Happy Follow Friday!

Good morning everyone and welcome to another Follow Friday! This week's question from our host Parajunkee is:

Q. Keeping with the dystopian and apocalypse theme that seems to be running rampant on parajunkee.com, I have one very hard question for you: If you were stocking your bomb shelter, what books would you HAVE to include if you only had space for ten?

Wow. I actually had to go and sleep on that one and I am still not sure. Let's see if I can do this.

1. Hunger Games

2. Outlander

3. Forest of Hands and Teeth

4. My Nook (until the power goes out!)

5. Breathers

6. Twilight

7. Bird Sisters

8. Visual Guide to Crochet

9. Southern Living Cookbook

10. The Mists of Avalon

That was tough. I know I will change my mind and have to switch things out at least once. If it comes down to it, I was actually thinking about what you would need if it went all post apocalyptic. Has anyone read Life As We Knew It ? It is the book about the moon coming close to the earth and everything going crazy? The power goes out, volcanoes erupt and all the Walmarts run out of Twinkies. Wait. Maybe that was Zombieland. Whatever. Anyway. Twinkies. Or, in my case, vanilla zingers with cream filling. Orange cupcakes too. OMG. How would I live without orange cupcakes?

This week my washer went out and it has been the biggest pain ever. It reminded me of the hurricane a couple of years ago when we were out of power for several days and had to try and cook what we could from the freezer on the gas stove and grill outside. Kind of feels like that I guess. At least there is a laundry facility down the street even though I hate going there.

I digress. What would I need if the world did go nuts and I had to build a bomb shelter or at least start hording can goods or something? Ten things. Here we go.

1. Lots of can goods.

2. Orange cupcakes by the case.

3. Dog food by the ton. (furry kids)

4. Water. Lots of bottled water.

5. Granola Bars

6. Toilet Paper. (no comment)

7. Knitting needles, crochet hooks and yarn.

8. A weapon of some sort to kill anyone who threatened my zinger supply. (Just sayin.)

9. Soap and deodorant

10. A book on how to garden, because I think we may need more than canned yams eventually.

Now for more hopping...

"Summer is coming quickly - what 2011 summer release are you are most looking forward to?"

Wow. There are so many. The first one I am dying to get my hands on is the new Charlaine Harris book in the Sookie series. Dead Reckoning. (It's my birthday Sunday, and that was on my list. So is Where She Went.)

Thanks everyone for visiting on the Hop and Follow Friday! If you want to join the linky list, head over to:

http://www.parajunkee.com/

http://www.crazy-for-books.com/

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will "Like" the new Facebook fan page while you are here. I love my followers and twitter peeps, so I hope to see you around! Stay tuned for more awesome contests coming up soon!



Giveaway: Moon Goddess Journal

When I first saw this gorgeous journal, I knew I fell in love with the artwork. Peter Pauper Press sent it to me for review and is now making it possible for me to host a giveaway. One lucky person will win a copy of this lovely journal.

Here are the rules:

*One entry per person.

*You must be over 13 to enter.

*One copy of the Moon Goddess Journal will be mailed by the publisher to the winner.

*The winner will be notified by email and have three days to contact me, or another winner will be selected.

*You must be a follower to enter.

*Extra entries are welcomed, as are comments.

*You must enter the contest form to be eligible to win.

*Contest held from 4/27-5/15/2011.

Etsy Artist Feature: Molly Harrison

With all of my blogs, I am trying to feature Etsy shops that catch my eye and this wonderful shop is one of them. Here is the link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/robmolily?ref=seller_info

Molly Harrison is an artist who works primarily with fantasy art in her studio in northern California. Her work is liscensed for figurines, greeting cards, decoupage and more. On her site, she tells us that art is her passion. I agree. Kudos to Molly for a lovely shop and beautiful artwork. Here are some examples of Molly's work. Pop over to her shop when you get the chance to see even more!

All Us All the Time: Easter Witch

All Us All the Time: Easter Witch: "For those of you who have been following the All Us All the Time blog and web site , you may be thinking an Easter Witch sounds just like so..."

Sweden's Easter Witches

To read even more on this interesting custom, check out this link.

Sweden's Easter Witches

Scandinavian Easter Witches

Easter Witches. Sounds kind of strange, right? Author Diane Saarinen wrote a fascinating article on the subject for the School of the Seasons website in 2006. In the story, she recounts the death of her parents and how that lead her to do research into Finnish culture to keep their memory alive. In her searching, she came across a Finnish newspaper with a page featuring children in witch costumes. It wasn't Halloween, but Easter that was being celebrated.

As Diane did more research online, she came across Easter Witch postcards on eBay, and knew she had to have them. The two you see here are part of her collection.

Please take a moment and check out the link to the full story. The Finnish custom of Easter Witches is truly intriguing. I had never heard anything about the custom until Diane mentioned it. I am so glad she did. Diane's article captures this unique Finnish custom and discusses other Scandinavian history pertaining to witchcraft, listing sources if you are interested in more information.  

The link to the article is:

http://www.schooloftheseasons.com/newletters/news040406.html

Thank you also to Waverly Fitzgerald of School of the Seasons, for allowing us to share this article. For anyone who has not visited the site, please do. As the name suggests, it is full of articles and fascinating facts about the seasons. There is a sign up for an email newsletter also.

http://www.schooloftheseasons.com/



Follow Friday

Happy Follow Friday!

Welcome to another Follow Friday and Blogger Hop. To sign up on the linky lists, make sure you visit our host's sites at: http://www.parajunkee.com/ and http://www.crazy-for-books.com/

This week's question from Parajunkee is:

What is on your playlist right now?

My newest thing as a blogger is to review music. I love it. http://muzikreviews.com/ is where you can find some of my reviews, along with my new music blog: http://bookgirlsmusicmusings.blogspot.com/.

Salon of Refuse is the review I just turned in and now my new favorite band. Check my site for posting on the review in the next couple of days. They have a free demo that is supremely awesome. The vocals soar and just stick in your head. I love them. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Tell them Dana sent you!

"If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"

Oh yeah! Books, music and chocolate!

Book of Goddesses

The Book of Goddesses draws inspiration from the many goddesses honored throughout history in various cultures around the globe. This lavishly illustrated, greatly expanded 10th Anniversary Edition of Kris Waldherr’s beloved classic pays homage to 100 of these revered women (74 more than the original edition), and is structured around the feminine rites of passage: Beginnings, Love, Motherhood, Creativity, Strength, and Transformation. These goddess stories tell of women’s innate divinity, dignity, and potency—their ability to create life from their bodies, their strength of character, their magic.

This visually stunning book, by an author/illustrator with an enormous fan base, is a testament to the power, passion, wisdom, and beauty of women everywhere, in all stages of life. (Goodreads)

This book was sent to me by the author for review. I actually came across it years ago and was very impressed by the artwork and research that went into the book. Page after page of beautifully illustrated Goddesses adorn tales of their myths. From Spider Woman, Rati, Venus, Oshun, Juno and many more.

If you want a book that will stay on your library or ebook shelves for a very long time, check out this volume. I received it as a digital ebook for review from the author and am pleased to say that the quality is perfection. The pictures and words are intact and I am able to view them on my Nookcolor and iPad. This has to be my favorite book from Kris Waldherr so far. The attention to detail is beyond measure, and the illustrations just make me happy every time I look at them. There is no greater compliment I can give. This is a forever book for my digital shelf. If I could give ten stars...I would. If you like goddesses and the mysteries of the sacred feminine, make sure you check it out.

The Book of  Goddesses can be found on  http://artandwordseditions.com/.

There are also tarot cards, a guide and apps for your iPad featuring the goddesses and Kris's artwork.

Rapunzel by Kris Waldherr

With the animated movie Tangled becoming so popular, I wanted to share with you a wonderful book adapted and illustrated by Kris Waldherr. Kris has written many books on mythology, women's spirituality, queens, tarot and more. I have always enjoyed her flair with words and the gorgeous drawings that accompany them. This book is no different.

Rapunzel  is the story of a young girl trapped in a tower. Her only communication with the outside world is when she let down her hair for the witch who has her trapped in the tower can come up to talk with her. One day, someone unexpected comes up to visit her and the story gets even more interesting. No spoilers here!

To check out this wonderful book for either children or adults, visit http://artandwordseditions.com/. This book was sent to me by the author for review as a digital e-book, and  the quality of the story and illustrations are just as gorgeous as ever. I have used my Nookcolor and iPad to view the book and completely recommend a digital edition.



Follow Friday and Blogger Hop

Welcome back to the Friday blog hop! Hello to all visitors and hope you will stay for a minute for a spin on the broom.  Like us on Facebook and leave some comment love. Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Follow Friday everyone! Let me tell you a little bit about this HOP. Every friday or really Thursday evening we all get together and say HI! But, we need to know how to find you, so please leave your link in the Mr. Linky below. Also on Follow Friday we have a Feature...because alliteration is the way we roll. Each week is a different feature from the book blogging community. They are picked randomly or I give in after multiple harassing emails. Just depends on the week. If you want to be next weeks feature...leave your link. Also, I've had a recent rash of people signing up on the linky weeks later, which sort of defeats the purpose. If you want to participate check back here on the next Friday!

Our feature this week is...

Marie and Brie @ Romance Around the Corner

Our names are Marie and Brie, and we both are behind Romance Around the Corner. We divided the responsibility of telling you about our blog and so Brie wrote the first paragraph and Marie the second one.

We met a long time ago on the first day of college, and we have been best friends ever since. Every time we saw each other we talked about the books we were reading, I recommended a new author to her, she recommended one to me, and that’s pretty much all we talked about, well, besides gossips and men -and Brad Pitt cheating on Jennifer Anniston (I told you we met a long time ago)-. Now Marie is overseas and we decided to start the blog mostly as a way to keep with the tradition of talking about books (and because Marie just couldn’t live without me and was really sad and depressed, I’m that great!), also because I’ve been a blog stalker for years and I like reading reviews almost as much as I love reading the books, and we always wanted to participate in the romance community as more than silent readers.

Well, I think to remember things a bit differently, Brie nagged at me until I agreed to do the blog (to be honest it didn’t take that much convincing for me to agree), anyway. What we are trying to do with our Blog is write the type of reviews that we like to read, we explain why we love a book or why it didn’t work for us. We are fans of romance, we particularly love happy endings and steamy sex scenes (although I have read my fair share of books with bittersweet endings). In our Blog you are going to find reviews about everything that has some romance in it: Contemporary, Paranormal, YA, Women’s Fiction, Erotica, Historical, Suspense, GBLT and everything in between. We do have our preferences, Brie loves Contemporary and Erotica and I love pretty much everything, but if I had to choose one subgenre it would be Romantic Suspense, and YA, and Paranormal, and Comedy, Brie says that I’m a book’s garbage disposal because I’ll read and like pretty much anything, I guess she’s right!

Q. Do you have anyone that you can discuss books with IRL? Tell us about him/her.

Let me tell you a little something about my mom's neighbor. You see in my area of town we like to sit on porches and drink. Drink wine. Why go anywhere else when you have these big beautiful porches and this great weather. My mother has a great porch and I bring my 3 year old over there and she plays with the neighbor's kids and I sit on the porch and book gossip with my mom's neighbor and her tons of sisters that stop by and say hello. Think BIG Italian family, lot of kids, lots of loudness. It is so much fun. Last weekend we discussed Karen Marie Moning and the hotness that is Barrons...how much fun is that. The tipsier you get the raunchier the conversation gets, until my mom walked out on us and we were discussing The Harlequin (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 15) and why we stopped reading the series.

My answer:

My Mom and sister both love "vampire smut." I used to read it more than I do now. They love to tell me about the latest book they have found and how hot the guy is. I still read it from time to time, but I am in a YA mode right now.

To comment on the Anita Blake series, I used to really like it until it became so focused on extreme erotica. I like that, to a point. You just have to have a plot and focus on that. A little bit of love scene goes a long way. If it is every other page, you are going to lose me as a reader.

Now for the Follow Fun!

 

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://romance-around-the-corner.blogspot.com/
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you're new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Follow Friday!

Follow it up with your twitter address if you want to get that one out!

*********

"Pick a character from a book you are currently reading or have just finished and tell us about him/her."

My answer:

I just finished Vanished by Sophie Jordan. This is the second book in the Firelight series. The main character's name is Jacinda. She is a Draki, part human/part dragon. She is also the only fire breather in her pride. Because of her unique talent, she is a prize.

In Firelight Jacinda's mother takes her and her sister Tamra away from the pride to live in the desert, hoping to kill the Draki within Jacinda. Tamra had no manifestations, and reveled in the human world. Jacinda was miserable and wanted nothing more than to go back. Until she met Will.

Jacinda is a strong character. She makes the Firelight series a real page turner. Her devotion to Will conflicts with the need to save the pride from danger, and as a reader, you think you know where she is going but are continually surprised by the outcome of events.

This book is being made into a movie and I can't wait to see who the lucky redhead will be! Jacinda is a force of nature and I will be one of the first in line to see this wonderful character brought even more to life on the big screen.

The Southern Witch Series by Kimberly Frost

The family magic seems to have skipped over Tammy Jo Trask. All she gets are a few untimely visits from long-dead, smart-mouthed family ghost Edie. But when her locket-an heirloom that happens to hold Edie's soul-is stolen in the midst of a town-wide crime spree, it's time for Tammy to find her inner witch.

After a few experiences with her dysfunctional magic, Tammy turns to the only person in small-town Duval, Texas, who can help: the very rich and highly magical Bryn Lyons. He might have all the answers-and a 007 savoir faire to boot-but the locket isn't the only heirloom passed down in Tammy's family. She also inherited a warning: stay away from Lyons.

Welcome to Duvall, Texas, where new witch Tammy Jo Trask has just unleashed an accidental Armageddon...Oops.
Tammy Jo's misfiring magic has attracted the unwanted attention of WAM, the World Association of Magic. Now, a wand-wielding wizard and a menacing fire warlock have come to Duvall to train her for a dangerous mandatory challenge. But is there more to their arrival than they claim?

When a curse leads to a toxic spill of pixie dust, the town comes unglued and the doors between the human and faery worlds begin to open. To rescue the town and to face the impossible magical test, Tammy needs the help of incredibly handsome Bryn Lyons, but WAM has declared him totally off-limits. To avoid deadly consequences, Tammy probably ought to follow the rules this time.

On the other hand, rebellion is an old Texas tradition

 

New witch Tammy Jo Trask has a whole town full of trouble, in the latest from the national bestselling author of Barely Bewitched.
First, there are the local residents who form a scripture-spouting posse and kidnap Tammy to "defend" Duvall, Texas, against witchcraft. Next, someone saddles her with a secret package chock full of dangerous visions, just as the president of WAM-the World Association of Magic- arrives with his entourage to investigate her. And who worse to examine Tammy's entanglement with off-limits and drop-dead gorgeous wizard Bryn Lyons than his ex-girlfriend? Not to mention that the clash between the locals and the magical visitors leads to a series of unnatural disasters that may doom them all.
While the fate of the town hangs in the balance, one thing's certain: this would-be witch is ready to rumble, Texas style.

This series was wonderful. I hope to see more of it from author Kimberly Frost. Tami Jo Trask is a character you will not likely forget. Her charm, spunk and magical personality will keep you reading. Will she end up with Bryn? What is the famous prophecy that promises doom if she falls for him? Read these great books to find out.

To find out more about this talented author, visit http://www.frostfiction.com/



Any Witch Way

Enduring the teasing and ridicule of her school mates, Sadie struggles through life as a pre-teen on the eve of her 13th birthday. Three years ago, a car crash took her mother, but Sadie never saw her body. She refuses to believe her mother is really gone. Holding fast to that feeling earns her the nickname "Crazy Sadie."

Despite her one wish to be normal, Sadie only finds solace with a small group of unusual characters. These unlikely friends give her stability; life outside of school in a bookstore where strange and mystical things seem to happen. In fact, if Sadie entertains her deepest suspicions, her friends are a little mystical.

When her birthday arrives however, Sadie finds herself whisked into a magical world that swirls just under the surface of normal, everyday life. Not only does she learn she will soon become a witch, but she also discovers she must battle The Syndicate to save her new world.

Faced with fantastical encounters, unexplainable transformations, and startling fears, Sadie struggles against an unknown evil; all while searching for her real identity.

My thoughts:

This book had a middle grade flavor to it. It was cute and captured the essence of a coming of age story. I loved the feel of the old bookstore and how Mrs. Felis kept putting catnip in her tea. Very sweet. It was a short read at 160 pages, but a good pre-teen story.

3 out of 5 stars.



Follow Friday

Happy Follow Friday everyone!

First, some wonderful news! On the Broomstick now has on official fan page on Facebook. Please stop in and say hello, but watch our dust while we are under construction the next few days. Send a like our way if you get the chance...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/On-the-Broomstick/202397659791867

Now for the Follow Friday fun!

Join our host at http://www.parajunkee.com/ to enter the linky.

Happy Follow Friday everyone! Let me tell you a little bit about this HOP. Every friday or really Thursday evening we all get together and say HI! But, we need to know how to find you, so please leave your link in the Mr. Linky below. Also on Follow Friday we have a Feature...because alliteration is the way we roll. Each week is a different feature from the book blogging community. They are picked randomly or I give in after multiple harassing emails. Just depends on the week. If you want to be next weeks feature...leave your link. Also, I've had a recent rash of people signing up on the linky weeks later, which sort of defeats the purpose. If you want to participate check back here on the next Friday!

Our feature this week is...

Lesley @ My keeper shelf

Hi there, my name is Lesley from My keeper shelf, I live in Scotland in the UK.

I'm fairly new to the world of blogging although I have always checked out other blogs for what to read next suggestions. It kind of started with joining Goodreads last year to help me keep a track of all the books I had read and to find suggestions for fab new books from like minded paranormal romance and urban fantasy readers. I then progressed into joining a few groups on Goodreads to discuss my favourite authors (Karen Marie Moning, Stacia Kane, Ilona Andrews and Nalini Singh to name but a few.) and was then inspired to start my own blog focusing on the types of books I love the most- paranormal romance and urban fantasy (although I do love a good smexy cowboy book now and then!)

I love reviewing books but I am in no way a professional reviewer providing amazingly insightful critique, I like to keep it simple. I'm a reader first and foremost. I pick up a book because something about it interests me: the story, the authors previous work or the gorgeous cover. I absolutely love to drool over book covers and have realised that I often, ok I admit it always, judge a book by it's cover so I like to include new covers on my blog and well, drool.

I came up with the name my keeper shelf as that's how I categorise books. If I love a book it goes on my keeper shelf. This usually means I have folded down or bookmarked pages at the "good bits" and I will go back time and time again to reread my favourite pages. My blog is simple but fun (hopefully!) I would love it if you would come over and say hi.

Q. Do you judge a book by it's cover?

Yes. Yes. Yes. I'm a graphic designer, to me things should look pretty. If a cover is so bad, I won't even pick up the book. I have been surprised though. A book that I thought had a horrendous cover...I really enjoyed. Here it is, what do you think? Great book though...

My answer:

Yes. I have judged a book by it's cover and been completely surprised. One of the best surprises is an older book called Sherwood Forest by Lisa DiDio. It takes the Robin Hood myth and weaves a tale of magic that you will not soon forget.

What book has left you surprised?

 

The Weiser Field Guide to Witches

Witches peek from greeting cards and advertisements, and they dig twisted roots from the ground. Witches dance beneath the stars and lurk around cauldrons. Witches heal, witches scare, witches creep, and witches teach! A compendium of witches through the ages, from earliest prehistory to some of the most significant modern practitioners, The Weiser Field Guide to Witches explores who and what is a witch. From such famed historical legends as Aleister Crowley, Marie Laveau and Elizabeth Bathory to the popular literary and cinematic figures Harry Potter and The Wicked Witch of the West, Illes offers a complete range of the history of witches. Included also are the sacred--Isis, Hekate, Aradia--and the profane--the Salem Witch trials and The Burning Times. The Weiser Field Guide to Witches is appropriate for readers of all ages and serves as an excellent and entertaining introduction for those fascinated by the topic. (Goodreads)

My thoughts:

This book caught my eye when it came out last October. I was very thrilled to receive a copy from the publisher for review and have enjoyed every second of it. Author Judika Illes does a wonderful job of  breaking up the book into chapters such as Types of Witches, Arts and Crafts, Entertaining Witches, Travel Tips and even a chapter to figure out if you yourself may be a witch.

The photography and illustrations range from historical to modern, humorous to serious.

I enjoyed the range of subjects and will be keeping this book in my library for years to come.

5 out of 5

Born in New York City, my metaphysical career began early: My first encounter with tarot cards at age six was also my first experience of love at first sight! That passion still burns true. Although I do practice other forms of divination, tarot remains the foundation of my practice.

A lifelong pursuit of metaphysical wisdom followed and continues: astrology, mythology, Kabbalah, the Egyptian mysteries as well as spiritual, magical and healing traditions from all over Earth but particularly Africa and Asia.

I've also been a blues and free-form rock and roll disc jockey, a corporate travel consultant specializing in the Caribbean, a skin-care and cosmetics consultant, and a teacher of mythology and multicultural studies. I wrote and edited the Ancient Beauty Secrets section for the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism's monthly online magazine, which integrated modern aromatherapy with ancient methods of body care and decoration.

True love's arrows pierced my heart yet again when I first encountered a vial of essential oil. (Essential oil of frankincense, to be exact, still a favorite.) Essential oils are not true oils but potent plant extracts. Modern aromatherapy, with its roots stretching back to ancient China, Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Middle East, is the manipulation of essential oils for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes. Essential oils are perhaps the purest, most potent expression of a plant's power and play a profound role in rituals, potions and spells. Many are powerful aphrodisiacs and may be used to enhance health, beauty and peace of mind.

Following over a decade of independent study, I earned a certificate in therapeutic aromatherapy. I served on the faculty of the Australasian College of Herbal Studies as an aromatherapy tutor, teaching the certification program.

My special passion for almost fifteen years has been magical and traditional approaches to fertility. Originally stimulated by own reproductive challenges, I was frustrated by the medical options offered to me. I went searching for other avenues, gentle Earth and female-friendly solutions and found them: a vast repository of women's wisdom. Two children and many years later, I still search and research, impressed and empowered by thousands of years of women's inventiveness, endurance, defiance and humor.

(Goodreads)

You can find more information about Judika on her website: (above picture from author website)

http://www.judikailles.com/