Monthly Archives:: February 2012

As part of the All’s Fair in Vanities War blog tour, Elizabeth Marx is coming over to Xpresso Reads to list her top ten Celtic Goddesses. There is also a giveaway… or 2… or none… I guess you’ll have to check! 🙂

If you haven’t heard of Elizabeth’s book before, here’s the deal:

All’s Fair in Vanities War
Elizabeth Marx
Release date: October 24th, 2011

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Salem’s always held sinister secrets. No one understands this better than a sixteen-year-old girl who dies on Halloween night and is reborn a Seer. The Seer can’t imagine anything worse than being an invisible teenager with enormous black wings. Until she finds out she’s been sacrificed to watch over Locke’s new flame.

Locke Cavanaugh is a Druid, and part of the Order, a clandestine organization entrusted with keeping its members cloaked in the Ordinary world. Physically scarred from the accident that took his girlfriends life, Locke is searching for the OtherWorldly magic that damaged him, because only those without blemish can rule the Order. And once at the helm of the Order he has every intention of finding those responsible for her death.

On the West Coast, Keleigh Flaherty witnesses her parents’ murder by beasts that should only exist in nightmares. She is whisked off to the safety of Salem, where she learns how potent and dangerous her concealed Vate talents are. Keleigh wants to be Ordinary, but when her mother reaches out from the OtherWorld, and implores her to find a forgotten relic she’ll have to use all her ExtraOrdinary powers to locate it.

As Locke and Keleigh join forces, they unravel the Order’s involvement in the witch hysteria and murmurs of a Celtic prophecy. While Locke’s affection for Keleigh blooms, The Seer is torn between her duty to protect Keleigh, and her desire to stop Locke from making the ultimate sacrifice in order to earn Keleigh’s love . . . But if they don’t find the witches bottle before the ShiningOnes do, someone stalking Keleigh from the shadows will take her instead and plunge all worlds into chaos.

Let’s now take a look at Elizabeth’s Celtic Goddess picks:

#10

Verbeia is one of the many Celtic river goddesses. Her name means winding river or she of the cattle. She often appears on Beltane morning, but beware when she does because the river might flood and you could be swept away.

Scathach is a warrior goddess and mistress of a school for young warriors. Her name means shadowy one and she has the ability to grant wishes if you figure out how to ask her for them.

#8

Rosmerta is a continental Celtic goddess. Her name means the great provider and she is sometimes depicted holding a cornucopia. She can also be the goddess of spring representing healing.

Morrigan is one of the most important Irish goddesses because she is one of the Tuatha De Danann. She appears sometimes as a white cow with red ears. She was a bard, who are believed able to change their outward appearance at will. There is much debate about the meaning of her name, some say it means phantom queen, some say death queen, some say her name means night mare.

#6

Latiaran is the goddess of harvest time. Her feast day is the last Sunday in July, which is Lughnasa. The first day for eating newly harvested potatoes in Ireland is at the end of July. In Cork there is a standing stone in the shape of a heart dedicated to her.

Epona is a fertility goddess and her name means horse. She is the protector of horses, donkeys, and mules. She is one of the few goddesses the Romans adopted from the Celts because of her power and prestige among the horse-riding warrior elite. Many archeologists hesitate to connect her with this 360-foot-long white chalk figure that surely must represent her.

#4

Danu is the goddess of the land’s fertility. Her name is derived from the Old Celtic dan, meaning knowledge and she is known as the mother goddess.

Conoran is an obscure Irish goddess. She was the mother of three magical daughters who ensnared three great warriors they lusted after with a magical web.

#2

Belisama goddess of lakes, rivers, fire, crafts and light. Her name means “summer bright” and is known to be the consort of Belenus. Belisama’s waters shelter good fortune and abundance.

Andraste is the Celtic goddess of war, victory, ravens, and battles. Her name means invincible or she who has not fallen. She is venerated in woodland groves and her symbol is the hare. She pledged her protection to the Iceni tribe and was a goddess of divination, probably called upon to predict the outcome of battle.

Thanks so much for dropping by, Elizabeth, and for having me a part of the blog tour!

Windy city writer, Elizabeth Marx, brings cosmopolitan life alive in her fiction—a blend of romance, fast-paced Chicago living, and a sprinkle of magical realism. Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who’ve spelled everyone into believing they’re really dogs. She grew up in the city, has traveled extensively, and still says there’s no town like Chi town.

Next stop on the tour:

February 10th: Missy’s Reads & Reviews

Click here for the full tour schedule!

Giveaway 1

Elizabeth has offered TWO ebook copies of All’s Fair in Vanities War for giveaway
Open internationally
Giveaway ends February 16th, 2012
Use the form below to enter

Two winners will be chosen by random number generator and will have 48 hours to reply to email before news winners are chosen

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED
WINNER IS:

Giveaway 2

Enter to win the blog tour grand prize: $50
Open internationally

To enter:
-You must “LIKE” The Seer’s Facebook page
-Post one of your favorite quotes from All’s Fair in Vanities War on the page’s wall