Creativity Friday: Halloween Tarot Salon and App Sale

Busy time here! In the past week, I’ve finished the use case spec for the Goddess Tarot iPad app (above). (A use case spec used to programm an app.) On top  of that, I designed and submitted three e-books to Apple, Amazon, and BN.com—THE GODDESS TAROT guide, THE FIREBIRD, and one other project to be revealed later. (Yes, it’s a secret!). I’ve also designed a book cover and have been immersed in revising and researching THE LILY MAID. Oh, and more.

So no surprise, but I’ve come down with a cold. Regardless, Halloween is my favorite holiday, so the show must go on and all that.

First off, tonight at the gallery, I’ll be hosting a tarot salon featuring myself, tarot reader Rene Collins, and masseuse Fran Dunston. We’ll have chocolate, wine, and that certain je nai se quoi. The salon goes from 7 until 9:30 pm. Readings and massages are available at a variety of prices, but admission and refreshments are free. The gallery is located half a block from the Newkirk Avenue Q and B station in Brooklyn.

If you can’t make it tonight, we’ll be having a family-friendly Halloween party at the gallery tomorrow, Saturday, October 30th. We’ll have bobbing for apples, pumpkin carving, and fun for ghouls of all ages! Thea plans to dress up as a hamster. If that’s not an enticement to attend our party, I don’t know what is.

Finally, to celebrate Halloween, I’ve placed the full version of the Goddess Tarot iPhone app on sale! It’s now $0.99, down from its usual price of $3.99. This price is good only through the weekend.

US residents

UK residents

Canada residents

And Happy Halloween!!!

• Filed under events, iPhone apps, retail therapy, studio and gallery | No Comments

Good news: NPR and Spoonflower

Two nice surprises this morning:

1. My illustrated novel THE LOVER’S PATH was featured on NPR in their Three Books feature. Their theme du jour is “Three Books To Take You Back To The Renaissance.” I’m in exhalted company—the other two books are Sarah Dunant’s SACRED HEARTS and Robert Hellenga’s THE SIXTEEN PLEASURES. This is a bit ironic, since THE SIXTEEN PLEASURES was one of the novels my literary agent recommended I read for inspiration while I was writing THE LOVER’S PATH.*

An excerpt from Three Books:

Prepare to be transported to 16th century Venice from the first page. This novel is a feast — a full-color picture book for adults that tells a wrenching story of eternal love…. This beautiful fable reminded me of Erica Jong’s Serenissima, except without the explicit sex.”

2. My Venetian Masque design came in second place on Spoonflower’s Fabric of the Week contest. It’s now also available for purchase, just in time for all your Halloween needs. Thanks to all who voted for it!

* On a related note, I have a post simmering about reading lists and inspiration, specifically in regards to my now-onto-the-second-draft novel THE LILY MAID. Hopefully it will go live tomorrow in time for Creative Friday!

• Filed under retail therapy, reviews + press, the world around me | 3 Responses

You’re invited: The Goddess Tarot app blog tour!

It’s summertime, so I’m currently on the road until mid-August. During this time, I hope to catch up with family and friends who live on the West Coast. Nonetheless, I have my semi-trusty laptop with me and will be posting periodic updates.

Along with this, I’ll be visiting blogs in August to celebrate the launch of The Goddess Tarot app. Already, I’ve gotten some press for the app — check out this article on Brokelyn.com in which I am queried about how to make an iPhone app. But for the tour, there will be much more: articles, interviews, even a podcast, along with giveaways galore!

Without further ado, here is a list of the blogs taking part in The Goddess Tarot app tour:

Monday, August 3rd — Tarot by Arwen

Tuesday, August 5th — New Age Journal

Thursday, August 6th — Only Tarot

Monday, August 10th — The Tarot Dame

Friday, August 14th — At Brigit’s Forge: A Blogue by Lunaea Weatherstone

Tuesday, August 18th — Art NYC: Marshall Sponder on the NYC Art Scene

Thursday, August 20th — Joanna Powell Colbert’s Gaian Tarot blog

Saturday, August 22nd — Owl’s Wings: The Blog of Beth Owl’s Daughter

Tuesday, August 25th — Elizabeth Genco

——————————

BTW, if you haven’t downloaded The Goddess Tarot app yet, here are links to download the free Lite version and the paid Full version. You can find out more about the app’s features and visuals here.

Though it’s only been on the market for a week, already The Goddess Tarot app is garnering great reviews on iTunes. Here are excerpts from what people are saying about the Full version:

I’ve gotten a few tarot card apps so far and none of them can touch the Goddess Tarot for beautiful layouts and smart interactivity. It even has an animated shuffle — so clever!… Be sure to get the full version which has a variety of layouts.”

“Even if you’re not into tarot, this deck is for you. The artwork is enchanting. This is one of my most favorite decks and now it’s even better.”

“This cool app did not disappoint! As well as giving good readings — uplifting without being fluffy — there is also the opportunity to learn about the belief systems and goddesses from all over the world.”

“Kris Waldherr’s lush visuals and intuitive programming make this one of my favorite apps.”

“Beautiful images and soulful interpretations! It offers me a sense of wonder and magick — and it’s conveniently available in my iPod.”

Learn more at GoddessTarot.com.

GODDESS TAROT LITE VERSION	GODDESS TAROT FULL VERSION

• Filed under blogs we read, events, friends and colleagues, giveaways and raffles, goddesses, mythic living, publications, retail therapy, tarot and oracles | 5 Responses

Retail Therapy: Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland

Set in seventeenth century France, Mistress of the Sun is an opulent treasure of a historical novel. In it, author Sandra Gulland pulls off a difficult balancing act: The novel is both impeccably researched and gorgeously written. (As a long time reader of the genre, they usually strike me as being tipped one way or the other. Not so here.)

Mistress of the Sun is the story of Louise de la Vallière, nicknamed Petite because of her diminutive size. However, what Petite lacks in physical stature, she makes up in spirit—Petite was noted in history for her skills as a courageous horsewoman. On top of that, she’s also mistress to Louis XIV, which requires a different sort of courage.

Think it’s easy being mistress to the Sun King? Think again. Petite enters the court of Louis an innocent teenager, but succumbs to royal love-at-first-sight after the couple meets cute in a park. Initially they hide their affair through complicated disguises and discrete assignations. But Petite’s love for Louis forces her to make (to my mind) unimaginable sacrifices that go way beyond her personal moral code—hiding pregnancies under tightly-bound corsets, giving away their children to be raised by others. Even her mother disowns her.

Eventually Louis takes his romance with Petite public, which leads to a suspenseful “third act” that presents all sorts of questions about superstition, religion, and consequences. The court of the Sun King is a complicated place of ever-shifting alliances, where little is as it seems, especially to the pure-hearted Petite. Ultimately, Petite is forced to make a heartrending choice that will determine the remainder of her life. The denouement of this choice is presented in a tear-inducing coda that I adored (and won’t give away here).

Lest you think this is yet another voluptuously detailed romance, there’s a lot of nuance and dry wit here too. Gulland is a master of observation, and at defusing the ridiculousness of royalty. I found myself laughing out loud at some of her passages:

The King scanned the room with his eyes, his expression masklike. With calm dignity, he received the passionate adulation. A woman at the back slumped to the floor and was efficiently whisked out of the room. (Petite gathered that swooning happened rather often.)”

Though Mistress of the Sun is primarily the story of Louise’s life as this king’s mistress, it’s also a recounting of how Louis shaped his mythos into becoming the larger-than-life Sun King we recognize from history; and how this affected his relations with those he loved and was loved by in return, such as Petite. We are fortunate to share in this adulation. Highly recommended!

illustration: “Louis XIV with Louise de la Valliére in the Bois de Vincennes” by Jean Frederic Schall.

————————-

Author Sandra Gulland will be interviewed here about her experiences writing Mistress of the Sun in tomorrow’s Creativity Friday. On top of that, we’ll be giving away a copy of Mistress of the Sun. Details will be posted here tomorrow! However, if you can’t wait, you can buy it here from Amazon.

• Filed under retail therapy, reviews + press | One Response

Doomed Queens news — and another giveaway

As I teased in yesterday’s post, the next stop on the Doomed Queens blog tour has gone live — and there’s a giveaway involved too.

Popin over at Proud Bookworm recently interviewed me about what made me decide to become a writer, my art making process, and all that research which went into DOOMED QUEENS. It’s a fun interview. Best of all, if you leave a comment there before January 28th, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win an autographed copy of DOOMED QUEENS. But wait, there’s more! For an additional chance to win, include in your comment which Doomed Historical figure you’re most fond of.

(Notice that “figure” is specified, not “queen”, though a “queen” can be considered a “figure.” So far, people have left some very interesting entries. I’m very fond of Joan of Arc too.)

In other DOOMED QUEENS news, Urban Outfitters has decided to carry my book in their stores everywhere. (Yes, they do sell books, albeit a very small, unique selection. So this is quite the coup.

PS: Thanks to all who “fanned” DOOMED QUEENS on Facebook and posted reviews on Amazon and BN.com reviews. I truly appreciate it.

• Filed under giveaways and raffles, publications, queens, retail therapy | 2 Responses