Wishing you the very best this season. Blessings of the ancestors be with you as we walk into winter.
Samhain Blessings, Blessed Winternights, and Happy Hallowe’en!
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Book 4, Smugglers and Secrets, is available for pre-order!
I’m so excited for the release of the next book in my Witches of the New Forest series. So here it is! Smugglers and Secrets, Book 4 is now available for pre-order!
I’ve had so much wonderful feedback from my new foray into the world of fiction writing, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much this means to me. Ever since I began writing fiction at the tender age of thirteen, I knew that this was what I wanted to do with my life. And now the dream is a reality!
Will there be more non-fiction books in the future? Most likely, but right now I am enjoying writing fiction so much that everything else is kind of taking a backseat.
Book 4 is the beginning of Ryder’s story. The younger sister, she is adventurous and incorrigible. The adventure continues with Ryder’s tale!
Samhain is approaching, and that can only mean one thing: ghostly, paranormal activity is ramping up in the little village of Burley. Join Ryder for her new adventure, alongside the usual cast of characters including Hunter, Jack, Elspeth, Harriet, Dougal, and of course, Finnvarr, in this, the fourth book of the Witches of the New Forest series.
The pub is said to be haunted, and Ryder finds out first-hand that the old tales are true. Her own magickal powers are beginning to surface, and she starts her journey at full throttle (because, really, is there any other way for her to be?). She loves a good mystery, and finds herself smack dab in the middle of a ghostly one, with twists and turns that see her just struggling to keep up, let alone solve. As well, there is still trouble with the Hardwicks in the form of the handsome, yet decidedly unpleasant Xander Hardwick whom she keeps running into in the most unlikeliest of places. Determined to come into her own power, and find out just who she truly is, can she withstand the challenges that lie ahead?
A new mystery, romance, and spellbinding adventure awaits you in the New Forest!
Paperbacks are unfortunately not available for pre-order, but will be released on the same date as the Kindle and Rakuten Kobo editions, which is the 31st October 2025.
I hope you enjoy it!
Lammas/Lughnasadh Update!
It’s the 1st August: Lammas, Lughnasadh. The first harvest festival, it comes as a welcome respite for me. I’ve been away in Canada visiting family, and the 35 to 38C temperatures were horrendous. To come back to the UK and step outside Heathrow airport to feel the cool, rainy air on my skin was pure bliss, despite the jet fumes and cigarette smoke that floated on it.
Now home in Suffolk, I can look out over my garden and see that the grass that had burned in the hot summer sunshine is now coming back to green. We’ve had rain since I’ve been away, and the drought has abated. But still the crops were being taken in even as I drove to the airport, the fields of wheat being cut on the 6th July, for they had grown to their stunted height and already dried out in the blazing sun. Now the scent of onions is in the air, as the first root vegetable crops are being taken in. Everything is a month ahead of schedule because of the lack of rain this winter, spring, and early summer.
What this harvest will bring for local farmers I can’t really say, but I’m pretty certain the yield will be much less than usual, or rather, we are reaching a new normal. If climate change continues, what is grown in this region of East Anglia will most likely need to change. The plants in my garden survived, thanks to vigorous watering, even as the water butts ran out at the end of May. We have saved as much water as we could, whenever we could, to give back to the parched land. My neighbour and I have been taking turns watering the deer, as on one side of the heath where there is a large herd they are fenced in and the little ones aren’t able to jump over to reach water. To see the ground on the heath cracked and dry already in May was heartbreaking.
But we carry on, because there is nothing else we can do. The sunshine has kept our batteries for the home topped up nicely over the summer via our solar panels, and all our electricity as well as water heating has been taken care of with ease. We’ve sold a bunch of electricity back to the grid, and made a decent profit. At one point we were even paid to take energy from the grid to top up our batteries, as for a few days with the wind there was a surplus of energy in the grid, and in the wee hours of the morning we were being paid to take electricity from the energy providers, as they do not have enough storage. What a strange world we are living in!
The harvest continues in the land around me, and I ponder my own harvest, both materialistically and spiritually. It’s been a wonderful year for me with the release of my new fiction series, Witches of the New Forest. The books have been a great success, and at the moment are providing me with an actual living wage; the first time my writing has ever done so! The dream of a 13-year old girl in her bedroom, pounding away at a manual typewriter in the hope of becoming a fantasy fiction author have been realised.
Spiritually, things have been incredibly busy, and so I’ve had to adapt my routines, daily prayers, and offerings. There was a bit of disconnection this summer, as everything in my life seemed to ramp up, but now things have settled and I am finding a new home in my own practice, dedicated to the goddess, Freya, and working with the spirits of this land where I live.
As such, today I will take some time out to do some baking: to offer it back to the land, the gods, the spirits. Even as the thunderclouds roll in from the north, I will honour the gifts of sunshine and rain, of earth and sky, of nourishment and sustenance. For this is what Lammas is all about: giving back. For many Pagans, they might feel a bit adrift during this festival, not entirely sure what it’s all about, especially if one is living in an urban environment. The wheat and barley harvest seems so very far away, as do other harvests. But the food that we eat still reaches our tables (hopefully) and to this cycle of growing, reaping, and transformation we pay homage at this time of year with a celebration of the first harvests. It was important to our ancestors, and even if we are not ourselves out in the fields cutting down the golden stalks under the sun, we can still honour where it is that we came from, and what had great meaning to those who have gone before.
Being thankful for what we have received is a large part of all the harvest festivals. Early this morning, before sunrise, I gave thanks to Freya in her aspect of Gefn, The Giver, for all the bounty that I have received. In the giving of thanks, we come to truly know and feel gratitude, and in feeling gratitude, we understand the nature of blessings, and of being blessed. We no longer take so many things for granted and instead, see the gifts that lie all around us, if we only open our eyes to see them.
In deep relationship, we weave our way through our lives, becoming part of the tapestry of life that flows in and out of time, one thread upon the other, bringing beauty, inspiration, and love.
May your Lammas and harvest be plentiful, and may you know the joy and blessings of gratitude. As a beautiful friend just messaged me on WhatsApp, As the grain turns golden in the fields, may the moments of your life turn into golden memories.
Visiting Mont Tremblant
I did manage to visit an old friend, Mont Trembant National Park, while I was back in Quebec, Canada, where we had a three-day respite from the heat throughout the month of July. Some of these photos are taken on the trails just outside the park, and some within.
It does my heart good to return to this sacred land, and the mountain that was once known as Manitonga Soutana, the mountain of the spirits, which designates the highest summit in the region and an important place of passage where ceremonies were held. According to legend, the Algonquians (Anishinabe) believed that the Spirit made the mountain tremble when people disturbed nature. It might also refer to the water coursing down the slopes of the mountain which caused this impression of trembling for the people lying on the ground. The name Mont Tremblant reflects this legend.
A six-hour hike took us to the top of Nez d’Indian (Indian’s nose – this mountain desperately needs to be renamed or given its original Indigenous toponym. There is also Chutes Diables (Devil’s Falls, again, let’s rename this, please!)
To see more short videos from my stay in Quebec, head on over to my YouTube channel HERE!
As I mentioned previously, my fiction series, Witches of the New Forest, is doing really well, and I had just finished writing the manuscript for Book 4 before heading out to Quebec. We are now in full editing mode, and we are on schedule for a 31st October release date! This will be Ryder’s story, whose adventures will certainly match those of her sister in the first three books!
In other news, I’ve had to cancel my appearance at this year’s Witchfest, as upon my return to the UK I received the dates for some surgery that I need (it’s not anything bad, just something that needs to be done before things deteriorate further). I will be in and out of appointments until the end of December, and so I’ve had to wipe my calendar of most things for the rest of this year. I hope that the new venue for Witchfest is a success, and I can’t wait to attend next year!
That’s it for the moment! I wish you all a blessed Lammas/Lughnasadh!
The Witch’s Compass is Out Today!
Today is the day! The Witch’s Compass, Book 3 of my new fiction series, Witches of the New Forest, is out now!
Everything you do, everything you think, is a spell.
Hunter Williams is coming into her own power, despite having lost her way. Hunter’s past has dictated her future for many, many years. This is beginning to affect her not only as a person, but also as Witch. Her magick starts to change, and sometimes not for the better. As she steps into the Witch’s Compass, she finds a return to her authentic self, and under the protection of a goddess, she begins the final stages of her quest to cross the veil between the worlds to reunite her family. The adventure continues with Hunter, Jack, Ryder, Elspeth and Abigail!
Can Hunter and Jack reconcile, after everything that has happened? Will their love see them through the many hardships that still await them? Will Hunter be able to get a better grasp on her pride, her emotions and her powers? Only the Witch’s Compass can guide her…
Don’t forget, Hunter still has the daunting task of trying to free Aedon, if she can find him. And what will the sisters do with their legacy ? Will they stay in in the New Forest, becoming fully-fledged members of the magickal community, or will they return back to Canada? Where does that leave the magickal community of Burley, now possibly embroiled in a Witch War that could threaten their very existence?
The Witch’s Compass finishes Hunter’s trilogy, before we move on to her sister, Ryder’s story in Smugglers and Secrets, Book 4 of the Witches of the New Forest (out at the end of 2025).
Thank you to everyone for your kind words and support for this project. It is so good to be writing fiction again, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy this series!
P.S. Head on over to my website for links to free bonus material for each book!
Blessings,
Joanna
It’s Beltane!
Beltane is, for me, a season, which started last week when the earth warmed up, the hawthorn came out and the house martins returned. The cuckoo is singing in the wood, the swallows are hunting in the horse paddocks, the bluebells are in full force and the bucks are about to drop their antlers. It’s Beltane here in Suffolk!
And so, with that, I’d like to wish each and every one of you a blessed Beltane season.
Reading of Chapter 3 from Hedge Witch, Book 1 of Witches of the New Forest
Not long now!!!
Re-structuring of my Patreon Page
Hello everyone! I’m so sorry that I’ve been away for a bit. I’ve had to take some time off because I developed carpal tunnel syndrome (again) and have been overdoing it workwise. The body just sometimes forces me to take a break, which is difficult when you’ve got deadlines approaching! But there you go; self-care is a necessity.
In this forced time-off, I’ve had the chance to mull over a few things, such as looking at where my focus needs to be right now. And all things point straight to my writing. I’ve stopped doing so much other media, such as making videos for my YouTube channel, because I just don’t have the time. As well, my photography has taken a back seat, because all the muses are screaming at me to write, write, WRITE!!! And when the muses call, I must listen.
I’ve thought long and hard as well about my Patreon site too. I tossed around a few ideas in my head last month already, about the different tiers and what people can expect from me on a monthly basis. And I’ve come to realise that it is still too much for me to take on at this moment. Therefore, there is going to be a re-structure of my Patreon page very shortly. Don’t worry, I’m not disappearing completely!
With the economic crisis worldwide, everyone is feeling the crunch. As such, I thought, well, why don’t I make my Patreon page accessible to EVERYONE? Having tiers means that not only are some people left out, but it also puts extra pressure on my time to deliver. And when the original idea for these tiers is now almost defunct, due to my need to write instead of providing other forms of media, I knew that I had to change the way I do things here on Patreon. Last month I had a go at doing a halfway-house of sorts, but it just didn’t feel right.
And so, now I’ve decided to just have three tiers: those who want to support me on Patreon, and another two for the divination tiers. For those who just want to support me on Patreon, and have access to posts about the writing that I am currently doing (and other writing-related things) then it is simply going to be $1 a month. This provides access to samples of the writing that I am working on, thoughts about writing, the joys and the struggles. The other two divination tiers will remain the same: one a basic divination and the other a full divination tier. In time, these divination tiers might also be removed, dependent upon my time constraints, but for now, we will see how we go!
And so there you have it: a Patreon page that is stream-lined and accessible for more people to partake in. If you are currently in a specific tier, you will have to switch to the $1 tier yourself, because I cannot do that for you as I don’t have access to your personal accounts. If you’d like to switch up to the divination tiers, the same applies. If you don’t switch, you will still pay the same amount that you are currently paying every month, and if that is fine with you, then great, thank you!
Things change, and I realized that I had to change alongside the demands of my schedule. Writing is, and always has been, my life’s passion, and I am so blessed to be able to do this, especially my fiction writing, which I love! It’s what I’ve always dreamed of doing, ever since I was a thirteen-year-old girl sitting in my room with an old manual typewriter that my mother had when she was in college. I was going to be a writer, I thought. And now I can tell that little girl who still resides in my heart that yes, you are!
Thank you so much for helping me to get to where I am now. My Patreon page helped to support me in the earlier stages of my writing career. When I fell in love with other forms of media, such as video and photography, it helped to fund the equipment that I needed, such as a better camera, gimble, and eventually a second-hand drone for beautiful aerial shots. Now, I just need your support to help me to continue to write books, and to keep them coming for many, many years.
You have all been on this journey with me, and for that, I am so grateful. Many, many blessings, and I hope that you will continue this journey with me for many more years to come!
P.S. For this month (April) I will still be providing the herbcraft and spellcraft sections, for those who have paid for this month. I shall also try to get another journal entry sorted for those in the $5 and $3 tiers. Thank you!
Click HERE to go to my Patreon Page.
Website re-vamped!
So, I spent all weekend updating and refreshing my website. When you run the whole show in your author life (on the self-publishing side), you start to learn and develop a whole new set of skills, such as creating your own website, designing your book covers, your marketing visuals, and more. And so this weekend was a big change (at least for me) on moving forward with my writing career.
I wanted to add something fun to the website as well, and thought, what if I created a music playlist for the different books in my Witches of the New Forest series? So I did!
Each track is a mood, emotion, or scene from the book, run in sequential order through the chapters. It was a new way of looking at the work, and Ioved creating it!
I will also be adding some bonus scenes in the next few weeks for both Hedge Witch and The Veil Between the Worlds. I hope you like them!
Wow, That Was Fast!!!
Hot on the heels of the first book, Hedge Witch in my new fiction series, Witches of the New Forest, is this new second book, The Veil Between the Worlds. How did it come about so fast? I’ll tell you!
The first two books in this series were actually written one right after the other. As the story crosses over both books, I didn’t want to leave a huge gap in between them, as there is a bit of a cliffhanger ending in the first book! So, when I finished writing the first one, I immediately began the second. Once the second book was finished, then I started editing the first. When the editing was done, I then released it, and began editing for the second. So, September/October was spent editing Hedge Witch, and October/November was spend editing The Veil Between the Worlds.
The third book in the series, The Witch’s Compass, will be out late spring/early summer of 2025. This will the the third part of Hunter’s trilogy, before we move on to her sister, Ryder’s story. That’s going to be fun to write! Ryder is a great character, as is Hunter, but so, so very different.
The Veil Between the Worlds is availabe for pre-order on the Kindle version only. The paperback is not available for pre-order, but will be released at the same time as the Kindle version comes out, which is 1 December 2024.
I am having so much fun writing these books. Writing fiction is such a joy, and is what I have always wanted to do. Ever since I was twelve years old, I’ve had stories running through my head that I just had to write. It started with handwriting in unused school notebooks, and then moved onto an old manual, clackety typewriter before our family got an old second-hand electronic typewriter, which was much better for my hands than the other, older one! I wish I still had that little, blue typewriter that I began my writing career with nearly forty years ago.
It was only decades later that I released my first book, and from there went to writing non-fiction books on subjects that were so very dear to my heart: Druidry and Witchcraft, with some Zen Buddhism thrown in for good measure. I am so very proud of the work that I have accomplished over the years, and I still have another book coming out in the non-fiction category: The Old Ways, A Hedge Witch’s Guide to Living a Magickal Life (published through Llewellyn). This one will be released on 8 April 2025, but is available for pre-order now.
All of my work is written from the heart. Whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, I only write what I am passionate about, what I love. I feel that is the best way to write, and I am so blessed to be able to do this kind of work. Through the support of those who have followed me throughout the years, my readers, followers on social media, and my Patreon community I have been able to continue writing, and creating other content such as videos, music and more. Truly, I am blessed.
Authors today need support. The market is changing so quickly, with so many new challenges to face. Technology is racing away, with very little thought as to the repercussions on human beings, their lifestyle, their livelihoods and their creativity. If you have favourite authors, please support them any way you can. Buying their books is, of course, the best way, but did you know that leaving reviews on Amazon will help a book be seen to more people? Even if it is just a star rating that you have the time for, it all makes such a difference. Written reviews also help the author to see what people liked and didn’t like about the work, and can inspire them in their own creativity and help them to progress in their career. Leaving reviews on other platforms such as Goodreads helps to get the word out as well. And don’t forget to share social media posts from your favourite authors, as word of mouth is still one of the best ways you can help!
I hope that you enjoy my new fiction series. And don’t forget, books make excellent holiday gifts!
Many blessings to you,
Joanna
P.S. The links I’ve included in this post are for Amazon UK. If you live in a different country, you will have to visit that Amazon page in order to be able to get to the pre-order or ordering section for that book. Thank you!
Down the Forest Path 