Monday Magic: Lightness of Spirit

It has been a while since I have done a Magical Monday post, and while Monday is almost gone, I'm pretty sure I can still sneak one in.

This is a simple spell, but one we can all use from time to time. It's from my book, Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook (Llewellyn). I hope it brings you all a little lightness... (You can light a white candle if you like.)

Lightness of Spirit

God and Goddess, hear my plea

Shine your light and love on me

Turn my burdens into Air

Letting go of fear and care

Ground my body to the Earth

Give my spirit joy and mirth

Wash away my tears in Water

With your love of son and daughter

Burn away the gloom with Fire

And grant the lightness I desire.

Cover Reveal and Giveaway!

When I was in Cape Cod recently with my extended family, we did a rainy day shopping blitz and one of the things I picked up was a fun dish towel with a mermaid on it, because it reminded me of the mermaids in WICKEDLY WONDERFUL, the second novel in the Baba Yaga series.

Which in turn reminded me that I'd promised to give away the cool lapis mermaid necklace I'd made in honor of the book. Do you remember this?

Mermaid necklace!

Mermaid close up

And here's the fun towel:

I kinda want to keep it for myself. But I won't.

But of course, I'd need to have an excuse for the giveaway. You know, something to celebrate and shout about. Luckily, just as I was thinking that, my lovely editor Leis emailed me with the final cover for WICKEDLY EVER AFTER, the next novella in the series. The third book, WICKEDLY POWERFUL won't be out until February 2nd, 2016 (don't worry, that's closer than you think) but the novella will be out a few weeks earlier, on January 16th! (And yes, since you asked, they are both available for pre-order now. You're welcome.)

I had a blast writing Wickedly Ever After, because it let me visit my first (and favorite) of the Baba Yagas, Barbara, and check in to see what was happening with her and Liam and little Babs. Of course, things aren't going quite as smoothly as she'd hoped...

Here's the blurb for the story:

Having triumphed over a powerful enemy and ended up with both a wonderful guy—Sheriff Liam McClellan—and an adorable adopted daughter to raise as a Baba Yaga, Barbara Yager is ready to welcome her happily ever after. But first she must bring Liam to the Otherworld and get the Queen’s permission to marry him. The Queen, however, is not so easily persuaded. She gives them three impossible tasks to complete in two weeks’ time—and if they fail Barbara will have to watch Liam slowly age and die like all humans, and kiss her happily ever after good-bye forever.

And here's the COVER REVEAL!!!

I love that it shows a bit of Barbara's attitude, because goodness knows, she's got plenty of that!

Now, here's the giveaway I promised you! Tell me, what do you think of the cover? Are you looking forward to the novella? The novel? Both?

Addendum: Yes, this one is open to everyone, international too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back from Vacation and Some Announcements!

Hi all! Sorry I haven't been around, but, well, I haven't been around. First I was off to RWA in NYC, and then I was back for less than two weeks before taking of for a long-awaited family reunion vacation in Cape Cod. It was my first real vacation in 34 years, so I was really looking forward to resting and relaxing on the beach, eating lots of seafood, reading books, taking a major family picture together, and hanging out with lots of family, some of whom, like by favorite cousin Peter and his charming wife Mariana, I hadn't seen in over ten years. (Their boys, Alex 11, and Misho 9, were a hoot!)

Of course, as is the way of these things, nothing went exactly the way I'd hoped... (seriously, what on earth made me think that a vacation with my family would be relaxing?!) But it was still a great trip, mostly because of the time spend with those I love, and my dad did an amazing job of finding a house big enough for all of us, only a mile away from this:

Harwich Port Beach

 No picture with the whole family, alas, because a number of folks refused to get their pictures taken, but here is one of me with my cousin and his family. Misho is pulling a goofy face, as usual.

Alex and Misho, Mariana, Peter, and me

One selfie with me and the glamorous Mariana

 I didn't get to eat all the seafood I wanted to, sadly, but I did have lobster a few times, including this amazing lobster BLT. Yum!

And on the one rainy day, we all trouped into nearby Chatham and had fun picking up souvenirs. Lots of this are going to friends and the cat sitters, but I did pick up one thing in particular with a giveaway in mind. Can you pick out which item it is?

Hint: look to the right side...

Mermaid!

Look, it's a towel with a mermaid on it, just like in the WICKEDLY WONDERFUL books! Which reminded me that I had been promising to give away the lapis mermaid necklace I made in honor of the book. So I guess we're having another giveaway, with Wickedly Wonderful prizes!

Of course, in order to have a giveaway, we should have something to celebrate, right? So how about the COVER REVEAL for the next novella, Wickedly Ever After! Tune in Monday, for both the cover reveal and the giveaway. In the meanwhile, happy Feline Friday, and here's another ocean picture just because.

Alex and Misho, clowning around on the rocks.