BOOK NOOK; The Toll House by Carly Reagon

 

 

"But something held her in the dark, like someone was there, pinning her to the spot. The feeling grew stronger. Not just a feeling, a presence. There was someone here, she thought, the same someone who'd watched her in the bath. Someone who wanted her, who wouldn't let her go."

This novel was sent to me by the publisher some time ago for review, but I've been so busy writing my own books that I haven't really had a chance to get to it until now.  All I knew going into it, was that it's a spooky book, so as the weather has taken a turn for the worse and the rain is pattering against the windows, I though it would be the ideal book to curl up with by the fire.  As a result, I have spent a happy couple of days immersed in the ghost story of The Toll House. 

The book has a duel timeline narrative, the chapters alternating between past and present, telling the tale of Kelda and her son, Dylan, who go to live in the old toll house and soon find themselves haunted by shadowy figures on the stairs, after uncovering a rather gruesome death mask hidden within the plaster work.  The writing has an ominous tone throughout, though I have to say that it isn't the spookiest ghost story I've ever read.  I would have liked more descriptive passages about the toll house itself, as this is usual in most gothic novels of haunted houses. This one though, was more character driven.

I liked the characters for the most part, although Dylan did get on my nerves, largely because he is meant to be seven years old, but he reads as being much younger, I would say no more than five. I felt that he was portrayed as being overly young for his age. Then again, I don't have kids, so what do I know? He might be spot on! He just struck me as being a tad too infantile, which I found quite irritating.

Apart from that, this is a cracking read. It has a chilling build up to the denouement and a few surprises in the plot that I greatly appreciated, especially in reference to the death mask itself.  I didn't see that twist coming at all! The Toll House is one of those gothic novels where you think you know exactly what is going on, only to discover that everything you've been lead to believe is untrue.  It's as if you don't realize you're reading a mystery, until the mystery unravels and the truth is revealed, so it has an excellent use of red herrings. Hats off to the author for that. 

The story is nicely told, but I wasn't exactly scared by it. It had some eerie moments and the ending is satisfying. If you enjoy books such as The Haunting Season, The Whistling, or The Ghost Woods, then you might like The Toll House. It has certainly engaged my attention for the past two days and was the perfect read for such a dreich rainy day, so if you are looking for a new ghost story to dive into, I recommend this one.  Enjoy! 

Blessed Be

Marie x

AD; This novel was sent to me by the publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK, for the purposes of review. It is available now across all formats - digital, audio and hard copy. 

SLIPPERS AND SKATES; Theatre Season!

A night out with the phantom thespians.

It was a dark and stormy night in October - no, it really was, because Storm Babet was raging all across Yorkshire and Derbyshire last night and I had to venture out in the wild weather, as I had theatre tickets. Autumn is upon us and that can only mean one thing - theatre season is in full swing and like always, I intend to make the very most of it. Over the past couple of weeks I have been to some lovely shows and events, culminating in a wonderfully spooky show last night.

With Samhain just around the corner and the weather adding to the atmosphere, I spent last night enjoying an evening of macabre theatricals. The warmth of the theatre was a welcome relief from the wind and torrential rain I had come through to get there, and I was glad to settle down into my seat. I didn't know what to expect, as the play had just been billed as a spooky, seasonal event, but I had a great time.  

There is something very cosy about sitting in the dark, listening to a group of actors telling various ghost stories, all linked together with a theme of haunted theatres and paranormal investigation.  The tales were chilling stories of murder, accidents and revenge, drawn from haunted theatres across the UK. There was smoke, lights, screams and eerie voices coming across the loud speakers, shadowy figures coming down the aisles unexpectedly and the sinister singing of a little dead girl, so that the audience was completely immersed in the story that was unfolding on stage. 

I haven't been to see a play in a very long time and I thoroughly enjoyed the Ghost Show. It was a one-night only event because the thespians didn't want their show to be ruined by spoilers online, so it only ran for a single night. Somehow, this enhanced the experience and it felt very much like we were participating in a night of paranormal investigation. Many of the stories told were accounts of sinister events which befell actual historical people, in theatres up and down the country, leading to those figures allegedly haunting those places. 

It all revolved around the superstition of the ghost light, which is a single bare light bulb on a stand that remains lit throughout the night, when the theatre is empty, to keep the ghost audience company. This is an actual tradition in all theatres that still takes place to this day. As the theatre is closed down for the night, someone is charged with the job of lighting the ghost light and setting it in the middle of the empty stage, where it remains lit all night, until the cleaners come in the next day and turn it off.  This is a rather spooky tradition, so it's not surprising that it has inspired an entire play of ghostly goings-on!

As adults, we rarely get the experience of being told a great story and so last night was quite nostalgic, taking the audience back to childhood memories of being read to in infancy. It also serves to keep the ritual of traditional storytelling alive, when tales would be told around the fire and passed on by word of mouth. I really enjoyed it. It was lovely to sit in a darkened theatre, on a stormy autumn night and be entertained by a talented group of actors and professional storytellers.  It was a great start to the dark season. 

The day before, however, couldn't have been more different, as that was the day that I went to see Taylor Swift's Era's Tour.  It was phenomenal!  I was very excited to see it and I wasn't a bit disappointed. Taylor always delivers! I genuinely believe that there is nothing she can't do! Everything she sets her mind to is a massive success and her talent for storytelling through her music is simply extraordinary.  

The costumes were stunning and everything she wore sparkled and shimmered as she danced her way across a huge stage. Each of her albums and various Era's were represented with its own set, the costume colours cohesive with the album cover art, giving just the right vibe for each one. It was like being swept into the very depths of the world she created with each album, from the dreaminess and fairytale enchantment of Sparks Fly, to the joyfulness of Lover, the rebellious revenge of Reputation and the softness of Folklore and Evermore, ending with the magic of Midnights.  It really was an amazing concert and although it was over three hours long, I still didn't want it to end! I enjoyed every single second, every note and step, every lift, turn and quick-change.  I had such a fantastic time and I really hope that she makes this tour available to buy on DVD, as I would watch it again and again. 

About a week before the Tayor concert, I also went to the ballet for the first time since the pandemic. I've had tickets to two different ballets over the last three years, but the first was cancelled due to the second or third covid lockdown, while the second ballet was cancelled because it was the Russian State Ballet who were touring, so when Russia invaded Ukraine, their ballet companies were no longer made welcome, so the show was cancelled indefinitely.  

This time, however, the show wasn't cancelled and I finally got to see a ballet company perform live. I have lots of ballets on DVD, but there is nothing like seeing a live performance and watching the dancers tell their story right in front of you.  I went to see Mathew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet. I have seen a couple of his productions before and enjoyed them, most espcially his Gothic version of Sleeping Beauty, which I think is my favourite ballet after Swan Lake. I even prefer the Bourne version over the classical rendition, because I love the Gothic slant he has given to my favourite fairytale. I also like his all male rendition of Swan Lake too.

So I was excited to see Romeo and Juliet.  However, it wasn't what I was expecting, being a very modern re-telling, in which the lovers are incarcerated in an asylum of some kind. The costumes were all white, for all the dancers, and it took a while for me to be able to distinguish the principles from the corps.  The things I love most about ballet are the sparkly tutus and costumes, and of course the pointe work, both of which were completely lacking in this contemporary version. I know that contemporary ballet doesn't feature point work, but I had been hoping for some lovely costumes. Sadly, it more about straight jackets than sparkles!  Also, they changed the ending too. 

So although I found the ballet enjoyable, it wasn't my favourite Mathew Bourne production - that remains Sleeping Beauty, which I have on DVD. As for Romeo and Juliet, I much prefer the classical rendition, the Fonteyn and Nureyev performance in particular.  Still, it was nice to be back at the ballet and I already have tickets to see the classical Swan Lake in a few months as well, so I'm really looking forward to that. 

Of course, theatre season will continue for the rest of the autumn and winter - this is their busiest time of year, so there are lots of other things booked into my calendar before the end of the year, including shows, events, holidays, afternoon teas and lunch with my publisher. This is always my busiest time of year too, as I spend the dark season writing all the various projects that are due to be published in the following year (and there are some exciting ones to come in 2024!), but I like to make sure I have some fun outings to look forward to.  It gives me a welcome break from my desk, gets me out of the house and helps to refill my creative well. 

I hope that you get to go to the theatre or ballet this dark season, but if you can't, for whatever reason, you can currently find Mathew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty free to watch on You Tube by clicking here, though I don't know how long it will be available.

Enjoy theatre season in whatever way you can! 

BB Marie x

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.