Guest Post: Elisabeth Alba, Illustrator

Hey, peeps! Most of you know Elisabeth Alba from her illustrations of our Everyday Witch Tarot deck, as well as the upcoming Everyday Witch Oracle deck we're working on now. She's sharing some advanced images and details of the work over on her brand new Patreon page, and I thought that some of you might be interested in what she's up to, so I suggested she guest post here. Take it away, Elisabeth!

Hi Everyone!

Thanks to Deborah for allowing me to be a guest blogger here.

This is a portion of a post I created for my patrons on my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/elisabethalba. It shows the process of the painting, “Listening,” for the Everyday Witch Oracle deck I am working on with Deborah (who is also on Patreon at www.patreon.com/deborahblake), published by Llewellyn Worldwide.

If you're interested in seeing in-depth step-by-steps behind my artwork, please check out my Patreon and consider becoming a patron! I plan on sharing in-depth posts about the creative process behind many of the oraclecards as well as other artwork I create, timelapse videos of painting, videos around my studio, and other goodies like holiday cards, desktop wallpapers, and monthly coloring pages. I'm really excited to have this opportunity to share my art life with you all!
Note from Deborah: I'm following her there and I LOVE watching the process as the paintings come alive! Plus, I can't wait to get the coloring pages.

Here is Deborah's initial description for “Listening”: Close-up on a witch with one hand behind her ear, eyes closed and smiling, listening to a magical wind blowing by. A bird is hovering, perhaps whispering in her other ear. The feeling is thoughtful and attentive.

The deck is divided into elemental suits – Earth, Wind, Fire, and Air. “Listening” is an Air card. My first rough sketch had a generic witch thrown in, white with long black hair and black hat, but after working on the sketches for all 40 cards, she evolved. The biggest fault with the Everyday Witch Tarot was its lack of diversity, and Deborah and I knew we wanted this deck to be the opposite, and represent the many people who use and appreciate tarot and oracle decks. In “Listening,” I painted an Apsáalooke woman. Many Native American legends of crow birds are about how they are the wisest of birds and that they have the power to talk. The Apsáalooke were given their name by a neighboring Siouan-speaking tribe and it means "children of the large-beaked bird," so it definitely seemed fitting to have this card represent a woman of the Crow Nation, as they came to be called in the English language.

Here are the two rough sketches of Listening, side by side:

After the sketch was approved I gathered reference material and also took photo reference of myself wearing a robe. The outfit she is wearing is based on traditional Crow clothing for women - the white objects sewn on are elk teeth! I didn't want her to be completely traditional though, since the deck is for modern witches, so gave it a bit of an update with hair half braided and half down, and a black skirt.

I then did a more refined sketch, figured out what colors I wanted to use, printed my sketch onto watercolor paper, inked it, and then it was finally ready for watercolor!

Here are stages in the painting process:

And finally... the big reveal! Here is the completed painting, ready to be an oracle card!

Thanks for following along on the process for this painting! I will share little bits here and there on social media, but I plan on devoting more time to these behind-the-scenes posts over on Patreon.  Please consider joining me there!

Thank you for the interest in our oracle deck. We are having so much fun working on it!

Thanks from me too! Just for fun, Elisabeth sent me a couple of packs of her new book plates, and we're going to give them away here.

I just love these!

 All you have to do is enter this simple Rafflecopter form, just like always. We'd love it if you'd check out our Patreon pages, but of course, only follow if you want to!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  

Guest Starring Alethea Kontis

I'm heading back to the Coastal Magic Convention next week. It takes place every year in Daytona Beach (on the beach! with books and authors!) and it is far and away my favorite of all the conventions I go to. For one thing, I get to hang out with the coolest people. One of them is the lovely Alethea Kontis, author, princess, actress, and all-around fun lady. We both write revisioned fairy tales, although in different ways (I love, love, love her books) and she has a fun new book out set in Kristin Painter's shared Nocturne Falls paranormal universe (which is I also love), so I asked Alethea if she would come here today and talk to you about the book, writing in general, and (coff) maybe me.

 

ALETHEA:

There are more ways to retell fairy tales than there are stars in the sky. Or people on the planet.

Our dearest Deborah, as you know, has her own unique take on the infamous Baba Yaga. In my world of Arilland, BY is the proprietor and headmistress of Baba Yaga’s Traveling Home for Unfortunate Young Women with Magical Maladies. Her sister, Anastazia Yaga Vasili, was forced to send her granddaughter there after a wolf attack led to an unhealthy obsession with the Woodcutter who saved her (see: “Hero Worship” from Tales of Arilland).

Granted, in my Nocturne Falls Universe, I also have a “Professor Blake” (ahem) who is Head Witch of Harmswood Academy and a kind of fairy godmother to the entire cast.

But I digress…

Fairy tale retellings are a unique sort of collaboration. We, the living storytellers, take the framework of tales handed down to us by storytellers from distant (or not-so-distant) lands long ago. To these we add a boatload of personal experiences, a pinch of modern sensibility, and a dash of our own voice. Stir, simmer, and voila! A new take on an old classic is born.

I am a writer, yes, but I was raised a storyteller. Some readers can tell the difference between “writers” and “storytellers” subconsciously. The best way to tell is by listening to audiobooks. The storyteller’s novel will come across almost as if it were made for radio. There is a cadence of the words and sentences like poetry. It is inherently pleasing to the ear. Not that books by “writers” aren’t pleasing…the text may be both beautiful and intelligent, but the prose just doesn’t naturally lend itself to performance.

Most of the fairy tales you know and love today (and many you never knew or have forgotten) arose from oral tradition, passed down from parent to child at bedtime, or around the fire or dinner table. In many cultures, this oral tradition is born out of necessity. Poverty, diaspora…life can take everything from us, but our stories we keep.

My French grandmother was a single mother who raised five kids all by herself in the wild mountains of Vermont on a government salary. My Greek grandmother’s family came over on boats from Greece…and not always under their own names. My Ottoman grandfather was a refugee twice: burned out of his home as a baby in 1922 during the Great Catastrophe of Smyrna, and then forced to become a privateer during the Nazi occupation of Greece. He had to leave two countries and find a new home with little more than the clothes on his back, all before the age of twenty three.

Papou died before I was born, but I know his stories because my family told them. My family never stops telling them. It is who we are. It is what we have. The one legacy we were given.

My French grandmother remarried later in life—Pepere also died when I was very small, but he left my grandmother with a house and enough money to live comfortably on her own. The Greeks…well, they had the diner, didn’t they? They all worked in the diner. Or at the bar. Or the burger joint.

Dad made me promise to never get a job in the restaurant industry. I didn’t realize then that what he really wanted was for me to take my genius brain and break out of the Greek stereotype. I may not have ended up on the same career path as all the other USC Chemistry majors, but I always stayed true to my word.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t write about Greeks in diners…

In all my books of Arilland, the fairy tales I retold were from Grimm and Andersen, Mother Goose and Lang. In the Nocturne Falls books, the fairy tales I got to retell were my own.

Kai Xanthopoulos’s parent work at Mummy’s Diner. Heather Hayden’s happy place is somewhere on a mountain in Vermont. Owen Liddell was cursed in Egypt as a teenager in the 1920’s…setting him far enough east in the Mediterranean to have crossed paths with Greek and Armenian refugees from the Ottoman Empire.

But that’s all worldbuilding—that’s not the story.

The story of Besphinxed is one of a young woman who is amazing and powerful at heart, but she’s been raised by some truly terrible people, and so believes some pretty horrible things about herself. It’s the story of a young man who was cursed into the form of a cat a hundred years ago, and he hasn’t grown a lot in that century. He’s still a coward, willing to just let life happen around him for better or worse. But they are thrown together by Fate…and it turns out, each was exactly the medicine the other needed.

In so many ways, the three books I’ve written in the Nocturne Falls Universe so far have turned out to be exactly the medicine *I* needed.

 

Alethea's Bio:
New York Times bestselling author Alethea Kontis is a princess, a voice actress, a force of nature, and a mess. She is responsible for creating the epic fairytale fantasy realm of Arilland, and dabbling in a myriad of other worlds beyond. Her award-winning writing has been published for multiple age groups across all genres. Host of “Princess Alethea’s Fairy Tale Rants” and Princess Alethea’s Traveling Sideshow every year at Dragon Con, Alethea also narrates for ACX, IGMS, Escape Pod, Pseudopod, and Cast of Wonders. Born in Vermont, Alethea currently resides on the Space Coast of Florida with her teddy bear, Charlie. Find out more about Princess Alethea and the magic, wonderful world in which she lives here: https://www.patreon.com/princessalethea

 

 

Lucienne Diver, Alethea, and me last year at Coastal Magic

As you can see, we never had any fun

 You can find Alethea at her website http://aletheakontis.com/

Find the book here: paperback: Amazon | B&N
e-book: Amazon |  iBooks | Nook | Kobo

And if you're going to be in Daytona Beach on Saturday the 24th, we'll both be taking part in a book signing that is open to the public, so you can come see us there!https://coastalmagicconvention.com/schedule/public-charity-signing/

 

Natalie Zaman and Magical Destinations of the Northeast

As most of you know, I live in the northeast USA, so you can imagine how happy I was to discover that Llewellyn was putting out a book called MAGICAL DESTINATIONS OF THE NORTHEAST, by Natalie Zaman. They sent me an early copy to look at so I could blurb it, and man, is this book fun! So I asked Natalie to stop by the blog and say hello, and tell us what kind of cool magical places one might find in New York State in particular.

Are you as thrilled as me that the new Harry Potter film is set in America? And in New York!!!

Personally, I can’t wait to look for all the magical spots as they’re portrayed in the movie…

But wait.

New York—and not just NYC—is already a magical place. I’m delighted that Deborah Blake (insert fan girl moment!) invited me to do a guest post on her blog about this very subject—so in honor of her (she is a New Yorker!), Harry Potter and all things beasty, here are some places where you can really find Fantastic Beasts in the Empire State (and some are totally free!):

If you find yourself east of the Hudson River near the Connecticut border (South Salem, NY), you can run with the WOLVES at the New York Wolf Conservation Center.

MOOSE—not just in Maine anymore! Visit Adirondack Park for a potential moose sighting. They’ve been in the park since 1980!

Narrowsburgh, New York is the EAGLE Capital of the northeast. In addition to the 20 pairs of nesting eagles who are current residents, up to 200 birds winter here from points north in Canada. Visit Narrowsburgh is January and February to see eagles flying overhead.

Visit all sort of other BIRDS at Berkshire Bird Paradise—the largest avian sanctuary in the state.

New York state is home to several FARM SANCTUARIES, places where animals of all shapes and sizes, some abused and abandoned have found forever homes where visitors are welcome. Check out the Catskills Animal Sanctuary, Farm Sanctuary and Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

ADOPT a pet in/from New York? I did! Check out Time Out NY’s picks to adopt a pet in New York City. The New York Humane Society has been helping animals for over a century, and Rescue Me maintains listings of rescue agencies and shelters by state.

And of course, the Big Apple is home to many fantastical creatures…

Take an OWL or BAT tour in Central Park, the city’s largest green spot. 

The Cloisters is home to the famed UNICORN tapestries. 

Rub the snout of the BOAR in Sutton Place Park for good luck! 

Strike a pose with the Library LIONS at NYPL’s main branch on 53rd Street. 

BULLS and BEARS—Oh my! Visit these icons of tenacity and strength on Wall Street in the Financial District. 

Suspend expectations as you gaze at “Gran Elephandret” in Union Square between 14th and 17th Streets, an ELEPHANTINE rendition of The Hanged Man. 

Visit the Green Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn to see the wildlife (there’s lots), and pay your respects to Henry Bergh, the founder of the ASPCA (there are also several beloved pets buried in the cemetery as well). 

Find more fantastic beasts near you by visiting Animal Tourism—there are listing by species and state ♥ Visit the Ephemeral New York blog to find more animal sculptures and art scattered throughout New York City.

With love from the Wandering Witch ♥

Natalie Zaman is the author of Magical Destinations of the Northeast and co-author of the Graven Images Oracle deck (Galde Press). A regular contributor to various Llewellyn annual publications, she also writes the recurring feature “Wandering Witch” for Witches & Pagans Magazine. When not on the road, she’s busy chasing a flock of free range hens around her magical back-garden. Visit Natalie online at http://nataliezaman.blogspot.com.

Lucienne Diver and Faultlines

I'd like to welcome my friend Lucienne Diver to the blog. I fell in love with Lucienne's writing through her lighthearted paranormal romances, but she has a book out today that is a complete change of pace--and it looks truly amazing. So I invited her here to talk about what it took to do such a major shift of her writing gears, and ask her why she felt the need to write this book in particular. I hope you'll give her a warm, Writing the Witchy Way welcome.

Lucienne: Shifting Gears

I've been writing since I was eleven years old. At first it was a lot of wish fulfillment, like my story about the girl in the forest who tamed the unicorn—oh, how I wanted that to be me! (Yes, I was one of those girls, the unicorn girls. There was hardly a space on my walls that wasn't taken up with their images.) 

And then—well, as I write, it occurs to me that there wasn't really an and then.  Not for a long while.  The two series I've written, Vamped and the Latter-Day Olympians, have featured snarky heroines who are tough enough to take on anything life throws at them. They're special. They have powers, not the least of which is thinking of that perfect one-liner I'd only ever come up with after the moment had passed.  I love these girls. I want to be them when I grow up. Well, maybe not Gina so much, since I do like my tanning options, but certainly Tori from the Latter-Day Olympians series with two hunky guys falling all over themselves for her and the ability to quite literally stop men in their tracks.

But with Faultlines, I'm writing about things I wouldn't wish on anyone, yet teens deal with them on a daily basis. Sure, I put my issues into a suspense plot, but that only ups the tension and stakes rather than lessens them.  I couldn't wisecrack my way through this book.  My tone had to change.  This was difficult for me at first. As my critique partner could tell you, my first few beginnings were too light in tone. Too flippant or distant for what was going on.  My character, Vanessa, needed to be wrecked.  Really and truly. Her best friend Lisa had just committed suicide, and she didn't know why. Lisa had pushed her away, pushed everyone away, a few months prior to her death. Vanessa blames herself for letting it happen, for not fighting harder for the friendship and for not seeing the signs. She's dealing with horrible guilt on top of her loss and gets herself through things by finding a purpose, the search for answers about why Lisa did what she did. Unfortunately, that search brings danger to her door. 

This was the hardest thing I've ever written. To tap into Vanessa's emotions, I had to tap into my own. Books don't develop in a void. They're spawned from our own experiences, and this book came from a deep, dark place within me.  I was afraid to access that place, afraid that rather than me illuminating the void, the darkness would reach out to snuff my light. I needed a very strong and powerful light as a talisman against that dark, both for Vanessa and for myself.  That talisman came in the form of her little sister Ari, who she dubs the "tiny terror".  Ari is alternately irrepressible, troublesome and sweet.  She's a force of nature, and she will not be denied.

With all the sorrow in the world—the terrible stories of bullying and harassment, suicide and other violence turned inward or outward—it's vital that we all find our light, that thing that banishes our darkness, whether it's people who love us, furbabies (or scaled or feathered babies) who count on us or art that refills our well.  When you find your light, shout down any voice, internal or external, that tells you that it's frivolous or a unacceptable or anything else. Especially, don't bully yourself. It's self-care, and it's crucial.

I love my strong, snarky heroines, but I want to speak for others as well, just as in Faultlines, where Vanessa needs to speak for Lisa when she can no longer speak for herself.

I love this cover, don't you? Deborah

 In case you're interested in learning more about the book or (yes!) getting a copy for yourself, here are a couple of recommendations, the book blurb, and a couple of links. If you have any questions for Lucienne, go ahead and ask them! She's going to be GIVING AWAY A SIGNED COPY to one lucky commenter!

“Vivid, suspenseful, and charming, Diver creates a world where anything can happen in this must-read page-turner.” —Carrie Jones, New York Times bestselling author of the Need series

“Faultlines blew me away! A tense, suspenseful read that will break your heart and keep you guessing right up until the very end.” —Amy Christine Parker, author of GATED and ASTRAY

Six months ago Vanessa Raines lost her best friend.

Lisa had changed, pushing away everyone close to her, even Vanessa. She had quit soccer. Started wearing dark and dismal clothes. She refused every offer to talk and suffered whatever she was going through in silence. Now she’s really gone. Suicide they claim, but Vanessa knows that isn’t right. It can’t be.

Vanessa blames herself for letting Lisa chase her off. She wants answers, so that she can put to rest the rumors surrounding Lisa’s death and so that she can move on, heal. But Lisa left no note and the journal she was always scribbling in—which might tell all—is mysteriously missing.

As Vanessa struggles to come to terms with the loss of her friend and to reconstruct the last months of Lisa’s life, someone calling themselves “Poetic Justice” begins taking revenge against those he or she thinks drove Lisa to suicide. Everyone at school believes Vanessa is this mysterious “Poetic Justice”. It’s easy to blame the former best friend, and Vanessa makes an obvious target.

Struggling with her own guilt, Vanessa is determined to ignore the threats and allegations aimed her way. But as Poetic Justice’s vengeance takes a darker turn, retaliation against Vanessa begins to escalate, from cyber bullying to violence, putting both her and the little sister she adores in the line of fire. To protect them both, she has to find out who’s behind the attacks before things turn deadly. And hope she can survive the truth.

Pre-order links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Faultlines-Lucienne-Diver-ebook/dp/B01MCVAR9N/

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Faultlines-Lucienne-Diver/dp/1622681002/