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Fanciful Twist Halloween Party Greetings guests and welcome to On the Broomstick. Here I showcase authors and review books of a decidedly witchy nature and have a great time doing so. Now...let the party begin... Trick or treat and all things good to eat! This cabinet card is one of my favorite pieces by this wonderful Etsy shop. Harvest Moon Emporium. Potion making at its finest...Winona Cookie casts a spell for all to see... And this little witch is dancing the night away at Rhonda's Originals.

Now for some fun from my own office... Dance...dance the night away with capes of orange and green glitter heels... Fly through skies of stars and leave a trail of hopes and wishes... Cast spells and bring happiness... Find magic in the mundane... And make magic wherever you go...

Posted by Dana Wright at 12:00 AM 11 comments Labels: A Fanciful Twist Halloween Party, Dana Wright, Harvest Moon, office, Rhonda's Originals Paper Dolls, Winona Cookie


To Have and To Haunt Melanie Fyre is a passionate teacher determined to raise funds for the town's school. What better way to do it than by expanding the local businesses? All she needs is land. Untouched for years thanks to a local superstition, the Crowe property is perfect. If Melanie can debunk the myth, she can get the use of those 600 beautiful acres. She just has to prove to the town that Leah's ghost is not haunting the mansion, even on Samhain night.
Burned to death and proclaimed a witch, Leah Crowe's soul has been cursed to an eternity of loneliness, all because she dared to love a woman. When the saucy Melanie arrives at her home to throw a costume party that mocks Leah's very existence, the bitter ghost resolves to renew the town's fear of her name. Will Leah's ghost ruin all of Melanie's plans?


Breathless Press


Releasing on October 31, 2014 this short Halloween flirt was a fun read about a Halloween party at a haunted  house and the long lost lovers that become reunited.

Melanie wants to raise funds for the town school so she picks a haunted house-prove suspicion wrong and she can use the land. Sounds perfect until Leah Crowe, resident ghost sounds in on the interloper. Angry at the people invading her home, she can't help but be curious over the sexy girl in a cat suit. Looking deeper, Leah sees something inside of Mel that reminds her of her lover who died, spurring her own death at the hands of an angry mob.

Can Leah let go of the past so she can finally be at rest? Is Mel her reincarnated lover? You'll have to read this spooky little tidbit to find out! I wonder if they have an extra invitation...this sounds like a party I wouldn't want to miss!


Posted by Dana Wright at 9:47 AM 1 comments Labels: Breathless Press, fun read, ghost story, Halloween, Ishabelle Torry, lesbian, light romance, Samhain, To Have and to Haunt, witch

Hedge Witch Book of Days Recipes, Spells, and Wisdom from the HedgerowOnce upon a time the witch held a place of esteem in the village; her knowledge of local plants and wayside herbs were used to heal; her wisdom and empathy made her the village matchmaker and marriage counselor; and her ability to commune with nature and animals gave her a place of revelry and wisdom. She was the Hedgewitch.Aimed at the busy witch, who is both breadmaker and breadwinner, this book revives the spirit of the Hedgewitch and teaches you how to make every day one full of wisdom, healing, and magic. For the practicing or would-be witch whose life is more jeans, chaos, and the never-ending question of what’s for dinner than it is black robes, cauldrons, and incantations, Mandy Mitchell has a recipe for you! “I want to demonstrate how daily chores can become magical rituals with the potential to enrich and transform your life—everything from the way we form relationships with our families and friends to cooking, cleaning, and healing.” —from the introduction Journey through the wheel of the year with one eye on the kettle and the other on the magical!



This book spans the seasons and is rich with information on how to get the most from everyday. With correspondences and references to recipes and practical magic, this book is a boon for all those who practice a more traditional life. What seems mundane can often be a ritual. Every stitch in a sampler a spell...every ingredient in a weeknight dinner a way to say I love you...everything has meaning and Mandy Mitchell does a great job of showing you how to look at your world just a little bit differently.


Why Hedgewitchery?

Don’t worry, no long drawn-out history lesson here. I am definitely more a student than a teacher. And goodness, my history teacher was sooo boring that he could send the whole class to sleep with one sentence, bless him! But I digress—never a good sign in an introduction! So to get back to our topic, why Hedgewitchery?
“Hedgewitch” is a relatively new term. It refers to the old village folk who were revered in their communities as healers and keepers of wisdom. For women, they may have been midwives; for males, I think they were known as “pellars”—particularly in Cornwall. These “cunning folk” were an important part of the old com- munities and a certain mystery surrounded them. They were solitary practitioners. Their knowledge of herbal and medicinal laws was unrivaled, and in a time when there was no modern medicine they treated all types of ailments using the things around them. They knew the folklore behind the local plants and put together brews, spells, and medicines from the hedgerow and from their kitchens.
The other important role these “cunning fok” played was as community counselors. They were often trusted to keep secrets and advise on different situations. This is where the term “Hedgewitch” comes from. Not only did these keepers of knowledge use food and plants to help and heal, they crossed the boundary, or “hedge,” that contained their community to converse with other realms. Through meditation and visualization they visited the fairies and spirits, and consulted with them or asked questions to help them resolve community problems. This can take some practice! But as communities dispersed and we lost touch with the wisdom of these “wise ones”—these keepers of local knowledge—they came to be reviled as evil witches and were treated appallingly. What threat did they pose? Purely a different point of view, great wisdom, and success!
In more recent times, our families and ancestors held some of this knowledge and used it in everyday life. Our grandparents and great-grandparents probably knew all the plants around them and their uses. They knew the hidden meanings in the food they ate and the things they used. To them, this was wisdom—passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. Not much of it was writ- ten down—after all, there was no need. Families and communities would never disappear, would they?
But today, in our modern era, this is the biggest problem we have. Our communities and families have dispersed like sand in the wind. We don’t live together in groups anymore; families don’t stay together all in one place from cradle to grave. Communities rarely exist in the way they used to, particularly if you live in a large urban town or city. Today, even living in a pretty rural village can be very isolating. The modern age has reduced communication to words on a screen and all things Internet and mobile. Even the written word is in decline. When was the last time you sent or received a letter?
Technology is a wonderful thing, but it sometimes comes with quite a high price. We are at risk of losing the bond that exists between us, and with it, all that precious old knowledge—knowledge that is no longer being handed down as it once was through teachings and folklore.
This, I think, is where the modern Hedgewitch comes in. We are, in the main, solitary practitioners, but we do still have a community to serve—our friends and families. We have very little time for contact with the outside magical community, but we do now have, thanks to the Internet, a whole world of like-minded people with whom we can converse. So many people are now turning to new “online com- munities”; they are springing up everywhere.
Most of our work, however, is still done from the comfort of our own homes and hearths, as solitary Hedgewitches of the modern age. Our role has, in a way, become vital in this world—to record and pass on our knowledge to the next generation and to close the gap a little on all the lost years. We can try to return to the old wisdom our grandparents knew and lived by, using simple household ideas that can enrich people’s lives. What we can do is to learn as much as possible, and to practice our magical ways and observe all the important times and tides that our ancestors did. We can strive to make life better for others and for ourselves by using the things around us, and also by having an understanding of the reasons behind using them.
Time to make the world a more magical place again, don’t you think?

Why Cooking?

We all have to eat. It’s a very simple fact of life—and one that most of us think about a lot and take quite seriously. Food is a source of fuel, but we use it in so many other ways as well. Comfort eating, entertaining and socializing, chicken soup for what ails you—the list goes on and on. But we shouldn’t just take food at face value. Most foods have a tradition and folklore associated with them, so it makes sense to use them to their full advantage.
No one I know relishes the thought of slaving over a hot stove for hours, cooking up what amounts to an entire day’s pay, only for it to be gone in seconds or to be pushed around the plate. Ask any mother or father what weaning their precious baby off milk and onto “proper food” was like. Watch as that rosy glow disappears from their faces as they recall the battles at every mealtime. My granddaughter has this down to a fine art. She scans the plate of food in front of her with precision and brilliant speed. This is usually followed by the word “done,” as she picks up the plate and casually drops it over the side of the highchair! It is an inherited skill I think and proves to me the existence of karma, since her mother did exactly the same thing. It is soul-destroying, however—and not only because of all the expense and effort we went to to give the dear little thing a meal.
We, as adults, have a built-in need to feed children; any children will do if our own can’t be found. This is why I think I could never leave my mother’s house as an adult without being pestered to eat and to take a “goodie bag” of food I neither asked for nor wanted tucked under my arm. I believe this comes with the parental territory—ummm, maybe it’s hormones?
Cooking is pretty much as old as humanity. It’s the most basic form of alchemy we have—blending things and transforming them into something spectacular. Well, that’s the theory anyway! But in this modern time, we all set ourselves up for a fall before we begin. Food is not what it once was. You can never be entirely sure exactly what is in that beautiful ripe tomato in its pretty plastic tray. I do often wonder what happened to all the “ugly” food. You know what I mean—the misshapen carrots and the knobbly potatoes. It seems as if, in this day and age, we are destined to have an identical diet containing who knows what from who knows where, and as for when—well, who knows?
Today, the food seasons have merged and blended into one long-running show with no end. Whatever ingredient your heart desires can be found lurking in a sterile grocery store aisle alongside things that have no earthly reason to be there, given that they have absolutely no chance of growing in your climate! Do we need them all? Well, it is wonderful to have such choice, but surely a strawberry in summer tastes sweeter than one in the winter?
The cook’s role, to me, comes down to using a few basic ingredients effectively: seasonal foods, local foods, affordable foods, and free foods. Now, I’m not saying that I don’t eat other foods—good grief, no! I am not that virtuous, believe me. Most of the time, I like to use seasonal produce—selfishly, because I know it’s at its best and therefore tastes amazing, requiring very little effort from me. I want my local foods to be as local as I can get—whether they come from the garden, from a friend’s garden, or from a local shop. Next, I go after regional items, then those from across the nation, and finally, imported fare. But “imported,” to me, just means longer in transit, and so less flavorful and more work for me.
Price is a tricky issue too. Times are tough everywhere for all of us, so price will often come at the top of our list of priorities by necessity. Sometimes the money just won’t stretch; so, with the best of intentions, we have to make compromises. Let’s face it; we are not going to starve ourselves or our loved ones over a bit of food snobbery. Hot, tasty food at the right price is the order of the day, but it does require a bit more effort and a great deal of imagination.
And finally, free foods! These are the very best, and they really should be at the top of everyone’s list. Find and forage for what you can; gather it, cook it, and serve it with the knowledge that you are doing something your ancestors did. Why have we forgotten this skill? I know you all think I am mad. “Did you not just write all about the realities of modern life in your introduction?” you say. “Do you not grasp that I don’t have a minute to breathe?” you say. “Forage?” you say. “What nonsense!” But I really am that busy too, and I know it does take some effort—but it is free! You can’t find usable free food in all months, I know. And fortunately, the season when it’s most scarce is the winter, so you don’t have to go trudging around in the freezing cold. But if you can get out, preferably with a small child to do the work, do try it!

The Magic of Hedgerow

I hope all of this sounds very sensible and very doable, for now is the time for the magic to begin! All the ingredients we use in our cooking hold a magical element— an unseen energy that used to be known by all but that has now largely been forgot- ten. By understanding what that energy is and harnessing it, we can infuse magic into everything we create. For example, when you go to the shop for some shower gel, you stand in front of a vast array of what’s on offer—different bottles and labels and colors. How do you choose? Are you a label reader or a sniffer? Either way, you choose the one that suits your needs—fresh lemon, relaxing lavender, blends that tell you they revitalize you or warm you up or cool you down, or even make you super sexy! The herbs and spices in these gels are specifically selected by the manufacturers to do a job, and you buy that product to do that job for you. You already know that if you want a relaxing soak, you buy the lavender or chamomile, not zesty lemon or mint or pepper. We make so many choices about what works to enhance our day-to-day lives; we hold so much of this knowledge already. We just need to put some of it to work and use it magically.
Try, if you can, to return to the days of our ancestors. Cook with fresh ingredients, with love and intent. Use your ingredients to help you in your life. You don’t have to be a slave to the stove—nor do you have to be a martyr. Even a simple cup of tea can be made magical if you make it with focus and wisdom. That’s why I call myself a Hedgewitch cook!
So welcome to the first book from the kitchen of a Hedgewitch cook. Here, we will ramble through the year together, considering as we go anecdotes, memories, folklore, recipes, spells, and rituals that relate to each month. In each chapter, I’ll give you tips for working everyday magic with the foods, materials, and natural treasures abundant in each month. And I’ll share some of my own experiences working with these energies as well.
At the beginning of each chapter, I have given a list of foods that are seasonal to each month and a list of correspondences for each month that represent the magical side of the year. I have also included an appendix that gives a list of the magical properties of herbs, plants, and trees for you to use as a reference. These are just my take on things and are in no way intended as exclusive or exhaustive lists. They are given only to show you some possibilities and to make suggestions. As with all things magical, correspondences and properties are different for each person. Those given here are just the ones that I find work for me. They may be useful as a starting point for you, but I have no doubt that everyone will have his or her own ideas. So, my apologies if I’ve missed something important to you or something obvious. As I said, I do ramble!

Excerpts provided by Weiser Books.

Posted by Dana Wright at 8:42 AM 1 comments Labels: Hedge Witch Book of Days, Mandy Mitchell, practical magic, review copy, Weiser Books


Witches in Fiction: Crafting Blooming Howls Crafting fiction for me is a work of the heart. In my story "Texas Twister" in the Of Dragons and Magic: Tales of Lost Worlds, a witch has to fall back into the love and care of her coven as she navigates the waters of her husband's betrayal. This story was based in a very large part on a tale told to me by a woman I met through my job at the bookstore and a group of wonderful ladies I spend time stitching with. We may not cast spells but our fingers weave some pretty impressive magic and you can always count on a fair bit of snark to make everything once again right in the world.

This autumn season, who are you grateful for in your life? For me, is is the friendship of a group of ladies that has stood by me through the years. My writing, which has taken off in a big way this year with my first novella Asylum and the lovely folks at Witty Bard Publishing for giving life to my little witchy story. I hope you'll check it out, but in the meanwhile, please enjoy an excerpt: Buy link: Amazon "Texas Twister"
by Dana Wright

“What’s the matter, Maggie? Are you alright, honey?” Belinda sat up in her chair scrutinizing
Joanne and Rose paused mid stitch and joined in the stare down.
“I…” Magdalay tried to gather her thoughts but they dissolved into tears.
“Rose, get her some water. Belinda, get her a piece of that chocolate.” Joanne was up and reaching
for her pink amethyst and shoving it into her hand.
“Here. You hold that and let it sink in.” Joanne took the water from Rose and handed her the
Magdalay sniffled. “Thanks.” She unwrapped the bright red wrapper and smiled at the saying
inside, quickly popping the morsel into her mouth.
“Alright little miss. You spill it good and now.” Joanne’s eyes bored into her as she returned to her
seat. Rose took a place on the couch next to Magdalay and Belinda followed suit.
Magdalay held her breath and moment, a little unsure of where to start.
“It’s not hard, honey. Just spill it. Nothing is so awful that it can’t be mended.” Rose patted her
hand, the very image of a kind and doting grandmother.
A burst of laughter bubbled out of Magdalay that sounded more like a sob. “You scare me when
you say that.”
“Us. Scare you?” Rose chortled. “Silly girl.”
“What did you do to Brenda?” Magdalay eyed the three of them suspiciously. She had missed the
meeting before when she had to work at the store unexpectedly. Life as an independent bookstore
owner often had its ups and downs.“Well, you realize, honey. She deserved it. Not the first time she’s been caught poaching.” Rose dug
into her craft bag and pulled out another small needlework project that looked suspiciously like a “What is that?” Magdalay pointed.
“Well, this is my new weight management doll.” Rose held it up for all to see. “You bind its mouth
shut with electrical tape and do an incantation on it every day. In turn, it takes all of your cravings and
absorbs them. It gets fat and you don’t. Ingenious, right?”
“Oh, what a great idea!” Belinda beamed. “You could sell those on-line.”
“Yes. I probably could.” Rose glowed.
“Ladies, aren’t we forgetting something.” Joanne gave Magdalay a pointed stare.
“Oh! Maggie. That was naughty. You were supposed to be telling us what was the matter.” Belinda
set down her crocheting and waggled her finger.
“No. I really want to know. See, I may need your help with something.” Magdalay twisted her
fingers in her lap. When Mom died, she had to take on more than just becoming the owner of the
Brambled Broomstick. Her dearest friends became Magdalay’s as well. Over the years, she had come to rely upon her secret circle in more ways than one. They could run a needle and boy could they handle themselves in times of crisis.
“Well, we simply put binding on her honey.” Rose looked down at her work, not meeting her eyes.
“Right.” And one day wings would pop out of her back and she would sprout a halo. Not.
Joanne sighed. “No. Not really. We cursed Brenda Maxwell with all the energy I had to muster, is
what we did. She made a fool out of me at church one too many times. In fact, she was such in pain in the butt that’s where the hex hit, if you want the honest truth.”
“Oh Joanne.” Magdalay was horrified.
“No. Don’t you dare give me that look. She’s done it to three other ladies in the fundraiser group
just this year. She’s a home wreaking hussy that needed to be stopped.” Joanne sat up straight and met her gaze head on. “I dare any of you to say different. Rose here made the poppet, Belinda gathered the ingredients, and the three of us manifested it.”
“You could have told me.” Magdalay sat back, stunned.
“What would you have done? Told us not to do it? Because it would backlash on us?” Joanne shook
her head. “I don’t think so. She was after Fred.”
“You should have let her have him.” Belinda looked up from trying to unsuccessfully read her
crochet pattern and shot Joanne a filthy expression. Dana Wright has always had a fascination with things that go bump in the night. She is often found playing at local bookstores, trying not to maim herself with crochet hooks or knitting needles, watching monster movies with her husband and furry kids or blogging about books. More commonly, she is chained to her computers, writing like a woman possessed. She is currently working on several children's stories, young adult fiction, romantic suspense, short stories and is trying her hand at poetry. She is a contributing author to Ghost Sniffer’s CYOA, Siren’s Call E-zine in their “Women in Horror” issue in February 2013 and "Revenge" in October 2013, a contributing author to Potatoes!, Fossil Lake, Of Dragons and Magic: Tales of the Lost Worlds, Undead in Pictures, Potnia, Shadows and Light, Dark Corners, Wonderstruck, Shifters: A Charity Anthology, Dead Harvest, Monster Diaries (upcoming), Holiday Horrors and the Roms, Bombs and Zoms Anthology from Evil Girlfriend Media. She is the author of Asylum due out in October 2014.   Dana has also reviewed music for Muzikreviews.com specializing in New Age and alternative music and has been a contributing writer to Eternal Haunted Summer, Nightmare Illustrated, Massacre Magazine, Metaphor Magazine, The Were Traveler October 2013 edition: The Little Magazine of Magnificent Monsters, the December 2013 issue The Day the Zombies Ruled the Earth. She currently reviews music at New Age Music Reviews and Write a Music Review.

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Twitter: @danawrite
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Posted by Dana Wright at 11:30 PM 9 comments Labels: Crafting Blooming Howls, fiction, Of Dragons and Magic: Tales of Lost Worlds, witch, Witches in Fiction
