BOOK NOOK: The Winter Spirits

 

"There remained things in the world that you should never invite in. Horned things that walked in the deepest dark of the year." 

The Salt Miracles by Natasha Pulley

Last year I read a fantastic anthology of spooky stories called The Haunting Season, which I enjoyed very much, so I was delighted when the publisher, Little Brown Book Group, sent me an ARC of their follow up title, The Winter Spirits; Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights. I was so excited to read it that I put everything else on hold, curled up under a blanket and lost myself in a dozen chilling winter's tales.  

I have been desperate to share this book on my blog, but I wasn't allowed to mention it until just before publication date.  As I recieved the ARC back at the very beginning of autumn, it has been hard keeping this one to myself, because its just so good! Many of the authors who contributed to the original anthology have also written stories for The Winter Spirits too, so it has the feel of a group of old friends gathering together to celebrate the dark season.  Laura Purcell, Bridget Collins, Kiran Milwood Hargrave, Jess Kidd to name a few, have once again come together to bring about a fabulous anthology of ominous tales that will leave you as chilled as the kiss of first frost. 

The twelve tales are sinister and atmospheric, set mostly in Victorian times when ghost stories were all the rage. In this collection we have table tapping seances, sinister dolls, macabre theatricals and a very disturbing familiar spirit.  Here there are Yuletide balls on snowy nights, the Victorian language of fans takes on a disturbing new meaning, while pagan folklore and ancient spirits come to life, bringing death in their wake. 

There are also stories that have a more gentile feel to them; ones where ghostly happenings are wrapped in Regency gowns and lacy corsets, where a new gown or a pretty accessory for a Christmas party are all tied up in menacing packages. I especially enjoyed these contributions because there is something so thrilling about fine ladies being haunted during the darkest, coldest nights of the year!

Some of my favourite tales were A Double Thread, Widow's Walk, Carol of the Bells and Chains and Ada Lark. I also enjoyed Inferno, which recounts what happens to lecherous men when they encounter a vengeful female spirit! My other favourites include The Salt Miracles and Banished, largely because these are both set in Scotland and based on factual events, which adds greatly to the spooky feel, and also The Gargoyle, which is dripping with Gothic atmosphere and might possibly be the best of a great bunch. 

I have been bursting to blog about this collection of imaginative and grotesque tales for weeks now, and while it isn't out quite yet, I am finally allowed to share it. Lucky for you, you only have a few days to wait until you can get your hands on it!

So if, like me, you enjoy snuggling down on a winters night with a good ghost story, or you enjoyed The Haunting Season, then The Winter Spirits will be right up your street. It is another triumph of an anthology, bringing together chills, thrills, ominous atmosphere and the macabre. If you like to be a little bit spooked during the darker evenings, then I highly recommend this book. It's perfect for a cosy night in, hidden under the duvet, reading by candlelight with a pumpkin spice latte beside you. And if the candles flicker, you'll know you're not alone. Don't get too spooked!

BB Marie x

AD: This book was sent to me by the publisher for the purposes of review. It is published on October 19th 2023, in hardcover, digital and audio formats and is up for Pre-Order now. 

WRITER'S DREAM; My 2nd Psychotherapy Book!

 

"Coming through a dark night of the soul, or a period of low mood, can feel like springtime. Suddenly you see bright colours, whereas before everything seemed very grey. You begin to appreciate the little things once more, such as the sound of birdsong, a frosty morning, the sun on your face or a scattering of wild flowers. You become increasingly aware of the gift of your life and more inclined to make the most of it. Suddenly, you want to do everything!  The world is full of possibility and you are open to it once more. Having finally emerged from the chrysalis, you are ready to test your wings and fly!" 

I have been so excited about the release of my new Celtic Magic Oracle Deck, I had completely forgotten that my second psychotherapy book was also published on the same day, October 1st and I am beyond proud of this one. This is the book that I was working hard on over Christmas last year and it was so hard to keep it a secret! 

The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care is the book that I always imagined myself writing when I was up to my eyes in four-hour-long university lectures, extended essays and clinical practice hours.  It is the book that I was secretly making notes for in class, when I should have been writing observational feedback for Triad exercises!

From the day I walked into my very first counselling lecture at Level One, back in September 2013, I already had the goal in mind to write and publish a book like this one. Over the years however, I was frequently told by other counsellors that it is impossible to get a psychotherapy book published and they should know because they've tried and failed, and they're already qualified...and so on and so forth.  Undeterred, I maintained my goal, allowing that ambition to grow and develop as I moved through five years of university level training, before graduating as a fully qualified psychotherapist in 2018. 

Of course, the fact that so many other counsellors were at pains to try and put me off the idea of writing and publishing a book on this topic, really only served to spur me on even more. If they were feeling the sting of competition, then as far as I was concerned, that meant I was onto something! I also knew I was in a far stronger position than they were, because I was already a traditionally published author, with a network of contacts across publishing houses and the magazines that I wrote for at the time. 

Is it quite arrogant to assume that you are, one day, going to publish a book on a subject in which you're not yet even qualified? Probably. Is such an accusation enough to stop me holding onto that ambition, and subsequently seeing it through to a successful conclusion? Never! 

I prefer to think of it as professional confidence, rather than arrogance. I knew I was in a strong position to achieve the goal. I had already made a name for myself as a book author in the publishing industry. I was already successfully publishing articles in the top UK magazines on various therapy related topics. In addition, I began to write a monthly psychotherapy column for a magazine almost as soon as I qualified, back in 2018, which continued for three years. This was just a few months after I left my role as a key-stone columnist with Spirit&Destiny magazine. 

So publishing a book on the topic of psychotherapy wasn't much of a stretch for me. It was more like a natural progression of my writing expertise. In comparison to the other counsellors, who had never published anything via the traditional publishing industry, it's not really that surprising that I succeeded where they failed. 

That said, the fact that I had so many naysayers heckling me along the way and wishing me to fail, as they had failed, does tend to make the triumph of publishing The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care even sweeter. When people go out of their way to try and derail you, or sabotage you in some way, its usually because you are more likely to succeed at something than they are! Take such behaviour as encouragement and stay your course.  Turn the naysayers into the motivation you need to prove them wrong. That is exactly what I did and I achieved my goal. 

The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care, which takes the reader/client from Rock Bottom, right through to the moment that they are ready to leave therapy and try their wings, came on quite a journey to get to its publication day.  Initially, the synopsis I wrote back in 2019 was for a straightforward counselling book, but I felt that it was missing something. It needed something to set it apart from other counselling books, which are usually academic tomes aimed at psychotherapy students, rather than for the general public. Like my psychotherapy column, I knew I wanted this book to be aimed at the general public, including my current Mind, Body, Spirit audience, so I tweaked the original synopsis and added in a witchy element. 

I did this during the first Covid lock-down of 2020, when I also updated my Author CV and One-Sheet, so that I had a full book proposal package to send out. Then, having just graduated with a Masters Degree in Creative Writing, I submitted to my publisher in 2021. My editor liked the idea, but she wanted to concentrate on MBS initially, so this book wasn't actually commissioned until 2022, meaning that it was rather a long nail-biting process. It was certainly worth the wait! 

From as far back as 2011 I was writing posts on this blog about wanting to blend my Wiccan work with more mainstream self-help, and in The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care I have done just that.  This is an amalgamation of my practical knowledge and experience as a counsellor, and the magical work I am known for.  

Blending topics is always a risk, because you are reaching two audiences with one book.  There will be some people who don't like that I have written The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care, be they hard-core Wiccans who would have preferred it to be a spells-only book, or counsellors/self-help readers who don't see the point of including witchcraft at all. There will also be some readers who simply aren't ready for the teachings I present here, because it requires a very proactive approach from the reader. Some people are just looking to wave a magic wand and make everything better without any effort on their part, but that's not what any of my books are about! You have to be prepared to do the leg work.  Still, you can't please everybody and I knew when I tweaked the initial synopsis that a book like this one will always have its critics. 

For my own part, I'm really happy with how it turned out and I know that my publishers love it, with editors saying how much they have personally benefited from reading it. So I know that the book is helpful to those who will read it with an open mind and a willingness to learn and try new things. 

I also feel a significant sense of accomplishment, in that I feel I have achieved a certain amount of social justice in publishing a book like this one.  It has always been a bugbear of mine that one-to-one counselling is so difficult to access for some people. Private counselling is expensive, meaning that those on a low income simply can't afford it, while waiting lists for free counselling via the NHS and charities such as Cruse Bereavement Care, are extremely long, leaving people hanging when they need help. 

While my book is certainly never going to be enough to plug the huge hole in such counselling services, I do firmly believe that it can help people in a real, practical and immediate way - and it only costs a one off payment of £10. Or you could borrow it free from the library, so it is an easily affordable, readily available source of therapeutic help, which can only be a good thing.  It's not meant to be a substitute for counselling, unless you want it to be, but it can certainly bridge the gap and tide someone over until they can access one-to-one therapy. 

That was always the main goal behind this book - to leap-frog right over the expensive, elitist snobbery of counselling and give everyone, regardless of income or background, an inexpensive, readily available source of instant therapy - one that offers the same professional tools they would pay to access within a private counselling practice.  

What meant the most to me, during the writing of this project, was not how many spells I could include in the book, but that I managed to get the vital therapeutic information out there in an accessible way -  accessible for everyone, whether they can afford a therapist or not!

Although I have never subscribed to the old adage that counsellors are going to change the world one client at a time, which to me seems rather pompous and full of hubris, I do believe that books have a far wider reach than any counsellor, in any organisation, ever will. 

This then is my book - The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care - an ambition long held, one I was often ridiculed for, but one I achieved nonetheless. Hopefully, it is a source of therapeutic comfort, help and guidance for those who need it most. 

I really hope that you like this magical, psychotherapy book and that you find it useful. It is the culmination of my personal decade-long counselling-practitioner  journey and I am so happy that it is published! 

Finally holding this book in my hands feels very surreal. Publication of my work isn't something that I ever take for granted and it never gets old! It is always such a thrill, no matter how many books I've published over the years.  

If you too are struggling with naysayers in your life, just remember - first they laugh - then they copy!

I hope that you enjoy my latest book. 

Serene Blessings

Marie x

AD; THE WICCAN GUIDE TO SELF-CARE is available now in both digital and paperback formats.   The CELTIC MAGIC ORACLE DECK is also out now. 

WRITER'S DREAM; My Celtic Magic Oracle Deck!

 

"The result is a deck that I hope sings to you with all the vibrancy of the Celtic harp, drum and pipes. May you spin your own path of magic and light, using the visionary skills of the Celts to guide you, through these cards."

I am delighted to announce that today is Publication Day for my second oracle deck, and if there was ever a project that I was born to write, it is this one!  The Celtic Magic oracle deck has been the wish of my heart made manifest. I had so much fun inventing this deck and writing the project into being.  I had thought that my first Moon Magic card deck was a dream come true, but this one is so much more than a dream to me - this is my deep love of Scotland, my soul home, and my experiences there, along with my Bruce heritage, all conjured into a beautiful Celtic oracle. 

I love it and I'm so proud of it. I feel like all my time spent in the Highlands really came into its own for this project. Those Scots friends who know me well, will acknowledge the secrets kept within the cards and may even find themselves there too, because each card symbolises not only its oracular interpretation within the deck, but a more private, hidden meaning too, known only to myself and my Highlanders. 

This is why the deck is dedicated to all my Scots friends - because they are right there in the cards! From the Lone Piper, Anam Cara and Celtic Harp, to the Cailleach, Gall-Gaidheal and Stolen Kiss, to Standing Stones, Handfasting and the Ban Sith, each card carries a special meaning and tells its own secret story of the love and friendship, hopes and dreams that have unfolded between me and my Highlanders over the years.  

There is a Gaggle of Celtic Witches represented in the pages of the book, including the Witch of Dornoch, the Witch of Nairn, the Berwick Witches and the Brahan Seer. The photographic imagery in the book and on the cards will be very familiar to my friends in the Scottish Highlands -  images of Rest and be Thankful, the Brahan Seer Stone, Eileen Donan Castle and so on. Strathpeffer is mentioned in the blurb on the back of the box and in the book. All are places which I have loved spending time in and where I have made some very special memories with my Scots friends. 

Of course, I couldn't create a Celtic oracle deck without including my hero, Robert the Bruce. He is represented by the Good King card, which is obviously one of my favourites from the deck.  In a way, this entire project is written in honour of him and of what it means to be a Bruce, with the legacy that brings. Cards such as Gallowglass, Monarch of the Glen, Warrior Poet and Claymore - or the Conflict cards as I call them - are all inspired by the Bruce spirit and the battle in our blood. We are not a Clan to be messed with! 

Interestingly, the image on the Good King card is of a statue of Robert the Bruce that stands in Stirling, just outside the famous Stirling Castle. I had my photograph taken with that statue way back in 2000, on my first visit to Stirling. I fell in love with the town, it's castle and history. Everywhere I looked streets were named after the Bruce or the Wallace. There were lots of statues of both Scottish heroes dotted around the town centre. I felt completely at home! This was also the holiday when I met my friend Bob Beverage, whom you might have seen in some of Neil Oliver's Celtic documentaries for the BBC. He loves getting all dressed up in historical Clan costumes and I don't think I've ever seen him in normal, modern clothes! What you can't see in the photo, is Bob trying to make me laugh off camera, as this was the day we first met on his tour bus. 

Its funny how life works out, because I knew back then that I wanted to write about Scotland and Celtic history, but I couldn't see how I was going to manage it. Over the years I have incorporated snippets of Scottish history into my work, both in my books and columns, but I didn't get to write entire projects on this topic until very recently. It took me over twenty years, from posing with the statue of Robert the Bruce in 2000, to having that same image on the Good King card in my Celtic oracle deck! Its one of those little serendipitous moments that occur in a magical life. 

Often, when you pick up a Celtic book or card deck, it is heavily influenced and written from a purely Irish perspective. However, as a Bruce, I was absolutely determined that my Celtic oracle and books would be written from a predominantly Scottish influence and although the other Celtic regions, such as Wales, Ireland and Cornwall, are also present in the deck, it is Scotland that is the main influence behind this project. 

I couldn't have put more of myself into this oracle if I'd written it in my own blood! It's a thoroughly Bruce project and one that only I could have written, because only I have had the experiences that went into it. 

However it is received by the general public, I'm really happy with how it has turned out and proud as punch. This is a huge goal achieved and one that went beyond my wildest Celtic dreams. 

I hope that you all love my Celtic Magic oracle deck as much as I do and make sweet seanachie magic with it. May the road rise up to meet you and the wind be always at your back. 

Blessed Be

Marie Bruce x

AD: The Celtic Magic Oracle deck is published today! 

        The Moon Magic Orcacle deck is also out now.

WRITER'S DREAM; 25 Years An Author

 

"There will inevitably be people around you who are indifferent to your goals and your success. Don’t take this personally. Most people are all wrapped up in their own lives and they might be too busy working on their own transformation to give a hoot about yours! That’s okay. You don’t need cheerleaders. You have the power to motivate yourself and to get ahead under your own steam." 

It is a blustery day, alternating sunshine and showers as I settle in at my escritoire desk to write this post. My study is lit with strawberry scented candles and the occasional glimmer of sunshine, which brings to life the crystal sun-catcher in the window.  As we move deeper into autumn, with the equinox soon to be upon us this weekend, I am looking forward to another dark season of writing and creativity. 

Writing is, for me at least, a daily habit. It is something that I have always done from a young age.  For decades now I have produced a daily word count, working on various projects from books and columns, to music and essays.  I have written for various publishers, in various formats - but I have always written every day, regardless of whatever else might be going on in my life. 

I have been a traditionally published author now for over 25 years. That's half my life. It means that I have spent the biggest majority of my adult working life in the publishing industry, as a core-contributing author.  That is quite an achievement, especially when I recall that I was once thought of as someone who couldn't stick to anything and who hopped from job to job! But the fact is, that I have actually been in the same job for over 25 years - the career of authorship. 

This longevity in publishing is something that people tend to gloss over, especially when they are wondering how on earth I have managed it, asking themselves;  How has she managed to be repeatedly published, across many formats, for over two decades? They are imagining an overnight success story, where everything has been handed to me on a plate, but nothing could be further from the truth. 

The answer is simple and rather more mundane. I prioritized my writing above everything else, from the age of 20. I spent the first few years being rejected by publishers, but I stuck to my goal. I remained steadfast and dedicated to my true calling, even when everyone else told me to 'stick to a real job'.  Well, I've actually had a real job as a published writer for 25 years now - and I'm still working as an author, all these years later. It's not really the kind of job that you ever retire or take a sabbatical from. It's a dream of a job and I certainly don't plan on giving up! I will always be a writer. It's a deeply ingrained part of my psyche. 

In my newly published book that was released earlier this month, Wicca for Self-Transformation, which is a blend of both Wiccan and Psychotherapy practices, I have stated that it is in our daily habits where we create our own success or failure in life. We can be self-disciplined or self-sabotaging. My habit of achieving a daily word count is the self-discipline of being a professional writer.  Someone who prioritizes dating, or holidays, or kids or the rat-race, is unlikely to reap the same literary results as I have, because their habits are geared towards a short term outcome, rather than a long term career goal in publishing.  You have to prioritize the life you dream of, over the life you currently live, focusing on long term goals, rather than short term gratification. 

Different people will have different priorities, but for me, it has always been the writing. My writing comes first and that is why I am still being commissioned to write new books, 25 years on. I have worked hard at my craft and while no author can possibly please every reader, all the time, I have a reputation within the publishing industry for creating good, clean copy to a tight deadline and my work is well-recieved. Again, this professional reputation is something that I have built over the past two and a half decades. It certainly didn't happen overnight, but people often prefer to believe that it did, or that my success is all down to luck.  It isn't. Luck might play a small part, but it simply doesn't last this long.

It's down to habits and priorities and strategy. 

It's down to being dedicated to my authorial path from the age of 20.

It's down to self-discipline.

It's down to eight consecutive years in higher education, culminating in a Masters Degree in Creative Writing. 

It's down to having a daily writing practice, no matter what. 

As my first two Psychotherapy based books are released this autumn, I am feeling very content with my writing life. I have achieved the goal I set for myself way back in 2013 of publishing a book that draws upon my psychotherapy training, practice and experience in counselling clients. This autumn, I will realize that goal not just once, but twice over, yet it has taken ten years to achieve it.  Most people would have given up. 

Instead, I kept going. I believed in the books that I wanted to write and I knew I just needed to wait for the right editor and publisher to come along - one who could also see the value in the topics I wanted to explore in my Psychotherapy based books.  In publishing, nothing happens overnight. The long waiting time is what separates the wheat from the chaff, as those who write on a whim expecting instant results, simply fall by the wayside. Publishing is a long game, not a get rich quick scheme. 

The publishing landscape has also changed considerably in the 25 years I've been writing books. Its no longer feasible to learn on the job, as it was when I started out, and the 16 year old cub reporter is a thing of the past.  Also inclusivity is essential if you want your work to be seriously considered by editors, and anything that sniffs of cultural appropriation is frowned upon, unless you're writing in a historical context about cultures of the the ancient world, rather than a current modern day culture. So a lot has changed in the past two decades. 

I'm very proud of my two Psychotherapy books. They were fantastic fun to write and I greatly enjoyed the process. I hope to do more of them in the future. For now, I am enjoying the glow of a major goal achieved. My second Psychotherapy book, The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care,  is released next month and I am even more excited about that one, as it is the book that I planned to write all along, throughout my psychotherapy training. Seeing it in print for the first time is going to be quite a surreal experience, because it is something that I have been dreaming of and working towards for a decade. That's a long time to hold a goal in your heart and move steadily towards it. It will be fantastic to finally hold the finished book in my hands. 

In the meantime, I have been writing more of my magical work this year, but with a mythological twist! It's always great when an editor asks you to write on a particular topic, especially when its a topic that you have enjoyed studying and reading over the years. 

This dark season, as the weather turns colder,  I am planning to spend my days tucked away in my snug candlelit study, deeply absorbed in world mythologies and their various ancient pantheons. It's so interesting and a very engaging topic, one that I have enjoyed for many years. Curled up in the buttoned-leather chair in my little library, laptop on my knee, immersed in the Classics by candlelight, gives me all the scholarly, dark academia vibes that I adore.  

Being commissioned to write projects is one of the best aspects of my job.  It's such a privilege to work with a talented and creative editor. I love the projects that we come up with together, batting ideas back and forth until we find the sweet spot and we know we've hit on an idea that will work. It's not something that I ever take for granted. I know how fortunate I am - but I also know how long and hard I worked to get here. No-one else did it for me and I didn't use anyone else to manifest these opportunities.  I got here all on my own.

It is strange how life has a habit of working out. If you'd told me when I was a young woman that not only would I achieve my dream of writing and publishing a book, but that I would still be writing and publishing my books in 25 years time, I probably would have laughed. It would have seemed too good to be true. But it is true, because for 25 years I have prioritized my writing. 

Now, over thirty published books later - I'm still reaping the rewards of my stubborn single-mindedness, despite being told by people, my own grandmother among them, that it wouldn't last and it was probably all just a flash in the pan. My Nan actually wanted me to apply for assistant manager in her local supermarket instead as it was a more secure job! Glad I didn't take her advice on that one!  

Yet still, I spend my day to day working life surrounded by crystals and scented candles, spinning out written webs of magic, mythology and oracular fortunes, working away in my cosy little house.  

It is a blessed life indeed and I am very grateful for it. 

25 years an author.

Not bad for a flash in the pan - and I wouldn't have it any other way. My Nan would be so proud - and probably a wee bit gobsmacked! 

BB Marie x 

AD - Wicca for Self-Transformation is out now in hardcover, digital and audio formats. 

         The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care is released on Oct 1st 2023, available for Pre-Order

BOOK NOOK; In These Hallowed Halls

 "The campus is breathtakingly beautiful during the winter months much in the way gorgeous women are unapproachable and cold, though the way I first saw Delphi is how it'll always be burned in my brain - that collegiate idyll of verdant vines and Gothic spires, autumnal foliage rustling on the whisper of a temperate breeze."

from Pythia by Olivie Blake

I have been waiting for a book like this! I was extremely excited to receive an ARC of it from Titan publishers and I have been engrossed in it ever since.  In These Hallowed Halls is a Dark Academia anthology of short stories and I'm sure I'm not the only Reader who couldn't wait to get their hands on it! 

Dark Academia is a relatively new genre of fiction, being part dystopian, part thriller, with a heavy Gothic influence, set in traditional academic surroundings. Think prestigious seats of learning such as Oxford, Edinburgh or Cambridge Universities, lost in swathes of autumn mist and mystery and you get the idea of what this genre is all about. I have been reading DA books for a while now and they are usually fairly long novels, so I was intrigued to see how this trope would play out in a short fiction format.  It works beautifully and I couldn't stop turning the pages, reading late into the night, until I had finished the book. 

I always loved school stories as a child, so the adult DA genre is right up my street. This collection has everything that my scholarly heart yearns for - Gothic buildings, dusty old books, cosy common rooms, glowing fire-lit libraries on stormy winter afternoons, hot buttered toast, copious amount of tea and coffee and of course, mysteries to unravel and solve.  It transports the reader to the very epicenter of elite education and top drawer universities, where wealth and intellect are the only currencies that count.  It is a book that makes you want to step into that world, as new teacher, Mia, discovers in X House;

"Miss Tavish opens a door, and Mia steps inside her new world. It is surprisingly cosy; A fire in the grate crackles merrily, a thick, warm rug covers the wide plank floors, a sofa with a cushion that sags towards the left arm offers a welcoming embrace for evening reading and tea."

Written by some of the top DA authors of modern publishing such as Olivie Blake and M L Rio, the student angst rolls off the pages amid tales of sinister Artificial Intelligence, missing students and the odd murder. The collection starts off strong with 1000 Ships, a story about sexual misconduct and plagiarism, and it goes on from there, remaining strong throughout. In these pages you will find dangerous hazing rituals, initiations, secret societies, supernatural shape-shifters, school shootings and a gifted musician with a taste for greatness and murder mystery. 

In These Hallowed Halls is a fantastic collection, being both sinister and cosy at the same time, as all the best Dark Academia should be. My favorite stories in the collection are 1000 Ships, The Hare and the Hound, X House, Phobos and Playing.  These stories held me on the edge of my seat and they are the ones that have stayed with me upon finishing the book. 

Each story features a skillful use of pathetic fallacy to build atmosphere and a strong sense of place. It is obvious that you are reading authors who are at the top of their game and who have made this genre their own. To distill all the complexities of Dark Academia into a short story is no easy task, but the authors of this collection have done just that, seemingly without effort. 

It's a gripping book - one to read curled up in a cosy armchair, with a plate of hot buttered toast and a cup of tea, or a bag of sweeties - but no more than three sweets a night, or things turn sinister! If you like Dark Academia or the Gothic genre then you will probably love this book, and if you are new to DA, this is a great introduction. I highly recommend it and I am sincerely hoping that Titan publish a second volume, because this one was so much fun to read. It is ideal reading for all adults who are bitten by 'back to school' nostalgia at this time of year. 

Check your doors are locked, snuggle up by the fire, and enjoy these murderous collegiate stories! 

Happy Reading.

BB Marie x

AD; This book was sent to me by the publisher, Titan, for the purposes of review. It will be released on the 12th September 2023 and is available for Pre-Order now in both digital and hardcover formats. 

BOOK NOOK; Upon A Frosted Star by M A Kuzniar

 

"And there began the oldest story.  Of a heart that quickened. It's owner, unaware."

A couple of winters ago, I read a wonderful novel called Midnight in Everwood, which was a retelling of the Nutcracker ballet. I enjoyed it so much, that I knew I would look out for other books by the same author, so I was delighted to receive an ARC from Harper Collins for Kuznair's new novel Upon A Frosted Star. The cover is stunningly beautiful, instantly grabbing my attention and as it is a retelling of my favourite ballet, Swan Lake, I knew I just had to read it immediately.  I have spent a happy couple of days completely engrossed in this magical, wintry fairytale.

In this novel, we follow a male protagonist called Forster, an artist who has lost his passion for painting, until one evening, he sees a ballerina dancing at a party. He becomes besotted with her and begins to paint her, transferring the images in his mind onto canvas in an attempt to hold onto their brief encounter.  His new paintings sell well and he decides to find out more about the mysterious ballet dancer, Detta, and the annual winter party at which she performs.  But all is not as it seems, and Forster uncovers a far more dangerous and magical mystery than he ever could have anticipated.  

This is a novel of star-crossed lovers, with a very unique take on a long-distance relationship! It perfectly illustrates the pain of a difficult love affair - of being separated, time and time again from the one your heart yearns for above all others. The slow and steady chipping away at the heart and soul of the lover who constantly gets left behind is expertly suggested here. Just like Swan Lake, this is an epic, heart-rending tale of magic and enchantment, love and loss.  

What I most love about this author is her ability to make a novel read like a dream. She truly is a visionary author. Her prose sings off the page, the world building is just mesmerizing and fellow bookworms will appreciate the literary references made throughout the book. In this story we have glittering winter parties, invitations that fall from the sky along with the snow, rivers of chocolate cream, chocolate fountains and champagne saucers with secrets hidden in the glass.  Just like Midnight in Everwood, this is a confection of a novel that will make your mouth water for champagne-fizz and dainty petite four cakes in pretty pastel colours, as Forster, Detta and their friends dance their way through 1920's London, York and Paris.  When the story progressed to a castle in Wales, I did wonder if there was to be some reference to Merlin, but that connection was never made by the author. 

 I loved every page of this novel and I feel like I have discovered a new favourite author. I hope that she continues to write in this style and re-imagines more famous ballets in future books - Le Sylphide, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, The Firebird etc - what wonderful novels she could craft from such a rich theatrical heritage! And how wonderful would it be to have a whole collection of these stunning winter novels, each retelling a classical ballet in visionary, fairytale style, all sat together on a bookshelf?  I really do think that this could be the start of a series that bibliophiles and collectors are going to go crazy for. 

I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next. I find her books so enchanting, they always make me smile and I plan to re-read both her snowy novels again this coming wintertime.  Upon A Frosted Star is definitely a book worth reading if you like magical realism, fantasy or fairytale re-tellings. Enjoy the wintry magic of the Lake!

Blessed Be

Marie x

AD; This book was sent to me by the publisher Harper Collins for the purposes of review. It is released on September 21st 2023 and is available for Pre-Order now in hardcover, audio and digital formats.

MUSICAL DOLL; Macabre Music for Autumn

 As summer draws to a close and we begin the transition into autumn, lately I have found myself listening to more sombre, instrumental music.  Music is one of the easiest ways to create an atmosphere, and when you add in some seasonal scents too, your home will soon begin to feel like a cosy autumnal oasis.  So today I have been burning Poison Apple wax melts from The Upturned Cauldron, to fill my house with all the fragrance of an apple orchard in September. In addition, I have been playing some very seasonal music, while putting out a few new home decor items that I have purchased in recent weeks, to lend my home all the autumnal vibes I love. 

Macabre by Steve Orchard is an album of quite surprising contrasts. It has all the tones you would expect from a New World Music album, such as nature sounds, pan pipes and haunting vocalization, but this album is blended with more up-tempo undertones, reminiscent of soft rock.  This merging of styles wasn't what I was expecting, but I really liked it nonetheless. I enjoyed the fact that the album kept on surprising me, moving seamlessly from say, a peal of thunder, into electric guitar, strings and piano. 

It's a very atmospheric album, with some tracks drawing on electronic orchestral sounds, while others have a more traditional New Age feel to them that reminded me of Clannad. Macabre has that same blending of both ethereal and pop-rock vibes that Clannad are famous for. 

I did enjoy some tracks more than others, with Lady in Grey being a firm favourite. This is a track that I was totally lost in, with haunting vocalization and a gentle, feminine soundscape. I loved it. 

In contrast, I also enjoyed the Phantom Drummer Boy, which starts out with a strong Celtic sound, similar to the music that is played at a Scottish  ceilidh. It's quite a foot-tapping track, giving military vibes and marching drums, as you would expect from the title. If Lady in Grey is a feminine track, then Phantom Drummer Boy is pure masculinity, making me think of battlefields such as Culloden Moor and Falkirk. 

Other particularly noteworthy tracks include Marie Celeste, which opens with the sound of strong winds and ocean waves, before moving into evocative pan-pipes, like a wordless sea-shanty, which is exactly what you want in a melody inspired by a famous ghost ship! I also enjoyed Dark Angel, which opens with a very spooky male vocalization, before moving into strings and piano.  This track has a ghostly monkish feel to it, which is both unexpected and very sinister!  

The cover art for Macabre is just stunning, although there are no ravens cawing in the background on any of the tracks, which was a little disappointing, as the cover treatment seems to suggest that there would be. All in all there are twelve tracks on this album, which plays for over an hour, so you get a lot of bang for your buck. It would be the ideal background music for any spooky autumnal gathering you are planning, such as Samhain or Bonfire Night, or a simple gathering of friends for seasonal treats and wine. I know that I will be playing this CD throughout the dark season, because it is such a spooky, sonic delight.  If you like Llewellyn's Ghosts album, then you will probably enjoy Macabre too. 

If classical music is more to your taste, however, then this double album of both Dark and Light Academia might be right up your street.  This is a compilation of some of the best known classical music, by the worlds finest composers. Furthermore, because it's a double album, it will see you right through the year, so it's perfect if you are on a budget, as you get two CDs for the price of one! The music is divided by whether it subscribes to either dark or light academia vibes, so you could play the Dark Academia CD through autumn and winter, and then play the Light Academia CD during the spring and summer months. 

Like most classical music, this album is ideal for studying, revising, creative writing, journaling and so on. It's also nice to play in the background when you are doing needle craft such as tapestry or crochet. Both CDs are full of  pieces of music that you probably didn't know you knew, until you hear them! Classical scores are featured so heavily in films and on TV that we tend to absorb them without being aware of it, so there are sure to be lots of melodies on this double album that are already familiar to you, plus a few lesser known tracks too.  The cover treatment is pretty, being dark and gold on the front and ivory and gold on the back, to match the musical register of each CD. This is a sophisticated double album and one that I have been playing a lot since I received it some months ago. 

For now, as darkness begins to fall, I'm going to add another Poison Apple tart to my burner, make a pumpkin spice hot chocolate and curl up to watch a few episodes of Supernatural.  Sounds like the perfect end to the perfect spooky, autumnal day! 

Happy autumn vibes!

BB Marie x

AD; Some of these items were gifted to me for the purposes of review. The albums mentioned are available now in CD and digital format. 

The Upturned Cauldron

New World Music

Amazon UK