I'm at a Book Festival - Here's My Magical Titles

I'm really proud to be one of the featured authors appearing at Beckenham Book Festival 2023, this Sunday, 2nd July. Along with a dozen or so other authors, I'll be giving a short talk and I'll also have a stall. The event's in the grounds of a nice pub, so if you're in the area you can just pop in, have a drink, and say hi. You don't need to buy any books but you're welcome to browse and listen to the talks, storytelling and other events that are taking place, including a raffle and a quiz with a prize.

As I was sorting out a pile of my books to take along, I thought it might be a good idea to blog about the various things I've written on on practical magic and witchcraft. It's been a while since I've done a catalogue of all the titles, most of them in the Pagan Portals series published by Moon Books. 

Here's the list:

Candle Magic

This was the first Pagan Portals book I wrote. It came out in 2016 and has become a best-seller. Here's a bit of the blurb:

"Candle spells are among the easiest yet also the most effective to perform. They are perfect for anyone who wants to have a go at casting a spell for the first time and for the solitary witch with a busy life. Yet candles are also an important part of modern pagan witchcraft rituals. They are used to mark the quarters of the circle, placed on the altar and can represent the changing seasons of the year. This book is aimed at all who want to use candle magic, from beginners to those experienced in the craft."

Poppets and Magical Dolls

This has also sold steadily since it was published in 2018. Here's a description:

"Poppets are dolls used for sympathetic magic, and are designed in the likeness of individuals in order to represent them in spells to help, heal or harm. The word poppet comes from the Middle Ages in England, originally meaning a small doll or child, and it is still in use today as a name of endearment. The term is older than the phrase ‘Voodoo doll’. Pagan Portals – Poppets and Magical Dolls explores the history of poppets and offers a practical guide to making and using them in modern witchcraft."

Guided Visualisations

In 2020 Moon Books published Pagan Portals - Guided Visualisations. Here's the synopsis:

"Guided visualisations use an interactive story to help people know themselves better, find solutions to problems and get ideas for creative projects. They can also be used as a wellbeing tool using relaxation techniques. Many guided visualisations also have spiritual aspects. Within this book are visualisations created for those on the paths of paganism, witchcraft and earth-based spirituality. They were written to follow the Wheel of the Year, embrace the power of the moon and the elements, and develop magical wisdom."

Scrying 

Scrying is the practice of looking into crystal balls, mirrors, water, fire, clouds and many other things to see visions, find messages and gain knowledge. Pagan Portals - Scrying came out in 2022. Here's more about it:

"Scrying...can be done for personal guidance, for inspiration, to find the answers to questions, to look at distant places or other realms, or for fortune-telling and prophecy. It is a form of divination that taps into our psychic senses and powers of intuition. Pagan Portals - Scrying shows how anyone can learn to develop the necessary skills to scry in a variety of different ways."

Rounding the Wheel of the Year

People going to Beckenham Book Festival will be among the first to have a chance to buy copies of Pagan Portals - Rounding the Wheel of the Year. It isn't officially published until September, but I'll have a few early copies on sale on my stall. You can also pre-order it online, the picture to the right should go to where you can view it on Amazon. The book covers the history behind some much-loved folklore and modern pagan customs, including practical suggestions for celebrating the turning of the year. Here's a bit more about it:

"Every month is full of magic, each day has its own energy, and the seasons rotate as part of the cycles of nature. Pagan Portals - Rounding the Wheel of the Year looks at ways to honour each month with folkloric customs, herb and plant lore, traditional crafts, spells, visualisations, and pagan rites that go beyond the eight pagan festivals of Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lammas, Autumn Equinox, Samhain, and Winter Solstice."

Erosion - A Gothic Novel

My first novel is set to come out next spring, and I've been really lucky in that Ben Aaronovitch, author of the Rivers of London books, has endorsed it with a quote on the front cover. I don't have any to sell in person at the moment, but you will be able to see my author preview copy at the festival. It can also be pre-ordered via publisher Moon Books' website and through regular booksellers. Here's the blurb:

'''It all began when we found the bones…' This is the start of Erosion, a gothic novel set on the English coast, in 1987, the year of the Great Storm. Violent weather is but one of the problems a group of friends face when they discover an ancient grave inside a crumbling cliff and decide to unearth a skull. Supernatural mystery intertwines with the problems of human relationships, of earning money, of following dreams.

"Alison wants to spend a glorious summer writing her novel, Asher wants to wow audiences with his comedy routines, Zoe wants to make a living as an artist, Jo wants to make the world a better place and Baz just wants to help his friends succeed, but the events that happen change all their plans. Death and destruction test the bonds of friendship, yet moments of beauty entwine with scenes of horror as a magical summer becomes an autumn of devastation." 

By the way, the cover art is by Kent artist Su Jolly.

More About Beckenham Book Festival

This annual literary event showcases authors who live in or near Beckenham on the border of south east London and Kent. I'll have a stall at the festival where you can come and chat with me and see my books and I'll also be giving a short talk on witchcraft at 1.30pm. 

Other authors from Beckenham and the surrounding areas will also be there. There'll be short presentations throughout the event and a children’s story time.

Beckenham Book Festival 2023 is at The Coach and Horses, Burnhill Rd, Beckenham BR3 3LA. Entry is completely free. It runs from 1pm until 6pm.

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