Follow Friday: Favorite Book Character

Q. ACK! Your favorite book/movie character (example Hermione Granger played by the Emma chick) just walked into the room! Who is it and what would be your first reaction? You get extra points if you include visual stimulation.

A. Jamie! My favorite character would have to be Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. My first reaction would probably be to look around and make sure the British weren’t chasing him. Oh, who am I kidding? I’d likely lock the door and reenact page 205!

Art by captivated2 at livejournal

Thursday 13: 13 Magickal Moons

13 Magickal Moons in Occoquan, VA is a metaphysical store owned by my best friend, Samantha Harvey. It's a very welcoming place, offering customers classes, open rituals, and a weekly event for locals to get together. So it's not terribly surprising that people feel comfortable there, and they will often tell her personal stories and ask advice. Most of the time, the customers are great. It's the odd few who necessitated the need for a list of store rules.

The list - perhaps a capital L suits it better - The List started off ordinarily enough with the standard "you break it, you buy it" and warnings that shoplifters will be prosecuted. But as time went on, the rules needed to be amended. Usually a new rule is written because of a single eccentric (I'm being kind!) customer. Sam jotted them down on The List, which just kept growing. It's tradition now to continue hand-writing The List, so additional pieces of paper have been taped up to accommodate new rules. 

Customers love to stand and read The List because it's kind of funny. They always ask for the story behind them too. So here's a list of my favorite 13 rules from Sam's store. Leave me a comment about the one that intrigues you and next week I will tell you the story behind the top pick!

1. Yes, the store is owned by a master herbalist, but you don’t have to show her your ailment.
2. You cannot take pictures of the store, altar, etc.
3. No, you cannot bring your demon here.
4. We will not give you a list of wholesalers/suppliers.
5. We will not do spells, remove curses, exorcisms, etc. We will not come to your house to perform the above.
6. A tattoo does not make you an HP (high priest/priestess).
7. TV shows and movies such as Buffy, Angel, Practical Magic, The Craft, Charmed, True Blood, and Vampire Diaries do not reflect the reality of Witchcraft.
8. Being a hereditary witch does not make you better or more powerful than any other witch.
9. If you are sick, STAY AWAY!!
10. No, the cats are not for sale.
11. This is NOT a whore house!
12. No, you can’t have a discount. No, we do not bargain or barter. This is not a flea market.
13. No we do not sell salvia or “spice” (herbs and incenses used as drugs).

Review - The Princess Bride by S. Morgenstern, edited by William Goldman

Usually I read the book before I see the movie. Among the few exceptions are Jaws, Dexter, and The Princess Bride. I read TPB for the first time in high school. I had just seen and fell in love with the movie, and in my experience the book is always better. In this case, I’m not sure that’s the case.

Don’t get me wrong - I love this book. The movie was so fantastic, however, it’s hard to compete with it! But there are always little things in a book that don’t show up in the movie, and that is the case here. In my recent reread of TPB, I noticed how much satire Goldman infuses throughout it. Much of that couldn’t be conveyed in the movie.

Also, a good portion of the story is told in the introduction in supposedly autobiographical detail of the struggle Goldman had in editing Morgenstern’s work. It’s quite an interesting story, but not at all real! I didn’t get it when I read this as a teenager. I thought if it was an introduction by the author, it was all true. Nope, it was part of the story. See, there is no S. Morgenstern. And the difficulties Goldman described with Morgenstern’s estate (not to mention personal trials with his family) simply didn’t exist. He even goes so far as to add Stephen King into the tale, saying that the Morgenstern family had hired him to edit the sequel, Buttercup’s Baby. As you’ve probably guessed, there is no sequel – at least not until Goldman writes it, and it seems he has a bit of writer’s block when it comes to The Princess Bride. I probably would too. What can you write to follow such a popular novel that would satisfy the fans? I still hold out hope he will eventually finish it, because I’d love to read Buttercup’s Baby!

If you enjoy the movie, I think you’d like the book as well. You always get more detail in the book, and The Princess Bride is no exception. Do you want to know what’s so special about those four white horses Fezzik finds at the end of the movie? Do you want to know what led Rugen and Humperdinck to create the Pit of Despair? Do you want to learn how Inigo became the best fencer in the world? Pick up the book and let me know what you think!

And now, for your viewing pleasure, here is a reenactment of the Miracle Max scene with cats:

Novel Playlists - What Do You Listen to When You Write?

When I sit down in front of my computer to write, my usual writing soundtrack is background TV noise, the first-person shooter game my husband is playing on the X-Box, or various purrs and meows of my cats asking for attention. Occasionally, however, I will listen to music playlists as I write.

This was especially important when writing Magick Charm. One of my main characters, Rachel, was the lead singer in a band called Cajun Fried Steak. I listened to a sample CFS playlist as I wrote the scenes at Voodoo Pete’s, the bar where the band played. It helped me to visualize the scene in my mind more clearly, and hopefully make it all that much more tangible to the reader.

Here’s a playlist of all of the songs from Magick Charm: Magick Charm playlist

What do you listen to when you write?

Follow Friday: Summer Solstice and the Fae

Q. In light of the Summer Solstice. Also known as Midsummer...let's talk about fairies. What is your favorite fairy tale or story that revolves around the fae?

A. When the subject of the fae comes up, the first thing that comes to mind is the Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris. But maybe that’s because True Blood season 4 premiers on Sunday! I don’t want to give away any spoilers for those of you who haven’t read or watched it, so that’s about all I can say about the subject. Except I can’t wait until Sunday night!

I hope everyone had a fantastic solstice holiday this week!

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