Hello, cozy reader! We're gliding into the end of August, and I hope you are enjoying these last golden days of summer before the transition to fall. If you're like me, you may be feeling a little sad about the things we are having to skip this year. My girls and I LOVE the local fair—so much that the last two years we've spent something like eleven hours there. When I was a kid, it was about the midway, but the girls love it all—the animal barns, the horse exhibitions, the petting zoo, and yeah the roller coaster and of course, THE FOOD. This photo is from our first trip to the Evergreen State Fair, in 2017, and is one of my favorites. They look so small! I hope you are finding joy in the things you are able to do this year, even while feeling a little nostalgic for summers past. 

I have really been enjoying just spending time in my own yard. I'm looking closer at everything, and discovering so many new things. Like the fact the tall, dry grass at the back of our yard is a pale golden color, and waves beautifully in the breeze. And that there's a trail in the grass leading to our fenceline that was most likely made by a bear! Two nights ago, we heard a barred owl calling so close to the house that our youngest came running to our bedroom, afraid the coyotes were attacking. A few minutes later, we did in fact hear coyotes.

With book three in The Faery Rehistory series completed, these last few weeks have turned out to be the perfect time to start up my witch research. I've had so much fun with it! While I started it mainly because I have a new historical fantasy series in mind, I feel like this is something that's been missing from my life just generally. Such a rich history, and I love the witch's connection to the earth and its rhythms. It really speaks to me! One of the things I'm trying out is an e-mail based class called Night School, taught by Maia Toll, who created (along with illustrator Kate O'Hara) the wonderful witchy series that starts with The Illustrated Herbiary (there's also Bestiary, and coming soon, Crystallary). The class is broken up into bite-sized learnings and reflections, and I find it grounding—very much a self-care ritual. Here is some of the class's description: 

What if you could tap into your wild wisdom, deepening the knowledge you already hold within yourself? What if there was a school that taught ancient magic and myth without ignoring science and the systems of the natural world? ... Connect with yourself and your intuition during those few moments of silence after everyone else has gone to bed.

Yes please. In addition to Maia's class, I've been diving deep into my issues of Enchanted Living Magazine—because truth be told I usually only have time to flip through them, reading lightly and perusing the wonderful photography. I'm drawing so much inspiration from the artists and creators they interview! In particular, artist Terri Foss who talks about the role of magic in her life, and how she's used it to achieve her goals and dreams. 

Truth of the matter is I have SO many resources right now, and these are only a few. I'll get back to you with my other favorites. But for now, if you are looking for something that can help you reconnect with the joy of our natural world, while providing some grounding in these difficult days, you might enjoy exploring this topic along with me. The gorgeous photography and illustrations alone in these two particular resources are guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing.

Book stuff, comfort food, and a paranormal romance giveaway

While I don't have much in the way of book updates this time, it is VERY exciting that book two in The Faery Rehistory, The Raven Lady, will be out in LESS THAN TWO MONTHS! You can preorder it from pretty much everywhere, and preorders help SO much in creating buzz for a new release. You can also help by reviewing book one, The Absinthe Earl, if you've read it! If you want to post about the books, please feel free to grab any photos or graphics I've used on my Instagram or Twitter accounts.

I'm so excited for you to read The Raven Lady! The main character is Duncan O'Malley, smuggler and cousin of the Irish queen—you may remember meeting him in The Absinthe Earl. He was one of those characters who had too much charm and personality to get stuck with only a supporting role. Duncan has been promoted to king of fairies by his cousin, and he is finding it to be A LOT. To make matters worse, the queen also wants him to marry the daughter of their enemy, the Icelandic Elf King. I love a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance! 

Comfort food

I wanted to share a quick recipe that has been a lifesaver for me. One day I had no ideas for dinner, nothing thawed from the freezer, and no motivation whatsoever. (For a laugh and a glimpse into my reality—except at someone else's house—check out this Instagram post.) I got it in my head that there must be some yummy thing you can make with pasta, egg, and cheese. Friend, I WAS RIGHT. This Spaghetti, with Butter, Egg & Cheese is true comfort food, and so easy. Everyone loved it. I didn't have spaghetti so I used egg noodles, and honestly I think egg noodles is how I will always make it. But you can probably use just about any pasta. The second time I made it, I sautéed and tossed in some baby Oregon shrimp, and that was delicious too. 

This month's giveaway

I'll have more book updates next month (and plenty of squeeing about SPOOKY SEASON), but for now I'll leave you with a new giveaway. The Absinthe Earl is included, along with 30 paranormal romances and a new eReader. Vivien Jackson's scifi romance Wanted & Wired is also part of the giveaway. Vivien was a guest of The Cozy Read a while back, and I really enjoyed her book. This is a BookBub giveaway, so the more authors you follow, the more chances you have to win. See you in September!