2 Months until Cat Magic Book! (Giveaway)

We're getting closer, people! Today marks two months from the release date for The Little Book of Cat Magic! I'm getting excited. Are you?

You might be a little more excited when you see this month's fun giveaway package. Check it out.

GOODIES!

That's right. There's a copy of the Llewellyn Witch's Coloring Book (I just love mine), which contains some images from the Everyday Witch Tarot. Plus a cover flat of my last book, A Year and a Day of Everyday Witchcraft, a fun notebook with the cover of one of my witchy novels on it, a black cat bookmark, a broom pen, a cat rubber ducky (I KNOW! How fun is that?), and my favorite, a hand-knit little black and white kitty that I got at a fundraiser for our local shelters. Such a fun bunch of goodies.

As always, all you have to do to enter is fill out the Rafflecopter form. Things you are already doing (like getting my newsletter) count. And of course, no purchase is necessary, although naturally I'd love it if you'd preorder the book.

Are we excited yet?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Live Witchcraft Classes and Rituals Online

As those of you already following me on Patreon know, the folks who support me at the $25 level get access to a monthly live witchcraft class, or occasionally, a ritual. (These can be viewed later if you're not available when they go live. Supporters get emailed a link to use.)

Because I had to skip last month due to Life and All the Things, we're going to do two this month. If you're not supporting at that  level, it's not too late to do so!

Our first class this month is going to be Wednesday the 14th at 7:30 and will be on "Spells and Spellcasting." Anyone who is taking part live can ask me questions and we might even cast a spell or two!

Then on Tuesday the 20th I'll do a chat and a brief ritual about Ostara, the Spring Equinox. I'll post any supplies I'll be using ahead of time in case people want to follow along at home. I'll probably do that one at 7:30 (PM, EST, US) as well unless I get requests to do it a bit later. That one might be a bit shorter.

This is a good time to give me requests for future topics, too. Speak up, people!

Here's the Patreon link if you want to check out the various levels and their rewards (so much fun stuff!).

https://www.patreon.com/deborahblake

Also, if you haven't ordered it yet, don't forget that Dangerously Fierce is out!

A Reinventing Ruby Themed Giveaway

It has been about a month since REINVENTING RUBY, my self-published foodie contemporary romance came out, and I'm pleased with the response. Most people who have read it seem to like it, even though there are no witches in it at all :-)

If you haven't given it a try yet, I hope you will! It is available as an eBook everywhere, and in print from Amazon (you can follow the link up above). If you did read it and liked it, remember that good reviews are really, really, really important for authors, and pretty please take a minute to put up a quick one.

As thanks for all your support, I decided it was time for a Reinventing Ruby themed giveaway. Since pomegranates are a big part of the book, I found some cool citronella and pomegranate tea lights, and a lovely pomegranate scented soap. Plus, there is a fun notebook with the book cover on the front.

Giveaway goodies!

I think Magic and Angus approve.

As always, to enter simply fill out the Rafflecopter form. Yes, you get credit for things you've already done (like following me on Twitter--you DO follow me on Twitter, right?) and no purchase is necessary. Although if you buy the book, it will certainly make my day.

So tell me, what is your favorite fruit to cook with? I love cooking with pomegranates and pomegranate syrup. There are even some of my favorite recipes at the end of the book.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Robercon Ho!

I'm working my butt off this weekend, trying to get as much done as I can on the 365 Day book for Llewellyn, because next weekend, I'm going to be at ROBERCON! I'm so excited!

Robercon is my "local" SF/fantasy convention, located in Binghamton, New York, about an hour from where I live. I have gone for the last few years and always had a blast.

Look at all the cool people who attend!

 The convention has both general SF/fantasy panels, cosplay, and the like, plus a bunch of guest authors, including yours truly. Last year, the amazing Tamora Pierce was the author guest of honor, and we had so much fun hanging out together, she is actually coming back this year. I can't wait!

Me and the fabulous Tamora.

 But the REAL reason I am so, so, so excited this year is that my friend Alex Bledsoe is flying in to be the author guest of honor. Alex and I have been friends for years, supporting each other's careers and cheering each other on, but this will be the first time we will actually get to meet in person!

Handsome devil!

Plus, of course, there is the convention guest of honor, Chase Masterson, who had a reoccurring role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This year is going to ROCK.

As an added bonus, for the folks who make it there, my publisher has kindly arranged for me to have my author copies of DANGEROUSLY CHARMING in time to take them to the con, even though the book isn't officially out until October 4th. So a few lucky people are going to get their hands on the book a week and a half before everyone else! Whoo hoo!

I hope I get to see a few of you there. Here's the schedule of events for those who are thinking of coming: Robercon Schedule I will be at both author signings (Saturday and Sunday). I will undoubtedly have a few goodies with me too.

Whoo hooo!

Tarot Cards and Coloring Books and Giveaways, OH MY

As most of you know, I have been working on a fabulous tarot deck for Llewellyn with illustrator Elisabeth Alba, who is as sweet as she is talented (so pretty damned sweet). When we finished, Elisabeth kindly offered to gift me with one of the original paintings--my choice. I debated back and forth for ages, since I loved them all so much, but finally narrowed it down to the one I thought I'd most like to have hanging on my wall. (I also intend to buy a few of the prints when she puts them up for sale, but an original is different, a real treasure.)

Yesterday, I got THIS in the mail.

THE ACE OF CUPS

I particularly love this one because it gives me a wonderful peaceful feeling to look at it, but also because if you look at the kitty, you'll notice that it is a calico. Elisabeth was working on the Cups, her final suit, when my beloved cat Samhain died, and I asked her if she could possibly make one or two of the kitties in that suit calicos, in Samhain's honor. As you can see, she did. I told you she was sweet, didn't I.

If you like the cards in this deck, then you are going to LOVE the new LLEWELLYN WITCH'S COLORING BOOK. This cool new addition to the adult coloring book craze features a number of different artists, including Elisabeth and also Mickie Mueller, who did the cover for my ebook version of Circle, Coven & Grove, as well as a number of the illustrations in The Witch's Broom

Check it out:

My painting isn't *quite* as good as Elisabeth's original...

 Aren't these cool? There are lots of other gorgeous pictures to draw too. I had to get one of these as soon as I found out our pictures were in there. And I've found using it to be surprisingly therapeutic. Naturally, I ordered an extra one to give away! Why should I have all the fun?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Veiled Magic Update and Giveaway!

So it has been about two weeks since Veiled Magic came out, and people seem to like it. YAY!

I'm so happy, I decided to do another giveaway, just because I can. And to say thank you to all of you, for helping to make the book a success.

Look what I've got:

Veiled Magic prize pack!

There's a Veiled Magic tote bag and notebook, plus a postcard, and a broom pen, plus a cute stuffed dragon because, seriously, who doesn't need more cute? I might toss another couple of fun things in there too, you never know.

Here's a couple of cool screen grabs I took off of Amazon while I was (coff) NOT obsessively checking to see how the book was doing.

This was on the Tuesday a week after the book came out:

Rankings after a week

Good company!

The second one is Amazon's "Customers who bought this item also bought" list--OMG! I'm listed with Patricia Briggs, Jennifer Estep, and Ilona Andrews...now that's some good company to be in.

So tell me, did you get a copy? And if you did, have you read it yet? Did you like it? (Not that authors care about such things...just curious.) Or, you know, just comment on something.

Oh, here's some links...

Buying links:

Barnes & Noble |Amazon |Penguin

 

Next up, I'll be talking about the first book in the Riders series (a continuation of the Baba Yaga books, starring the Riders). And how the book tried to kill me.

Thanks so much to everyone who bought Veiled Magic, talked about it to their friends, or just cheered me on. You guys rock.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Fall, and That Means...

It's fall, and that means...

Mother Nature is putting on a beautiful show.

The hills behind my house. The view from my house is actually blocked by pine trees, so I have to walk next door to see it.

I'm getting the last of the harvest in and putting up pesto (before the basil gets frosted, since it is the most delicate thing in the garden) and applesauce (since my trees are loaded with apples this year).

Pesto ingredients and one small cat who is not allowed on the counter. Yes, that's Luna. Yes, she's still here. That's a discussion for another blog post. The lemon is my secret ingredient.

Finished pesto. Most of it will go into the freezer to bring a spark of summer glory in the midst of winter.

The apples on the right are Golden Delicious. The apples on the left are a mystery apple. The trees long predate my buying the house--14 years ago--and this tree never gave me apples until this year. Go figure.

And tearing down the garden. That means dismantling the pond fountain and filter (a slimy, wet, and unpleasant job), planting next year's garlic with the help of pal Ellen, and clearing and covering the beds.

Dying tomato plants on the left. They'll come out soon. Brussels Sprouts. More tomatoes to the right mixed in with the asparagus ferns which still have to be clipped back.

The pond

This guy was supervising.

Fall also means that it is time for another newsletter! If you haven't signed up yet, you should do it right away, since I'm hoping it will go out at the beginning of the week. There is going to be all sorts of fun news that my newsletter readers get to hear first. You can use the form at the top left of the blog, or this link: NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

I usually only send out about four newsletters a year (seasonally, more or less), although there may be a few extra in the coming months as the new books come out. Did you realize that it is only five weeks until VEILED MAGIC comes out on November 17th? Eek! If you want, you can preorder and it will be automatically delivered to you on the day! (It is an ebook only, but if you don't have an ereader, you can download a free app and read it on your computer.)

Also, be sure to check back here often in the next five weeks (or, you know, sign up to get email notifications when there is a new blog post) because I am about to go into SUPER GIVEAWAY MODE. And you don't want to miss what's coming up...

Happy fall! What's it like where you are?

A Robercon Report

Last weekend, I went to the RoberCon Science Fiction convention in nearby Binghamton, NY. This is my report.

Short version: IT WAS A BLAST.

What, you wanted a little more detail than that? Okay.

First of all, I got to spend much of the weekend meeting and then hanging out with one of my favorite authors, Tamora Pierce.

Amazingly enough, she seems to think I'm pretty cool too, and loves the Baba Yaga books!

One of the many panels we did, along with moderator/con organizer Crystal Sarakas and pal Nancy Holzner and a horror writer who was surprisingly nice :-)

We went out for an amazing dinner (that's my friend Ellen grinning on the other side of Tamora)

Oysters Rockefeller! One of my favorites. They were delish.

In the Green Room with Nancy, Tamora, and Crystal on day two. (I'm holding my new friend.)

On Sunday I got to see Sophie, Robin, and Nate (and dad George)

Look who we found!

In short, it was a great weekend. I came home with a bunch of signed books and some terrific memories. Oh, and a red dragon, in honor of Wickedly Powerful...

This is me at the end of the day on Sunday. Cons are exhausting.

Stay tuned, because there are all sorts of fun things coming up here on the blog, including a bunch of giveaways and some cool announcements. I'll be sending out another newsletter soon too, so make sure you're signed up. (Just fill out the form at the top left of the blog.)

What did you do this last weekend?

Tarot Deck Progress Report Part Two

THE KING OF PENTACLES

Deborah: As most of you know, I have been working on a great tarot project for Llewellyn with illustrator Elisabeth Alba. We thought it would be fun to make some blog posts dedicated to the process, showing how I begin by writing a description, to Elisabeth's final painted result. Last time we did the Six of Swords (http://deborahblake.blogspot.com/2015/02/tarot-deck-progress-report-and-giveaway.html). Today, we're looking at the King of Pentacles.

The description for this one was:

Picture: An older sage with gray-streaked dark hair sits on a throne-like chair outside; he looks powerful and strong. Behind him in the distance, you can see a prosperous looking manor house. To his left stands a bull wearing a garland of flowers, and to his right, a white hound reclines at his feet with a large bone. He is holding a chocolate cake with a pentacle on top in one hand, in the other hand is a goblet filled with wine. Grape vines are growing up his chair. He wears a green cloak over brown tunic and pants that are decorated with green ferns or leaves and a simple circlet crown with a pentacle in the front. The mood is one of strength and prosperity.

Deborah: I send the description to Elisabeth, and then she starts the magic of transforming my words into art!

Elisabeth: I usually begin with very rough small pencil sketches, trying to work out the overall composition.

Elisabeth: I scanned those, and place the sketch I like best into the card template. I then digitally create a better, more detailed sketch! I send this to Deborah; the art director, Lynne Menturweck; and the acquisitions editor, Barbara Moore. This one didn't require any revisions! Sometimes they do.

Elisabeth: Once the sketch is approved, it's time to take photo reference. My husband Scott (he's also an illustrator) posed as the King of Pentacles.

Deborah: Scott is so cute! I love the way Elisabeth uses him (and sometimes herself) to create poses for the cards.

I work on the finished drawing using my reference. In the background, the manor house had to look like the one included in the Knight and 10 of Pentacles cards, so I had to design a house and make sure it looked like the same house in each! Here is the finished drawing and a digitally colored version. I like to figure out how I'm going to color and shade it before painting it.

Once again, I make sure to get approval on the drawing before I paint it. I print the drawing lightly on watercolor paper and ink it with a dip pen. I watered down the ink a bit so that the background line work would be grey and more atmospheric. Then I start painting, using my digital color version as a guide!
 

More painting progress...

Once it's painted I scan it, color correct it, do any minor digital touch-ups, and send it off for approval. Here's the final result!

Here is the Rider-Waite version, for comparison:

The process all in one!

Here is the text that will go along with the card in the book, written by Deborah:

“The world is your oyster. Or possibly, your chocolate cake.”
Work hard, do good for others, and all will be well.

The King of Pentacles represents prosperity and abundance, but more than that, his strength comes from being strongly rooted in his own success and the success of those around him. The King can represent your own financial situation or he can indicate a strong male figure who is willing to help you achieve prosperity and security, whether on the job or at home.

Things to consider: The Kings are all strong male figures, but that doesn’t mean that a King card can’t represent a woman, although it is less common. If this card falls at a place in the reading where it stands for you, it indicates that your focus is on success and money. This isn’t a bad thing, but be careful not to let your desire for security or nice belongings sweep you away. If there is a King figure in your life—husband, father, boss—are you taking full advantage of the gifts he is offering you? And is what he offers truly what you want?

Deborah: Well? What do you all think? Are you enjoying seeing our progress? Do you like the cards? If you use tarot, do you think you would find these useful? Inquiring minds want to know.

(And don't forget to enter the current giveaway for a print copy of Circle, Coven & Grove plus a great candle sconce by Mickie Mueller! It's still on for a couple of days. http://deborahblake.blogspot.com/2015/03/circle-coven-grove-giveaway-anniversary.html

Rober-Con and Home Again

I spent this last weekend at Rober-Con, a fairly new SF convention in Binghamton, NY--but not as just a con-goer. I was actually invited to be a guest author and presenter, and took part in four panels, as well as doing a book reading. I'm not going to lie--I had a blast. It was pretty cool to finally be a published fiction author out there in the world.

The panel on Worldbuilding, with Jill Schultz, me, Joshua Palmatier, Laura Anne Gilman, and moderator and con-Goddess Crystal Sarakas

My best pal Ellen and I drove (well, she drove, because I fall asleep behind the wheel after about 30 minutes, which is annoying as hell...especially to innocent bystanders), since it was only about an hour and 15 minutes from my house. We stayed overnight so we could go out to dinner with the con organizer and some of the other authors, and not have to make the drive back and forth. As with most cons, it was exciting and exhausting, and a few little things didn't go as smoothly as you'd like them to, but for an only-two-year-old con, it was amazingly well run. All my panels were well attended, and I had a wonderful time hanging out with the author Guest of Honor, Laura Anne Gilman. Laura Anne and I had never met before, but we had about a zillion author pals in common, which was nice. She was an editor before she became an author, and she knows more about the writing biz than just about anyone I have ever met.

Me, Joshua Palmatier, and Laura Anne--we look pretty shifty here, but it was really end-of-con exhaustion. Laura Anne joked that only two of us had gotten the shirt color memo :-)

 One of the great things about going to a con this close to home was that some of my Binghamton-area pals could come, including my friend Robin and her kids Sophie and Nate (my goddess-children), who had a blast at their first con.

My friend Rob came too, only to feed me to author April Steenburgh's Bag of Death. It got poor Laura Anne, too.

The con took place at the lovely (albeit confusing to get around in) Roberson Museum, which was filled with costumed folks, cool authors, and fabulous vendors. (Yes, I bought some used books--why do you ask?) I had a fabulous time, and plan to return in future years if they continue to invite me.

But one of the BEST moments happened on the trip home, when my friend Ellen managed to surprise me (not easy to do when you're a psychic). We'd stopped in the museum's gift shop on our way in on the second day, and I spotted a cool blue stuffed dragon. I'd been sort of thinking of picking it up as both a memento of the con and as tribute to Chudo-Yudo, the dragon characters in my books.

Alas, when I went back for it at the end of the day, it was gone. And they'd only had one. (I know, because as soon as I saw it was gone, I suddenly realized how much I'd wanted it--you know how that happens--and had the gift shop staff check their inventory. But nope, only one, and it had sold.) So I settled on a cute little black one instead.

He IS cute, isn't he? I'm thinking I might have to have a contest to name him.

 So we're driving home, and stop so I can have a pitstop. And when I get back into the car, Ellen says in a mysterious voice, "You know, I think the Force has shifted in this car." Needless to say, I had no idea what she was talking about... And then she pulled a bag off of the top of this mound sitting between the two front seats, and there was THE BLUE DRAGON!

He's going to need a name too.

 I couldn't believe she'd managed to buy it earlier in the day (the liar told me she was going off in search of a bottle of water) and then managed to sneak him into the car trunk without me knowing. It made me absurdly happy :-)

And now it looks like I have the beginnings of a collection. I don't normally collect things (although I have always liked dragons, and actually have a few already), but I believe I'm going to have to make an exception.

TWO! And clearly just the beginning...

In short, I had a fabulous weekend. I took today off to recover, but tomorrow, things go back to (coff) normal. In other words, I'll be writing.