I'm so happy to have
Jan DeLima here today sharing a lovely and fascinating post about some of the magical herbs grown by her
heroine, Elen, who is a healer. Be sure to check out Jan's new release, Autumn
Moon, as well as her wonderful contest at the end of this post.
Thank you so much for hosting a guest post on my
blog tour! It is truly appreciated!
~Jan
~Jan
MEDICINAL
HERBS IN ELEN’S GARDEN
by Jan DeLima
For those of you who aren’t familiar with my books,
I write the Celtic Wolves series, which begins with Celtic Moon and is followed by Summer
Moon. Autumn Moon, book three, is my latest release. The stories are inspired by Celtic folklore
and are a mixture of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Imagine if the legends of Celtic lore still
walk among us in secret, and you’ll have a good idea of what
my books are all about. They are dark
fairy tales in a modern day setting. My
characters are often tormented, not to mention growly on occasion; a side
effect from their wolfy sides I’m afraid.
Autumn
Moon
is Elen and Cormack’s story. Nature was,
and still is, an important influence for Celts, and making Elen a healer worked
well with her magic and history. She
lives in a cottage surrounded by forests and gardens where she collects and
grows medicinal herbs. If that doesn’t
sound magical to you, then I will share one of my favorite conversations
between Elen and her mentor, Maelorwen.
Maelorwen in Summer Moon:
“I am a problem solver, though I have been called many things in all my years: witch, midwife, alchemist, herbalist, doctor. We were burned on pyres, hung from trees, pressed between rocks, and now people of my trade work in tall buildings made of iron and glass and spin their potions in tubes instead of cauldrons. I read about these things in the magazine-books Gareth brings us. They make squares of chocolate for people to shit and I would have given them a nice cup of elderberry tea.” A wide smile revealed white but uneven teeth. “Alas, I will admit I never made a potion for a six-hour erection.” A dimple appeared on the unscarred side of her cheek. “Though I know of a few men who could have greatly used one.”
“I am a problem solver, though I have been called many things in all my years: witch, midwife, alchemist, herbalist, doctor. We were burned on pyres, hung from trees, pressed between rocks, and now people of my trade work in tall buildings made of iron and glass and spin their potions in tubes instead of cauldrons. I read about these things in the magazine-books Gareth brings us. They make squares of chocolate for people to shit and I would have given them a nice cup of elderberry tea.” A wide smile revealed white but uneven teeth. “Alas, I will admit I never made a potion for a six-hour erection.” A dimple appeared on the unscarred side of her cheek. “Though I know of a few men who could have greatly used one.”
A garden can be a magical place filled with
inspiration. Truly, I could fill this
post with pictures from my own cottage garden, but I will contain my enthusiasm
to just a few popular herbs you may be familiar with that were also used throughout
history for their medicinal properties. This
should go without saying, but I will mention it anyway. Medicinal herbs should
not be used without consulting a physician first. Even common supplements can cause harmful
side effects and react to current medical prescriptions. Also, never consume an herb you’re not sure
of. Many plants look alike and have
poisonous properties.
·
Comfrey induces rapid healing of cuts and
can cause problems if wounds aren’t properly cleaned before applying. Currently it is illegal to sell in many
countries due to its side effects.
·
Echinaceais an antihistamine, among many
other things.
·
Yarrow is antiseptic. Its leaves can be crushed and applied as a
poultice over wounds. It’s the white
wild variety, not the colorful plants often seen in mixed borders.
·
Lavender is mostly used in poultices and
soaps due to its scent. Historically, it
was used as a headache remedy and as a deterrent for moths when storing
clothing.
·
Sage is a popular seasoning herb, as I’m
sure you already know, but historically it was used as a tonic for coughs and
constipation, among other things.
·
Thyme is also a popular seasoning
herb. It is also an antiseptic that
contains thymol and has been used throughout history in medicinal tonics. You can read more about thymol on its
Wikipedia page:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymol
Before I ramble on, I will stop there and leave you
with a picture of Brynmor Cottage that is featured in Summer Moon and Autumn Moon,
along with a precocious pixie who ordered Elen to build it. You are welcome to read that excerpt on my
website at: http://jandelima.com/ms-hafwen-excerpt/
Thank you so much for participating in my Autumn Moon blog tour!As always, I hope
you’re reading something just for fun!
Jan
Jan
Autumn Moon
The
Celtic Wolves Series
Book
3
Elen
and Cormack’s story
Jan
DeLima
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal
Romance
Publisher: ACE
Date of Publication: September
29, 2015
ISBN: 978-0425266229
ASIN: B00SI0B9DQ
Number of pages: 304
Book
Description:
The
heart of a warrior, the soul of a wolf, and the desires of a man…
For centuries, Cormack has lived
between worlds—a man trapped in the body of a wolf, shunned by humans and
shifters alike. Only one person has ever welcomed his company: Elen, a kindred
outcast who is feared by others of her ancient Celtic race for her strange
healing abilities.
Cormack has always valued Elen’s
kindness and understanding, but after a desperate act of friendship causes Elen
to free him from his curse, he realizes he wants more. He wants all of
her—completely and forever. Except before Cormack can win Elen’s heart,
Pendaran, the evil leader of the Guardians, captures her, determined to
manipulate her incredible power to aid him in his twisted war against the
shapeshifting tribes.
Now Cormack must use all of his
skills as a warrior and a wolf to save the woman he loves—before Pendaran’s
vile schemes destroy them all…
Excerpt
from Autumn Moon
Too wired to sleep, Elen opened
the wine and poured a glass, sipping quietly as she walked over to the
bed. Cormack slept above the coverlet
and on his back, with one arm raised over his head, while the other rested by
his side. His hair was still damp from
his shower, and he wore jeans but no shirt, as if he’d just rested his head and
sleep claimed him first.
His chest rose and fell with even
breaths. She was not one to marvel over
physical attributes, but this was Cormack, and his body was meant for pleasure,
like a goddess had molded him for her personal divine gratification. His frame was large, and toned, with wide
shoulders and a firm chest that tapered down to his hips. His hardened stomach would provide the perfect
friction were she to ride him just like this.
And as that image flooded her
mind, another, more wicked one, followed.
It was greedy, and selfish, but all her niceness had been used up for
the day. He looked peaceful, and
innocent, but the man was practically immortal after all. Their kind did not die from lack of
sleep. They might go mad, of course, but
that took a few weeks. And had he not
said, do with me as you will?
She needed to touch him. That was all.
Well, no, she wanted more, but for now that would do. Taking a sip of her wine, she gently set the
glass on an end table by the bed, and gave into temptation. Starting by his heart, she brushed lightly
across his chest, tracing down the indent between, and lingering on the valleys
and curves of his muscles. Flattening
her hand over his stomach, she felt the soft hair that began just above the
waistband of his jeans and disappeared below.
She had never seen him in this restful state, at least not in his human
form, and took in her ravenous fill.
Her hand lingered over the button
of his jeans. She swallowed, wanting…
Oh, how she wanted. It burned like
molten earth, fed by a need that had been denied for too long. Even now she felt her body moisten and swell
just from imagining what waited beyond that closure, and how it would feel
inside her.
Or how it would taste.
She thumbed the button. A quick flick was all it would take.
A sound made her jolt, an intake
of breath perhaps, followed by a sudden rise under her hands. She snapped her eyes to his face.
Cormack was awake.
And watching her.
A fire raged within his cerulean
gaze. “Kill me now if you stop, Elen,
because then I’ll know I’m well and truly cursed and I cannot be tortured
anymore.”
Prequel
for Autumn Moon:
First chapter for Autumn Moon:http://jandelima.com/autumn-moon-first-chapter/
About
the Author:
Jan DeLima is the author of the
Celtic Wolves novels, including Summer Moon and Celtic Moon. She lives in Maine
with her husband and their two sons. Unlike many authors, Jan didn’t pen
stories at an early age, but she has always been a dedicated reader. It wasn’t until after her children entered
school that she began writing. Raised in a military family, she lived in
different countries such as Thailand and Germany, but home base has always been
Maine.
Website: http://www.jandelima.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/delimajan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/delimajan
Tour giveaway
$100 Amazon gift card open to
U.S. and Canada
*~*~*
4 comments:
Sounds like a great series and I will have to start reading. Thanks for sharing and getting to know about this author.
Thank you so much for hosting a guest post on my blog tour!
Glad to have you spend a day, Jan!
I Loved this book and I enjoyed the guest post! Thanks for sharing!
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