Throwback Thursday: Winter Tales

In 2014 I found myself in the unique position of having the time to write.  My life had been busy and chaotic as I scrambled to learn the book binding trade and to make space in our small home to house Pegana Press, the Bindery, my energy medicine practice, and SoundChaser Productions.  As the living space became smaller and the space we needed to conduct business in our house grew larger, I found myself growing more overwhelmed and disorganized.  All the boundary lines between work and personal time became blurred.

But then something happened to change all of that.  I injured my shoulder and could do nothing.  The pain was intense, and I would sit in front of the fire for hours.  Those days spent in front of the fire allowed me to quiet my mind, and stories began to come through.

Mike ended up printing three of them in a letterpress chapbook titled Winter Tales.  Below is an interview conducted by Mike which contains two short readings...one from The Voice of Fire (at the beginning of the recording), and one from Cup of Cheer (10 minutes and 33 seconds into the recording).  During the rest of the interview we talk about the stories.

I share this interview here in the spirit of the coming winter season.  Thank you for listening.  Winter Tales letterpress chapbook available from Pegana Press. 

The Golden Key

The Golden Key by George MacDonald
with illustrations by Charles van Sandwyk
available from Pegana Press 2015

This is the latest book I've been binding for Pegana Press.  The Golden Key by George MacDonald with illustrations by Charles van Sandwyk.  This book has kept me really busy since early November.  It's a big enough responsibility to bind books for collectors who have pre-ordered the book sight unseen, but it's been an even bigger responsibility since our release coincides with the season when people are thinking about Christmas gifts, and some of our customers have ordered the book to give as gifts.  I can not help but be aware of what a great honor that is--that someone would trust us to help make their loved one's Christmas special. 

But I'm breathing a little easier now that I've filled almost all the preorders.  All of the books designated as gifts, should be shipped out in time to arrive before Christmas.

It really is a special book.  Typeset all by hand and letterpress printed on multicolored pages in Rose, Custard, Green, and Blue.  With 3 pen and ink illustrations and a hand signed watercolor frontispiece by Charles van Sandwyk.  Also each book is hand bound with cloth covered boards and inset letterpress title on the front of the book.

It is a wonderful fairy story and we wanted the book to reflect the tradition of books dating back 100 years.

You can see more images of the book at Pegana Press Books.

Here's a quote from The Golden Key

    ... And her great blue eyes looked down on the little Tangle, as if all the stars in the sky were melted in them to make their brightness.

     "Ah! but," said Tangle, "when people live long they grow old.  At least I always thought so."

     "I have not time to grow old," said the lady.  "I am too busy for that.  It is very idle to grow old..." 

Hmmm, I'll have to remember that.

Hearth & Heart Autumn 2015 update

________________________
Hearth & Heart Autumn 2015
cover mock up

I was hoping to have this edition out by now, but things keep happening to delay.  I have almost the whole thing ready to go, but I needed to reproduce 4 major images and I'm not satisfied with the quality.  I guess I need to find another printer.

Zoë is another reason.  I have decided not to use that stupid over-sized cone on her, so that means that from time to time, I have to remind her not to start exploring her wound site, while it heals.  She's doing amazing.  I actually got some sleep last night.  I feel lucky that I work from home, because it allows me to be present with her.  One less thing to stress about.  And one thing I know from experience working in energy medicine with my own animals and with others, is that our human stress over our loved ones, slows down their healing process.  My analysis is that it causes an interference pattern in your psyche, which inhibits your ability to "see" your sick animal as healthy.  (Or to use the more familiar language of Abraham-Hicks, --You won't be a vibrational match with that outcome.)

I got some amazing insight into the physiology of a cat, while doing Zoë 's session last night.  It was so magical, that I might try and find a way to share it in story form.

I'm also doing some book binding work right now.  Pegana Press is releasing The Golden Key by George MacDonald with illustrations by Charles Van Sandwyk.  (hopefully by the end of September).  Visit the link to view photos of the book.

Well now it's off to work I go.

Cup of Cheer

Cup of Cheer is one of the short stories from Winter Tales.  The setting for this story is an inn on the frontier that borders "the land to the West and the land to the East".  Not only is the frontier a threshold between worlds, as all borders are, but it is the departure point for the narrator of the story.

A page from Cup of Cheer which appears in Winter Tales from Pegana Press

This is the final week end to get Winter Tales at the special preorder price.  This letterpress chapbook is limited to 50 copies and will be released on Monday January 19, 2015.  You may order your copy at Pegana Press Books.

Listen to excerpts read from Winter Tales in this discussion.

The Voice of Fire

Do you ever sit in front of a fire, and listen to the song it sings?  Have you ever hearkened to The Voice of Fire?  A story of magical realism by Rita Tortorello.  One of three short stories in Winter Tales available through Pegana Press.

The Voice of Fire from Winter Tales available through Pegana Press.

Here is a page from the letterpress chapbook, Winter Tales.  Special preorder price is available through January 18, 2015 at Pegana Press.


You can listen here to an excerpt read by the author.