Nature's Tribe

A magical, medieval saga featuring “timeless issues of human nature.” Described as “Intense, mysterious and intriguing” with “Well-formed, endearing characters,” and “Clean, interesting story lines,” all four books are now available on Amazon, and free to read on Kindle Unlimited.

Set in the times of religious unrest and persecution of “witches,” it follows feisty midwife Senna and her friends through troubling times, fighting off arrogant, patriarchal attitudes and the ravages of the Black Death. But there is a shocking motive behind everything she and her family have to endure at the hands of a corrupt magister – a plot involving Gaia herself.

Medieval Wedding Cakes

In early medieval times, various symbols of fertility were thrown at the bride for good luck and prosperity. This could be anything from grains of wheat (or rice!), breadcrumbs, or cakes made of wheat. In some places, she (or the groom) would take a bite from the cake and crumble the rest over her head for good luck. Guests would then scramble around her feet to pick up the crumbs, in order to absorb some of that good luck.

Later, the tradition evolved into the bride pushing pieces of her wedding cake through her ring to the guests. Those in attendance would take that piece of cake home to place under their pillows for, again, good luck.
Another custom involved stacking various baked goods (pies, biscuits, cakes, scones etc) into the tallest mound they could manage.
If the bride and groom could kiss over the top without toppling the pile, they were assured a lifetime of prosperity.

Later (17th Century), "bride pie" became popular, which varied from sweet breads to mince pies or even mutton pie. A glass ring was often hidden within it, and whichever woman found it was meant to become the next bride.

Modern-day traditions involve throwing confetti, a tiered wedding cake and throwing the bouquet, each of these is a photo-opportunity. The cutting of the cake is a focal point at any reception today, a tradition rooted in history when the first cut was made by the bride to ensure the marriage would be blessed by children.

Other cake-related traditions include sending a boxed morsel of cake to all the guests/relatives who could not attend, and saving the top layer for the birth or christening/baptising of the first-born child.

Wedding cakes around the world
Many countries have very different ideas to the traditional fruit or sponge cake. A comprehensive list can be found at: https://www.theknot.com/content/a-world-tour-of-wedding-cake-traditions
Here are a couple of the more unusual ones:

Japan: Many Japanese use impostor cakes at wedding receptions. Made of artificial rubber or Styrofoam, these faux confections are iced with wax -- and even feature a slot for the bride and groom to insert a knife. While the impostors pose for photos, the real (less elaborate) cakes are cut in the kitchen and served to guests.

Greece: These days, most Greek couples prefer a flourless almond cake, filled with vanilla custard and fruit, and covered in sliced almonds. The traditional Greek wedding cake consists of honey, sesame seed, and quince, which is said to symbolize the couple's enduring commitment to each other. Sourdough wedding bread decorated with beads and blossoms is also a traditional treat.

Norway: Shying away from cake altogether, Norwegians serve brudlaupskling, a type of wedding bread first developed when white flour was a rarity on farms in Norway. Any food containing wheat was once highly prized, so the wedding bread was considered a true treat. Topped with cheese, cream, and syrup, this unique bread is folded over and cut into small squares and served to all the guests.

Lithuania: For many Lithuanians, the wedding cake is actually a cookie-like pastry shaped into a Christmas tree. Baked to a sunny yellow hue, the pastry, called a sakotis, is usually decorated with fresh flowers and herbs protruding from the top peak.

Indonesia: The cake traditionally served at Indonesia weddings is a massive, multilayered creation known as kek lapis. Typically made from layers of chocolate and vanilla, it dates back to the Dutch colonial period. Today's versions are often spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg

Oops - I did it again.

Someday soon, I hope I shall release a book without the self-sabotage which inevitably accompanies it. You'd think after following the release process 29 times, I'd have it sussed. Nope - the 30th time was the worst yet!

Couldn't be further from the truth. Finger trouble, network failure and sheer incompetence, that well-known threesome, combined to make this one the worst muck-up yet!
A wee while ago, I thought I was putting up the edited version of 13 Esbats of the Moon. Instead I managed to upload an old story I'd been sprucing up with the possibility of turning it into the final Hengist book. I'd copied and pasted the title page, from my latest, but not altered the title.
Must Check More Than Title Page!

Despite finishing the editing rounds 2 weeks ahead of schedule, I was still getting (really important!) comments from beta readers 2 days before the deadline. Did I upload it then, like a smart author would have done? No, I did not. Because it sometimes takes 3 days for a new version to upload, and 2 betas were close to finishing, I waited, wanting to get every last teeny-tiny-typo.
BIG MISTAKE.
An hour before the deadline, I spotted the last comment in my inbox - literally a "you" should have been a "your" (one of my very frequent offenders!)
So I added that r, pressed save and went to make a celebratory cup of tea.
On my return, the internet had thrown all of its toys out of the pram, and it stayed down for the remaining 55 minutes, each one of which was a combination of angry frustration, pleading promises and "why me?" tears. How many times in an hour can you reboot routers/laptops, connect to "secured, no internet" portals and fail to notice the big yellow cable which had dropped off? Lots. Tons. Stacks.

The result of this worst hour of my life in living memory? All those kind people who pre-ordered got a racy, (unpolished) military thriller with some decidedly unsavoury scenes instead of the sweet, clean medieval romance/cozy mystery they were expecting.
To add insult to injury, my failure to notice the credit-card expiry meant my copy was not delivered on the stroke of midnight and it was several hours before I figured why. Grrr. At this point steam was figuratively pouring from every available orifice. (Ewww - nasty image!)

Any minute now, the lovely Winston will have finished getting the rush-through re-pub finished and I can start telling peeps about this conclusion to one of the most difficult story arcs I've ever tried to write. So many ambitious threads from a cast of jolly-near GoT proportions (relatively speaking - there are over 13 different women all having a crack at the mic in this one).
Did I pull it off? Only smarties know the answer.

Mad GIF from Soangry GIFs

Meet JA Andrews

Meet JA Andrews – Award-winning, best-selling author of epic fantasy (think Hobbit/Lord of the Rings), and the writer of one of my favourite recent series.

A few details about the author: JA Andrews is a writer, wife, mother, and unemployed rocket scientist. She doesn't regret the rocket science degree, but finds it generally inapplicable in daily life. Except for the rare occurrence of her being able to definitively state, "That's not rocket science." She does, however, love the stars. She began writing stories and creating coloring books because these sorts of things need an outlet. And now good markers are a deductible business expense. She spends an inordinate amount of time at home, with her family, who she adores, and lives deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, where she can see more stars than she ever imagined.

Visit her magical website where you can sign up for her newsletter and read a bunch of truly awesome free stories.
Check out her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JAAndrewsAuthor
Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JAAndrewsWriter

Series: The Keeper Chronicles - Trilogy
It will take the Keepers of legend to save Queensland. Too bad all they’ve got is a man haunted by his past, a failed mage, and an untrained girl.
Can the Keepers survive being hunted by dragons, attacked by frost goblins, and deceived by wizards? Or will Mallon's forces of destruction overwhelm them and the land they love?
Categories: Epic Fantasy, Dragons, Magic, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Sword & Sorcery

ASIN: B07QN31TDH Pages:1374
Price: £0.99/$0.99(E-book) - This price for a few weeks only!

A Threat of Shadows: A disgruntled dwarf. A bumbling wizard. An elf with epic powers. Not the most ideal companions to help a rogue keeper to save his dying wife.

Pursuit of Shadows: A volatile clan chief. A dazzling ranger. A swarm of frost goblins. All stand in the way of Will rescuing his kidnapped sister.

Siege of Shadows: A female keeper. An unlikely pairing. An army of dwarves. But will it be enough to save Queensland from her foster brother and his dragon.

A Keeper’s Tale: Anything but a hero, Tomkin has to rescue an anything-but-sweet damsel from a dragon who doesn’t follow the rules.
N.B. - this is a yummy bonus extra - an actual tale from one of the keepers. Just AWSOME!

Senna's no fool, April or any time

I didn't post this yesterday in case you got suspicious 😉
This is your chance to get the first four Nature's Tribe books at a massive 60% discount.
That's all four, romantic medieval mysteries for only $7.32 / £6.08.

Follow this feisty medieval midwife as she tries to survive in a world where being female, using healing magic, and worshipping the old religion are all frowned upon.

Silly Spring Sale

Nip in quick to get all six Bryant Rockwell books at a massive 60% discount.
That's all six snarky, Shakespeare-lovin' stories for only $8.94 / £7.56.
Make your Spring sparkle!

Meet Katy Haye

Meet Katy Haye – a USA Today best-selling author of speculative fiction written for YA readers, and the writer of some of my favourite recent series.
A few details about the author: Champion of strong female characters, she has a fearsome green tea habit, a partiality for dark chocolate brazils and a fascination with the science of storytelling. When not lost in a good book, Katy may be found on her allotment growing veg and keeping hens in order to maximise her chances of survival in the event of a zombie apocalypse or similar catastrophe (you never know).
Visit her magical website where you can sign up for her newsletter and read a bunch of truly awesome free stories.
Check out her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/katyhayewriter
Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/katyhaye


Series: Firethorn Kingdoms fantasy novel (The Princess Witch Books) Start reading today to join Princess Jurelle on a magic-filled adventure to uncover the strength that lies deep in her heart.
Categories: Teen & Young Adult, Fantasy, Royalty, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Sword & Sorcery, Shifters

ISBN: 978-1790599950 ASIN: B07L8M7PSN Pages:244
Price: £8.99/$11.99(paperback) £2.49/$3.21(E-book)
Dragon Thief: A powerless princess. A forbidden magic. A kingdom on the brink of war.
Dragon Flight: A princess in need of freedom. A prince in need of allies. A dragon in need of rescue.
Dragon Fury: A princess betrayed. A faithless prince. A powerful awakening.

More by Katy:
If fantasy is your thing, the Four Kings series is complete and ready for you. This truly delightful reverse harem series
starts with Awakened by Magic,
followed by Inspired by Magic,
Shattered by Magic,
Drenched by Magic
and Ignited by Magic,
finishing with final volume, Courted by Magic.

Kyann only wants a peaceful life, but when the evil Stalwart Emperor kidnaps her sister, she needs the help of four legendary kings to get her back – and peaceful isn’t how they make her feel.

Or you might like to crank your cogs, wind your gears and step into the glorious steampunk universe of the Clockwork War. England and Scotland are mortal enemies and mechanical genius Clara holds the key to ending the ongoing war.
This steampunk series starts with The Clockwork War,
continues in An Airship from Ashes,
followed by The Tinker Queen,
and finale, The Immortality Device.
In addition, there are a couple of novella tasters:
a prequel The Replacement Princess,
and companion tales After the Clockwork War.


Urban fantasy/fantasy the Crown of Fane duology –
The Last Gatekeeper: Two worlds. A queen determined to rule both. And one teen girl who stands in her way.
and The Last Dreamseer: The queen is dead. Long live the queen.

Stand-alone post-apocalyptic dystopian novel Rising Tides: The tides are rising again. Stranded in the middle of the sea with a boy she hates, Libby must survive long enough to uncover the truth.