Witch or what?

Witch?

Me?

Well... You know, that's a hard question to answer. When I started out, lo many, many decades ago, I studied all the Wicca books, leaned toward the Farrars, and Cunningham. Cunningham is still one of my favorite writers on the subject. But in recent years, due to allergies and lack of time and whatnot, I moved away from the strict ritual forms and schedules followed by most Wiccans. Most of my ritual forms moved into my storytelling, and one wouldn't be surprised to find my characters noting the phase of the moon. As my signature states, even my characters are witches of some sort.

Loose as my practice became, within the last year I started I attending monthly drum circles. I still "lock up" the house at night as I always have, I still stir my cooking dinner clockwise for good intentions and health. Yet I've gotten more interested in Druidic belief and forms. I follow the Druidic gods I've followed for the last ten years of my life and doubt that will ever change. I don't know where that might lead, but those that have followed this blog for a while will remember, I'm nothing if not a bookworm. ;) I've delved back into my reading about the ancient Celts and that research is showing up in my stories, and elsewhere. The drum circles may not have been part of the life of the ancient Celts (although I do know they drummed) it somehow fits in if only in that I've enjoyed attending them once a month.

I've even gone, as you can see from my previous posts, a little more organic. I believe in Karma, and reincarnation, and always will; whatever title I want to use for myself, or you want to use for me, I seriously doubt that will ever change. So is that witchy? Druidic? An evolution and a combination of both, I'd say.

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Interview with Jillian Roring, the heroine of The Ice Captain’s Daughter

Tooling around London today, I had the pleasure to have tea with a sweet young lady who I’m sure many of you have heard of her before: Jillian Roring. She’s the daughter of the infamous Ice Captain. Well, you know how the London gossips can be so I thought, while I was able to have her as a captive audience, I’d get the real scoop. Here’s what she (and her pal author Suzanne G. Rogers) told me…

Hi Jillian! Thanks for being here. I know you’ve had a heck of a time recently, so I appreciate it.

Jillian Roring: Yes, thank you, Miss Revezzo. I have had a rather adventuresome time of it, but fortunately my scar is now barely visible at all.

Glad to hear you’re doing better. Why don’t you tell us how it all started? You were heading to your very first Season in London, but something sidetracked those plans, I hear?

Jillian: My story seems unbelievable to me, as I sit here in this warm, comfortable drawing room, but my carriage was actually waylaid by a highwayman! I could scarcely believe it, since it’s 1899 and highwaymen rarely appear anymore.

Shocking, you’re right! Who woulda thought? Thank God for Mackenzie Logan! Speaking of the gentleman, what’d you really think of Mackenzie when he first showed up? Seems to me you’re a resourceful girl. You almost had that brigand in hand.

Jillian: I’m not a sea captain’s daughter for nothing! I was determined to escape the lout, and almost did… until he grabbed the back of my skirt and held me fast. The blackguard was pulling back toward the woods when Mr. Logan appeared with a shotgun. Although Mr. Logan looked a bit like a wooly bear at that point, I was ever so glad to see him.

Awww….he’s more teddy bear than wooly bear, I’m sure! What’d you think when you first heard the rumors of Mackenzie’s philandering?

Jillian: The rumors rather put me off, to be completely honest. Although I must admit, after Mr. Logan had shaved off his beard and changed his clothes, I could scarcely stop looking at him.

Oh yeah. I mean who wouldn’t? He’s so cute!!! Now for a wicked question: If you could go and choose any of his friends, which would it be?

Jillian: Mr. Hawkins, who is Mr. Logan’s particular friend and neighbor, is a gentlemanly sort of man, and pleasant company. Please don’t tell anyone, but my feelings for him could never be quite so warm as they are for Mr. Logan.

Your secret’s safe with…oops! I guess not! Sorry. At any rate, you’re no stranger to the papers are you? The gossip about your father for instance, the Ice Captain, is quite intriguing, tell us the truth, is he as infamous as he seems?

Jillian: I’m given to understand from my Aunt Letty, that the ladies were simply mad for him during the Season he met my mother. His fair coloring and handsome good looks have something to do with it! Plus, I think there’s something about a sea captain that sets the imagination on fire.

Oh, I agree. Finally, the papers have been buzzing about you two lately, care to divulge any future plans between you and Mackenzie?

Jillian: Oh, Miss Revezzo! Despite my regard for you, I beg you not to force a confidence.

Oh all right. I won’t twist your arm.

Jillian: I am determined, however, not to marry unless it is to a man who adores me as much as my father adored my mother.

Honestly, I agree. That is the best way to go. ;) So we’ll just hope it’s with Mackenzie. Dreamy gentleman that he is. And one for your creatrix: S.G. dear what are we really looking forward to in Jillian and Mackenzie’s future? Can you give us a hint? And for those who haven’t read The Ice Captain’s Daughter, care to give us a little taste?

S.G. Rogers: It’s so hard for young ladies and gentlemen in London society, especially when they aren’t prepared for interference from gossips and rivals… most especially from scheming former fiancées such as Sophia Watkins! Here’s a small preview, so you can see what I mean for yourself:

Excerpt:
“Your papa…he’s the Ice Captain, is he not?” Sophia asked.

Jillian smiled. The nickname never failed to delight her. “Yes.”

“You might not want to mention that to anyone else.”

“Why not?”

Sophia wrinkled her pert nose. “I’m sure he’s a very good sort of man but importing ice is an awful lot like being in trade.”

Shocked, Jillian didn’t know how to respond. Sophia mistook her expression for fear.

“Oh, don’t worry. We’re friends, so your secret is safe with me.”

“I thank you, truly, but I don’t have anything to conceal as far as my father is concerned.”

Sophie gave Jillian a pretty little pout, as if she were a small child who’d just been caught doing something naughty. “Please don’t be vexed with me. Mama says I blurt out truths in an unvarnished fashion and it’s frightfully rude.

****

Sophia sounds like a complete…erm, not very nice person! I’m sure, Jillian, you will get the upper hand eventually! Thanks for spending some time with me today.

Folks, I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I! Here’s just a tad more about Jillian’s story.

The daughter of a wealthy ice merchant, Miss Jillian Roring intends to marry for love. En route to her first Season in London, however, a failed kidnapping sends her into the arms of the most jaded bachelor in England. When Logan and Jillian unwittingly violate the rigid rules of propriety in Victorian-era England, he is obliged to make her an offer of marriage. Because she aspires to be more than an obligation, Jillian refuses the match. Logan follows her to London to woo her properly, but his scheming ex-fiancée has other plans.

Can Logan convince Jillian that his love for her is real or will the cruel gossip and sharp tongues of London society tear their budding relationship apart?

If you’d like to check out Jillian’s story it’s available for Kindle at Amazon and Smashwords for other ereaders, and for more of Suzanne G. Rogers’ fine works you can check out her website at: http://childofyden.wordpress.com
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Juli D. Revezzo has written the Victorian romance novel WATCHMAKER'S HEART. Check it out at Amazon.

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Passion for Vengeance by Patty G. Henderson.

Patty G. Henderson’s new Gothic Romance, Passion for Vengeance tells a tale of a family torn apart. Jane Havens,  has watched her father the illustrious Colonel Havens die, and her brother Cole slip into alcoholism, while her youngest brother Henry still needs a firm hand. She’s done all she could with the boy but needs help. When Miss Emma Stiles arrives on her doorstep, she thinks she’s found a savior in a fine dress.

There is an instant—and forbidden—attraction between the two women, but Emma comes with baggage of her own. Not all of it able to contain a wardrobe. She is a woman with a haunted past, and apparently, a grudge. She has a strange proclivity for dancing under the stars, a love for Absinthe, and also has a very odd talent. Known as sin eating she can take a person’s sin on herself, thereby erasing the dead person’s deeds and sending them off to meet their maker with a clean soul.

Because of this she feels she owes a debt to society. But her own soul isn’t completely spotless to begin with. Jane’s old, dear nursemaid thinks she knows why, especially given all the evidence against Miss Stiles. Truly, did any of the strange accidents that begin befalling the Havens family begin until Miss Stiles arrived?

Impossible! How could the woman Jane loves have anything to do with all these things?

How can she? I can’t tell. You’ll have to read Passion For Vengeance yourself. Patty’s latest Gothic is sure to please fans of lesbian romance, as well as the old Gothic Romances of the 60s and 70s. If you’d like to check it out, it’s available at Amazon for Kindle and paperback and in epub from Barnes and Noble.



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Juli D. Revezzo has written the Victorian romance novel WATCHMAKER'S HEART. Check it out at Amazon.

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Bloglovin'

Follow my blog with Bloglovin
This post still applies, so please do follow me there! :)

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My Mailing List

Well, by now y'all know I am a writer as well as a reader. I have three books out currently (well, okay, a book and a novella and a short story) with two at least coming next year. That said, If you are interested at all in my literary works, please do sign up for my mailing list. :) I use it very infrequently, and will never give out your email addresses. So no need to worry there. But if you'd like to know when my current releases are due, be in the know before your pals ;), and maybe win some freebies sometime (for instance I offered a free copy of Caitlin's Book of Shadows to my subscribers before its release), please sign up.

You can do so at the following Subscribe to my Mailing List or see the links in my sidebar.

Thanks for your time. Have a lovely Sunday!

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Southern morning

Hi everyone. I hope you're doing well. I am. So far. Getting some #writing done today I hope, and should have an announcement soon. ;) More on that in the coming days.

For today though, I'm just dropping in to say I've got, yes, another guest slot. I'm visiting with my favorite Southern Belles over at Southern Fried Gothic today, talking about the Battle of Fort Pickens, that tiny fort that features in The Artist's Inheritance.

Fort Pickens, HD Roberts/hdroberts / photo on flickr

The post is up here. Do drop by if you'd like to read it.

BUY JULI'S BOOKS NOW AT AMAZON"

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Suzanne G. Rogers--The Need for Mead

Today, I have another special treat for you. Talented Fantasy YA author Suzanne G. Rogers has come to talk a little bit about her new book, DANI & THE IMMORTALS –ooh, and do I see something interesting in her hands, why, yes! Come on up to the mic, dear. Don’t worry, parents, we’ve got goodies for your little ones too. I think they’ll like this book.

Go ahead,  Suzanne.  Tells us a little bit about what you’ve brought.

The Need for Mead

by

Suzanne G. Rogers

Mead; photo credit: Grapetonix,
CC Attribution, Tobias Radeskog

Throughout Norse mythology, many references are made to mead. This nectar of the gods was so highly prized it was on the menu at Valhalla, served by no less than the lovely Valkyrie. Death isn’t so bad when you can belly up to the bar afterwards for a horn of lip-smacking deliciousness, right?
Mead, also called honey wine, is viewed as the Father of Fermentation. It’s not quite as old as dirt, but it dates back to around 7000 BC. Basic mead is produced by fermenting a solution of water and honey. No meadery around the corner? No problem. Brew your own, at home, with this time-tested recipe:
First, use rainwater kept for several years;
Next, measure out a sextarius (which is one sixth of a congius) of water;
Mix the water with a pound of honey;
Expose the mixture to sunlight for 40 days, and then leave on a shelf near the fire.
(If you’re out of rainwater, boiled spring water may be used as a substitute in a pinch)
(Recipe courtesy of Columella, De Re Rustica, AD 60.)
I don’t know about you, but if it’s good enough for Odin, it’s good enough for me.
~ Suzanne G. Rogers

Here here! For those of us who don’t imbibe alcohol, I wonder what a non-alcoholic version might taste like–just a bit of honey and rain water? Mmm…..honey. How about an excerpt of your book, Suzanne?

Synopsis:

After Dani is kidnapped by Odin’s Ravens and taken to Asgard, she becomes enmeshed in a quarrel between immortals. Worse, when the theft of a magical artifact becomes an explosive political debacle, accusations of blame turn her into an outlaw. To avert disaster, she must undertake a dangerous quest involving ogres, dark fairies, and underworld criminals. Ultimately, however, she'll have to defy Odin himself.

Excerpt:
“Right. How about you trade me the magical shield in your pocket for directions to the Rainbow Bridge?”
Dani peered at him. So Rein had been watching her and the Ravens. Although she wasn’t about to give up the brooch, maybe she could strike another bargain with him. According to The Asgard Adventure, elves were supposed to love challenges.
“No deal,” she said. “But I challenge you to hand-to-hand combat. If I win, you show me how to find the Rainbow Bridge. If I lose, the shield is yours and I’ll be on my way.”
The band of elves hooted and hollered in derision, but Rein grinned.
“You’re on,” he said. “Do I get my choice of weapons?”
“No weapons,” Dani said.
“No weapons?” he scoffed. “Fine. I’ll try not to hurt you too much.”
“That’s excellent,” she replied, tossing her backpack to the ground. “I don’t enjoy pain.”

****

DANI & THE IMMORTALS  is available in all formats from Amazon.
Author links:
Blog: www.childofyden.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SuzanneGRogers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzannegrogers

Thanks for being with us, Suzanne. Good luck with DANI & THE IMMORTALS! It sounds fun. Now, about that bottle next to you…..

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Interview with romance author Beth Trissel

In case I have any readers who love historical romance (and I'm sure quite a few of you love paranormal) my other self did an interview for the *coughcough* Examiner with romance author Beth Trissel. If you'd like to see it, it's up now, here:

http://tinyurl.com/6nx9c2o
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Juli D. Revezzo has written the Victorian romance novel WATCHMAKER'S HEART. Check it out at Amazon.

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Author Q and A with romance suspense author Rachel Brimble

author Rachel Brimble

Yes, that's right. I'm hosting Romantic Suspense author Rachel Brimble today. You can find our Q and A on my other blog, here. Oh, and did I mention? She's giving away a copy of one of her backlist books to one lucky commenter. So pop on by!

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Christmas event, Linda McLaughlin Regency Cinderella

This one's for the Regency Romance lovers. Author Linda McLaughlin's guest post is now up. You can see it here: http://wp.me/p1tw8T-t2

There's a giveaway involved too (and of course, Night Mistress Emcee sheenanigans. ;)) So do drop by.

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Apologies

In regards my last few reviews. I feel bad. They come off sounding caustic and dare I say it B*****. There' was a somewhat unexpected death in my family, last month, that has just thrown me completely for a loop and it's making me very touchy about things, and not able to tolerate much. Maybe it was wrong of me to even try to touch on those few books, but I felt obligated to the people who sent them to me to get them reviewed, and lucky authors, they fell right in the center of that tumultous time in my life. :(

So ....if apologies are needed then dole them out to everyone involved. I've actually had a few offers for reviews lately and I've had to ask them, "does this happen? Is your character like that? Then, sorry, no., It's going to slay me if I try to read it." So! That said, If I could pull down the last two reviews, I would (in fact, the Carrie Vaughn one's coming down--sorry Carrie, I'm so sorry.). The books really weren't that bad. They just hit me harder, than I think they should have. You should definitely give them a try.

As to the Examiner links, c'est la vie, I don't think I can do anything about those. :(  To those that have sent me stuff in the last year to review, if I haven't gotten to you, I'll keep trying, but if nothing comes out but caustic screaming, you won't see the reviews here from now on. Sorry. *sigh*

****
Candle above part of the Lost Romance kit by Scrap Dimensions.

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Q and A with historical romance author Virginia Henley

Also, if you are curious, I've just posted a Q and A with author Virginia Henley over at the Examiner. You can see that here.

Thanks and enjoy!

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Virginia Henley returns with an enchanting Irish Duke.

cover art by Gregg Gulbronson

The Irish Duke
by Virginia Henley
publisher: Signet

My review copy was given to me by Ms. Henley, herself--Thank you, Virginia! :)

NYTimes Best Selling historical Romance author Virginia Henley’s latest release, The Irish Duke, is a sprawling historical romance concerning a very stubborn English lady and a determined Irishman who wants her for his bride. Lady Louisa and James Hamilton, Duke of Abercorn, meet, so the story goes, when they are children, and good thing, as it seems to take their whole lives for James to convince Louisa of his suit. The stubborn Louisa’s problem, though, isn’t really with the dashing James, but more with her irrational fear of the pain of childbirth. So that her sister Georgina is a floosie, drives poor Louisa up the wall. When Georgina, not surprisingly, turns up pregnant, and Louisa tries to help her now-suicidal sister, the family confuses what’s really happened, and accuse Louisa of the inexcusable travesty of pregnancy. More shockingly, they think James is the father.

Knowing he’s not, thinking Louisa’s been used, he agrees to marry her, and moves her from England, to Ireland. So James roundaboutly gets what he’s been pining after all his life. However, the infuriatingly obstinate Louisa still refuses to give him her true love, and though they’re married, James’ work is far from done.


When he finds out the secret behind their quick engagement it only serves to convince him he just might be able to seduce his skittish wife. Can he? Well, you’ll have to read this one to find out.

In The Irish Duke, New York Times best selling author Virginia Henley presents a sweet story of the what-ifs behind the marriage of an historical couple, how they might have come together, built on a historiography that stretches from the just prior to the reign to Queen Victoria and into the 20th century. I enjoyed this one, but I swear she was so infuriating sometimes, I wanted to strangle her myself, so poor James, he must have been a saint to marry her, if this story has any truth to it! Hehe. All in all, it was a good read. Ms. Henley will be continuing the lives of this family in future books, so if Historical romance is your thing, you can’t go wrong here. You can find this at any Barnes and Noble or Borders, or online, at borders.com, barnesandnoble.com, or Amazon.com

My rating for this one?  Well,this one's a little complicated. I loved Ms. Henley's style, loved James, the setting and period were tantilizing and beautifully drawn....But I wanted to strangle Louisa and Georgina too. Maybe she meant me to feel that way, but still, I have to give it only a four and 3/4. If I'd loved Louisa, that would be five for sure, but...dang, Louisa, get a clue, woman! *laughs* (at least she did irl, right? ;) So, there you go. Enjoy!


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Juli D. Revezzo has written the Victorian romance novel WATCHMAKER'S HEART. Check it out at Amazon.

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