My Sister of the Fey Colleen Chesebro has just released her new book, Fairies, Myths, & Magic, and I’m thrilled to have her as a guest on my blog.

Colleen is the author of The Heart Stone Chronicles: The Swamp Fairy, the story of fourteen-year-old Abigale Forester, who discovers her true destiny is to protect the nymphs from evil in an ever-changing modern world.

Buy the book HERE

Colleen is the founder of The Sisters of the Fey, the blogging collaboration of nine women whose “magic is inspired by a secret order of fairies that existed hundreds of years ago [and] which has been reborn in our spirits.” She offers weekly poetry and Tanka challenges on her blog, and is an avid reader who book reviews are outstanding.

Please join me in welcoming Colleen ❤️

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HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE!

I’ve planned this day out in my mind for over a year… Today, as a tribute to the Summer Solstice, my first book of poetry and short stories has become a reality. Fairies, Myths, & Magic ~ A Summer Celebration is now available on Amazon.

From June 21st through June 27th, this book will be featured at the introductory price of $.99! Grab your copy today!

Here is the Country Tagged Universal Book Link: Smarturl.it.FairiesMythsMagic

Blurb:

Step into a world where fairies, dragons, and other magical beings converge in a collection of poetry and short stories inspired by the celebration of Litha, the Summer Solstice.

Meet Drac, a dragon cursed by his own poisonous deeds, and two pixies who help an old man remember a lost love. You’ll meet a pair of fairies with a sense of humor, and a young girl who fulfills her destiny after being struck by lightning. Learn what happens when a modern witch’s spell goes terribly wrong. Meet the Sisters of the Fey, a group of Slavic Witches who sign a pact with the Rusalki Fey to preserve their magic for the good of all.

Atmospheric and haunting, the prose and poetry, will rewrite the mythologies of the past bringing them into the future.

What’s Litha ~ the Summer Solstice?

Litha is the celebration of the Summer Solstice—June in the Northern Hemisphere, and December in the Southern Hemisphere. Here in North America, the Litha Sabbat honors the longest day of the year with the most hours of sunlight.

Pagans celebrated Litha by observing and honoring the power of the sun. The sun’s influence reminded the people that the summer months represented fertility, ensuring the survival of the species.

During midsummer, magnificent fruit burst forth from the flowers, shrubs, and trees, providing ample food for all. Summer was also the most favorable time for the birthing and survival of animals, birds, and insects. This also included humans where the most births occurred during the months of July through October, which still continues today.

For the ancients, nothing represented the power of the sun more than fire. On the Solstice Eve, huge bonfires were erected on hilltops celebrating the link between the earth and heavens. Festivities lasted for days before and after the main event.

Yet, the primitive people recognized the need for balance between fire and water. Some celebrations included setting a wheel on fire, then rolling it downhill into a body of water, signaling the power of the sun at it’s mightiest, and also the day the sun’s power begins to diminish.

For me, a Summer Solstice celebration was the perfect day to share my collection of poetry and short stories inspired by the magic of the ancient pagans. I hope you’ll enjoy this collection. ❤️

Colleen M. Chesebro is an American Novelist writing YA fantasy and magical realism, cross-genre fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. She loves all things magical which may mean that she could be experiencing her second childhood—or not. That part of her life hasn’t been fully decided yet.

A few years ago, a mystical experience led her to renew her passion for writing and storytelling. These days she resides in the fantasy realm of the Fairy Whisperer where she writes the magical poetry and stories that the fairy nymphs whisper to her in her dreams.

Colleen won the Little and Laugh Flash Fiction Contest sponsored by the CarrotRanch Literary Community.com in November 2017 for her piece, called “The Bus Stop.” Her debut novel, The Heart Stone Chronicles: The Swamp Fairy won gold in the 2017 AuthorsDB.com cover contest.

Colleen lives in Colorado with her husband, Ron. When she is not writing, Colleen enjoys spending time with her husband and friends. She also loves gardening, reading, and crocheting old-fashioned doilies into works of art. You can learn more about Colleen at www.colleenchesebro.com.

You can find Colleen in all the usual places. Drop by anytime.

colleenchesebro.com Author Blog Amazon Author Page

Facebook Twitter Facebook Author Page

Sisters of the Fey Group Blog

Pinterest Google+ Instagram LinkedIn

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I hope you enjoyed learning more about Colleen, her writing, and the Summer Solstice. Thanks so much for stopping by ❤️

I am pleased to join Sally Cronin in announcing the publication of the two-volume print version of her book, What’s in a Name. Those of you familiar with Sally know her as an avid supporter of her fellow bloggers, consistently promoting our artistic endeavors on her outstanding blog magazine, Smorgasbord Invitation. If you’re not familiar with Sally, do visit and follow her blog. As the title Smorgasbord implies, there’s something for everyone ~ health, food, books, music, humor, life in general. And now, over to Sally to tell you about her new book …

What’s in a Name is a collection of short stories across two volumes, about the influence our given names can have on our lives. Those names may have previously belonged to the famous and brave, a loved family member, or picked out of a hat by our parents. But they all have one thing in common. They are with us from birth until the grave and they are how we are remembered by those we meet.

Buy the book HERE

Both these short story collections have been brought together in one print copy. Currently available only in the UK and Ireland. Both volumes are available separately in eBook version.

What’s in a Name Volume One

Buy the book here: Amazon UK Amazon US

There are names that have been passed down through thousands of years which have powerful and deep-rooted meaning to their bearers. Other names have been adopted from other languages, cultures and from the big screen. They all have one thing in common. They are with us from birth until the grave and they are how we are known to everyone that we meet.

There are classical names such as Adam, David and Sarah that will grace millions of babies in the future. There are also names that parents have invented or borrowed from places or events in their lives which may last just one lifetime or may become the classic names of tomorrow.

What’s in a Name Volume Two

Buy the book here: Amazon UK Amazon US

Our legacy is not always about money or fame, but rather in the way that people remember our name after we have gone. In these sixteen short stories we discover the reasons why special men and women will stay in the hearts and minds of those who have met them. Romance, revenge and sacrifice all play their part in the lives of these characters.

Kenneth watches the love of his life dance on New Year’s Eve while Lily plants very special flowers every spring for her father. Martha helps out a work colleague as Norman steps back out into the world to make a difference. Owen brings light into a house and Patrick risks his life in the skies over Britain and holds back from telling a beautiful redhead that he loves her.

In one way or another all these characters will be remembered by those whose lives they have touched.

One of the reviews for Volume Two of What’s in a Name

One of my most FAVORITE reads of 2017 By Carmen Stefanescu on September 5, 2017

It is the first fiction book written by Sally Cronin that I’ve had the opportunity to read. I was drawn into What’s in a Name collection and went on reading until the last story was done. I would call most of them “tales with a twist.” I really did enjoy this book…you may need some tissue at times. You will love the unexpected and won’t think to put the book down. I found it hard to put down

The motives and emotions of the characters in all of the stories were well defined and expressed. I really liked the fact that each story came to a satisfying ending and the next story quickly engaged me with the new people and place. It’s undoubtedly one of my most FAVORITE reads of 2017, in my TOP 5. Sally Cronin creates stories that will keep you flipping pages and loving it!

I won’t tell you what they are about because being short stories I would reveal important details and I want other readers to live themselves the emotions I experienced. What I can tell you is that each story is as touching and compelling as the next one. The thread that links them all stories or characters is sacrifice and romance. Children, parents, lovers, life being lived.

These stories are for me like a fragrant flowers bouquet, each flower having its own special color and scent.

If you are short on time, What’s in a Name allows you to read something start to finish, which I love. Great for airplanes or a one hour mental break, beside being just great for personal “escape from the world.”

Also by Sally Cronin

All books available at Amazon US and Amazon UK

About Sally Cronin

I have been a storyteller most of my life (my mother called them fibs!). Poetry, song lyrics and short stories were left behind when work and life intruded, but that all changed in 1996. My first book Size Matters was a health and weight loss book based on my own experiences of losing 70kilo. I have written another ten books since then on health and also fiction including three collections of short stories. I am an indie author and proud to be one. My greatest pleasure comes from those readers who enjoy my take on health, characters and twisted endings… and of course come back for more.