First Day of Spring: Imbolc, Publishing and a Cover Reveal Coming

Blessed Imbolc!

Today marks on the modern Catholic calendar, St. Brigid's Day, the patroness of Ireland. While the modern calendar says winter and in some places snow is on the ground, on the old calendar it is an approximate date for Imbolc, the first day of Spring. It translates from Old Irish as "in the belly" and is said marked the pregnancy of the ewes. It is one of the fire festivals, or major festivals, on the Druid calendar. With Beltane, it is one of the two that are goddess-centered days.  There are several traditional ways to mark Imbolc/St Brigid's Day. Many of these carry whispers of pre-christian traditions.

This is a symbolic time for me. In November, just after Samhain (the Celtic New Year) I launched Three Worlds Press as a full-fledged publishing company. The early months have been exciting. As with the Spring, we are poised for the new, explosive growth of Spring. Everything smells new, green and earthy. Who cares if snow is in the forecast for today.

Pay attention...this is a double blog day as a cover reveal from Three Worlds Press follows shortly!

I want to share just a few links with you to explore and celebrate.

From the Irish Central website: http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/St-Brigids-Day-February-1-marks-start-of-Celtic-Spring-138470479.html

Wikipedia gives an acceptable overview here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbolc

Imbolc is the date of the second event on my upcoming novel Dark Dealings. While Micaela does not realized it, the event marks the beginning of a new cycle of her life and the birth of her "true" self in a dangerous world of magic, vampires and shapeshifters .

Review: Once A Goddess by Sheila R Lamb Human meets Myth

Let me start by saying something.  The plot and characters of Sheila Lamb’s Once A Goddess are near and dear to my Irish heart.  My own novel, Dark Dealings, because of it s Druid themes contains many parallel references.  But NEVER think that Once a Goddess is a novel of one culture and one time. It is a story of love and loss, loyalty and independence and those who fight for what they know to be real.

This is a remarkable work of world-building and character development. In  Ms. Lamb’s novel, names from Irish lore are given flesh, human desires and vices while remaining magical creatures from a long distant past. Names like Brigid, Morrigan, Ogma, Dagda, Lugh and the Fomorians.  The main female protagonist is Brigid, a complex and layered woman, torn between her anam cara and her duty to her people.

For the sake of peace, Brigid of the supernatural Túatha dé Danann enters into an arranged marriage with Bres, the next chieftain of the enemy Fomorian tribe, whose iron weapons and brute strength challenge the Danann magic. The Danann instruct Brigid to spy for them, and to keep the source of their powers secret, dangerous tasks that complicate her goal of making the best of her forced union. 

Sacrificing her own hope for love, Brigid faces the Fomorians alone. She must confront her rival, Morrigan, who competes for Bres's affections, as she begins to suspect that he is breaking the truce through lies and political manipulation. When his tyranny threatens the very existence of the Danann, Brigid must risk her life to unseat Bres from power.

This is an amazing read. A must buy. I give it

    

Visit her website Pagans, Saints, and  Potatoes  to learn more about her and her work.   

Once a Goddess is available in eBook and paperback at Amazon  and in paperback from Barnes & Noble