Happy Release Day to Me--Contest & book giveaway!

Happy release day to me!

July first is the official release date for my fourth book, EVERYDAY WITCH A TO Z SPELLBOOK.

[Does happy dance.]

If you ask any author, they will tell you that no matter how many books they have out, it never gets any less exciting to have a new one hit the bookstores. It’s also a little scary. What if people don’t like this one? What if it gets bad reviews? What if no one buys it?

These things rarely happen, however, and I’m in favor of celebration over trepidation. So let’s have a virtual party here at the blog! I hope you’ll join me. There might even be cake…

In honor of the book’s release, I’m going to run a new contest. (This is in addition to the current contest, where to win all you have to do is be the first person to send me a picture of the book out in the world somewhere—at a bookstore, the library, or on your table at home.) There are three prizes:

Prize one is a signed copy of the new shiny book! Yay!
Prize two is a signed copy of my first book, CIRCLE, COVEN & GROVE: A YEAR OF MAGICKAL PRACTICE.
Prize three is something a little different. My publisher Llewellyn always sends me a cover flat of each book—the cover in flat form, suitable for framing. Very cool. Well, this time, they sent me a few extras. So one lucky person will win a signed cover flat of the Spellbook!

Here’s the way the contest is going to run. You can do as little or as much as you have the time and inclination for, and the more you do, the more points you earn. The person with the most points gets prize 1, the next gets prize 2, etc. In the case of more than one person with the same amount of points, I’ll pull names out of a hat to see who wins.

To get one point, all you have to do is leave a comment here. Easy peazy! [And you could still win if that’s all anyone choses to do.]

To get more points, you can do any or all of the following:

Post a link to either this blog or to the book (I’ll put links to Amazon and Llewellyn at the bottom of the page) on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or your blog. 1 point for every place you post it. [Be sure to come back and tell me you did it, and where!]

Buy the book anywhere you like (Amazon, B &N, Llewellyn.com. your local Indy bookstore) then email me a receipt proving you did so. Good for twenty points. And my eternal gratitude.

Keep in mind that you don’t HAVE to buy the book. Ever.

I hope you’ll help me celebrate the book’s release! And thanks for all your support—I really do appreciate you walking the path with me.

Deborah

Here is the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Witch-Spellbook-Wonderfully-Blessings/dp/0738719706/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277946896&sr=1-1

And here is the Llewellyn link:
(You can still get 15% off until the end of the day June 30th.)
http://www.llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738719702

At the New York Faerie Festival

Last Sunday, I spent the day at the new York Faerie Festival, near Binghamton, with pal Ellen and her guy, and Robin and her kids Sophia and Nat. It was hotter 'n hell, but we had a blast anyway.

This was the second year of the festival, and the folks putting it on had made some serious improvements from the first year. There was some amazing music, lots of fun performances, and plenty of wandering faeries, trolls, and goblins. (And I'm not just talking about me and my friends.) The vendors were many and varied, and the land on which the festival takes place is one of my favorite places on earth. [The local Pagan community uses it for gatherings throughout the year; that is where Blue Moon Circle usually goes for Beltane celebrations.]

This is the kind of event that is the most fun to do if you have young kids with you (although it is great for adults, too), since there is so much for them to get excited about. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea:
Teribus performs (love the kilts!)

Nat and a tall friend

Sophie walking the stone labyrinth

Nate meets a goblin

Just one example of how beautiful this place is

It is too late to get to the New York Faerie Fest this year, but I hope you'll consider going when they do it again next year. Check out the website for more information http://www.nyfaeriefest.com/

Last day to sign up for "Beyond Fangs"

Hey all,

Just a reminder that today is the last day to sign up for my online writing workshop, "Beyond Fangs: Creating New & Interesting Paranormal Characters." I already have about 50 students, but there is always room for a few more :-)

http://www.romance-ffp.com/workshops.cfm

Beyond Fangs Workshop coming soon

Hey all! Just a reminder to those writers out there--
only four days left to sign up for my workshop, "Beyond Fangs: Creating New & Interesting Paranormal Characters" at FFnP (Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal RWA). It is only $20 for nonmembers and $15 for members, and starts on June 28th.

I hope you'll join me!

http://www.romance-ffp.com/workshops.cfm

Review--Devon Monk's Allie Beckstrom series

Check out my review of Devon Monk's Allie Beckstrom series over on DEBUTS & REVIEWS. Here's a hint: I LOVE it!

http://www.tianevitt.com/2010/06/series-review-devon-monks-allie-beckstrom-series/

Happy Solstice!

Happy Summmer Solstice!

Yes, today is the first official day of summer, although for some of us it has been feeling like summer for a while.

Also known as Litha by us Pagan types, the summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, with the most daylight and the least amount of night. From this point onward, the Wheel of the Year continues to turn toward the darker side, with decreasing daylight and increasing night, until we reach the winter solstice on or around December 21st.[For a summer solstice ritual, check out my first book, CIRCLE, COVEN & GROVE: A YEAR OF MAGICKAL PRACTICE.]

Summer is a time of energy and activity. If you have goals, now is the time to be putting all your effort into achieving them, so that hopefully, by the time we reach the harvest celebrations of fall, you will be ready to reap what you have sown.

It is also a time for relaxation and merriment in the midst of hard work. Our ancestors went pretty much from dawn to dark at this time of year, trying to grow the food that would sustain them through the long dark winter. But you can bet that they also took time to enjoy the summer sun and each other's company--so let's not forget to do the same!

Among my goals for the year (which I first posted in January and will revisit in a couple of weeks as we reach the mid-way point of the year) was to focus on the balance between work and play. I've been pushing pretty hard the last few years, trying to get my writing career started (in addition to the day job and everything else). And it was starting to show. So this year, I am trying to give myself permission to sometimes stop and enjoy myself.

I'll report more on my summer plans for fun later this week...

In the meanwhile, have a great summer solstice. BBQ, anyone?

CONTEST! Win a signed copy of the new book!

Hey all--the official release date of the new book, EVERYDAY WITCHCRAFT A TO Z SPELLBOOK is July 1st. But I've already gotten my copies from Llewellyn, so it should be showing up everywhere else soon. My books are all carried by Borders, Barnes & Noble, and many Indy and New Age books store, so you never know where you'll run across one.

I just wanted to remind everyone that the first person who finds a copy of the book "in the wild" and sends me a picture, will get a free, signed copy! Of course, I'd love to see or hear about ALL the sightings :-)

Keep coming back here, too, because I have a few more contests in mind...

Who doesn't love a free book???