislin kept the necklace in her apron pocket, her secret talisman. She rolled the stone in her fingers as she walked to the market each day, her basket of pies slung over her arm, glancing now and then at the distant forest trees. How different they were from the splintered stalls in the town square, the grit between the cobblestones, the dreary faces of her neighbors peddling and buying their wares. The town was brown and gray, cracked and pale. But the forest exhaled life to her, which the necklace captured in its evergreen depths. Every night she pulled the soft leather through her thumb and forefinger, and the thought that he had braided it sent shivers through her. She slept with it under her pillow. When she was baking, she kept it on the windowsill, fascinated how the sun brightened the stone’s green color and revealed red and yellow sparks of firelight within.
Excerpt from Love Lies Bleeding: The Lady of the Forest
Aislin's Necklace.I saw this in a now-defunct shop on Etsy and knew it had to belong to Aislin.And yes, of course I bought it! If you look closely you'll see it around Aislin's neck on the ebook cover...and around my neck in some of my bio pictures.
Bloodstones are quite true to their name: they help emotional centering and bring calmness, but also aid in courage, vitality, and creativity, all symbolic of the heart and the blood. And as with Aislin, their deep green color reminds me of the depths of the forest and the magic that lies therein.
As always, the forest is waiting...and I would love to share its magic with fellow bookworms!TOME TENDER BLOG is holding a fantastic giveaway where you can win a "Believe" swag package I've put together including a "The Forest is Waiting" sachet (chocolate mint/lavender/bloodstone) and an inspirational bookmark, as well as copies of my e-books.
AND, if you sign up for my CORVUS CALLING email newsletter, you'll also be entered to win a sachet every time I send a newsletter for as long as my herbs last! The sign-up form is over there on the sidebar.
What is your favorite herb, and how do you use it? I'd love to get some more ideas, so please feel free to comment below!
Believe in the possibility of growth...
Looks like a loaf of bread that somebody threw over my fence next to my Frog Prince, right?That's what I thought.Wrong.
It's a giant mushroom that literally grew overnight!
Believe in the beauty of nature...
"The earth laughs in flowers." Ralph Waldo EmersonBelieve in the magic of the greenwood...
Look closely....you'll see the little Green Man who guards the door to the Tylwyth Teg in my garden...
I don't have an enchanted way with plants, like the protagonist in my work-in-progress does (the third tale in the Wood & Stone Series), but I have had great pleasure and some success with my herb container garden in my backyard this year.
My pride and joy: chocolate mint...yum. Great in iced tea, as a hot infusion, or in a simple syrup poured over ice cream or tossed in fruit salad!
And I have been deriving great satisfaction from drying herbs in my kitchen window and creating little sachets of lavender and chocolate mint. Sometimes I need a break from actual writing (egads!) to refresh my thoughts, and dried chocolate mint and lavender crushed together make an intoxicating scent that both calms the senses and clears the mind. The serenity I feel knowing that the green magic of nature is guiding me to express my own creativity is truly priceless.
I've added a cleansed/charged bloodstone and a fabric leaf to this sachet. Bloodstones are a very dark green jasper, almost black-looking, with red and yellow inclusions that show up best in sunlight.
Bloodstone is one of my favorite stones, and it has an important part to play in the entire Wood & Stone Series...for example:
Aislin kept the necklace in her apron pocket, her secret talisman. She rolled the stone in her fingers as she walked to the market each day, her basket of pies slung over her arm, glancing now and then at the distant forest trees. How different they were from the splintered stalls in the town square, the grit between the cobblestones, the dreary faces of her neighbors peddling and buying their wares. The town was brown and gray, cracked and pale. But the forest exhaled life to her, which the necklace captured in its evergreen depths. Every night she pulled the soft leather through her thumb and forefinger, and the thought that he had braided it sent shivers through her. She slept with it under her pillow. When she was baking, she kept it on the windowsill, fascinated how the sun brightened the stone’s green color and revealed red and yellow sparks of firelight within.
Excerpt from Love Lies Bleeding: The Lady of the Forest
Aislin's Necklace.I saw this in a now-defunct shop on Etsy and knew it had to belong to Aislin.And yes, of course I bought it! If you look closely you'll see it around Aislin's neck on the ebook cover...and around my neck in some of my bio pictures.
Bloodstones are quite true to their name: they help emotional centering and bring calmness, but also aid in courage, vitality, and creativity, all symbolic of the heart and the blood. And as with Aislin, their deep green color reminds me of the depths of the forest and the magic that lies therein.
As always, the forest is waiting...and I would love to share its magic with fellow bookworms!TOME TENDER BLOG is holding a fantastic giveaway where you can win a "Believe" swag package I've put together including a "The Forest is Waiting" sachet (chocolate mint/lavender/bloodstone) and an inspirational bookmark, as well as copies of my e-books.
AND, if you sign up for my CORVUS CALLING email newsletter, you'll also be entered to win a sachet every time I send a newsletter for as long as my herbs last! The sign-up form is over there on the sidebar.
What is your favorite herb, and how do you use it? I'd love to get some more ideas, so please feel free to comment below!
August 3, 2015
Writer's Digest Conference 2015
You are not alone.
Writing can be a solitary life. Sometimes loneliness creeps up on us while we are staring at a lined page or index cards or a computer screen with only our characters to interact with. Fun and creative...but lonely sometimes.
You are not alone.
This is one of the recurring themes I heard throughout my first Writer's Digest Conference. And I experienced it firsthand. Workshop teachers all showed we have the same highs and lows as writers. So many times we laughed as a commonality was pointed out, such as: "First. Drafts. Suck."
But best of all, I made so many new writer friends. In just a short space of time we inspired, encouraged, laughed, and shared the stories of our characters and our lives with each other. We were so immediately comfortable because deep down we all knew each other, as only writers can.Introverts unite! At the Writer's Digest Conference! Absolutely priceless.
By the way, how many writers does it take to pay a bar bill? Three. (I was one of them.) It was hilariously pathetic. Obviously Math is not our thing.
(Have to give credit to author Bernardo Montes De Oca for that line...he said it as he was watching us three fumble around with cash and calculator and credit cards.)
I've been tweeting out some #WDC15 Wisdom I gathered (Lesson #1: it's less stressful to ask for separate bar tabs to begin with), and here is some more:
Honor your reality. Life is part of your reality. You can't neglect a job or forget to feed the kids to write. But writing is your reality too. Figure out how to make it all co-exist, or...You will get cranky if you don't write. Writing makes writers better people. So does coffee. I think we drained the hotel coffee supplies. I still can't believe I missed those cakes on Sunday. Where the heck were they?Writing is hard. (Seriously, I know...but hearing EVERYONE say it made me feel better.)Resistance (like Writer's Block, or the sudden urge to scour your kitchen) exists for a reason. It means that what we are doing is important or meaningful.The craft of writing and the business of writing...learn both. Fear neither. (Jonathan Mayberry's Opening Keynote)Sometimes the story knows more than you do....Writing is emotionally autobiographical - in the writing of it you are feeling it. ( Jacqueline Woodson's Central Keynote)Whether it's creating a writing schedule or a story outline, don't feel you have to follow one way or someone else's way: experiment to find what is right for YOU.There was just a plethora of excellent information and inspiration in all these workshops. My favorites were:DIY MFA and Creating a Stronger Outline for a Stronger Story with Gabriela Pereira (who was lovely and funny and sincere...she almost brought me to tears at one point.)Growing Your Iceberg: Creating a Seconday Story That Seems Ancient with Brooklyn fantasy author N.K. JemisinRevising a Novel: Step Away from the Blue Pencil with Hallie Ephron
And of course Chuck Sambuchino's Pitch Perfect session gave me the necessary tools (and the confidence) to talk to literary agents at the Pitch Slam!I highly suggest looking into these workshops - many of them are online as webinars.
Overall, the Writer's Digest Conference was a game-changer for my career as an author. It inspired and energized me as well as introduced me to wonderful fellow writers! Total magic, and totally worth it!
Did you attend the Writer's Digest Conference this year? I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
All images are from Pinterest. If an image is yours and you do not want it used in this post, please contact me. Thanks!
Writing can be a solitary life. Sometimes loneliness creeps up on us while we are staring at a lined page or index cards or a computer screen with only our characters to interact with. Fun and creative...but lonely sometimes.
You are not alone.
This is one of the recurring themes I heard throughout my first Writer's Digest Conference. And I experienced it firsthand. Workshop teachers all showed we have the same highs and lows as writers. So many times we laughed as a commonality was pointed out, such as: "First. Drafts. Suck."
But best of all, I made so many new writer friends. In just a short space of time we inspired, encouraged, laughed, and shared the stories of our characters and our lives with each other. We were so immediately comfortable because deep down we all knew each other, as only writers can.Introverts unite! At the Writer's Digest Conference! Absolutely priceless.
By the way, how many writers does it take to pay a bar bill? Three. (I was one of them.) It was hilariously pathetic. Obviously Math is not our thing.
(Have to give credit to author Bernardo Montes De Oca for that line...he said it as he was watching us three fumble around with cash and calculator and credit cards.)
I've been tweeting out some #WDC15 Wisdom I gathered (Lesson #1: it's less stressful to ask for separate bar tabs to begin with), and here is some more:
Honor your reality. Life is part of your reality. You can't neglect a job or forget to feed the kids to write. But writing is your reality too. Figure out how to make it all co-exist, or...You will get cranky if you don't write. Writing makes writers better people. So does coffee. I think we drained the hotel coffee supplies. I still can't believe I missed those cakes on Sunday. Where the heck were they?Writing is hard. (Seriously, I know...but hearing EVERYONE say it made me feel better.)Resistance (like Writer's Block, or the sudden urge to scour your kitchen) exists for a reason. It means that what we are doing is important or meaningful.The craft of writing and the business of writing...learn both. Fear neither. (Jonathan Mayberry's Opening Keynote)Sometimes the story knows more than you do....Writing is emotionally autobiographical - in the writing of it you are feeling it. ( Jacqueline Woodson's Central Keynote)Whether it's creating a writing schedule or a story outline, don't feel you have to follow one way or someone else's way: experiment to find what is right for YOU.There was just a plethora of excellent information and inspiration in all these workshops. My favorites were:DIY MFA and Creating a Stronger Outline for a Stronger Story with Gabriela Pereira (who was lovely and funny and sincere...she almost brought me to tears at one point.)Growing Your Iceberg: Creating a Seconday Story That Seems Ancient with Brooklyn fantasy author N.K. JemisinRevising a Novel: Step Away from the Blue Pencil with Hallie EphronAnd of course Chuck Sambuchino's Pitch Perfect session gave me the necessary tools (and the confidence) to talk to literary agents at the Pitch Slam!I highly suggest looking into these workshops - many of them are online as webinars.
Overall, the Writer's Digest Conference was a game-changer for my career as an author. It inspired and energized me as well as introduced me to wonderful fellow writers! Total magic, and totally worth it!
Did you attend the Writer's Digest Conference this year? I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
All images are from Pinterest. If an image is yours and you do not want it used in this post, please contact me. Thanks!
July 10, 2015
Sacred Groves and Writing: On Walls and Willow
Sunny afternoons of my childhood were often spent on the edge of a park's pond. I tossed bits of stale bread into the water for the ducks and geese. They nibbled the crumbs off the water's surface. My mother and I strolled the path that encircled the pond, crossing bridges and watching the waterfall at one end. The far side bordered a wood of densely packed trees.
There was one tree that always drew my eye, enchanted me. She was immensely tall, her "hair" (in my child's vision) a beautiful bright green sweeping in feathery tendrils to the ground, wind-tousled and swaying, reaching out towards the water. She was the Weeping Willow Queen and I adored her as much as I was in awe of her.
Weeping willows were my mother's favorite trees, and so they became mine as well. I made up a song about willows, a lilting chant of their name, and whispered it into the air when I was alone, hoping the wind would bring it to them. I imagined their answers.
When I was first drafting The Dragon's Message (published March 2014), I knew there had to be some sort of boundary that Rhiannon and Gwydion crossed over from her world to the Ruins of DragonsGate. Immediately a wall of willows came to my mind's eye. What better access to a magical realm than to pass through those curtain of branches that always were so enchanting to me? And again, in Love Lies Bleeding, The Wood & Stone Series Part One (published May 2015) it seemed only natural to me for Aislin's favorite tree to be a willow.
In the Ogham alphabet, the writing system of the ancient Celts, the willow, or "Saille," is the symbol for the letter/sound "S." (The Ogham willow is technically not the weeping willow, but the pussy willow, although both trees are very similar in energies.) Willows thrive near water, of which they are considered queen. Like its kingly counterpart, the alder tree (featured in my last blog post), the willow at the water's edge crosses the boundaries between this world and the Otherworld. As such, the willow also represents intuition, imagination, and the ebb and flow of both the moon and tides.
As Stevie Nicks sings, "Like a willow, I can bend..."
The willow is sacred to the goddess Ceridwen, who rules over the moon and is the keeper of the cauldron of inspiration. Her cauldron bestows poetic vision, divine inspiration, and restoration of creative flow. Bards, the poets who are walkers between worlds, made their harps out of willow. Incidentally, a cauldron and a bard both have roles to play in Songs Within Stone (published June 2015) and Branch and Grail, the second and third parts of The Wood & Stone Series. Willow can also bring dreams, both as an access to the Otherworld and as a source for healing and comfort. The chemical salicin found in the willow was used in ancient and medieval times for pain relief.
In Love Lies Bleeding, the willow is a comfort to young Aislin, who plays by the tree to escape her mother's illness and feed her wild nature. It is the willow who delivers the message from the Otherworld to Aislin, starting her on the path to rediscovery and rebirth.
Pass through the wall of the Willow. Sit beneath her and let the ebb and flow of her branches in the wind enfold you in times of sorrow or when you need to get in touch with your intuition or creative spirit. She'll help you get through Writer's Block! The Willow has always given me inspiration and comfort. May she do the same for you!
Enjoy the inspirational music of these modern bards!
Speaking of Stevie Nicks...these ladies also play an incredible rendition of Rhiannon!
~ saille ~
Works Reference and Recommended:Celtic Tree Magic by Danu Forest
All pictures are from Pinterest. If a work is yours and you would not like it to be used in this post, please contact me and I will remove it. Thank you.
There was one tree that always drew my eye, enchanted me. She was immensely tall, her "hair" (in my child's vision) a beautiful bright green sweeping in feathery tendrils to the ground, wind-tousled and swaying, reaching out towards the water. She was the Weeping Willow Queen and I adored her as much as I was in awe of her.
Weeping willows were my mother's favorite trees, and so they became mine as well. I made up a song about willows, a lilting chant of their name, and whispered it into the air when I was alone, hoping the wind would bring it to them. I imagined their answers.
When I was first drafting The Dragon's Message (published March 2014), I knew there had to be some sort of boundary that Rhiannon and Gwydion crossed over from her world to the Ruins of DragonsGate. Immediately a wall of willows came to my mind's eye. What better access to a magical realm than to pass through those curtain of branches that always were so enchanting to me? And again, in Love Lies Bleeding, The Wood & Stone Series Part One (published May 2015) it seemed only natural to me for Aislin's favorite tree to be a willow.
In the Ogham alphabet, the writing system of the ancient Celts, the willow, or "Saille," is the symbol for the letter/sound "S." (The Ogham willow is technically not the weeping willow, but the pussy willow, although both trees are very similar in energies.) Willows thrive near water, of which they are considered queen. Like its kingly counterpart, the alder tree (featured in my last blog post), the willow at the water's edge crosses the boundaries between this world and the Otherworld. As such, the willow also represents intuition, imagination, and the ebb and flow of both the moon and tides.
As Stevie Nicks sings, "Like a willow, I can bend..."The willow is sacred to the goddess Ceridwen, who rules over the moon and is the keeper of the cauldron of inspiration. Her cauldron bestows poetic vision, divine inspiration, and restoration of creative flow. Bards, the poets who are walkers between worlds, made their harps out of willow. Incidentally, a cauldron and a bard both have roles to play in Songs Within Stone (published June 2015) and Branch and Grail, the second and third parts of The Wood & Stone Series. Willow can also bring dreams, both as an access to the Otherworld and as a source for healing and comfort. The chemical salicin found in the willow was used in ancient and medieval times for pain relief.
In Love Lies Bleeding, the willow is a comfort to young Aislin, who plays by the tree to escape her mother's illness and feed her wild nature. It is the willow who delivers the message from the Otherworld to Aislin, starting her on the path to rediscovery and rebirth.
Pass through the wall of the Willow. Sit beneath her and let the ebb and flow of her branches in the wind enfold you in times of sorrow or when you need to get in touch with your intuition or creative spirit. She'll help you get through Writer's Block! The Willow has always given me inspiration and comfort. May she do the same for you!
Enjoy the inspirational music of these modern bards!
Speaking of Stevie Nicks...these ladies also play an incredible rendition of Rhiannon!
~ saille ~
Works Reference and Recommended:Celtic Tree Magic by Danu Forest
All pictures are from Pinterest. If a work is yours and you would not like it to be used in this post, please contact me and I will remove it. Thank you.
