Questions ~ Publishing Shakeups

 

I have a question for Publishers and others in the Publishing World out there...

I wrote two books with Callisto Media/Rockridge Press. Callisto Media has since been bought out:

"NAPERVILLE, Ill., May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The publishing assets of Callisto Media, a leading nonfiction publisher, have been sold in a Sourcebooks-led, Penguin Random House-funded acquisition."

The books I published with them then began being distributed by Simon & Schuster, and I found both of my books, as well as an author page up in my name, at Simon & Schuster's website.

Simon & Schuster has since been sold out:

"In [October, I believe] 2023, leading global investment firm KKR acquired Simon & Schuster from Paramount Global. For the first time in nearly 50 years, Simon & Schuster was no longer part of a larger conglomerate, marking a return to its roots as a standalone, independent publishing company."

I just recently discovered that my books and my author page have both disappeared from Simon & Schuster's website. I also looked up an aquaintance on this site, a fellow Callisto author, and her books and author page were gone as well.

My questions:

• What happens to our books?
• How can we find out?
• Will Rockridge books be shuffled around to another company?
• Could these books go out of print?

These were contracted works, a one-time payment, it's not like I'm going to miss out on royalties; but these are very popular books and the sales of these books helps to promote my other books. And then, there's all the hard work that went into writing these books; I'm proud of them and I want them to do well for whatever company they wind up with.

Hello, Monday! The book for this week is "Tarot: A Witch's Journey"

 

I've been writing my whole life, ever since I started journaling at 12 years old.  In my teens I naively sent off tedious poetry to a variety of magazines, and finally, in my early 30s, I actually received payment for a series of short stories that were published in literary magazines featuring fiction.  

This was an affirmation to me, an acknowledgment from the universe that, yes, I could write, and there were people who actually wanted to read what I have written -- and they would pay me for this grand creative effort.

So, comes the year 2009.  I was getting dressed early one spring day.  I remember it as if it were yesterday.  I was standing in my bedroom, slipping on a pair of blue jeans.  I had just put one foot in one leg when I heard a voice in my head say:  "Write a book."

So I did, and this book, Tarot: A Witch's Journey, is the result.

It was published a year later, in October 2010, by Labyrinth House Publishing.

This book was republished as a 10th anniversary edition in February 2018, with Amazon and Pink Orchid Publishing...

Available @Amazon
in kindle, print, and hard cover

Follow author, Amythyst Raine, through the realm of Tarot, uncovering life's mysteries along the way. Explore esoteric connections through the cards with astrology, numerology, and the Kabbalah. Delve into criminal cases explored intimately through the intricacies of the tarot and intuitive reading. Connect with and experience the human psyche through the court cards. Discover tarot's power within the magick of the occult world. Begin your journey through the realm of Tarot today.

Table of Contents

The Tarot ~ 6

The Minor Arcana ~ 8

Court Cards ~ 34

The Major Arcana ~ 47

Frequently Asked Questions ~ 76

Deeper Tarot Connections ~ 91

Tarot Spreads ~ 104

Criminal Cases/Psychic Readings ~ 143

Astrological Correspondences ~ 167

The Zodiac/12 Houses ~ 178

Numerology & The Tarot ~ 195

The Kabbalah Connection ~ 215

Tarot Magic ~ 237

[I included in this book a very special section to the Table of Contents so you can easily find the tarot spells included in this book]

Spells

• Mojo Bag Spells

To Bring Justice ~ 243
The Bag of Retribution ~ 245
For Safe Travel ~ 247
For Safe Childbirth ~ 250
The Bag of Riches ~ 251
The Lovers Bag ~ 252
To Uncover the Truth ~ 253
The Personal Power Mojo Bag ~ 254
For Protection ~ 256

• Candle Spells

To Promote Fidelity ~ 257
To Catch a Thief ~ 260
To Gain Employment ~ 262
The Wish Spell ~ 264
To Regain Balance in Your Life ~ 266
To Summon Someone
From Your Past ~ 268
Reaching a Decision ~ 272
Achieving Victory ~ 274
Banishing Nightmares ~ 276

October 2010

My first book release.

Book Trailer...

to promote the 10th anniversary release of the second edition in July 2020.  This is an updated and illustrated edition that is available in print, hardcover (in color), and kindle.

[Excerpt:  Minor Arcana ~ In-depth]

The Two’s

The two’s involve pairs. These cards can revolve around couples, business, money, mental endeavors, and decisions, as depicted by cups, wands, pentacles, and swords. The two’s can predict compatibility and the need and direction of decisions. The two’s speak of balance—yin yang, black and white, left and right, etc.; they herald partnerships and validate relationships. This suit can also warn us when there are imbalances in our lives that may affect unpredictable areas.

Two of Pentacles

The figure on this card appears as a juggler, most often than not. In each hand he holds a golden disk, balanced precariously on their edges. As this card tells us, the trick of life, the most important thing, is to keep everything in it balanced out, on an even keel. Upright this card indicates that we have accomplished this task successfully. In deep concentration, we maintain an even equilibrium in our lives; and in doing so the paths before us will be smooth and easier to traverse. This card reminds us that maintaining balance is much like keeping a house clean, it is an ongoing thing.

When this card is reversed, it is a smack to our consciousness, telling us that something is off kilter, out of whack, with often tumultuous and chaotic consequences. There is an imbalance somewhere in our lives, and this imbalance will be like ripples on a pond, upsetting the smooth surface in all aspects of our existence. The surrounding cards will quickly point out the specific areas that are affected and will offer solutions to the dilemma.

Two of Swords

Crossed lances, a blindfolded figure…Conflict, inability to compromise, unwillingness to see that which we don’t want to face, not having all the information needed to arrive at a decision. This card tells us that the problem here in lies with us. It speaks to us of internal forces at work, creating within us indecision, stubbornness, blunders, and aloofness. This card tells us to open our eyes, take a clear look. The truth, the answer, the right path, all will be revealed in time.

Reversed, this card assures you that the answers, the solutions, the correct path are right before you, just open your eyes and you will see. This card, in conjunction with those around it, can also be pointing to very specific solutions, people, paths and answers. The reversed two of swords can also indicate that someone is not ready to see the light, make decisions, or decide on a direction.

Two of Wands

This card speaks of partnerships, pairings, a mutual benefit derived from working together. It can also point to the need for decisions based around issues of business, finance, and other practical mundane matters of life. Within this card, the figure, standing so his back is to us, seems deep in concentration, sort of wrapped up in his own thought process. At the same time, he’s also watching the horizon, facing a direction that allows him to see what’s coming, to avoid unpleasant surprises, to be prepared.

In some decks there are other figures in the distance, often a ship or an animal. This can indicate a second party who will have a direct effect on the decision made, on the partnership, or the business venture. Pay attention to your impressions about these figures.

Reversed, this card often warns us that now may not be the right time to undertake any new projects or in-depth endeavors. You may need more information, maybe something more from the mundane world such as funds, backing, or support. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the enterprise should be abandoned, merely that more time may be needed to work out any glitches.

Two of Cups

The suit of cups deals with emotions and relationships. This card often announces engagements, weddings, a union of some kind. Depending on the surrounding cards in the reading, this could be any sort of union that is steeped in strong emotions and a variety of relationship connections. Upright, this card reeks of a couple, a partnership, soul mates, a coming together. This often means a physical union, but it can also point out more intangible unions, such as a ‘meeting of the minds’. This is a celebratory card and strikes at the heart, the deep-seated center of love, strong emotions, and ethereal fantasies.

Reversed, the two of cups can sting a bit. It may be telling us to step back, slow down, and take a second look. This card can also indicate problems in a marriage or a relationship. Look closely at the surrounding cards for details. It can speak of imbalances in relationships and expose controlling behavior. In some of my readings, the two of cups have also foretold of cancelled engagements and weddings, and it has spoken of divorce.

[Excerpt: Major Arcana ~ In-depth]

18. The Moon

Mystery, esoteric knowledge, psychism, deceptions, mental illness, the dark side—the enlightened side…All meanings of The Moon, and all of these aspects for this beautiful and complicated card have come up in my readings.

This card, with its moonlit path always leading between two stalwart towers or mountains, has the feeling of wandering about it, an unsettled spirit and eternal quest. This quest may involve the search for something in our mundane world, and this card has indeed come up in readings for missing person cases. This quest can also involve the spiritual, the intangible search for knowledge, often occult knowledge. It speaks of ‘The Seeker”.

The sentinels on either side of this card, often portrayed as canines, reeks of inner initiation, of someone who has come through—or is about to enter—a new phase of self-awareness and inner enlightenment.

Reversed, this card often is a warning—someone close to you is not being truthful, perhaps it is you yourself, not being true to those around you, or being swallowed by self-deception. Occasionally The Moon has warned of an unbalanced mind, mental illness, or the dark side of yourself or someone close to you.

This is my favorite tarot card of the entire deck. I suppose part of this affinity stems from the Wiccan, Goddess oriented part of myself. I find comfort in the moon, in the subdued light it casts, and in its ever changing subtle energy and phases.

Yes, this card has a dark side, there’s no getting around that. But there are light and dark aspects to everything in our world, everything of nature. Sometimes we find ourselves stepping into these shadows, only to discover the light.

And that’s where this card will take you.

[Excerpt: The Querents]

• The Talker

One sunny afternoon when I was giving readings in an occult shop, a determined middle-aged lady plopped herself down in front of me and started to profusely proclaim how glad she was that I was there to read for her.  As I shuffled the cards, she began a one-woman soliloquy on her life, her late husband’s life, her children’s lives, and her grandchildren’s’ lives.  When I began to turn the cards and opened my mouth to give her the reading she was so ecstatic to be receiving, I thought she would stop talking.

She didn’t.

Every time I turned a card, before it was even all the way over, she would react, first with a sigh, a ‘tsk, tsk’, a dismayed ‘oh my’, or a squeal of approval.  And she would then proceed to read the cards in her own interpretation, chattering away at a hundred miles an hour.

I couldn’t get a word in.

Throughout the entirety of this reading, she persistently wanted to know if she would receive the money she needed for an upcoming bill, but she never stopped talking long enough for me to tell her anything.  She insisted that I draw another card, and another card, and another card, hoping to see the answer she desired.  After the last card was turned and she gave a final sigh, she said impatiently, “Well, do you see that money coming in on time or not?”

Quite frankly, I didn’t, and I told her so.

She looked at me with a condescending eye, thinly veiled contempt, and with a disappointed attitude she said, “Well, I guess you did the best you could.”

Then she pushed back her chair, stood up, and stormed off.

Try not to let this type of client rattle you.  Most likely she would never find favor with anything you had to say, even if you would’ve gotten the opportunity to say it.

[Excerpt: Using Psychic Tarot Readings to Solve Criminal Cases]

Tarot Case #4

September 17, 2005

Taylor Marie Behl,  Richmond, Virginia

Knight/cups ®

2/cups     5/cups     Knight/pentacles

The Moon     Lovers ®     High Priestess ®

4/Swords     3/pentacles     King/wands ®

 

General Reading:

There is a romantic relationship. 

There is someone Taylor was involved with—friend, lover.  She broke up with this person. Someone, something was lost.  There is a young man—appears to be solid type, good worker, serious student, goal oriented, and serious person in general.  She broke up with this person.  It was a sad ending, bad feelings.

There follows a period of trickery and deceit, emotional illness, jealousy, black thoughts…not Taylor, but someone she met.  Another lover comes into the picture. There are problems with this relationship.  This person becomes an ex-lover, boyfriend.  Taylor had misgivings about someone close to her, about this person— but she did not listen to her gut feelings that were warning her about this situation.

There is a possibility Taylor was drugged or poisoned.

Taylor may already be dead as of this date.  But I feel she may have been confined or held for a short period of time against her will before she was killed.  It may have been a very brief period. 

I feel she is already dead.  It’s too late to help her.

Taylor, or her body, may be hidden in, or near, a building.  The abductor may have had two other people help him conceal her body or her.  They know something about it, but I don’t think these people were a part of the actual murder. 

This man (the older man) is fair skinned, has light hair (maybe red), and is a control freak.  When Taylor brushed him off she upset the balance in his life.  He no longer felt in control.  To regain his feeling of control he physically overpowered Taylor.  He may be a few years older than Taylor.  An older man.  The situation was beyond Taylor’s control.  She was helpless.

Summary:

There may have been two men who were involved with Taylor—one of them, a young man, is innocent of any wrong doing—just an ex-beau.

The second, the older man, may have mental problems, is emotionally unstable, and is responsible for Taylor’s disappearance.

Key:

This was a case of a romantic encounter gone bad.

          Second reading

September 17, 2005

 

8/pentacles 6/pentacles® The Emperor® 
Queen/wands®

General Reading

Taylor was a generous person—to a fault.  People might have taken advantage of her in this respect.  There was an overwhelming negative male influence involved here—overpowering masculinity.  There is a woman—maybe jealous and mean spirited.  This woman may have wanted something from Taylor.  She is also controlling--  This card, The Queen of Wands, also strikes me as having a double meaning here:  It could be Taylor’s mother in mourning—a generous woman, a country woman or genteel lady.  She may also be a business woman.  She is kind and likes children and animals.  She’s the kind of woman who is comfortable being in charge.

Summary:

Authorities should check 1) Taylor’s place of work or study—someone she knows at school and 2) Someone she met at work.  (If not HER place of work, then HIS place of work.)

 

Facts/Information on this case:

 

•      September 18, 2005

There is a “person of interest”, an older man.  He is a 38-year-old photographer who was working with Taylor.  Taylor is seventeen.

•      September 19, 2005

Taylor’s cell phone was receiving calls for a week after she disappeared.  Her car—a white Ford Escort-- was found 1 ½ miles from her college.  The license plates had been switched to Ohio plates. The person of interest, the photographer, is Ben Fawly.  The 38 year old man met Taylor at her college while visiting a young man there who is his friend and a student at the college.  Ben Fawly was visiting this young man in the dorm.

•      September 20, 2005

Ben Fawly—Taylor had met him some time ago and was having some sort of relationship with him.  He lived in the area.  Police have confiscated items from his home, such as his computer, photos of Taylor, etc.

At one time she had met a young man that she dated on and off but the relationship never grew into anything serious.  This young man is apparently NOT a “person of interest”.

•      September 21, 2005

A second car has been impounded by the police and is being searched.  Ben Fawly had photographs of Taylor posted on his website.  The police have gone to the home of a young man to question him, however, he is not considered to be a suspect.

•      September 26, 2005

There has been an arrest in this case.

•      September 28, 2005

The man arrested was 38-year-old photographer, Ben

Fawly.  He was arrested on charges of child pornography.  A young man, Jessie Schulz, took and failed a polygraph test on two counts:  1. Did he know Taylor?  2. Was he in Taylor’s car? This young man lives within a mile or mile and half from Ben Fawly.  The police are looking for a stolen license plate:  GRN ERTH.

•      September 29, 2005

Ben Fawly—fair-skinned, dark hair dyed light reddish.  He has mental problems.  He’s bi-polar. A number of unusual items were removed from his home including a box of bones and sex toys.

Taylor, Jessie Schulz, and two other young men were going to go skate boarding the night she disappeared.

Taylor met Ben Fawly that night and had sex with him before she left to meet the guys for skateboarding.

•      October 6, 2005

Taylor’s body was found yesterday- October 5, 2005.  It was found in Virginia, off a dirt path on a private farm.  The body was buried in a shallow grave behind a barn.  Ben Fawly’s ex-girlfriend led the authorities to the body.  The farm belongs to her family.  Ben Fawly claims that he saw Taylor twice on the day she disappeared and had sex with her on that day.  He also claims that he was abducted that day by 3 or 4 men and then released.

Ben Fawly is on disability because of mental problems.  He is believed to have sexually deviant behavior and had a number of unusual sex toys, etc., removed from his home by the authorities.

Police dogs followed a scent trail of Taylor from her abandoned vehicle which was discovered with stolen license plates to the home of Jessie Schulz.  Jessie 

Schulz was in court today on unrelated drug charges.

•      October 10, 2005

Ben Fawly is now officially a suspect in the murder of Taylor Behl.  He was living with a young man that Taylor knew from high school.  He has a long list of assault charges and a restraining order was put on him for one ex-girlfriend.  Cause of death has not been determined yet.  The body is “badly decomposed”.

 

You will find in this book tarot connected to a variety of other esoteric subjects including astrology, the kabbalah, and numerology.

[Excerpt: The Twelve Houses of the Zodiac]

First House

Self
Sun sign—Aries
Planet—Mars

Personality, temperament, appearance, characteristics, behavior, early life, likes/dislikes, outward persona, mannerisms

The first house is the most powerful and the most revealing, for it is “you”. In a tarot reading, this house will lay you open before the reader. It will tell her how you handle yourself with people and the day to day circumstances of life—Are you fair, temperamental, good-natured and friendly, crotchety, suspicious, affectionate or abusive? All and much more will be revealed. It will expose those things you dislike in life and the world, as well as people, animals, places, activities, or objects you love and cherish.

It will detail certain physical characteristics, as well as mental quirks and any other idiosyncrasies about your nature or habits. If there is anything about yourself that you don’t wish to have exposed, The Horoscope Spread is not a reading you would want to have done—or any tarot reading for that matter.

Anything we hide or hide behind will be stripped away with the turn of a card.

[Excerpt: Journey On the Pathways... There are 22 pathways between the ten sephiroths of the Tree of Life.  To each of these 22 pathways a major arcana card is assigned, as well as a Hebrew letter.  This creates a pathway of interconnected mysteries that can lead to incredibly deep and awe inspiring revelations when the various meanings and correspondences are all taken into consideration.]

Path 28

Tzadi

The Star

This is the path where we discover the mystical and revel in our fantasies—opening doors to these fantasies, making them accessible. This is where we wade through the odyssey that is our dreams and in doing so…find our true identity—the unpolished, raw and gorgeous being that we are.

The charm that is this part of our journey allows an inner world to unfold before us, an inner world filled with creatures created from the essence of our psyche, colors in brilliance and hues not of this world, sounds heard only with the sixth sense, and landscapes woven from the palette of our sub-conscious mind.

We travel in full circle upon this path—that is, in reality, going from one point to the next, but as travelers who are lost and wander in circles until they come to this realization on their own.

Upon this path we discover that the mystical, ethereal portion of our persona shapes our identity with a much larger sense of influence than expected.

[Excerpt: Mojo Bag Spells]

The Personal Power Mojo Bag

Personal Power Bag for Women:

For this mojo bag we’re going to draw on the energy of the High Priestess.  Within her lays the power of the Feminine Divine.  She will represent the inner core of all women, where magic resides, where the witch exists—“There’s a little witch in every woman.”, so goes the saying.  All of these archetypes—the priestess, the goddess, the witch—represents and emphasizes personal power.

Correspondences:

1.       Moon Phase:  full moon

2.       Day:  Monday

3.       Planet:  Moon

4.       Colors:  blue, silver, white

5.       Herbs:  moonwort, lotus, myrrh, gardenia, cardamom, belladonna, thyme, lilac, apple blossoms, violet, wormwood

6.       Stones:  moonstone, blue lace agate, clear quartz crystal

7.       Tarot Card:  The High Priestess

Personal Power Bag for Men:

For the man we’re going to draw on the energy of The Magician.  Within him lays the power of the masculine, the Priest—the Elder, the Shaman, the Sorcerer, the Wizard.  The Magician holds the mysticism of the four elements within his hands and the will needed to create magic.  These archetypes represent personal power.

Correspondences:

1.       Moon Phase:  full moon

2.       Day:  Sunday

3.       Planet:  Sun

4.       Colors:  yellow, orange, white

5.       Herbs:  carnation, juniper, rowan, sunflower, St. John’s Wort, mistletoe

6.       Stones:  amber, carnelian, tiger’s eye

7.       Tarot Card:  The Magician

To this bag, add at least three of the herbs and one of the stones listed.  You could also add an image of the God/Goddess, such as a pendent or small statuary.  I’ve seen some very tiny and beautiful ones in new-age shops.  If you have a patron god/goddess, you could also add images, herbs, stones, objects, etc., that are special and unique to His/Her energy. 

Add to this bag images or objects that represent power to you—an object from your work place, if you feel this is where your power lays; a photo of your children; tokens of past success; slips of paper filled with personal affirmations; images of men or women who represent success and power to you, such as your mother or father, grandmother or grandfather, or a public figure. 

This book is jam-packed with so much information on such a variety of levels, I can't begin to tell you.  And this book was, indeed, a journey, as the title states.  If you haven't purchased your copy of this book you can do so with the link below at Amazon.  And if you already have a copy, you might want to gift a copy to a friend.  Spread the magick

Tarot: A Witch's Journey

@Amazon

PODCAST, Q&A ~ All About Writing

 

This podcast is a Q&A... It's going to answer the questions that You've sent to me! Keep the questions coming, and I'll do more podcasts like this. I've categorized the questions today by topic. Today we're going to take a look at the writing process. What did you want to know?... Well, here's the questions I've received, and the questions that will be answered in this episode:

1. At what point should someone call themselves a writer?
2. What difference do you see between a writer and an author?
3. What do the words "writer's block" mean to you?
4. How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
5. What is the most difficult part of the writing process?
6. What advice would you give a writer working on their first book?

Sneak Peek @ The Divine Me: Embracing Your Inner Goddess: "My Vulva, the horn; The Boat of Heaven"

 

Admittedly, I took a brief lull the past few days with the writing of my 10th book, but I am back at it now in full force.  We're up to 20,181 words and 105 pages.  Basically, each chapter is divided into two sections --  1) there's a section on the goddesses for each chapter that includes the story behind her along with more insights, rituals, and ways to connect with her energy (the goddess and the heavenly bodies; the goddess in every day; the goddess in every month; the elemental connection; the goddess in YOU); 2) and then there's a very personal section with each chapter titled "Facing the Mirror" (what is your greatest strength; what about the darker side of your nature; how do you connect with yourself; how do you connect with your spiritual side; how do you connect with the physical you).

This is a first sneak peek at the contents, with a look at the goddess I chose to highlight for the month of January... Inanna.

____________________

Origin: Sumerian
Influences: love, war, beauty, sex, justice, political power
AKA: Queen of Heaven, Ishtar
Planet: Venus
Symbols: lion, 8-point star

I was somewhat amazed, and more than a little taken aback, when I looked into the myths and stories surrounding Inanna. She’s rather daunting actually. She’s a goddess obsessed with gaining power and unwilling to face the consequences for her actions. It’s also said that she’s promiscuous, vicious, and can even be cruel.

One legend goes that she deliberately gets her father, Anu, drunk so that she can steal from him the figurative concepts of wisdom and culture while he’s passed out.

The story of her courtship with a young shepherd, Demuzi, was filled with great draughts of romantic verbiage, especially about “plowing her vulva” and who was going to do this and how it must be done:

My vulva, the horn,

The Boat of Heaven

Is full of eagerness like the young moon.

My untilled land lies fallow

She goes on to marry Dumuzi, the shepherd boy, and he happily wallows on the consort’s throne, drinking in and soaking up all the riches and treasure of the royal lifestyle that she, Inanna, had built, and plowing her vulva, I would imagine.

Then her sister’s husband dies, and she decides to journey to the underworld, where her sister Ereshkigal rules. After she makes this journey, she becomes trapped in the underworld, and she’s told that the only way she can leave and return to the world of the living is if she finds someone to take her place.

During her imposed confinement in the underworld, Inanna was able to see the world of the living she left behind and how her absence affected those close to her. To her surprise, and probably dismay, she saw that her husband Dumuzi had not mourned her at all but had gladly taken over the reins of the throne and was soaking up the glory of his new position.

“Him”, she told her captors. “I give you Dumuzi to take my place.” And so, it was. Inanna returned to the world of the living.

Understandably, she was upset with her husband, who apparently was more interested in the material things and powerful position that his marriage to Inanna provided him, rather than the love and adoration of his wife. And I think, with that sentence, I have just stumbled upon the moral of this story, which serves as fair warning for other prospective unscrupulous mates who are looking for something other than love.

I think Inanna made the right decision. “Burn in hell… er, Hel, Dumuzi.”

Being released in 2023

Pink Orchid Publishing ~ This is me!

 

Pink Orchid Publishing... is me! 

I've been asked frequently about this company, which is listed on the copyright page of four of my books, along with Amazon. I've published four of my own books through Amazon and their KDP system so far, and I love it. I love being in control, I love editing the manuscript and deciding how I want it set up and how I want it to look, I love choosing the type of paper, styles, etc., and I love doing my own cover design. I went all out on my last book... full color, premium paper, heavily illustrated -- a lot of my own photographs, as well as public domain images. 

My other five books are published through traditional publishing companies, and I greatly (greatly!) appreciate the talented editors, artists, and publicists and all the work they have done. I'm proud of the connection I have with these amazing people and these companies, and I'm proud of the books that have come out of this joint effort. 

As far as Pink Orchid Publishing goes, at this time, I am only publishing my own work. If I were younger and had more energy, I probably would take on other authors and projects, but not right now. I whimsically asked my daughter, "I think I created a publishing company?" and she said, "I do believe you did."

The Kindles ~ they're back up and available!

 

The four books I published with Amazon are once more available in both Print and Kindle, follow the link:  click  HERE

1. The Ultimate Tarot Guide for Your Personal Tarot Journey
2. Natural Magick the Gray Witch Way
3. The Little Handbook of Spiritual Awakening
4. Tarot: A Witch's Journey

A New Book ~ a work-in-progress

 

Since I'm over 13,000 words and 69 pages into a project, I suppose it would be a good time to announce that there is a new book in the works. And because I still haven't decided how I'm going to publish this book, whether with Amazon's KDP program, or with a standard publishing company, I should call the title and cover a "working title and cover". The book... "The Divine Me, Embracing Your Inner Goddess". There are portions of this book that are highly personal, but then, getting to know and embrace the goddess within means getting to know and embrace yourself and everything that goes with you. I'm using myself as an example. So, beware world.

My Creative Marathon

 
I've spent all day creating new book banners for each of my nine books to be used on my websites, blogs, and social sites.  It was fun, but I'm glad I have it all done now.  I'm pleased with the concise explanations of what each book is about, or what it has to offer you.  You can purchase all of these books AT AMAZON.  All of my books are sold world-wide, and over half of them you'll find at any fine book store near you.

Enjoy the artistic panorama of colors, book covers, fancy fonts, and visual portraits!

click on any image to make it BIGGER

NEW RELEASE! Coming this summer

 

It is my wish that this beautiful and inspiring handbook & journal becomes your companion as you explore spirituality and seek enlightenment.

Watch my social media and blogs for more information, including the release date and promotional posts, with a peek inside.

I know you'll love this book as much as I do!

First Time Authors ~ Tips for Marketing Your Book

 

Writing a book is the easy part, believe me.  The real grind will begin six to eight weeks before your book's release date and continue for four to six weeks after your book has been released.  New authors may not realize that marketing your book is just as much hard work as writing it, and that this process is an absolute vital necessity in order to sell your book successfully.

For some of the books I've written in the past eleven years, I've been fortunate to work with incredible publishing/marketing companies and publicists.  If you have a good editor and publicist, embrace them. They run a gauntlet for you. They are priceless.

For other books, I've run the independent race and did everything myself.  It is daunting, but it's not impossible... remember that.  There are so many tips for marketing your book in order to reach as many readers as possible, and isn't this why we write?  Here's some teasers to a terrific article full of helpful information and tips.  

Happy publishing!

Source:  NY Book Editors

Read the full article
at THIS LINK

• 1. START BY CREATING YOUR BRAND

• 2. CREATE A WEBSITE

• 3. CREATE AN EMAIL LIST

• 4. CHOOSE THE RIGHT AUDIENCE FOR MARKETING

• 5. REACH OUT TO BOOK REVIEWERS

• 6. CHOOSE THE RIGHT BOOK COVER

• 7. OFFER YOUR BOOK FOR FREE ON AMAZON -- (host a "Give-a-Way")

• 8. USE ADS ON AMAZON TO BOOST YOUR SALES

• 9. USE FACEBOOK MARKETING TO BUILD AWARENESS

My Secret Revealed

 
I’ve been hard at work on a special project recently and I’m finally able to tell you what it is!... I’ve been writing a book, and I’m so excited to be able to share more details with you soon (including links to pre-order your copy). Be sure to keep an eye out for my Official Announcement and Cover Reveal this coming Tuesday!

Book #7 ~ In Progress

I recently received a book proposal and have accepted it. I'll begin work on Book #7 this Monday. This will be my main focus for the next few weeks and months to meet deadlines. If I'm scarce, it means I'm busy.