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Author of Circle of Five and its sequels; Spirit, a novel; the Superfoods cookbook series; and two collections of poems, Doors to the Universe and The Nature of ThingsMy newest Circle book, the 9th Cass Shipton adventure,The Divine Circle of LADIES DIGGING THE DIRT is now available from Amazon as a book "on demand" or as an ebook on Kindle. In The Divine Circle of LADIES DIGGING THE DIRT, the serenity of summer on the South Shore of Massachusetts is rudely disturbed when a rabid preacher and his ragtag following of parishioners begin to picket military funerals, liberal churches, and Pagan businesses. This hateful campaign naturally rouses the ire of the Circle of Five: Deidre, Phillipa, Heather, Fiona, and Cass, ladies who follow the Wiccan way—especially since Deidre’s Faeryland is one of the targeted shops. Before they have time to thwart the preacher for good and all, however, Heather, with characteristic enthusiasm, throws herself into an archeological project at the Morse Homestead in Salem, where American Indian artifacts have been unearthed in the strata below the historic “witch” house. Great fun, until a mysterious sniper starts wounding and killing members of the team. Naturally, Heather calls on Cass and the Circle to end this reign of terror. Rushing to Heather’s aid, the ladies find themselves lodged in a haunted inn, which, along with an unearthly cold spot at the foot of the stairway, also offers a congenial bar where the five often gather to plan their strategy and fortify their spirits. Cass's young friend Tip is recruited to help and finds romance with a lovely photographer who happens to be an accidental time-traveler. Believing that they have confounded the Salem Sniper, the Circle heads home, only to encounter a new challenge. A little girl named Molly Larsson has disappeared! The Circle resolves to employ all their arts and off-the-wall brainstorms to find her. Meanwhile, they discover that the malice of Salem has followed them to Plymouth and must be resolved as well. Mayhem, mischief, and magic are non-stop in this exciting new adventure for Cass and her Circle. BELTANE! That Scandalous Celebration of Spring! It’s May, it’s May—the lusty month of May… As the wheel of seasons turns to Beltane, think Fire and Water. Beltane is a Fire Festival. The bonfires of Beltane often were started with a bundle of branches from the nine sacred trees. In olden times, flocks would have been run between two fires to purify them, and young folk would leap over fires for good fortune. And Beltane is also a time to consecrate the holy element of Water. Wells are blessed on Beltane, and the dawn dew of May Morning brings beauty to the face and health to the body. As with Samhain (Halloween), its counterpart, Beltane is that other “no time” of the year, meaning time itself is suspended and veils between the seen and unseen worlds are thinnest on May Day. The perfect moment to look into the future or to contact those who have gone before. It’s a magical moment of the year when faeries may appear to ordinary folk. If you sit under a tree on Beltane Eve, you may see the Faery Queen herself or hear her horse’s bells tinkling as she rides through the woods. Woodruff and Hawthorn are the sacred blossoms of May. The traditional May wine is simply white wine flavored with woodruff that blooms at this time of year. The May bowl combines May wine with strawberry liqueur and strawberry slices. Doesn’t that sound good! Maying(as in “a-maying we will go”) is a woodland excursion for lovers to admire the beauty of nature and to make love, supposed to be a very good thing for the fertility of the earth. And ah, the Maypole, with its colorful streamers and enclosing dance, hails back to the earliest times. It’s a symbolic descendent of the World Tree, and also a classic phallic symbol. (Pagans were rarely subtle.) It was usually made of a fir tree stripped of its branches and bark but retaining its topknot of green. Later, the green symbol was replaced with a cross so that Christian communities could still celebrate May Day. You don’t have to be Pagan to dance with the spirit of spring, no matter how old the bones. Whatever the madness in the nightly news, at Beltane we know that the earth is true to its promise of rebirth and reawakening. May the lovely month of May revive your spirit and inspire your creativity! LADIES PAINTING THE TOWN If we thought a bit Of the end of it When we started painting the town… Cole Porter As the Harvest Moon rises over the Atlantic, it's hot times again in Plymouth, Massachusetts, for the bewitching ladies of the Circle, who embark on their most challenging rescues yet! It all begins when Cass tries to help a disturbed ex-model, Ada, to cool her flaming desire for revenge against her philandering husband, Jerry, an unscrupulous divorce lawyer conspiring to commit her to a mental institution. Just as Cass sorts out this tangled web, a kidnapping in Rome impels the ladies to fly off to save a dear friend, and incidentally, paint the town their own brand of reckless red, as Fiona calls on the aid of the Italian strega, incurring the wrath of the Calabrian Mafia in the bargain. One exciting city leads to another when the fabulous five find their journey taking them to Venice and Pompeii as well. Between close calls with scary thugs, the ladies somehow manage to eat, shop, love, and take in the exotic sights with their usual joie de la vivre. Home at last, safe and sound,the ladies discover that Ada has got herself accused of murder, and there is a whole new set of dangers to avert with their cusomary blend of spunk, smarts, and spirit. This weird, wonderful , witchy coterie is at it again. Tom Elliott, in the Mensa Bulletin ************************************************************************** The DSR Book Store Catalog Books from my personal book store will be signed copies. Media mail is slow but cheap: $3.00 ea. Circle of Five I have hardcover as well as trade paperbacks for sale. Hardcovers: $12.00 ea plus shipping Trade paperbacks: $10.00 ea plus shipping Charmed Circle Special purchase! Trade paperbacks: $5.00 plus shipping Ladies Making Mischief Trade paperbacks: $14.00 ea plus shipping Ladies Courting Trouble Still for sale on Amazon but Kensington Books could find no copies to sell the author. Just another weird quirk on the publishing scene. I do have a few copies of bound uncorrected proofs for sale, though. Covers are plain yellow, and a few typos may remain within. $5.00 ea plus shipping Ladies Playing with Fire Trade paperbacks: $15.00 ea plus shipping Ladies Rocking the Boat Trade paperbacks: $15.00 ea plus shipping Ladies Tipping the Scales Trade paperbacks: $12.00 ea plus shipping Spirit: a novel of past and present lives Trade paperbacks:$24.00 ea plus shipping Doors to the Universe A collection of poems published by Bellowing Ark Press 2008 Trade paperback: $14.00 ea plus shipping The Nature of Things A collection of poems published by Bellowing Ark Press 2011 Trade paperback: $14.00 ea plus shipping
THE DIVINE CIRCLE OF LADIES TIPPING THE SCALES
The Fabulous Five are out for justice—one way or another! The ladies of the Circle are rushing to the rescue again, crusading for the Goddess of Justice in their own preternatural way—even if that means tipping Her scales a bit. It all begins at Lammas, the August Festival of Bread, when Cass Shipton is called to jury duty in Plymouth County—the tragic case of a home invasion, the brutal death of a mother and daughter. Although she considers it her Libran calling to weigh evidence in the most impartial way, Cass the Clairvoyant soon finds herself knowing too much for comfort. Meanwhile, Heather Devlin, the Circle’s intrepid animal activist, pursues a local dog-fighting ring with her own zany brand of “special ops.” Fiona helps a light-footed young widow named Ashling lay to rest the ghost of her late husband, an irascible poet. Phillipa cooks up trouble at favorite local restaurant. And Deidre runs into an old flame. Clearly, the ladies have a full agenda on their hands. With their usual flair for mischief, mayhem, and a little judicious spell-working, the ladies of the Circle are off on another wickedly exciting romp. Available online from Amazon.com (just click on the title below the cover) and from many book distributors. Do urge your library to order a copy! |
The 8th Cass Shipton Adventure
As the Harvest Moon rises over the Atlantic, the fantastic five embark on an adventure that spans two continents--coming to the aid of a disturbed ex-model in Plymouth, Massachuetts, then flying off to Rome, Italy, to rescue a dear friend and paint the town their own brand of reckless red.
The 7th Cass Shipton Adventure
THE DIVINE CIRCLE OF LADIES TIPPING THE SCALES
The ladies of the Circle are rushing to the rescue again, crusading for the Goddess of Justice in their own preternatural way—even if that means tipping Her scales a bit.
The 6th Cass Shipton Adventure
The Divine Circle of Ladies Rocking the Boat
All aboard for high seas and misdemeanors! A cruise through the Bermuda Triangle--right in time to celebrate Samhain. How can Cass Shipton and her bewitching circle resist such an enchanting prospect?
The 5th Circle Adventure
The bewitching ladies of the Wiccan Circle of Five have returned for more crime-solving escapades on the historic South Shore of Massachusetts.
The 4th Circle Adventure
The most fascinating women in Plymouth MA are back in action solving a case of multiple poisonings with their unorthodox recipe of magic, clairvoyance, and good old common sense.
Kensington Books
April 2005
Kensington Books, November 2003.
Kensington Books, March 2003.
PublishAmerica, 2001
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