Tag Archives: Destiny of Angels

The Writing Muse has unpacked her suitcase!

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The Writing Muse has moved into the spare room. She’s unpacked her case and greets me on my return from my morning walk, with ideas, thoughts and perfect words. I’m spending as much time as I can attempting to take her perfect words, and create a novel with them. ‘Lowri’s Forest’ is appearing on my screen, still in first draft, but 43k words to the good.

I’m struggling to write anything else, so I’ve started TFFFM – The First Fabulous Five Minutes. Join me on my riverbank to hear five minutes from the beginning of all my novels, in the order I wrote them.

The first one is Destiny of Angels, the first book in the Lilith Trilogy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaYuNYOG8YY

Here’s a few reviews to give you a taste of what to expect….

Engrossing – “I loved this book. I don’t want to spoil the plot but I’ll just say that it’s totally different from anything else I’ve read. The character descriptions are so good, I could totally imagine what they all looked like and I particularly liked Jenny and her family. I couldn’t put this down and read it in two days. Hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next one:-)”

 

Unusual story, excellent read – “I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t sure what to expect but without giving too much away, it’s a revenge/ redemption story with a spiritual twist, where the mundane and the mystical intertwine. Looking forward to the sequel.”

 

Fantastic! – “Angel meets up with old friends and acquaintances at a school reunion, she’s changed since school and not only is she stunningly beautiful, her success stands out!
Wendy Steele’s characters are wonderful, her tale gripping as she takes you to a world of ritual and suspense, the best revenge is to succeed against all odds. I bought this book on Kindle and in paperback IT’S THAT GOOD!”

 

Magnificent, fantastic, enlightening – “I loved Destiny of Angels. It was a captivating read from page 1. Touches on friendship, love, struggle, power, control, achievement issues. Wonderful read for someone going through a life-changing experience. I was absorbed by the plot and the pace of the story was spot-on. Great balance of suspense and romance. Wendy Steele has a refreshing style of writing and I will be definitely reading the next instalment in the Lilith trilogy. Recommended read!”

Check out all my novels and stories on my Amazon author page https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06

and for my friends and readers across the pond https://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06

I do hope you enjoy my videos. Please like and subscribe to my channel and ding the bell to be notified of new content. Stay safe out there. Sending new moon blessings to you all

Destiny of Angels is on promotion! Last day!

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Download Destiny of Angels today for just 99p/99c!

You can read Destiny of Angels anywhere…. or even…

Here’s a brief synopsis of Destiny of Angels and some of the characters you will meet in the book…

Traumatic events in her childhood, send Angel Parsons upon a different life path.

Fifteen years later, with the help of her new ‘family,’  Angel confronts the perpetrators of her misery. Rather than seeking revenge and to free herself from her past, Angel uses the skills she has acquired to offer her persecutors the chance of redemption.

Laugh at  Angel’s partner Aidan, slim, blond, chiselled, a landscape gardener and former stripper, as he attempts to form a friendship without sex with the orange tanned, surgically enhanced Tiffany.

Cry as Eli, a big, triathlon competing hunk, tries to dissuade Clare, who is consumed by jealousy and hate, away from her life of prostitution.

Enjoy the struggles of Sophia, a slim, smart, sassy young woman who runs her own company, carrying on the philanthropic work of her granddad, as she shows Justin, a confident, cocky, player, an honest, less egotistic way of life and Maddy, a petite, doll-like young woman who runs her own events company, who attempts to steer Vincent, cool, hard and unfeeling, away from money as his driving force.

Smile as Zac, a broad, dark, quiet man who runs his own fitness centre befriends the sad, overweight Danielle and turns her world upside down and Jed, a rugby playing Adonis, who runs a security firm and helps Aidan expand his business into vertical gardens, gives Rob, a sad, lonely, overweight single dad, a second chance to be a success and he flies with it.

Open your mind to the possibilities of magic, levels of consciousness, angels, demons and parallel universes as Angel is guided by Lilith, the dark goddess, in her quest for closure on the past.

Will Angel fulfil her destiny and put her past behind her or will the demons she unleashes consume herself and her ‘family’ and leave her empty and alone once more?

Today is your final chance to download Destiny of Angels, First book in the Lilith Trilogy at the amazing price of 99p/99c!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Destiny-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B007OX5J8O

and for my friends across the pond https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B007OX5J8O

And there is a sequel! Wrath of Angels is available too, while book three is in production.

I do hope you enjoy your magical read, and if you still haven’t had enough of a magical fix, why not tune into my YouTube channel, Phoenix and the Dragon, for short stories told to you on my Welsh riverbank https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw3ee9CuNdek9ZC1Im8I_iA?view_as=subscriber

Destiny of Angels is on promotion! My first book fayre of 2019 in Llandovery!

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Download Destiny of Angels today for 99p/99c!

Today I’m at the Literature & Book Fayre at Lazzmatazz 2019 in Llandovery, Wales! If you’re in the area, it would be lovely to meet you. I’m signing books today, and reading at 1.30pm, but there are a host of other authors there, as well as a craft fayre.

If you can’t make it, why not download Destiny of Angels today and enjoy a magical read this weekend. Here’s an extract for your enjoyment…

With the circle around her, Lilith by her side and the Angels protecting her, Angel stood at the portal to the Path once more, displaying her conscious mind, asking for healing for this is what she sought. The air in the circle thickened around her, warm and syrupy and tasting of tin. The power increased and she saw in the darkness beyond the altar the beginning of everything, as out of the nothing came light, energy, earth, water, air and fire and from this chaotic mix, the Earth was formed and, like a wheel turning, momentum increased and from the Earth, creatures grew and died and new ones took their place and Angel saw it and knew this physical life but, she’d noticed something. Before it all began, there’d been something else. She’d felt it, seen it, no, she just knew it had existed, a tiny glimpse, a faint whisper, a mere pinprick of the Before.

            The Hebrew letter hung in the air and she cried out, “Samekh!”

            Angel floated through the Universe as flame and dust spiralled and spun and all the planets and stars began to form and settle into their orbit against the blue velvet darkness.

            She climbed upon a silver white stallion, its wild mane and tail streaming as they rode across the sky. They sped through reeds and bulrushes, splashing mud on Angel’s feet and they galloped through showers of meteors like an arrow, flying with purpose across the sky. As she gripped the warm, strong body of the horse between her thighs, the stars and constellations showed themselves to Angel and she felt pure emotion in her heart, emotion without thought, the Force before the Form, the root substance of manifestation, that which she’d been seeking.

            Angel rode on over the Welsh mountains and through the valleys, sprinkling moon dust on each pagan circle and magical gathering she saw, as the people met and embraced their Nature. Upon the horse there was no time so back she rode to the Celtic villages and on she galloped to the Dwellers in the Mountains, after The Flood.

            She pulled up the mighty stallion before a sign she did not recognize and was greeted at the Temple by the Angel Raphael, the healer, who bid her enter.

            Golden light bounced off the walls as she alighted from her steed and, when she next laid eyes on him, he was a centaur. Tall and proud, the handsome blond beast bowed to Angel and she took the brown zircon from her throat and bound it to an arrow. The Arrow passed to the Centaur and with his bow he let it fly and Angel knew it was the Arrow for the Swiftness of Willed Force.

Download Destiny of Angels today for just 99p/99c https://www.amazon.co.uk/Destiny-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B007OX5J8O

and for my friends across the pond https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B007OX5J8O

 

 

Destiny of Angels is on promotion! Enjoy an extract for FREE!

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Download Destiny of Angels today for just 99p/99c!

Here’s a FREE extract to give you a taste of this magical story…

Angel stood in the sphere of power, her golden amber shift to her toes and a simple circlet of pink flowers upon her head. With Lilith beside her she watched the Tree of Life, the witches Qabalah, hanging in the air before her.

            Shapes began to form within the Tree, triangles, diamonds and squares, each tipped by a Sephirah and linked by a numbered pathway. Angel saw the spheres of Netzach, Hod and Tiphareth gleaming from the Tree and she knew this to be the Magical Triangle and Chesod, Geburah and Tiphareth and she knew this to be the Ethical triangle. Out of these shapes, one began to glow and resonate the brightest of all, in the centre of the Tree, linking the pathways together, golden and majestic beamed Tiphareth and Angel knew this to be her destination.

            Thoth, the Dweller on the Threshold appeared as the Tree began to fade and she opened her mind for his scrutiny. Convinced of her intent, the lunar disk and crescent upon his head began to glow and he welcomed her onto the Path as the Doorkeeper, reassuring her of his duty to protect her.

            Angel stepped alone onto the silver thread before her, her sandals tracing pathways that she recognized. First, a pathway overhung with oak, beech and ash, a blue black world where she felt the sorrowing Isis and understood the pain of death but also the bliss and hope of resurrection. She walked on and shed the weighty blue of sorrow and replaced it with a world of violet and crystal where Levannah ruled. She opened her Treasurehouse of Visions for Angel to behold and Angel understood the link between the earth and the moon, the inspiration and the manifestation, the chaos and the calm. On she walked through a landscape of rushes and reeds, the air around her pulsing dark vivid blue and centaurs galloping beside her, laughing as the arrows they shot exploded into green and yellow sparks above her head. Angel understood the centaurs firing their Arrows of  Swiftness Willed Force and within the colours she could see the conscious and subconscious, the Force of life and the original spark that began it.

            The Angel Raphael, cloaked in green, welcomed her as she climbed the golden steps to the Temple and she entered through the portico to a majestic building lined with further pillars, where the breeze sang in harmonies within. Angel walked amongst the columns, studying the pictures and symbols engraved upon them while the fragrance of frankincense, cinnamon and Egyptian Kyphi filled her head. She saw plants and herbs; gorse, laurel, rosemary and twisting vines and a lion and a phoenix. On another pillar she saw the rosy cross while on another, cubes and hexagrams, grouped together in sixes.

            At the end of the Temple was a square table covered with a golden cloth upon which were six vibrant sunflowers in a vase and an incense burner. The wondrous smells expelled filled her senses and opened her mind. Behind the table, backed by a vast stained glass window was a high backed wooden chair. The light shone through the glass, bouncing warm honey around the Temple.

            A single flash of intense white light illuminated Angel and she saw the journey she had travelled so far. Ra, the Sun God, sat upon the throne, a man with the solar disk upon his head surrounded by the sacred asp. He, Ra, The Creator, Great Father, god of magic, prosperity, destiny and truth looked down upon his child and smiled upon her and with his golden smile, the Temple shone like a beacon, the central point of existence, the point of transmutation between the planes of Force and Form. The light from Ra, the intense pure yellow light, entered Angel’s head, not to see with by her physical eye but to illuminate the body of images she had stored from her mystical experiences and she learned from them. She saw in the face of Ra, the qualities of earned success, material success, victory and joy and she understood that sacrifice brought forth new life. As her mind opened up to the possibilities on this plane, she fell to her knees with the enormity of the knowledge and, in a blinding white flash, the Temple vanished and she was on her knees within her circle of protection, in the basement of her home once more.

Download Destiny of Angels today for just 99p/99c!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Destiny-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B007OX5J8O

and for my friends across the pond https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B007OX5J8O

 

 

Destiny of Angels is on promotion! Why read Destiny of Angels?

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Destiny of Angels is on promotion at just 99p/99c!

Destiny of Angels is the first book in the Lilith Trilogy, and my first published novel. A reader summed it up perfectly in their review…

‘a revenge/ redemption story with a spiritual twist, where the mundane and the mystical intertwine.’

Destiny of Angels isn’t a fantasy novel. The modern characters are real, as are the rituals and Angel Parson’s magic, where she follows the paths of the witches Qabalah. Destiny of Angels is Witchlit; modern, contemporary magical writing, with a heroine-centred narrative focussing on the trials and tribulations of the protagonist, Angel Parsons.

While writing the novel, I imagined Salma Hayek playing the lead role of Angel; a beautiful, strong yet vulnerable and feminine young woman.

Here’s an extract for your enjoyment…

Seven figures stood in the circle, identical in pure white shifts and new flat leather sandals. Each wore a moonstone on a leather thong about their necks bar one, who wore a citrine flecked with azure, as the sweet scent of jasmine and exhilarating ginseng invaded their senses. A single voice and then the joined chorus protected their work and raised the power.

            Seven figures stood on fine white sand, the depth of night around them dappled by a host of glittering stars. A crescent moon appeared and they hailed and greeted the goddess Levanah.

She descended to the horizon where she spoke to them. “Welcome worthy travellers to the sphere of Yesod, the Treasure House of Images. Here, everything that is to manifest on earth must first emerge and gain strength. Every dream, every wish and desire must first become an image and be given form here with me. I am the Force before the Form, the Divine Source of all being, who succours humankind and takes care of its needs.”

            Levanah paused, smiling down, her pure white hair glistening with stars as it enfolded her naked body and her eyes, the bluest cerulean, twinkling like planets. “As individuals, you’ve been brought together and lead to this point. You’ve been strengthened and tutored within a family unit, relying on each other for nurture and support. From this point on, whilst travelling the astral planes beyond this realm, you return to your individual status. Guidance and learning will be different for each one of you. Within you exists a special image, now in your unconscious but soon to be made conscious. Be aware of your dreams and you will know. No longer will you view the earth as you once saw it, all things separate and disconnected from each other. You’ll see not just the Form but the Force that inspired it and, as you strive on the plane of Malkuth to make sense of these wonders in the face of criticism, disbelief and unkindness remember, you have seen Yesod.”

            Dark and murky water crashed and flowed all around and above the circle, smashing and mixing and wallowing in a mass of uncertainty. Above the thunderous waves they heard anguished  moans, screams and cries and they held each other’s hands tighter, seeking comfort from the touch. Levanah rose out of the chaos aboard her crescent train. Silver and glistening in the midst of the darkness, whispering her purity over the bedlam, she calmed and cleansed the waters and they quietened and stilled.

            Angel lay in the centre, on the hub, as the wheel began to turn and she rose up into the sky, past the earth and the universe, on into space. There she lay with all that is around her. She saw planets and stars and, as she watched, silver threads began to join one to another and then, each and every one to her and as each thread attached, she felt a tingle or a buzz and on and on, the threads crossed and joined and soon, space was dark no more, as every planet and star she could see and all the dark matter between were connected.

If you’re looking for a magical read, a ‘no punches held back’ kind of book about relationships and the human struggle to make sense of the world we live in, you’ll enjoy Destiny of Angels.

Destiny of Angels has a host of characters, including Angel’s friends…

Laugh at  Angel’s partner Aidan, slim, blond, chiselled, a landscape gardener and former stripper, as he attempts to form a friendship without sex with the orange tanned, surgically enhanced Tiffany.

Cry as Eli, a big, triathlon competing hunk, tries to dissuade Clare, who is consumed by jealousy and hate, away from her life of prostitution.

Enjoy the struggles of Sophia, a slim, smart, sassy young woman who runs her own company, carrying on the philanthropic work of her granddad, as she shows Justin, a confident, cocky, player, an honest, less egotistic way of life and Maddy, a petite, doll-like young woman who runs her own events company, who attempts to steer Vincent, cool, hard and unfeeling, away from money as his driving force.

Smile as Zac, a broad, dark, quiet man who runs his own fitness centre befriends the sad, overweight Danielle and turns her world upside down and Jed, a rugby playing Adonis, who runs a security firm and helps Aidan expand his business into vertical gardens, gives Rob, a sad, lonely, overweight single dad, a second chance to be a success and he flies with it.

Open your mind to the possibilities of magic, levels of consciousness, angels, demons and parallel universes as Angel is guided by Lilith, the dark goddess, in her quest for closure on the past.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Destiny-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B007OX5J8O/

and for my friends across the pond https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B007OX5J8O

 

 

 

New story on Phoenix and the Dragon and links to more magic!

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It’s been a while. I’m sorry. But I’m back telling stories on my Welsh riverbank, just for you.

Tune into the first part of The Waterfall now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFQE3M3O18k&t=45s

Tune in next week for the concluding part of the story.

Are you a magical reader or writer, or both? Have you heard of the Witch Lit podcast on YouTube? Subscribe to the channel for magical writing updates, ‘In the Broom Cupboard’, interviews, ‘Witchanory’ and more! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHtAJO5uh6c9TSai1lhwF7g

Looking for a magical read? Check out my author page for a selection of magical stories https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06

and for my friends across the pond https://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06

Enjoy ‘The Lilith Trilogy’, for high magic and pagan ritual.

Read ‘The Standing Stone Book Series’ where the countryside is the focus of three women’s magic, embracing the gods, goddesses, tree spirits, elves and fairies.

Immerse yourself in ‘The Lizzie Martin Series’, about a woman who embraces magic in her life, to aid her with the stresses of modern living.

Happy reading!

 

Why Witch Lit?

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The Flowerpot Witch Blog Tour finishes tomorrow, so I wanted to add my own blog post to the tour.  My interview on Friday at Showboat TV with Judith Barrow gave me the opportunity to talk about many things, including why I write Witchlit and magical realism.

Have you read any fiction by Dion Fortune? I read Sea Priestess and Moon Magic and I knew I wanted to write more stories like those.

Fortune’s female lead is a strong, focused, determined woman and her magic is ‘real’. Destiny of Angels was my first novel and my female lead, Angel Parsons, uses the paths of the witch’s Qabalah to explore different ideas and perceptions of reality on the astral plane. I followed it with Wrath of Angels. I believed readers had had their fill of vampires and werewolves and would appreciate real people and real magic but I struggled to market the books because they didn’t fit neatly into the established genres.

I needed a different approach…

In August 2013 we moved into the field of the house we were buying in Wales, waiting for the purchase to be completed.

Once we’d moved in, we discovered an ancient Bronze Age settlement site on a hill beside the house and we cleared our riverbank of brambles and nettles to give us access to the river via a number of secluded ‘beaches’. I took inspiration from the Welsh landscape and penned the first book in the Standing Stone Series, Home for Christmas. These books were more accessible to readers, giving them a story of three women linked across time and space by the standing stone. In there time of most need, the women ask for help and it is given in the form of guidance from the goddess.

And then there was Witchlit! Inspired by a short story I was asked to pen for a possible anthology, Lizzie Martin, my protagonist, sprung into my mind and the Wendy Woo Witch Lit Series book 1, The Naked Witch was created for her. These books are about a real witch who uses magic in her every day life.

Defining and publicising Witchlit is my mission, introducing readers to my stories and others who write this wonderful, exciting, new and sexy genre. We want to start a Witchlit revolution!

You can join the revolution by adding @Witchlit1 to all your magical tweets and be sure to follow us on Twitter…

https://twitter.com/WitchLit1

and my personal account https://twitter.com/WendyWooauthor

Witch Lit is contemporary, magical realism, where the magical and the mundane co-exist. The stories are gritty and believable while magic is sprinkled through the stories, offering the reader a new perspective on reality.

Unlike Chick Lit, Witch Lit women do away with the sweet, sickly or fluffy. Their passion, determination and creativity shine through the stories, though none are averse to a well-rounded buttock or a chiselled jaw. Witch Lit isn’t anti-men but Witch Lit women’s lives don’t revolve wholly around their presence or absence.

You do not need to be pagan or a witch to enjoy these stories!

I’ve had a lot of fun on the Blog Tour, meeting and chatting to new people and sharing my passion for writing, dancing and magic with bloggers and readers. If you’d like to stay in touch, why not sign up for my newsletter?

http://wendysteele.us15.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=bd3cc38cba01c2dea4a5f386f&id=6210056252

Or you can use the link ‘Sign up to Wendy Woo’s Round Robin here!’ on the Home page.

You’ll receive a link to a FREE story, the one I was telling you about, the story that links everything I’d written before, with the new Lizzie Martin Witchlit stories.

Why not begin your journey into witchlit today?

You can find all my books via my Amazon author pages

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref

and for my friends across the pond http://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref

Join me to heal and inspire, spreading ripples of warm heartedness and love into the local community and the world. Bright blessings xx

 

 

 

 

SUPER SPRING SALE!

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THIS SALE IS NOW OVER! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PURCHASED A PAPERBACK. BE LOVELY TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS IN A FEW LINES OF REVIEW. YOU CAN FIND ALL MY BOOKS VIA MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGES. BRIGHT BLESSINGS XX

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref

 

https://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref

 

 

 

Buy these paperbacks direct from me at sale prices while stocks last!

FREE postage to UK

 

£6.50 each with FREE postage

£5.50 each with FREE postage

£4.00 each with FREE postage

 

Use Stay in Touch (Contact me) and let me know which books you would like and your address. I’ll reply with Paypal details and once monies are received, I’ll parcel up and post books to you FREE of charge. SALE ENDS 15TH FEBRUARY 2018 while stocks last.

Bright Imbolc Blessings! Welcome to Spring!

FAQs about The Naked Witch

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The Naked Witch is available for pre-order now! https://www.amazon.com/Naked-Witch-Wendy-Novel-Book-ebook/dp/B06W5D6GVV/ref

or for my UK readers https://www.amazon.co.uk/Naked-Witch-Wendy-Steele/dp/1543165044/ref

Not sure if The Naked Witch is your kind of book? Here are some of the FAQs about the book to help you decide…

Do I need to be a witch or a pagan to enjoy your book?

Absolutely not! The Naked Witch is a contemporary read for all women everywhere…that’s not to say men won’t enjoy it but ladies, I wrote it for you.

What or who inspired you to write it?

My daughter, Jasmine, to whom the book is dedicated. Lizzie Martin is a modern woman, juggling full time work, a teenage daughter and the usual gambit of relationships and The Naked Witch is her story but her relationship with her daughter is her inspiration too.

My previous novels have either focussed on the witches Qabalah, Destiny of Angels and Wrath of Angels, or the energetic links of the land, The Standing Stone book series. I wanted to write a book that all women could identify with, about a woman with dreams and aspirations, faced to conform in a modern world.

Tell me more about this new genre, Witch Lit.

The Naked Witch fits into the genre magical realism…but without the fantasy elements. Witch Lit sums up the book perfectly…it is a heroine-centred narrative focussing on the trials and tribulations of the individual protagonist, Lizzie Martin. She lives in the modern world and the book is peppered with a smattering of light heartedness and humour.

Is it a romance, mystery or thriller?

That’s the beauty of Witch Lit, it encompasses all three. Lizzie’s life doesn’t revolve around dependence on men but she’s not averse to a tight buttock or chiselled jaw. Matt is the lead singer of a band while Richard is a widower, seeking to build a new life for himself and his son.

The mystery is in Lizzie’s search for the truth about her father’s death and when she attends a beach party in Spain, she enters an underground world of money, deceit and intrigue.

If I enjoy it, will there be any more Witch Lit books and where will I find them?

Oh yes! The sequel to The Naked Witch is already penned in first draft and entitled, The Orphan Witch. All my books are available via my Amazon author page http://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref

or for UK readers http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref

 

I hope I’ve answered some of your questions. Press on one of the top links to pre-order your copy for a compelling read you won’t want to put down.

 

 

The book that changed my life

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More than ten years ago, I was struggling with life. My daily battle with depression was compounded by debilitating and fatiguing IBS. I was dancing Egyptian belly dance but feeling stuck and uninspired. A new lady came to dance class and loaned me a book. It changed my life and the rest, as they say, is history.

Violet Mary Firth, aka Dion Fortune, penned her first short stories in 1919, as a way to bring spiritualism, psychism and inner awareness to readers, otherwise unfamiliar with these practices. Two of her novels, Sea Priestess and Moon Magic greatly influence Doreen Valiente, in many people’s opinion the resurrecter of modern British witchcraft, and it was the first of these books I opened all those years ago.

I devoured every page. My magical practise, until then, had been purely personal but Sea Priestess opened up new possibilities, especially the opportunity to share, heal and inspire, not only through my writing but my dancing as well. In 2007, I created Phoenix Bellydance and began teaching Egyptian belly dance. Over the four years I taught in Essex, I was able to teach and, hopefully, inspire over 300 women and girls.

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At the time, my first novel was underway and I spent 3 years (30 minutes in the car every day waiting to pick up my children from school), writing and editing. ‘Hubble Bubble’ was about an English teacher who lived her life through her passion for literature. I was wordy, over 100k but it started me on the path I follow today. The characters were vivid and the imagery exciting…I just needed to learn how to plot and write story more effectively.

For three years, I taught dance, practised self healing and gathered holistic healing experience. The premise for my first novel ‘Destiny of Angels – First book in the Lilith Trilogy’, ‘what if a traumatic childhood experience sent a woman on a different life path?’ inspired me to write my first novel about the use of magic, contacting other planes of existence and the Qabalah, in our physical life on earth.

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Although my books are fantasy, the characters are real, living live like you and I, falling in love, raising children, finding new jobs and moving house. Relationships are an important element in my novel, often unconventional and sometimes surprising. ‘Destiny of Angels’ relies on the strength of friendship, as Angel’s friends help her dispel the hurt of the past. In ‘Wrath of Angels’, Angel’s love for Aidan is tested, as is her self belief and self worth.

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Bringing magic, inner awareness and affinity with nature into my stories brings them to life. In ‘Sea Priestess’ and ‘Moon Magic’, Vivien Le Fay Morgan, the main character, is both of this world and ‘other worldly’ and this other dimension, almost a secret side to her personality, fascinates me and is always with me as I write.

The three women in The Standing Stone books, inspired by my arrival in Wales, appear to live ‘ordinary’ lives across three different points in time but, all three are searching for something. Even Fern, the only one who already has a connection to the goddess through ritualistic nature worship, is seeking more. In Home for Christmas, they are guided by Binah, the Great Mother, the dark goddess who stands proudly beside Chokmah on the left hand pillar of the Qabalah Tree.

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My only foray into non-fiction is ‘Wendy Woo’s Year- A Pocketful of Smiles – 101 ideas for a happy year and a happy you’, written at the request of friends who kept telling me to write down my tips to combat depression and bring peace and self healing to your life. The book is often practical, sometimes spiritual but never religious, occasionally witty and full of ideas to bring a smile to your day.

Have you read a book that changed your life? Be lovely to hear from you.