Virtual Book Tour: Theresa Chaze Visits Fiction Scribe

Theresa Chaze, author of From Blank Page to Book Shelves: How to Successfully Create and Market Your Book will be stopping off at Fiction Scribe! Theresa’s fantastic new ebook includes writing tips, publishing advice and markting tools. A must have for the serious writer.


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Choosing the Best SEO Keywords

There are many sites, including Yahoo and Google, that have listing of the current popular key words. However, adding a phrase that has nothing to do with your topic will only annoy people and discount your credibility. If the key words have nothing to do with your site or subject matter, do not use them. Instead, be creative in the way you combine terms and topics to create your own niche market.

The following are three suggestions how effectively use key words for your project.
1. Include the most descriptive and accurate keywords on your topic even if they are not the most popular. By doing so you not only build a good foundation, but also cast a wider net for your customers to find you. Although your ranking might not spike, you will have a consistent rise in the rankings.

2. Use qualifiers to be more specific such as: romantic fantasy, occult horror, Michigan mystery, etc. It is way to catch the attention of a reader who might be looking for something more specific than just a fantasy or mystery book.

3. Create your own niche keywords or markets that haven't been made popular yet. By creating your own combination, you create a brand name that is all your own, thereby creating a market place that has little competition.

Using the previously listed sites, can also find you suggestions on which key word options will be the most beneficial to your project. By typing in the word “publishing”, the site came up with the following keywords list ranked by popularity.

412 desktop publishing
373 publishing
252 publishing companies
225 self publishing
171 southwestern publishing
158 book publishing
133 book publishing companies
130 rock publishing
117 music publishing
114 concordia publishing

These are only the first ten of the 100 possible listings. However, it is sufficient sampling to demonstrate the different combinations available for just the one key word.
Correct usage and placement of key words not only increases your search engine rankings, but can also create a personalized niche market for your product.

Valkyrie Publishing is a consulting service, which helps authors create their dream without risking their royalties or answering to another. It is their job to make the publishing experience as simple and inexpensive as possible. For authors who are not technologically savvy or would just like help with the process, they are an excellent resource and beneficial asset. Valkyrie Publishing is available to help authors successfully and easily publish and market their book by going to www.theresachaze.com

Ebooks and Print Publishing: How to Choose What is Right for Your Book

Ebooks and Print Publishing: How to Choose What is Right for Your Book

With all the publishing options available, writers need to fully understand their goals and needs before deciding on a publish venue and a specific publisher to entrust their literary baby. The Print on demand advancements that have been made in the printing process and desktop publishing have made easier than ever before for authors to be published. However, this new opportunity as also created new predators. Although there are very ethical publishers out there, there are an equal share of those who don't know the definition of the word.

Currently there are two format options: ebook and print books. Ebooks are easier and cheaper to publish. Once a book has been typeset and the cover created, it is converted into a PDF file, which can be sold and download an infinite number of times without additional cost. However, ebooks have been slow to find wide acceptance.

Print books are further broken down into Vanity, traditional, small press and subsidy. Vanity publishing is still the ego stroking of the author. The entire process is paid for by the author; in addition, the author is expected to purchase a set number of books and resell them in order to make a profit. Traditional houses are those publishers that control the whole process. They invest more up front in the books so they are more supportive with the marketing and promotion. The author is still expected to do her or his share; however, they are supported by the publisher’s professional staff. The only difference between the small press and traditional are the size of the company budget. Small presses rely more on the author for the marketing and promotions. They are also more specialized. They target their audience more and usually already have an established target audience. Subsidy publisher are a cross between the small presses and the vanity. The author pays a fee to the publisher who will usually typeset, create a cover and list it with a distributor, but will do little else. The author is totally responsible for the promotions and marketing.

The first question authors must ask themselves is what kind of publishing experience do they seek. Are they targeting a specific group or trying to reach the general reading audience. Technological advancement has made printing a single copy of a book affordable. This same equipment has opened the doors to small publishing houses to offer books that are comparable to the larger houses. No longer to printers have to run larger numbers of copies to make process cost effect, nor to publishers have to warehouse books in order to have the readily available. Many authors want only a traditional publisher are unwilling to look beyond the big name traditional publishers. But in doing so they limit their publishing possibilities. There are hundreds POD available who offer different services at different price ranges and services. However, when there is money to be made there are those who will attempt to take advantage in order to make a cheap profit.

For those who are not seeking to find placement in brick and mortar stores, there are other low cost publishing options. There are publishers who will make your book available in print for little or no cost, but they offer little to no distribution opportunities.

* www.lulu.com

* www.cafepress.com

If you intend to buy and resell the books, both companies would serve your purpose. The difference between them is that Lulu provides a limited usage ISBN number, while Cafepress does not. Neither offer discounts off the cover price, but they do give a small discount for bulk purchases.

However if the goal is to sell the book on the open market, you will need to look elsewhere With the number of publishers available rapidly increasing, an author needs to really read the small print of the contract before signing it. It is easier to get into a contract than it is to get out of one.

* read all the small print and ask questions about their service. Know specifically what each party is responsibilities are.

* Make sure that you have legal remedies if they publisher doesn’t fulfill their obligations. There are publishers who not only deliberately misrepresent their services, but also attempt to manipulate the author into paying for services or products they don’t need.

* Research the publisher not only with other authors through online services such as Predators and Editors, but back check their other authors’ work. Are the books available in the stores the publisher claimed and how difficult is it to order the books through stores. Ask for the contact information for their other authors. However, you need to be specific. Don’t let the chose for you. They will naturally only tell you about those who like their work, not the ones with complaints.

* One of the major issues with small publishers has been receiving royalty payments. Make sure you have a way to receive a fair accounting and a payment guarantee. Most distributors have automated systems that will tell how many of a particular ISBN number has been bought through them.




Knowing the criteria use when they choose the books they place on their shelves should also factor into what publisher you choose. Although most bookstore are easily persuaded to list books on their online sites, they are more discriminating when it comes to their brick and mortar stores

* Quality books

* Returnability

* At least 50% discount off cover price

* A good cover price

Writing the book is the easy part of the process; the real work starts after it has been published. Marketing and promotions are the most time, money and energy consuming part of the process. Most traditional marketing methods are expensive.

* Media ads--print and broadcasting

* Book signing tours

* Book shows

* doing interviews in person

What are the marketing strategies that are successful and inexpensive?

* Website--actively promote by listing it on search engines, leave on topic comments on guest books (spamming would only reflect badly on yourself), use free gifts as away to draw traffic, and put a PDF excerpt on your site are only a few examples


* blogs--actively promote using search engine optimization words, listing with blog marketing sites such a Technorati, join blog rolls and write on topic comments on similar blogs (spamming them will only reflect badly on yourself)

* write articles on topic to give credibility

* join groups both on and off line that target your audience

* give lectures in the community

* do interviews both on an off line

* Cold contacting bookstores through fax, email and phone calls

* Networking sites like Myspace

* Burn CD's with excerpts and your bio that bookstores could give away

* Create book trailers promoting your novels for sites like YouTube

* Publish newsletters or ezines that show case your work and/or causes that you are involved with

Valkyrie Publishing was created in professional self-defense. I had been taken advantage of by two publishers that made great promises but who were ethically challenged when it came to paying royalties. I spend hundred of dollars and hours, in publishing and promotional costs only never to be paid for the books that were sold. I couldn't understand why the author is the last to be paid, when it is her or his hard work that is the source of the product. It was this frustration that prompted me to research publishing, book distribution and typesetting. What I learned surprised me. It is not as expensive or difficult as the publishers were making it appear.

The technical aspects, I had been doing for over a year with my free ezine, Messages From the Universe. Since 2003 when my first novel came out, I was actively involved in marketing; in fact, with the publishers I was involved with, I was the only one promoting my work. As I became more involved with online writings groups, not only did I make really good connections, but I also learned how to use new venues that were effective and inexpensive.


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Writing to Activate the Reader's Imagination

Writing to Activate the Readers Imagination
By
Theresa Chaze

Although novels are written in two dimensional black and white, the story actually happens in the four dimensional realms of the reader‘s mind. Multi-sensory books are the ones that become the most successful. Capturing your reader's imagination, by helping them to be able to see, hear, smell and feel every aspect of your story draws them and helps them experience the story through the characters.

Sight involves more than what the characters see or don’t see. It involves the subtle shades of color, shape, dimension and distance. A writer could write about “a new green leaf” or just as easily write that the “slow unfurling of the heart shaped leaf, contrasted against the darker older foliage of the plant.” Giving details doesn’t necessarily mean a long string of adjectives or adverbs, but a creative use of description that shows instead of tells.

Hearing is the most versatile of the senses. Sound or the lack of sound can also add to the story’s dept. What the character hears can extend her or his awareness beyond the immediate environment. Sound’s ability to travel great distances, allows remote action to be brought into a scene without disrupting the point of view. A wolf howling from somewhere in the night will be heard both in and out of the cabin. The characters inside don’t have to see it to know that the wolf lurks some where outside their door.

Touch can be experienced as a caress or a punch along with everything in between. However, touch is more than skin on skin, but it also includes any contact that is important to the story. The soft fur of cat rubbing against the character’s leg feels different than a skunk brushing passed while trying to escape. In the same way, the rough scales of an alligator feel different than the bark of a tree, so are reactions the images elicit in the reader.

The sense of taste is the most personal and individual. What one person finds appealing, another could just as easily find repulsive. How the character reacts will further define her or him. Most people are aware of the more common foods and drinks. If an author introduces something out of the ordinary, it is simple to you use comparisons to give the reader a sense of the taste and texture.

The sense of smells is the most effective way to activate memories and emotions. The two areas of the brain are closely related in location and synaptic connection. Using odors, either pleasant or unpleasant, is the fastest way to get a response out of the character in such a way that the reader will be able to relate.

Perception or intuition is the sixth sense that is frequently over looked by writers. This is not a reference to ESP or psychic gifts, but how a character sees or judges her or his world and everything in it. By showing how the character perceives her/himself and others, you define her or him without long descriptive sentences. The best example is a character that is afraid of other people; she or he may be paranoid or someone might actually be out to get her or him. By contrasting the perceptions with the reactions of the other characters, the writer reveals more about the personality and the inner motivation of the character.


In addition, similes, allegories and contrasting comparisons can add texture and set the mood. Sarah was as graceful as a bird is an example of simile. Like Amazon warriors of old, she marched into the room would be an allegory. While looking dapper and smart in his new suit, Dan smelled like down wind of a pig farm would be a contrasting comparison. All three examples give added information about the character in a pro-active way that allows the reader to visualize the character.

It is unusual for one sense to be used alone. More often than not, they are combined to give layers of images and sensations. Sight and hearing are frequently combined. A character hears a noise and starts looking for the source or a character smells something wonderful and decides to taste what is in the pot. By coalescing the senses, the author creates a four dimensional world on a two dimensional medium. It makes the characters and their environment more real and relatable for the reader, which in turn makes the novel more popular.


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Direct Marketing to Independent Bookstores

Direct Marketing to Independent Bookstores
By
Theresa Chaze

Active book promotion and marketing is important to every book's success, especially when it comes to the beginning writer. Contacting independent bookstores is a direct marketing method that is not only cost effective but a successful way for the authors to bring their work to the attention of buyers. With the technological advancements of email, fax and unlimited long distance, it is easier and cheaper than ever before for authors to promote their work to brick and mortar stores.

In the past, authors used direct mailings and industry advertisements to gain the attention of independent bookstore owners. It was a costly and slow process. Not only was it expensive to print full color flyers, but the increasing postage rates made snail mail direct marketing cost prohibitive. Placing ad in trade magazines is effective only if the ad is well placed and designed. Yet even then, the message would only reach those stores that subscribed to the magazine or service.

The internet has opened the door to direct marketing to bookstores by making it cheaper, easier and quicker. Most stores have websites, which contain their contact information as well as accurate descriptions of the books they sell. It is an easy way for the author to reach their target audience by approaching only the stores who carry their genre. By searching the net, an author can find stores by state or specialty. However, compiling list of bookstores can be very time consuming and frustrating. There is no master site that lists bookstores. Instead, the search must be done by location or genre.

If an author is wise, she or he will create a list of the bookstores as they are contacted, not only to check back with them but for future use. However, there are short cuts that an author can take. There are sites that do sell lists of bookstores; however, they are very expensive and have been assembled by non writers. Valkyrie Publishing is offering the list it uses to promote their books. This list has contact information for over 2000 independent bookstores. Most of them have not only the contact information, but also details about the store itself. Below are examples of what the list contains.

Auburn University Bookstore
1360 Haley Center, Auburn, AL 36849
Phone: (334)844-1365
Fax: (334)844-1697
Type of Books Sold: Primarily New
Description: Auburn University Bookstore

Alabama Booksmith
2626 19th Place South, Birmingham, AL 35209
Phone: (205)870-4242
Fax: (205)870-4302
Type of Books Sold: Primarily New

Malcolm's Reading Room
404 17th Street, Birmingham, AL 35203
Phone: (205)563-4846
Fax: (205)802-2240

Page & Palette Inc.
32 South Section Street, Fairhope, AL 36532
Phone: (251)928-5295
Fax: (251)928-2550
Type of Books Sold: Primarily New
Description: For over 30 years we have been dedicated to enhancing the quality of life on the Eastern Shore.

Little Professor Book Center
2717 18th Street South, Homewood, AL 35209
Phone: (205)870-7461
Fax: (205)879-7563
Type of Books Sold: Primarily New
Accepts Book Sense Gift Cards
Description: Besides having an impressive assortment of books, we also have a wonderfully delicious cafe and one of the largest selections of magazines in Birmingham!

The stores are organized by state with additional listings for new age and fantasy stores. The list costs $20.00 payable through paypal only. It is found at www.theresachaze.com.

Six Simple Steps For Successfull Publishing

Doing a simple search on the net for predators and editors, it is easy to discover how many individuals and companies are waiting to take advantage of writers. Making grandiose promises of making their book a best seller, they con unsuspecting writers out of the money, talent and royalties. Even those writers who do the research can find that they have been taken advantage, However, with the new technological advances in computers and in printing, writers no long have to depend on others to make their publishing dream come true. Print on demand opens the door for authors to not only maintain creative control, but also retain all of the profits from their work. There are six simple steps to getting your book successfully published and distributed.

1. Write your book, making sure that it is properly edited.

Not only does you book have to be creative and interesting, but it has to be readable. Meaning that you need to do more than run it through the spell checker. Punctuation, spelling, and grammar errors will detract from the content and discredit the author. Although mistakes can even be found best selling books, they are rare and quickly fixed in the next edition. First time authors especially need to make sure the work reaches the highest standard possible.


2. Format you book so that it is easy to read and looks professional with an eye catching cover and enticing back cover blurb.

Formatting your book not only is resizing it to fit the appropriate book size, but it is also making sure the typesetting gives the pages a professional appearance. Margins need to be justified to give the pages a clean look. In most cases, book covers should be kept simple and uncomplicated; the graphics need to lure the reader to pick it up. The back cover blurb needs to tempt the reader into reading a few pages. The pages within should persuade the reader the book is worth the money.

3. Find a printer who can produce quality books at a cost effective price.
The list of POD printers is rapidly growing. By Googling the “print on demand printers”, the writer can find an impressive of list that varies not only in price but also in services. Some POD printers provide printing services without set up fees; however, they have limited distribution, which will also reduce the number brick and mortar stores who will be willing to carry the books. However, if an author only needs a few copies or intends to sell solely online, theses services are inexpensive ways to get a book in print. Most POD printers charge set up fees, but they also provide other printing options for book size, colors, and binding.

4. Make you book financially attractive to bookstores.
New authors have be realistic about their profit margins. In order for bookstores to be interested, the books have to be reasonably priced with at least a 50% discount off the cover price. However, the current standard discount is 55% off. In addition, making the books returnable is a must. Very few bookstores will risk their money and shelf space on a book by an unknown author if it isn’t returnable. When setting the cover price all three factors must be considered in along with a royalty fee. Never forget to pay yourself for your work, but don’t forget that the higher the cost of the book, the few copies that will be sold.

5. List your book with a distributor who is widely used.
Ingram is one of the widest know distributors in the country. However, they will not work with publishing houses that have less than ten titles in print. For a new publishing house, this can be a temporary obstacle. They do however have a list of associated distributors who will represent books from smaller publishers. The site address for the list is http://www.ingrambook.com/new/distributors.asp. Each of these distributors has their own standards and genres that they represent. Some of which require an exclusive contract for each book.

6. Promoted and market you book 24/7
Whether traditional or POD, a beginning author does nearly all of the marketing and promotions. In order to be effective, the author has to not only find a niche market, but has to create brand name for her or himself. The niche market is the target market that you are seeking according to genre, age, gender and readership. Creating a brand name is process where an author creates a strong connection with the target audience. In the past, traditional publishers placed ads and arranged for reviews. These are both still important venues; however, the internet has opened up many different options. Blogs, vblogs, and homepages are only three opportunities to attract readers, which cost little or no money. Online groups, chat rooms, and message boards are not only places to promote your work, but it is a great way to make connections with like minds.

No longer costing thousands of dollars to get their books in print, more authors are starting their own publishing houses and going out on their own. By doing it themselves, an author can published and distributed to the public for less than three hundred dollars.

Valkyrie Publishing is a consulting service, which helps authors create their dream without risking their royalties or answering to another. It is their job to make the publishing experience as simple and inexpensive as possible. For authors who are not technologically savvy or would just like help with the process, they are an excellent resource and beneficial asset.

Make Your Publishing Dream A Reality: paperback and ebooks

Publish You Own Book. Tired of doing all the work and receiving little or no profits. POD makes self-publishing cheaper and give authors more access to distributors. Traditional publishers throw good books into slush piles. Many POD publishers take your money, keep most of the profits, and give you minimal royalties. Beginning authors do all the writing, promotion and marketing, yet receive very little of the profits. It costs very little to get your book into print and accepted by distributors. Valkyrie Publishing helps you publish your own work and keep all the profits. For more information go to http://www.geocitie s.com/tirgana/Valkyrieserves.pdf or www.theresachaze.com

You Say Halloween. We Say Samhain

You Say Halloween. We Say Samhain

By

Theresa Chaze


Many of the most popular religious and secular holidays have their roots in Pagan or Wiccan festivals. By absorbing the basic beliefs of the celebration and transforming them to conform to their religious doctrine, religious leaders hoped to lure away the followers of the Earth based religions and convert them.




Traditionally, Samhain is the ending of the Pagan and Wiccan year. The final harvests have been brought in and the finally preparations for winter have been made. Animals are slaughtered and their meat preserved. The death of a few insures life for others through the coming winter months.




It is the day when the veils between the realms are the thinnest. The dead and earth spirits are able to walk freely among the living. Whether dead loved ones or earth spirits, this time of year communication with them is the easiest. It is the time for honoring your ancestors and making amends with those who have crossed over. Many Wiccans and Pagans believe it is the most important day of the year as it is not only a time of honoring our ancestors, but is an accounting of our actions.


Ritually spirits are invited to attend festivals in their honor. Banquets are prepared with the choices meats and vegetables being set aside for those who have crossed over. Frequently these meals are silent as each participant remembers their loved one and looks for signs of their presence. The food on the spirits’ plates remains uneaten. Instead, after the dinner the ritual continues as the food is offered up outside and left behind. Deities, earth spirits and elementals are also petitioned for protection and for boons. Calls are more easily heard and answered during this time.




Spiritually, what we have sent out comes back for good or ill. Just as the harvest has been collected, so does the karmic debt come due. The thinning curtain only makes the Deities of Justice more active and powerful. Whether it is said as "What goes around, comes around" or "So share ye sow, so shall ye reap", what we have created shall manifest as a blessing or a challenge.




Many of the Halloween traditions come from the fear of spirits. The masks were designed to disguise identities and to scare away evil spirits. Treat or treating represents the offerings left out to honor the ancestors and tithes to the deities. Christians created All Saints Day on November 1 as a way to counter act the popularity of the Samhain festival.




Out of the Shadows and Into the Light is an ebook of shadows that not only explains more about the correlation between religions, but also give accurate information about the Wiccan and Pagan religions. It includes both old and new wisdom with rituals for protection, justice, healing, prosperity and love. For those who are interested in learning more about what Wiccans and Pagans, this ebook is an excellent resource that does not wish to convert, but only inform. The PDF download is only available at www.theresachaze.com.

Free e-zine: Messages From the Universe

Free e-zine: Messages From the Universe
Spiritual and Emotional Healing


Here is the September 2007 issue of Messages from the Universe. As always it contains the monthly energy reading. In addition there are articles by Cate Cavanagh, Revenerd Marci Drewry and several other gues writers.

As always you are welcome to share the ezine with others; however, the individual article remain the property of the authors

Here is the address. You may have to cut and paste it into your browers.

http://us.share.geocities.com/tirgana/messageSept07.pdf


To insure you receive Messages of the Universe every month, please go to
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MessagesFromtheUniverse/
to join this free egroup.

Free Fantasy Ebook


Sisters Mother Daughters-
The Complicated Relationships Between Women
A free ebook

By
Theresa Chaze

Valkyrie Publishing announces the release of the free ebook by Theresa Chaze, Sisters, Mothers, Daughters. Using the fantasy genre, the short stories explore the complicated and ever changing relationships between women. Other worlds, differing religions, and political view points come together as women explore themselves and their life’s path. Sometimes controversial, sometimes frightening this collection of short stories reveals the multi-dimensional spirit of the every changing woman.

Seize of honor is an other worldly tale of how Kelly O’Dell accidentally killed the children of the natives she is attempting to communicate with them to save her people. It was an accident. She never intended to harm anyone, but natives knew she was responsible. They laid the body of one of the children on her door step and pointed their finger at her. Her comrades didn’t understand why. Kelly knew but she lied. Even after the natives attacked, killing most of their party, she kept silent. She couldn’t tell them the truth. At best they would abandon her to the natives’ justice; at worse they would notify command when the rescue team arrived. Either way, she would be as dead; the only question would be is how long and how painful the end would be. To save herself and her people, she must find a way to restore her honor by making the natives understand it was only an accident.

Resa has died, yet her spirit did not move on. Knowing her birth family would attempt to steal her property from those she had gifted it to and inflict their beliefs on her, she refused to cross over. They had tried every legal means available, but this time, she was ready for them. The everything was iron clad. Her wishes would be obeyed; her sisters of spirit would insure her final desires would be followed down to the last detail. In It’s my Funeral, I’ll Disco If I Want, Resa has prearranged her own funeral according to her Wiccan beliefs. Caroline, her spirit guide to the Summerland and long time friend, arrives to escort her to the other side, only find that Resa refuses to leave until after her funeral. Instead she wants to watch as her frustrated birth family is forced to accept in death what they couldn’t accept about her in life.

Politically relevant and controversial, And Freedom For All, projects into the future what life will be like once the religious right has gained power over the United States. Laws are in acted and interpreted according to their Christian doctrine, leading to the over turn of Roe vs. Wade and to a great division between the states. Pregnant by a man who sees her more as possession than a partner, Daphne asks childhood friend, Melanie to help her to escape to a free state. To retain control over her own body, Daphne leaves nearly everything behind and flees for her freedom. Together they must avoid the Pre-born Police, who arrest women they believe are pregnant to prevent them from leaving the Christian controlled states. Three borders and hundreds of miles to cross stretch between them and freedom as they do their best to avoid detection and capture. As they escape, Melanie and Daphne become part of a movement that will once again divide the country.


These are only examples of the tales told in Sisters Mothers Daughters as women strive to understand themselves and each other. Each of these women must look to their own hearts and ask themselves--am I strong enough?

Sisters Mothers Daughters is available at www.theresachaze.com. In addition, there are excerpts of Theresa Chaze’s novels, Awakening the Dragon and Dragon Domain, and other short works. Valkyrie Publishing distributes a monthly spiritual ezine, Messages From the Universe and the ebook versions of both Ms Chaze’s novels.

Theresa Chaze has been described as the woman who plays with dragons, especially the dragons of the mind. She leads her readers to magical realms and others worlds. Her work is based on her philosophy that all peoples can live together in peace as long as we come from respect, not only for ourselves but those who follow different paths or beliefs. Her work has been compared to Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey with an adult version of Harry Potter mixed in. Theresa Chaze's major works so far include the first two novels of the Dragon Clan Trilogy and a free fantasy ebook called, Sisters, Mother, Daughters. Her screenplay, Never Can Say Good-bye, is one of the 2006 winners of the Gloria Film Festival. She publishes an ezine called, Messages From the Universe, which is available on her site www.theresachaze.com.

Free Love Spell


A Simple Love Spell-
An Excerpt from Out of the Shadows And Into the Light
By
Theresa Chaze

Most traditional love spells are black magic because they interfere with another's free will. However, if you are very careful you can call love into your life without doing harm to another. Remember not to get specific in either name or description. List the character traits you desire--do not list the physical ones as if you were giving a description to a police sketch artist. Ask for intelligence, a sense of humor, educational level, for mutual respect, that she or he be attractive to you and you to him or her, ask for an age range--do not ask that he have long, sandy blonde hair that is held back in a ponytail, stunning blue eyes, dimples, a good butt, and is wearing a blue shirt who just happens to looks like Mike in the next cubicle. That would be black magic and bad karma.

Three candles love spell--

What you will need:

A pink candle
A white candle
A red candle
A list of attributes you would like in a mate
White, pink and red rose petals

Sprinkle the rose petals together on the list, saying:

“Loved from within I do reach out
with complete hope and lack of doubt.”

Fold the four corners of the list toward the center, keeping the rose petals inside saying:

“From the east, south, west and north
I look for love in every port.”

Light the white candle and allow the wax drip on the list, sealing the edges close to keep the rose petals inside and say:

“With pure motives I seek out
the one who will share love with lack of doubt.”

Light the pink candle and allow the wax to drip on the list, sealing it and say:

“Let our friendship be filled with trust and wonder
which will make us stronger when others attempt to rip us asunder.”

Light the red candle and drip the red on the other two seals and say:

“May our passion for life and each other
keeps us together one to another.
We do seek to become one
while keeping our individuality from being undone.
Strong in ourselves separate and bold
but together we chose each other hold.
Not out of need or shame
we come to each other freely without blame.
Seeking to help each other grow towards the Divine light
we still have each other for comfort on the darkness night.”



Out of the Shadows And Into the Light contains old and new magical wisdom brought together in an ebook of shadows. From the beginner to the experienced worker these rituals will inspire you to other realms as well in practical workings. To buy this ebook, go to www.theresachaze.com

Self-publish Your Ebook for Profit and to Maintain Control
By
Theresa Chaze


Sony launching its new ebook company, Connect, signals a new horizon for electronic books. At one time, Stephen King couldn't successfully sell his work in electronic format; however, with increasing access to more technically friendly readers and more titles becoming available, ebooks are gaining a new popularity. Whereas, the new Sony portable devices will only read books released through Connect, they are in the minority. Most computers and ebook readers will read Adobe's PDF, giving consumers more options. They will not be limited by one company’s release list, but will be able to connect to books published by both publishers and individuals.
Books are now being simultaneously being released in the traditional paper as well as in ebook form. Not only the large traditional publishing houses, but also the smaller independents have found that ebooks can be profitable. However, it is the writers and readers who are benefiting the most. The new technology opens more venues for writers to self publish inexpensively and with a quality product. No longer are they dependant on the whims of editors and publishers to present their work to the reading public. They can publish and distribute their work independent of the established publishing system. It has opened the doors to new writers with fresh ideas to present their work with little overhead.
Whether technically challenged or simply lack of interest, not everyone is capable of converting their book into a PDF file or designing a cover that creates interest in the content. Ebook publishers can be found all over the net. They are as prolific as the POD publishers who have sprung up with the new technology. Yet, like most publishers not only do they charge for the privilege of being connected to them, but they also take a percentage of the profits. In most cases, the author is still required to do all of the marketing and promotion for their work. The publisher merely lists and distributes it. Yet there are other options to relying on others to make your work a success. Valkyrie Publishing provides a formatting conversion service, which translates word documents into PDF files and creates unique graphics for those who are time and technically challenged. Not only for Ebooks, PDF files can be useful for newsletters, ezines, or any document that will be needed to be easily opened by many computers.
Valkyrie Publishing provides a conversion service for writers who would like to publish their ebook and maintain total control over it. Since the author is hiring a service, all rights are retained by the author. This service will provide a way for more authors to publish their work while maintaining total control over the distribution and sales.
In addition, Valkyrie Publishing uses Photoshop and other graphic programs to create covers, which are professional and content appropriate. Using both royalty-free and original graphics, the illustrations are unique to the individual project. Examples of Valkyrie Publishing work can be found at http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/Valkyrie.pdf, http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/SMDwithpict.pdf and www.theresachaze.com. The last site also has contact information.
Dorothy Thompson has released "A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook"; it is a comprehensive ebook that not only gives specific ways to promotion you ebook without cost, but she also gives the active links to the sites on which the author can do it. No longer does an author have to rely on professional publicist to get their work noticed by the public; they can do it themselves with the same success and with the enthusiasm only an author can supply. Endorsed by "Mr. Self-Published" Dan Poynter, this eBook explains why self-publishing eBooks is one of the most viable, not to mention profitable, ways of earning income with little or no overhead. From creating a personalized killer guerilla marketing plan to ways to turn your website into a viral marketing machine, this eBook revolutionizes our old way of thinking about publishing and carves a new way to provide authors with an alternative that will provide them with instant results which leads to more profits and self-satisfaction. You can find out more information by visiting http://www.thewriterslife.net/PromoteEbook.html. Dorothy can be contacted at thewriterslife@yahoo.com.

Rebirth of Magical Fantasy
By
Theresa Chaze

If you enjoy a good magical fantasy in the style of Marion Zimmer Bradley, Anne McCaffrey and Harry Potter, you will enjoy Theresa Chaze's novels, Awakening the Dragon and Dragon Domain Filled with magic, suspense and romance, the residents of Coyote Springs will entice and frighten you as they face challenges that come from within and without.
Magic, suspense and romance intertwine in Awakening the Dragon--Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy (ISBN 1-58961-432-3) as Rachael moves to Coyote Springs to follow her dream; instead of finding peace with her new store and new home, she becomes the catalyst in exposing a murderer and the target of a violent cult. To protect herself and her loved ones, Rachael risks everything by awakening her dragon spirit prematurely. As the dragon rises within her, the cult surround her home with the intent on killing the new witch who lives inside and burning the evidence of the murder of the previous owner.
Dragon Domain--Book Two of the Dragon Clan Trilogy (ISBN 1-58961-463-1) picks up the story a few months later as the Dragon Clan begins to reassemble at the safe haven Cheyenne has created on the Northern Michigan farm. Cheyenne was happy until an old love from Celeste‘s past appeared at their door. Rapidly the darkness of the night brought terror as sacrificial blood was shed. Cheyenne tried to warn her. Celeste refused to listen. She let him in. No one was safe from his darkness. Cheyenne called the dragons. They drove him back. Then they joined together in an old evil. Alone Cheyenne was barely able to defeated him, but now with Celeste’s help and knowledge of all her weakness, how could she possibly stop them from stealing her very soul and all those she loves?
Excerpts can be read and the ebook versions can be bought from www.theresachaze.com, as can her Ebook of Shadows, Out of the Shadows and Into the light. In addition, her free ebook Sisters, Mothers, Daughters and her free ezine, Messages from the Universe can be downloaded. To read excerpt of her novels please click the links below.



http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/EXCERPATD.pdf

http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/ecerptDD.pdf

www.theresachaze.com

Washing Dishes
A Metaphor for Healing



Emotional healing is like washing dishes. A strange comparison, yes but an accurate one. Washing dishes removes left over food from the dinnerware; emotional healing removes pain from our souls. For both of them, the longer the waste has been there, the more difficult it is to wash it away. Unlike permanently stained dishes, you can not simply toss away your soul and get another. However, the more quickly you deal with the injury, like dishes, the easier it is to take care of the problem. Yet sometimes the damage is so devastating that like a burned casserole dish it will take a lot of work and time to get it clean.
After a meal, if the dishes are washed or rinsed right away, they clean quickly and easily. However if they are left for any length of time, the food dries to the plate and it will take more effort to cleanse them. The same is also true for emotional hurts. If you deal with them at the time of the injury, you can deal directly with the source. Being open and honest about how you feel clears up misunderstandings and prevents the issue from being clouded by other factors.
However if you are unable, for whatever reason, to deal openly with the wounded feelings, they begin to fester and expand into other aspects of your life. Until it is dealt with, the hurt will not simply go away. Instead like a dish that has been left too long, it will attracted flies and eventually transmute into something icky--like mold. So do hurt feeling attract undesirable emotions like fear, anger and self doubt. None of those emotions are truly negative; it’s not being able to get past them that leads to further problems. Unlike the food that becomes the mold, the emotions are not changed, but they change the person from the inside out. Getting stuck in them only leads a person to do and say things they normally wouldn’t, which spreads the negativity to others.
So how is the cycle broken? Being honest, self aware and honoring yourself enough to speak your mind and stand your ground are ways misunderstandings are prevented. You don’t have to be aggressive or self pitying to tell another that their behavior or words were hurtful. Sometimes people don’t realize how their bad mood is affecting others. Everyone at some point has gotten so wrapped up in their challenges that they have forgotten the niceties. This doesn’t mean that they will always care. There are people who go out of their way to hurt others, mostly because that is how they deal with their own pain. However, by stating your feelings openly, honestly and with compassion, you get them out into the open. But you must remember not to take their reaction personally. It is this clearing that heals, not how the person responds. By stating your truth you are able to wash your plate clean and move on.
Yet what if you haven’t or couldn’t deal with the issue immediately or the person is no longer available? Be honest with yourself. It’s the denial of the feelings that give them power over you. If your feelings were hurt--acknowledge it. The more honest you are with yourself, the less likely you are to misdirect the feeling onto others who had nothing to do with the injury. However if you can’t for what ever reason deal with the situation or person at the time, step back and get perspective. It’s like taking time to soak the really dirty dishes, while you wash the easier ones. By the time you get to them, the dried food has softened and will be easier to remove. Emotionally you have more options: Talk to another to get an more objective perspective; it’s possible your issues could have lead you to over react. Get more information; there might be more going on than you were aware of. Consider that you were responsible; previously you could have hurt their feelings and that situation hadn’t been dealt with. Or it could simple be that both of you just happen to meet while both of you were having a bad day; in that case both forgive yourself and the other person then move on.
Yet like a burnt casserole dish, there are situations that are so traumatic that they simple can not be healed immediately. Unlike like cross words, lies or misunderstandings, these injuries usually affect the persons whole life or have happened over an extended period of time. In these cases, there are no quick fixes--no words that can alleviate the pain. The dish can be tossed, but the emotional injury can’t be. In these cases the pain is so devastating that it is forgotten or buried because the person simply can’t deal with it. Whether it’s fear or lack of self esteem, they refuses to admit they are in pain. By doing so they do not have to deal with the source of their hurt.
In the cases of childhood trauma, many children are taught to honor their parents, no matter how much damage they do. They feel that they do not have the right to be angry with the parent or to hold them accountable for their actions, simply because of who they are. They turn their anger inward. Instead of confronting the source of their pain, they become self abusive. Frequently, as they grow into adulthood, they find others who reinforce the self image their parents cultivated. The abuse continues and is eventually spread to the next generation as the off-spring inherit the abused behavior. In cases when the source is a stranger, confusion and self-doubt is added as the person questions why they were chosen--what did they do to attract the abusive person’s attention? In many cases, they can not find a logical reason, as a result they blame themselves. So in addition to the physical injuries, they take on the emotional responsibility for the actions of another. Instead of blaming the perpetrator, they feel guilty for the attack. In both instances, the longer the pain is not acknowledge, the more difficult it will be to deal with the true source of the pain.
Healing begins by acknowledging that there is a problem and finding the root source. Until that happens, only the symptoms can be addressed. But dealing with the symptom doesn’t cure anything. Cure one and another one will manifest, usually more intense than the previous. Until the true source of the injury is exposed, the behaviors and inner torment will continue. Like the casserole dish, only time, a good soak and a lot of hard work will cleanse the ick away. For emotions, the soak usually involves many tears and a good support team. Friends, family, and professionals working together to help rebuild what was torn apart are essential parts of the healing process. They are the support staff. But the head of the team is always the person and their determination to heal. Until the person makes the decision to confront the source directly, no matter who they are, and properly place the blame, they will not heal. Confrontation doesn’t necessary need to be a physical encounter, but acknowledging who is responsible. Who caused the pain? Who did the hurting? The old wounds have to be opened and the source of the pain brought into the light. Initially the process will be very painful, causing the person to want to go back into denial. Like peeling back the layers of an onion, the healing process will open old wounds and reawaken old memories until the original source is discovered. At each new level, the person learns to understand more about themselves and become stronger for it. The inwardly turned anger is eventually turned outward and focused on the source of the pain. Professional supervision will keep the healing process moving forward on a positive level. Getting stuck in the blame game will only halt you positive progression. Whether or not the other person takes responsibility for their actions has no bearing on you healing process. Like with the small hurts, honoring your truth and respecting yourself is the goal and the way to move forward. By allowing yourself to see the truth of your life without guilt, fear, or anger you see past as just that--the past. You physically survived it, now it is time to truly live through it and move forward.


Theresa Chaze has been described as the woman who plays with dragons, especially the dragons of the mind. She leads her readers to magical realms and others worlds. Her work is based on her philosophy that all peoples can live together in peace as long as we come from respect, not only for ourselves but those who follow different paths or beliefs. Whether fiction or non fiction, Ms Chaze uses her talent to help others find the path to healing and take back their own power. In many ways, she is a life coach who helps others find alternative life paths and regain their passion. Her work has been compared to Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey with an adult version of Harry Potter mixed in. Theresa Chaze's major works so far include the first two novels of the Dragon Clan Trilogy , a ebook of Shadows, Out of the Shadows and Into the Light, and a free fantasy ebook called, Sisters, Mother, Daughters. Her screenplay, Never Can Say Good-bye, is one of the 2006 winners of the Gloria Film Festival. She publishes an ezine called, Messages From the Universe, which is available on her site www.theresachaze.com.

Greetings,

Here is August's Messages From the Universe. This issue we have a special guest auther. Laurie Cabot is wise woman who cleared the path for the rest of us to follow. We are grateful that she has contributed to our ezine.



As always the articled remain the individual property of the authors; however, you are more than welcom to share the ezine as a whole.



You may have to cut and paste the address into your brower



http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/messageAug07.pdf





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and join this free egroup.

DIFFERENT PATHS--free Wiccan Ebook/short story
By
Theresa Chaze

(To download the free ebook Sisters Mothers Daughters Go to www.theresachaze.com)

She licked her lips and continued around the room in a counter clockwise direction; she held the smudge stick in front of her. The smoke gently flowed into the already smoky room. She didn’t know how to ask. Last time she convinced them against their better judgment and the situation went from bad to worse. Did she have the right to ask them to fix a problem she had intensified?
“Angie, it’s getting thick.”
“I’m smudging.”
“It’s a full moon meditation, not an exorcism!” Jackie waved her hand in front of her face, in an attempt to clear the air.
Angie stopped at the window and opened it. The smoke was immediately drawn out. “Better?”
“It’ll help.” Alyssa placed a low table in the center of the room. Standing, she tossed her hair back over head, allowing the blonde curls to fall naturally back down to her waist. She spread a white silk cloth on top and put a large, white candle in the center. “The food’s ready.” Shanna walked out of the kitchen. Untying her shoulder length hair, she ran her fingers through the chestnut colored strands, half scratching, half massaging her scalp. “Need help?”
“Yes.” Jackie laughed and pointed to the smudge stick. “Take that away from her.”
“I get the hint.” Angie reluctantly buried the burning end in the soil of the fig tree and opened another window. She leaned against the frame and looked out.
The lawn was brightly lit by the moon. The forest beyond beckoned as the moonbeams danced off the breeze blown leaves, hinting at the possibility of joining the little people of old in their nightly dance. The last of the lilacs were fading along with the rest of the spring flowers, yet their scent still flavored the air with a sweetness comparable to the first bloom.
Angie inhaled; she smelled the coming of a rain shower. She guessed it was still a couple of hours away. They’d have time to meditate, do ritual and eat afterwards before the rain turned Shanna’s driveway to mud.
Angie had always admired them. They were older and had shared things that were no longer possible. Shanna Marie Semion, athlete, free-lance writer, tarot reader. She owned--Angie immediately corrected herself--borrowed from Mother Earth this ten acres for herself and her shepherd, Chester. Angie marveled how she seemed to be able to hide the house when she didn’t want company. Alyssa Lee--a blonde haired, blue eyed, long legged beauty, who had blazoned her own trail through motherhood, marriage, co-dependency and divorce without straying far from her spirituality. Angie had met her through her daughter, Danielle, but the friendship with the mother lasted longer than with the daughter. Danielle's path twisted in a direction Angie hadn’t found appealing. They were not enemies, nor could they still be considered friends; they were simply polite when they happened to meet. Jacqueline McCloud known to most simply as Jackie introduced her to the miracles of massage therapy and to love without the barter system. She is the only person Angie had ever met who was completely at peace with herself. By most standards, she was not beautiful until you looked into her deep brown eyes; there you found a mixture of impish elf and the wisdom of an Archangel. She would love to bear a child, preferably a daughter, but if it never happened, she’s still considered herself completely blessed and fulfilled.
Why they found her interesting, Angie didn’t understand. She was a college educated woman, who had dreams of writing movies, but the only job she could land was manufacturing clocks. She had written two screenplays. She had found an agent. Everything was done right. Yet nothing happened. So she made phone calls on her own, verbally knocking on doors across country, but none of the beautiful people would open the door or come out to play with her.
“Angie?”
Startled, Angie turned, bumping her head and breaking the train of thought. Alyssa stood next to her. Jackie and Shanna knelt by the table; both were looking at her.
“What’s the matter? You were a million miles away.” Jackie sat back on her heels.
Angie licked her lips and lowered her eyes, trying to decide if she should ask for their help or try to handle the problem on her own. “I was thinking.”
“So we noticed.” Alyssa rubbed her shoulder.
“Give her some space. She might not want to share.”
Alyssa looked over her shoulder at Shanna. “I think she does.” Turning back, she lifted Angie’s chin so their eyes met. “But you don’t have to. You thoughts are always your own.”
“I don’t know how to ask.”
Jackie patted the floor beside her, her silver rings tapping against the oak floor. “You can start by sitting down.”
Angie tried to walk to the table.
Alyssa held on to her chin, forcing her to remain. “Angie, we are all equals here. Don’t try to make less of yourself or your accomplishments. Sometimes we have to learn other things before we can reach our true goals.” Her voice was a mere whisper, but it echoed within Angie’s soul. “You’ve come a long way in four years.”
Feeling the tears well up, Angie closed her eyes. Suddenly she felt the warmth of Alyssa's hug. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around the older woman and held on.
“Jeez, what’s with the water works?”
“Shanna” Alyssa warned. “It’s obviously important to her.”
Feeling foolish, Angie slowly pulled away and nodded. She tried to smile, but another tear rolled down her cheek.
Alyssa wiped it away and led her to the center of the room. Crossing her long legs, she sat down opposite to Shanna. Angie sat next to her, only farther from the table. She leaned against the sofa and brushed her nose with the back of her sleeve. Swallowing and blinking back the tears, Angie tried to find her center. She wanted to calmly explain. Pulling her knees close to her chest, she hugged them. She looked from one to another. “We-I made a mistake.”
“Won’t be the first. Won’t be the last.” Jackie quipped back. “Some of my best lessons came out of them.”
“Mine too.” Shanna chimed in.
“Everyone makes them.” Alyssa shifted her position. “What did you do or not do?”
“My co-worker, Ronda. I asked you to help her. Remember?”
Shanna uncrossed her legs, accidentally kicking the leg of the table. The candle wobbled and she steadied it. “She was treating everyone poorly.”
“You thought it was because she had such bad luck.” Jackie leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table and cupping her chin in her open palm. “So we did a luck and prosperity spell for her. Didn’t it work?”
“It worked. Too well. She won a new car. Two small lotteries. She was promoted to supervisor--”
Cocking her head to one side, a furrow formed between Alyssa's eyes. “What’s the problem? We helped her.”
“But hurt everyone else, including myself.” Angie tightened her hold on her legs to the point of discomfort, but she used it as a focus point to hold back the tears. “The more she was blessed, the meaner she got. Because of her three people were fired. Two suspended. Production has dropped.”
Jackie sat straight up. “In a month?”
“A month real time. Forever to us at the plant. Everyone’s angry. Frustrated.”
“Did you send something big, bad and ugly after her?”
Alyssa's bluntness didn’t surprise Angie. She knew after some of the things Danielle and she had done, the question had to be asked. She could see it in all their eyes. There was a time her anger would have brought forth her own definition of justice. Only it wouldn’t have been limited to Ronda, but included everything and everyone she cared about. It was a path she no longer found appealing. “I thought it. Of how easy it would be to take it all away. Her job. Her home. Her family. Make her afraid to go to sleep at night. I thought it.” But quickly added. “I banished the thought into nothingness.”
Slowly Shanna exhaled in a low whistle, as if she had been holding her breath.
“So what do you want to happen?” Alyssa continued.
“Justice.”
“What kind of justice?”
“I don’t know Alyssa. I don’t have the proper perspective. I’m too close. This could be a grand karmic lesson. Or it could just be a backlash from what we did.” Angie shook her head. “I’ve made so many angry mistakes. I wanted to help. But it looks like I did more harm than good. My intentions were pure. Which is why I intervened.”
“Could that be the lesson?” There was an angry bite to Shanna’s question.
Frustrated, Angie looked across the table. “If it’s my lesson, why hurt everyone else?”
“Maybe that is part of the karma?” The bite of her tone became more of a slap. “To not interfere with another’s lesson.”
“Somebody had to do something!” Angie glared back. “I was trying to help!”
“Calm down both of you.” Alyssa snapped, shooting warning looks at both of them. “Shanna, I know you were against us interfering. But what’s done is done. Agreed?”
Silently Shanna looked out the window.
“Agreed?” She repeated.
Slowly Shanna’s head turned to meet her gaze. After a moment, she nodded.
Alyssa turned back to Angie. “You’re right. It was your mistake. It’s your lesson. How are you going to fix it?”
“I don’t know.”
“We could--”
“No, Jackie. She has to do it herself.” Alyssa cut her off. “In the past, she responded with psychic violence and violation. She knows better now. It’s time she walks the walk, not just talks the talk.”
“True.” Jackie leaned back away from the table, as if she was removing herself from the situation.
“Shanna?”
Shanna shifted her sitting position so her legs crossed in front of her while leaning back on her arms. “I will not help or hinder.”
“Thank you.” Again Alyssa turned to Angie. “Talk it out.”
“I don’t know how.”
“What did we do last time?”
“Jackie! No help from the peanut gallery!”
“Back off Ally! She’s new at this.”
“No she isn’t!” Alyssa counter. “This is the place she always stumbles. This time she has to learn.” She returned her attention to Angie. “You can do it. Center yourself and think.”
Angie licked her lips and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and tried to visualize. Nothing came. It remained dark and frightening. A voice from the past whispered, reminding her how good revenge felt--how easy it was. “No!” She screamed internally. The voice laughed, telling her she could never change. She forced herself to breathe through the rising panic. She focused on the beating of her own heart.
The wind blew through the open window. She felt the sudden coolness raise goose bumps on her arms. The storm was closer than she thought. She could imagine the lightning cutting through the night sky, illuminating the trees and the yard. Suddenly she was standing on the front porch, watching the wind whip through the trees. The dark clouds covered the brightness of the moon. She was alone, yet not. Two dark silhouettes stood a few yard of the porch. One was full off hate and anger; the other radiated love. Lightning flashed. She saw their faces. She stepped off the porch and walked toward them. Their faces kept changing. The angry one’s alternated between Ronda, Danielle and herself. The other wore the faces of Jackie, Alyssa and herself as a child. Angie froze. They frightened her. The loving woman beckoned her. She wanted to run to her, but she couldn’t--not yet. First she had to make peace with the other. She hesitated, and then slowly on unsteady feet she crossed the distance between them.
Laughing the woman slapped her. “You can’t get rid of me.”
“I don’t want to get rid of you.”
The woman tried to strike her again. Angie caught her wrist and pulled her close. “No matter what you have done, I accept you.”
She melted into Angie, filling her with an onslaught of violent images and an incredible loneliness. The memories from other lives flooded over her. Betrayals, both hers and others. Being left behind. The blaming. The shame. All building into a wave of rage propelled by fear. She breathed, allowing the emotions to fill and pass over her. She accepted them as her own. She felt tired and off center. The other woman reached out and touched her shoulder. Slowly she met her gaze. It was like hot chocolate and a favorite blankie on a cold winter night. The woman embraced her and they fused into one. Like the warmth of the sun after a turbulent storm, the love she shared dried the tears and melted away the shadows, which gave the fear its strength. All the empty spots were filled. The wisdom of the moment brought clarity and understanding to the question--Why?
Angie opened her eyes. She was alone at the table. Shanna and Jackie stood at the open front door, quietly talking and watching the approaching storm. Alyssa stood at the window, looking through the screen. In the distance, thunder rumbled.
Angie stood and stretched. She felt stiff, but strangely at peace with herself. It was a feeling she had been missing for her whole life. Taking a step closer, she watched Alyssa's gaze shift to meet her reflection’s eyes.
“You’re back.” Alyssa didn’t turn to face Angie, but continued to make eye contact with her reflection. “I didn’t mean to be so hard on you.”
“Danielle won’t let you help her.”
“The two of you were so very much alike. Bright. Beautiful.”
“Angry. Frustrated. Lonely.”
“She is my daughter and there is nothing I can do to make her happy.”
“It’s her path. Only she can change it.”
Slowly Alyssa pivoted on her toes. The moonlight gave her a halo. “What have you learned?”
“Did you see?”
Alyssa shook her head. “It was private.”
Angie licked her lips. “I saw...” Her voice trailed off. She didn’t know how to explain. “I learned--I understand--”
Jackie stepped into the room with Shanna closely behind. Alyssa held up her hand; they stopped.
Angie looked briefly at Jackie; she smiled and nodded, encouraging her to continue. Returning her attention to Alyssa, she took a deep breath and just let the words tumble out. “There were two women. One angry. She didn’t like me. Her face changed from Ronda to Danielle to mine. She slapped me, but I wouldn’t back away. I embraced her and she became part of me. I saw the before. Why she was so angry? Why she wanted to hurt others? They had hurt her--betrayed her trust. Time after time the ones she loved turned on her. It was the rage and the need for revenge, which kept her strong. It was all she had left.”
Alyssa quickly turned away and looked out the window.
“I felt alone and unlovable. The other woman reached out to me. She had your face, Alyssa, and Jackie’s and my own as a child. She embraced me and all the love came back. All the times it was offered, but I couldn’t accept. It was all there waiting for me to be open to it.”
“So what did you learn?” Jackie asked from across the room.
Confused, Angie again closed her eyes and concentrated on the rapidly fading images. The rage and the fear. The unconditional love. The melding of the two. She felt dizzy. She opened her eyes. There was pressure in the middle of her forehead. She focused on it. Before her, images kept appearing and combining in different combinations. Frustrated, she shook her head. They disappeared. All was dark and quiet. Inhaling and exhaling, she found her center and the words flowed out. “Everyone we meet is a lesson. A reflection of part of ourselves that we must grow though.” She breathed deeply and opened her eyes. The world seemed to move in slow motion.
Outside, in the distance lightning flashed. In that instant, Angie knew they’d be spending the night. She licked her lips; they were salty. “The lesson,” her voice sound scratchy to her own ears, “is that Ronda, Danielle, even myself represent the dark things I’ve done--my need to dominate others to prevent them from hurting me. By accepting them, I accepted the responsibility. Jackie, Alyssa and my younger self are unconditional love and total forgiveness. The ability to love without expectation or strings.”
Shanna walked around Jackie and stood directly in front of Angie. “Now what do you want to happen at work?”
Without flinching, Angie looked directly into her hazel eyes. “Justice. Pure and simple. I don’t have to name the specifics or the players. I don’t have to see it. I don’t have to be involved. I don’t have know any of the details beyond what I owe for interfering.”
“So mote it be!” Jackie and Shanna spoke at once. They quickly looked at each other and laughter over took them, breaking the moment.
“So much for the full moon ritual.” Jackie shrugged and curled up in a chair. “We should eat and split while we can.”
“It’s not to late.” Angie countered. “Everyone had something they wanted work on.”
Shanna shook her head. “Half the group is burnt out.”
“I’m sorry.” Angie yawned. She longed to curl up on the sofa or just go home to bed. But she needed to talk to Alyssa, preferably alone. She looked over her shoulder at Alyssa then back at Shanna.
Shanna nodded and quickly stood. “Jackie, help me get the food ready.”
“You said it was done.”
Crossing the room, she propelled Jackie toward the kitchen. “I gotta show you something.”
Angie didn’t know if she should speak; Alyssa was obviously on her own journey. But it couldn’t wait. She needed to say it; her inner voice told her Alyssa needed to hear it. She walk up beside her until her image in the glass stood next to Alyssa's.
“What you said was beautiful.”
“I was inspired.” Angie bit her lip. “Alyssa, Danielle knows you love her. She told me many times how it was the one thing she could depend on.” She hesitated, not knowing how to say it. “Be careful how you pray for her. Send her your love and support--”
“But don’t try to choose her path.” Alyssa straightened and slowly pivoted. “That’s the hard part. I see her hurting herself and I want to protect her.”
“You can’t. Not really.”
“Only she can find the path out of the darkness.”
“You speak from experience.”
Angie nodded. “She’ll find her own way when she is ready. As I did.”
Alyssa sadly smiled. “That’s the problem.”
“No.” Angie winked at her. “Remember you told me endlessly...we don’t have problems, we have challenges.”
“Challenges are positive growth spurts.” Alyssa nodded and hugged her.
From the kitchen, Jackie shouted. “They’re hugging. Can we come out now?”
With a loud clap of thunder, the clouds released their cargo. Rain slapped against the screens. Moving in unison, Alyssa and Angie moved to close the windows. Reaching for the latch, Alyssa stopped and looked at Angie. She couldn’t read what the older woman was thinking, but she got the impression she wasn’t the only one who had been healed.

Free Fantasy Ebook: Sisters Mother Daughters-
The Complicated Relationships Between Women


By
Theresa Chaze

Valkyrie Publishing announces the release of the free ebook by Theresa Chaze, Sisters, Mothers, Daughters. Using the fantasy genre, the short stories explore the complicated and ever changing relationships between women. Other worlds, differing religions, and political view points come together as women explore themselves and their life’s path. Sometimes controversial, sometimes frightening this collection of short stories reveals the multi-dimensional spirit of the every changing woman.

Seize of honor is an other worldly tale of how Kelly O’Dell accidentally killed the children of the natives she is attempting to communicate with them to save her people. It was an accident. She never intended to harm anyone, but natives knew she was responsible. They laid the body of one of the children on her door step and pointed their finger at her. Her comrades didn’t understand why. Kelly knew but she lied. Even after the natives attacked, killing most of their party, she kept silent. She couldn’t tell them the truth. At best they would abandon her to the natives’ justice; at worse they would notify command when the rescue team arrived. Either way, she would be as dead; the only question would be is how long and how painful the end would be. To save herself and her people, she must find a way to restore her honor by making the natives understand it was only an accident.

Resa has died, yet her spirit did not move on. Knowing her birth family would attempt to steal her property from those she had gifted it to and inflict their beliefs on her, she refused to cross over. They had tried every legal means available, but this time, she was ready for them. The everything was iron clad. Her wishes would be obeyed; her sisters of spirit would insure her final desires would be followed down to the last detail. In It’s my Funeral, I’ll Disco If I Want, Resa has prearranged her own funeral according to her Wiccan beliefs. Caroline, her spirit guide to the Summerland and long time friend, arrives to escort her to the other side, only find that Resa refuses to leave until after her funeral. Instead she wants to watch as her frustrated birth family is forced to accept in death what they couldn’t accept about her in life.

Politically relevant and controversial, And Freedom For All, projects into the future what life will be like once the religious right has gained power over the United States. Laws are in acted and interpreted according to their Christian doctrine, leading to the over turn of Roe vs. Wade and to a great division between the states. Pregnant by a man who sees her more as possession than a partner, Daphne asks childhood friend, Melanie to help her to escape to a free state. To retain control over her own body, Daphne leaves nearly everything behind and flees for her freedom. Together they must avoid the Pre-born Police, who arrest women they believe are pregnant to prevent them from leaving the Christian controlled states. Three borders and hundreds of miles to cross stretch between them and freedom as they do their best to avoid detection and capture. As they escape, Melanie and Daphne become part of a movement that will once again divide the country.


These are only examples of the tales told in Sisters Mothers Daughters as women strive to understand themselves and each other. Each of these women must look to their own hearts and ask themselves--am I strong enough?

Sisters Mothers Daughters is available at www.theresachaze.com. In addition, there are excerpts of Theresa Chaze’s novels, Awakening the Dragon and Dragon Domain, and other short works. Valkyrie Publishing distributes a monthly spiritual ezine, Messages From the Universe and the ebook versions of both Ms Chaze’s novels.

Theresa Chaze has been described as the woman who plays with dragons, especially the dragons of the mind. She leads her readers to magical realms and others worlds. Her work is based on her philosophy that all peoples can live together in peace as long as we come from respect, not only for ourselves but those who follow different paths or beliefs. Her work has been compared to Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey with an adult version of Harry Potter mixed in. Theresa Chaze's major works so far include the first two novels of the Dragon Clan Trilogy and a free fantasy ebook called, Sisters, Mother, Daughters. Her screenplay, Never Can Say Good-bye, is one of the 2006 winners of the Gloria Film Festival. She publishes an ezine called, Messages From the Universe, which is available on her site www.theresachaze.com.