Sekrit Project Announce and Celebration Giveaway

So some of you may have seen me talking on Twitter about a sekrit project that was a possibility... Well, I'm THRILLED to announce that illustrator Elisabeth Alba and I have just signed a contract with Llewellyn to create the Everyday Witch Oracle Deck! Can  I get a woot? (And a bottle of champagne?)

Elisabeth and I had a great time when we worked together on the EVERYDAY WITCH TAROT
We had so much fun, in fact, that we've been looking for a project we could do together ever since--well, ever since we recovered, anyway. We finally had coinciding windows of time available and come up with the idea of doing an oracle deck along the same lines as the tarot deck. Oracle decks are smaller and simpler, and take no preparation or training to use. The deck will have 40 cards and a book that goes with it, written by yours truly.

Here's the sample card Elisabeth made up. Isn't it AMAZING?

Notice anything special about this witch?

 
 We are both incredibly excited to be able to announce this project. (And to get the band back together.) No release date yet, but probably some time in 2020.

To celebrate, I'm going to give away one copy of the Everyday Witch Tarot Deck! (Signed by me.)

 

Just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. And then you can join us in doing the happy dance to celebrate our good news. What do you think? Are you excited too?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

The Super Sekrit Project REVEALED!

I've been teasing you all for a couple of months now by occasionally mentioning the Super Sekrit Project I've been working on--but I swear, it wasn't my fault.

The thing about publishing is that you don't want to announce any project, no matter how certain it seems, until you have a contract. And the contract for this project was unusually complicated because there were two people involved.

That got your attention, didn't it? Okay--here is your first hint. This is other person who is working on the Super Sekrit Project with me: Elisabeth Alba

Go ahead, take a look. I'll wait. Do you have a guess what the project might be?

Here's another hint: this project is for Llewellyn, but it is completely different from anything I have ever done before.

NOW do you have a guess?

*bounce* *bounce* *bounce*

Okay, I'll tell you!

I'm doing a TAROT DECK.
I know! How cool is that? (Can you tell I'm a little excited?) I hadn't really planned to do anything else with Llewellyn, beyond the book I have coming out in March [Everyday Witchcraft, a follow-up to The Goddess is in the Details, which just went back for an 6th printing, by the way.]. I'm mostly focusing on the fiction for now. But when I got offered the chance to do a tarot deck, the project was just too fun and cool to say no to. And then they found Elisabeth to do the art, and I was even happier I'd said yes, because I really love her work.

We don't know what it is going to be called, although we are using "Retro Tarot" as a working title, because the style is loosely based on the art for the front cover of The Witch's Broom. You remember that, right?

We'll probably end up calling it something like "Everyday Witch Tarot" or "Practical Witch Tarot," because as usual, I'll be taking a simple, practical, and easily accessible approach. It is my job to come up with the theme, and the descriptions for all 78 cards (we are using the basic Rider-Waite tarot as a base to work from, since most people are familiar with those cards). And then write a 300 page book to go with the cards, which Elisabeth creates based on my descriptions. She's amazing, so I think this deck is going to be really something.

Here's a little note from Elisabeth (who is going to do a blog post of her own about the project--as soon as she's done GETTING MARRIED): 

I'm very excited to be working with Deborah on this tarot project over the next year and a half. Her writing and my art are meshing fantastically so far, and I can't wait to see what other cards await my pen and paintbrush! This will be a fun collaboration, and I'm very pleased and honored to be working on it with Deborah and everyone at Llewellyn.

(And yes, she did say "year and a half." That's how long it takes to create a tarot deck, mostly because of the insane amount of artwork involved. So this won't be out until sometime in 2016. Darn it.)

Here's a little sample of what we're working on:
The Queen of Pentacles

The Queen of Pentacles

And here's what it will say about the card in the book:

Caption: “Prosperity and abundance come in many forms.”

Underneath caption: You have everything you need and most of what you want. Life is full of gifts, if you open your heart and spirit to them.

Detailed explanation of card:

Prosperity is as a much a state of mind as it is the state of your bank account. There is abundance all around you, and people who will help you achieve your goals. If you are rooted in the earth and tuned into the glory of the world around you, it is that much more likely that you too will blossom and grow. Be the Queen of your own domain, but rule with love and an open heart.

Things to consider – Do you appreciate the riches in your life, whatever form they take? Are you open to new opportunities? Are you fully present in your own life? How can you make the most of the possibilities available to you now, and how can you prepare for any new possibilities that lie ahead? Embrace your own power without fear. Be open to help from others who are willing to work for your benefit. Remember that prosperity doesn’t have to mean money.

 

The 4 of Swords

The 4 of Swords

Caption: “To Sleep, Perchance to Dream”

Underneath caption: Are you resting, or retreating?

Detailed explanation of card:

We all need to pull back from the world from time to time; take a break, catch our breath, and regroup. The trick is to know the difference between the lack of movement that is positive and beneficial, and the lack of movement that means we are stuck, in a state of suspended animation.

Things to consider: Depending on where this card falls in a reading, it may be a suggestion that you need to rest and refresh your spirit, giving yourself the time and space to renew body, mind, and spirit. Alternately, it may indicate that you are stuck in a rut, spinning your wheels when you should be taking action. Are you tired and overwhelmed? Or are you running away from making the tough choices or taking decisive action that you know is needed. Is there someone in your life who is holding you back, or whose lack of action has a negative effect on your current circumstances? This card indicates that they are stuck, and probably not going to change. Do you need a rest or a wake-up call?

As you can see, we are using lots of traditional imagery, like black hats, and brooms, and black cats. I'm having a blast working on this project, and I'm so glad I can finally share it with all of you! What do you think?

My New Book: The Big Reveal

As some of you know, I have been working on a new novel forever for the last four or five months. This one followed a different pattern than most of my previous manuscripts, with more complicated use of language (which made the writing go more slowly) and numerous revisions based on feedback from my first readers and my agent, Elaine Spencer.

From the very beginning, Elaine and I were both really excited about this one; it was an idea no one had come up with yet (that we could find, anyway), and yet fit beautifully with the popular trend of modern fairy tales and fantasy romances. So I have been pretty secretive about the book, not wanting someone else to say, "Hey! What a cool idea! I'll write one of those." (Not that a book by someone else would be anything like a book by me, but still...)

Now, however, the book is going out on submission (meaning it is being sent to editors at the various publishing companies), and I think it is finally safe for me to share with you...

DRUM ROLL PLEASE....

 The Baba Yaga
For those of you who aren't familiar with the name, Baba Yaga is a figure from Russian fairy tales--usually portrayed as the "wicked witch" kind of witch, but also sometimes as a guide, or even a goddess figure. I took the character and updated her, making her into a not-quite-human kick-ass modern heroine. 

Here is the "blurb" (like what you'd find on the back of the book) for The Baba Yaga:

Baba Yaga

Blurb

You may think you know about Baba Yaga: the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales who lives in a hut that moved about on chicken legs, rides in a mortar and pestle, and eats small children if they misbehave. But you’d be wrong. For Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather, a title carried by a chosen few whose job it is to guard the borders between our world and the Otherworld and keep the balance of nature.

Barbara Yager is a Baba Yaga; trained since childhood by the previous holder of the title. Older than she looks, powerful beyond measure, and so far removed from the life of normal mortals, she has little in common with the human life she was born to. She travels through the country in an Airstream trailer, riding a classic BMW motorcycle and masquerading as an herbalist and researcher while she fulfills her duties. When she is summoned by a woman who is desperate to find her missing child, Barbara finds herself tangled in a web of lies and deceit, battling human enemies and Otherworld creatures, and most unexpectedly, her own heart.

Liam McClellan is the Sheriff of rural Clearwater County. Since a tragedy tore his life to pieces years before, he has dedicated himself to his job; protecting and serving the people who look to him to enforce the law. But after five children disappear in four months, without a trace or clue, Liam is beginning to wonder if he should hang up his badge. The sudden appearance of a beautiful woman with a dubious background and a curious habit of turning up where he least expects her makes him place her at the top of his suspect list, despite her uncanny gift for helping those in need. But as the danger mounts, and weird and inexplicable occurrences beset Liam and those he vowed to keep safe, he has to wonder if Barbara Yager is his enemy—or his only chance to save the lives of innocents in a world he no longer recognizes.

Natural gas drilling, political shenanigans, grieving parents, three mysterious motorcycle riders, twisted beasts out of nightmares, and yes, there are dragons. Because when Baba Yaga comes to town, nothing will ever be the same again.

You have probably heard of Baba Yaga—the archetypal wicked witch of Russian tales who lived in a log hut that walked about on chicken legs, rode through the forests in a giant mortar that she steered with a pestle, and ate small children if they didn’t behave. According to legend, Baba Yaga usually appeared as an ugly old crone, although she also wore other faces, and sometimes gave aid to a worthy seeker, if such a one could pass her tests.

You probably think you know who Baba Yaga is. But you’d be wrong. Because I am Baba Yaga, and this is my story.

What do you think? 

Anyway, wish me luck as my baby goes out into the world. And don't forget to enter the contest (found on the previous blog post) to win a Llewellyn Witches' Calender with my work in it.