Cet auteur explore les complexités de la psyché humaine et les mystères du gothique sudiste avec une voix singulière. Son œuvre puise souvent dans la riche culture et l'histoire du sud des États-Unis, explorant les relations complexes entre les personnages et le monde qui les entoure. Avec un sens aigu de l'atmosphère et de la tension, il crée des récits à la fois troublants et irrésistiblement captivants, laissant les lecteurs avec des réflexions persistantes.
Set in a small Southern town overshadowed by a big-box store, the story explores the presence of demons that prey on the town's darker impulses. Reverend Deacon Elder, a disreputable deliverance minister, recognizes the source of the community's troubles and seeks help from an unexpected ally: a teenage girl who has experienced possession and still feels the pull of the demonic. Together, they confront the malevolent forces threatening their town.
Your Hands-on, Back-to-Basics Guide to Building a Magical PracticeAs if you're having face-to-face lessons on her porch, H. Byron Ballard introduces you to the ways of magic, answering vital questions about what it is, why it matters, and how to do it. She teaches the mechanics and foundational skills of practice, offering no-nonsense techniques that practitioners of any skill level or tradition can use.Drawing from her many years as a practicing witch, Ballard demonstrates how to engage daily with the energy around you. She encourages you to experience magic with fresh eyes―whether you're a beginner or need to regain a beginner's mind. This book provides grounding exercises, shielding methods, healing magic, insight on witchcraft tools, and more. Ballard offers everything you need to live a full, enchanted life in our deliciously magical world.
In a world where fairy magic subtly intertwines with reality, two star-crossed lovers find their paths crossing once more in Long Black Curl. This installment of Alex Bledsoe's contemporary fantasy series delves into the complexities of their relationship against a backdrop of hidden enchantment and simmering rivalries, exploring themes of love, destiny, and the challenges posed by unseen forces.
Natural Magic and Folkways from Those Who Call the Blue Ridge Mountains HomeThe southern Appalachians are rich in folk magic and witchery. This book explores the region's customs and traditions for magical healing, luck, prosperity, scrying, and more. Author H. Byron Ballard--known as the village witch of Asheville--teaches you about the old ways and why they work, from dowsing to communicating with spirits.Learn the deeper meaning of haint blue doors, magic hands for finding, and medicinal herbs and plants. Discover tips for creating tinctures and salves, attuning to the phases of the moon, interpreting omens, and other folkways passed down through the generations. Part cultural journey and part magical guide, this book uncovers the authentic traditions of one of North America's most spiritually vibrant regions.
Many songs have been told about the Good Folk of Celtic mythology, but Alex Bledsoe weaves fairy tales unlike any other all set in the mythic and southern gothic-tinged foothills of Appalachia. When Matt Johansson, a gay actor from New York, auditions for the off-Broadway musical, Chapel of Ease, he knows it is the opportunity of a lifetime - especially after he befriends the shows composer, Ray Parrish. Misfortune strikes, however, when Ray mysteriously dies just as the show reaches its peak buzz during previews. Taking Rays ashes home to Tennessee, Matt is determined to find closure and figure out the musicals core mystery what
Wake of the Bloody Angel, the fourth book in Alex Bledsoe's Eddie LaCrosse series. Twenty years ago, a barmaid in a harbor town fell for a young sailor who turned pirate to make his fortune. But what truly became of Black Edward Tew remains a mystery—one that has just fallen into the lap of freelance sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse. For years, Eddie has kept his office above Angelina's tavern, so when Angelina herself asks him to find out what happened to the dashing pirate who stole her heart, he can hardly say no—even though the trail is two decades old. Some say Black Edward and his ship, The Bloody Angel, went to bottom of the sea, taking with it a king's fortune in treasure. Others say he rules a wealthy, secret pirate kingdom. And a few believe he still sails under a ghostly flag with a crew of the damned. To find the truth, and earn his twenty-five gold pieces a day, Eddie must take to sea in the company of a former pirate queen in search of the infamous Black Edward Tew . . . and his even more legendary treasure.
Detective Eddie LaCrosse navigates a world where classic fantasy intertwines with hard-boiled detective elements in this standalone tale. The story unfolds with a gripping plot filled with intrigue and murder, showcasing Bledsoe's skill in merging genres. Fans of both fantasy and detective fiction will find a captivating narrative that promises to engage and entertain.
Left for dead by unknown assailants who have murdered a woman he was protecting, swordsman-for-hire Eddie LaCrosse sets out to avenge the attack and finds himself entangled in a mystery involving a notorious crime lord, a backwoods dragon cult, and royal scandals.
Set in a mystical Appalachian community, the story intertwines music and magic as it follows a young woman returning home after a long absence. She grapples with her family's legacy and the enchanting but dangerous Tufa culture. The narrative blends folklore with contemporary struggles, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the power of songs that resonate through generations. Richly atmospheric and filled with unique characters, it invites readers into a world where the past and present harmonize in unexpected ways.
An invitation to return to a simpler time of earth-based spirituality and ritual living, through writings from a small forest-farm in the Appalachian Highlands. This book looks at the agricultural year as a starting space for a deepening of earth-centered spirituality. It gives a set of backstories to ease the reader into a time between the pre-industrial era and the modern one, into a place where the fast-moving stress of American life can be affected by a better connection not only to the natural world but to the elegant expression of the year as expressed through seasonal festivals and celebrations. The chapters are broken into four seasons, with the quarter days a highlight within each, and feature simple skills that accompany each marker in the year. Author H. Byron Ballard offers advice on spiritual and physical immersion into the seasons that applies to readers from all rural, urban, and suburban. This is also a deeply practical book, including insights into the A glossary is included for any unfamiliar terms.