Rue and Hyssop: fiction

Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts

Nov 5, 2020

Tales and Treats for the Darktide Giveaway - Haunting BIPOC Fiction

Thank you to everyone who came around to join in the fun and tossed their name in the hat here and via the contact button - the names drawn were:

Mexican Gothic - Rebecca P.

Hoodoo - petoskystone

Empire of Wild - Emily

Lovecraft Country - Duffi

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The wind is moaning outside my window, greedily tearing leaves from their high perch and tumbling them into amorphous, lurching things that skitter down the road until they are caught up in alleyways or up against fences. I can hear the neighbour's windchimes. They are no longer the melodious soundtrack to a languid summer day. Now they screech in a high-pitched banshee's wail, crashing together in the bitter November gusts. If there was an ambiance to the darktide - this would be it. Biting, howling winds. Moody, dusky days. The full moons, mad colour, and revelry of October, now fading into weeks of damp cold, gloomy afternoons, and endless nights. Could there be a more perfect time to light the fires? And once the bonfire has raged, the offerings tossed onto the flames, and the frenzied dancing concluded, is it not the moment to curl up with a blanket and a book and ignore the wolf prowling outside the door? I think it is.

If you've been around this neck of the woods during previous autumns, you will have surely stumbled across The Great October Book Giveaway. Originally meant as a way to thank readers of the blog and the lovely folks who have followed and/or befriended me on social media by passing out a few magical tomes during my favourite month of the year, it grew into a meandering game of trick-or-treat through tarot and cartomancy, art, herbalism, talismans, and more. Whenever something caught my attention in a big way, I picked up a second copy for you. Sometimes authors, publishers, and artists were incredibly generous and offered to share their creations with you too. It's become something I really look forward to each year and I love seeing so many familiar faces come back around to take part.

This year has been unlike anything most of us have experienced. I'm tired in ways I can barely articulate, and I know that many of you feel the same way. I had anticipated, when I bumped this giveaway back a month to give myself some breathing room, that there would be a collective sigh of relief and a new hope dawning as we began our celebration of the darktide. Instead, as I write this, ballots are still being counted in the US election and democracy is being challenged by the people who should be upholding it. But no matter the outcome, we will prevail. That's the thing about witches and wildlings - we are resilient and clever, and even if it seems we've been thwarted, well...you might want to salt your windows and sleep with the lights on. Because we always rise up, one way or another.

"A witch ought never to be frightened in the darkest forest, Granny Weatherwax had once told her, because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her." - Terry Pratchett, Wintersmith

Onward, then, into the darkest weeks of the year. We will wear the fallen leaves and marauding mists as our cloak, and the scent of woodsmoke and the sweet rot of dying gardens as our perfume. What better time to begin this bacchanal than Bonfire Night! Two quarreling and discontent parties, each clamoring for more power and recognition, and one failed attempt at blowing up parliament. Sounds about right...

The first collection of books I have for you is a selection of haunting stories to give your goosebumps a workout. All but one of these novels is written by a BIPOC author, and all feature rich stories of suspense with BIPOC characters at the forefront of the action. This year was a time when many of us took a hard look at how we have participated in a world that placed People of Colour at a tremendous disadvantage as opposed to their white counterparts. We give top billing to white performers, artists, and authors. We offer financing and grants to white farmers. We patronize white-owned businesses. We read and watch white stories. All while Black and Indigenous peoples get ignored (or murdered). There are now multitudes of tips on how to support BIPOC businesses and individuals across various industries. There are fundraisers and ways to volunteer or support community organizations. There's really no reason to not have a more multi-cultural bookshelf, closet, medicine-cabinet, or donation receipts to hand to your tax accountant.

Only one of these books is a 2020 release, but all have captured my attention and made me shiver this autumn. I know you will enjoy them too. Here's what I have for you:

Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - If having a cup of (possibly poisoned) tea in a creepy manor, while exchanging tales with Charlotte Bronte and Shirley Jackson sounds fun to you, this is your book.

Hoodoo, by Ronald L. Smith - This Young Adult book gave me some serious jitters at times, so don't let the fact that a twelve year old boy is the narrator make you think that this is a light read. Hoodoo Hatcher is from a folk magic practicing family and he has a mysterious stranger stalking him that he is going to have to deal with, one way or another. Chock full of magic, divination, dream walking, spirits, and symbolism, this book is a treasure, and the perfect read for a stormy night.

Empire of Wild, by Cherie Dimaline - A tale of a Métis woman who discovers her long lost husband is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Wild, yes. Supernatural. Poetic and base and beautiful. You'll want a good drink with this one.

Lovecraft Country, by Matt Ruff - A close and terrifying look at Jim Crow America from the point of view of its Black citizens who aren't just navigating a world rife with white supremacists, but one dotted with other monsters as well.

I will draw four names on November 12th, one for each book. You are welcome to let me know what book you'd like to receive if your name is drawn. I cannot promise you'll get your wish but I always do my best to match up folks with the items they prefer, if possible.

Thank you so much for joining me again for the festivities. I think these darker, drearier days of November are going to be perfect for passing out gifts. I can't wait to get started!

For those of you that are new here, this is how these giveaways work:

We are running a simple game again this year - your comment counts as your entry. However, if you feel moved to share this around (either a specific giveaway or if you just send folks my way) you can leave another comment letting me know you spread the cheer, and I'll toss your name in the hat a second time.

On the evening of the draw, the winners will be notified via email and their names placed at the top of this post and the next handful of goodies will go up for grabs. Please, please, leave an email for me in your comment (in a safe format) if your name does not directly link to you/your website. I can't tell you how many names I've drawn only to find that I couldn't contact the winners. I simply draw again, but it is rather heartbreaking to see the first name get tossed.

There are occasionally some goblins that stop by in October, just for kicks. I am taking down the comment moderation security and we will hope that we skate under the spam radar again this year. Also, Blogger doesn't always play nice with every app, so there are times when you may have to come to the giveaway page directly (not via the FB app, for example) and leave a comment that way.

As always, if your privacy is of concern or if you simply cannot get your comment in on the current giveaway post for some reason, you can send an entry in using the "Make Contact" form in the sidebar.

All mail will go out within five business days of receiving the winner's address and will be sent via the most reasonable shipping rate. Please note that your parcel could take anywhere from 5 business days to reach you (in Canada) to five weeks (if you are in the EU or even the USA at this point - the USPS is a hot mess right now).

Legal Bits:

* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.

* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =

* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.

* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.

* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.

I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone other than Rue and Hyssop.

Oct 5, 2019

The Great October Book Giveaway - Magic in Overlooked Places

The lucky book winners, this round, are:

Johanna L - The Wiccan Wheel Mysteries

Bella S. - pair of poetry books

kgkathands - The Lost Kitchen cookbook

I’ll be in contact with you shortly!

There seem to be some gremilins causing mischief...I’m having some difficulty with my laptop tonight, so the next giveaway will be posted tomorrow (Friday, October 11th). Thank you for your patience!

One of the things I love about magic, is that if you have your finger on the pulse of it - if you recognize that it bubbles up in unexpected places and threads itself through areas commonly overlooked - then you can find enchantment anywhere.

Normally this yearly giveaway is entirely populated with non-fiction books on magic and herbalism, with the occasional sway into witch-art of some form, and a few of the newest tarot or oracle decks I've found. I almost never include fiction or other genres, not because I don't read them or they aren't excellent sorts of books, but the bulk of my writing here at Rue and Hyssop is about my journey through the year in gardens, woods, and witchcraft, and so I generally stick to those themes. This year, however, there were a few authors/books from outside the usual non-fiction fare I offer that made a big impression on me, and I wanted to share them with you. They conjured the feeling that magic was afoot. That the authors were people who noticed the threads weaving the world together, who had touched the live wire of magic in one way or another (even if that's not what they would call it). Each of these books/authors gave me a thrill in some way and I know you'll adore them too.

It was early in the year when I heard about The Lost Kitchen and read the tale of a woman who had her heart broken and her dream crushed, who then found a way to rebuild. I was immediately enraptured by Erin French's journey. I set to searching out her restaurant and how someone might make a reservation (I'd long wanted to visit Maine, where she is located). It turns out that The Lost Kitchen hadn't just enchanted me. They were constantly booked up and still fielding calls for reservations, so they decided to hold a lottery for table seating. Last year twenty thousand postcards arrived on Erin's doorstep - each one a hopeful entry for a chance to eat one of her beautiful meals. (I'll be sending a postcard of my own next year!)

There is something extraordinary about a person who has seemingly lost out on the future they were building, only to discover that they could re-form or re-imagine it and it would unfold in even bigger ways than they could have anticipated. Erin began her 'secret dinners' in her apartment, expanded to a small retail location, was locked out of her dream only to move it into an Airstream trailer, and now cooks with friends for thousands of people each year in an historic mill in Freedom, Maine. Reading her gorgeous cookbook (with her amazing story included) is not just perusing a stack of tantalizing recipes, it's like curling up for tea with a friend that inspires you.

This summer was hard on me. I was knocked down in May and spent much of the following three months trying to keep my spirit light in the midst of heartbreak, funerals, and whatever hellish planetary bullshittery was swirling overhead. My salvation in the scorching months was a lawn chair in the shade in the late afternoon, a cold beverage, and a stack of books. I had a variety of poetry with me at all times, plus folk and fairy tales of every sort. They were what transported me to a quieter place where my mind and heart could find respite.

I was nearing the end of a pile of library books when I found myself thinking, "I need some fun, witchy fiction books to read." And just like magic an email popped into my inbox from Jennifer Hesse introducing herself and her books. I've already grabbed a few of her Wiccan Wheel Mysteries series for myself and I picked up one for you, too. Plus, Jennifer has been kind enough to send along a book for you as well! The series follows Keli Milanni, lawyer and practicing witch, while she navigates her way through assorted mysteries, messes, romances, and her own journey with magic. They were perfect summer reads and I know the two autumn-themed books I've got for you, Autumn Alibi and Samhain Secrets will be excellent for curling up under a blanket with in these cooler nights ahead.

Breakage - Mary Oliver

I go down to the edge of the sea.

How everything shines in the morning light!

The cusp of the whelk,

the broken cupboard of the clam,

the opened, blue mussels,

moon snails, pale pink and barnacle scarred—

and nothing at all whole or shut, but tattered, split,

dropped by the gulls onto the gray rocks and all the moisture gone.

It's like a schoolhouse

of little words,

thousands of words.

First you figure out what each one means by itself,

the jingle, the periwinkle, the scallop

full of moonlight.

Then you begin, slowly, to read the whole story.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to show some love to the poetry that kept my heart beating this summer. We sadly lost the beloved Mary Oliver in January, but her words live on in her thirty-plus published works. It was the opening lines of "Wild Geese" that completely shifted things for me fifteen years ago, and she still has the ability to make me gasp and sigh "yes!" to her observations of nature and the world. I'm passing along her collection of poems, "Why I Wake Early."

Along with Oliver's book you'll receive a book I brought home from Sleepy Hollow - a collection of captivating poetry from assorted authors, entitled "Poems Bewitched and Haunted."

From the publisher:

From Homer to Horace, Pope to Poe, Randall Jarrell to James Merrill, Poems Bewitched and Haunted draws on three thousand years of poetic forays into the supernatural. Ovid conjures the witch Medea, Virgil channels Aeneas’s wife from the afterlife, Baudelaire lays bare the wiles of the incubus, and Emily Dickinson records two souls conversing in a crypt, in poems that call out to be read aloud, whether around the campfire or the Ouija board. From ballads and odes, to spells and chants, to dialogues and incantations, here is a veritable witches’ brew of poems from the spirit world.

You can see both poetry books on the left side of the first photo in this post.

These three prizes: one amazing cookbook, a pair of fab fiction tomes, and bundle of two dreamy poetry books, contain their own variety of magic and I believe they will find homes with folks who know a thing or two about enchantment. They will be up for grabs until Thursday, October 10th, when I'll draw the names of the winners. Your comment is your entry, and if you should like another chance to win then simply share this post around however you wish and then swing back and let me know. I'll make sure your name goes into the hat again. Alternately, if you are having issues with leaving a comment, or if you'd prefer to enter privately, then you can send your entry via the "make contact" button at the top of the page. (Please note that if your name is drawn, I will be posting it at the top of the giveaway.) Feel free to let me know which prize you'd prefer. I try to match winners and books up, whenever possible.

Apr 11, 2012

Rewriting Stereotypes

Magaly over at Pagan Culture is having an anniversary party for her blog, entitled "Sexy, Dark & Bloody Fiction." Her goal? To re-write witchy stereotypes in fiction in whatever way the contributors imagine.

Here is my take on Hansel & Gretel:

Once upon a time, there was a great famine in the Village. A poor woodcutter and his wife did not know how they were going to feed their children and so after much discussion, it was agreed that the children would go out into the forest to try to snare a bird or rabbit, while the woodcutter and his wife went to work cutting wood.

The children, wanting to be sure they knew the way home, left pebbles to mark their path, but dusk came quickly and they stumbled in the twilight and could not see the way home. They made a bed of leaves and grasses and decided to stay the night in the forest, rather than become more lost and cold.

The next morning, the children awoke to find that they were outside the sprawling gardens of a most fascinating house. Vines grew over the home and raspberry and blackberry canes stretched up the side of the building, full of fat, juicy fruit. The children, being famished, began to eat the sweet berries off the side of the house.

Their mouths were full and stained purple and red, when a woman came around the corner and startled them. She was wispy and tall, with long wild hair that was tied back from her face with a piece of twine. She smiled when she saw the hungry children and offered them her harvest basket, but the children just looked at her with confusion.

Realizing that these must be townsfolk who weren't used to growing and foraging their own food, the wild woman set to teaching the children about growing plants for food and medicine. She taught them the joy of harvesting in the forest as well as growing plants at home in any space that you had - even if you had to grow plants up the sides of your house!

She also taught the children about the joys of creating teas and using herbs for crafting cleaners...and even a little magic.

After spending a few days with the wise woman, the children made their way home with their new found knowledge and several baskets of herbs, roots, flowers and vegeteables. They told their parents of their adventures and the wild woman who taught them about the magic of plants. And although they never saw the woman again, they shared their knowledge with the people of the Village, and the townspeople never went hungry or without medicine (or magic) again!

The End

*Thanks and Happy Blog-iversary to Magaly!

**Photos in this post are linked to the websites where I found them.