Shazam!

Spells and spellcasting. The very first spell I clearly remember is salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo. Put them together and what do you get? Cinderella! A magic coach, horses, a footman, glass slippers and a beautiful ball gown and let’s not forget the handsome prince.

What makes the fairy-godmother’s words a spell? A spell is much like a prayer said with a great deal of intent, focus, and will that gives words (or nonsense ones) new meanings. Deborah Blake, an authority on Wiccans, explains that taking a shower can be a magical event. Your intent or goal is to wash away the stress of the day. You focus on the water pouring down on you and visualize your stress being washed away. Your will is to apply energy to the task. Along with the words she uses to increase the impact of the magick “Water, water, wash away all the stress of the day,” your shower becomes magickal. So, is Cinderella’s fairy-godmother invoking magick?

Her fairy-godmother cast her spell speaking an incantation to create a specific outcome. She clearly imagined what she wanted. She intended the magic coach, horse, etc. to all appear. She was keening focused on the results. And through sheer will she used all the energy at her disposal to make it happen.

What is a spell? Spells are written or spoken words together with set actions sometimes using objects, all with the intent to bring about specific results. The words are the important thing. The actions and objects are used to help the spellcaster concentrate and amplify their request. They use what they feel works well for them candles, herbs, oils, gems and other things. Color, phases of the moon and the day of the week may also play an important part of the spell.

Are there any rules for using magick? Deborah Blake, in her book, The Goddess is in the Details by Llewellyn Publications, July 2009, lays out the seven beliefs at the heart of being a witch.

1. Harm none. The Wiccan Rede says, “An it harm none, do as ye will.” While this sounds simple, whatever you do make certain you harm no one. That includes yourself and anyone else. She pointed out quite clearly that downstream affects are really unknown. This rule is a guideline and a reminder that the intent should always be to do good.
2. Do not interfere with free will. Everyone is responsible for their own actions and should not interfere with the actions of others. Not every witch (other regular person for that matter) seems to believe in this.
3. What you put out (into the universe) is what you get back. The Law of Return. I believe very strongly in this rule and I’m not a witch. I call it paying it forward. I truly believe that if you give of yourself will come back to you threefold.
4. As above, so below: Words have power. Witches believe that words have power. It is the reason why spells are said out loud—to announce your intention to the universe. They also believe symbols can be used to heighten the effects of words and can stand for objects or ideas. Sometimes they use candles, stones, water, wine, or anything that will help connect them to the object or idea. As above, so below means they not only have the power to effect change through symbolism and their connection with the universe, but they must also be careful with their words and thoughts. Ms. Blake gave a great example. If words have power, and you get back what you put out, think what would happen when you say, “I hate you.”
5. Magick is real and witches can use it to bring about positive change. With combination of their belief that they can bring about positive change and the power of words and symbols, they use intent and focus to alter their world.
6. We are part of nature. All Pagans have one thing in common—they respect nature and believe they are a part of it, not above it. While traditional religions view humans as superior, Pagans see themselves as guardians. Witches worship the mother earth, the nature goddess. They follow the cycle of the seasons and strive to connect to nature and stay close to their primordial gods.
7. The divine is in everything, including us. Pagans believe in the old gods and goddesses and that there is an element of the divine in everything. This is at the heart of what it means to be a witch. This connection to the universe and to the divine gives witches both power and responsibility. It connects them to every other living being.
8. So, let me leave you with this. Find a comfortable place to sit where you won’t be disturbed. Light a white candle, take a sip of red wine, hold the book your reading, and say:

The winds are still, as the words unfold.

Strong is the will, as the story is told.

Peace fills the room, and carries you away.

Imagination in bloom, the rest of the day.

Now sit back, open your book and enjoy the adventure. Happy Reading!

Oh... if I've enticed you to read a story with spells and adventure, you may like this one.

England, 1290

Lord Alex Stelton can't resist a challenge, especially one with a prize like this: protect a castle on the Scottish border for a year, and it's his. Desperate for land of his own, he'll do anything to win the estate—even enter a proxy marriage to Lady Lisbeth Reynolds, the rumored witch who lives there.

Feared and scorned for her second sight, Lisbeth swore she'd never marry, but she is drawn to the handsome, confident Alex. She sees great love with him but fears what he would think of her gift and her visions of a traitor in their midst.

Despite his own vow never to fall in love, Alex can't get the alluring Lisbeth out of his mind and is driven to protect her when attacks begin on the border. But as her visions of danger intensify, Lisbeth knows it is she who must protect him. Realizing they'll secure their future only by facing the threat together, she must choose between keeping her magic a secret and losing the man she loves.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/ZgvmDw

BN: http://bit.ly/ZQkCuY

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-guardian-s-witch

iBook:  https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-guardians-witch/id653078039?mt=11&at=1000lRmG

The Magic of Caerlaverock Castle

“It pulls at my heart with its beauty and purpose. It represents all I hold dear in a person, if that’s possible, heart, soul and strength.”    Laura Reynolds, The Highlander’s English Woman

I knew I found the right setting for my medieval ghost story, The Highlander's English Woman when I saw a picture of Caerlaverock Castle.

Reading Caerlaverock’s history I understood why the Maxwell family fought to hold it and why their enemies had to destroy it.

Caerlaverock Castle is a moated castle on the southern coast of Scotland in the Dumfries.  The unique equilateral triangular design and beauty of the castle, from the way it’s sited to its rich history, made Caerlaverock the perfect setting for my stories, The Maxwell Ghost and The Highlander’s English Woman.

There were several original fortifications that preceded the current castle, a Roman fort on Ward Law Hill and a British hill fort that was used until 950.

The earliest mention of Caerlaverock is the 1160s, when the lands were granted to the monks of Holm Cultram Abbey. Sixty years later, in 1220 the lands were granted to Sir John Maxwell by Alexander II of Scotland.

The Maxwell family has owned the Caerlaverock Castle ever since, but not without some intrigue and adventure. The clan leader changed allegiances from Scotland to England several times which resulted in sieges, destruction and rebuilding.

John Maxwell began construction of the first castle at Caerlaverock. A traditional square design with a moat and a north facing bridge, the building was one of the earliest stone castles built in Scotland. Archeologists believe that this castle was never completed when it was abandoned. This castle was built close to the Solway Firth. Built on clay the wood pilings were not able to bear the weight of the structure. In addition, the structure couldn’t be kept dry or comfortable.  Today, the foundations and part of a wooden enclosure around it is all that remains.

Work began on the new castle, six hundred feet south of the abandoned structure in 1260.  

Construction on the new (present) castle, on a solid rock outcropping and was completed in the 1270s. The castle’s first occupant was Herbert Maxwell, nephew of Sir John Maxwell.

Caerlaverock was the Maxwell family’s stronghold from the 13^th to the 17^th centuries. It underwent several sieges over the centuries and was finally abandoned in 1640. The castle has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, but retained its triangular plan.

In 1299, Maxwell forces from Caerlaverock Castle attached the English-held Lochmaben Castle. Edward I retaliated in July 1300 and attacked Caerlaverock with 87 knights and 3,000 men. Eustace Maxwell, the clan chief repelled the English several times. In the end, the garrison surrendered. King Edward was astounded that only sixty men held his army off.

Caerlaverock Castle remained in English hands until 1312 when the castle was returned to Sir Eustace Maxwell who pledged allegiance to the English king, Edward II. Later, Eustace switched his support to Robert the Bruce and the castle was unsuccessfully attacked by the English.

Because of Caerlaverock’s prime position on the England-Scottish border and the fear it could fall into the hands of the English who would have a strong command of the district, Sir Eustace dismantled the fortress, a sacrifice rewarded by Robert the Bruce.

In 1337 the castle was once again inhabited and once again the Eustace changed sides. About 1355 the castle was captured by the Scots.

The Maxwells regained Caerlaverock after the Wars of Independence in the mid-14^th century. Between 1373 and 1410, Robert Maxwell rebuilt much of the castle. His efforts were continued by Robert II in the mid-15^th century.

In 1567, the Maxwells supported Mary, Queen of Scots and Caerlaverock was once again under siege by the English in 1570. The Earl of Sussex led the English forces and demolished part of the castle.

In 1593, Lord John Maxwell repaired the castle for defense against the Johnstones of Annandale with whom he was feuding.

The Wars for Independence were replaced by wars of religion. In 1634, religious turmoil turned against the Catholic Maxwells. In 1640 the Protestant Covenanter army attacked Caerlaverock for thirteen weeks forcing the castle to surrender. The south wall and tower were demolished and the castle was never repaired or reoccupied.

The castle passed by inheritance to the Herries family and to the Duke of Norforlk. While currently owned by Lady Mary Mumford’s sister Baroness Herries, since 1946 the castle has been operated and managed by Historic Scotland. The castle remains the ancestral home of the Maxwell family.

The Highlander's English Woman 

Laura Reynolds and long-time friend of Jamie Maxwell Collins are in love. She adores his playful sense of humor, caring nature as well as his strong sense of honor. They have known each other from the time Jamie trained with her older brother at their home on the English side of Scottish border. Jamie has become an excellent soldier except he won’t fight and while she knows him well, she has no idea why.

Jamie Maxwell Collins lives on the Scottish side of the border. Carefree and open, he hides a dark secret so powerful it could destroy his family and those he cares for. He can’t involve Laura in this deception. He mustn’t give her hope for a future together. Instead, he ends their relationship.

While visiting Jamie’s uncle, Laura stumbles upon Jamie’s secret, but has nowhere to turn. The only person with the answer, her brother is gone, killed on a Welsh battlefield. In her heart of hearts she knows Jamie is innocent. Their relationship in tatters and with no hope of reconciliation, she plays a deadly game to find a way to exonerate Jamie even though it means agreeing to a political marriage. She has no idea the entire game has been orchestrated by her future husband, Jamie’s greatest enemy.

Buy Links

Amazon  https://amzn.com/B01LXYHNGS

iBook https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/highlanders-english-woman/id1158295266?mt=11    (http://apple.co/2eddatE)

B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-highlanders-english-woman-ruth-a-casie/1125365584?ean=2940157490539

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-highlander-s-english-woman

The Pirate's Jewel - Releases Today!

Deception and family honor are at stake, so is the heroine’s heart in this new medieval pirate romance from USA Today bestselling author, Ruth A. Casie.

The Pirate’s Jewel

Wesley Reynolds will do anything to avenge his family’s banishment from Dundhragon Castle even throw in with the notorious pirate, MacAlpin. His plan, ruin Lord Ewan’s trading network. He has a more devious plan for his father’s ‘best friend,’ the man who abandoned them at the eleventh hour. He’ll ruin the man’s most precious jewel, his daughter Darla. Wesley’s so close to ruining the trade network and succeeding he can almost taste it, but revenge is not nearly as sweet as Darla’s kisses.

Darla Maxwell, beloved by her parents has no prospects of marriage. Her father and Lord Ewan search to find her the right husband. Darla’s special gifts are frightening to many. She has visions that often come true. The murky image of a man haunts her, she’s sure it’s Lord Ewan’s soon-to-be son-in-law, but the vision morphs when she meets Wesley. The meaning couldn’t be any clearer to her, her destiny lies with Wesley.

When revelations surface indicating Wesley has been deceived and his revenge misplaced. Will he find the truth of what really happened to his family in time to stop the pirates? Will Darla ever forgive him? Will he ever forgive himself?

Buy Link: https://amzn.to/2Cyrbev

RUTH A. CASIE is a USA Today bestselling author of historical and contemporary romance. Her stories feature strong women and the men who deserve them, endearing flaws and all.

Ruth lives in New Jersey with her hero, three empty bedrooms and a growing number of incomplete counted cross-stitch projects. Before she found her writing voice, she was a speech therapist (pun intended), client liaison for a corrugated manufacturer, and vice president at an international bank where she was a product/marketing manager, but her favorite job is the one she’s doing now—writing romance.

Visit her website to see what she writes. Her historical swashbuckling action-adventures and contemporary suspense will keep you turning the pages until the end. She hopes her stories become your favorite adventures.

Facebook, @RuthACasie, Twitter, @RuthACasie, Pinterest RuthACasie. Instagram RuthACasie

One Man's Villain Is Another Man's Hero

Sir Francis Drake and William Kidd. Villain or hero? To the Spanish, Sir Francis Drake – as well as most Englishmen – were pirates and heretics because they attacked Spanish lands and were not Catholics. To the English Drake was a hero and a privateer, someone legally licensed to plunder enemy ships. The French called Captain Kidd a pirate for much the same reason. Kidd, at the Governor’s request was part of the fleet defending the Caribbean island of Nevis against the French. The governor did not pay the sailors for defending the island, telling them instead to take their pay from the French.

Villain or hero? Pirate or privateer? What is the difference? What’s in a name?

Technically, pirates and privateers are the same. They both attack and rob ships at sea. The difference is a privateer is backed by a government. Corsair and buccaneer also defined as pirate, a thief who preys on ships at sea similar to highwaymen who prey on coaches on land. Yet the words aren’t quite the same and what constitutes a pirate at one point in history isn’t quite the same at another time.

How many synonyms can you think of for “pirate”? We’ve already mentioned buccaneer and corsair, but words like marauder and swashbuckler have also been interchangeable with “pirate,” but are they really the same?

Below are several synonyms for pirate provided by Cindy Vallar.

Sea dogs were English pirates (some were privateers) that attacked Spanish ships and towns, particularly in the Spanish Main during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Perhaps the best known of these gentlemen adventurers was Sir Francis Drake. Today, this word refers to a seasoned sailor toughened by his experiences at sea.

Buccaneers acquired their name from the French word boucanier. Based on the island of Hispaniola, these rugged men hunted oxen and boar, then smoked the strips of meat over a barbecue or boucan. When the Spanish government tried to get rid of them, they took to the sea and raided Spanish ships and towns. The English anglicized the French term to buccaneers. By the seventeenth century pirates who preyed on ships in the Caribbean were called buccaneers and operated out of Tortuga and Port Royal during the 1600s. The best known of the buccaneers was Sir Henry Morgan. The cruelist was Jean David Nau, also known as François L’Olonnais. In the seventeenth century, buccaneers who sailed from Tortuga, Port Royal, and Petit Goave were also known as the Brotherhood and the Brethren of the Coast.

Corsairs roamed the Mediterranean Sea in oared galleys for nearly three centuries. They were based in North Africa, in the Barbary States of Algiers, Tunis, Morroco, and Tripoli. Initially privateers under the Ottoman Empire, they devolved into piracy and menaced shipping into the early eighteenth century. Instead of gold or spices, they sought people whom they either held for ransom or sold into slavery. The word corsair is also used to denote French privateers, particularly during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The term derives from the French corsaire, which means privateer, and from the French word for a nautical cruise, la course. Their principal port was Saint Malo, La Cité Corsaire.

Spaniards referred to runaway slaves as cimarrónes, which the English and French shortened to maroons. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, marooners became synonymous with pirates of the Caribbean, perhaps because they would maroon one of their own on a desert island with little or no food if they committed an egregious act against the company. This was deemed a fitting punishment since the marooned pirate either died a slow death or shot himself.

Dutch pirates were called zeerovers. In the last sixteenth century, another term sometimes used for pirate was vrijbuiter (freebooter), but it had a variety of meanings: adventurer, buccaneer, free spirit, libertine, pirate, and pillager.

Around the same time that freebooter entered the English language, the French referred to their Caribbean pirates as flibustiers. Translated into English as filibuster, this word referred to seventeenth-century buccaneers, especially those who were French, Dutch, and English – Spain’s typical enemies. Perhaps the best-known flibustier was Michel de Grammont, who became their leader during the 1670s. Instead of choosing captain for his title, he picked chevalier, the French word for knight. In the nineteenth century, filibusters came to mean armed American adventurers and later politicians.

Swashbuckler first appeared in the sixteenth century to refer to someone who made a loud noise by striking his sword against his buckle or shield. In the twentieth century, Rafael Sabatini used the term as a dashing and daring soldier, adventurer, or pirate, such as Captain Peter Blood, giving birth to the swashbuckler genre of adventure fiction. Today the word often refers to pirates or movies about them.

To pirateer meant the men aboard a privateer attacked any ship, not just those of the enemy. The Calendars of State Papers during Charles II’s reign (1660-1685) mention the word.

Wherever there are seas there are pirates. The difference between being a pirate and a privateer was oftentimes a thin line that some men crossed. Are these terms interchangeable? It would seem so. Researching to identify the top two or three in each category was hopeless. Many times the same person could be found on multiple lists.

My definition of pirate is different. The romantic in me sees a pirate, privateer, marauder, or swashbuckler as someone who displays behaviors and makes decisions that are morally and emotional awe inspiring. Sounds like a hero to me!

Releasing February 12, 2019 by Ruth A. Casie…

The Pirate's Jewel

a Pirate's of Britannia story

Wesley Reynolds will do anything to avenge his family’s banishment from Dundhragon Castle even throw in with the notorious pirate, MacAlpin. His plan: ruin Lord Ewan’s trading network. He has a more devious plan for his father’s best friend, the man who abandoned them at the eleventh hour. He’ll ruin the man’s most precious jewel, his daughter Darla. Wesley gets so close to succeeding he can almost taste it, but revenge is not nearly as sweet as Darla’s kisses.

Darla Maxwell, beloved by her parents has no prospects of marriage. Her father and Lord Ewan search to find the right husband. Darla’s special gifts are frightening to many. She has visions that often come true. The murky image of a man haunts her, she’s sure it’s Lord Ewan’s soon-to-be son-in-law, but the vision morphs when she meets Wesley. The meaning couldn’t be any clearer.

Revelations surface indicating Wesley has been deceived and his revenge misplaced. Will he find the truth of what really happened to his family in time to stop the pirates? Will Darla forgive him? Will he ever forgive himself?

Top 10 Reasons Why I Write Historicals

Years ago, and I mean YEARS ago before ebooks, I did a lot of international travel for business. But I can remember my first trip overseas very clearly. It was a two week trip to five European cities. I brought six novels thinking I would catch up on my reading—there never seemed to be enough time at home with three small children. I finished one and a half books before I landed.

  

I know, how could I leave them? It wasn’t easy. My days were filled with client calls with the local bank directors, but most late afternoons, evenings and the weekend I was on my own. I filled the time with walking tours of the city, sometimes in groups other times using the track provided by the hotel.

Each time I came face to face with history; the Grand Place in Brussels, the Place de la Concorde in Paris, and HamptonCourt in England. As I went on to the different cities I tried to hear the sounds, smell the aromas, and see the sights from a different perspective, a different time. Stories by Julie Garwood, Jude Deveraux, Johanna Lindsey and Lynn Kurland had me enthralled along with Clive Cussler.

I know, he's not exactly romance but his Dirk Pit stories always start with some historical fact or thread that's crucial to solving the mystery. I read my books at night and visited places where I could imagine the stories unfolding. 

I promised you a list of reasons why I write historicals. Here it is:

1. I LOVE history. I’m captivated with the past. Sometimes I think I was meant to be born in another time.
2. I like research. Even if I have a detailed outline of my story I find I’m researching while I’m writing. If I’m not careful I can easily get distracted for hours. I’ve even taken classes, how old manuscripts were made and how to transcribe them from Stanford University. Witch Craft in the Middle Ages from the University of Barcelona. It goes back to enjoying history. 
3. Historical facts mixed with chivalry and magic made the most compelling stories to me. The romance of the middle ages and Renaissance with their knights and princesses and their myths of druids, fairies, and fae tossed in for good measure all drew me in.
4. I enjoy reading how people reacted and solved issues in their time. Things we take for granted today were challenges in earlier times. Just think about travel, washing clothes and cooking.
5. I like to read stories where women push the limits of their time and how people around them, especially the men they love respond. I don’t enjoy reading a story where a woman is the victim unless she rises to the challenge and becomes the true heroine of the story.
6. Time travel stories and the ability to change the past, protect the future, or simply experience a different time made all things possible. Personally, I want my fiction based on fact but I don't necessarily want the cold truth of reality. I know that history doesn't always end with a happily ever after but taking a little poetic license to alter history just a bit to make it all work out is what I enjoy reading. 
7. I’m a romantic. I love reading about the courtship rituals of the past and comparing them to today. I was really surprised when I researched medieval romance and found that many of the established courtship rituals up until the 1950’s were based on the Medieval and Renaissance periods. It made me love knights in shining armor all the more!
8. I enjoy exploring human emotions, figure out motivations and how they can be so similar to motivations today.
9. Like Mary Jo Putney, I believe historical stories have a mythical element you don’t find in contemporary stories. There is a license to exaggerate, as long as the situation is plausible, with risks that reach beyond limits, and men that are bigger than life.
10.  After years of writing marketing and product information for an international bank, which was anything but creative, I thoroughly enjoy creative writing. It is such a wonderful outlet for all the stories and characters that run around in my head.

Why do you write or read historicals? I would love to know.