The Familiars & Fearlessness - #AtoZChallenge

The Familiars

by Stacey Halls

Young Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a noblewoman, is with child again. None of her previous pregnancies have borne fruit, and her husband, Richard, is anxious for an heir. Then Fleetwood discovers a hidden doctor’s letter that carries a dire prediction: she will not survive another birth. By chance she meets a midwife named Alice Grey, who promises to help her deliver a healthy baby. But Alice soon stands accused of witchcraft.

Is there more to Alice than meets the eye? Fleetwood must risk everything to prove her innocence. As the two women’s lives become intertwined, the Witch Trials of 1612 loom. Time is running out; both their lives are at stake. Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other.

Rich and compelling, set against the frenzy of the real Pendle Hill Witch Trials, this novel explores the rights of 17th-century women and raises the question: Was witch-hunting really women-hunting? Fleetwood Shuttleworth, Alice Grey and the other characters are actual historical figures. King James I was obsessed with asserting power over the lawless countryside (even woodland creatures, or “familiars,” were suspected of dark magic) by capturing “witches”—in reality mostly poor and illiterate women.

Fearlessness (Meditation) - I am Fearless

Echo North & Empath - #AtoZChallenge

Echo North

by Joanna Ruth Meyer (Goodreads Author)

Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: If she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.

In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books-turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear, and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up, otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.

10 Traits of an Empath (click to get a more in depth look at each trait)

1. Empaths are highly sensitive

2. Empaths absorb other people’s emotions

3. Many empaths are introverted

4. Empaths are highly intuitive

5. Empaths need alone time

6. Empaths can become overwhelmed in intimate relationships

7. Empaths are targets for energy vampires

8. Empaths become replenished in nature

9. Empaths have highly tuned senses

10. Empaths have huge hearts but sometimes give too much

Dreaming Darkly & Dharma - #AtoZChallenge

Dreaming Darkly
by Caitlin Kittredge


Ivy Bloodgood’s mother is dead, and she should probably be sad about it. But she isn’t. Myra Bloodgood was confusing mix of protective and abusive, a manipulative personality who never told the truth—about where she came from, who Ivy’s father was, or why they were living their lives on the run.

Now that Ivy has been sent to Darkhaven, an island off the New England coast, to live with a rich uncle she didn’t know existed, she is forced to reckon with her mother’s past. Ivy can tell right away there are long-held family secrets buried within these walls, but when she wakes up from one of her nightmares covered in someone else’s blood, Ivy fears that whatever demons her mother battled while she was alive have come to roost in her own mind. Scared that she can no longer trust what she sees, Ivy seeks the help of a boy who thinks her episodes are connected to the sordid history of Darkhaven—but what they don’t know might kill them both.

A moody and twisty gothic mystery with an impossible romance, Dreaming Darkly is an atmospheric, fast-paced page-turner written by comics veteran Caitlin Kittredge.

Dharma

• The eternal and inherent nature of reality, regarded in Hinduism as a cosmic law underlying right behavior and social order.
• The nature of reality regarded as a universal truth taught by the Buddha; the teaching of Buddhism.
• An aspect of truth or reality.

To develop this freedom, one must practice habits of ethical conduct, thought, and meditation that enable one to move along the path. These habits include:

 

• Right understanding. Really knowing, for example, that unwholesome acts and thoughts have consequences, as do wholesome acts and thoughts.
• Right intention. Recognizing that actions are shaped by habits of anger and self-centeredness, or by habits of compassion, understanding, and love.
• Right speech. Recognizing the moral implications of speech. Truthfulness.
• Right action. Observing the five precepts at the foundation of all morality: not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying, and not clouding the mind with intoxicants.
• Right livelihood. Earning a living in ways that are consonant with the basic precepts.
• Right effort. Cultivating this way of living with the attention, the patience, and the perseverance that it takes to cultivate a field.
• Right mindfulness. Developing “presence of mind” through the moment-to-moment awareness of meditation practice, including mindfulness of breathing, mindfulness of walking, and mindfulness of bodily sensations.
• Right concentration. Developing the ability to bring the dispersed and distracted mind and heart to a center, a focus, and to see clearly through that focused mind and heart.

10 Rules:

• Patience (dhriti)
• Forgiveness (kshama)
• Piety or self-control (dama)
• Honesty (asteya)
• Sanctity (shauch)
• Control of senses )indraiya-nigrah)
• Reason (dhi)
• Knowledge or learning (vidya)
• Truthfulness (satya)
• Absence of anger (krodha)

 

Children of the Mark & Chakras - #AtoZChallenge

Children of the Mark

by Michael W. Garza (Goodreads Author)

AJ Scott is a typical teenager. The only thing he wants to do is survive high school. Clair Anderson and Dougie Edwards have been his friends since the third grade. The teens stumble across a bizarre ritual and their night of adventure quickly turns to panic as they witness the culmination of the Cult of the Elder’s attempt to pull a monstrous deity from the netherworld into our world. A hasty escape leaves the teens terrified and AJ marred from the event. His newfound malady proves to be much more than a simple mark and the trio are pulled into a world of deceit, monsters, and old fashioned horror.

What are Chakras?

Chakras are the concentrated energy centers of the body. Chakra is a Sanskrit term and it means “wheel” or “disk” and is derived from the root word “cakra”. Chakras are spinning wheels of energy/light. Chakras have the loving responsibility of taking in, incorporating and emanating energy to keep us functioning at optimal levels.

 

We have Major and Minor Chakras:

We have major and minor chakras in our energetic body systems. When a chakra is not functioning properly or if it is blocked, illness is more prone to occur. Our wellbeing on all levels can affect and is affected by the chakras. If we are feeling depressed, then we may not be taking in the maximum amount of energy for our needs. If we do not nourish our bodies with the proper food and nutrients, then we may take in less energy than more. If we “block” feelings such as anger, etc., or do not speak our truth, we may be unconsciously impeding our healthy energy flow.

The Bone House & Binaural Beats - #AtoZChallenge

The Bone Houses
by Emily Lloyd-Jones (Goodreads Author)


Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Sky in the Deep in this bewitching, historical horror novel, perfect for fans of Holly Black and V.E. Schwab.

Seventeen-year-old Aderyn ("Ryn") only cares about two things: her family, and her family's graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don't always stay dead.

The risen corpses are known as "bone houses," and legend says that they're the result of a decades-old curse. When Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the bone houses attack with new ferocity. What is it about Ellis that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good?

Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey that will take them deep into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the long-hidden truths about themselves. Equal parts classic horror novel and original fairy-tale, The Bone Houses will have you spellbound from the very first page.

Binaural Beats (Meditation)

What are binaural beats?

When you hear two tones, one in each ear, that are slightly different in frequency, your brain processes a beat at the difference of the frequencies. This is called a binaural beat.

What health benefits are binaural beats claimed to have?

Binaural beats are claimed to induce the same mental state associated with a meditation practice, but much more quickly. In effect, binaural beats are said to:

reduce anxiety

• increase focus and concentration
• lower stress
• increase relaxation
• foster positive moods
• promote creativity
• help manage pain 

Meditation is the practice of calming the mind and tuning down the number of random thoughts that pass through it. A regular meditation practice has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, slow down the rate of brain aging and memory loss, promote emotional health, and lengthen attention span. Practicing meditation regularly can be quite difficult, so people have looked to technology for help.

All Roads End Here & Ayurvedic - #AtoZChallenge

All Roads End Here
(The Final War #2)

by David Moody (Goodreads Author)

The second book in the new series from Hater author David Moody.

Set in the world of David Moody's Hater trilogy, All Roads End Here is the sequel to the "top drawer horror" (Booklist, starred review) One of Us Will Be Dead by Morning.

It’s taken Matthew Dunne almost three months to get home. Never more than a few meters from the Haters at any time, every single step has been fraught with danger. But he’s made it.

In his absence, his home city has become a sprawling, walled-off refugee camp. But the camp–and the entire world beyond its borders–is balanced on a knife-edge. During his time in the wilderness, Matt developed a skill which is in high demand: the ability to anticipate and predict Hater behavior. It’s these skills that will thrust him into a web of subterfuge and danger. As the pressure mounts inside the camp, he finds himself under scrutiny from all sides.

He’s always done his best to avoid trouble, but sometimes it can’t be helped. The shit’s about to hit the fan, and this time Matt’s right at the epicenter.

All Roads End Here is a fast-paced, and wonderfully dark story about humanity’s fight for survival in the face of the impending apocalypse.

Ayurvedic (Meditation & Medicine)

The ancient wisdom of Ayurveda can be a powerful healing tool. Try these daily self-care practices and Ayurveda yoga tips to promote and nourish a better mind-body connection.

Ayurvedic Link

See that link above? Click on it and it will take you to a site where you can explore and expand your knowledge on self healing through Ayurvedic medicine and yoga.

 

Below are some dailyAffirmations to remind yourself how to hype yourself up when you are feeling down:

I am important
I am peaceful
I am significant
I am lucky
I am joyful
I am grateful
I am so sick and tired of….
I am tired of being sick.
I am happy

I am satisfied
I am creative
I am loving and compassionate
I am tolerant
I am patience
I am lovable
I am smart
I am friendly
I am valuable
I am at peace
I am good enough
I am healthy
I am interesting
I am worthy
I am generous
I am free
I am safe
I am the Universe
I am one with creation
I am creating my life with my thoughts

#AtoZChallenge Theme Reveal

HEY THERE!!

The last time I blogged anything was back in 2017.

Which seems quite sad when I type it out loud like that.

Life has been so up and down since the last time I blogged; so much has changed:

My cousin, who I also considered a best friend, passed away in August of last year at the young age of 45.

And then a few months later, my grandfather passed away at a nice old age of 92.

Kid #1 moved out into an apartment with his friends and works for videography/photography company, Peace Love Films, and travels the country making advertisements and commercials.

Kid #2 is now looking at apartments and she is spending her spare time traveling to rock out at concerts and works for her aunt at a flower shop.

Kid #3 is emerged in sports. For only being a Sophomore, he is already being looked at by colleges for his golfing skills.

Kid #4 is doing tons of gymnastics performances and even performed for the Harlem Globetrotters which she loved.

And the Hubby and I are still kicking it.

Life is ... well ... life. You just gotta roll with the punches.

So... after all of that, I've decided to get back into the swing of things and thought, Why not do the A to Z Challenge? So I did!

What am I doing? Du du duuuuuuuuuuu

BOOKS & MEDITATION

BOOKS

I choose to do books about every time I have done #AtoZChallenge

I love BOOKS!

I love the covers, the stories and the way they smell.

My books this year are from 2019 publishing and mostly based on the Horror Genre.

MEDITATION

For the past few years I have been making very trivial changes to may daily routines and lifestyle. I’ve started using Young Living Essential Oils for aches and pains, and to make my house smell wonderful. Some of the smells really do make me feel good and change my moods.

As of recently started to incorporate meditation and holistic techniques into my life, so I figured, why not share it.

Unlike this post 😉, my #AtoZChallenge posts will be short and sweet with a quick general post about a book and some quick tips about meditation | yoga | holistic health.