Title: Invoking Nonna
Author: Sage Adderley
Series: Triple Goddess Series (Book
1)
Genre:
YA, Paranormal
Paperback: 186 pages
Publisher: Sweet Candy Press; 1ST
edition (December 20, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0989709825
ISBN-13: 978-0989709828
Book Description
Maggie Sloan is a
free-spirited teenager growing up in rural Georgia. Unlike her peers, Maggie is
a witch and so is her mother. In addition to normal teenager rites of passage,
she must learn about her family lineage and witchcraft. Her mother, Laura, keeps
a tight lid on their family secrets - like the mysterious life and death of her
grandmother who passed away before Maggie was born.
Practicing the craft will
test solid friendships and introduce Maggie to new realms. While seeking the
truth about herself and her family, Maggie is faced with danger from
churchgoing classmates who will stop at nothing to make sure she is found out.
Laura and Maggie strengthen their bond through witchcraft and work together to
overcome their enemies. Are their magical gifts enough to keep them safe?
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5Dnc1YczF0
Purchase Links:
Amazon –
http://www.amazon.com/Invoking-Nonna-Sage-Adderley/dp/0989709825
Excerpt
My heart sank as Ruby stood
there holding the blue book with the pentacle and a very confused expression.
Oh man, why couldn’t Ruby keep her hands to herself? She always looked through
my stuff. Normally, I didn’t have anything to hide, so I didn’t think too much
about it. I had completely forgotten about the witchcraft book.
I took in a deep breath and
just decided to go with it. “Yeah, I’ve been reading about Wicca.”
“What? Since when and why
haven’t you told me about it?”
I ran my fingers through
the madness on my head, and sighed. I knew this day would come, and I tried to
pre- pare myself for the million questions that Ruby would fling at me. I sat
on my bed and fiddled with the strings on my pink pajama pants.
“I started seeing these
twinkles from the corner of my eye. They were like tiny sparkles of light that
flashed quickly around my head. I thought I had low blood sugar and I was
getting light headed, but it even happened when I felt physically fine. I tried
to explain the sparkles with a rational reason, but I have yet to come up with
one.”
“Wait, you see sparkles,
and now you read about witchcraft. Call me crazy, but I am not seeing the
connection here, Maggie.”
For the first time ever,
Ruby was looking at me as if I had gone full blown nuts. I had no idea how to
explain my- self or to transfer my thoughts into words that would make sense to
her because honestly, I had a hard time understanding things myself. I am
reacting on emotion and gut feelings - two things that can be hard to describe
to other people not experiencing them. I sat down on the ground and took a deep
breath and tried again.
“Ruby, I just feel different.
When I see those sparkles, it’s as though I have a higher awareness of what is
going on around me. I feel light, almost as though I am floating. It feels ...
it feels really awesome.”
I could see Ruby’s brows
crunching together, and her head tilts to one side. She was trying very hard to
understand me. I saw her lightly nibbling on her bottom lip which meant she was
unsure, but sympathetic to her best friend who just came out of the witchcraft
closet.
“Well, have you cast any
spells?”
Ruby sat down across from
me and waited for my response. I picked up the book on Wicca and thumbed
through some of the pages. I was waiting for words of wisdom to roll off my
tongue.
“When you go to church with
your family, do you feel something? Do you feel God?”
Ruby thought for a moment,
“I guess so. I mean, I believe in God.”
“See, when I go to church
or read about God, I don’t feel anything and it just doesn’t make sense to me.
But this, this book makes sense to me. It just feels right.”
“Does your mom know?”
One confession was enough
for today. I wouldn't open up the can of worms about my mom being a witch, too.
“No and I’d like to keep it
that way for now. And that goes for everyone else, too. Not even Rhiannon!”
Ruby held her hand up in a
gesture promising she would not peep a word. I wondered if she thought
differently of me now. Ruby was one of the kindest humans I know. I’d be
surprised if this shook up things between us.
And it didn’t.
Guest Post:
As I
tossed around ideas for my young adult novel, I was positive that I wanted to
write about an adolescent witch. I tried to think of what my teenage self would
have wanted to read. Like my main character, Maggie Sloan, I grew up in a rural
town in Georgia and stood apart from most of my classmates because of basic
things like, music preference, clothing, and brightly colored hair. I would
have loved to read about an alternative teen while going to school with pretty
conservative-minded kids.
Being
a teenager is awkward enough without having to worry about discrimination or
harassment because of gender, race, class, religion, or sexual preference. I
wanted a relatable character for a teen witch or any young person feeling out
of place. Maggie is a 15-year-old on a journey to find herself while partaking
in a magical world despite the odds set against her.
I
adore fairy tales and fantasy, but I decided to focus on the realism of
witchcraft when writing my book. No pumpkins turning into golden carriages or
flying monkeys – but those are great, too! While I am not a practicing Wiccan,
I do identify as a Pagan and I’m very familiar with the Wiccan path. I think
presenting the facts behind the nature-based religion is important and made
sure that stayed a priority throughout the story.
It
was crucial for me to depict a witch practicing white magic and being mindful
of how her actions would affect others. I wanted to emphasize the importance of
being ethical while identifying as a witch and casting spells. And hopefully, I
can reach a reader that may have some false preconceptions about “real life” witches.
I
strived to maintain a respectful presence for all religions. I also played with
the dynamic between two best friends who are involved in polar opposite
religions. So yeah, maybe I have a not-so hidden message of let’s be kind to
each other despite our differences.
It
was heart warming to receive positive feedback from Christians who normally
don’t read about witches and enjoyed Invoking
Nonna. Likewise, I received reviews from witches who were excited to read a
realistic portrayal of a witch.
I might
be a little biased, but Invoking Nonna
is an enthralling story with magic, mystery, and some paranormal interactions.
Maggie is on a mission to search for her family’s history in order to unlock
secrets that have been tucked away for years and repair the fractured
relationship with her mother.
Follow Sage:
Website – http://sageadderley.com/
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7559413.Sage_Adderley
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MyNameIsSage
Twitter - https://twitter.com/sageadderley
Author Bio
Sage Adderley is a single (and very busy) mom of three humans and one cat. She is passionate about kindness, coffee, mental health, fat activism, and the DIY lifestyle. Sage is the owner of Sweet Candy Distro & Press, Sage's Blog Tours, and writes the zines Tattooed Memoirs and Marked For Life. She is also the creator of FAT-TASTIC! Sage currently resides in the magical land of Olympia, Wa.
