So, today, I thought we’d look at the basics of Numerology.  What is numerology? Well…I had to look that up, and here’s what I found:

Per Wikipedia: Numerology is any of many systems, traditions or beliefs in a mystical or esoteric relationship between numbers and physical objects or living things.

Okay, and that’s about as clear as mud, isn’t it? The rest of Wikipedia’s definition is lengthy and far more than I want to post here, so if you’re interested, go check out the complete definition.

However, we’re going to look at Numerology as a way to define our personality traits. Sort of like “What sign are you?” I’m a cancer, by the way. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to see how much of our birth and name numbers actually reflect who we are. To do this, I headed over to Cafe Astrology. The following information comes directly from Cafe Astrology’s Numerology page:

Birth Path Number

The birth path number, which suggests your overall path in life and place in the world, is based on your complete birth date. It is easy to calculate. Simply add up the digits of your birth data, and keep “reducing” (explained via the example here) to a single digit.

Example:

If your birthday is April 28, 1968, for example, note it as follows:

Birth Month is April, which is the 4th month = 4
Birth Day is 28 = 28
Birth Year is 1968 = 1968.

Add up the digits of all of these numbers:
4+2+8+1+9+6+8 = 38

Further “reduce” this number to a single digit by adding its digits:
3+8 = 11

And then further reduce it, if necessary:
1+1 = 2

The final digit, 2, is the Birth Path Number! 

Name Number

Use the birth name–the name given a person at birth–to determine the Name Number (also known as the Expression Number), which reveals the overall personality. To calculate the name number, find the number that corresponds to each letter in the name in the chart below, add the numerals up, and then “reduce” the final number to a single digit, as you did with the birth path number, above.

Example:

Name given at birth: Mary Lynn Smith.

Find each letter and its corresponding numeral in the chart above, and then add these digits together:
4+1+9+7+3+7+5+5+1+4+9+2+8 = 65

Reduce by adding the sum’s digits together, and then further reduce to come to a single digit, if necessary:
65 = 6+5 = 11
11 = 1+1 = 2

In this example, the Name Number is 2, representing the personality type.

When I use my name and birthdate, I arrive at a Birth Path number of: 6 and a Personality Type number of: 2. So what does that signify about me? Let’s take a look (again, this information is straight from Cafe Astrology’s Numerology page):

So when I take a peek at 2 & 6, the definitions are eerily similar, and yes…I can see bits of me within those descriptions. So–what about you? What are your two numbers and do the descriptions sound like you at all? I’m very, very curious, so please share!

Guest News!

Next week is packed with guests! I’ll be here on Monday with the winners from this week’s contests. On Tuesday, May 4th, Jessica Andersen, author of the Final Prophecy series will be here. Wednesday, YA author of Wondrous Strange and Darklight, Lesley Livingston will be my guest. Thursday is the lovely Helen Scott Taylor, paranormal romance author. And on Friday, you’ll get to meet Clairvoyant Medium Dakota Lawrence (check out this blog post to learn more about Dakota). It’s going to be a fantastic week, and one you don’t want to miss! 

Magic Series Contest Question of the Day!

Today’s Magic Series question comes from A Taste of Magic:

Elizabeth has two brothers and one sister. What are their names AND what is their birth order (including Elizabeth)? Meaning, who is the eldest on down to the youngest?

E-mail the correct answer to tracy@tracymadison.com with the subject line Magic Contest no later than Saturday, May 1, to be entered to win the awesome filled tote bag shown HERE!

Next week’s Magic Series Questions will be brought to you from A Stroke of Magic!

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win one of the five random giveaways for this week. Winners will be announced on Monday!

Are you creating a magic spell to enter to win the Grand Prize package? You can write the spell as a poem, as a short story, as a recipe, or any other way you’d like! E-mail tracy@tracymadison.com with the topic Magic Spell no later than May 28, 2010, to be entered!

Don’t Forget

I’m at Romance Divas today! Head on over and comment for a chance to win a copy of A Breath of Magic!

The Novel Girls is celebrating the release of A Breath of Magic and I’m giving away ONE signed copy. Head on over and leave a comment to enter!

A Breath of Magic is available NOW! And you can get it from Dorchester Publishing for the next couple of days for only $1.75! Just use pomo code “Mom10” at the checkout! 

Are you a superstitious person? Even if you’re not, there are likely some superstitions that you’ve heard all your life that have stuck with you. I know there are for me. So, what I did was write down the first five superstitions that came to mind, thinking that those might be the ones I’m most glued to. One of them isn’t so much a superstition as it is a custom, but I left it in because the basis of the custom is superstitious.

Here are those five and a few quick facts I could learn about them:

1. Knock on Wood: Have you ever knocked on wood for good luck? I have. Supposedly, this superstition comes from the belief that protective spirits lived in trees, so knocking on wood was sort of a way to get their attention. 
2. Breaking a Mirror is Bad Luck – Seven Years’ Worth!: I totally used to believe in this…um, maybe I still do a little. This superstition can be traced back to the Romans, who believed that mirrors held part of the user’s soul. So yeah, I can see how breaking one might be considered a bad thing. 
3. Four Leaf Clovers: Four leaf clovers are said to be good luck, and I know when I was a kid, I’d search through the clovers in our yard for one for hours. I found one every now and then, too! Now, I’m not sure where the actual basis of this superstition comes from, but in 1620, Sir John Melton wrote, “If a man walking in the fields find any four-leaved grass, he shall in a small while after find some good thing.” 
4. What about the custom to say “Gesundheit!” or “God bless you” after someone sneezes?: There are lots of possibilities for this custom, but I like this one: people used to believe your soul could escape from your body when you sneezed, leaving you vulnerable to evil spirits, so this blessing was used to help shield the person sneezing.   
5. It’s Bad Luck to Walk Under a Ladder: Okay, I’ve never really had the opportunity to walk under a ladder, and I honestly don’t think I’d be tempted even without this superstition, but I’ve certainly known about this superstition for…well, forever. This superstition comes from the fact that a leaning straight ladder forms a triangle, and therefore, the trinity. Long ago, for this reason, the act of walking under a ladder was considered bad luck. In early Christian times, doing so might have resulted in being named a witch.

Of course, as soon as I finished this list, another dozen popped into my head. “See a penny, pick it up & all the day you’ll have good luck,” black cats are bad luck, if your ears buzz/itch someone is talking about you, shivers/goose bumps mean “someone is walking over your grave” (yeah, and that’s creepy), if you drop a spoon or a fork you’re going to have unexpected company, lucky rabbit’s foot, etc.

But you tell me — what are some of your favorite superstitions? Are there any you adhere to? I know this, if I were to find a four leaf clover, I would definitely have that good-luck vibe going. And, um, if I broke a mirror, I might be a little nervous.

Magic Series Contest Question of the Day!

Today’s Magic Series question comes from A Taste of Magic:

Elizabeth’s grandmother, Grandma Verda, has an orange tabby cat. What is the cat’s name and who did she name the cat after?

E-mail the correct answer to tracy@tracymadison.com with the subject line Magic Contest no later than Saturday, May 1, to be entered to win that fantabalous filled tote bag shown HERE!

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win one of the five random giveaways for this week. Winners will be announced on Monday!

Are you creating a magic spell to enter to win the Grand Prize package? You can write the spell as a poem, as a short story, as a recipe, or any other way you’d like! E-mail tracy@tracymadison.com with the topic Magic Spell no later than May 28, 2010, to be entered!

Don’t Forget

The Novel Girls is celebrating the release of A Breath of Magic and I’m giving away ONE signed copy. Head on over and leave a comment to enter!

A Breath of Magic is available NOW!

EDITED TO ADD: Right now, Dorchester Publishing is offering 50 percent off of all their titles as a Mother’s Day promotion! AND because A Breath of Magic is their “Hot & New” buy this month for only $3.50, you can grab it for $1.75 plus shipping! Just use promo code “Mom10” during the checkout process! (Which is like step 3 of the order process, after you put in your payment information). Just go to www.dorchesterpub.com!

Today, I am thrilled to introduce you all to Marla Martenson!

MARLA MARTENSON was born in Tacoma, Washington, the “City of Destiny.”  She has a natural flair for acting and a deep interest in reading and writing poetry and short stories. At the age of sixteen, Marla was living in Iran with her family, learning to speak French and Persian, when the revolution forced their return to Washington State. After a year of college here, the pursuit of an acting career drew her to Hollywood and a stint in television commercials and print modeling. 

Restless and eager for new challenges, in the early nineties it was on to Chicago, where she discovered that she could use her personal dating experiences to help others. She subsequently turned this talent into a career as a matchmaker back in Los Angeles, where, since 2001, her skills have led many couples to matrimony. Marla’s work inspires people and gives them hope that they can find their soul mates. She found and married her own, musician and composer Adolfo Jon Alexi, in Mexico City in 2002. A world traveler and culture nut, Marla describes herself as having a French flair, a Persian heart, Italian fire, and Mexican taste buds! 

Currently, Marla writes for such online publications as www.naomishow.com, (www.abfabwomen.com) and Examiner (www.examiner.com). She was named the “Over 40 Female of the Week” in February, 2010, for Over40Females.com. The bestselling author of two books, Excuse Me, Your Soul Mate Is Waiting (Hampton Roads Publishing, 2008) and Good Date, Bad Date (Hampton Roads Publishing, 2009), her latest, Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker (Bettie Youngs Books), is now available at bookstores and on Amazon.com. 

Marla and Adolfo reside in blissful harmony in Los Angeles, where she continues to bring her considerable matchmaking expertise to bear on the singles population of star-studded Southern California while her talented husband serenades them with his own songs and music.

You can learn more about Marla at her web site!

The Law of Attraction

If you know about the Law of Attraction, you know that what we think, and especially what we “feel,” can manifest what we want into our lives. Learning to consciously use the Law of Attraction is important. And as Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting first revealed, and what I teach in my book, Excuse Me, Your Soul Mate Is Waiting, there are four fundamental steps to using the Law of Attraction well so you can co-create anything that you want into your life. The steps are: 

1. Identify what you DON’T want.
2. Then identify what you DO want.
3. Get into the “feeling place” of what you want.
4. Expect, listen, and allow it to happen.

That’s all there is to it. Once you get into the habit of applying these steps in your everyday life, you will notice things change for the better in every area, not just in your relationships. Your bank account won’t be as empty, you will have more energy, and your doubts and fears will slowly (or even quickly) melt away. You will feel more in control of your life. You will no longer have that “victim mentality” where you feel buffeted around by circumstances that seem out of your control. Especially when it comes to relationships, too many people end up feeling “used” or “victimized” by the opposite sex. 

One night I was at a girlfriend’s house. I hadn’t seen her in about three years, although we kept in touch by e-mail through which she frequently told me “how bad things are.” As we made some dinner, and then sat down and talked, she seemed extremely bitter. Now in her forties, she lamented over how much time she had wasted choosing to be with the “wrong men” for the past fifteen years. But instead of taking responsibility for her choices, she talked as if she was a “victim” of these men who she felt had stolen her youth. She explained that in future relationships; she would “use” the men instead to get back at them for all they had done to her.  

It’s easy to blame others for what happens in our lives—lousy circumstances, bad luck, inconsiderate people, a broken mirror, or a black cat walking under a ladder. We all use cop-out phrases like, “It’s just my luck,” “Good things never happen to me,” “I’m not smart enough,” or “I’ll never be successful.” And what happens when we say these things? They become reality! Our beliefs become real life. So, if you want to have “good luck,” to be smart and successful, it’s time to break this rotten habit right here and now. Decide to no longer believe and live by the perception that outer circumstances control your life. Throw out notions that bad luck or karma from another lifetime have the power to stop you from manifesting what you want. Permanently move out of the neighborhoods of fear, negativity, and lack. Why live in those dumpy towns anymore? Choose instead to raise your energy and vibrations. Couple these with positive affirmations, and you will be far more likely to attract to yourself a terrific life. 

You are not a victim! You were born into this life to experience joy and prosperity. You are here to thrive in light and love, and have wonderful and healthy relationships. You deserve it, and it begins with having positive thoughts. But these won’t make a bit of difference unless you combine them with lifting your vibration so it can magnetically pull those wants into your life. You have to feel yourself having what you want. 

How do you get the right kind of magnetic vibration? Understand, first of all, that we are made of energy. When we have negative thoughts, we tend to hook them up with negative feelings. These cause us to vibrate at a low frequency. Whereas when we have positive thoughts, we vibrate at a higher frequency. And when we couple positive thoughts with good feelings, we vibrate at a level that can pull some positive experiences into our lives! 

When you learn to identify good feelings from bad feelings your life will get moving. You’ll be able to create anything that you darn well please! Bad feelings are fear-based. Fear-based thoughts vibrate at an extremely low frequency. They keep your good from you. And they attract yucky stuff into your life, making sure that you get more of the same. Bad feelings include anger, resentment, jealousy, worry, and doubt. Good feelings include enthusiasm, love, joy, excitement, appreciation, delight, and gratitude. These vibrate at a high frequency and pull the good stuff to you! That is why you want to learn how to stay within the vibration of good feelings as much as you can.   

The universal Law of Attraction is the most powerful force in the universe. Some definitions of this law are: 

1. You get what you think about, whether wanted or unwanted.
2. Energy attracts like energy.
3. You are a living magnet.
4. Like attracts like.

We have all heard of the power of positive thinking. Well, positive thinking is great, but it is not enough. We need to add good, delicious, cozy feelings to the mix. Then we really have something. That’s when everything starts to come together, and your wants and desires are attracted into your life. Now, I am not suggesting that you walk around all day like goody-two-shoes in a cloud, pretending to be happy even if you just got fired, your cat died or you lost your favorite pair of earrings. But, the fact is, what we send out is what we get back. So, since that is the law, we had better pay attention to what we are thinking about and how that makes us feel! 

That’s why, once you have identified your wants in terms of your next relationship, the third step of the Law of Attraction is to combine those statements with high-frequency feelings. Remember, you can’t just think positively; you have to feel positively! Let yourself experience how good it feels to finally be living with the perfect person for you in your life. Visualize yourself getting to know this person, talking to this person, holding hands and being in sync with this person. Have your own little daydream about how you’d feel if you had that person in your life right now. Play that movie script in your head where you and your soul mate walk off into the sunset together. Keep at it until you get what I call a “feel-good buzz” and sustain it for at least fifteen seconds to ensure changes will begin to manifest. Don’t you feel great? Here is your soul mate! It feels so good to finally be with him or her, just like walking on a cloud. Warm and tingly being-in-love feelings are rushing all over your body! Because of having the right partner in your life, your food tastes better, and even the birds sing sweeter. Your whole life is getting lighter as if nothing bothers you. You are in love! 

Now add your specific want right in the middle of that feeling, and notice how it amplifies that buzz in your body. You are vibrating at a very high frequency, and from that place you are now able to pull your desires into your life. 

Whatever it is, just find it and go with it. I can also get a good buzz going on my morning walk just looking at the sunny sky and all of the beautiful flowers and homes in my neighborhood. I think about how lucky I am to be alive and healthy, taking this lovely walk and enjoying life. If you have your health, you have something to “vibrate” about right there. But it is personal, and you need to come up with your own thoughts and feelings. So have fun with it. Remember, you and God are doing this together, so you can manifest the relationship that will bring you great joy and satisfaction in life.

Thank you, Marla, for taking the time to stop in today and for sharing your knowledge on the Law of Attraction! I’m a huge believer in this topic, so I loved reading your thoughts.

Marla will be around here and there today, so be sure to leave your comments and questions!

An Extra Giveaway from Marla! The lucky winner of this week’s tote bag will not only receive a copy of Marla’s book, Excuse Me, Your Soul Mate Is Waiting, but they’ll also win one e-mail question to Marla on the topic of dating/Law of Attraction (or another issue), and Marla will offer her expert advice. I LOVE this prize! Thank you, Marla, for offering your time and expertise!

Magic Series Contest Question of the Day!

Another A Taste of Magic question!

Elizabeth has a date with her hunky personal trainer, Kevin. He takes her to a show at the Briar Street Theater in Chicago. What show is this?

E-mail the correct answer to tracy@tracymadison.com with the subject line Magic Contest no later than Saturday, May 1, to be entered to win that fantabalous filled tote bag shown HERE! And remember, you can answer ANY of these week’s questions all the way through this Saturday!

And, of course, make sure to leave a comment to be entered to win one of the five random giveaways for this week. Winners will be announced on Monday!

I hope you’re all thinking up and creating a magic spell to enter to win the Grand Prize package! You can write the spell as a poem, as a story (short, please), as a recipe, or any other way you’d like! E-mail tracy@tracymadison.com with the topic Magic Spell no later than May 28, 2010, to be entered!

Don’t Forget

Fran from The Examiner interviewed me several months ago. The interview was posted this week. Go see!

Check out my post at MuseTracks about the want to create, and how sometimes it leaves us.

The Novel Girls is celebrating the release of A Breath of Magic and I’m giving away ONE signed copy. Head on over and leave a comment to enter!

A Breath of Magic is available NOW!

Guess what today is? That’s right, it’s the offical release date for A Breath of Magic! Have you bought it yet? Are you reading it yet? Oooh, I so can’t wait to see what you all think!

Okay, calming down now: Deep breaths. In, out. In, out.

Today, I’m talking about love at first sight. This topic, along with the question of destiny, plays a large part in Chloe’s journey in A Breath of Magic, so I thought it would make an awesome post for today.

Maybe asking ”Do you believe in love at first sight,” is a little unfair. After all, it takes time to get to know another person, and true, lasting love builds through shared experiences (i.e. facing the good and the tough times together as a couple), but…do you think it’s possible to recognize the possibility of love at first sight?

I think it is, but I don’t think it happens to most people. I think the majority of folks feel that first brush of attraction, but don’t decide it’s (or if it even could be) love until they’ve dated for a while, met each other’s friends and family, learned each other’s quirks and likes and dislikes, etc. 

But I definitely believe that for some people, love at first sight exists. And I LOVE that thought. There is so much romance and beauty in the thought of two people catching sight of each other across a crowded room, or sitting next to each other on a plane, or accidentally ramming their carts together at the grocery story, or…or…well, any type of happenstance meeting, and knowing deep down that “Yes, this is the person meant for me.”

Ah. I get all happy just thinking about it. And the writer in me sees a zillion and one stories to tell, all about love at first sight.

So, I want to know: Do you believe in love at first sight? If you have personal experience, share your story so I can squee with happiness!

Guest News!

Tomorrow, I have a sort of surprise guest visiting the blog. If you’ll recall from yesterday’s post, one of the books in this week’s tote bag giveaway is Excuse Me, Your Soul Mate Is Waiting by Marla Martenson. When I purchased this book for this giveaway, I had no idea that my path would cross with Marla’s. But in one of those wonderful moments of happenstance, she was a guest at Babbling About Books on Friday. I read her post (which you can find HERE) and contacted her, letting her know that I had a copy of her book as one of my giveaways this month.

She wrote me back and offered to share with us a post about the Law of Attraction. I, naturally, jumped for joy and said “Yes!” So, Marla will be here tomorrow with that, AND she’s also giving away something very cool. But you’ll have to stop in tomorrow to see what that is.

Magic Series Contest Question of the Day!

Today’s Magic Series question comes from A Taste of Magic:

The morning after meeting her sexy, new neighbor, Nate Sutherland, Elizabeth whips up a batch of magical muffins for him as a “Thank you, Welcome to the Building” gift. What flavor of muffins does she bake?

E-mail the correct answer to tracy@tracymadison.com with the subject line Magic Contest no later than Saturday, May 1, to be entered to win that fantabalous filled tote bag shown HERE!

Don’t Forget

Fran from The Examiner interviewed me several months ago. The interview is up today! Go see!

Check out my post at MuseTracks about the want to create, and how sometimes it leaves us.

The Novel Girls is celebrating the release of A Breath of Magic and I’m giving away ONE signed copy. Head on over and leave a comment to enter!

A Breath of Magic is available NOW!

Tomorrow is the release date of A Breath of Magic, but we’re going to start the celebration today!

First off, though, I want to talk a little about this story. While I truly love every book in this series, Chloe’s journey and her story have dug a little deeper into my heart than the others. I hope, hope, hope that readers find the magic reading this story that I found in writing it. This week–release week–is an important week for an author, and I’ll so appreciate your support this week. Thanks in advance to all of my readers for their excitement over this series!

I’d now like to point your attention to an absolutely amazing review, one filled with so much enthusiasm I grinned a mile wide when I read it. Jessica Rabbit, a reviewer, blogger, and reader of this blog, took the time to read the galley version of A Breath of Magic and her review is up NOW! Here’s a bit of what she had to say:

“A story so well crafted it makes you feel like your six years old and everything is possible. Magic, soul mates, uncontainable happiness. And as much as I powered through this book because I wanted to know everything right then I wanted for this story not to end. And when it did I laughed, rejoiced like a two year old who’d just seen the most awesome trick and hugged my computer monitor, almost cried, and pouted for a very long time because not only did the book end but now I have to wait forever for the next book in the series to come out.”   

You can read the rest of this so-fantastic-I-can’t-stop-grinning review at Jessica’s blog!

Contest News!

Now, let’s get to the nitty gritty of this week’s giveaways:

This Week’s Random Giveaways: Comment on my blog each day this week (Monday through Friday, one entry per person per day, for a total of five entries) for a chance to win one of five prizes:

• One $10 Borders Gift Card
• One $5 Caribou Coffee Gift Card
• One Signed Copy of A Taste of Magic
• One Signed Copy of A Stroke of Magic
• One A Breath of Magic mini-gift pack that includes: a tote bag, sticky notes, key chain, bookmark(s), and a signed cover flat

I’ll use random.org to choose five winners, and I will announce their names here (and what they won) on Monday, May 3rd!

This Week’s Magic Series Contest & Giveaway: I will post one question each day this week (Mon-Friday, five questions total) on my blog regarding the first book in my series, A Taste of Magic.

E-mail the answers to tracy@tracymadison.com with the subject line: Magic Contest by Saturday, May 1st to be entered for this week’s drawing. Only correct answers will be included in the drawing, up to five entries per person (one per day).

This week’s winner will receive a customized Magic series tote bag filled with “items from Chloe’s store, the Mystic Corner“:

The contents of this bag include: chakra bracelet, freshwater pearl/onyx bracelet & ring, shiva lingam pendulum, Book: Pendulum Magic for Beginners, Book: Excuse Me, Your Soul Mate is Waiting, New Age CD: Paradise, rose incense, candles, mood lipstick, lavender aromatherapy body lotion, lavender aromatherapy scented eye mask, aromatherapy fizzy bath – immune therapy, aromatherapy facial mask – avocado & olive oil, aromatherapy essential oils – jasmine, a signed copy of either A Taste of Magic or A Stroke of Magic (winner’s choice), various bookmarks and signed cover flats.

And because you can’t see them in the above pic, here is a photo of the pendulum and the chakra bracelet:

I’ll use random.org for all correct answers received, and announce the winner here on Monday, May 3rd!

And don’t forget: To enter the Month of Mysticism GRAND PRIZE Contest, write a magic spell and send it to tracy@tracymadison.com with the topic Magic Spell.

Spells must received between April 26 and May 28 in order to be entered. I’ll pick my favorite and that person will win a filled tote bag, a name of their choosing (subject to approval from Dorchester editorial) in my next release, By Magic Alone, and a free 30-Minute reading from Clairvoyant Medium Dakota Lawrence. The winner’s name will be announced here on May 31, 2010.

I can’t wait to see what spells people come up with! So. Much. Fun!

Magic Series Contest Question of the Day!

Today’s Magic Series question comes to us from A Taste of Magic:

Elizabeth is gifted with her family’s Gypsy magic on her birthday. How many candles will she be blowing out on her cake? (In other words, how old is Elizabeth on this specific birthday?)

E-mail the correct answer to tracy@tracymadison.com with the subject line Magic Contest no later than Saturday, May 1, to be entered to win that fantabalous filled tote bag shown above!

Moving On…

This post already is mega-long, so rather than discuss anything else today, I’m going to ask you to let me know in the comments who your favorite TV witch/genie/other-magical-type character is and why? My favorite TV witch is Samantha from Bewitched, because she always ended up in peculiar situations as a result of magic (usually not of her doing, which makes it even more fun), and somehow had to find her way through. How about you?

Don’t Forget

I’m a guest at MuseTracks today, talking about the want to create, and how sometimes it leaves us dry.

The Novel Girls is celebrating the release of A Breath of Magic and I’m giving away ONE signed copy. Head on over and leave a comment to enter!

A Breath of Magic officially releases tomorrow! YAY!

Remember, my five weeks of contests start on Monday! You can read all about what’s happening HERE.

Next week, things will get started with my random giveaways and my Magic Series contest. You won’t want to miss out on the chance to win some of the great prizes up for the grabs.

AND also beginning on Monday, you can send in your Magic Spell to be entered to win the grand prize. You’ll have until May 28, 2010 to email your spell to me in order be entered. Only one spell per person, though.

Here’s a hint for next week’s Magic Series questions: All five will have to do with the first book in the series, A TASTE OF MAGIC.

See you all on Monday!

Don’t Forget!

The Novel Girls are talking about what makes us stop reading a book. Head on over and let us know what makes you put a book down.

A BREATH OF MAGIC releases in FOUR days, and the e-book versions release TOMORROW!

And the Month of Mysticism contests and events begin on Monday, so be sure to stop by.

Read about the MONTH OF MYSTICISM CONTEST here!

—

Okay, I have a major gripe. It’s about Amazon and Kindle and how Amazon has their review system set up.

For those who read my books and own a Kindle, I am sure it is no surprise that A TASTE OF MAGIC is available on Kindle but A STROKE OF MAGIC isn’t. However, the Kindle version of A BREATH OF MAGIC is available for download tomorrow (Friday, the 24th). Strange, eh? It is. Very strange.

I have actually been frustrated that A STROKE OF MAGIC isn’t available on Kindle for a while now, and have spoken with my publisher about this several times. Here’s the thing: My publisher has done whatever they’re supposed to do to put A Stroke of Magic in Kindle format, but Amazon hasn’t done their part. I don’t know why. I’ve e-mailed them about this several times and did so again last night. Obviously, my readers are going to be annoyed and frustrated that they can buy book 1 and 3 in Kindle but not book 2.

I understand this. I get it. Totally.

But this isn’t my fault. It isn’t my publisher’s fault. Something fell through the cracks at Amazon and we’re trying to fix it. We have been trying to fix it for months. But so far, nada. Again, though, I understand the frustration level that some of my readers might be experiencing. I agree with them.

However, a reader gave A BREATH OF MAGIC a 1-star review on Amazon because A STROKE OF MAGIC isn’t available on Kindle while books 1 and 3 are. I feel badly that this reader is upset. I feel badly that I’ve lost out on a sale from a reader who wants to buy my books in his/her preferred format. I want my books to be read. And if you want to read them on your Kindle, then I want you to be able to do that.

But a one-star review for the sole reasoning of format availability is frustrating to me, the author. It doesn’t feel fair because the review has nothing to do with the story I wrote, with the story I’m telling, with the content itself. Even if my publisher hadn’t planned on releasing A STROKE OF MAGIC in Kindle format…Well, that isn’t MY choice. All I can do is write the best story I can.

I’ve had a few low reviews on both books. And I’m not going to lie and say that those reviews haven’t bothered me. But they don’t frustrate me like this one does. Because those reviews are about the stories and that particular person’s opinion on the stories I told. They didn’t like them, for whatever reason. And that’s fine. But a low review based on something that is completely out of my control is not fine. And I blame Amazon, not the reader who wrote the review. 

Amazon’s review system needs an overhaul, in my opinion. I don’t know what, exactly. But something.

At any rate, I’m frustrated–with both the system that has allowed the one-star review to be placed when it is not a review on the content of my book, and also FOR the reader who was unable to purchase the book in the format of his/her choosing.

Just Yuck.