Category Archives: Paranormal and Witchy Fiction

July 18, 2024 · 10:59 pm

Interview with horror author Destiny Eve Piper )O(

Merry meet all,

Welcome everyone to another awesome interview with a horror author! Today Destiny Eve Pifer  joins us to chat on horror fiction. 

Why horror? Do you have a favorite subgenre in horror?

 

I grew up watching horror movies and some classic horror anthology series like Tales From the Crypt, Friday the 13th the Series, The Hitchhiker, Tales from the Darkside, Kolchak: The Night Stalker and Freddy’s Nightmares. I fell in love with horror and fell even more in love with books like R.L. Stine’s Fear Street. So growing up exposed to horror sparked a great passion in me. My favorite subgenre in horror is Occult/Supernatural

Which other horror authors influenced you the most and why?

 

Aside from R.L. Stine I was inspired by authors such Christopher Pike, Ruby Jean Jensen, Michael McDowell, Caroline Cooney, Lois Duncan and John Saul.

Tell me about your writing/ editing process 

I write first and then go back and reread my work and then start the editing process. If I stop to edit then I lose my train of thought and so it’s best just to get the words out first. At least that is how I do it.

What inspires you to write horror?

I am able to lose myself in a whole other world and since I grew up inspired by horror I find myself drawn to writing about things that would not only scare me but scare my readers.

What do you love about indie publishing?

Well I like that they actually gave my book a chance and will be publishing it on August 15. I also like that they are a tight-knit community and I have had the privilege of meeting so many talented writers. I have learned so much from them and so much about the publishing process.

Which is your favorite horror movie or book? Which movie or book impressed and inspired you the most?

My favorite horror movie is the 1984 Fright Night with Chris Sarandon. It was perfectly done and the cast was outstanding. I loved the story and Chris Sarandon who I had the pleasure of meeting in person made a fantastic vampire. I have two favorite horror books and they are “The Exorcists House” and “ My Best Friend’s Exorcism.”

Is there any music that helps you to write?

I am a total music addict so I listen to a variety of music. If I am working on a hardcore horror story I am inspired by Alice Cooper, Ghost, Dorothy, Bring Me the Horizon, Crown the Empire, Spiritbox and of course Stevie Nicks.

Do you have any special projects you want readers to know about?

Yes my debut horror novel “The House that Echoed Madness” is being released on August 15, 2024

 

Where can readers find you on social media?

 

http://www.facebook.com/destinyevepifer39

https://unveiling-nightmares.com/

#horror #authors #nightmares

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July 18, 2024 · 1:47 pm

Gardening Wonders )O(

Merry meet all,

My garden is  beautiful. I can’t wait to enjoy peas, beans and cucumbers I grew myself. I can’t wait to harvest potatoes in the fall. The potato vines are about to flower. I have never seen potato flowers before. There is one bud that is about to bloom. Hey I might even press the potato flowers. I want to let one go to seed. 

This year I want to save as many seeds as I can from my garden. I want to save the seeds of the veggies, flowers and herbs. The plants will be adapted to the climate and conditions of my garden. I would have a better chance of growing plants that are acclimatized, especially herbs. I am seriously thinking about starting a herbal tea business. I want to save good healthy seeds from the herbs. I will keep a chart of the herbs that I saved seeds from. That will help me determine which herbs are the healthiest and what herbs grow well in my garden. 

I just came in from adding fertilizer to my herbs and veggies. There might be a thunderstorm and rain today. The rain will help the fertilizer be worked into the soil and let the plants get the nutrients they need. I use worm castings, Gaia green and greensand.

Gaia Green Greensand is mined from ancient, nutrient-rich deposits of oceanic sediment. Over time, this sediment developed into glauconite, which is highly effective as a slow-release fertilizer used to improve the mineral content of soil and other growing media. Greensand is gentle on plants and won’t cause root burn. Greensand is recommended for use on lawns, household plants, golf courses, greenhouses, nurseries, and urban gardens, and is suitable for all plants. I also fertilize with Neptune’s Harvest fish emulsion which leaves a bad scent but works wonders on herbs, flowers and veggies. The Neptune’s harvest fish emulsion is liquid and made from fresh fish, seaweed, molasses, yucca extra and humic acids, this formula was uniquely designed for plants with intense growth or “vegging” stages. I just added the emulsion to my plants in my garden. 

I also now have a compost tumbler. Lots of beneficial microbes and insects are working hard in the soil aerating it and enabling the earthy matter to turn into nutrient rich soil. I will love adding the compost to my garden and watching the veggies grow amazingly. It does take a few weeks. I will know when the compost is ready to be added to my soil when the compost looks like soil. I hope that will be soon. 

I spied a huge bag of worm castings. I plan to buy it and add it all to the veggies in my garden. I like to mix growing veggies in the soil and in containers. I tell myself that will keep out slugs but it doesn’t. Crumbled sterilized egg shells provide protein and calcium to the soil as well as ward off slugs. The slugs don’t like the hard edges of the eggshells. I also arranged copper tape around the base of my cucumber and cabbage plants and around a few other plants. 

With all that, it’s no wonder my garden is growing so well. The purple coneflower is ready to bloom almost. I had lost hope that the marigolds would bloom again but a marigold just blossomed. The cosmos are gorgeous and I hope my elecampane grow flowers this summer too. Summer is wonderful! So much to love about it. 

I will keep you posted about more of my garden adventures! Til then, have fun and enjoy the sun

Blessings, Spiderwitch

 

 

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July 15, 2024 · 11:57 am

Interview with horror author Jerry Blaze )O(

 

Merry meet all,

Welcome everyone to another awesome interview with a horror author! Today Jerry Blaze joins us to chat on horror fiction.

 

Why horror? Do you have a favorite subgenre in horror?

I write horror because life isn’t always sunshine and happiness, it’s full of chills, thrills and darkness. I think at our basic setup, humans need to be scared and disappearing into a story that scares them can provide that type of emotion rather than going out and doing something potentially dangerous.

My favorite sub genre is Splatterpunk. I love the extreme aspect, the focus on the nitty-gritty and the lack of creating psychological fears that can be mistaken or not have the same bite as having your insides ripped out through a knife wound (hahaha).

Which other horror authors influenced you the most and why?

 

Richard Laymon is my ultimate influence; the way his stories are fast-paced and direct with action, graphic death and intense sexual imagery spoke to me as a reader and writer. After Laymon, I found myself pursuing the works of Matt Shaw, Judith Sonnet, DE McCluskey and Eric LaRocca; their works were intriguing and different and not like the more classy works of Stephen King or Edgar Allan Poe. I was never big into Lovecraft, but I can’t subtract him from the list because his works inspired a lot of the horror that we see today.

Tell me about your writing/ editing process

 

That might actually be the easiest question to answer. I set a timer for around thirty to forty minutes and I write a chapter until the timer hits zero, then I stop for a quick smoke and a sip of coffee, returning right away. I typically aim for ten chapters each time.

My editing process is barely existent. I go through with auto-correct on the document after I finish it, I then send it to my beta readers and they usually point out what I missed, then I slap a cover on it and put it out for the world. I never rewrite or do drafts, I used to write erotica and the need for consistent work was always hovering over me, so I got in the habit of writing like a pulp writer from back in the day. Write, do a once over, publish and repeat; its been my process for the last 16 years.

What inspires you to write horror?

Horror is a free field where anything can happen, you can throw in as much as you want and still find something new to put in. Readers love horror, especially splatterpunk, they are the kind of people I really identify with. Horror is fun, its the kind of genre where you never know what’s next and when it happens, it can either shock, upset, arouse or annoy you. Nowhere else have I found those emotions coming up in any other genre.

I write horror novelettes and novellas because I think too many authors out there don’t respect the short fiction market. Everyone wants to write long novels and break into the long-fiction market, but I personally cap at 15K (or on good days, 17K). When I started writing horror, I wanted to bring back the popularity of the novelette, especially in Splatterpunk, I think I’m doing a pretty good job of it.

What do you love about indie publishing?

 

I love how far it has come in the last twenty years. I appreciate the fact that anyone can acknowledge their dream of being an author. I love that people flock to indie authors who are not being carried by traditional publishers and who push their works out via their own pocket, or by some chance, have a small press backing them up. I love that the books are allowed to be raw, real and not held back by standards enforced by high-rise office editors. Indie publishing is where I see all books coming from in the near future.

Which is your favorite horror movie or book? Which movie or book impressed and inspired you the most?

 

My favorite horror film will always be the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre film from 1973. My favorite horror books are Beware! by Laymon, Night Shift by Stephen King, the Goosebumps books by RL Stine, and Sardines (in the Dark) by Judith Sonnet.

The films that inspire me would be the Friday the 13th Franchise. I grew up in the woods of the Midwest and always feared a killer stalking me when I was out and about around dusk or nighttime. The eerie feeling of being stalked or watched is something that really provokes me, I like to add the feeling to most of my work, along with the feeling of helplessness when the killing starts up.

Is there any music that helps you to write?

 

I generally don’t listen to music when I write because I’ll find myself unable to focus or I’ll accidentally write in a lyric from a song to the story and then have to delete the sentence. I don’t go back and delete a word, I delete the sentence and rewrite it with a better word. So music, videos, or audio is a no-no for me.

Do you have any special projects you want readers to know about?

 

I am always writing! I’m a well-spring of ideas turned into trash! I have books coming out every month until well into next year. I really want to release 2 books a month, but I’m settling on 1 for now (unless another is being published by a small press). I have a few collaborations I’m working on that will prove extremely fun for the communities. At the moment, I’m personally working on a novella about a woman named “Crystal-Meth” who is hunting pedos in the woods, so that’ll be fun to finish.

I am also doing a side-project of writing non-horror erotic guides for people who may be suffering from a miserable love life.

Where can readers find you on social media?

My website, jblazehorror.com, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X (Twitter), Gmail, just look for JBlazeHorror and you’ll usually find me.

Happy reading!

Indeed!!!! Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

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July 14, 2024 · 1:33 pm

Interview with horror author Brian Smith )O(

Merry meet all,

Welcome, everyone, to a very special blog post. Today we are discussing horror with successful author Brian Smith. Brian has agreed to chat in my dark cobweb ridden corner of the web, so let’s get started. 

Why horror? Do you have a favorite subgenre in horror?

As a kid who grew up in the 80’s, as a part of Generation X, horror was everywhere. Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and slasher films in general but I was mostly interested in bug movies like Kingdom Of The Spiders, Island Claws, Frogs and such.

It’d have to be a supernatural horror because there’s so many things ghosts can do some really fucked up shit like change your Wi-Fi password or chase you up the stairs after turn off all the lights in the house.

Which other horror authors influenced you the most and why?

Edgar Allan Poe got to me first, then Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, Richard Laymon, Jack Ketchum, Brian Keene, Edward Lee, Bentley Little and H.P. Lovecraft. 

What inspires you to write horror?

On top of growing up with slasher and bug movies, I also grew up with Stephen King movies. I checked out Stephen King’s Night Shift from the local library when I was twelve and then I fed myself every Dean Koontz book I could get my hands on. I’ve always enjoyed the fact that authors can turn the everyday lives of an everyday person by throwing them into a panicked and harried situation.

Tell me about your writing/ editing process

My writing process is as fucked up as my editing process because I’ll sit down and get the bare bones of the story out of my head and then I’ll print it out and go through it as best as I can and edit the entire book by adding new paragraphs and scenes into the book and as the meme says, “I do all of my best editing after I hit SEND”.

Which is your favorite horror movie or book? Which movie or book impressed and inspired you the most?

Everyone goes through a horror at some point in their lives whether its an abusive spouse or family member or some life-altering shift in their young and impressionable life at one time or another.

I write horror because it’s real. I write horror because we welcome unknown horrors every time we change our lives for the better and yet we don’t realize that until it’s too late. It’s how we overcome them that matters. We have more free range when it comes to indie publishing. We can put whatever we want in our books, publish them whenever we want and make them as long as we want them to be.

The original Night Of The Living Dead and Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. They inspired me to write horror and although I haven’t done a vampire novel yet but the former inspired me to write my novel “Dead River”.  It depends upon what I’m writing.

Is there any music that helps you to write?

If I’m writing horror, I listen to a dark lo-fi hip-hop playlist. If I’m writing a crime noir, then its’s something like jazz noir or dark noir music.

Do you have any special projects you want readers to know about?

I’m writing the second book of a trilogy featuring two “supernaturalists” who investigate supernatural locations. I’ve written the outline of a body horror novella and I’m always writing short stories.

Where can readers find you on social media?

Facebook under Brian J. Smith

 Threads and Instagram under horrorauthor9

About the author

Brian J. Smith is the author of Dark Avenues, 1342 Lindley Road, The Tuckers, Consuming Darkness Abbie’s Wrath, Bad Allergies and Dead River. His short fiction has been published in The Horror Zine, Dark Horses: The Magazine Of Weird Fiction and The Drabblecast. He resides in southeastern Ohio has too many books and buys more, thinks that Valentine’s Day should be replaced by Second Halloween and doesn’t drink enough coffee. He is an affiliate member of The Horror Authors Guild and can be found on Facebook under Brian Smith, Twitter under BrianJS913 and on Instagram under horrorauthor9.

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July 9, 2024 · 2:10 pm

Small space Gardens )O(

Advanced Herbal course textbooks

Merry meet all,

The textbooks for my advanced herbal course arrived today! I am so happy and the textbooks are now personalized with the stickers I bought from the fair. The textbooks are so amazing! The advanced herbal lessons are divided into 2 textbooks. The course is shorter than the previous advanced course. There are ten units, not fourteen. There is also a recipes and monographs book and a clinical skills herbal course which contains 3 units. I received four books in total. As I was reading the textbook, my cat scurried out of the way across the room. The physiology course book fell to the floor from the bookshelf. Interesting! A sign for sure! 

My garden is so beautiful. The garden is so bountiful and fertile. There is barely an inch of space for me to even stand in it. I am amazed by my garden. I know it’s because I practice organic and sustainable methods. It is so hard to believe that my garden was once a large bare space. So today’s post will focus on tips to create your own amazing garden in a small space. 

Use organic methods. There are enough toxic chemicals being dumped on poor Mother Earth. We need to recognize the impact of the chemicals. For every action there is a reaction. Six pack rings can choke a turtle. I never use any herbicides or insecticides in my garden. Then bees would not visit my garden. It would not be as productive as it is now. 

Grow plants in your small space garden that will be suitable for a small space. The right side of my garden is graced by a huge rhododendron bush. A witch hazel sits regally in my garden near the other rhododendron bush. The raspberry canes are aggressively taking over the garden patch. I may have to trim back the canes. 

Use every inch of the garden space that is available. My garden is a shade and sun garden. I have learned over the years how to use this to the best effect possible. There is an amazing saying, “Bare soil expresses the poverty of the soul.” You have to bear in mind that plants are not only growing large above the soil but that they have amazing root systems underground. That means that each plant needs to have its own space. Once the plants are established, then you can move them to a new space and rearrange plants around until you are happy with it. 

Container gardening offers many options. If you are truly pressed for space, then containers can contain plants that may otherwise be relinquished to the compost. You could consider placing containers beneath trees. It removes the problem of root competition and competition for water. 

I use trellises for the tomato, cucumber and herbs I grow in my garden. I have medium height bamboo sticks and larger bamboo sticks for cucumber and beans to grow up on. I have a ‘thing’ for plants that grow vines and trail up a bamboo stick. Once the vines can ‘latch on’ to a stick or the bamboo, they suddenly grow up overnight. I watched a bee pollinate the pickling cucumber flowers. Now I will get great pickling cucumbers! I plan to save them and make a pickling brine. 

The scarlet runner bean is growing up the pole. I can’t wait to see the red flowers! I’m using two black cloth grow bags to grow potatoes in. The green stalks are growing up out of the grow bags, lush and such a gorgeous deep green. I even spotted a few flower buds. That tells me that the potatoes are going to be mature soon. I won’t harvest until the stalks until they die back and turn yellow. 

I grow most of my veggies in pots. I want to grow them in the garden soil. However pests are the bane of the gardener. I’m using copper tape to deter slugs. It might be working. Slugs are tricky though. My cucumbers have survived because of the copper tape. Once the plants grow up and start to mature, then they are in not much danger from the slugs. Buying healthy plants from a good garden centre ensures that your plant will be healthy and resistant. I use string and twine to help secure the trellises. 

I have a big patch where I grow my herbs. I do have a squash plant that hasn’t been killed from the slugs. My winter squash is flowering! I am sure the bees are enjoying the rich pollen. Or at least I hope so. I am not always in my garden to see them there. The nettle, lemon balm and sage are growing so beautiful and claiming their space in the garden. 

Ferns, hostas, cranesbill, woodruff, lady’s mantle and astilbe grow in the shade section. The plants that need a ton of sun grow in the sunnier section of my garden. 

I hope these tips help you plan a magickal and beautiful garden in your own small space. You don’t have to be daunted. Rather, see it as a challenge. I would love to have a bigger garden. I just work with what I have now. I am grateful to have a garden and to get to see how amazing it can be. There are not many people who can go from their own back door to a beautiful garden space. Not to mention it is next to a lovely nature trail. I am a very fortunate person. 

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

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June 30, 2024 · 8:32 pm

Author Interview- Onyx Brightwing

Merry meet all,

Today’s post is an interview with Onyx Brightwing. So grab a latte, settle back and enjoy the read with an awesome up and coming author!

Why horror? Do you have a favorite subgenre in horror?

Horror is a great outlet to put my emotions on the page, so they don’t follow me to bed. I don’t really have a favorite genre. I like them all and depending on my mood, will pick up a certain genre.

Which other horror authors influenced you the most and why?

The biggest influence on me for many years was Stephen King and I know there will be a lot of groaners out there, but my dad and I really bonded over his books and his television series. He was my first introduction to horror and his books opened my eyes to a brand-new genre. Since then, I can say every book I read becomes a part of me. I’m a sponge. I soak everything up.

Tell me about your writing/ editing process

My writing process … hmmm … I do a lot of research for my stories because I like to put a lot of facts in my tales to make them more believable. Editing is different. Sometimes I will leave a piece sit for a few days or a few weeks and other times, I start editing the same day I wrote it. I really have no planned schedule for anything. I’m a pantser in both respects.

What inspires you to write horror?

My inner demons.

What do you love about indie publishing?

I love that there are so many different publishing opportunities for an author who is starting out and there are so many books to read. Books, books, and more books!

Which is your favorite horror movie or book? Which movie or book impressed and inspired you the most?

My favorite is going to be It because both the book, the original movie, and the remake were exquisite. I’m not into jump scares, but the idea that a group of kids could battle an alien monster that can take on the form of your nightmares is a pretty good plot. Though I will say the book ending trumps both the movies.

Is there any music that helps you to write?

I typically don’t write with any music. If I do, it’s usually classical, meditative, or the sound of water falling or rain on leaves. If there are loud sounds or lots of other words, it interrupts my own thoughts. It’s noisy in my head when I’m writing.

Do you have any special projects you want readers to know about?

Yes, I’m working on a dark fantasy romance novel with another author right now, Thomas Stewart and my first novel, Flesh Eating Turtles! is coming out in October. I also have more stories coming out throughout the year, so you haven’t seen the last of me, yet.

Where can readers find you on social media?

The best place to find me is either on Facebook as Onyx Brightwing or my blog, shewritesfast.wordpress.com

Blessings, Spiderwitch

#horror #writer #horrorwriter #indiebooks #publishing #horrornovel #horrorstory

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June 29, 2024 · 5:56 pm

Compost Gold

Merry meet all,

I am so happy! I now have a compost tumbler. I love it! My boyfriend Derrick helped me set it up. He is so skilled with mechanical things. I helped him and together we had it fully functional. Prior to this, I had a compost pile setup in a corner of my garden beneath a maple tree for 2-3 years. The wooden box has all but fallen apart. The compost eventually turned to soil which was more like thatch. But now the soil and compost in the box is in the tumbler. I already had soil started. 

The Compost Tumbler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I dug and dug in the little wooden box till most of the soil and fresh compost was loose. I put clean garden soil in the tumbler and added a few leaves and stems. I put on gloves and sneakers and got to work. He helped set it up and I could not wait to begin using the tumbler. I stirred up the soil in the box and then added it to the tumbler using a large garden spade. Back and forth I went from the compost pile in the box to the tumbler. I made a lot of trips back and forth till my arms were like rubber. 

The soil was so earthy and rich! I can’t wait to get to add it to my garden! Now I will have great soil rich with nutrients. I closed the lid and turned the tumbler several times to stir the soil up. It was hard because the tumbler was heavy with rich soil. Once that gets going, every few days I have to turn it. Then once that really gets going, then I can start on the second side of the tumbler. The compost tumbler has a divider to divide fresh and older compost. 

The compost will heat up. That is a good sign of the beneficial organisms multiplying and working hard for me. I watched a few bees pollinating the raspberry flowers. I shall soon have raspberries thanks to them! That is why I would never use any pesticides, herbicides or insecticides in my garden. My garden is a safe haven for the hardworking unsung heroes- the pollinators! I know that without them, my garden would not be as beautiful and soul stirring as it is now. 

The compost tumbler was expensive but I believe that it is worth every penny. I already had soil to add and that was already composting so that was a huge advantage. The compost tumbler will keep rats out and other vermin too. Yes I very much look forward to working with my new compost tumbler. It is a genius idea!

I ordered the grey Tauriel maxi chemise dress! I can’t wait for it to arrive. It will look great with the maxi dress from Holy Clothing. I also ordered a book that is a gift for a friend of mine, or rather, her friend. I ordered a gorgeous goddess Danu statue. I can’t wait for that to arrive either. Tomorrow I plan to get sewing on a pair of cushions for Derrick’s apartment. 

Summer is the time to have fun! It’s the time to be outside! So after you read this post, do have fun. Remember to thank your pollinators, walk the dog, feed the cat and love the sun! Fire up the barbecue grill, or go to the beach but have fun. Here in Nova Scotia, we only get 90 days of warm weather to savour summertime. We are lucky if it is not all rainy and cold. The rain will not affect my compost tumbler as it is 99% sealed tight against the rain. One more great reason to be outdoors!

Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(

 

 

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June 24, 2024 · 2:50 pm

Litha

Merry meet all,

Litha is here! I love summer and I was happy to find more bean seeds in a seed package. That means I can plant more seeds. I know just the spot. My garden is graced by many lovely flowers including cosmos, marigolds, raspberry flowers and so many beautiful verdant green plants. 

I plan to buy a large compost box from Lee Valley. Once it is all set up, I want to add the compost I have created to the box. I can’t wait to get the new improved compost box going. True compost is black gold. Plants grow a lot better when compost is added to the soil. They grow much better which is why I am so eager to get started! I can add dried and fresh leaves, stems and other things like egg shells, mulch and herbs from tincturing to the pile. 

I’m waiting for the Advanced course textbooks to arrive. It is a long wait. I have to start the whole course over from the beginning. I am not thrilled about that. It was so much work to get through Units 1-8. I wonder if I can just breeze through the units I have already done to catch up to where I was before I transferred to the upgraded Advanced course. To me, that makes more sense. I know the content is different. Having the textbooks will make it so much easier. 

In other news, I now have the front cover art for my novella, The Cult of the Spider People. I am not certain if I can reveal it here but once I can, I will. I love the cover. It is so sinister. It features a person’s evil eyes and a large spider encircled in a web. The title of my book and my name also grace the cover. I love it. I can’t wait for October. 

I plan to celebrate big time in October. I have decided that I want my book on Amazon and in bookstores worldwide. I hope I can do both. If I go worldwide, then the local bookstores here may carry it and that might mean I get to do a signing! Oh my goddess that would be so exciting! 

Me bored? Nah not with all that going on. My herbal studies will certainly keep me busy, as well as caring for a pushy cat and my garden. I am enrolled in the Business course, and the Advanced and Clinical course. I plan to buy a laminator soon. Then I shall press flowers and leaves to my hearts’ content. I have already begun pressing flowers. The pretty punky blue Bachelor’s button flower will make a charming addition to my collection. 

I’ve changed my mind about selling herbal teas. I doubt that I would ever have enough herbs locally and prepared here to meet the demand. I know that that is a big focus in the courses from the Herbal Academy. It would be really hard to have enough without buying herbs in bulk. That means if I buy them in bulk, I would have to sell all the teas to cover that expense. Instead I want to sell greeting cards and write for magazines. I may even write a book. I already have several articles in herbal magazines. I shall browse through the library’s collection of magazines to see which ones accept articles from freelance writers – like me! It may help if I mention to the editors that I am studying at the Herbal Academy. 

Summer is a fun season brimming with possibilities in the gardens, the classroom or the coffee shop. I hope you are all having a wonderfully fun summer season!

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch 

 

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June 17, 2024 · 5:48 pm

The true value of a Writing Community )O(

Merry meet all,

The Wheel of the Year has spun again. The Summer Solstice is a few days away. My garden is so beautiful and lush. I love the sun and the summer heat. I saved a beautiful arugula stem and flower and pressed it in my Introductory Herbal Course. 

Today’s post is about the wonderful support I have for my novella. I know that I couldn’t have written my novella without them. I owe them everything and I am certainly mentioning them in the acknowledgements. It is so important to have a support system and to be a positive, friendly person with EVERYONE in the publishing world. The publishing world is smaller than you think. Everyone knows everyone. Everyone will remember you if you are pleasant. Everyone – and this also means agents, editors and other more successful authors will remember you if you are totally impatient and toxic to deal with. In other words, they won’t deal with you. You can still be honest but you have to do it the right way. It is NEVER cool to send an editor who rejected you a death threat. You will be excommunicated from the whole publishing world, not just that one editor. That’s because they will talk about you to anyone who will hear. So send the honey, not the vinegar. 

My friends are so awesome. I could not live without them. I could not exist as a writer without them. Alice Walsh and Dave Rimmington are awesome and they live in the same hometown as me. We have all known each other for years. Dave R has interviewed me and supported me. Alice Walsh has helped me edit my writing. My other awesome friends on Facebook and social media are too numerous to mention here, so I will focus on a few. 

Stephanie Ellis helped me shape and rewrite, to refine my entire novella. One great thing about today’s technology is tracking changes. We worked on each chapter and passed the story between us using tracking changes. I love tracking changes now. I have adjusted to tracking changes and now I believe it is the easiest way to edit. Other than red pen on paper. I cannot believe the transformation of my story. I learned how to finally improve my writing and overcome a bad writing habit. This is necessary for a writer to change and grow. 

Fred Rayworth is now helping me with a line edit. Again, I am learning a lot from him. I value all this help and support. I like the expression that it takes a village. It’s true. Even rejection letters can be a good thing. If you do try to keep improving as a writer, then if you are lucky the rejection letters begin to get friendlier, and they invite you to write for them again, take them up on it. They are basically saying: we don’t want this submission but we may take your second story! Few writers take editors up on that opportunity. Editors are human and they may seem like lava snorting demons but at the end of the day, they are human. 

The best advice I can give is be professional, be yourself and be confident. You can’t be shy in this business. You don’t want to be toxic either. Just be yourself and everything falls into place. I have attended many writers book launches and readings long before I had a book published. I attended them to show my support, make friends and get free books!!! They remember you when you show support. They will do the same for you someday. It’s a win win all around. 

I have also lived in Halifax for many years. I know the bookstores and the bookstore staff here at my fave bookshops. I value their friendship. I have visited those fave shops for years now and a certain camaraderie develops between me and the managers. They will sometimes go well out of their way for you. Libraries are also a value to a hopeful writer. I can’t believe how hugely helpful librarians have been to me, whether that has been helping me find books or in printing out sewing patterns. I love books and I love libraries and I value the staffs’ help to me over the years.

I also credit the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia and the hugely helpful horror loving Horror Writers Association. Again, I have been part of them for years. It has taken me a long time to get a book published. I never did it alone. I had all that support not behind me, but beside me. It takes a village! So cultivate those friendships and be good to them and they will be good to you. When your awesome time comes, look at all the friends you will have to celebrate with! I know for myself personally, I plan to have a huge party on the release date here in Halifax- and virtual in October. Better than a sad glass of wine alone. Where’s the fun in that? You tell me. 

Good fences make good neighbours. At least, I think that is how the expression goes. Be nice and be in it for the long haul. Do it for the love! 

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

 

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June 13, 2024 · 12:16 pm

Summer Reads

Merry meet all,

I am loving the sunshine. A deer has been visiting my garden but I don’t see any signs of damage yet. Summer Solstice is almost here! I love summer. I just hope the deer doesn’t eat my plants. 

I’m enrolled in the upgraded Advanced course at the Herbal Academy. I’m waiting for the textbooks via owl mail. I will study my heart out once the books do arrive. I have lifetime access now which is a huge relief because it is such a hard intense course. But I know I will love every minute of it. I am really enjoying studying herbalism. It is not what I thought it would be. That is what is so great about it. There is so much to learn it will take a lifetime. I have stickers to put in the textbooks once they arrive. I can’t wait. Also, studying with textbooks is much much easier because I am better with print than online. 

Jonathan Maberry is a favourite author of mine. The book Necrotic has just been released. I will provide the link to it below but I hope you all grab this book off the shelves or from Amazon as fast as you can!! Read this book!!! Here is the link: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0CLF7528S/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1  

If you achieve nothing else in life, then do read that book!! You won’t be sorry. Stephen Graham Jones is a great writer, too. He is also worth checking out. 

Then once my book is published, you can get that on Amazon as well too! Of course, that won’t be till October but yeah. I will definitely post more about that when I know more about what’s going on. 

The publisher of Psycho Toxin Press wants me to write something for her. The publisher is a little under the weather now. I have to dream up another novella. It’s not that simple but I shall do my best. I imagine it would have to be quite different from Cult of the Spider People. However I do have something in mind. 

It is so hard to write a horror story when the sunshine beckons me outdoors and my cat begs for food. Well she does that year round but she’s a cat. A few things that have helped me to get into a dark space to write horror is music. I like to listen to dark music, of course. The soundtrack for the movie Alien was a huge help. My book Cult of the Spider People is very dark, and so that helped me a lot. I kept playing it as I wrote and edited. The darkness of the story was in my imagination. The dark soundtrack helped me bring the story to life. You can’t get any darker or unsettling than Alien. Great movie, too. 

I hope you all have a wonderful summer. Perfect time to relax on the beach and curl up with a good book!

Blessings, Spiderwitch 

 

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