Live Witchcraft Class and Full Moon Ritual

As some of you might already know, I started a Patreon page a couple of months ago, and one of the rewards (at the $25/month level) is a live class on various witchcraft topics. (This is a pretty good deal, when you consider that back in the days when I gave online classes--which weren't done by video-chat, so they were way less personal or interactive--they often cost at least that much. And you didn't even get to watch a cat wander in and out of the screen...)

I'm going to be doing a special edition this month, on Wednesday January 31st at 7:30 PM est, in case you were curious about it or thinking of joining in. Wednesday is a big day: it's a super moon, a blue moon, and a total lunar eclipse, all at the same time. To give you some idea of how rare this is, the last time there was a total eclipse during a blue moon (the 2nd full moon to fall in a month) was 1866! So not only is there going to be a class segment, I will also be doing an actual live ritual (albeit a simple one, since I will be sitting in front of a computer). The ritual will focus on coming out of the darkness and into the light. Since this theme works for Imbolc as well, if you can't tune in during the class, you can use the ritual for Imbolc instead. (For those who are at this level, the video is always available later in case they aren't around during the time the class is live. Considering we have people in multiple countries and time zones, this is always going to be an issue, alas.)

To follow me on Patreon, you can go here and check it out. There are a variety of support levels, including $1 and $3 levels for folks who just want to be supportive but don't have much of a budget, as well as levels that get you rewards like a spell a month, or snippets of my works in progress, and much more. (There is even a level that can get you a live tarot reading every month or help with your own writing!) Plus exclusive cat pictures, of course. Mostly, Patreon is a way to support the artists/authors/creative folks you like, so they can keep on doing what they're doing. And believe me, we appreciate it.

Check out my Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/deborahblake

I hope some of you will join me at this once-in-a-lifetime class!

IN OTHER NEWS:
I've been working hard on the third Rider book, DANGEROUSLY FIERCE. Expect some big announcements soon!

Come With Me to Coastal Magic

I'm going to be heading to Daytona Beach, FL in February, to be a Featured Author at the Coastal Magic Convention. I'd love it if you could join me! We'll have lots of fun panel discussions, time for meet & greets and casual chats, and a whole slew of other activities. There will even be a chance for some lucky readers to join my table for lunch before the book signing! Check out the website at http://coastalmagicconvention.com/ for a listing of my fellow Featured Authors, and lots of other info. Then, get yourself registered for a weekend of bookish shenanigans by the beach! (And, if you mention me in your registration, for "how you heard about Coastal Magic", you could help me win an awesome author prize!) I can't wait to see you there!!

(Seriously--this is the most fun convention I go to...and it is AT THE BEACH!)

The Witch's Broom and a Magickal Broom Giveaway

We're rapidly approaching the most magical holiday of them all, Halloween--or as many Witches refer to it, Samhain. This day is often referred to as the Witch's New Year, when we say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new.

So what better time to welcome in a new cover for one of my favorite books, THE WITCH'S BROOM? Llewellyn has decided to give the entire series new, matching covers, and while I loved the old one (sniffle) I think the new one is very cool too.

As it happens, my pal Robert Skinner, of Blue Moon Broom, Brush, and Besom, just sent me some very cool magickal brooms to give away as I chose. (Isn't he sweet?) So one lucky winner will get a copy of the book with its new cover, and a fun broom to go with it, just in time for the holiday (you know, or close).

As always, just fill in the Rafflecopter form to enter, and you get credit for things you've already done, like following me on Twitter or following the blog here. (You do that, right?) No purchase necessary, but feel free to buy a book, leave a review of one you read and liked, or otherwise spread the word about how fun my books are. You know, unless you don't think they are!

So, do you like the new cover?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kindle & Kitty Giveaway!

I'm going to be traveling for a chunk of the time leading up to release day for the newest Baba Yaga novella, Wickedly Spirited (have I mentioned it is only $1.99?), so I thought I'd leave something here to entertain you.

And because I know some folks are sad that the novella isn't available in print (it's too short for the publishers to do that), I'm going to do a giveaway for a Kindle Fire 7 Tablet! And a cute kitty that looks a bit like Koshka, the Norwegian Forest cat who is featured in the novella.

Cute and fun!

As always, all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below, you can take credit for things you've already done (like following me on Twitter...you already do that, right?), and no purchase is necessary. Now, you all just talk among yourselves until I get back. Feel free to talk about me :-)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coming soon to an eReader near you!

NY Faerie Festival 2017

Anyone who has been following this blog for a while knows that there is one day I look forward to all year--my annual outing to the NY Faerie Festival. It takes place about 50 minutes away from me, in tiny Ouaquaga, NY and it is always a blast. Think of it as a mini Renaissance Faire with faeries, trolls, and the occasional mermaid.

See? Mermaids! Well, er, merpeople.

I always go with my best pal Ellen and our friend Robin, who brings her kids (my goddess-children) Nate and Sophie. Sadly, Nate was sick this year, and had to stay home, but Robin made up for it by bringing her brother, his partner, and their baby, who had come for a surprise visit, and her friend Nichole and her four kids. We were quite the group! This is the gang, minus me, because I was taking the picture.

The large bald guy in the kilt was a parking minion who photo bombed us. LOL

The festival takes place on a lovely piece of land with trees and a stream (see picture above!), and oh, the sights that you see. This year it is two weekends instead of one, so you can still make it to this coming weekend's event if you want to.

Here are a few pictures from the day, which was blessed with fabulous weather (a few sprinkles, but not too hot and not pouring, so really, perfect). Now I start counting down until next year!

It turns out Sophie is an elf. Not surprised!

Crones spinning circle! (Next to the alpaca tent.)

Me, Robin, Sophie, and her best friend Anna

Goblins!

Henna tattoo...of a cat, of course.

Walking the labrynth

Such strange creatures...

Lots of friendly dogs and interesting costumes.

I loved this chair that made it look as though you had dragon wings. Appropriate!

Health food? Ellen seems to think so.

The traditional "GRRR" photo, without Nate this year, alas.

The three amigas.

So many children! But they were all great.

So, tell me, do you have an event or outing you look forward to all year?

At the New York Faerie Festival

Despite a cold and rainy day, tradition prevailed and I went on my yearly pilgrimage to the NY Faerie Festival -- what the organizers call "a Renaissance Faire with wings," and what I just call a lot of fun. This was the seventh year of the event, and it keeps getting better and better. (The local paper said there were thousands of attendees, even with the bad weather.)

Traditionally, my pal Ellen and I drive the hour or so to get there and meet up with our friend Robin (who lives five minutes away from the festival) and her two kids, my goddess-children Nate (7) and Sophie (8). This year Nate had to go to a birthday party, but Sophie brought her best friend, the charming and adorable Aubrey, who had never been before, and we all had a blast.

I made some new friends (and in case you're wondering what I was dressed as, it was "a very wet witch.")

Me, Robin, Sophie, and Aubrey

Ellen and two very happy girls

Robin was captures by some goblins who seem to have left their mark on her

A very tall faerie creature

A traveling magician enthralled the girls with his uncanny skills

 The girls look a little dubious about their meeting with the Faerie Queen...and rightfully so. I'll bet you thought she only existed in my books!

There were lots of amazing crafters. I mostly restrained myself, only getting a pottery beer glass, two dragon soaps, and an herbal roll-on.

All in all, it was a lovely day, despite the rain, the chill, and the accompanying mud. After all, any day spent with those you love is magical!

The Really Wonderful Fabulous Day

This weekend was mostly about madly working on revisions on Baba Yaga 2 before sending them off to my editor Leis, and tearing out part of the garden, but in between, I managed to spend time with some of my favorite people--my friend Robin and her kids, my goddess-children Sophie (6) and Nate (5).

As regular readers of this blog will already know, the Wright clan (including hubby George, who was off coaching soccer and couldn't join us) are as much extended family as they are friends, and I don't get to see them nearly as often as I'd like since they moved about 45 minutes away some years ago.

But when we do get together, boy do we have fun!

 I picked up four little pumpkins from the local farmstand store and we decorated them with markers (way less messy than trying to carve out big ones). The (coff) grown-ups had just as much fun as the kids, and Robin and I got to chat and catch up as we all sat around the dining room table.

 I'm not sure which was cuter--Nate or his pumpkin. (And look at the chalkboard placemat on the table--I got them each one from The Artisans' Guild and Nate wrote his name!)

 Sophie may be only six, but she has a very sophisticated palate (Nate wants to be a chef when he grows up, so it is a very foodie household). She requested sunflower seeds and dried cranberries on her turkey sandwich.

 We also had apple cider and apple cider donuts from the same farmstand store. Yum! (The extra couple of donuts got sent home for Daddy, because I am just that nice.)

 Sophie and Nate showing off their chalkboard art.

 We didn't really do anything special-just hung out together and had fun. But it was still a Really Wonderful Fabulous Day and one I'll remember for a long time to come.

I hope you did something fun this weekend too!

Now I'm off to The Artisans' Guild to redo the front window with shop co-founder Ellie, then go out to lunch with her and our friend Bobbie to celebrate Ellie's [number redacted] birthday :-) After that...revisions!

Harvest Festival

My friend Ellen and I went to the Harvest Festival at the Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown this weekend. This is one of our yearly rituals and thankfully the weather was pretty nice, although cold. If you've never heard of it, The Farmer's Museum is a great place (I first went there on a field trip as a kid, believe it or not). It is basically a late 18th/early 19th century village--most of it actual buildings preserved from the era, including a church, a pharmacy, a general store, a blacksmith and more. During the harvest festival, they also have vendors and demonstrations, and it is generally just a blast. Here is some of what we saw:

 A blacksmith's shop

 A cooper making barrels

 The alpaca sisters

 Lots of cool buildings

 Slow-roasting of a large beef roast

Wagon rides (yes, we took one).

All in all, it was a great day, and a lovely "last hurrah" for summer.

Now, I get back to work on revisions...

Faerie Festival Time!

Despite the lingering effects of my cold and the less-than-perfect weather (it had been raining for days, and rain was predicted again in the afternoon), my pal Ellen and I set out for the Faerie Festival last Sunday.

The Faerie Queen and King lead the processional.

The New York Faerie Festival, put on for three days in lovely Ouaquaga, NY (near Binghamton) just celebrated its fifth year, and it gets better every time.

As always, we met up with my friend Robin, who lives with her hubby and my goddess-children Sophie and Nate a convenient 5 minutes from where the festival is held. It was hot, and there was a LOT of mud, but as always, we had a great time. (And the rain very kindly held off until we were on the way home.)

If you ever get a chance to go to this event, I highly recommend it. Fabulous music, lovely handmade crafts, and lots of crazy folks dressed up as faeries, trolls, goblins, and more. There was even a dragon...and a light green faerie dog.

Here's me and my two favorite kids (who were incredibly well-behaved this year)

Nate wearing the little horns I bought him, and looking devilishly handsome as usual.

Ellen walking the labyrinth

 

Nate and Sophie with some friends...

 Robin and the kids

Me and Sophie at the end of a long, hot, but FUN day. That's it until next year!