Wakela Runen's World

Description Coming of age is never easy, but for Ember Mae Roberts and her twin sister, Lorrie Beth, it may boil down to a matter of life or death. Growing up in the mountains of West Virginia in the 1950's presents unique challenges for any child, but for talented young Ember Mae, it means bearing the burdens of an adult, as she quickly learns her expected role is that of her sister's keeper. When a schoolyard bully sets his brutal sights on a fragile Lorrie Beth, Ember Mae jumps to her defense. Terror abounds at every turn as the tormenting escalates. What begins as a normal rite of passage for children since the beginning of time ends in a final tragic confrontation that leaves Lorrie Beth shattered. Both sisters make a pact to keep a deadly secret in order to heal, but Lorrie Beth has always been weak. Ember Mae fears she’ll crack under the strain and bring their world crashing down around them. What Ember Mae doesn't realize is that she and Lorrie Beth aren't the

Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. As both a Unitarian Universalist and a Celtic Pagan, I have always been interested in learning about the various other pagan pantheons.  I had already known the basics of Norse mythology.  However, this book discusses the various spiritual practices that someone who is Asatru would utilize.  I loved that there were simple invocations and prayers that you could use in your every day life.  I know for me, my Celtic Paganism isn’t something that I put on and off like a coat for special occasions.  It is part of my very fabric.  And I am sure that Asatru is the same for those who practice it as well.  So if you are like me and wish to learn more about this religion, then I definitely suggest this book as a first start.  It will give you all the basics and guidelines.  It will not go too in-depth as it is just an introduction, but you will glean much informa

Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. Being a Celtic Pagan, Faeries and Elementals are nothing new to me.  However, I always love to read about other people’s thoughts on the Faerie Realm. Alexandra Chauran teaches how to talk to Faeries, how to see Faeries, how to work with Faeries, and even how to get rid of them if that is what you want. Plus she details quite a few different types of Fae from around the world.  The author provides various rituals, prayers, and salutations that can be used to address or work with the various Fae.  When she discusses the four realms of the Fae – fire, earth, water, and air – she provides exercises and meditations to be performed for each realm.  These help you to understand how you can utilize the Faeries and Elementals in your daily life. I especially loved the section on Dreams and Water elementals.  I have decided to include this in my regular practi

Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. I go through phases when I read.  Recently, I have been in the cozy mystery phase.  These are the books that are really drawing me right now.  And thankfully I found this one. Beth Groundwater creates such likeable characters in this story.  Thankfully, you don’t have to read the first two books in this series.  I found myself right at home in book three with all these characters.  The plot was well developed and definitely well paced.  I couldn’t put this book down.  I had so much fun reading it.  I definitely want to get the first two books in the series.  And hopefully, there will be plenty more in this series.  I can’t see what Claire gets into next. A Basket of Trouble (A Claire Hanover Mystery): Beth Groundwater: 9780738727035: Books ISBN : 0738727032 ISBN-13 : 9780738727035

Disclaimer:  I received this book free from Doubleday Books in exchange for an honest review.  I did not receive any form of compensation. If you are like me and love interesting little facts, then you have got to get this book.  The book itself is broken in chapters that are named after the months.  Each "month" has a few hours in it.  Each hour is a titillating tidbit of history.   One of my favorites is the story of how the famous composer Franz Haydn had actually been discovered.  Even though I have listened to his music often, this was a story that I had never heard before. There were quite a few other tidbits from history that I had never known sprinkled throughout this book. Another interesting nougat of history was that of Times Square.  We all take for granted all the huge billboard and bright lights that comprise modern day Times Square.  However, did you know that the first lighted ad in Times Square had 1, 475 bulbs and simply said "Manhattan Beach, Swept by

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci My rating: 5 of 5 stars Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. There has always been a sense of nostalgia about trains. Thoughts of trains bring you back to days gone by, when times were simpler. Life may not have been easy back in the days when trains were the main form of mass transportation. But people had a sense of who they were, they knew what they wanted out of life, and most importantly, they took time out to savor what they did have. My own family’s history with trains is a long lived one. I have traced back a few generations on my mom’s side that were all railway men. I personally have not had the chance to ride the rails. However, after I read this story, wanderlust has set in. Unfortunately, I have no where to go, no money to travel, and no one to travel with. So I will have to content myself with traveling through my imagination. The Christmas

Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation. This book is a wonderful how-to on creating your own oils to use for magic.  Animals are more in tuned with the scents around them.  Even primitive man was more in tuned then we are.  Aromas can also trigger memories.  So it is a wonder that we don’t use aromatherapy more in our magical practices.  Most of us burn incense or buy already prepared oils.  This book shows how to blend your own oils for whichever purposes you want. First you need to decide on your magical intent.  Once you have that intent, you need to figure out which carrier oil and which essential oils to choose.  This book gives you guidelines on which ones will work best for your intent.  It also gives you what you need to know in order to be able to safely blend the oils, as some are more caustic then others. Throughout the book there is not just the how-tos for creating your own blen