Today I have the lovely, Emma Kavanagh on the blog to share a guest post for her book, After We Fall, and to answer the question, "How does your background as a police psychologist influence your writing?"
GUEST POST:
What comes next?
Gosh, it’s been an interesting couple of years. I have had my debut book published, have given birth to a baby, survived a toddler (my crowning achievement), have enjoyed the roller coaster that is the publication of my second book, Hidden. Now I get to live my other dream - to have my novel, After We Fall, published in the U.S.
So, what comes next?
I am really hoping that the answer is a nap!
Kidding. Kidding. I thrive on the chaos.
Or, more accurately, it hasn’t killed me yet.
Well, just recently I signed my second two-book deal in the UK, with the exceptionally talented team at Arrow, which is all kinds of wonderful and allows me to continue doing this job that has become as important as breathing to me.
And what that means is that I am now knee-deep in book three (currently known as The Missing Hours), the story of a woman who vanishes, only to reappear 18 hours later with no knowledge of where she has been or what has happened to her. I have to admit that it’s getting pretty twisty, sufficiently so that I have had to unleash the index cards. But I am loving writing this as the characters sit beside me and mercilessly order me about.
I am also, perhaps prematurely, lining up book four. That doesn’t have a title. It doesn’t have much of anything, in fact. Just the kernel of an idea and a couple of characters that have already begun to nose around the watering hole. It’s about a serial killer. That’s all I’m going to say. Oh, and there are police in it. But you knew that anyway…
About the Author
Emma Kavanagh was born and raised in South Wales. After graduating with a PhD in psychology from Cardiff University, she spent many years working as a police and military psychologist, training firearms officers, command staff, and military personnel throughout the UK and Europe. She started her business as a psychology consultant, specializing in human performance in extreme situations. She lives in South Wales with her husband and two young sons.
Twitter: @EmmaLK
A plane falls out of the sky.
A woman is murdered.
Four people all have something to hide…
For fans of Tana French and Alice LaPlante comes After We Fall, a debut psychological thriller by former police psychologist Emma Kavanagh that explores four lives shattered in the tense aftermath of a plane crash.
Shortly after takeoff, flight 2940 plummets to the snow-covered ground, breaking into two parts, the only survivors a handful of passengers and a flight attendant.
Cecilia has packed up and left her family. Now she has survived a tragedy and sees no way out.
Tom has woken up to discover that his wife was on the plane and must break the news to their only son.
Jim is a retired police offer and worried father. His beloved daughter has disappeared, and he knows something is wrong.
Freya is struggling to cope with the loss of her father. But as she delves into his past, she may not like what she finds.
Four people, who have never met but are indelibly linked by these disasters, will be forced to reveal the closely guarded secrets that unlock the answers to their questions. But once the truth is exposed, it may cause even more destruction.
Told from various points of view, chapter by chapter, readers follow the investigation into the doomed plane alongside the investigation of a murder. Kavanagh deftly weaves together the stories of those who lost someone or something of themselves in one tragic incident, exploring how swiftly everything we know can come crashing down.
Today I have the lovely Tara Ellison on the blog who will share her playlist for her book, Synchronized Breathing.
(Forgive the covers' color. They did change when I saved the photo after making them.)
Enjoy the playlist!
MORE ABOUT THE BOOK:
Nothing announces the failure of one’s life quite as loudly as having to move back in with your mother at the ripe old age of thirty-five. Unfortunately for Scarlett Spencer, her marriage has recently imploded and she’s headed to Beverly Hills—toddler in tow—to move in with her oversexed mother, CeCe. But maneuvering life back at home isn’t the only challenge . . . After being a stay-at-home mom, Scarlett wades back into the Hollywood employment pool with hilarious results. Even more terrifying is the prospect of reentering the dating world. She soon learns that balancing motherhood with the unique demands of Hollywood men creates a new twist on the dating dilemma. Tired of dating jerk after jerk, Scarlett goes on a self-imposed “man-diet,” which isn’t easy when her mother is perpetually on a manhunt. But in the quiet of this new man-free existence, Scarlett discovers what is really important in her life. Synchronized Breathing is a cheeky, light-hearted story about moving on and realizing that mother doesn’t always know best.
Tara Ellison was born in London and raised between Sydney and Hong Kong before coming to the United States. After moving to Los Angeles for a career in acting, Tara realized she was a better author than actor. Synchronized Breathing is her first novel.
Connect with her on:
GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
PUBLICATION DATE: February 15, 2013
GENRE: Contemporary Women's Fiction
SYNOPSIS
Paige Scott spent her childhood shuffled between relatives who ignored her, and her adult life hiding in her crumbling marriage to wealthy David Davenport. When David suddenly thrusts her into a remote, impoverished world, Paige is forced to face the betrayals of her past - not to mention the colorful townies of her present. Unexpected friendships and her discovery of running propel her on a jagged and comical journey toward learning how to truly live.
AVAILABLE ON
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00BMHF62M
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/running-against-traffic-gaelen-vandenbergh/1114707735?ean=9781621419938
Today I have the lovely Gaelen VanDenbergh on the blog for a guest post.
GUEST POST:
When someone says that a scenario, or a feeling, or a response, or something that happens to a character I have created is “unrealistic”, I find myself itching to ask this:
Based on what criteria – your own experience? Just because it hasn’t happened to you, or to anyone you know, does that make it unrealistic? This story is fiction – therefore, it is not real. However, I never write about something that I know nothing about. And more importantly, just because this person has not personally experienced anything like this does not mean that therefore it cannot be, or is even unlikely. That’s ridiculous. They have lived one life.
I admit, I understand the skepticism. I can’t tell you how many instances in my life have happened where I have been thinking “wow. I don’t believe it!” But, these were responses to things going on around me, in real life. So, in the end, I had to believe it.
The adage is true – truth is stranger than fiction.
I was recently invited to attend a book group, featuring my novel Running Against Traffic. Everyone in the group enjoyed the novel very much, but a few of them spoke up and declared what I have heard from a couple of reviewers as well. They didn’t buy that Paige would “take” what happened to her lying down. They wanted her to fight, to march right back to Philadelphia and resume her life. I asked them to what life? I have also been challenged about not providing enough information about Paige’s relationship with Al. To that I say I’m sorry, I’m just the kind of writer that prefers to leave a few details open to interpretation. Relationships are often strange, confused, unsure, passionate, disappointing, uplifting, co-dependent. Sounds like most of my past relationships, anyway! Write to me and let me know what you thought was going on with them, and I’ll write back and share what I thought was going on, what I think Al thought was going on, and what Paige thought was going on. And remember, there is more to come in the sequel. Just remember, you can think and decide for yourself.
.jpg)
Gaelen VanDenbergh is a writer, runner, and compulsive list-maker who lives in Philadelphia with her family, a fat cat, and several fish. Her debut novel Running Against Traffic, was a Global Ebook Award nominee, a semifinalist in the The Kindle Book Review’s 2013 Best Indie Book Awards, a semifinalist in the Readers' Favorite 2013 International Book Award Contest, Indie Book of the Day, June 30, 2013, a 2013 Beach Book Festival Award nominee, and has received a four star review in InD’tale Magazine.
When not writing, Gaelen enjoys reading, running races for charities, and spending as much time in Key West and the Adirondacks as she can.
Connect with her on:
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULES:
11/3: http://readingrenee.com/
11/5: house-of-books.com
11/6: http://chicklitplus.com/
11/7: http://karenemartin.com/
The Girl, The Gold Tooth & Everything by Francine LaSala
(Started: October 22, 2013; Finished: November 04, 2013)
Summary/Description:
Mina Clark is losing her mind—or maybe it’s already gone. She isn’t quite sure. Feeling displaced in her over-priced McMansion-dotted suburban world, she is grappling not only with deep debt, a mostly absent husband, and her playground-terrorizer 3-year old Emma, but also with a significant amnesia she can’t shake—a “temporary” condition now going on several years, brought on by a traumatic event she cannot remember, and which everyone around her feels is best forgotten. A routine trip to the dentist changes everything for Mina, and suddenly she's not sure if what's happening is real, of if she's just now fully losing her mind... especially when she realizes the only person she thought she could trust is the one she fears the most.
This latest novel by Francine LaSala (Rita Hayworth’s Shoes) is a fast-paced, richly layered, and darkly humorous satire filled with quirky characters and unforgettable moments of humanity. (From Goodreads)
Review: 3 stars
Publication Date: October 09, 2012
Source: Diversion Books
Available on: Amazon
Memories are tangible things we always hold on to. It keeps us track of our experiences, whether it's success and full of happiness or failures and disappointments. That's why losing it, for me, is one of the scariest things that could happen. I love memorizing things and retaining information. It's food for my brain and it's essential to writing and reading, of course. I can't imagine myself forgetting everything I have read in my entire life. That would really break me.
This was the main theme of this book. Mina Clark lost her memory and she cannot remember a single thing. People around her were also advised not to tell her anything from the past. She should learn it alone step-by-step. It was clear that the main point of the story that the readers should grasp is finding one's self both literally and figuratively speaking. The former is obvious since the protagonist has amnesia and the latter is more of knowing who you really are.
Some things I just like to adhere are the pacing of the story, the people around Mina, and herself. First, I think the storyline was really slow. It felt like running around in circles. At first it was alright since it gives off an aura of a mysterious case wherein you want to solve it immediately but it was overdone that I got to the point wherein I was totally tired that I wished the author just get to the point. I read this for so many days and I wish I could only just say it's because I was preoccupied with work. But it's partly because I really can't push myself to read more. It was a struggle to know the real reason why it happened to Mina and to know who are the people around her. Speaking of which, I want to strangle almost all of them. They were so precocious for the wrong reasons (which you find out why towards the end of the book). They were so gullible to not think otherwise. Third is Mina. I hate that she can't assert herself. I understand her case but still, I suppose she have her instincts in tact to feel if she is right or wrong, or if this person is good or bad for her. Though I appreciate the fact that she did look for ways to get her memories back and that she was able to fight everything because of her willpower.
Overall, The Girl, The Gold Tooth & Everything was weirdly different. It was new alright but it's not just for me. The events were not polished enough. But I appreciate it for discussing injustices when it comes to banking and loans (if that could make up for everything...).
For the quotes I got this from the book, please visit my Tumblr:
Happy Reading Everyone!
And to celebrate GIRL turning one, the eBook will be 99 cents for one week only! So avail now!
Another surprise is that there is an ongoing Goodreads First Reads Giveaway of a paperback copy of this book until November 08! Join here now:
FRANCINE LASALA has written nonfiction on every topic imaginable, from circus freaks to sex, and edited bestselling authors of all genres. She is now actively taking on clients for manuscript evaluations, editing services, copywriting (covers, blurbs, taglines, queries, and more), website and blog creation, and developing kickass social media campaigns. The author of novels Rita Hayworth’s Shoes and The Girl, The Gold Tooth & Everything, and the creator of The “Joy Jar” Project, she lives with her husband and two daughters in New York.
Connect with her on:
Finally! I would be able to share to you this very pretty cover reveal. My stop was official yesterday but due to technical problems, I wasn't able to post it immediately. But it's never too late to do it since it's still November 01 in the other side of the world.
Pastels & Jingle Bells by Christine S. Feldman
Publisher: Kindle Direct
Publication Date: November 01, 2013
Shelf: Goodreads
Summary/Description:
Trish Ackerly never expected to cross paths with Ian Rafferty again, but when she spots the former bully of her childhood years through her bakery window, she thinks she may just have been given the best Christmas gift ever: the opportunity to finally give Ian the comeuppance he deserves.
But clearly she does not have a knack for this whole revenge thing, because before she can make good on her plans, Trish gets inadvertently drawn into Ian’s life in an unexpected way that lets her see just how different the man is from the boy he used to be. In fact, much to her astonishment, she actually starts to like the guy.
A lot.
Trouble is, Ian doesn’t know who she really is, and explaining it to him is going to be a little difficult now—which is bad news, because Trish is starting to realize that all she really wants for Christmas this year…is Ian.
Christine S. Feldman writes both novels and feature-length screenplays, and, to her great delight, she has placed in screenwriting competitions on both coasts—and has even won a couple of them. In 2012 one of her screenplays was featured as a staged reading in New York City at the Gotham Screen International Film Festival (http://www.gsiff.com/content/staged-screenplay-reading-1), and later that same year she signed her first publishing contract. When she is not writing, she is teaching kindergarten, puttering around in her garden, ballroom dancing with her husband, or doing research for her next project.
Connect with her on:
GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveawayNOTE: Giveaway will end on November 16th!
Today I have the lovely K.B. Hoyle on the blog who will share her playlist for her series, The Gateway Chronicles.
GUEST POST:
I’ve had a blast creating a playlist of songs for my YA fantasy series, The Gateway Chronicles! Hopefully this eclectic selection of songs will give you a good picture of what my books are all about. Enjoy!
The Gateway Chronicles Playlist: A little epic, a little angst, a lot of fight!
1. “Numb” by Lincoln Park
This song was inspirational for creating the main character, Darcy Pennington. I think this song does a good job of expressing the desire that is in many young girls’ hearts to just be understood as who they are. The frustration in this song is something that Darcy feels quite keenly in the first book.
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
Become so tired, so much more aware
I'm becoming this, all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you
2. “Learn to Breathe” by Thousand Foot Krutch
This song is also reminiscent of Darcy and her burgeoning experiences in Alitheia. In some ways, it’s kind of the answer to “Numb,” because it’s not as self-focused. While it’s one thing to want to be understood, it’s another thing to acknowledge that you, also, have to be willing to understand, change, and grow.
Take the time, to learn to breathe, 'cause some day we're going under, when did we, all fall
asleep? won't someone wake us? take the time, to learn to breathe, 'cause some day we're going
under, help us see, what's underneath
i'm not here to place the blame, 'cause although we're not, we're all the same, you lit a fire
when you called my name
3. “Dream Chasers” by Future World Music (Future World Music Volume 10 – Immortal Empire, Disc 1)
An instrumental piece, I stumbled upon this while listening to movie soundtracks when I was writing The Scroll. I think every good fantasy story needs a good epic song associated with it, and this song is EPIC. It just makes me smile, and it embodies the journey home from the archipelago in The White Thread. The joy of having Yahto Veli returned to them, the flight of the Zephyra, combined with phoenix song . . . this is simply a perfect match.
4. “Awake and Alive” by Skillet
4. “Awake and Alive” by Skillet
This is a Darcy song. It’s a song of resolution to do what’s right, even when everything is against you, and that’s a decision Darcy has to make time and again in The Gateway Chronicles.
I'm awake I'm alive
Now I know what I believe inside
Now it's my time
I'll do what I want 'cause this is my life
here (right here), right now (right now)
I'll stand my ground and never back down
I know what I believe inside
I'm awake and I'm alive
5. “Hanging by a Moment” by Lifehouse
This is one of the quintessential love songs for me and my particular generation, so of course I think of Darcy and Tellius in book 4, The Enchanted, when they are falling in love.
I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held on to
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you
I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
And I don't know what I'm diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with you
6. “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele
This song just has a feel and energy to it that makes me think of certain moments of The Gateway Chronicles. I don’t know that I can necessarily pick out a specific moment, but I listened to this song a lot when I was writing book 5!
7. “Arwen’s Vigil” by The Piano Guys
This is another instrumental one, but I frequently tell people this is my new favorite song ever. I listened to this over and over as I was writing The Scroll, so it’s really the theme song for the book. The progression of the song from mournful to poignant and swelling is perfect and follows the progression of the story in The Scroll to a T.
8. “Everything” by Lifehouse
This is another one of those “throwback” songs for me. I think I must have listened to this a thousand times in college, and I even sang it for a friend’s wedding one time (and yes, I CAN hit those high notes!). J Anyhow, the whole feel of this song is perfect for The Gateway Chronicles, but I particularly think of Darcy and Tellius’s engagement-through-wedding segment in The Scroll.
9. “Hero” by Skillet
This song reflects how, although Darcy is the ultimate hero of the story, she also recognizes that she can’t save herself. Not only does she need Tellius and her supporting cast of friends, but she also needs something “other” to get the task done.
I'm gonna fight for what's right
Today I'm speaking my mind
And if it kills me tonight
(I will be ready to die)
A hero's not afraid to give his life
A hero's gonna save me just in time
10. “Fight Inside” by Red
I’ve always thought about this song when writing about Darcy’s curse in the stories. So this is one of those songs that encompasses the whole series.
[VERSE 1]
Enemy, familiar friend
My beginning and my end.
Knowing truth, whispering lies
And it hurts again.
What I fear and what I've tried,
Words I say and what I hide.
All the pain, I want it to end
But I want it again.
[CHORUS 1]
And it finds me
The fight inside is coursing through my veins.
And it's raging
The fight inside is breaking me again.
[VERSE 2]
I'm still the same, pursuing pain.
Is it worth all that I've gained?
We both know how this will end,
But I'd do it again.
11. “War of Change” by Thousand Foot Krutch
This song is kind of like Darcy’s battle cry at the end of book 5/moving into book 6. Actually, this song pretty well encompasses many of the themes of the entire series, so I included ALL the lyrics:
"War Of Change"
It's a truth that in love and war,
World's collide and hearts get broken,
I want to live like I know I'm dying,
Take up my cross, not be afraid
[Chorus]
Is it true what they say, that words are weapons?
And if it is, then everybody best stop steppin',
Cause I got ten in my pocket that'll bend ya locket,
I'm tired of all these rockers sayin' come with me,
Wait, it's just about to break, it’s more than I can take,
Everything's about to change,
I feel it in my veins, its not going away,
Everything's about to change.
It creeps in like a thief in the night,
Without a sign, without a warning,
But we are ready and prepared to fight,
Raise up your swords, don't be afraid,
[Chorus]
This is a warning, like it or not,
I break down, like a record spinning,
Gotta get up,
So back off,
This is a warning, like it or not,
I'm tired of listenin', I'm warning you, don't try to get up,
There's a war going on inside of me tonight (don't be afraid) [x2]
Wait, it's just about to break, it’s more than I can take,
Everything's about to change,
I feel it in my veins, its not going away,
Everything's about to change,
It's just about to break, it’s more than I can take,
Everything's about to change,
I feel it in my veins, its not going away,
Everything's about to change.
12. “What Does the Fox Say?” by Ylvis
Last but not least, for giggles, because Darcy can talk to animals and could probably answer this question!
MORE ABOUT THE BOOK:
Summary for The Gateway Chronicles:
At the age of thirteen, Darcy Pennington found out the world in which she lived was only one of many, and that the existence of other worlds meant she was far from ordinary. Her destiny, along with the destinies of her five best friends, is entangled with a realm called Alitheia. She journeyed to Alitheia for the first time, armed only with the knowledge that she was destined to help expel an evil Shadow from the land and she would someday be queen. Darcy never could have guessed how deep the rabbit hole would take her. Now, at the age of seventeen, Darcy finds herself thrust into a position of uncertainty after four extraordinary trips to Alitheia, each fraught with drama and adventure. Gifted with elemental magic and with an uncanny ability to get herself into trouble, Darcy has always managed to make it through, but when her heart is on the line, the stakes are higher than ever. Great hope, great joy, and great love have always been tempered by great sorrow and great loss in Alitheia, and Darcy wonders if the trials she is about to face in her latest trip will break her, and the land of Alitheia, beyond repair.
Summary for The Scroll:
Darcy Pennington may once have been an average teenager, but not anymore. Living each year twice, once in her world and once in Alitheia, has made her into someone who cares little for normal teenage activities. She’s got more important things to do, like save the mythical, magical world of Alitheia. But this time, Darcy can’t save Alitheia until she saves Tellius, the love of her life.
A window between the worlds allows Darcy to see Tellius from her home in Chicago. But, far from being reassured, she plunges into despair when she sees Tellius captured, imprisoned, and tortured. All her plans for her future life in Alitheia are put on hold as Darcy faces a singular goal: save Tellius, even if it means giving Tselloch something in return.
Intrigue is high upon her return to the castle, where old friends tell new lies, best friends hide crucial secrets, deceptive apparitions roam the halls, and betrayal lingers around every corner. The only way to unravel the mysteries and protect Alitheia is to bring Tellius home, but Darcy lacks the necessary magic for that.
As time runs low, Rubidius keeps to himself, and even Sam has her own secret this year. Darcy wonders if anyone else cares the way she does, and why it’s always a fight to get anything done. Still, she’ll do anything to rescue her future husband, including surrender herself to the fate she knows is coming anyway. Now, if only The Six could unveil the scroll, they might learn the greatest secret of all, before everything burns to ashes around them.
K. B. Hoyle has been a classical educator for several years. She is a wife to a wonderful husband and mother to three rambunctious little boys. Her favorite literary genres have always been Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction, so that is where her journey began. At a young age, she knew she wanted to write stories that would inspire people, and she wrote her first fantasy novel at the age of eleven. Her goal as a writer is to take a look at existing truths in the world around her and repackage them in new, exciting, and fantastic ways.
Connect with her on:
GIVEAWAY:
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:
10/15 - www.girl-who-reads.com
10/16 - peddlerofdreams.wordpress.com
10/18 - http://strohschein.wordpress.com
10/19 - http://paperbookprincess.com/
10/20 - cafeartspace.blogspot.com
10/21 - www.girl-who-reads.com
10/24 - http://fveslibrary.blogspot.com
Today I have the lovely Stephanie Carroll on the blog who will share her a guest post for her book, A White Room.
GUEST POST:
Halloween History: Victorian Halloween Party Decorations, Games, and Spells
By Stephanie Carroll
The following turn of the century Halloween festivities were taken from two articles in the October 25, 1903 edition of The Sunday Herald of Syracuse, New York. The first article is titled “Halloween: Unique and Ghost-Like Decorations” and is an account of a Halloween party for adults, focusing specifically on the decorations.
The second article was titled “Halloween: What to do on this Witching Eve,” and is an instruction for a witch themed party for young unmarried girls. It includes detailed descriptions of Halloween “charms” or what we would call spells, most of which were designed to determine the girls’ future husbands.
Victorian Halloween Decorations for a Turn of the Century Party
The writer of the article explained that this was a party he actually attended, and it is given from his perspective. When he asked the hostess where she got the ideas for the decorations, she said she had thought them up on the spur of the moment.
Outside of the house, yellow jack-o-lanterns and squash hung from plazas. They included a lamp and had eyes, noses, and grins carved into them. The author of this article writes about the jack-o-lantern faces in a way that suggests it may have been a novelty, at least to him.
Just at the door stood a tall wooden figure draped in black sheets. It had red eyes, a nose, and a grinning mouth. The author commented that the figure “suspiciously looked like a photographer’s lantern on a jag.” Chains bound the hands of the figure and also hung from the door, making it rattle as guests entered the house.
Inside, the only light came from green flames burning in tin plates. The flame came from alcohol sitting on a bed of salts. The writer commented that the flames made the guests’ faces glow green, a color that was “subconsciously associated with ghosts.” Inside the library there were more of these plates with green flames, which the author then commented created a mood that “was enough to conjure up his Satanic Majesty to the ‘flow of soul’ about to begin.” The author’s remark about the devil being conjured suggests lighthearted references to the satan were common during Halloween even at this time period. This may disprove a common conception that the Victorians were too religious for the darker side of Halloween.
Cushions were strewn about the floor for the guests in the library. When the green flames flickered out, someone lit the fireplace, and attendees began telling ghost stories. Each guest had been instructed to bring a ghost story or be “threatened with violent ejection.” The author commented that the stories were so frightening more than one person screamed when an alarm clock went off in the middle of it. He also commented that it was surprising how many guests had brought alarm clocks for this purpose. After the stories had ended, electric lights flickered on to reveal popping corn, games, and refreshments.
The author then goes into a long list of party favors suitable for a Halloween party. It was difficult to discern whether or not all of these favors were at the party he attended or if these were examples of what could be done at a party.
Some of the objects described as party favors were more games as opposed to gifts. Dainty salt cellars with tiny spoons could be provided, so guests could stand in a place they have never stood before, eat a bit of salt, and make a wish. Little mugs or cups could be filled with water and accompanied by paper cutouts of the alphabet as “Every properly educated girl knows that the initial of her future husband will be the only letter that can be depended upon to float.”
Several Halloween souvenirs were described and they all seemed to include messages. There were small bits of silver beaten into favors, like miniature frames in odd shapes from abroad and accompanied with a note saying, “May it be your fate to travel double.” The writer described desk scales with the motto “Don’t weigh your friends in the balance,” and collapsible lanterns with the message “The light fails when you are absent,” along with boxes for holding cord with the message “Always have a string to your kite.” Other gifts included devil paperweights, gnome and toadstool inkstands, and rabbit designs for keeping away ghosts.
Halloween Witchcraft Spells for Unmarried Girls
In addition to the spells below, this article also suggests some decorations and refreshments as this was an instruction for a witch themed party. It describes how to set a dinner table with a jack-o-lantern centerpiece and carved carrots and turnips as candlesticks. Red and green cabbages could be used as baskets for nuts, fruit, and marshmallows for toasting. The article explains refreshments should also include apples, cider, fried cakes, and tea grounds, which are good for prophesizing one’s future. On the dinner cards could be placed witch dolls. The doll could be made with a nut for a head, with a witch hat on top and toothpicks for the body.
The article also recommends using “Burn’s Poem” to determine other fun things to try or to use lines from the poem for dinner cards. The fact that the article only ever refers to this poem as “Burn’s Poem” suggests that it was a common reference around Halloween time, and that anyone would recognize it. Robert Burn’s 1785 Halloween Poem is almost guaranteed the poem to which the article is referring to because it includes the same and additional instructions on Halloween charms. All the charms below appear to have come from this poem.
Although the “charms” or spells below are reminiscent of something 12 or 13-year-old girls would partake in today, this article does not specify an age but is clearly directed toward unmarried girls. It was expected that most girls would be married before or during their early twenties.
I cannot help but point out the fact that unmarried girls at this time were expected to be virgins, and virgins are common components in spells popularized through modern-day pop culture. However, there was no mention of a virgin in this article.
Charms and Games for a Bewitching Halloween Party:
1. Girls can throw two nuts into a fire, each representing a person. Most pop out but the two that burn quietly to ashes show a good omen for those two people.
2. Melt lead taken from tea boxes in a cheap iron spoon (as the lead will ruin the spoon) and then drop it into cold water. It will turn into a shape representative of the occupation of the girl’s future husband. Almost any shape can be formed, but the common shapes and meanings are: shears for a tailor or newspaperman, sword for a soldier, book for an author, or a desk for a preacher.
3. Seven girls can mix a dumb cake consisting of water and flour mixed into stiff dough. The girls cannot speak a word during this. Each girl stirs the dough once or twice and before baking uses a “new pin” to carve her and her beloved’s initials. The initials that are still visible after baking belong to the couples who will be married within the year.
4. Another cake of the usual ingredients can be made with silver objects mixed into the dough. The girls can speak while making this cake, and each must stir it once or twice. After it’s baked, each girl has a slice. Whichever object is in her slice of cake prophesizes her future. A ring means a happy wife; a dime means riches; a raisin means happy motherhood; a thimble means she will never cease to wear it; a key unlocks the hearts of all men but means many lovers and never a husband; and a wheel means travel over land and sea.
5. Everyone knows about bobbing for apples, according to the article, but few are aware that if you hang an apple by a string and then catch it with your mouth without using your hands, it foretells the successes of the coming year.
6. A girl can name an apple the name of her most desired person then pierce the core with a needle. If the needle goes through a seed, the desired one is hers.
7. The girls can name several apple seeds and place them on their lips. The one that stays the longest is the one with the name of the man who loves her most.
8. If a person peels an apple, then turns the peel around her head three times and drops it on the ground, the peel will form the initial that she wishes her future name to have.
9. In complete silence, a girl can walk down the stairs backwards, while eating an apple and holding a mirror up to look for the face of her true love who will appear in it. (The article mentioned that this one is trying on the nerves even if a friend is holding a lamp at the bottom of the stairs.)
10. Girls can run two new needles, one representative of her and the other of “he,” into a candle at right angles so that they cross. The article isn’t clear, but I’m pretty sure you are supposed to stick the needles into the hard wax of a standing candle or candlestick, and not into the flame. If the candle burns passed the spot where the needles cross, all will go well but if it does not, who knows.
11. The cabbage charm originates from Scotland. Girls walk blindfolded into a cabbage field and pick a head. If a lot of dirt clings to the roots, wealth is coming by marriage. If the stem is good and straight, the future husband will be comely. A taste of the cabbage heart indicates the disposition of the man of a woman’s future. The article recommends people who cannot go into an actual field, bring cabbages in and store them in a cellar. It does not explain how guests are supposed to read the cabbage accurately when the freshly pulled roots are what are to be read.
12. To produce a prophetic dream: Seven girls each make a string of acorns and wind it around the same log or stick of wood and place it into a fire. They must all sit at the opposite side of the room in complete silence until all is burned. Then they take out the ashes without any help and repeat:
May my marriage be my theme
To visit me in this night’s dream
The image of my lover send
Let me see his name and face
And his occupation trace
13. A charm that is not well known, according to the article, is the card charm. At a quarter to 12 a.m., all sit at a table and say nothing. One word will break the spell. Promptly at midnight, cards are dealt using only face cards. A king means a speedy marriage; a jack means a broken engagement; a queen means an old maid; a diamond means riches; a spade means thrift; a club means poverty; and a heart means love in a cottage.
14. When the guests leave, one last charm can be done by a girl alone in her room. This charm will determine the faithfulness of a lover. She must pick two long stem roses and return to her room without saying a word. She names one rose for herself and the other for her current beloved. She then binds the stems together with twine while gazing intently at her sweetheart’s rose and recites:
Twine, twine and intertwine
Let my love be wholly mine
If his heart be kind and true
Deeper grow his rose’s hue
If he is faithful, the color of his rose will darken and become more intense. The article says there are recorded accounts of roses actually changing hue, but the only witnesses were the girls who produced the charm.
I hope you enjoyed reading these historical accounts of Victorian Halloween decorations, parties, and party games as much as I enjoyed researching and writing about them. I hope they make a unique and fun addition to your Halloween party this year.
Stephanie Carroll is the author of Gothic Victorian novel A White Room, on sale for $0.99 cents until Oct. 31! As a reporter and community editor, Stephanie Carroll earned first place awards from the National Newspaper Association and from the Nevada Press Association. She holds degrees in history and social science and graduated summa cum laude. Her Gothic and magical writing style is inspired by the classic authors Charlotte Perkins Gilman (The Yellow Wallpaper), Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Secret Garden), and Emily Bronte (Wuthering Heights).
Connect with her on:
10-Day Happy Halloween Sale!!!
A White Room eBook Edition is Now Available for $0.99 cents!
Marked Down from $3.99 for a Limited Time!
October 21st through October 31st!
Also available for Nook, Sony, Kobo, and all e-reading devices.
Win one of two $25 Amazon gift cards or an autographed copy of A White Room.
Find out what it’s really like to be a published author, experience the author process, and learn how it’s really done!
About A White Room
At the close of the Victorian Era, society still expected middle-class women to be “the angels of the house,” even as a select few strived to become something more. In this time of change, Emeline Evans dreamed of becoming a nurse. But when her father dies unexpectedly, Emeline sacrifices her ambitions and rescues her family from destitution by marrying John Dorr, a reserved lawyer who can provide for her family.
John moves Emeline to the remote Missouri town of Labellum and into an unusual house where her sorrow and uneasiness edge toward madness. Furniture twists and turns before her eyes, people stare out at her from empty rooms, and the house itself conspires against her. The doctor diagnoses hysteria, but the treatment merely reinforces the house’s grip on her mind.
Emeline only finds solace after pursuing an opportunity to serve the poor as an unlicensed nurse. Yet in order to bring comfort to the needy she must secretly defy her husband, whose employer viciously hunts down and prosecutes unlicensed practitioners. Although women are no longer burned at the stake in 1900, disobedience is a symptom of psychological defect, and hysterical women must be controlled.
A novel of madness and secrets, A White Room presents a fantastical glimpse into the forgotten cult of domesticity, where one’s own home could become a prison and a woman has to be willing to risk everything to be free.
.jpg)
