Spotlight on Kay Latour #Fanatsy #Author #WitchonParole series Part 2 #Vacation #Wandering #ghost !!9/10/2016  Summer Wandering in the town of Sparta Would you like one ghost or two with your tea? If your answer is two . . . then come to ‘The Sparta House Tearoom & Restaurant’.  On first glance it looks like ‘The Sparta House’ has its own TARDIS. Seeing that old fashioned red phone booth made me think of ‘Dr. Who’ right away. But no. It’s just a phone booth. But don’t be disappointed because ‘The Sparta House’ does have other delights. Like . . .  They also serve a delectable shepherd’s pie with your choice of salad (Caesar for me). And while you’re waiting for your meal you can have a look at the tea pots on display (350 at last count). Here are some I managed to snap a picture of before our meal was ready      Gee that one tea pot on the right looks a little familiar . . . hmmm . . .  It’s Miss Piggy! Wow, there are even tea pots of famous people here! But what was that about a ghost? Or two? Yes, apparently ‘The Sparta House’ has two ghosts living under it’s roof. When Ken and Norma Roberts moved into their tea house/home they noticed some strange things happening. Heavy objects inexplicably moved. Doors locking shut and opening—by themselves. Sightings of a woman dressed in gray at the top of the stairs. So they called in the ‘Rescue Mediums’. If you want to watch the show here is the link. We didn’t see any ghosts but we did sit at the table near the window that one ghost reportedly likes to look out from. And our meal was awesome!  My ever patient friend letting me snap yet another picture of her.  Sparta is a romantic sort of town. It has an assortment of shops under the title ‘The Village Collective’. And they are fun to wander around in.  One of the places I love to visit is ‘Shelley McVittie’s Gallery & Heritage Line Herbs’. Shelley is herself an artist who supports other artists. When you enter the store you are immediately struck by the variety of art, jewelry, books, home crafts and herbs Shelley has on display. And they are all from artists and crafters from around the area.   I purchased a couple of crystals from her store. They came from Kate Vanner who refers to herself as ‘The Witch Down the Road’. I’ve met Kate and found her to be a lovely person. Here are the crystals I purchased with Kate’s card in between them.  Here are a few other stores in the area.  The ‘Anything Used’ store and the sign on the far right gives directions to ‘Rush Creek Wines’ which I’ve also visited and enjoyed.   The Bear Friend Factory at ‘Whistle Stop Peddler’s’.  And what’s a bear factory with out a bear?  If you’re still thinking about those ghosts at ‘The Sparta House’ you may be interested in the ‘Guided Sparta Spirit Walks’.  Here is a link with more information: Wandering at The Six Nations – Grand River Pow Wow It was an extremely hot day but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even though my clothing was stuck to my skin from sweating so much, I decided to ‘embrace the wet’. Why? Because I believe that ‘thoughts are things’ and I was determined to make sure that my energy and attention was focused on ‘having a good time’. Plus, I reminded myself that my shower that night would feel extra good. I had only been to one Pow Wow before this one. That was last year—and I loved it. There is a part of the Pow Wow when everyone is invited to dance. I danced and did my best to keep to the beat. What was really awesome was when we would pass by the drummers and chanters. I swear I could feel the spiritual power flowing through my body. I found myself smiling for no reason. That was last year. This year we did not come at the right time to dance but it was still awesome seeing the First Nations people in all of their regalia. Here are some pics.     Then we wandered to all of the various tents.  I found an amazing dream catcher to hang over my writing chair. It was made by Darlene Nolan of the ‘Gemah Street Merchants’. This is her husband Michael holding it up for me. He tucked this little explanation in the bag with my dream catcher.    Here is my friend Sandra and Charlie Fife of ‘Charlie’s Trading Post’. I bought a small black medicine bag from Charlie that had a wolf talon on it.  During my stay in Mount Bridges I had the chance to participate in a type of energy work called ‘Sonic Bliss’. I’ll talk about my experience in a later blog called ‘Spiritual Energy Work I Did’. It was this experience that made me realize that I wanted to explore the effects of music during meditation. So I bought . . .  From . . .  In case you’re interested in adding some music to your prayer or meditation time, here is the company I bought my CD from . . .  Then we happened upon a unique artist, Jay Soule, who has created a whole line of clothing, stickers, digital prints, skateboards, original paintings and Indigenous Movie Monster series. His company name is CHIPPEWAR.   Here is Jay holding up a piece of his artwork.  This is that same artwork on a t-shirt. I bought this one . . .  She just really appealed to the fantasy writer in me. Wandering at the Home County Fair in London, Ontario.  Much like the Sunfest (last blog) there were rows of treats and foods to enjoy. The Home County Fair also had tents of clothing, accessories, bath items, garden statues and jewelers.  Fairy doors for your garden. Natural Soaps that smelled awesome and some very creative names.    This one was my favorite. Yes, I’m a fan of ‘Orange is the New Black’.  We found this little fella hard at work keeping the fair grounds safe.  So many fun statues for your garden. Then we ran across a musical duo that we just had to stop for.  That is a Celtic Harp people!   And the percussionist, Robert McMaster, who accompanies her has found some GENIUS ways to make tinkling sounds. Those are car keys attached to a spinning plate. The sound is fantastic!  My friend, Sandra, getting Reflexology done. Sandra’s other tattoo of the butterfly faded almost the same day so she got the one you see here on her arm at the Home County Fair. While she did that I wandered around to the different tents and found a woman selling gemstones.  In this pic she is putting the wire on a couple of amethyst stones I had picked out. Love the Dread Locks. They look so good on her! And such a charming person.  This was her card. After that we wandered some more and found this fellow selling Eco Lamps.  And these for your lawn . . .  Interesting golden lamps and a few funky skeleton lamps behind them. We ran into another soap maker who also put a different spin on her soap names.   I bought the Tart one and it was lovely. At that point I decided that my dragon henna tattoo needed a companion and so I got a salamander henna tattoo to keep him company.  I realized later that I had picked two fire elements and I’m an air sign! Wandering at Lake Huron A day or so later we went to the beach on Lake Huron. The water levels were high this year so the normal amount of sand was smaller than usual. But it was still a beautiful day.  The seagulls kept us company. You could tell they were used to people because they kept walking by us at a nonchalant pace. One of them kept sneaking closer and closer. I think he was hoping we had food he could snatch-and-grab. We did not. When he realized we didn’t have anything for him I swear he gave us a dirty look before walking away.  Those are my toes. I’m standing on the area where the waves crash to the shore. The water was really warm. If you look hard you can see my purple toenail polish.
Well that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed the sites and the uniquely gifted artists and crafters as much as I did. Feel free to share your vacation stories in the comments below. Kay Latour :) LET'S GENERATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors, Artists, and Poets. If you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #visit #staycation #vacation #vacationlife #amreading #books #bookworm #amwriting #urbanfantasy #fantasy #WitchonParole #bookdragon #wandering #wander #wanderer #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading #ghost #ghosts #paranormal #hauntedhouse #rescuemediums #hightea #SpartaHouse #tardis #drwho #collectibleteapots #ghostwalk #GhostAdventures #ghosthunters #Elgintourism #spa #ontariotourism #SpartaOntario #folkart #ElginCounty #southwesternontario #garden #tourism #anythingused #RushCreekWines #rushcreek #rushcreekwines #ontario #canada #wine #strawberry #crafters #fairydoors #naturalsoap #handcraftedsoap #handmadesoap #purdynatural #garden #gnombs #gardengnombs #Gardenornaments #gardenfairy #gardenstatue #HarpBuilding #CelticHarp #celtic #harp #harpist #irishmusic #gemstones #reflexology #hennatattoo #amethyst #amethystcrystal #crystal #amethyststone #supportwanderlust #keepingbeautynatural #wirewrappersofinstagram #wirewrapped #wire #girlswithdreads #dreadygirls #dreadymama #amethystmedicine #ecolamps #lamps #jezebelsoaps #salamander #lakehuron #beach #ontariofairs #thoughtsarethings #sixnations #powwow #grandriverpowwow #FirstNation #dreamcatcher #medicinepouch #medicinebag #DavidMaracle #tribalspiritmusic #JaySoule #IndigenousMovieMonsters #chippewar #nativeart #NativeArtist
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 Summertime Wandering Some people go on vacations. Some people go on staycations. I prefer to wander. Not completely wander without a destination in mind, or a place to lay my head at night. But I do enjoy unwinding in a sort of mixed pattern of wander-for-a-bit, rest-for-a-bit. And lucky me, I have a trusted friend (Sandra) and a lovely mother (Mary Lou) who like to do the same thing. Wandering with Mum My visits with mum consist of a bit of duty-visiting with my relatives from back home, a visit to Stratford Shakespeare Festival to see some plays (awesome!), and me trying to keep up with my very in shape and healthy mother. I’m not kidding about my mother. A bunch of years ago, I’m thinking maybe fifteen, my mother took up Tai Chi. She loved it and did so well she decided to share her knowledge. She started out with just a few people at first. Fast forward to now. Her students are leading their own classes and Tai Chi has spread and grown in her little town improving the health and well being of everyone. But that’s not all she does. Three years ago she started up with a very excellent Fitness Trainer. Again dedication has paid off. She has the strength and gait of a twenty-year-old. Me? Not so much. The reason? Excuses and time constraints. Yep. That about sums it up. I’m not going to detail all of the excuses or time constraints for you. Mine are just like everyone else’s. It wouldn’t take much imagination to figure them out. But. I noticed something this year. My kids are older. I actually have time once again. So with all the determination of a new year’s resolution before the fall, I have decided to pick up weight training once again. I did it when I was young before the kids . . . so . . .yeah . . . I know what I’m doing. At least I’m pretty sure I do. Anyway here are some pics of Stratford, a place I absolutely love and home of the famous Stratford Shakespeare Festival and Avon Theatre. You’ll also see some signs that I thought were interesting. As a writer I’m always interested in names and signs. Some people put a lot of thought into them. We saw two plays: As You Like it (Festival Theatre); and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Avon Theatre).   'AS YOU LIKE IT' at the Festival Theatre I couldn’t get you any pictures of the actors as it is frowned upon to take pictures during a performance but I did snap an awesome picture of the Stratford Festival’s famous THRUST STAGE.  And to think the first season of Stratford Festival, in 1953, was performed UNDER A TENT! It was Tyrone Guthrie’s idea to build a THRUST stage with the intent of recreating the actor-audience closeness of Shakespeare’s time. Even before I decided to become a writer I have always loved stories. In any media whether it be through books, poems, movies, art, or plays. The first time I went to Stratford was when I was eight years old. I was hooked immediately! There is something special about live theatre. This year’s production of ‘As You Like It’ did not disappoint. It always amazes me how each year they strive to put a fresh take on each play and it’s always good. For this show ‘As You Like It’ was set in 1980’s Newfoundland with lively music, dance and audience participation. It was a delight!  Stratford Shakespeare Festival  Front entrance and balcony above.  Amazing gardens  ‘THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE’ at the Avon Theatre. Again, I could not take pictures during the performance but I did snap a few pics before and during intermission.    As before, live theatre did not disappoint. I was pulled in immediately and thoroughly enjoyed every moment. History Bit: The Avon Theatre used to be a vaudeville theatre many years ago!   The Avon Theatre. After the plays . . . we wandered.  Me at the Theatre store. I did not get the mask. Where would I wear it? But I did get a few t-shirts.  One for my husband and one for me. That is the t-shirt and an accompanying booklet telling you which play each symbol comes from. I didn’t have to get the booklet but I found it very cute and I loved her explanations so I got it anyway.  Follow @stratfest and share your selfie! This sign was on the mirror in the Theatre store. What a good idea!  The geese and swans on the Avon river. A regular thing in Stratford. They actually bring the swans in for the winter and take care of them. Swans can live up to 20 or 30 years. In the spring the Swans are released to Lake Victoria and the Avon River. The actual release is a town event called “March of the Swans”. People line up on either side of the street to watch the Swans as they waddle down the road. Directly behind them a group of bagpipe players follow pumping out a mighty sound that is both regal and captivating. TOTALLY WORTH THE WATCH! Now that we’re all smiling . . . here are a few more pics and then we move on to more wandering.   Yep, I was ‘thatclose’ to this guy. He seemed to take it all in stride. I really think he posed for me here. He actually waited for me to finish taking his picture before he moved.  Genius name! See what I mean about signs?  Another beauty. Any person who willing and confidently advertises to rid your pet of skunk spray or fleas can be trusted with all else. Enough said.  Minstrels of all kinds can be found outside any one of the four theatres in Stratford. Stratford even has it’s own mini ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ in front of the Avon Theatre. It’s not as large as ‘Canada’s Walk of Fame’ in Toronto but it’s still fun to see.  Remember Obi-Wan Kenobi from the Star Wars trilogy? Yep, that’s him. Not only was he in the Festival’s first play he also spoke the first lines of the first play produced in Stratford, Shakespeare’s Richard III.  Or better known as any one of the following: Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek; T. J. Hooker; the “Big Giant Head” in 3rd Rock from the Sun; Denny Crane from Boston Legal. And a host of other roles too numerous to list. Wandering with Mum and Sandra at the Sunfest I love to go to fairs. There is so much going on. Food vendors. Tents full of merchandise. Live bands playing on and off all day. Sunshine. Warm breezes. People to watch. Dogs to pet. My mum accompanied my friend Sandra and I to the Sunfest in London, Ontario (that’s in Canada for my American friends). I was in heaven. We wandered for at least four hours. As I’ve said before my definition of wandering is: walk a bit; rest a bit; walk a bit; eat and drink something; walk a bit; rest a bit. It’s a pattern I would recommend to anyone. You don’t get too tired. You see everything. And you enjoy the day.  Yummy treats and savory foods.  Accessories.  My mum. I told you she’s IN shape. It’s all that Tai Chi and weight training. Don’t let that skinny looking figure fool you. She’s as strong as an ox. The woman can do 60 pound reps.  Tents of clothing were everywhere. Also in this picture: the back of my friend Sandra. She always dresses well. And you can see her owl yin yang tattoo peeking out from under the lace of her top. I took hundreds of pics. Too many to put up here. So I’ve selected a few to show the variety of merchandise.  Very cool, handcrafted wind instruments.  Hand carved masks  Owls statues carved out of wood. Just love them. The owl is one of my spirit animals and my friend Sandra’s too.  More fantastic carvings.  Sandra looked at this ‘Tree of Life’ carving and fell in love with it. She called me over to take a picture of it. Then when I was snapping pics of other items she said, “I’m going to get it.” And she did. It now hangs on the wall of her bedroom above the head of her bed. And then we happened upon a tent that appealed to the fantasy writer in me--The Fairies Pyjamas!  What stopped me in my tracks was this manikin all dressed up in her woodland garb.  How cool is that? Checkout the furry ears and the headband jewelry. Since I love anything to do with fantasy (fairies, witches, elves, etc.) I HAD to go in.  The woman who runs ‘The Fairies Pyjamas’ was a delight. She was dressed in full on fairy garb.  She was such a good sport letting me snap picture after picture. Then my friend got in on the act and started trying on clothing. I got the two of them to pose for me.  Don't they look awesome! We had such a blast. This lovely lady kept bring things out for my friend to try on. One of the items that we both really loved were the hooded cloaks.  Sandra is modeling it here. The Fairies Pyjamas is an online store with associate stores in different cities who carry their clothing. If you don’t have a store in your area that carries these gems you can order and purchase your items online at http://www.thefairiespyjamas.com/ Clothing options are for men, women, fairies, pixies, elves and wizards. Sizes range from XS to XL and some plus sizes up to 4X. Awesome stuff for fun, cosplay or everyday.  Contact info: Just in case any of you want to get your fairy fix on. :) We saw Henna Tattoo tents everywhere. So we had to indulge.  Sandra got a butterfly because she resonates with them.  I got a dragon. I was looking at a fairy pic but when I saw the dragon it really pulled me in. I also picked up some sage so that I could learn how to smudge. I was lucky to find a vendor who creates his smudge sticks in the old fashioned way—with prayers.  I chose the one wrapped in purple string because it appealed to me. My friend reminded me that purple is the color of the Crown Chakra. It represents spiritual fulfillment, creativity, awareness and wisdom. Spirit Earth Holistics Inc., actually sell natural products and he just happened to have some sage there as well as their shampoos, lotions, salves, bath salts and deodorants. My friend loves their deodorants as they don’t leave a burn or irritation mark on her skin as regular store bought deodorants do. I’ve tried their bath salts and they are just heaven to soak in.   Well, that's about it for this blog. I will have more summer wanderings in my next blog. Hope y'all had an awesome summer and did some wandering of your own.
Until next time, Kay Latour :) LET'S GENERATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors, Artists, and Poets. If you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #visit #staycation #vacation #vacationlife #sfshop #stratfordfestival #asyoulikeit #stratfordfestival2016 #stratfordswans #swanparade #stratfordstars #stratfordcitycentre #StratfordON #obiwankenobi #siralecguiness #williamshatner #captainjamestkirk #captainkirk #sunfest #homecounty #amreading #books #bookworm #thefairiespyjamas #fairies #elves #pixies #wizards #hennatattoo #smudge #smudgestick #sagesmudge #smudging #amwriting #urbanfantasy #fantasy #WitchonParole #bookdragon #wandering #wander #wanderer My BUZZ GUEST today is poet, Reiki Master, and Chakradance facilitator SANDRA MACLEAN.  You may remember Sandra from my Mothers Day Blog when she shared about the matriarchs in her family and the spiritual impact they had on her life. Today she is sharing about her experience of having grown up on a Hereford farm.  This is the farm Sandra grew up on. HEREFORD FARM Growing up on a farm had its trials and tribulations along with some great times and wonderful experiences. I was almost nine when we moved here from the city. The best move my parents could have ever made. My father was a high school teacher. Teaching welding, plumbing and auto mechanics. That was his full time job. Ha! The farm was his full time job as well. Approximately 70 of the 115 acres was rented out as cash crops. The rest was bush, pasture for our 40 head of Hereford cattle (along with a few horses), and a play land for us. Oh the stories I could tell. So I will start with this one. Speaking of cows, we always had a bull around. For the most part it was never an issue being around them. However, one day I was in amongst the herd (wearing a red shirt) when I realized our bull was charging at me. So, I started running. As fast as I could towards the barb wire fence. Four strands across made up the fence and I dove, face down, between the second and third strands. As I was going through them I managed to turn so I was face up. Tore my jeans in the process. (Barely a scratch on me). Whew! And that bull stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he saw the fence. He must have had an experience with barb wire before. Lol. Not sure what triggered the chase. It does put me in mind of another story where Dad was scratching one on his back. Dad stopped and the bull got ornery. He was alright as long as you were scratching but don’t you dare stop. Maybe he was the same bull that chased me.  Lorne MacLean, Sandra’s dad scratching said bull. ANGUS One of my favourite parts of the farm was when the cows calved. They were so cute when they were first born. So clean. The white was so bright. And they were sooo shiny. One memory of a particular calf comes to mind. He was born in the back pasture. He was the first of twins. Twins! His mother however left him to birth his sister at the front of the pasture (which was a fair distance away) then never bothered going back for him. My dad tried bringing him to his Mom but she disowned the poor little fellow. She wouldn’t have anything to do with him. So having another cow who lost her calf as an option for him, Dad tried to get her to take him. That didn’t work either. What now? Well feed him ourselves. Feed him we did. A special formulas mixed in a 1.5 litre pop bottle and this gigantic black nipple on the end. It was the most fun thing ever. We usually fed him in our garage. Mom would come to watch and because he drank so much she named him Angus after our Grandfather. Because my Grandfather loved to drink. Angus was like a pet dog. Although I don’t recall trying to teach him any tricks. Boy he was fun. Fun is a theme here. But the fun does have to come to an end. Each year we put a steer in our freezer. Our local abattoir always took care of this for us. This particular year that steer was to be Angus. Sob…How were we going to eat Angus? My Dad decided he better take two steers to the abattoir this year. This way we would not know which one we were eating. I am sure we would think about it each time we ate beef. It was so long ago that I don’t remember. Definitely some lessons learnt. Some, hard ones to swallow. Literally. And no, I am not vegan now. This will most inevitably offend those who are. I love hamburger and doubt I will ever give it up. Unless there comes a time I can’t get it from a local abattoir and have to purchase it from a store. There is definitely a difference in taste along with smell when it’s cooking. So until such time I will continue to enjoy my hamburger. And give thanks…  Angus and Sandra’s sister Luann.
I am extra lucky today because Sandra’s father has agreed to share a few little tales from his Facebook page about the farm. Lorne is a retired ‘cattle raiser’ and retired ‘instructor’ (high school teacher but Lorne prefers the title ‘instructor’ so I will defer to his wishesJ). Thank you for sharing Lorne MacLean! Lorne’s Post #1: (To) Melissa: People talk about a lot of work on the farm. What about a little work on the farm? One summer, your Aunt Kimberly came to stay with us for 2 weeks. The four of them got bored one day. So I invented (no I didn't) a game called “cut down the Burdocks” . . . a thick, tall weed which grows in the pasture. I gave them round nosed spades to spear the weed & hatchets to cut at ground level. After a few minutes of trying, Aunt Kim asked to be put on a Greyhound bus going West. Sandra’s reply -> Kim ended up with sun/heat stroke. I don’t blame her for wanting to go home. – Sandra. Lorne’s Post #2: A farm is a store house of reproductivity because of the intensity of the drive to procreate by the animals found there. Example # 1: To watch a 3-foot-tall billy goat fall off the back of a 5-foot-tall Hereford cow is the height of hilarity. Those goats were in the pasture with the girls and were constantly trying to mount them no matter their short legs. Example # 2: In the barn, running loose, were cats & rabbits. It was a miniature rodeo watching those buck rabbits ride the female cats. If successful, the cross breeding would have been indescribable! Lorne’s Post #3: I rented pasture to a man who owned brood mares. He came one day to check on his horses. When he left, the gate was improperly latched. Down the lane & down the road go 3 ponies, 2 donkeys, 2 goats & a couple of yearling heifers. I'm not at home! Shirl is in a quandary (befuddle). What does she do? Eventually, she calls the radio station in London which it encouraged people to do, no matter the problem. Bill Brady answers the phone. Shirl worked with him at the Windsor Daily Star in the 1960's. Shirl is now on the air! When she finished rhyming off the list of her "menagerie”, he began to sing "The 12 days of Christmas". You know, "partridge, turtle doves, French hens, etc." Look up the word "menagerie"......"a collection of WILD animals kept in captivity for exhibition". Anyway, she starts getting phone calls. "I saw them going down my road". "I saw them turning the corner of . . . & . . . ". Eventually, a caller said the words that she wanted to hear. "I have them! I put them in a corral for the night". In the morning, with ropes & 3 kids I get to the farm. I tie one pony to one corner of the back of the truck & a heifer to the other. With the kids encouraging everybody from behind, we gingerly made our way home. Thank you Sandra and Lorne MacLean for sharing with us today. Love the bull that wanted his back scratched. LOL! You can find Sandra at: Facebook Page – Awakening Healing Hearts https://www.facebook.com/Awakening-Healing-Hearts-359265950940076/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/SandraAwh44 Website coming soon :) LET'S GENERATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors, Artists, and Poets. If you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #herefordfarm #hereford #farm #herefordshire #lovemyfarmlife #farmlife #poetry #reiki #chakradance #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #novels #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #scifi #magic My BUZZ GUEST today is author Lesley Wilson.  Lesley’s book ‘ORIC AND THE ALCHEMIST’S KEY’ is AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW on Amazon, Kobo and Barnes & Noble!  PAPERBACK: E-BOOK Lesley has taken the time to share a bit about her self (check out paragraph four-seriously though!): Lesley Wilson was born in North Yorkshire, UK and educated at St Martin’s preparatory School Grimsby, Lincolnshire, Mill Hill School, Middlesbrough, and Pickering’s Commercial College, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. She completed a course in Journalism with the London School of Writing, and has been an active member of a writers’ group in Australia. In 1957, she met a young man on holiday in Italy. A whirlwind courtship followed before he joined the British Army. Fifteen months and hundreds of letters later, Lesley, aged seventeen, boarded a troop ship bound for Singapore, where she married the love of her life. She worked as a fashion model in Singapore for two years before returning to the UK. A three year posting to Germany with her husband followed. Returned to the UK after her husband left the army, Lesly worked as Girl Friday for a well-known racing driver/motor dealer. She underwent training in London at Helena Rubinstein’s London Salon, and worked thereafter as a consultant for five years. Her other careers have included ownership of a sauna and health studio, and market research, which involved many miles of driving throughout N. Yorkshire in all kinds of weather. In 1982 she migrated to Australia with her husband and small son. She ran a craft shop for several years in which she manufactured all the items for sale. During this time, she was also a volunteer in a Maritime Museum. Hunting wrecks off the coast of North Queensland became an absorbing a hobby, and she helped to rescue an ancient, decommissioned lighthouse for the city in which she lives. Today she is retired and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. She is also a member of an active quilting group who involve themselves in charitable endeavors from time to time. She reads and reviews books for other authors but writing is her major passion. When she isn’t glued to the computer keyboard she loves to travel, entertain friends, and work in her large garden in N. Queensland. Wow! Hunting wrecks off the coast of North Queensland! That must have been totally exciting! Lesley has also shared with us the blurb for ‘ORIC AND THE ALCHEMIST’S KEY’: Orphaned boy, Oric, believes an inherited key will bring him great wealth. But he’s been warned of great danger should the key fall into wrong hands. Evil moneylender Esica Figg determines to steal the key from Oric, even if it means killing the boy in the process. Ichtheus the apothecary and kitchen maid Dian team up with Oric to help solve the mystery behind Deveril’s key. They experience many adventures, some hilarious, some life threatening. The trio is helped, but more often hindered by comical wolfhound Parzifal, and a donkey named Braccus. Mystery, action, a wolfhound and a donkey to boot! Awesome! I sent Lesley some normal and ‘not so normal’ questions and she very kindly answered them: 1. What drew you to writing? -> A little figure of an apothecary that I made on an armature was the catalyst. 2. How long did it take you to create your first book? -> Six months then years to get it published. 3. How long did it take you to create the last? -> Working on book two at present--hope to have it published by October 2016. 4. Do you prefer creating short stories, or novels? -> Novels 5. What kind of books do you enjoy reading? -> A wide range. 6. Do you have a favorite author(s)? -> Anya Seton, Sara Harrison, Rumer Godden, Rosamunde Pilcher, Janet Evanovich, Dan Brown, Noel Barbour and so many more. 7. Where is your favorite place to read? -> Bed 8. Where do you write? -> My office overlooking the garden. 9. A wicked old witch has turned you into a frog. What are you going to do with your days? -> Sit on a lily pad and write. 10. When you were a child, what did you always want to be when you grew up? -> Haven't grown up yet! 11. What inspires you? -> People, places. 12. Would you rather have the ability to fly or to transport instantly? -> To transport instantly if I was in a hurry, but to fly would be nice as well. 13. Who is your favorite Superhero? -> Captain Cook. Thanks Lesley, I loved your answers! You can find Lesley Wilson at: Facebook -> Lesley Wilson's Oric Twitter -> https://twitter.com/OmlaLesley Thank you Lesley for sharing with us today and being a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! I don’t know about you guys, but I want to squeeze a few stories out of Leslie about her Maritime adventures from when she was hunting old wrecks.  LET'S GENERATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors, Artists, and Poets. If you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/
#mystery #alchemist #action #adventure #action&adventure #amreadingfantasy #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading #books #bookworm #novels #novel #series #bookseries #MG #MGLit #YA #YALitChat #KidLitChat #SCBWI #dragons #mages #magic #fae #witches #ghosts #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #AmWriting #alternateworlds #bookdragon My BUZZ GUEST today is author Wendy Hobbs.  Wendy’s debut novel ‘Claudia Quash: The Spell of Pencliff’ is AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW on Amazon, iBooks, Audible, iTunes, Kobo and Barnes and Noble! Wendy has very kindly taken the time to talk to us about her journey and inspiration: I gave up my legal career as a property lawyer to follow my dream of becoming a children's fantasy author. My debut novel, Claudia Quash: The Spell of Pencliff has received 31 amazing 5* reviews on Amazon and by bloggers. I drew inspiration for the story from my daughter (also called Claudia) and Tenby's (Pencliff) award-winning beaches, the Tudor Merchant's House, St Catherine's Island (St Agatha's Island) and The Ghost Walk which all feature in the story. Claudia Quash: The Spell of Pencliff is a Young Adult Fantasy, but it is also being read by adults who enjoy an original fantasy. It's a magical adventure, described by one reviewer as a sort of Narnia meets Alice in Wonderland, meets time-travel adventure and therefore very gripping. Wendy has also shared a little blurb about her book: On her thirteenth birthday, Claudia receives a mysterious letter. It unlocks an unsolved crime, and Claudia has to clear her family name. Little does she know that she'll be transported back in time into a magical world, where she also discovers special powers of her own. On her journey she'll be chasing criminals, making new friends, and facing a dark terror that hovers over the land. Wendy has also provided us with an awesome trailer. Click on the button below to view it. Wow! Time travel! Magical world! Special powers! This sounds like an awesome, action-packed read. Just the kind I love! Claudia Quash: The Spell of Pencliff has been featured on ilovebookz. Click the button below to read the review.  Click on one of the links below to purchase CLAUDIA QUASH: THE SPELL OF PENCLIFF. CLAUDIA QUASH: THE SPELL OF PENCLIFF is also available in paperback or as an audiobook.
You can find Wendy at: Website -> http://www.wendyhobbs.com/ Facebook -> https://www.facebook.com/ClaudiaQuash/ Twitter -> https://twitter.com/wendyfhobbs Thank you Wendy for sharing with us today and being a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! BUZZ NOTE: THE SPELL OF PENCLIFF is climbing up the charts and currently sits at number 13 on Kindle! Congratulations Wendy! LET'S GENERATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #ClaudiaQuash #SpellOfPencliff #spell #alternateworlds #timetravel #amreadingfantasy #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading #books #bookworm #novels #novel #series #bookseries #dragons #aliens #mages #magic #fae #witches #ghosts #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #scifi #poetry #AmWriting #scifantasy My BUZZ GUEST today is award-winning author, teacher, and creator of the dark epic fantasy series THE RHENWARS SAGA.  In M. L. Spencer’s own words, “Welcome to the Rhenwars Saga, a darkly epic fantasy series that chronicles the turbulent battle between two conflicting ideologies of magic and the moral imperatives that drive them.” Wow! I don’t know about you guys, but she had me at ‘epic fantasy series’ and ‘magic’!! Book Two DARKMAGE of THE RHENWARS SAGA series is available on Amazon right now!  Will Darien hold fast to the moral constraints that shackle him? Or will he abandon his principles and become a darkmage? M. L. Spencer’s book DARKSTORM is the prequel to DARKMAGE and is listed as COMING SOON. Can’t wait!
M. L. Spencer has carved out some time for us to get to know her better by answering a few questions: 1. What drew you to writing? I was always writing from a very young age. When I was in elementary school I wrote little books. I wrote my first novel-length manuscript when I was thirteen. 2. How long did it take you to create your first book? I wrote the first draft of my novel Darkmage in forty days. It was insane. It just poured out of me. I was working full time as a middle school teacher and had two children under four. The novel was 230,000 words, so that’s averaging over 5000 words a day! I still can’t believe I did that. 3. How long did it take you to create the last? My last novel, Darkstorm, took me about three months. 4. Do you prefer creating short stories, or novels? I don’t do short stories very well. I don’t have short ideas. Which is really too bad, because it has handicapped me that my ideas don’t usually fit in industry-recommended lengths. 5. What kind of books do you enjoy reading? I love reading mostly fantasy with a dash of horror. I am also a sucker for literary fiction and nonfiction. 6. Do you have a favorite author(s)? Robert Jordan will always be my favorite author and my greatest inspiration. 7. Where is your favorite place to read? In bed! 8. You’re dressed to attend a Cosplay event. What are you wearing? I would totally Cosplay any of my various MMO avatars. I am way into MMOs! Love Warcraft and GW2 the best! 9. When you were a child what did you always want to be when you grew up? I always wanted to be a fantasy author. Seriously. I had no other aspirations until high school, when I started thinking that perhaps I should do something that would pay the bills. 10. Do you work well under stress? I work very well under stress. I do not write well under stress, but then I never consider writing work. 11. What hobbies do you enjoy? I love playing MMO games, playing music, painting and being outdoors in nature. 12. Pick 3 books and tell us why you loved them. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan – Jordan’s world is so expansive, vibrant and gripping. Truly one of the best world-builders that have ever lived. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls– Had a huge impact on me as a child, and continues to inspire. Never have I encountered another work of fiction that could so thoroughly reduce me to tears. The Shining by Stephen King – Just the name Stephen King creeps me out. His writing is viscerally wrenching. And yes, that is supposed to be a compliment. 13. Who is your favorite Superhero? Wonder Woman. She is my spirit animal. 14. What magical place that you’ve read about would you like to visit? Xanadu. Always wanted to check that place out! Thank you M. L. Spencer for sharing with us today. I really enjoyed your answers. Just a question--does anyone else have the WONDER WOMAN theme song stuck in their head right now? You can find M. L. Spencer at: Facebook -> https://www.facebook.com/Rhenwarssaga/ Website -> http://mlspencerfiction.com/index.html Twitter -> https://twitter.com/MLSpencer1 LET'S GENERATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #Rhenwarssaga #Darkmage #Darkstorm #darkfantasy #epicfantasy #magic #mages #bookseries #series #novels #novel #bookdragon #FWPub #paranormal #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading #dragons #alternateworlds #fae #witches #ghosts #novels #novel #WitchonParole My BUZZ GUEST today is MORPHEUS, INC! THE VIVID DREAMER by MORPHEUS, INC. is seeking representation at the moment. In Morpheus, Inc.'s own words “THE VIVID DREAMER is a complete novel in and of itself, but there are short stories that are dream sequences within the overall novel.”  You can find MORPHEUS, INC., at:
Twitter/Instagram -> @MorpheusWriters Facebook -> https://www.facebook.com/MorpheusWriters/ MORPHEUS, INC., has taken the time to answer some BUZZ GUEST questions:
Thank you Morpheus, Inc. for being today’s BUZZ GUEST! And I too, in my heart of hearts, would like to be a ninja or a spy when I grow up. Hold onto that dream! LET'S GENERATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #dreams #dreamsequence #shortstories #shortstory #novels #novel #novela #series #bookseries #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #scifi #poetry #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading #scifantasy #dragons #aliens #alternateworlds #mages #magic #fae #witches #ghosts  My BUZZ GUEST today is Bea Cannon author of eighteen publications! Bea lives in Charlotte, NC. In addition to writing science fiction and fantasy (and a smidgen of horror) she enjoys a good read, working crossword puzzles, walking, drawing, and painting. She is a retired electronics technician and admits to having worked at a variety of other jobs during her life, including being a dishwasher, a busgirl, a house maid, a motel/hotel maid, working in a fast-food joint, a telephone operator, and a store clerk. There have been other, not-so-glamorous jobs, including picking cotton. She also daydreams a lot. (Me too Bea! Me too! :)) Bea just finished writing the third book in her SPACESHIPS AND MAGIC series called “TURNER: UNEXPECTED CHANGE”. I don’t know about you folks but I LOVE that Bea has mixed two beloved genres into one. Being a sci-fi and fantasy fan I don’t see how a storyline that combines those two genres could be anything but exciting!    Bea has taken time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for us: 1. What drew you to writing? I like making stuff up. 2. How long did it take you to create your first book? That’s kind of hard to answer. I began the book in 2006 and worked on it off and on for two or three months. I laid it down because I was still working at the time and putting in a lot of overtime on the job. I retired in 2009 but didn’t pick the book back up until 2011. I worked on it for a couple of months, got sick and didn’t begin work on it again until the following year when I realized that it was ‘way long for one book. I then split it into three parts and published the first part as “Boucher’s World: Emergent” in the latter part of 2012. So, you could say it took six years total, or if you only count the actual work, it took about ten months. 3. How long did it take you to create the last? I have yet to create my last! However, the last book finished was “Turner: Unexpected Change” and it took six months. It’s book 3 of my Spaceships and Magic series. I do have another book coming out that is pre-released for June of this year, called “First”, but it’s not exactly finished since it’s waiting for the final edit. I’ve worked on that one for four months. 4. What have you learned in between? I’ve learned that the more I write, the more I want to write. 5. Do you prefer creating short stories, or novels? I don’t have a preference. I’ll use whatever it takes to tell the story. I have eighteen publications; eight are novel-length (between 77,000 and 162,000 words), three are short novels or novellas (between 30,000 and 41,000 words), three are novelettes (more than 12,000 but less than 20,000 words), and four are short stories of less than 10,000 words. I have used five hundred words or less to tell a story (have also written some one hundred word drabbles). 6. What genre do you write and why? My current series is what I call scifantasy, which is, as the term implies, a combining of science-fiction and fantasy. I have written a few that could be classified as paranormal, and my first book is mostly science-fiction. I’ve also got a couple of very short stories that are kind of horror stories and one of my published short stories could be called black urban. As to why, well, I grew up reading fairy tales and fantasy with a good dollop of science-fiction thrown in, so I write what I enjoy reading. 7. Can you pick a favorite line from your latest work (or the work being highlighted) and tell us why this is your favorite? It’s kind of hard to choose a favorite. I’ve written a lot of lines over the years. However, here is one I enjoyed writing from “Turner: Bitter Change”. The MC, Juri is having what she thinks is a nightmare but is actually a vision: I stood looking at a blighted, stark landscape filled with shadows, littered with the rubble of a broken realm. A cold, harsh wind mourned across the scene, blowing tendrils of smoke and pieces of debris through the bleak land. 8. What about your life influenced your drive to write? Having the time to do it. Being retired has helped a lot. 9. What is next on your current writing agenda? Well, as I stated before, I’ve pre-released a novel for June of this year which is still awaiting its final edit, but I’m also working on the first draft of book 4 of my Spaceships and Magic series which I plan to release in the fall. I’m also working on another book which I hope to have ready by the end of the year, and another that I’d like to publish by spring of next year. In addition, I’m working on a new story in my Boucher’s World series and one in my werewolf short series (Cady and Sam). 10. What kind of books do you enjoy reading? I enjoy reading fantasy and science-fiction, horror, paranormal, and anything funny. 11. What are you reading now? Right now I’m not reading anything since I find it difficult to do so while working a first draft. 12. Do you have a favorite author? Too many to list them all, but a here’s a few (and in no particular order): Andre Norton, Octavia Butler, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Douglas Adams, Jim Butler, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Zenna Henderson, Alice Walker…I could go on forever! 13. Do you have other work experience? What in? I’ve worked lots of different jobs through the years. As a child, even though I lived in a city, I had the glamorous job of picking cotton (don’t laugh - it paid for my fourth grade dictionary and bought me a pair of shoes every year until the fifth grade); as a teen I graduated to dishwasher, bus girl, maid; later I worked on an office clean-up crew, and as a cashier and store clerk. After hiring on at the telephone company (BellSouth but by the time I retired it had become AT&T), I was a telephone operator, accounting clerk, network clerk, testing technician, and I spent my final fifteen year or so as an electronics technician before retiring in 2009 (I spent thirty-seven years there - some of my other jobs ran concurrent with that one). 14. Are you a positive person, negative, or realistic? I’m kind of a positive realist. 15. What is your favorite hot beverage? Coffee, of course! 16. What hobbies do you enjoy? I like to work crossword puzzles, read, walk, draw and paint, and of course, write. Thank you Bea. I really enjoyed your answers. I like to make stuff up and daydream too! :) You can find Bea at: Website -> pcannon16.wordpress.com Twitter -> @pbeacannon You can find Bea's other books at: LET'S GENERATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #scifantasy #dragons #aliens #alternateworlds #mages #magic #FWPub #scifi #fantasy #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #novels #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading #WitchonParole #paranormal FINAL SPOTLIGHT #4 ON BUZZ GUEST SANDRA MACLEAN! POET, REIKI MASTER AND CHAKRADANCE FACILITATOR.5/10/2016 My BUZZ GUEST for the conclusion of Mother's Day weekend is poet, Reiki Master, and Chakradance facilitator SANDRA MACLEAN.  Here are Sandra's concluding thoughts on the matriarchal ladies from her family.  Sandra's mom.
IRONY I find it ironic that I started writing these blogs coming up to the month of May. The month this all began. Grams day I am referring to. The 27th of May the day Gram passed over. Then my using both my grandmothers as the pre-empting to my personal story. My other Grandmother passed over May 9th, 1986. Two days before Mother’s Day. Then I realize what a bizarre ‘twist of fate’(?) that I honour and celebrate the 3 wise women’s deaths in the same month. You see, my Mother passed away May 2nd, 7 years ago. To think they all passed over in the same month which is the month WE ALL celebrate Mother’s Day. I call them the 3 wise women as that is what they were. I spoke of the ways in which my Grandmothers were spiritual. I find myself groping for the ways in which my Mother was. Then all of a sudden the little things she used to say to me start jumping around in my head. Like when I would misplace something, she would say “The fairies hid it”. Those darn fairies hide everything on me. But fairies do like to play games with us. I believe in fairies, I do, I do! I also believe in magic. Enjoy my poem about magic…. MAGIC HAPPENS Bridges burned Lessons learned Passages earned. Gates open Relationships deepen And magic happens. Bridges lifted Lessons sifted Passages gifted. Hearts open Love deepens And magic happens. Thank you Sandra for sharing your lovely family ritual of “Grams Day” and all of your memories of them and their influence on your life. This was a truly beautiful share for Mother’s Day weekend. LET'S CREATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #scifi #poetry #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #novels #mothersday #reiki #chakradance #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading Click on the button below to enter a #GoodReadsGiveaway contest hosted by #FWPub Fantasy Works Publishing. Contest runs from May 3rd to May 10th, 2016. SPOTLIGHT #2 on BUZZ GUEST SANDRA MACLEAN! Poet, Reiki Master, and chakradance facilitator.5/8/2016 My BUZZ GUEST today is Sandra MacLean. Sandra spoke yesterday of her family's tradition of "GRAM'S DAY".  Today Sandra will share a few things about her paternal grandmother on this Mother's Day weekend.  GRANDMOTHERS
Both my maternal and paternal Grandmothers were spiritual in their own ways. Both having similar yet different ideas what that meant. My paternal Grandmother talked about numerology. When I was about 12 she figured out our numbers using the day, month and year we were born. She didn’t give me the meaning of them. However, it set a precedence for my spiritual journey. I remember us having discussions about a ride range of things. One being our connection when she passed over. She talked about buying us each identical necklaces. When she died I was to take hers and wear it and put mine in her casket. She felt this would help her to come and visit me. Unfortunately, she never did buy those necklaces, however I have felt her presence on many occasions and dream about her often. The last dream she looked me in the eye and told me she loved me. Now, my maternal Grandmother who you have been introduced to as ‘Gram’, well she was another story. Until next time… Thank you Sandra for sharing your grandmother with us. You can find Sandra at: Her Facebook Page – Awakening Healing Hearts https://www.facebook.com/Awakening-Healing-Hearts-359265950940076/ Or on Twitter - https://twitter.com/SandraAwh44 BUZZ NOTICE: Sandra will be back tomorrow to talk about her matriarchal grandmother whom she called “Gram”. LET'S CREATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #scifi #poetry #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #novels #mothersday #reiki #chakradance #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading Click the button below to enter a #GoodReadsGiveaway contest to win a copy of Ismael Manzano's #Soulless, Book One of the #SoulBroker series. #GoodReadsGiveaway only lasts from May 3rd - May 10th, 2016. My BUZZ GUEST for Mother's Day weekend is Poet, Reiki Master, and Chakradance Facilitator SANDRA MACLEAN!  Sandra's family have a very special way of remembering the matriarchs in their family. When she told me about it I asked her to share with you their family ritual of "Grams Day". Here is Sandra's story of how "Grams Day" began and continues:  Family Traditions
For most of us, family traditions revolve around happy occasions like celebrations and holidays. I’d like to share a family tradition we started because of a death. What I like to call a celebration of life. 11 years ago May 27th, the matriarch of our family passed over to the other side. She was 89 years old. Gram to us all. She was strong willed. And she loved to laugh. I remember during an interview I was asked who I would like to be for a day and why. I said her because I wanted to be inside her head to know what kept her going. May be so I could see how she got her strength. Knowing she was the glue that kept us together and sensing a dis connect because of her death, ‘Gram’s Day’ was erected. My immediate family being a 2-hour drive away drove that feeling home. Each year on a weekend as close to her death as we can arrange, the girls’ get together for lunch. At first it was at her favourite restaurant. Swiss Chalet. We would have lunch and gather after at the cemetery to place carnations on her gravesite. Carnations also being her favourite. As the years have progressed we have changed it up. We now do a potluck at one Aunt’s after visiting Gram. This year my Aunt asked if after over ten years did we still want to continue it. My sense of disconnect settled in again and I said for sure. We need an excuse to get together. As we all know life is busy and if we don’t go the extra mile to make family matter, well I don’t need to explain. Here’s to you Gram. For still being the glue. Thank you Sandra for sharing your special “Grams Day” ritual. Such an awesome idea and a beautiful way to remember those that have passed and those that are still with us. BUZZ NOTE: Check back over the weekend as Sandra talks about her special “Grandmothers” and the ways that they have influenced her daily and spiritual life. LET'S CREATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #scifi #poetry #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #novels #mothersday #reiki #chakradance #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading SPOTLIGHT #3 ON BUZZ GUEST SANDRA MACLEAN! POET, REIKI MASTER, AND CHAKRADANCE FACILITATOR.5/7/2016 Today's BUZZ GUEST is poet SANDRA MACLEAN here to share another life story with us.  As part three of our Mother's Day Weekend Sandra has agreed to share with us some memories of her matriarchal grandmother.  GRAM Now for the other story. Gram. She was a Christian. Strong in her faith. Went to church every Sunday. But she loved her ‘Ouija’ board. She had TWO of them. She used to freak us out a little when we would play with her. She didn’t even have to have her fingers touching that thing and it would slide across the board like a gust of wind had blown in. Trust me, no wind, no anything, but the energy was real. She used to live her life by that thing. My Aunt finally took both of them away as she felt my gram had a problem. I experimented with the board in my teens and spooked myself. I decided it was not something for me. Gram also taught us the art of using a pendulum, with a needle and thread. I bet this conjures up memories for a lot of you. At a very young age I already had a sense that there was more out there. I had an out of body when I was in Grade 3 while my teacher was reading us a story. So having the Grandmothers that I did enabled me to keep that door open. So many of us lose it. This all helped me evolve to the spiritual being I am today. A little of my journey to come. Thank you Sandra for sharing memories of your “Gram”. It was so interesting. BUZZ NOTE: Join us tomorrow for the conclusion of Mother’s Day weekend where Sandra will share some thoughts and a poem. Can’t wait! LET'S CREATE A BUZZ! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors Artists Poets if you would like to be a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Please DM me on Twitter https://twitter.com/kay_latour or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/ #FWPub #WitchonParole #paranormal #scifi #poetry #amreadingfantasy #books #bookworm #AmWriting #novels #mothersday #reiki #chakradance #urbanfantasy #fantasy #amreading Click the button below to enter #GoodReadsGiveaway contest for Book One #Soulless of the #SoulBroker series by Ismael Manzano. Contest runs from May 3rd to May 10th, 2016.  PART TWO of my interview with Buzz Guest Yvonne Rediger author of the VIC SHAPESHIFTERS SERIES. Yvonne's first book in the series is called THE SHAPE OF US. Someone knows about the Pack and that someone is after the kids. It's available right now on Amazon!  Yvonne's second book in the series is called HELL CAT! Helly has her former human boss between the cross hairs. You can support Yvonne by previewing and/or nominating HELL CAT by clicking the button below. Yvonne took some time from writing her third book that has the tentative title of LOTTIE'S TAIL to answer some questions for us. This is PART TWO of my interview with Buzz Guest Yvonne Rediger:
Wow! Karate and Aikido! I know who to call if I'm up against a wall. Thanks Yvonne for taking the time to answer my questions and being a BUZZ GUEST on FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS--OH MY!
LET'S CREATE A BUZZ!! Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Sci-Fi Authors, artists and poets if you would like to become a BUZZ GUEST on this blog "FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS--OH MY!" contact me via twitter@kay_latour or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/  My BUZZ GUEST for today is author Yvonne Rediger. Yvonne has an awesome fantasy series out titled the VIC SHAPESHIFTERS. Book One is called THE SHAPE OF US. Someone knows about the Pack and that someone is after the kids. THE SHAPE OF US is available right now on Amazon!  Book Two is called HELL CAT!  At the moment Yvonne is writing Book Three of the series. It's tentative title is LOTTIE'S TAIL. Yvonne was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for us:
Thank you Yvonne I so enjoyed reading your answers! You can find Yvonne on twitter at @Blackyvy BUZZ NOTICE: Part Two of my interview with Yvonne Rediger author of the VIC SHAPESHIFTERS SERIES will be posted on Friday April 29th, 2016. LET’S CREATE A BUZZ!! Authors, artists, poets if you would like to be interviewed for a guest spot on this blog FAE AND WITCHES AND GHOSTS—OH MY! Contact me via twitter @kay_latour or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kaylatour/  The Zoe Jabril journey continues. Yay! Having read the first book, The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos, I'm kind of all ready invested in this character. So I'm really excited to see what she's up to. The synopsis gives us just enough information to tantalize our minds. Zoe will have to tangle with: a strange attraction to her new neighbor; a daring covert operation against demons; travel to the fae summer court to negotiate alliance support; all the while making sure her high school attendance record stays on point so her parents won't find out what she's really up to. But luckily we are not her parents and can enjoy finding out about this next stage in Zoe's journey as she battles to stop the Devil from escaping Hell on her eighteenth birthday. Below is an excerpt from Chapter One for you to enjoy: ZOE Last night, a friend of mine rose from the dead—and I was the one who brought her back. So I guess . . . I’m an angel. Or, at least most of my friends think I am. Even wrapped tightly in the arms of my favorite oversized PINK hoodie, I shivered. It was chilly for mid-April while sitting on my front porch with the sun just coming over the horizon, but that wasn’t where the tremor had come from. I glanced up, startled by the high-pitched squealing of truck brakes that rang above the music playing from my iPod. The truck turned into the cul-de-sac and careened straight into the next door neighbors’ driveway. What made it really strange was the house had been empty since last October. I could still see the top of the “For Sale” sign on the manicured front lawn. I pulled out my cell phone to text my boyfriend, Shay. Me: Good morning! As I waited for a response, a gray uniformed driver open his door and climbed down. He walked to the back of the truck; then multiple doors slammed. “This furniture goes into the living room on the main level,” a man said. I didn’t particularly want to be a nosy neighbor, but I couldn’t help myself. I eased higher on the top step, hoping to get a look at the man who seemed to be in charge. His back was to me, so all I could tell was he had short blond hair. He glanced down at something then looked back up, turned, and pointed toward a number of other, smaller trucks in the cul-de-sac parking. More uniformed men jumped out of the smaller trucks and gathered around their boss, waiting for instructions. I had no interest in watching a bunch of people move boxes, so I just stayed on the step and waited for my best friend, Kieran, and Shay *** You can purchase this book through: Amazon; Nook; Smashwords; or on Kristin's website at www.kristinvanrisseghem.com. Below is a picture of the divine Ms. Van Risseghem so you can put a face to the creator of this awesome series. Happy reading y'all!  Yeah, it's true. I have an empty patch in my garden. For some people--and I'm talking about gardeners with miraculous green thumbs--an empty patch of garden area is an opportunity. For them deciding what to plant in that patch of brown earth is a snap. I've even heard that gardeners regularly create empty garden patches so they can go through the decision planting stage--on purpose! But for me, not a green thumb person, it's a BIG decision. I'm a novel writer and so my first instinct is to do some research. The problem here is that there is so much information on gardening that I just can't decide. And my past experience with house plants has unfortunately left me with nothing but bad experiences. Like last year, I tried to grow Black Eyed Susan's from seedlings. I followed the directions on the package. I planted. I watered. I set them in sunlight. But a couple of months later there were no lovely green shoots, just dirt. I should have known. Any house plant I ever had usually died. They'd either crisp up into a dried husk or they'd mold into a weirdly gelatinous mush. And I felt bad for everyone of them. The only time in my life when I could grow plants was just after the birth of my first child. I don't know whether my vibration changed when I became a mother or if it was just dumb luck. But for awhile there, I could grow plants. But it didn't last. A few years later my plant growing skills vanished once again. Oh, I've never had a problem with trees or bushes. They seem to like me. I trim them in the spring and let mother nature take care of the rest. They grow and I don't try to mess with that. I have some luck with petunias but again I classify them as a plant that mother nature takes care of. I put them in a pot and stick them outside. I only water them if we haven't had rain for awhile. And miraculously--they bloom! A couple of years ago we downsized into a smaller home. Our children are grown and we didn't need all the space of a large house. The new house itself was great. But the garden! The lady that lived here before me was an awesome gardener. I inherited many wonderful plants, trees and bushes from her labors outside. A plum tree. Three blueberry bushes. A raspberry patch. A small herb garden with chives that pop up faithfully every year. And two patches to grow random vegetables. She had grown rhubarb, kale and tomatoes. And the thought of taking care of those vegetable patches scared me. But I boldly put on a brave face and tackled my problems. I planted tomatoes in one patch. They grew. A little. I managed to snag a few nicely shaped balls of the red fruit. I even added them into a few salads for dinner. I also planted mint in the other patch. Now that grew! But too much. I started seeing mint growing a couple of feet away from where I planted it. And it seemed to be choking out the hostas that were planted on either side of it. Again research tells you that mint is an invasive plant but I had no idea how much. So I called my friend from back home. I actually call her every Friday night just to chat. She is bolder than I am about gardening. Under her direction I learned about herbs. They are easy to grow and handy for cooking. I learned that mulch combats weed growth and helps to prevent a dried out garden bed. And her attitude as a gardener is one I plan on adopting. She says that it's hit and miss. And if she accidentally kills something it's okay because then she learns. When I asked her if she felt bad about accidentally killing a plant she said, "I don't think I have. If I did I don't remember. It couldn't have been too traumatic if I don't remember." And she's right. I'm totally overthinking this. But that is how my brain works and it's part of how I'm able to write novels. But I am going to give it a go. I am. And I'll try not to obsess over it too much. I'll try. But just in case anyone has any ideas for me, the area gets sunlight almost all day and is covered in cedar mulch. It's pictured below. If you want to throw some planting suggestions at me, then I can assure you that me and my obsessive brain thank you very much in advance. Other than that, keep on keeping on and have a nice day.   Ismael Manzano lives in the Bronx with his wife who is a fellow writer and his young son whose energy and imagination encourages him to create new fantasy worlds every day. Ismael has written reviews and commentaries for G-pop.net, and published short stories in This Dark Matter, and Grey Matter. Currently, he is working on his new urban fantasy series, Soul Broker. What drew you to writing? Probably the same thing that draws all writers: reading. For me it was C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series that first piqued my interest in writing. I was swept up into that wardrobe along with Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan, and by the time I was done reading the series, I wanted not only to live in Narnia, but to create my own worlds. I wanted to remain in a fantasy world as long as I could, but more importantly, I wanted other people to join me in the worlds I created. Do you have a degree in writing? Do you believe that matters? Why/Why not? No. I took several creative writing workshops both in and out of college, but no degree in the subject. I do believe it matters, but not in that a degree can teach a person to write or to have an imagination. Those things are inherent. You either have them or you don’t. If you have them, the workshops--not the degree--can help you to hone those skills and bring out your best, but if you don’t, I don’t believe any number of degrees will make you able to create stories. For me, that time was invaluable because I had built up a lifetime of bad habits that I needed to shake if I was ever going to get anywhere. In or out of the classroom, getting together with other writers is the best education for this craft. How long did it take you to create your first book? About a week. It was a Narnia sequel. I was eleven. I wish I had saved a copy of it. Probably would’ve been very insightful. How long did it take you to create the last? About four months before edits. What have you learned in between? I learned that revising is very important. And that you need permission to use someone else’s material in your book. Also, to measure twice, cut once. Finishing quickly doesn’t make the story better. What are you currently learning to further develop your craft? Currently trying to learn to revise with a cold and critical eye. If you hold onto any part of the story too tightly, you risk strangling the whole. Do you prefer creating short stories, or novels? Although I have written short stories, I prefer novels. Even when I try to write a short, it usually ends up expanding into a novel. What Genre do you write and why? I have two. Epic Fantasy and Contemporary Fantasy. Epic Fantasy draws me in because I like world building, the idea that I can make up a religion or a structure of civilization is very appealing. For contemporary fantasy, I like the idea of taking something known or mundane and adding something fantastical to it. Can you pick a favorite line from your latest work (or the work being highlighted) and tell us why this is your favorite? Not sure if I can pick a favorite, but I think this one is very indicative of the main character’s (Charlotte) voice: “My dear fool,” he said with all the sympathy of one of Asimov's robots. “I believe you may have just started a war.” What about your life influenced your drive to create? I wanted to have something that stood a chance of enduring after I was gone, something that could recreate, for someone else, what I feel when I read a really great book. Tell us something personal you've enjoyed due to being an author. Collaborating and brainstorming with my wife who also writes. It has brought us closer together and enriched our relationship in a way that I don’t think would have been possible had only one of us been interested in the craft. What is next on your current writing agenda? Right now my agenda is to brainstorm away for part two in the Soul Broker Series. After writing the Soul Broker series? That might take up a lot of my time, but I would like to tweak my Epic Fantasy series Under Realm and see if version 8.0 will finally fix all of the problems. If not, I might try another contemporary fantasy. Have a few ideas I need to flesh out first. I guess whichever comes first. Thank you Ismael for sharing your time and thoughts with us. Ismael’s book Soulless (Book one of the Soul Broker Series) comes out March 8th, 2016. You can find Ismael at: ismaelmanzano.com facebook.com/ismaelmanzanoauthor twitter.com/ismaelmanzano76 www.fantasyworkspublishing.com under authors    THE DAY IS HERE!!!!!!! Ross Smeltzer's dark, historical fantasy The Mark of the Shadow Grove release date January 15, 2016--TODAY!!! You can purchase your copy at Fantasy Works Publishing, Amazon or Smashwords. Q & A What drew you to writing? I enjoy the challenges associated with writing. It's a craft that demands much from those who practice it. It stimulates me intellectually, in a way nothing else does. I think I enjoy writing speculative fiction because of my own dissatisfaction with consensus reality. The world that is seems very drab to me; I like to enliven in with a dash of magic and madness. What are you currently learning to further develop your craft? I'm experimenting with shorter forms of fiction and am currently crafting works of flash fiction and very short stories: yarns under 1,000 words. I like the limitations these forms impose on the writer; boundaries are a boon to creativity. Do you prefer creating short stories or novels? I much prefer the short story to the novel. Too often, the "single effect" the writer can achieve in the short story is dissipated in the sprawl of the novel. I agree with Ambrose Bierce's acerbic characterization of the novel as "a short story padded." What Genre do you write and why? I would say my writing dwells in the shadowy borderland between dark fantasy and horror. I don't really care for genre labels, but I'd say most of my works fall within the Gothic tradition. I just can't help but fixate on twisted Tim Burton-esque trees, dilapidated ruins, and scimitar-shaped moons. I suspect my early enthusiasm for Hawthorne and Lovecraft congealed in my subconscious and is now quite ineradicable. Do you have a favorite author(s)? Among living authors, I'd say, without hesitation, Margaret Atwood. She's a deft prose stylist with a poetic sensibility and she has a healthy contempt for the notion of sacrosanct "genres." What season most inspires you? Fall. I am assuredly one of Ray Bradbury's "autumn people." Also, I enjoy sweaters, apple cider donuts, and horror movies of dubious quality. What is the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn't learn from your resume alone? I'm a fanatical and unapologetic cat man. I melt at the sight of dozing kittens. Which Harry Potter house would you belong to? I'm fairly certain I'd be conscripted into Ravenclaw, but I'd be happy to be included in any of the houses but Slytherin. That house seemed to be composed entirely of sociopaths-in-training. They needed to undergo some form of collective therapy. Thank you Ross for taking the time to answer these questions and give us some insight into the man behind the book. If you want to know more about Ross you can find him at: http://fantasyworkspublishing.com/ross-smeltzer.html or Twitter: @RossTellsTales  My book cover experience with Tiffany heiser of tiffany kae's designs for fantasy works publishing.11/9/2015 My experience working with Tiffany Heiser can be summed up in one word – easy. I told Tiffany what I wanted. She took that information and searched until she found the images that fit the bill. Then she presented several images for me to choose from. She made sure not to forget the symbols that I really wanted to be in the book cover. When I wanted changes, she did them almost instantly as we were talking about it. Again – easy! |
AuthorKay Latour -> Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Author of WITCH ON PAROLE series. Archives
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