It’s time to change gears a bit and instead of talking about the Fury Falls Inn series, switch over to talking about book 5 of the Secrets of Roseville series, Charmed Against All Odds (releases November 11, 2019). I’m super excited about this story! Mainly because I finally get to tell Roxie’s story. She’s the oldest of the three sisters who are witches and run the Golden Owl Books and Brews bookstore in Roseville. The most responsible and dependable and yet mysterious of the trio.
Before I get into more about the Wiccan research I did, I want to share that this book is part of the Common Elements Romance Project, a group of books being released between October 2019 and January 2020. Over 100 authors have all agreed to include the same 5 elements in each romance, encompassing all subgenres of romance, too! The 5 elements are: a tall stack of books; a man named Max; a haunted or reported to be haunted house; a lightning storm; and a lost set of keys. The Common Elements Romance Project will kick off with a week-long Facebook launch party beginning on September 23-27, 2019. There will be prizes and games and interacting with the authors each day of that week. Hop over to find out more and be sure to sign up for updates!
Now on to my inquiry into Wicca. I’m not a religious person anymore. I was raised in the Christian faith, having been a member of Methodist, Southern Baptist, and Lutheran churches. I’ve also attended a variety of other services at Catholic, Free Holiness, Jewish, and Muslim places of worship. I considered the Baha’i faith for a while, but I have drifted away from formalized religion over the years. However, I needed to have some foundation of understanding of the Wiccan belief system so I bought a couple of books on the subject to familiarize myself back when I started writing this series. As I started writing Charmed Against All Odds, I realized I needed to know some more so I went looking on the Internet. I found a very cool site at www.wicca-spirituality.com where I learned a good deal. Including taking the Are You a Candidate for Becoming a Wicca Witch quiz to see how likely it is I could become a Wicca witch, and it’s very likely. Good to know!
So the notes I took while exploring this site follow:
- A group is a coven. Limited usually to 13 (traditionally) or 9; a small group is desirable though not all groups insist on a specific number.
- Groups are likely to be hierarchical, differing degrees of initiation, High Priestess and High Priests as leaders.
- Come together to celebrate the Moon and High Holy Days, blessings, and purifications
- A Circle is a gathering of people in order to practice Wiccan ritual. Sometimes circles replace the covens for a more relaxed form of ritual practice.
- Witches, Wiccans, Goddess-worshippers – no one minds how the others choose to think about themselves, but they have a certain common set of beliefs
- “When done well, working magick with others can raise much more energy than one Witch can raise working solitary.”
- “There really are no rules in Wicca spirituality, save one: Follow your heart, and do what you deem right for you.”
- “There is no one right way to practice. In a mystical religion such as Wicca you are called upon to practice in whatever manner pleases you and your Gods. You and your Divine Source are the only ones who know what’s best for you. So listen to your own heart. And follow its advice. It’s the only one you can be sure has only your best interests at heart.”
I would like to point out that the term High Priest and High Priestess is how the highest ranking member of a group is identified. In order to prevent any confusion around Charmed Against All Odds and the Order of Witchery Lore being an actual group of Wiccan believers, I chose to use High Sorcerer and High Sorceress instead. I didn’t want to blur the line between reality and fiction on that point.
What I particularly love about Wicca is that last bullet point. “There is no one right way to practice” and “listen to your own heart” speak to me on a visceral level I cannot fully explain. Religion and faith are individual beliefs. I don’t think you absolutely need a “church” or “synagogue” or “temple” or any specific place in order to adhere to what you believe and how you practice that faith. But I digress!
I’ve tried to portray the three sisters, Roxie, Tara, and Beth, with the tenets of Wicca in mind. I hope I did a good job, but if I did not, I apologize! I mean no offense to anyone.
Roxie Golden is a very strong and opinionated woman who knows her own mind and what she wants, but she’s also afraid of getting her heart broken all over again by the love of her life, Leo King, when he unexpectedly returns to town. Sparks definitely fly between them… I hope you enjoy their story!
So I have two releases coming soon! October 1 The Haunting of Fury Falls Inn will kick off my new supernatural historical fiction series Fury Falls Inn. Then Charmed Against All Odds will release on Veterans Day, November 11, 2019, the fifth and I think final book in that series. I’ll have book signings in both October and November, so check out my Appearances page on my website for details. I hope to see you there!
Thanks for reading!
P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!
Visit www.bettybolte.com for more on my books and upcoming events.
Charmed Against All Odds releases November 11 and is available for pre-order now!
Loving her brings out the magic in him…
Wedding bells are ringing, but not for Roxie Golden. If she can survive another round of wedding plans, then her life can return to normal. She’s perfectly happy running the bookstore and weaving helpful magical spells. Then one stormy day, her ex-fiancé strolls back into her life with a gift neither of them wants.
Leo King wants to flee the small town for the big city. Forget about the shame he brought upon himself when he abused his magical powers. First, to satisfy his warlock father’s final wish, he must deliver the mysterious box to Roxie’s bookstore.
But when Roxie opens the box, revealing an enchanted bracelet and a quest spell, their plans and their lives are changed forever. Trapped in a reluctant partnership with the woman he once loved, he risks everything—including his heart—for a second chance.
Betty Bolte's Musings 
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