UPDATE: The winner is…Amy Fendley!
*~*~*

Do you believe the spirit continues after death
and can communicate with the living?

This is a different question than asking if you believe in ghosts. Ghosts are often considered lingering echoes of a personality or energy tied to a place. Spiritualists, on the other hand, believe that when we die, our personalities transition to another plane of existence and can sometimes communicate with the living. Mediums claim they can contact these spirits and pass on messages to loved ones.

One town in central Florida that has become a hub for such beliefs is Cassadaga. Known by some as the “Psychic Capital of the World,” it’s a fascinating place for those curious about the paranormal. In Cassadaga, you can book a session with a psychic or medium, get your tarot cards read, have your astrological chart cast, or even try palm or tea leaf readings. The town also offers healing services and spiritual messages. Cassadaga was founded in 1894 by George Colby, a spiritualist from Lily Dale, New York, who said he was led to the spot by his spirit guide, Seneca.

My fascination with the occult drew me to Cassadaga years ago. During my college years, a friend and I spontaneously decided to visit and get a reading. However, with limited walk-in options for mediums, we took what we could get. I don’t remember much about the reading—it was pretty generic, and I felt a bit let down. Despite that, my interest in the town never faded.

Years later, after retiring from my career as a VA social worker and working on my fifth book, Witch Trial Legacy, which is set in the town, I decided it was time to revisit Cassadaga for research. I shared my plans with fellow writers from my local Romance Writers of America chapter, and two friends asked to join me. We set up a date and planned our trip.

The day of our visit finally came. My husband drove, while Adele, her husband, and Donna (names changed for privacy) rode along with us. We took the scenic route, adding an extra hour to our drive, and stopped for lunch around noon, thinking we’d reach Cassadaga shortly after.

But, as life would have it, Donna received an urgent call about her cat, which was seriously ill. Distraught, she asked to go home, and of course, we did. After eight hours on the road, we returned home without ever reaching our destination. Ironically, Donna’s cat ended up being fine.

A few months later, my husband and I made another attempt—just the two of us this time. The weather was perfect: sunny, with a light breeze, and not too humid for Florida. As soon as we arrived in Cassadaga, I felt a peaceful atmosphere wash over me. The pace of life there seemed slower, and everyone was friendly and welcoming. We explored the town, taking photos of the signs advertising readings and spiritual services. We had a lovely lunch at the Cassadaga Hotel, browsed the gift shop, and checked out the camp bookstore. Though I didn’t get a reading, the day left a lasting impression on me.

Since then, I’ve felt a deep connection to Cassadaga—it’s a place unlike any other. If you’ve been there and read Witch Trial Legacy, I hope the setting feels familiar to you. If you haven’t visited yet, I highly recommend you do!

Witch Trial Legacy
(The Cassadaga Collection Book 1)

Sybilla Sanborn must break a centuries old curse before everything she cares about goes up in smoke.

Sybilla is a nurse gifted with the ability to heal with her touch but cursed with visions of future tragedies she cannot prevent because no one heeds her warnings. With help from the mediums of the spiritualist town of Cassadaga, Florida, she learns she is descended from both the first person executed for witchcraft in this country and the man who accused her.

Conn Ahern is an Iraq war vet dealing with pain and PTSD while working as a paramedic and struggling to save the ranch his grandmother founded. He’s an atheist who wants nothing to do with the people of the town.

When Conn and Sybilla meet, sparks fly, but not always in a good way, and their relationship fans the flames of jealousy and revenge in someone who doesn’t want them to work things out.

During a séance, her ancestor’s spirit reveals how Sybilla can rid herself of the curse and save Conn, but the price may be too high.

Buy Witch Trial Legacy from Amazon

Contest

To win a $5.00 Amazon gift card, please reply to this post with your answer to the question I asked at the beginning: Do you believe the spirit continues after death and can communicate with the living?

About Katherine Eddinger Smits

From an early age, Katherine was captivated by fairy tales. After devouring the Brothers Grimm and similar collections, she eagerly explored mythology, legends, gothic romance, fantasy, and science fiction.

Growing up near Florida’s Weeki Wachee mermaid attraction, Katherine spent countless hours swimming in the springs, pretending to be a mermaid. Although she once considered auditioning as a Weeki Wachee mermaid, her true wish was to be a real one—a dream that, unsurprisingly, didn’t come true.

Since life as a mermaid wasn’t an option, Katherine earned a master’s degree in social work and dedicated her career to helping veterans and their families—a role she cherished.

Now in retirement, she has the time to immerse herself in reading and bring her imagined worlds to life. Spiced with mystery and suspense, her stories of fantasy and romance feature gifted humans overcoming real-life challenges in a contemporary world full of mages, mermaids, and fantastic creatures.

For a free short story, monthly contests, freebies, and fun, join Katherine’s newsletter community. Get Your Free Short Story!

UPDATE: The winner is…Debra Guyette!
*~*~*

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

As an author, I get asked this often.

I’m lucky. Ideas come easily to me.

I’m the person to come to if you want to bounce ideas.

It is also a problem because it never fails when I’m knee-deep into the first draft of a new book. Something pops into my head. It’s hard not to pursue the new and shiny. However, I’ve learned over the years that the good ideas stick.

I’m nosey.

I’m an only child who grew up in a rural area, so when visiting bigger families, I tried to absorb everything that went on. People tend to tell a stranger their secrets. I use what I’ve overheard in my books, You Always and Greyson.

Placement

This past summer, I spent time in airports, and they are a treasure trove of information. I admit to listening to one-sided phone calls and changing seats to overhear a family tiff. My book, Kaydee, was based on a couple’s discussion during dinner at the next table.

TV

I also watch daytime talk shows and judge shows. I am amazed at what people will share with the world. I am an avid fan of The Housewives and other Bravo shows. I know that segments are scripted or exaggerated. The side-eye moments shared in the bottom corner of the frame, or an opinion muttered spark my creativity. My upcoming release, Nothing Permanent, was based on a Steve Wilkos episode.

Magnet

I also attract the crazy and weird. I will attract somebody if you leave me sitting on the sofa in a hotel lobby for five minutes. I’ve heard about cheating exes, an alien abduction, and roommates who haven’t showered for five days. A psychic told me it was because I’m an empath and a Leo—I attract people who need understanding and a protector.

Song lyrics or a line of dialogue

I wrote an entire book based on a song I heard while driving home from a nail appointment. I kept circling the block until I plotted the book You Only.

I’ve also heard a declaration and made up a story. Things click, and off I go. That is how my book- Best came to be.

Dreams

I don’t like being a cliché, but it is true. I have lifelike dreams. I dream in color, can feel textures, and smell scents. I’ll wake up and know that I have a book. Sometimes, I dream several nights about the same subject.

My books, See Me, Better, and the upcoming Me, You & the Moon, came from dreams.

Go With It

I think that you must be open to the new and different. Sticking with what you know and are comfortable with might not spark your creativity. I took the challenge of writing a book with no on-page sex or cussing. It was not easy, but I did it. Check out Cut to the Chase, Here’s the Rub, and the upcoming Nothing Permanent.

I trust that my brain will come up with new ideas or put things together differently. That makes every day a new adventure.

For a $10 Amazon Gift Card, share what sparks your creativity.
The winner will be picked at random and contacted via e-mail.

To learn more about me and my books, visit: https://www.readmelaniejayne.com or https://www.facebook.com/MelanieJayneAuthor/

Yaelle

I am on the verge of losing everything, with nothing left to do… but let go.

Moving to Wolfsbane was a mistake. Being here has opened the world to me and my daughter, Addie. Yet instead of being thrilled that we finally found peace, I expect the worst every day.

My mate is patient and loving. But I know he wants more than I can physically offer. The therapist assures me I am making headway. Still, I am painfully aware of my shortcomings. How strong can our mate bond be if we have never been able to consummate our union? Try as I might, I can’t escape the nightmare of my time in the lab.

On top of that, the Markov brothers want to involve the Witches Council with Addie’s plight. As much as this sets my nerves on edge, I’m overruled. Matters worsen when the arrival of a member of their coven awakens horrors from my past, I’ve spent years trying to bury.

Fearing my very existence is holding back everyone I hold dear; I make the choice to banish myself and give them a chance at true happiness. Heartbroken and alone, I learn the ghosts of my past are closing in fast. Will they finish what they started in the lab? Or will the family I pushed away save me from myself?

Get your copy here!

Not so very long ago, most of the strange and usual, the mysterious and unexplainable, pretty much anything that had no obvious explanation, was thought to belong in the realm of magic. Sadly, these days we are far more likely to believe in science than magic but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.

Maybe a little salt sprinkled over our shoulder will get in the devil’s eye and stop him from bringing misfortune to our door. Who can say for certain that crystals don’t clear away the negative energy from a space and maybe dragonflies do bring us messages from the dead. I don’t want to live in a world where we have let magic die, where machines create art, and where children no longer search for fairies in the bottom of the garden.

I believe that there is nowhere better to rediscover some of the magic and enchantment than between the pages of a book.

Here’s the spell I used to create Bewitched in the Inbetween:

Mix together:

A good dose of romance
A smattering of longing
A dollop of passion
A scoop of danger
A serving of adventure

Sprinkle liberally with magic and a touch of dreams then let it all simmer with a slow burn.

Best enjoyed with a warm mug of hot chocolate and a cosy blanket xx

Bewitched in the Inbetween

Demonic haunting, mystery and dark romance intertwine with everyday magic in this bewitching tale of cursed love.

Ayla grew secluded and protected by her grandmother and their enchanted cottage, free to explore and nurture her magical gifts. This blissful existence is shattered when her grandmother dies, leaving Ayla vulnerable to the darkness that seeks to steal not only her gifts, but her very life and the life of those she loves.

And then she meets the one she cannot live without.

The wolf that lurks somewhere beneath Ash’s skin draws him deep into the darkest forest, where the last thing he expects to find is the terrified young witch, running for her life.

Drawn together by fate, their growing attraction puts both their lives in peril.

Get your copy here!
It’s FREE in KU!

About the Author

I live and work with my family and menagerie of pets in Sydney, Australia. Aside from writing, I work as a teacher, graphic designer, and artist. I love to believe in the possibility that magic might exist in our everyday lives, hidden just below the surface of our day-to-day existence. I enjoy using words and art to create landscapes where magic and fantasy collide and overlap with ordinary, everyday experiences, bringing a new dimension of colour and light to the world.

Connect with me through:
https://www.instagram.com/smilingmoon_books/
https://linktr.ee/smilingmoonbooks

When I sat down to write my current series about three witch sisters, I didn’t know where it would lead me. I’ve been an urban fantasy fan forever though, so I’ve had some key influences. The 90’s TV show Charmed, The vampire film series Underworld and Xena, Warrior Princess to start with.

The Magicians is one of my favorite television shows ever. I devoured the entire five seasons like a rabid were-creature and could almost re-watch the whole thing. I loved it that much—except that my “to be watched” list is as unruly as my “to be read” list!

Eliot was my favorite character; his chill demeanor in the face of a lifetime of trauma really speaks to me. He’s smart and talented and happy to let people recognize it or not. He’s loyal and even with all of that he makes mistakes all the time. Just like every single one of us.

I’m sure that my series has some unintentional Magician’s flavor, I don’t know how it couldn’t. It was too brilliant not to have influenced me.

American Horror Story: Coven, while it edged into “horror” a bit more than I like (I was prepared for AHS to be ‘horror’ don’t worry!) I really enjoyed the story. I love when the lines are blurred between good and evil, and while Fiona was definitely evil, not every choice she made was.

Right now, I’m watching The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and I love the whole aesthetic so much! It’s such eye candy for me, but I have a lot to catch up on.

Obviously, my favorite element of urban fantasy is ritual magic. Like in Alice in Wonderland, I want to believe in impossible things. Magic is one of them.

In my series, The Silver Wilde Chronicles, the main character is the middle sister of a trio of witches. When their mother disappears, the search for her leads their entire worlds to turn inside out. I’d say she’s got a bit of Charmed’s Phoebe, Underworld’s Selene and The Magician’s Kady mixed in there. The free prequel is three chapters showing how she ended up captured by a vampire, which is where book one opens.

What are your favorite urban fantasy films and tv shows?

Life has been… a magical rainbow dumpster hellfire, and it’s about to get so much worse.

I’m Silver Wilde, a Hekate-worshiping witch, with the power of compulsion – which I only use to check alpha holes who need a smack down, of course. And the occasional barista for free coffee.

I thought I was at rock bottom grieving for my best friend, but then it became a mesmerizing, glittery black hole and sucked me right in.

Starting with the sketchy client who said I couldn’t quit… I told him to hold my beer.

Now it’s like I woke up in some alternate universe. Meddling questions. Vampire captors. Gut churning portals.

My mother, the most powerful witch I know, has disappeared. Just… Poof! Nowhere to be seen, astrally or otherwise. WTAF?

And let’s not discuss that pesky death prophecy I never should have asked for. What a thorn in my side.

It’s fine. I’m fine. This isn’t my first creepster rodeo. I’ve had to deal with a shady dude the bloody way before. And, to find my mom, I’ll do it again.

Scorched Heart and Sass is a sexy, snarky adventure in a magical world with witchy, occult flavor, full of unwanted alliances, unwelcome revelations and uninvited emotions.

This is book one of an urban fantasy series with a slow-burn, steamy romance subplot, adult language and adult themes.

Pre-order now!

Get your FREE read!

Download now! Ignite, by Dahlia T. Drake

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Call me old-fashioned if you like, but I must confess I love a fairy-tale romance, especially if it includes a reckless and gallant knight, willing to risk all for the one who has captured his heart. Throw a little magic and a touch of fantasy into the mix and I am lost.

While I might be a hopeless romantic, I have no time for the helpless damsel in distress. I like a heroine who can stand up for herself, fight for those she loves and embrace life with her arms thrown open wide.

For a long time, I had the seed of a story slowly growing in my mind until it reached a point where it pushed restlessly against my consciousness and demanded to be released. As the characters slowly took form on the pages, they changed and reformed themselves in new and surprising ways and the story unfolded around them.

The first version of the book included some detailed and intimate scenes, but I soon realized that the story was better suited to simmering romance, fueled by longing, and forced separation. Finally, many revisions later, I had a story I was excited to share with the world.

Demonic haunting, mystery, and dark romance intertwine with everyday magic in the final version of this tale of cursed love, where the growing attraction between a young witch and an “almost werewolf” puts both their lives in peril.

Bewitched in the Inbetween

Demonic haunting, mystery and dark romance intertwine with everyday magic in this bewitching tale of cursed love.

Ayla grew secluded and protected by her grandmother and their enchanted cottage, free to explore and nurture her magical gifts. This blissful existence is shattered when her grandmother dies, leaving Ayla vulnerable to the darkness that seeks to steal not only her gifts, but her very life and the life of those she loves.

And then she meets the one she cannot live without.

The wolf that lurks somewhere beneath Ash’s skin draws him deep into the darkest forest, where the last thing he expects to find is the terrified young witch, running for her life.

Drawn together by fate, their growing attraction puts both their lives in peril.

Get your copy here!

About the author

I live and work with my family and menagerie of pets in Sydney, Australia. Aside from writing, I work as a teacher, graphic designer, and artist. I love to believe in the possibility that magic might exist in our everyday lives, hidden just below the surface of our day-to-day existence. I enjoy using words and art to create landscapes where magic and fantasy collide and overlap with ordinary, everyday experiences, bringing a new dimension of colour and light to the world.

Connect with me through:
https://www.instagram.com/smilingmoon_books/
https://linktr.ee/smilingmoonbooks

As a kid I was obsessed with Greek Mythology. Now, I love mythology and fairy tale retellings. I get excited about a good twist on an old idea. And in my opinion, if it’s good enough for Neil Gaiman, it’s good enough for me. He loves mythology and always includes three witch sisters in his books.

When I sat down to write my current series, also about three witch sisters, I didn’t know where it was going. I just wrote a scene about a witch with the gift of compulsion getting caught in a bank robbery and then wrote a connected scene and kept going until I had a whole book. That bank robbery scene is nowhere near the book anymore, but it will be a bonus for subscribers, so it hasn’t gone to waste.

By the third book, it turned quite steamy and I knew I had to write a steamy prequel to introduce my series to the right readers. So, I started to think about my urban fantasy, Red Riding Hood retelling that had been banging around in my head for years.

So it was the Christmas holidays, the kids were off school, and I was supposed to be NOT writing. But after a few days, my brain revolted, obsessing about this new Red idea. Once I figured out how to tie it into my series and make it a prequel, I was hooked.

I just had to tire my kids out in the morning, so I could have a clear afternoon to write.

Crimson Morte was inspired by a certain, popular music video about a rich boy-crazy girl. She looks like a spoiled, promiscuous, party girl, but she’s secretly a very dangerous blood mage, headed out to the woods to confront her mother’s murderer after ten years of preparation. But the hot wolf shifter she bar-tends with shows up threatening blackmail if she doesn’t let him tag along.

There’s a lot of tension, a lot of chemistry and, of course, some spice to go with that basket of goodies. Readers so far have fallen in love with them and want to read their series, which is percolating. They’re spicy side characters in my upcoming series, already. One more book to write, and then I’ll start releasing them. Follow me to find out when.

Blazing Hearts of Justice is free here [ https://dl.bookfunnel.com/4m2nicy1km ] when you sign up for updates from me.
Visit my website: www.dahliatdrake.com
Or www.facebook.com/dahliatdrake
Or www.instagram.com/authordahliatdrake

Halloween is one of my family’s favorite holidays. We love any excuse to dress up, and we always go all-out. Proof is in the photo I’m providing for the puzzle!

As a gift to you, I’m offering to give away the first in my Beaux Rêve Coven series (very appropriate for Halloween!). If you love witches and demons living their lives in a swampy bayou, you’re in for a treat. This offer won’t last long, so be sure to download your copy today! Feel free to share this giveaway with your friends!

Also, if you haven’t already subscribed to my blog, why not do so now? (See the subscriber block in the column on the left!) That way you won’t miss a contest or FREE read in the future, plus you’ll meet other authors you might not know. It’s always an adventure here!

This is the world inside my series…

In Jefferson Parish, deep in the bayou, is a place called Bonne Nuit. Off the beaten path, isolated by swamp and connected to the sea, there the Beaux Rêve Coven thrives. Five witches… Too many demons to count…

Happy Reading!
~DD

Once in a Blue Moon is FREE!

Bryn Cavanaugh and her coven like that the community they live in is isolated thanks to a storm that destroyed the bridge between them and the outside world. Now the state wants the bridge rebuilt. When the construction crew checks into the inn, Bryn begins to suspect something about the crew’s boss isn’t quite…human.

Bridges are Ethan Thorne’s thing—after all, he’s a troll—so building a simple span over a remote canal in backwater Louisiana shouldn’t be this much of a problem. When he follows the pretty little innkeeper to a midnight rendezvous, he discovers why his crew keeps running in to trouble. Bryn and her coven are casting spells in the moonlight.

As a troll, Ethan feels the sting of his low place in demon hierarchy. But finding an unprotected coven of witches in the middle of the bayou could lead to all sorts of adventure. And it’s better to keep your enemies close…

Get your FREE READ here!

Saturday Puzzle

Solve the puzzle and then tell me the last time you dressed up for Halloween!