My fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate is on sale with 25% off  at SMASHWORDS

You just need to use the special discount code on the page at the checkout.
Hurry - offer only lasts until July 31st! :)

Blurb
When Terpsichore, the Greek Muse of Dance, is assigned to revisit 5th Century Wales, and help the people regain their love of dancing, her task seems simple enough. She is unaware there is a hidden agenda. Before she can return to Olympus her path crosses that of the mysterious Myrddin, and her heart is lost.

But Myrddin is promised to another. His mind is set on the dangerous task that lies before him, and the woman he has sworn to save. Nevertheless, he cannot deny the growing attraction between him and the beautiful stranger he meets along the way.

Terpsichore and Myrddin face a deadly force that threatens to part them forever. Is she destined to lose the only man she has ever truly loved? Is there nothing she can do to save him? Finally, when all seems lost, in desperation she finds herself DANCING WITH FATE.

Monday's Words-DANCING WITH FATE IS AVAILABLE AGAIN!

Not your usual Monday's Word post I know, but I thought I'd cheat a little today as I'm rather excited.

I love legends and mythology, and when, a few years ago, I was contracted to be one of nine authors to each write a story about one of the Greek muses, for The Wild Rose Press, I decided to merge a few other legends with the Greek mythology and send my muse, Terpsichore to 5th Century Celtic Wales.

The series was published in 2008 and and having regained my rights I'm re-publishing the story.  I've made a few changes to the original novella and have republished it with Smashwords, complete with a spanking new cover designed by my dear friend and crit partner, the talented author Miss Mae.  I can't stop looking at that cover, it portrays the mystery and seductiveness of my heroine, who has a penchant for bathing in waterfalls, perfectly, while hinting that she has a spark of mischief as well. (Please be patient with me while I ramble on, I have a special offer for my faithful readers at the end of this post)

As a horse lover, I had to include a couple of horses in the story.  One is Harri, my black Welsh cob and the other is my much loved little endurance mare Sal, who sadly passed away three years ago at the grand old age of 34

A fellow Muse Author Masha Holl made this lovely picture of Terpsichore and Sal


How about a blurb? I hear you ask - OK, here it is:

When Terpsichore, the Greek Muse of Dance, is assigned to revisit 5th Century Wales, and help the people regain their love of dancing, her task seems simple enough. She is unaware there is a hidden agenda. Before she can return to Olympus, her path crosses that of the mysterious Myrddin, and her heart is lost.

But Myrddin is promised to another. His mind is set on the dangerous task that lies before him, and the woman he has sworn to save. Nevertheless, he cannot deny the growing attraction between him and the beautiful stranger he meets along the way.

Terpsichore and Myrddin face a deadly force that threatens to part them forever. Is she destined to lose the only man she has ever truly loved? Is there nothing she can do to save him? Finally, when all seems lost, in desperation she finds herself DANCING WITH FATE. 

Special Offer 

To Celebrate, I'm offering an introductory discount of 30% off the normal price.  To take advantage, you'll need to join Smashwords  at http://www.smashwords.com/

(Don't worry, it's free and  quite painless)

Then go to:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/53249

and at the checkout enter the code XX58M

Easy!  I'm keeping the offer open until Wednesday so you have a couple of days to get your copy.

(Rating sweet to mildly spicy)

ISBN: 978-1-4580-1111-4

Triskelion

Triskelion

On Wednesday, I'll have the pleasure of being host to Sky Purington.  Sky was one of eight authors, including myself, who each wrote a story about a Greek Muse in The Wild Rose Press series 'Song Of The Muses.'  Sadly these stories are no longer available in print, but are still available for download from The Wild Rose Press.

Sky also wrote about hunky Scots in kilts, but is now writing in a slightly darker vein,  (Find out more on Wednesday)  but as I was preparing her post, I got to thinking about the 'Muse' series and some of the research I'd done for my own particular muse, Terpsichore, in my story for the series 'Dancing with Fate.  I sent her to 5th Century Wales. If you follow my  blog, you will know how much I enjoy finding pictures for my posts, and of course being a Celtic Welsh woman, among some of the pictures I found in my file for the story were Triskelkions and Celtic knots.

Lovespoon

These designs are much used in Celtic jewellery and, of course, the traditional  Welsh carved wooden LoveSpoon.

A triskelion or triskele is a motif consisting of three interlocked spirals, or three bent human legs, or any similar symbol

It represents the concept of completion and progress. The symbol looked like a three legged wheel. There are basically two different components or meanings of the symbol.

According to the first derivation of the meaning, the triskelion, represents actions, cycles, progress, revolution and competition. In all, the triskelion was a representation of a sense of advancement.

The three legs or rather, the limbs of the triskelion often had several different meanings. The symbol was often used on armours, clothes, as a decorative pin for the clothes and also in jewelery. The meaning of the three legs, varied according to the person who was wearing it. Some of the prominent combinations of the meanings, are as follows: 'Spirit, Mind, Body', 'Father, Son, Holy Ghost', 'Mother, Father, Child', 'Past, Present, Future', 'Power, Intellect, Love', 'Creator, Destroyer, Sustainer' and 'Creation, Preservation, Destruction'.

They can also represent The Otherworld: Where spirits, gods and goddesses live, The Mortal World: Where we live,along with plants and animals, and The Celestial World: Where unseen energies live and move about. Like the forces of sun, moon, wind and water. 

Celtic knots are perhaps the most notorious and recognizable artwork in Celtic history. They started

Celtic Knot

appearing in history after about 450 AD.

The Celtic knot symbol, is also referred to as the mystic knot

So - what interesting things have you discovered in your research when writing. Have you unearthed any interesting objects from history or your own heritage?

Some of the above information taken From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

St Dwynwen's Day

Last week I posted about St David, Wales' Patron Saint. I thought I'd tell you about another Saint, this time a woman, St Dwynwen. I know it's a little late, but she is actually the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine.

                        

January 25th is St Dwynwen's Day - the Welsh Valentine's Day!

There are several legends about St Dwynwen, this is one of the most popular:

Dwynwen was the beautiful daughter of Brychan Brycheiniog. She fell in love with a prince called Maelon Dafodrill, but unfortunately her father had already arranged that she should marry someone else. Dwynwen was so upset that she could not marry Maelon that she begged God to make her forget him. After falling asleep, Dwynwen was visited by an angel, who appeared carrying a sweet potion designed to erase all memory of Maelon and turn him into a block of ice. He then gave three wishes to Dwynwen.
Her first wish was that Maelon be thawed; her second that God meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers; and third, that she should never marry.

Dwynwen became a nun, fulfilling her wish to never marry, and left for the island of Anglesey to build a Church. This is referred to as Llanddwynwen, literally meaning 'Church of Dwynwen'.

Isn't that a romantic (if rather sad) story?

Belated Happy St Dwynwen's Day!

The lighthouse and cross at Llanddwynwen

(Picture courtesy of Wikipaedia)