The Solstice Secret is Live, Plus A Free First-in-the-Series E-Book!

 I am super stoked to announce 

THE SOLSTICE SECRET is now available on Kindle!

THE SOLSTICE SECRET

Cover Reveal Day!

I am so excited to reveal the title and cover for my next book,

 The Solstice Secret!

 

Against rich medieval backdrops, The Two Realms Trilogy’s spell-binding finale promises a thrilling romance, shifters—and a hidden heir!

 You can see the cover reveal video on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/authorariellamoon/

Stay tuned for more, including The Solstice Secret Release Date.

 

Meanwhile, you can read the first books in the Two Realms Trilogy for free with Kindle Unlimited.

 Two Realms Trilogy 

I hope the weather is glorious where you. Happy reading!

 

Ariella

Beltane: Weaving a Celtic Fire Festival Into a Medieval Fantasy Novel

How do you incorporate a fire and fertility festival into a Young Adult medieval fantasy novel?

Very carefully.

Photo by Social History Archive on Unsplash
Part of a set of glass lantern slides of May Queen images believed to be from the early 1900s,
possibly in the Cheshire area.

In ancient times, Beltane festivals celebrated the Celtic sun god, Belenus, and heralded the start of the Celtic summer and growing season. Beltane symbols include the maypole, Green Man, May Queen, bonfires, May wreaths, and The Lovers tarot card. 

In The Beltane Escape, Book One in The Two Realms Trilogy, Beltane acts as a ticking clock. A spell cast forward to medieval Scotland strikes Lady Fenella and leaves her stolen, betrothed, and lured back centuries into Fairy. By Beltane, nine days hence, she must find her cousin in a dangerous world of magic, unshackle herself from a sorceress, and return through time before her kidnapper destroys all she holds dear.

The heart-pounding energy often associated with Beltane sexuality, is transformed in The Beltane Escape, into pulse-pounding suspense as time runs out for Fenella. She smells the nervous cattle about to be driven between balefires; hears the pipers; and sees villagers waving cowslip wands attached to peeled willow wands.

The one element that eludes her - a means to escape.

Amazon

In anticipation of the upcoming release of the epic conclusion to The Two Realms Trilogy, The Beltane Escape, The Amber Elixir (A Two Realms novella), and The Viking Mist can be read for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. Ebook and print versions are available for purchase.

Happy Beltane and May Day!

 

~Ariella Moon

 

 

Random in Death Book Review

 

Random in Death

By J.D. Robb

 

My writing breaks from revising my next book in the Two Realms Trilogy have been spent reading thrillers. My latest from the library's "Hot Off the Press" table:

Random In Deathby J.D. Robb is a thrilling futuristic crime mystery. Robb expertly builds suspense and increases the stakes as Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYPSD pursues a serial murderer with a vendetta against women, especially sex workers.

 

Dallas, her wealthy husband Roarke, and her police team use the limited evidence, particularly the unusual murder weapon, to build a profile of the killer. As they race the clock chasing down leads, each new discovery reveals a more horrifying picture of the killer and increases the desperate need to find him before he strikes again.

 

Robb gives us a chilling, slowly revealed, and expertly fleshed out villain. The skillful plot, likable victims, and lightning pace will keep readers rooting for Lt. Dallas, Roarke, and the rest of the NYPSD. 

Don't miss my 99 cents kindle deal for The Beltane Escape May 1-May 7, 2024!

 

Or read The Beltane Escape and its sequel, The Viking Mist, for free with Kindle Unlimited. Both books are also available in paperback.

Both Books on Kindle

The Beltane Escape on Amazon

The Viking Mist on Amazon

The Red Bard and the Loch Ness Monster

                         Travel The Two Realms, Part Three
                                       Loch Ness, Scotland

 

Loch Ness, Scotland

The ruins of Urquhart Castle overlook the blue-gray waters of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands, located about twenty-three miles southwest of Inverness. Reports of a monster living in the great depths of the freshwater loch have surfaced from ancient times until as recently as April 7, 2022 (Monster Sightings Register). 

Saint Columba and Nessie

Even the Irish monk Saint Columba, best known for Celtic Christianity, the isle of Iona, and having been found guilty by the High King of illegally copying a religious text, claimed in 562 AD to have encountered the water beast. While staying near the mouth of the River Ness, Columba heard rumors of the monster. So he directed a follower to swim into the river. According to Columba, when the monster appeared, he banished the creature to Loch Ness.

Alas, when I visited the famed site, “Nessie” was nowhere to be found, except as brightly colored toys in the Nessie Shop at the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition. At the time, I had little thought of including the famed loch, or its monster, in my Two Realms fantasy book series.

Years later I realized Loch Ness, geographically and historically, was an ideal fit for my fictional Scottish landscape. So I gave “Nessie” a fresh twist. But what truly clinched my decision to feature Loch Ness monster in The Viking Mist was a historical figure named “The Red Bard.”

 

As William D. McEachern describes in his book, Caledonia: A Song of Scotland, a dispute in the 1400s over ownership of Urquhart Castle eventually led the rightful, but impoverished castle owner, the Earl of Huntly, to lease the castle to Sir Duncan Grant of Freuchie. Upon Grant's death, the castle was bequeathed to his grandson, John "the Red Bard," who returned the castle to its past glory, "and ran the estates efficiently and with justice."

No writer could pass up a great name like the Red Bard. So I created  a contentious fictional backstory between my characters' ancestors and the prior owners of Urquhart Castle. 

Tensions spike when the Thaness of Thorburn finds herself not only on enemy land, but face-to-face with the famed monster of Loch Ness.

            KINDLE            KOBO

Should you find yourself traveling the Two Realms, venture to Loch Ness and drink in its beauty. Who knows? You may spot something unusual in the water!

In next Tuesday's Travel The Two Realms, we will explore the mystical Callanish Stones (Gaelic: Calanais) on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Meanwhile, you can visit The Two Realms on my Pinterest board.

Until then, stay kind and magical.

Ariella

Copyright 2022 Ariella Moon

The Paranormal Cave Guardians of Iona

                                                    Travel The Two Realms: Iona, Scotland

Part Two

The chilly June morning promised rain as my daughter and I joined a few of our fellow travellers and our guide Scot to the landing where the sailboat Birthe Marie and Captain Mark awaited us. While sailing around Iona, we pulled into a quiet cove, disturbing a colony of seals resting on a narrow island. A few disappeared into the water as we approached. A delightful young seal kept a consistent distance from us as it swam in a half-circle around the boat, popping up here and there to check on us.

Captain Mark of the
Birthe Marie

 

After tea and shortbread thins to warm us, we reversed course. Now heading against the wind, Captain Mark switched from sail to motor to propel us through the choppy blue-gray, green-tinged waves.
Eyeing the coast, a sinister sight skipped my pulse. Where two rocky hills almost met, stood the blackest of black caves. The downward point of a giant boulder wedged between the two hills stabbed the cave opening. Malevolent eyes set in a circular, seemingly disembodied face, stared at us from the cave’s dark maw. 
Not a human face. Not an animal face. Something else.
What is it? I wondered, my knuckles whitening as I tightened my grip on the ship rail.

I had to find a way to include this frightening sight in The Viking Mist. Here is a brief excerpt from the published novel:

Barely visible in the mist-dimmed light, and hunched in the depression between two rocky peaks, nestled the blackest of black caves. ’Tis as I remember, Disa thought when she spied the long, narrow boulder wedged into the cave’s roof; its distinctive downward point, as pale and sharp as a dragon’s fang, impaled the darkness just inside the hollow’s inky maw.

Beneath the stone tooth, two glowing amber eyes popped open, piercing the impenetrable gloom.

Disa stiffened and held her breath.

The disembodied orbs scanned the calm sea within the island ring. Then, as if sensing her human presence, the predatory eyes narrowed and searched beyond the inner waters, halting to fasten their malevolent gaze upon her.

In the fixedness of that stare, the monster and years faded, and as though bewitched, Disa saw instead the half mad glare of the Norse slaver and the smear of blood across the man’s knuckles when he grabbed her wrist and little Bree’s arm. Fear stole the strength from Disa’s limbs, and the oars clattered at her feet as a silent scream rose from her core.

                         AMAZON KINDLE                 KOBO

As we continued back to Iona, Captain Mark steered us into another quiet cove, where we encountered a giant boulder wedged between two cliffs. To the right of the gap, a naturally formed basalt staircase named "the Fairy Stairs," rises to nowhere. Magic is all around us!

In next Tuesday's Travel The Two Realms, we will explore Scotland's Loch Ness. Meanwhile, you can visit The Two Realms on my Pinterest board.

Until next week, stay kind and magical.

Copyright March 2022 by Ariella Moon

The Fairy Cat of Iona

 Travel the Two Realms: Iona, Scotland

Part One

Many see only the human realm.To them the second realm, inhabited by fairies and mythical beasts, goddesses and gods, sorceresses and wizards, is invisible. But if you steady your gaze on liminal spaces at just the right time, you'll discover the Two Realms coexist. One such place is Iona.

Iona, a small Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides, inspired I-shona (the sacred isle) in The Viking Mist. I confess, Iona's overwhelming association with Saint Columba and Celtic Christianity placed it low on my Must See list during my second research trip to Scotland. But how could I ignore a small island that was the also the target of Viking raids and the final resting place of Scottish and Viking kings?

Scot AnSgeulaiche
www.ansgeulaiche.co.uk

Modern-day bard Scot AnSgeulaiche led our Celtic Spirit Journey. Scot and a few others from our small group were ahead of me the day we hiked to Iona's fairy mound. A cat crossed the path as one woman asked, "Do you think we will see any fairies?"

Scot pointed to the cat. "There's one."

Right. Being allergic to cats, I paid scant attention to the tabby. My daughter, however, stopped to pet the cat.

After we spent some time on the grassy fairy mound, the sun grew low in the sky, signaling the onset of dusk (gloaming), a liminal "between" time. The air chilled. Descending the mound,  we again encountered the cat, which appeared to have been waiting for us. The fairy mound must have gifted me with the Sight, because now I noticed the cat's eyes were abnormally large and round, not at all as they had initially appeared. The cat's bright eyes now swirled with colors, magic, and mischief. Seeing my shock, the fairy feline grinned.

The encounter fostered within me a new understanding of the Fairy realm. It also gave birth to a new Two Realms character, Muirgen, a shape-shifting fairy cat. You will first meet Muirgen in The Viking Mist.

The coves and caves near Iona proved equally surprising and magical. I will tell you about them in next Tuesday's Travel The Two Realms, when a sailing adventure led to a scary paranormal discovery.

Until then, be kind and magical.

Copyright March 2022 Ariella Moon

We Have A Giveaway Winner!

 Thanks to everyone who entered The Viking Mist Giveaway!

Congratulations to the winner, Clemencio!

Clemencio, I have emailed you regarding your prize.

Please check your inbox.

I look forward to sending you your gift.

Happy reading, everyone!

#thevikingmist 

March's Dark Moon: New Beginnings and an Exciting New Book!

 

New Moons mark new beginnings, making the March 2nd dark moon the ideal time to launch The Viking Mist. Besides, I could not resist the magical correspondences linked to this Pisces New Moon—casting a glamour, shape-shifting, and water magic—all vital elements in The Viking Mist, sequel to The Beltane Escape and The Amber Elixir, a Two Realms Arthurian companion novella .

At its core, The Viking Mist, is a time bending tale about fate, second chances, and healing old wounds. Halfling Talfryn has five days to navigate the world of lethal Cold Iron, locate the human mother he has never known, and recover a stolen elixir that could mask a murderer — a quest he cannot survive without Fenella’s aid. Will the Thaness of Thorburn honor their alliance, knowing the venture will jeopardize her freedom and second chance at love? 

In this sequel to The Beltane Escape and The Amber Elixir, secrets abound, fates interweave, friendships fray, and no one is safe.

The Viking Mist Available Now

This ebook was so anxious to sail, it arrived a day early on AMAZON and Rakuten Kobo

Cover Reveal Day!

The Wait is Over! 

I can finally reveal the gorgeous cover

Amanda Matthews designed for

The Viking Mist

Book 2, The Two Realms Trilogy

On Sale March 2nd!

Now is a great time to catch up on the Two Realms series.

The Beltane Escape, Book 1, The Two Realms Trilogy

Available in Paperback and for a limited time on Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon  Barnes & Noble   iTunes

"Ms. Moon creates a magical world and a 

complex cast of characters that leap right off the page!" 

~ InD'Tale Magazine, Crowned Heart for Excellence review.

A noble more powerful than the king kidnaps Fenella, Thaness of Thorburn, to gain control of her strongholds. But he fears she is tainted with magic - power the Lady of the Lake needs to free herself from Merlin's spell. Fenella, lured back in time, has nine days to cross a dangerous world of magic, unshackle herself from a sorceress, and return to captivity before her kidnapper destroys all she holds dear. 

The Amber Elixir, Book 1.5, A Two Realms Companion Novella 

"Ariella writes fantastic fantasy...

This was a page turner, I didn't want to put the book down!"

~Amazon Five Star Review

What if the Lady of the Lake was new on the job and pressured by opposing forces - Merlin and Morgan le Fay? The Amber Elixir plunges readers into a world of magic, forbidden romance, and intrigue, where fairies shape-shift, the new Lady of the Lake must prove her worthiness to win back a lost love, and Morgan le Fay seeks a spell that could alter the balance of power in the Two Realms.

Amazon   Barnes & Noble

Ariella Moon live interview on iHub radio!

Sunday, September 6, 2020

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Pacific Time

Live Interview on iHub radio! Stick to the Script!

I love being interviewed on live radio and podcasts! The challenge is to be quick-thinking, and to expect the unexpected (as happened with my live interview with Susun Weed). I am excited to be Steven Stewart's guest on his debut radio show, Stick to the Script!.

As part of iHub Radio's growing focus on the wealth of talent in the Coachella Valley, published author Steven Stewart brings together a great collection of authors, playwrights, screen writers and people associated with creating the words that inform and entertain our minds and exercise imaginations. Stick To The Script will include interviews that profile the diversity of scribes in the desert cities from best-sellers to those aspiring to write their first book. He looks forward to lively discussions with writers, actors, and other drama enthusiasts. You will also learn the challenges, the steps to achieving these works, and get to hear plenty of excerpts!

 

                                            Steven Stewart during taping of "Stick to the Script!"

While in college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Steven began his love for acting, drama, and the English playwrights.  Shortly after graduation with an engineering degree, he attended the UCLA summer Film School, learning the art of filming and directing. Joining the Screen Actors Guild, Steven secured starring and supporting roles in many movies and T.V. shows. During this time, he created several unpublished literary works, including a novel, short stories, and a children’s’ animated book series.

 

A true renaissance man, Steven carved a career for himself as an engineer, builder, pilot, and apartment owner/manager. For the last few years, the writing of a column for a pilot’s magazine and a review of his older literary works has rekindled his passion for writing and drama.  As a recent member of the Palm Springs Writers Guild, Steven has a novel in publication, a second on the way.

Ariella Moon in the booth, wearing the latest in headphone fashion!

 

Join Steven Stewart live every Sunday from 6 to 7 pm Pacific on iHub Radio, with additional encore broadcasts throughout the week (check the schedule on this website).

Update: Steven has moved his show from iHub radio. No new information is available at this time.

April's Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations to Donna Rickey and Andrea McParland!

You have each won an ebook copy of THE BELTANE ESCAPE!

Please watch your inbox for an email from me.

Happy reading!

Ariella Moon

The Amber Eilxir is Available for Preorder!

The Two Realms Series Continues!

If you enjoyed THE BELTANE ESCAPE, 

then you will love THE AMBER ELIXIR, 

the next installment in the Two Realms series. 

Viviane, the new Lady of the Lake and High Priestess of Avalon, accepts a challenge from Merlin unaware her bold actions will have tragic consequences. Two of her priestesses are turned to stone. A forbidden love deserts her. Now alone, she has six young handmaidens to train and protect.

When Morgan le Fay demands assistance with a spell that could change the balance of power in the Two Realms, Viviane refuses her. But what if Morgan’s secret knowledge could restore the stone priestesses? Will an alliance with the sorceress prompt Viviane’s love to return? Or will the gamble cost her all she holds dear?

Preorder Now Available  Amazon   Kobo

Release Date: October 3, 2017

Paperback and Nook versions coming soon.

This Lady of the Lake Two Realms novella further sets the stage for 

THE VIKING MIST, Book 2, The Two Realms Trilogy.

Expected Release: January 2018