Tag Archives: change

April 22, 2025 · 11:37 am

The Magick of Spring )O(

Merry meet all,

Beltaine is almost here! Signs of spring are everywhere. Crocuses are blooming and birds chirp to welcome the return of spring. It is a time of renewal. The chill in the air feels invigorating. The frost will change to the warm beckoning days of summer. It is a time of change for me personally. 

I’m moving out of my apartment. The conditions there are so bad it is impossible to live there. I am so excited. I will miss having my own garden but my mother is willing to care for my plants. That’s not a real loss. 

I am excited to participate in the Author’s Journey with Crystal Lake Publishing. Here is a description of the workshop from the website:

Unleash Your Novella in Just 13 Weeks!

Crystal Lake Academy presents our fourth Author’s Journey workshop (all online), and we’re proud to say that many of our students have gone on to receive publishing contracts.

Dive into the thrilling challenge of crafting your own novella with direct guidance from Joe Mynhardt, founder and CEO of Crystal Lake Publishing (as well as an award-winning editor and story coach), and a professional editing team by your side. This 13-week workshop is designed to transform your eerie ideas into a gripping novella, ready to chill the spines of readers worldwide. Preferred genres include Horror, Thrillers, Dark Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, and Suspense.

What You’ll Get:

  • You’ll start off with a one-on-one story coaching session with Joe before the course launches May 1st. You’ll receive personalized guidance from a publishing/marketing veteran to help you navigate the challenges of novella writing.
  • Each editor will present a Zoom session throughout the 13 week workshop covering everything from opening scenes and plot development to character creation and building suspense.
  • We’ll have voluntary check-ins every second Saturday via Zoom to keep you motivated and on track. There will be deadlines for your first 10k words and so on.
  • Accountability deadlines, which is so important for any author’s journey.
  • Benefit from multiple rounds of feedback on your second draft, with input from at least two different editors and a fellow author/student during the peer assessment.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or need help finishing your first novella, this workshop is your gateway to bringing your stories to life. Secure your spot and start your journey to novella success today!

I plan to write a sequel to the Cult of the Spider People: Bone Chillers #1. This workshop will help with that. This will force me to write it! That push is sometimes just what I need to motivate me to write. I’m also editing my other horror novel, The Ghost of Windswept Bay and I have to write a true crime book about Ed Gein. I may change that though. He was a truly horrid monster. 

I will be busy, that’s for sure. I have more good news: Wicked Shadow Press published my sixth flash fiction story, Mandrake Potion, for their Flash of the Dead: Reloaded anthology. I am very happy about that. They gave me a complimentary digital copy.  

I will be back with more good news and updates on the workshop. I hope you are all enjoying spring. 

Blessed be, Spiderwitch 

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March 27, 2025 · 7:03 pm

Spring Song )O(

Merry meet all,

Spring has finally arrived… technically. The weather is still cold and I heard rumours of snow. The Wheel has turned again. We look now to Ostara. I hope we don’t get snow and instead get crocus blossoms. They have popped their colourful heads out of the soil in my Mom’s backyard. 

I am obsessed with green lately. Spring has hit me hard. I did paint my dresser green and add rub on transfers to the dresser. Faeries, butterflies and flowers adorn the lovely dresser. I’ve already sewn myself a dress but I need to wait till it is summer to wear it. The dress is not warm enough. I see signs of spring everywhere. It won’t be long till I return to working in the garden. I can’t wait! I have ordered a few meters of green linen from Etsy. I want to make a chemise type dress with it. I was originally thinking of sewing myself a green Nordic apron dress but I realized in time that is too expensive. The fabric store here did not carry the fabric in the colour I wanted. So I am sure the fabric on Etsy will suffice and now I have to find a pattern. That should not be too hard. 

I have returned to editing my novel I wrote prior to The Cult of the Spider People: Bone Chillers #1. I haven’t read it or even glanced at it in 2 years. It is like greeting an old friend but one full of errors! I don’t think there is much edits left to do on the manuscript. I have already cut scenes, changed the cute cat’s name and a few other edits. 

I find it also much easier to study herbalism when it is spring and summer. The bounty of nature is more plentiful. I am studying how to identify plants and that is much easier when they are a vibrant verdant green, not faded brown and worn from the winter rest. It may take me longer than I planned to finish Unit 2. 

I am ok with that. There are a lot of big ideas and philosophies they are expressing in the lessons. I don’t believe in becoming a herbalist in a weekend. It will take much much longer than that. I can wait. I want to truly earn it. The course is far more demanding and it cannot be done within a weekend. There is far too much material to cover. 

This morning there was snow on the ground but the snow has melted. Now the rain rinses the street and nourishes the plants.  I do believe spring is the victor season. I hope that is the case. 

This is just a quick post here today. I promise to get more in depth in future posts. I hope you are all enjoying the early spring season. Have you spotted robins or crocuses yet? I hope so. 

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch

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