Beltane Fires by Erzabet Bishop: Virtual Book Tour

Title: Beltane Fires

Series: The Erotic Pagan series

Author: Erzabet Bishop

Genre: Pagan/Wiccan, Erotic Romance, Pagan Celebrations

Publisher: Naughty Nights Press (NNP)

Ebook: pdf, mobi/kindle, epub

Print: N/A

Pages: 21

Release Date: April 15^th 2013

Purchase at: NNP eStore | All Romance eBooks | Kobo | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Ca | Barnes & Noble | Diesel Books | Apple Books

Book Description:

The first book in the new line “The Erotic World Of Paganism” by Naughty Nights Press 

A recent breakup has left Ceri alone on her birthday. Her friends, Alex and Fiona, spirit her away to a Beltane festival guaranteed to light up her night. When everyone at the event seems to be a couple, Ceri ventures out for a walk along a wooded path. 

In the darkness, the Forest Lord has come to find his May Queen. He is everything she ever dreamed of in a lover, but is she willing to take the leap? 


**Based on real Pagan traditions and celebrations, “The Erotic Pagans Series” brings erotica and romance to reality, and shares the passion of erotic romance in the lives of Pagans with everyone.**

 Excerpt 3

"I've never danced a Maypole dance before." Ceri watched as some young men emerged from the surrounding woods carrying a long slender tree trunk. They wound ribbons around the top and carefully slid the trunk into the hole, letting the ribbons fly free in the afternoon breeze.

Looking at the fields beyond the festival site, Ceri noticed it was full of different varieties of flowers. The heady scent of their bouquet wafted toward her on the breeze and as the wind brushed her face, she felt a tingle run down her back. All of her teachings came back to her and she felt the pull of the earth reach up and tether her to this place. She had never felt anything like it.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Marilyn smiled and pointed in the direction of the flower fields. "My family has farmed this land for generations. Here, surrounded by the woods, we have been able to hold on to the old customs and keep our traditions strong. Beltane is one of my favorite Sabbats. Celebrating life and all it has to offer is what it's all about, after all."

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Ceri let her gaze travel across the young men and women gathering in front of the pole that was now firmly lodged in the ground. She sent up a silent prayer to the Goddess that there would be someone for her when twilight took over and the fires wove their seductive magic.

"Come, we must get seated. It's almost time for the festivities to begin."

A gathering of young men with fiddles began to play a smoldering tune and the crowd began to rally around the Maypole. Ceri smiled and let the rhythm of the stirring music settle into her bones.

Marilyn handed her a cup of spiced wine from the table nearby and they made their way to the action.

***

Meet Erzabet Bishop

Erzabet Bishop has been crafting stories since she could first pound keys on her parent’s old typewriter. She is a contributing author to Milk & Cookies & Handcuffs, Smut by the Sea Volume 2, Hell Whore Volume 2 and Coming Together: Hungry for Love. She is the author of the Erotic Pagans Series: Beltane Fires.

***

Connect:

Email | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | LinkedIn | Amazon | Fetlife |

Pure Magic by Judkia Illes

Pure Magic is a practical crash course for anyone who's ever envied TV witches. Or women who always seem to get the job, apartment, or date they want. Or people who can make their dreams come true. Judika Illes has written a spellcasting primer in down-to-earth language. "I consciously set out to write a book that would be different from any other on the market," Illes writes. "This book is jargon free. It contains information usually handed down from teacher to student. It focuses on the practical aspects of spellcasting in a clear and nonjudgmental way. . . . No specialized metaphysical training is required." What is required is that we become aware of the natural rhythms, energies, powers, and patterns of Earth and her diverse inhabitants. Pure Magic offers a plethora of individual spells, plus concrete advice on how and where to practice magic, to rightly use words of power, and to cleanse, protect, and enhance your magic self. Work your way through it's easy-to-follow, step-by-step plan, and all will become clear. Learn to listen to Mother Earth, focus on your magical allies, gather the simple equipment Illes outlines, and follow the straightforward instructions, and you will soon be constructing your own spells and experiencing magic in your everyday life. Pure Magic is a book that beginners will follow rigorously and advanced spellcasters will refer to again and again for guidance and inspiration. 

* Magic 101: this book is a complete course in real magic--how and why it works. 

* Pure Magic is a perennial, from an author with a great track who knows what she's talking about. 

This book was a lovely read! I was thrilled to receive a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When I was a little girl, I would find myself endlessly searching the television for movies like Bednobs and Broomsticks, or shows like Bewitched. Those are the moments that plucked at my imagination and made my heart race. Was magic something real? In my writer brain and in my childhood imaginings, I so wanted it to be true.

Pure Magic rests in the place that magic is part of the web of everyday life. That is the charm in this book.  Take a journey with Judika Illes as she teaches you about magic from the bottom up. I found this book to be a very good introductory course in all things magical, from the most simple to some a little more challenging. 

This book is full of sound research and will give hours of reading pleasure!

Highly recommended as an addition to any magical library, either for reference or practical knowledge.

4/5

Grail of the Summer Stars: A Visit With Freda Warrington

The climactic novel in the spellbinding magical contemporary fantasy Aetherial Tales trilogy

GRAIL OF THE SUMMERSTARS

By Freda Warrington

“A classy, beautifully rendered tale that persuasively builds from low-key beginnings into a complex enterprise with real heft, a rich back story and

characters that grow with the narrative. A must for existing fans, while being easily accessible to newcomers.”

—Kirkus Reviews

 TITLE: GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS

Author: Freda Warrington

$27.99 / 384 pages

INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOOK/AUTHOR

A painting, depicting haunting scenes of a ruined palace and a scarlet-haired goddess in front of a fiery city, arrives unheralded in an art gallery with a cryptic note saying, “The world needs to see this.” The painting begins to change the lives of the woman who is the gallery's curator and that of an ancient man of the fey Aetherial folk who has mysteriously risen from the depths of the ocean. Neither human nor fairy knows how they are connected, but when the painting is stolen, both are compelled to discover the meaning behind the painting and the key it holds to their future.

In a haunting, powerful tale of two worlds and those caught between, Freda Warrington weaves an exciting story of suspense, adventure and danger that fulfills the promise of the Aetherial Tales as only she can. This stand-alone novel will appeal to readers of urban and modern fantasy and grab the attention of fans who love dark and sinister tales.

Maiden, Mother, Who? By Freda Warrington

Just a few weeks ago I was the fantasy Guest of Honour at Eastercon (UK) and we had a panel entitled, “Maiden, Mother, Who?” discussing the invisibility of older characters, specifically older women, in fantasy fiction. This is a subject very dear to my heart. By coincidence I had pulled a book down from my attic – one I first read in the early 1990s – to reread. That book is The Crone by Barbara G Walker. You probably know it. In it, Ms Walker explores how the figures of the Crone, the Wise Woman, the Witch, indeed older women in general, have become invisible in our culture. And not only invisible but – not so very far in the past – reviled as evil, and even mass-murdered, hanged, burned at the stake. Her thought-provoking study examines how women were once attributed with supremacy over life and death – naturally so, since it’s women who give birth, and have always acted as midwives, healers, layers-out of the dead. Terrifying, dark goddesses such as Kali were believed to have the powers both of Creation and Destruction: the power to destroy all other gods and to consume everything into her black Abyss at the end of time.

Walker dissects how male religions arose and set about rejecting the dark goddess – far too terrifying! – by crushing all aspects of female wisdom, sacredness and autonomy. This was in a futile urge to deny Death itself. Female religion was circular, a churning cauldron of life, death and rebirth. Male religion was linear: one life, one God, one afterlife in eternal bliss or torment. In the process, the Crone figure of the older woman was demonized until she became virtually invisible. (Really, if you haven’t read Ms Walker’s book, just read it!)

We’re still living with the consequences today. In spite of a long battle for equal rights, there remain societies in which women are treated like scum. In the West, one of the greatest sins a woman can commit – at least in the public eye – is to grow old. In my Aetherial Tales (and other novels) I try to do my bit to redress the balance.

Themes of paganism and ancient earth magic weave through most of my novels, sometimes blatantly so and sometimes more subtly. The Crone, and numerous other books on female spirituality, helped me understand how the idea that women are naturally secondary and subservient to men is a Great Big Lie. What a relief to know that! However, the idea is distressingly persistent. We seem to be taking backward steps, if anything, as young girls are treated as sex objects and women still fight to be taken seriously. The term “witch” is still used as an insult, and there are countries where “witches” are still persecuted and murdered. Sometimes you’d hardly know we were in the 21^st century!

My novel Midsummer Night revolves around Juliana Flagg, a sixty-something sculptor and grande damewho is a legend in the art world and something of a character, to say the least. She also appears in the new novel, Grail of the Summer Stars, to advise and guide Mistangamesh (a young man we first met inMidsummer Night) on the next step in his difficult journey. Juliana was one of those characters who leapt into my head fully formed, as it were, and she’s been hanging around for at least fifteen years before I found the right story for her. I imagine her as a tall, strong woman, silver-haired, bohemian, usually dressed in pale grey silks and velvets so she is like a tower of silver. She’s sharp-tongued, confident, intolerant of fools. That’s not to say she lacks warmth, or insecurities, or has no fear of ageing. Yet she faces the future with courage, remarking that when she dies, they will have to fell her like a tree and lash her to the back of a truck!

Of course Grail has younger characters too, and others who are ancient yet ageless – but writing Juliana was so much fun, I don’t know why anyone would shy away from wanting to write or read about older characters. Others crop up in my Aetherial Tales series – but I try to show them as real people, not all-powerful fantasy sorceresses. In Grail we also meet the tough, angular Frances Manifold, who is trying not to fall apart as she fears her missing son is dead. And we meet a character who first appeared in Elfland:the more obviously witchy Virginia Wilder, who never tells people what to do but subtly guides them onto the right path. These are women who have to deal with their own flaws and potential frailties – but they have guts, good sense and personality, and at their core they are strong, strong, strong.

The panel discussion left me somewhat optimistic as we uncovered lots of examples of strong, powerful, older female characters in SF and fantasy. The situation’s not as dire as I’d feared! In the real world, too, more attention is being paid to older females – usually in the shape of Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, or Sophia Loren! Which raises the question, can you only remain visible as you grow older by being a glamorous film star? The academic Professor Mary Beard, who presents historical documentaries for the BBC, has come in for irrational criticism for refusing to glam up, having unkempt grey hair and crooked teeth. For goodness’ sake! She is a Professor of Classics at Cambridge University and a fantastic presenter! But I think the tables are turning. People of discernment love Mary Beard. And folk the world over adore the Queen, who seems to be admired more and more the older she grows. Truly a woman of wisdom, compassion and power.

So let’s hope we can look to a future where the older female – both in real life and in fiction – is no longer denigrated for her lack of youth and fluttering eyelashes, but celebrated for her long, rich life and simply for her magnificent self.

FREDA WARRINGTON, who was born in and lives in Leicestershire, England, is the author of twenty novels. This is her third Aetherial Tales novel, her first series to be published in the United States. The first,Elfland, was named Best Fantasy of the Year by RT Book Reviews. For more information, please visitwww.fredawarrington.com

I am utterly transfixed as I delve into the pages of this book. Stay tuned for an upcoming review!

Beyond the Glass Slipper: The Tour

WORLD WEAVER PRESS

ANNOUNCES TRADE PAPERBACK AND DIGITAL RELEASE OF

“BEYOND THE GLASS SLIPPER:

TEN NEGLECTED FAIRY TALES TO FALL IN LOVE WITH”

WITH INTRODUCTION AND ANNOTATIONS

BY KATE WOLFORD

EDITOR OF “ENCHANTED CONVERSATION: A FAIRY TALE MAGAZINE”

AVAILABLE TODAY

TUESDAY, APRIL 16

Chicago, IL (April 16, 2013) – World Weaver Press (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) has announced the trade paperback and digital release of Beyond the Glass Slipper: Ten Neglected Fairy Tales to Fall in Love With, an anthology with introduction and annotations by Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine Editor Kate Wolford, today, Tuesday, April 16, 2013.

Beyond the Glass Slipper: Ten Neglected Fairy Tales to Fall in Love With is available in trade paperback and ebook via Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Kobo.com, and other online retailers. You can also find Beyond the Glass Slipper on Goodreads.

Wiedbrauk commented, “I wish Kate Wolford had been my folklore studies professor! BTGS is intellectual without being boring, fun without being superficial.”

Some fairy tales everyone knows—these aren’t those tales. These are tales of kings who get deposed and pigs who get married. These are ten tales, much neglected. Editor of Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine, Kate Wolford, introduces and annotates each tale in a manner that won’t leave novices of fairy tale studies lost in the woods to grandmother’s house, yet with a depth of research and a delight in posing intriguing puzzles that will cause folklorists and savvy readers to find this collection a delicious new delicacy.

In celebration of the release of Beyond the Glass Slipper: Ten Neglected Fairy Tales to Fall in Love With, World Weaver Press is hosting a Fairy Tale Festival through May 6. From Brothers Grimm to Walt Disney, from films and illustrations to fictive retellings, the Fairy Tale Festival features Opal by Kristina Wojtaszek, Wolves and Witches by Amanda C. Davis and Megan Engelhardt, and Beyond the Glass Slipper, by Kate Wolford. For the ever growing schedule of the next three weeks, check out our Fairy Tale Festival main page (www.worldweaverpress.com/fairy-tale-festival/)and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (#FairyTaleFestival) where we’ll be posting bonus content not seen on the blog!

Kate Wolford is editor and publisher of Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine at fairytalemagazine.com. She teaches first-year college writing, incorporating fairy tales in her assignments whenever possible. 

World Weaver Press is a publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction, dedicated to producing quality works. As a small press, World Weaver seeks to publish books that engage the mind and ensnare the story-loving soul.

ISBN-13: 978-0615797359
ISBN-10: 0615797350 

# # # # #

worldweaverpress.com

@worldweaver_wwp

This book looks great! Review will be forthcoming...

Now for a visit from our guest.

Which Tales Were Worth It?

Picking the "right" fairy tales for Beyond the Glass Slipper was by far one of the hardest parts of writing the book. The ten tales needed to make up an intriguing mix, be representative of a good variety of tale types, and be in public domain.

The third item may seem like the easiest part, as I was only looking at old, if fairly obscure, tales. Yet, many of the most interesting and engaging tales are in translations still under copyright by the translator. This makes perfect sense. After all, without the translator's efforts, there would be no tale to read in English.

Such was the case with "Little Broomstick." I discovered this story of true friendship between two young women on the indispensable DL Ashliman site. To my chagrin, because I had already begun the annotation process, the translation that had so captivated me was still Ashliman's. I could not include it in the book. But you can read it here:http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0425c.html#broomstick

Finding a mix wasn't so hard. I knew I wanted to show that fairy tales go way, way beyond "Snow White" and "The Little Mermaid," obviously. I wanted to demonstrate that fairy tales are not only about or for girls and women--you'd be surprised at how many well educated people believe this. I wanted to emphasize that the fairy tale is not always about happy ever after--even if it is implied. Also, fairy tales can be about friendship, even if that doesn't happen all that often.

As for tale type, I did not look too closely at the Aarne-Thompson fairy tale classification system when choosing the ten tales (although I didn't ignore it either). Instead, I focused on how each story would read as "different" for the others, yet compatible enough with them to give the book a sense of wholeness. The result yielded an animal bridegroom story, a ghost story, a vampire story, a mermaid-type story, plus six more.

I hope readers will find the collection enchanting. Go to World Weaver Press for more information. 
http://worldweaverpress.com/books/beyond-the-glass-slipper/

A Witch Without Magic Virtual Book Tour

A Witch Without Magic

by Larisa Walk

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

When her neighbors accuse Belladonna of Satanism and making them age years to days, she must find who is behind it or face a modern day witch hunt. Her mysterious enemy knows where to strike to cause the most damage: Belladonna's only friend is losing his life-force; the garden that feeds her is dying; and her house ghost goes poltergeist. To save her neighbors and friends and prove her innocence, she must travel to the Otherworld where butterflies have razor wings and where her worst fears will come to life.

Excerpt Three:

I tried to walk with an official swing in my step, clipboard under my right arm, the other arm at my side, desperately trying not to clutch at the fabric of my jumpsuit with a death grip.  Mice and rats darted in and out of bushes.  A large flock of crows cawed in the trees.  In one spot ants covered the sidewalk like spilled black pepper.  Dark magic was afoot and the vermin were drawn to it.

There were some kids with aged faces playing on the other side of the street.  I tried not to stare at them.  One kid, a boy of about seven, judging by his height, actually looked like he was in his eighties.  He seemed to have trouble breathing and had to stop often to rest.  My jaws ached and a sharp spike seemed to be embedded in my chest.  Goddess help me, but I couldn't blame their parents for hating me.  If I were in their place and thought I knew who was doing this to my kids, I'd go on a witch hunt, too.  I was lucky the cops didn't believe my neighbors that I was doing this awful life-draining stuff to them or I wouldn't have any protection.  I prayed hard that I'd find a way to stop the dark witch before anyone died from being too old at the age of seven.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Larisa Walk, a native Russian, lives in California with her husband and two formerly homeless cats. She writes paranormal fiction that is more often than not populated by characters from the Russian fairy world. Her short fiction appeared in several anthologies and magazines. She has published a historic fantasy novel, A Handful of Earth, and a modern paranormal novel, A Witch Without Magic. See her quirky blog posts here: http://www.larisawalk.com

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/A-Witch-Without-Magic-ebook/dp/B009JGYOQM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363219858&sr=8-1&keywords=a+witch+without+magic+larisa+walk

Larisa will be awarding a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate to five randomly drawn commenters during the tour, so make sure you leave a comment and your email address for a chance to win!

Seeing Things: Magical Wands For An Art Witch

Seeing Things: Magical Wands For An Art Witch: It's interesting  how an idea that is simmering in the back of my mind will often come into being because I "happen" to co...


Check out this amazing craft project!

Carrie's Story Blog Tour Correction

Good morning! If you are visiting for the blog tour, please check this corrected schedule. Thank you!

Blog Tour Schedule

March 24 - Shanna Germain 

March 25 - Lelaine

March 26 - Alison Tyler

March 27 - Romance After Dark

March 28 - Romance Junkies and Amos Lassen

March 29 - Sinclair Sexsmith

April 1 - Rachel Kramer Bussel

April 2 - Kissin Blue Karen

April 3 - Erzabet's Enchantments

April 4 - Erin O'Riodan

April 5 - Lindsay Avalon

April 6 - Laura Antoniou

April 7 - DL King

Dylan's Song Super Book Blast

DYLAN'S SONG

By

p.m. terrell

BLURB:  

Dylan Maguire returns to his native Ireland with psychic spy Vicki Boyd. Their mission: to locate and extract a CIA Agent who disappeared in Dublin while on the trail of a known terrorist. But when Dylan receives word that his grandmother is dying, he is plunged into a past he thought he’d left behind forever. His mission and the dark secrets he’d sought to keep hidden begin to merge into an underworld that could cost him his life. He must now confront his past demons and the real reason he left Ireland—while Vicki harbors a secret of her own.

Suspense Magazine says, “p.m.terrell’s writing is powerfully written and masterfully suspenseful; you have to hang on for the ride of your life.” Midwest Book Review says the Black Swamp Mysteries series is “page-turning action, unforgettable characters, breathtaking descriptions and unexpected plot twists.” And syndicated reviewer Marcia Freespirit says the series is “riveting, spell-binding, sexy and intense!”

Brenda motioned for her to stand to the side. Then she parted the curtains.

Dylan had come around the back of the house while three men tumbled out of the pickup. They immediately converged at the truck bed, where they picked up pipes and headed toward the front door.

“So, Eoghan,” Dylan called. His voice was loud and heavy as he moved further from the house, drawing the largest man’s attention to him. “What’re wantin’ with me now?”

“What have they got in their hands?” Vicki whispered hoarsely.

“Lead pipes.” Brenda’s voice was husky and strong.

“You know what we be wantin’,” the largest one shouted. “We’re here to finish your sorry arse off; what we should’a done a long time ago.”

The men began to separate. They looked like a pack of wolves, Vicki thought, as one moved to Dylan’s left while the other moved to his right. The ringleader, Eoghan, stood his ground directly in front of him.

“He doesn’t stand a chance with the three of them,” Vicki gasped. “Not spread out like they are, not even with the gun.”

“Killin’ me won’t bring ‘er back,” Dylan called. He continued backing away from the house.

“No, but it’ll put you in ’ail that much sooner,” one of the others shouted.

“Kill me and you’ll spend your life in a prison cell, Aidan,” Dylan said to him. “I’m not worth your freedom.”

“Why should we spend our lives in prison for killin’ a man?” the third shouted. “You didn’t spend a day in the clink for killin’ our sister!”

Vicki gasped. “My God!”

Brenda grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to look her in the face. She hadn’t realized that her sister had disappeared from the window. But now as she stared at her amber eyes burning hot, she began to take in the pistols in each hand. “Slip on a coat and your shoes,” she hissed. “Fast.”

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

p.m.terrell is the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 16 books. Vicki's Key, one of the first books in the Black Swamp Mysteries series, was one of five finalists in the 2012 International Book Awards (Mystery/Suspense) and 2012 USA Best Book Awards (Mystery/Suspense.) River Passage, an historical work based on her ancestor's migration to Fort Nashborough in 1779-1780, won the 2010 Best Fiction & Drama Award. The Nashville (TN) Metropolitan Government Archives determined it to be so historically accurate that they entered the original manuscript into their Archives for future researchers and historians.

Prior to becoming a full-time author in 2002, terrell founded and operated two computer companies in the Washington, DC area. Her clients included the United States Secret Service, CIA, Department of Defense and federal and local law enforcement. Her specialty is in the areas of computer crime and computer intelligence. Her experience in these areas have greatly influenced her books' plots.

She is the co-founder of The Book 'Em Foundation, whose slogan is "Buy a Book and Stop a Crook" and whose mission is to raise awareness of the link between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She founded Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, an annual event to raise money to increase literacy and reduce crime.

For more information on Book 'Em North Carolina, visit www.bookemnc.org and www.bookemnc.blogspot.com.

p.m.terrell's website is www.pmterrell.com and her blog is www.pmterrell.blogspot.com.

She can be found on Twitter @pmterrell

On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/author.p.m.terrell and https://www.facebook.com/pages/pmterrell/129318810431554.

Want to win a beautiful Celtic Knot necklace based on the one in the story? Leave a comment and your email for the tour wide giveaway!

Wolves and Witches

Wolves and Witches, a collection of fiction and poetry by Amanda C. Davis and Megan Engelhardt. 

Witches have stories too. So do mermaids, millers’ daughters, princes (charming or otherwise), even big bad wolves. They may be a bit darker–fewer enchanted ball gowns, more iron shoes. Happily-ever-after? Depends on who you ask. In Wolves and Witches, sisters Amanda C. Davis and Megan Engelhardt weave sixteen stories and poems out of familiar fairy tales, letting them show their teeth.

“Sisters Amanda C. Davis and Megan Engelhardt are the female Brothers Grimm.” —K. Allen Wood, Shock Totem

___

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Read the digital edition for $4.49 from these ebook retailers:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | OmniLit

Read the trade paperback edition for $7.95 from these and other online retailers:
Amazon

___

• Release date: February 19, 2012 (ebook and paperback)
• Genre:  Fairy Tale / Short Stories / Poetry
• Length: Collection, approx. 85 pages
• Praise for Wolves and Witches
• Excerpt from Wolves and Witches
• ISBN-13 (print): 978-0615763231
• ISBN-10: 0615763235
• ASIN: B00BGR4H96
• BN ID: 2940016284798
• Kobo: 1230000107305
• Goodreads Listing/Reviews

Praise for Wolves and Witches

“Wolves and Witches is a fabulous collection of re-imagined fairy tales. I made the mistake of starting it late one evening and couldn’t go to sleep until I had read it all. With their dark prose and evocative poetry these sisters have done the Brothers Grimm proud.”
—Rhonda Parrish, Niteblade Fantasy and Horror Magazine

“It’s in the details that Davis and Engelhardt get you. I don’t know if it’s love or obsession or maybe just succumbing to the spell, but what stays with me is the tenor and texture of these tales retold — whether the fabric of a dancing shoe, the hollowness of bones in the wind, or the sharp critique of stereotyped social norms. Let yourself be enchanted and enjoy.”
—Dan Campbell, Bull Spec

“Sisters Amanda C. Davis and Megan Engelhardt are the female Brothers Grimm.”
—K. Allen Wood, Shock Totem

“Davis and Engelhardt’s Wolves and Witches: A Fairy Tale Collection is a joy, start to finish. At times eloquent, at times written in a bare-bones style, this collection of verse and prose takes familiar fairy tales and turns them into something darker, deeper, and delicious. My very heart was stolen by a cobbler with a bad leg. That’s good storytelling.”
—Mercedes M. Yardley, Author of Beautiful Sorrows and Shock Totem Magazine Staff Member

___

Read the digital edition for $4.49 from these ebook retailers:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | OmniLit

Read the trade paperback edition for $7.95 from these and other online retailers:
Amazon

SEVEN FAIRYTALE WITCHES THAT GOT AWAY WITH IT

It's the most basic maxim of storytelling that the villain has to get his comeuppance at the end. It's not enough to see the hero win; someone's gotta lose. At the very least, you don't want to leave open the possibility that the bad guy will come back and ruin things all over again.

Try telling that to fairy-tale writers. Their stories are brutal reminders that life ain't fair, and sometimes the worst offenders walk away without a scratch.

We kind of love that.

Here are seven fairytale witches who committed heinous crimes and suffered no retribution whatsoever.

RAPUNZEL: MOTHER OF THE YEAR

Once upon a time, there was a witch who kidnapped a baby girl, raised her in isolation, blinded her blueblood babydaddy, then banished her to the desert. Harsh! After the lovers are reunited and healed, you'd think the now-wealthy couple would have mustered an army to go after the woman who just about ruined their lives. Well, if they did, it was in the fanfic that Wilhelm Grimm kept hidden in his mattress, because there's no mention of the witch after she dispatches the two. For all we know, she went on to steal a replacement baby. Thanks for dropping the ball, Rapunzel.

Speaking of dropping the ball...

THE FROG PRINCE: DO ME A SOLID, MAN

What I love about the Grimm brothers' record of The Frog Prince is that the only mention how the prince was cursed is "he had been enchanted by a spiteful fairy." A male one, which becomes interesting in light of the conditions of breaking the spell: "a princess should take him out of the spring, and let him eat from her plate, and sleep upon her bed for three nights." A frat brother, just trying to get his princely bro some royal action? It's a mystery, because does the prince ever hunt down his spiteful assailant, if just to say, "Not cool, dude"? Of course not! He's too busy living happily ever after as the heir of two kingdoms.

SLEEPING BEAUTY: GOOD FAIRY, BAD FAIRY

In Sleeping Beauty (Briar-Rose), a fairy ("who was a bit of a witch") curses a baby to death because she wasn't invited to the christening, because get this--the happy parents did not have enough plates for everybody. I don't know, if I've only got twelve place settings and thirteen magical friends, I would probably also decide not to invite the one who liked to kill babies.

So child-murder is pretty bad. But here's a case where the cure is worse than the disease, because ANOTHER fairy--one of the ones who DID get a gift-bag--turned the curse from "one girl dies young" into "the entire kingdom goes into suspended animation for an entire century." Who's the villain in this piece again?

THE LITTLE MERMAID: PREDATORY LENDER

On one hand, Hans Christian Andersen's sea hag is mostly guilty of giving the Little Mermaid exactly what she wanted. On the other hand, she made sure to do it in the most vicious way possible.

"You want legs?" says the sea hag. "It'll cost you your voice. No, I mean give it to me. And it'll really hurt. And it won't stop hurting! Oh, and you'll turn into sea foam and die if you can't get your prince to marry you. You've got three days. SEA HAG OUT."

For comparison, a vocally able Kate Middleton got Prince William to the altar after a whirlwind romance of...nine years.

DIAMONDS AND TOADS: MASTER OF DISGUISE

We have no idea what this fairy had in mind when she sat herself down in the freezing woods to administer a moral test, but we know how it turned out: the nice girl who gave bread to an old lady ended up with diamonds falling out of her mouth with every word, and the proud girl who wouldn't dip water for a princess ended up spitting out vermin, presumably cussing up a storm at the same time. (That's what we'd be doing.) This isn't rewarding the good and punishing the bad; it's sowing chaos, consequence-free.

I want to look back at the moral test, because that's the most demented part. The fairy decides to test the second girl in the appearance of a princess. Because if you want to know the true measure of a man, watch how he treats rich, pretty, powerful people who could totally draw their own water.

CINDERELLA: POLITICAL CHESSMASTER

Yeah, yeah, the fairy godmother in Charles Perrault's telling of Cinderella is technically playing for the good guys. But this is some epic meddling going on. We assume the king who threw his sons all those balls was expecting to draw out wealthy, well-groomed, educated women of good standing. No less for a prince, right? And instead the prince ends up with an outcast kitchen maid. Don't get us wrong; it seems to have been a great move for the kingdom. But the fairy godmother could have put anyone in that position. Suddenly a few simple acts of kindness look like Machiavellian political maneuvering--with MAGIC.

It's also worth noting that in the Grimms' telling, Cinderella's dead mother sends a flock of birds to peck out the stepsisters' eyes. So there's that.

BABA YAGA

Not only does Baba Yaga have a name, in contrast with so many other fairy-tale characters (let alone villains), but she has stories named after her. She has an awesome house (it walks on chicken legs!), a sweet ride (a flying mortar!), and she doesn't always win, but she never really loses. You couldn't get a better model of a successful fairy-tale witch.

Oh, and she eats people.

So raise a glass and drink deep the draught of "Screw the rules, I've got magic." Here's to the ones who got away with it!

Review to come...