WRITER'S DREAM: Norse Magic Publication Day!

"May your actions bring honour to your name and your courage never fail in times of adversity."

Today is publication day for my new book, Norse Magic, which I began writing on the winter solstice, December 21st last year. Originally the deadline had been the end of September 2023, but I just knew that this was a book that needed to be written during the winter months in the first instance, so my editor and I juggled a few of my projects around to mean that I could deliver Norse Magic in January instead.   That meant that I could spend the whole of the Christmas season and the first part of the New Year writing this book. It was honestly the best decision, because my love of winter is apparent on every page.

I really wanted this book to have all the charm of a snowy Norse winter, along with seafaring adventure and the danger and victory of battle. To me that is what the Vikings were all about - honour and glory and making a name for themselves.  I didn't want this book to be a simple spell book that slotted the names of Norse deities into the rituals. I wanted it to be a book that left you feeling as if you had spent some time in Scandinavia and set sail with the Vikings themselves.  I wanted it to be a reading adventure with a little bit of history, a little bit of magic and spell-craft, a touch of psychology - all rooted in the mythology and mindset of the Norsemen. Learning the history of a culture is important because it gives a greater depth of understanding to the spells you cast with a specific pantheon of gods and goddesses, in this case Norse. 

My research visits to The Viking Museum in John O'Groats and The British Museum in London really helped to inform this book. There is nothing like diving deep into the culture of a place and its people through the ancient artefacts in museum exhibitions to add colour and authenticity to your work. This kind of immersive research is essential for writers. I love history and I learnt so much from these visits about the values and beliefs of the Norsemen, so hopefully that translates to the page. It is why I was able to write the Viking blessing at the top of this post, which my copy editor thought was an authentic piece of Viking lore! So that was a lovely compliment. 

Norse Magic is also quite a personal book as I was able to dedicate it to the memory of my Highlander friend, Alexander, who sadly passed away a few years ago. He had the heart of a true Viking and I never felt safer or more protected than when I was with him. He is the man who came throwing pebbles at my hotel window in the middle of the night so that he could show me the Northern Lights glimmering over the Highland village of Strathpeffer. It was a very special time and I know that he would be delighted with this book and the dedication. 

There are some stunning illustrations in the book too and the design team at the House have done a fabulous job, sourcing fantastical images of Vikings, Valkyries, Odin, Freya, Thor's Hammer, wolves, reindeer, the northern lights, the polar region adrift with snow and ice and of course, Yggdrasil the World Tree. It's such a pretty book, illustrated almost like a fantasy novel in some ways, which being a fan of fantasy myself, I absolutely love!

I have had a fabulous couple of years of writing about the various mythologies of the world and it is proving to be such a great writing time for me. As someone who adores myths, legends, fairy-tales and folklore, this aspect of my writing career has been incredibly joyful and rewarding. It really doesn't feel like work when I get to immerse myself in the legends and stories of world mythology and I feel incredibly lucky to do what I do for a living. I never take it for granted. 

In my book of Norse Magic you will find elves, dwarves, shield maidens, Nordic witch trails, deities, tricksters, wolves, reindeer, the firefox, trolls, as well as runes, rituals, spells and Nordic charms. It was such a joy to write and I spent a very, very cosy Yuletide sitting by my pink twinkling tree, writing this book into being last year, so I hope that it might find its way under a few of your Christmas trees this year. May you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Perhaps it could be your own Jolabokaflod gift this Christmas Eve? 😊

Bright Blessings

Marie x

AD: My book of Norse Magic is published today in hardcover. My book of Natural Magic was also published in hardcover on the 15th of November 2024. 

BOOK NOOK: Once Upon A Wardrobe by Patti Callahan

 "The door is slightly ajar, and I peek inside and see him sitting at his desk with a pipe in his mouth and a nib pen in hand. He dips it into an inkwell and begins to write quickly. I hear him mumble the words he is writing out loud. He is whispering them into existence on the paper and through his pen. Something otherworldly is happening while he dips and writes and mumbles. I almost expect a faun to jump from beneath his desk or a witch to perch on the windowsill."

I have found that one of the best things about studying and being a student at Oxford University is the sheer number of book recommendations we receive, not only from our Dons who are all published authors themselves, but from fellow students in the Common Room.  Any book that is associated with Oxford's own authors is quick to circulate and as C S Lewis is one of our most famous alumni, along with his friend J R R Tolkien, it was only a matter of time before this one was brought to my attention. It came to me just as I had finished transforming my hallway into a wintry Narnian retreat, so it certainly felt like I was meant to be introduced to this novel.

Like many people, I have loved C S Lewis's Narnia books since early childhood. As an adult I have attended magical events that are based upon his books, most notably The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe movie exhibition at Leeds Royal Armouries and also the Christmas in Narnia event at Castle Howard based on the same book.  Seeing Aslan beaming down on me in a kaleidoscope of colours from inside the dome of the stately home a couple of Christmases ago was a sight and feeling that I shall never forget.  I love to immerse myself in the world of Narnia and in my opinion it is one of the most enchanting fantasy worlds ever created. 

So I was eager to read Once Upon A Wardrobe just for the chance to revisit Narnia from an adult literary perspective.  This novel is written by an American author in American English, rather than British English. As such it is littered with Americanisms: sidewalk instead of pavement, quit instead of stop, math instead of maths, stoop instead of step, take a left instead of turn left etc. This can be a little jarring for British readers, especially as there are no American characters in this novel, so it is purely the author's cultural background that is present within the text.  It is a rather unintentional form of authorial intrusion. 

It wouldn't have taken very much research to use the correct British terminology. All it needed was a gentle tweak from a good editor. I mention this because it is, in all other respects, a quintessentially English book, set in and around Oxford University and detailing the life of one of our most famous and beloved classic children's authors, C S Lewis. So it reads a little incongruently at times. 

Having said that, this is a fantastic and beautiful novel! I absolutely loved and devoured every single page of it. The story is both moving and magical, heart-breaking and enchanting, all at the same time. I enjoyed the author's storytelling style of writing. It has the same quality as a fable or fairytale and she completely draws the reader back into Narnia, but from the perspective of an adult, which is just wonderful. 

The book tells the story of seventeen year old Megs, a student of physics at Oxford University, whose eight year old brother, George, is dying from a heart condition. George's days are numbered and everyone knows it, yet at the same time he is full of life and a yearning for adventure. He finds solace in his favourite book - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and he asks Meg if she will contact C S Lewis, who is a tutor at Oxford, to find out where the story of Aslan and Narnia came from. And so Megs sets out on a quest to do all she can to answer her little brother's question.

Once Upon A Wardrobe is a beautifully atmospheric novel. Set among the dreaming spires of Oxford University with beautiful libraries and lecture halls, stone cottages, cosy pubs offering warm cider on snowy evenings and a trip to the Irish castle that may have inspired the invention of Cair Paravel, this novel will sweep you away on a wintry adventure that is just as heart-warming and fantastical as the original Narnia books.  It is a novel about the power of love of all kinds: romantic, familial and spiritual. It is about finding the heart's own truth and solace in faith through the darkest of times. 

I have loved revisiting Narnia again through the pages of this book and learning more about the man who wrote this world into being in the first place.  It has been a joy to read and to escape into, and I have already got another book by the same author, which is also based on the life of C S Lewis, which I plan to start reading right away. 

If you love Narnia, then you will love rediscovering it through Once Upon A Wardrobe. I couldn't recommend this book more highly. It's such a dreamscape! Once a king or queen in Narnia, always a king or queen in Narnia. Maybe it is time for you to go back through the wardrobe too and pick up your own crown...they say Aslan is on the move... Enjoy! I'm off to watch the movie, with some Turkish Delight and a hot chocolate. 

Serene Blessings

Marie x

AD: This book is published by Harper Muse and is available now in all formats. 

MUSICAL DOLL: The Corrs Concert!

 

My birthday celebrations kicked off last night with The Corrs concert and it was fantastic! I had so much fun. It was cold and wintry, with snow in the forecast, but after a lovely eggnog latte at Starbucks to warm up a bit, I was ready for a night of singing and enjoying myself.

The Corrs were the sound of my twenties and I used to listen to their CDs all the time. A few years later, when I was singing karaoke-anchor in my step-dad's pub in the village, I used to sing their songs a lot because people loved them and they would sing along to the chorus. Those are some very happy memories. 

Last night's concert was amazing, as not only did I get to hear The Corrs perform live, but their support act was Natalie Imbruglia! So I feel like I got two for the price of one and she was great - her diction is fantastic and you could understand every word she was singing, which isn't always the case with some singers, particularly if they have strong regional accents. Both Natalie and Andrea sounded clear and precise in their delivery, which made them a real pleasure to listen to. 

Of course, there were lots of Celtic reels performed by the band too and I think this was one of my favourite aspects of the show. Its why I was drawn to The Corrs in the first instance, because I like the way they combine traditional Celtic music with pop music, creating something that is unique to them.  It's certainly the kind of music to get your feet tapping and people were singing their hearts out and dancing along. Caroline on drums could give Phil Collins a run for his money, while Sharon playing the fiddle stirs up the crowd with her rousing Celtic melodies. Then of course there's Jim, playing guitar and piano and keeping everything together. 

Although the tour was called Talk On Corners after their second breakthrough album, the show was really a retrospective of their entire career to date and more of a greatest hits tour, so all their best known songs were performed and all my own favourites including Give Me A Reason, Breathless, What Can I Do, Radio and I Never Really Loved You Anyway. It was such a fun, happy show and I had the best time. I'll be sharing some clips on my Twitter over the next few days. 

I got some nice souvenirs of the concert with birthday money and I bought a program, a Corrs bag, a couple of CDs including Andrea's solo Christmas album and Natalie Imbruglia's new album which is released on my birthday later this week.  I'll be listening to those on repeat.

When we left the arena I was delighted to see that the promised snow had arrived, our first snowfall this winter, which just felt like an extra birthday present! I love snow, its so pretty. It was nice to be able to walk through the Narnian winter, back to the car, with a bag of birthday goodies and some wonderful memories to cherish forever - not least of which was my 71 year old mother jigging around to one of the Celtic reels! I think its fair to say she enjoyed the show too!

All in all its been a fantastic beginning to my birthday week and I do think that concert tickets make the best presents. Its the gift of a memory, of a shared experience with loved ones and of spending time with your idols.  Now that the show is over, I can listen to their music with new memories attached and remember their concert and the pretty snow that was silently falling as we all sang our hearts out. 

I've decided that on my actual birthday later this week, I'm going to have a nice cosy day at home. For the past few years I've been out on my birthday, to London, Pendle and Edinburgh, so I think this year I just want to have a relaxing birthday at home for a nice change. I never work on my birthday, so I'll just spend the day reading, relaxing, pampering eating cake and watching nice films. That sounds like a good birthday plan.

For now, I'm going to watch my Corrs DVDs and prolong the joy of last night's concert. It was so much fun and I had the best time. What a festive start to my birthday week! 

The Corrs are coming to the end of their tour now, but I think they still have dates in London, if you fancy a trip to see them. They've definitely put me in the Celtic mood and I feel ready to celebrate my birthday and the festive season!

Bright Blessings

Marie x

ONCE UPON A DREAM: Oxford, Michaelmas Term

 

We are heading into the final weeks of Michaelmas Term, and for me its the final stretch of my year at Oxford University.  The pressure is ramping up as assignment season gets underway again and I am working hard on my last Oxford essay.  I've really enjoyed this term and I think it has been my favourite one so far. I have found the work to be both interesting and constructive and I can see how it will prove useful to me in the future.  I haven't always had that feeling at the end of a course, so to know that I have learnt new skills and processes that I can use for advancing my ambitions is very rewarding. 

This term we have been focusing on writing from our own experience, which is something I have always done anyway, but its nice to be actively encouraged to do this! For me its just an aspect of being a writer. Everything is raw material that I can use in my work, writing about the places, experiences and encounters that I find the most telling. It pays to be nice to authors, or they could make you the villain of their masterpiece!  

One of the things I have most enjoyed this term is that we have been encouraged to fictionalise our experiences and turn our real-life nemeses into equally vile characters on the page. This has been tremendous fun as you can probably imagine!

That is the whole premise of our final assignment - to fictionalise a difficult encounter and dramatize the whole thing, creating characters from circumstances we have experienced.  I have chosen to write about the time I was working in a nursing home back in my early twenties, and the toxic factions and spiteful behaviour I experienced there because ambition was thought of as a dirty word, unless of course, you had ambitions to be a nurse. That was acceptable, but if your ambition was for anything outside of the care sector then you were basically viewed as a pariah! It was as if I should have been content to empty bed pans and work in the sluice for the rest of my life. As if! 

I've been having a great time fictionalising these events: pinning down vile, two-faced behaviour and exploring bitterness and resentment through characterisation on the page. It's been a really fun assignment to write because the main character gets to watch as her nemeses prove to be their own downfall. Of course, that's the point of fictionalising negative encounters and events - as the author you get to create the outcome you prefer, to change the negative experience into something more positive and fun to write, which is why this technique is often used in therapy too. Our student discussions certainly seem to suggest that most of us have found this assignment and style of work extremely cathartic!

If you have ever worked in a nursing home, or anywhere there are large groups of women thrown together, then you will know the kind of thing I'm talking about here - the back-stabbing, sabotage, spiteful gossip; the cliques and family groups who work to exclude everyone else, at the same time as envying or judging anyone who tries to get ahead or change careers. It's the "Who does she think she is?!" mentality at work. The Australians call it tall poppy syndrome and most of us have experienced some version of it, which makes it a topic worth writing about - in a fictional sense, of course - because so many people are able to relate to it.

This assignment reminds me of a similar one I had to write for my Psychotherapy degree a few years ago, where we had to imagine a situation with a person who had hurt and overpowered us in some way, then rewrite the incident so that we had all the power instead. It's a bog-standard therapy exercise, but it was fun to to explore the concept of re-writing your personal history to better suit yourself. It's a great journal exercise too. 

This final Oxford assignment has the same vibes. Take something that really happened and that was unfair or unpleasant and turn it into a piece of fiction. Characterise the people from your past, then let your imagination run free and turn them into whatever you want - sociopaths, narcissists, bank-robbers, murderers, anthropomorphic snakes etc, then create a main character who can deal with them and bring about some kind of justice on the page. If we were to take the anthropomorphic snake as an example of the nemesis, then the main character could be the vet who euthanizes it, or the anthropomorphic eagle who hunts and kills it. Problem solved. Catharsis achieved by the power of the pen!

So it's a really great assignment to end the course with and I must say I'm having a lot of fun writing this one! I'm about half-way through the essay itself and I still have the supporting work to go through and link up. I have competed all the Unit based course work, so its just this last assignment to finish and submit by the deadline. There are still a few classes to go but I can see the finish line just up ahead. I'm trying not to rush and race towards it because I very much want to enjoy what is left of Michaelmas term at Oxford, in the run up to the festive season. I do believe that a glass of bubbly will be in order though, once my final assignment is finished and handed in to the Don.

Serene Blessings

Marie x 

IVORY TOWER: Joyful Comforts of A Magical Home

 

The picture I have in my hallway, as you first walk through the door.

I don't know about you, but I have been feeling a little out of sorts with the state of the world recently. Maybe its my age, but I am just sick and tired of all the doom and gloom every time I turn on the TV or radio. It can get you down if you allow it to, or make you feel anxious and fearful. When the headlines are full of war, poverty, social unrest, political debacles and so on, it is more important than ever to ensure that your own space offers comfort and joy to you and your family. 

Your home should be your refuge from the darkness of a volatile world. It is the place you escape to after work each day. Perhaps, like me, its the place where you work from. If that is the case then it is even more necessary that it should be a sacred space that nurtures you and supports your highest good. That isn't always the case though and sometimes it can seem as if our homes are part of the problem, not the solution.  My own house has sprung not one, but two leaks this year. The first leak coming from the bathroom and down into the hallway. The second leak happened when the boiler overheated due to faulty parts that had to be replaced. None of this was a catastrophe. It was just inconvenient and time consuming, but it did give me the opportunity to reassess my home and the perfect excuse to redecorate! 

So this year, I have been up to my eyes in rollers, brushes, paint, wallpaper and paste. It has been very hard work, especially as my wrists are still healing from the riding accident, so its been tough on them, but also a good exercise in their flexibility.  What started off as a quick lick of paint in the bathroom turned into something more significant.  To begin with I decided that I wanted more pink in my house. None of the rooms were pink before, but pink has always been my favourite colour, so I decided to paint the bathroom in a soft ballet slipper pink. I did it back in the summer and it looks so pretty and feminine. 

A couple of weeks after finishing the bathroom, the boiler leaked in the kitchen, so then the kitchen needed to be redecorated too. Luckily I already had the wallpaper I'd picked out for it a while back, so I just needed to choose the paint colour.  I picked out a gorgeous old gold paint that reminded me of the ochre on Stirling Castle. It went beautifully with the wallpaper, which was a champagne background with glittering golden trees. It took over a week to do the kitchen, as I had to keep resting my wrists so they didn't swell too much.  However, once it was finished I was absolutely delighted with it. I added mirrored butterflies to one corner, so it looks like they are flying up and away, plus I gave all my old uplighter lamps a makeover with golden butterflies on the shades and glittering fairies or butterflies clamped to the stand.  The glittering trees on the wallpaper and the mirrored butterflies bounce the light around the room and lend a feeling of whimsical enchantment. 

I wanted the room to have a magical atmosphere, like stepping out of a glowing wintry forest and into the warmth and comfort of a castle, like Stirling or Camelot. Once my Celtic ornaments and arched mirrors were back in place, the kitchen looked like a different world! 

I was so happy with how the bathroom and kitchen had turned out, I knew that I wanted to touch up the living room and get my hallway redecorated before Christmas too. I always have themes whenever I am decorating. Originally the theme in my hallway had been Gothic, with wolves and bats and gargoyles. Sadly over the years, many of these have been broken and so I decided I would come up with a new theme entirely for the hall. 

I did some pondering and I thought about how I wanted to feel each time I crossed the threshold into my home. I wanted to feel like I was leaving the drab and dreary everyday world far behind and entering into another realm entirely. What gave me that feeling? Well, Scotland obviously, but also - Narnia!!  Each time I walked into my house, I wanted to feel like Lucy stepping out of the wardrobe and into Narnia for the first time, with the snow and the forest and the magic that awaits. Now that I had my theme I could begin.

I used more of the same glittering trees wallpaper that had proved so effective in my kitchen, then I painted all the doors and frames in soft white gloss. They had been forest green before, so it took a few coats to make them white and snowy, but I got there in the end.  Then I added an iridescent bead curtain, hanging down the side of the stairs to look like an icy waterfall. I added a few iridescent icicles interspersed with the bead curtain strands, and a pretty humming bird hanging from the ceiling. 

Then I set to work transforming things I already had with a couple of coats of glitter paint. First I painted all the banisters so that they glimmer in the light. Then I added glitter to my woodland animal wall plaques: a wolf, hedgehog, hare, owl and stag. These now look like the animals of Narnia, twinkling with a fresh fall of snow.  I added glitter paint, amethyst and rose quartz crystals, and two little sparkly birds to an old bird-feeder sunshine-plaque to make a wintry bird's nest.  Next I pinned a white frosted leaf garland by the side of the door and placed a pure white squirrel climbing a snowy branch next to it, so that it looks like it is climbing up the frosted-leaf doorframe.

To complete the Narnian vibes I hung my jewelled crown and a rainbow pastel-coloured unicorn horn on the base board, and surrounded them with more mirrored butterflies left over from the kitchen. Once all the wolf and sparkly stag pictures were hung back in place, with a couple of new red fox pictures too, it all began to look very magical and wintry.  Then I placed the picture at the very top of this post, of the famous Narnian lamp-post in a snowy forest, opposite the front door so it is one of the first things you see as you come into the house. 

I couldn't be more delighted with how it has turned out. Now the whole downstairs of my house is like a wintery wonderland, with sparkly pictures and accessories, creamy white faux fur soft furnishings and whimsical bits and bobs dotted around. I love it! It really is like stepping into Narnia each time I come home, or when I come downstairs in the morning. It makes me smile and so happy to see it all.  As November is my birthday month I have asked for a couple more things to add to the theme - just a finishing touch here and there, but which will really give the space a sense of enchantment and wonder.

I'm so glad that I did it. It was hard work. I couldn't have done it without my mum, as she is a whizz at wallpapering! It was certainly worth the time and effort it has taken. I feel like I now live in Narnia and the Highlands combined!  I'm not planning to do anymore decorating this year, but I do already have all the things I need to transform my bedroom into a shimmering pink haven of feminine tranquillity, so that's next year's job. 

Sometimes you have to create your own enchantment, especially in the place you call home, which is the buffer that protects you and your family from the dangers and volatility of the outside world.  It's the one place where you get to decide how it will look and what sort of feeling and vibe you want it to give to you as you walk in the door. Choosing glimmering, glittering wallpapers was the best thing I could have done for such a small house, because it really makes the most of the light, bouncing it around and just gleaming! I love how warm and glowy and glamourous it looks, and how wintry it is without seeming cold and stark.  Most of all, I love how other-worldly, whimsical and enchanting it is now. It truly is a magical home! 

What can you do to bring more enchantment into your home? 

Serene Blessings,

Marie x

BOOK NOOK : Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

 "There's a princess trapped in a tower.

This isn't her story."

It is a stormy night tonight. The wind is blowing the last of the leaves off the trees in my garden and the rain is battering against the windowpanes.  I have autumnal fairy lights twinkling around me and a Pumpkin Chai scented candle burning on my desk as I write. We are heading into the arc of winter now and I'm so happy that the dark season is all around us! It's the ideal time to curl up with a book and work your way through your to-be-read (tbr) pile, which is exactly what I have been doing this evening.

After reading lots of dark and spooky novels for review in the run up to Halloween, I was in the mood for something brighter, something light and lovely, but still seasonally appropriate. Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher is just the ticket, being a semi-dark retelling of a classic fable. The Sleeping Beauty is my favourite fairytale so when I came upon this novella, based on the sleeping princess, I knew I had to read it and I'm so glad that I did!

Thornhedge is the story of Toadling, a fairy changeling who is charged with protecting the cursed tower in which the princess sleeps. Toadling is a gentle spirit, with the ability to shapeshift into a toad at will. Although she protects the tower, she misses the water and the river bank which she believes to be her natural habitat. But Toadling is much more than she first appears. She isn't beautiful, but she is intriguing. She might be alone, but she is well-loved and she has plenty of friends - they're just far away, back at the river. She isn't powerful, but she has enough magic in her to ward the princess as she sleeps peacefully in her bed, in the chamber at the top of the tower.

For such a tiny book, this novella ticks all the right boxes for a beautiful and enchanting fairytale. There is a beautiful princess, a cursed tower, a knight in armour riding to the rescue and offering his assistance. There are plenty of surprises along the way. Our heroine is a quiet girl who wants to live a simple peaceful life, until a wicked fairy intervenes and sets her on a new path entirely, leaving her lost and seemingly abandoned at the tower. 

Thornhedge is poetically written in the style of a traditional fable. It is the kind of story that lifts your spirits and carries you away to the land of the Fey. It is just dark enough to be a great choice for autumn reading, but at the same time it is light enough to take your mind off the dark nights if they don't agree with you. I wish this book was the first in a series of fairytale novellas by this author, but alas that doesn't seem to be the case, although she has written some full length fairytale novels which I am definitely going to read. 

All in all, I have had a lovely time reading this book. It's full of whimsical magic and enchantment, really lifting you out of reality and into another world altogether. It also takes no time at all to read, being a novella, so its ideal for busy people. I highly recommend this book. It presents a lovely world that I am so sad to leave now that I've finished the book. 

If you enjoy fairytale retellings and mystical enchantment, then you will probably enjoy this little book too. Happy reading!

Serene Blessings

Marie x

AD: This books was published by Titan Books in August 2024 and it is available now in all formats.