kitauthor

[kitauthor]

Unhidden Joy (A Muse Happens Exclusive Short Story)

Unhidden Joy I heard Mio’s footsteps in the hallway, checking to see if all the apprentices were in bed for the night. I tucked the Arcane Radio Supply catalog under my pillow and doused my magic light, whipping the covers up over my shoulders as I lay down. The steps paused in front of my door and as he opened it, I remembered to close my eyes and calm my breathing, anything to make it look like I was sleeping. After a long moment—I swore Mio wanted to see if I gave up all pretense of sleeping—there was a soft sigh as if Mio didn’t know what to do with me, then the door closed. Heck, I was nearly forty and I still didn’t know what to do with myself. All I knew was that the breakdown I’d had which now rendered me unable to work had sent me looking for something, anything and finding what I’d thought was a cult for joy seemed better than wallowing at home in anxiety and pity. But this wasn’t a cult, it was a magic order, and I actually was a mage. My breakdown hadn’t been stress and a whole lot of things that should have been diagnosed and I should have been supported through so much earlier. It had been because I hadn’t been experiencing enough joy. Like capital W T F – why did no one tell us that for certain mages we had to experience a certain amount of joy each day or else our brains blew up? The footsteps retraced to my door and it cracked open. “You’re thinking too much again, Haven. You’re safe. Your needs are met. Remain in the moment and if you can, sleep.” Mio’s soft, calm voice lulled me into believing, at least for a moment, that those things were true. Except, every nerve in my body vibrated with the need to share this with people. I wasn’t plugged into the magical world, but I’d been pretty plugged into pop culture and media, and I knew nothing about this. If I didn’t know, I bet others didn’t either. And how many of us were out there? I sighed, because if I kept thinking Mio would come back and make me lay in bed and do body scans and progressive relaxation until I at least hovered on the edge of sleepiness. How he remained completely in the moment, trusting that the future would be perfectly fine, I didn’t know. Seemed freaky to me. The footsteps walked past my front door. I shifted in bed, taking another big sigh to try and calm my mind, focusing on that spot just in front of my nose on the pillow to ground myself. I swore I heard him smile, then he continued walking. The steps went downstairs where the door closed, and then the silence of the night wrapped around me like a comforting cloak. Except it wasn’t silent. I heard the whirr of the furnace as it kicked on, the rustle of the air coming through the vent blowing a jacket I’d hung over the back of my desk chair, then left out from my desk because I’d been browsing my shelves looking for a book I swore I had about the schools of joy magic. Gaudium Magicum. Which sounded gaudy in and of itself. I preferred anand jadu, the Sanskrit word for it. Mio would tell me to quit worrying about which term I’d prefer and just do it. I smiled. I sighed. And somewhere between one thought and the next, I drifted off to sleep. ~* * *~ I knew I was dreaming because I was standing in the blackness of space next to a planet that probably was earth, only I wasn’t a scientist so it didn’t appear to be quite the exact replica, with a comically large radio tower on it. A tower, I realized, one that looked like the Radio Arcanum logo, loomed over the planet as if cartoonish. Lines radiated from the tower like waves going across the entire globe. I would have dismissed them as simply radio lines, but I distinctly heard a voice saying joy comes from connection. The words resonated with me. Yes, joy came from connection. That was part of what I’d been missing and why I’d succumbed to the breakdown. I’d lost my connection to myself and to others, including the outside world. Here, within the confines of this temple there were shrines to Lakshmi, Asvayujau, Laetitia, Baldr, and many other deities of joy. Here, in this dream, in this moment, I sensed not a single deity’s presence, but rather the personification of joy itself speaking with me. Though aware I was dreaming, I simply stared in awe at the image before me. Then, it faded, and I was shown the shed behind the temple used mostly for storage. I hadn’t gone into it except to get a few tools for the garden, but there, in a dusty tote, I saw what I was looking for—the radio that would connect me to Radio Arcanum. I awakened with a purpose. Light streamed through the window, and I blinked at its brightness. While we had free run of the grounds and very little restrictions upon us, I also knew if I grabbed that tote and set up the radio, I’d be violating Mio’s teachings. Focus on the world within and the world as it is in this moment. Do not worry about the world outside these walls. Focus on your magic. His words, repeated every morning after breakfast, echoed in my mind. And yet, somehow, I knew the world beyond was connected with my magic. I’d heard rumors of other magical groups, other ways of creating magic. I needed to learn more; I hungered to learn more. I’d just have to talk to Mio. I tossed back the covers and got out of bed. After brushing my teeth and changing into clean clothes, I went through a Sun Salutation and my morning meditation. I was the last one downstairs for breakfast, but today the fruit and oatmeal tasted more delicious, the orange juice just a bit tarter, and I believed that I was on the right path. After breakfast we went into the workroom, a large basement studio where we were to pursue what brought us joy. Simone sat at the pottery wheel in the corner, and soon it’s steady whir-whir-whir as she molded clay filled the room with an effervescent light. Davis went to the easel, opened his tin of pastels and began drawing. We were to be creative, Mio had told us, to use our talents to bring joy to ourselves and the world. This was our practice, and this was our calling. I went to the table in the corner, well away from them and the others. Someone danced on a mat; another acolyte sat with a large bag of yarn and was kitting, or crocheting, I never could remember which, someone else had a digital drawing tablet. I sat and opened the box containing all the parts. My joy was in fixing things, and while I didn’t work on fancy electronics, I could do some. Prior to my burnout, I’d been tinkering with small gadgets, a bit of soldering, science fair type stuff. I’d dreamed of opening up my own repair store, even though I didn’t have any of the magic that would allow me to talk to things run by electricity. I’d heard of that, was envious as hell about it, but my magic wasn’t there. This was a lamp. It’d once been an old base, some kind of wooden sculpture that had been turned on a lathe, maybe in some teenager’s shop class. The lamp had long since stopped working, and I’d scavenged it from the curb, where it’d been tossed out to go to the dump. The wood had a curving, natural shape to it, not a man-made column or cylinder. Instead, the natural knots in the wood had been brought out with curving lines and interesting sweeps of a chisel. Love and care had gone into this piece. And even though I didn’t know by whom, bringing it back to a functional state was bringing me joy. I’d spent many hours cleaning the wood, polishing it, even found half a can of linseed oil that I’d finished it with. Removing the old wiring and broken receptacle for the bulb hadn’t been hard. I’d rigged up a way to test the components, and had found another lamp from which to take the necessary parts. Doing this without money, in ways that allowed me to upcycle and repurpose things was part of my joy. The hours spent walking along the sidewalk, not exactly dumpster diving, but also keeping an eye out for things that could be of use, that, too, was part of my joy. I threaded the wire through the lamp, carefully working it along its length. I was aware of the creative, joyful energy flowing around me. If I looked closely with my magic sight, I’d be able to see the joy moving through the air like sparkling dust motes. I paused for a moment, the desire to share this with someone, anyone, welling up within me. What good was joy, I wondered, if I kept it to myself? I sensed Mio’s presence before he appeared by my table. “And what are we working on today? I do not sense as much joy from you, and it must be cultivated.” “And shared,” I insisted, the words out of my mouth before I could censor them in front of my teacher. “We need to connect with others, to share. The radio—” “The outside world seeks to rob our joy,” Mio said softly. “Do you wish to deprive the other seekers of theirs?” I pressed my lips together to keep from rebutting him. Unlike some of the others, prodigies who had been cosseted and held away from the world, I had lived in it, been in it. And yes, I’d burnt out, broken down, and nearly been destroyed by the unceasing desire for more. My employer had wanted more money, more productivity. I’d thought happiness had come from more of what—I did not know—but more of whatever it was I didn’t have. I swallowed hard. “No, teacher. I do not.” I admitted at last. “But while I know better than they that the world is harsh, I also know that it is not completely unfeeling.” I wondered if those who were running saw the streets the way I did. I doubted it. They spoke of times and becoming one with the movement, a quick, mindful meditation that brought them into themselves and dissolved the self at the same time. “We will not know until we try. The world knows of many different kinds of magic. Why shouldn’t they know the magic of joy?” There, I’d said it. Asked the question that had been burning in my soul these many months. “There is a place where all the magic wielders connect,” I said, emboldened by my words and the fact that Mio wasn’t immediately silencing me. “We do not have to leave, and we can be as anonymous as we wish.” I thought the last part was the case. Disembodied voices over the radio seemed as anonymous as it got, like text on the screen. “You’re referring to the Radio Arcanum,” Mio said. “If you are at a good stopping point, come with me.” I sensed a shift within him, a resignation that I wouldn’t let this line of questioning go, so he might as well indulge me. We walked in silence out of the room, up the stairs, and then out the back door to the shed. My dream! My heart leapt, and I struggled to keep my emotions in check. Our magic worked on joy; it also required control. “We were on the Radio Arcanum once. People can look up your call sign and find you, if they wished. Perhaps you are right, and we are too afraid of those who wish to steal our joy.” Mio opened the door to the shed. He pointed to a dust-covered plastic tote in the back of the shed, underneath boxes with scrawling writing on the sides that had faded either through time or magic. “When you finish your lamp, come and get this box. I will send what books we have on the topic to your room. If this is your joy, Haven, perhaps if you seek it, then it will calm your mind. Now come along. You have a project to finish, and I…” Mio’s voice trailed off. He stared at me. “I have to figure out what to do with you, because you are not like the others, and in seeking your joy, you may have to leave our sanctuary.” I gasped. There were the words that I’d been dreading since my arrival. It was safe here. I mean sure, I was a little odd with my focus on electronics while the other novices were all into the arts. If I added prayers to the gods of things—I didn’t know who they were but imagined if we worshipped a panoply of deities of joy, then there had to be at least one god of technological things—to my morning devotionals, I didn’t think anyone minded. Now I wondered if Mio knew. “But I don’t want to,” I said, aware that I sounded like a child rather than a middle-aged adult. “I—” “Came to us physically hurting and heartsore with too little joy in your life. But now you know to cultivate joy and if going into the world will bring you more joy, then you cannot deny that sacred calling,” Mio said. “Come. Let’s go inside. You need to finish the lamp, and I need to ponder what to do with you.” I nodded and followed silently, though Mio’s comment that he had to “ponder what to do with me” rather hurt. It reminded me of my mother when she was in one of her moods. I’d also had more than one boss say the same thing. Milo sent me downstairs and I sat at my table, aware that the music had changed and some of the others had moved onto other projects. I looked at the lamp, thinking if I focused I could finish it today. And then tomorrow, I could start working on the radio. ~* * *~ The paperwork sat on the desk in my room when I returned after lunch the next day. I’d finished the lamp, demonstrated how it had worked, and we’d all given supplication to the deities of joy, even if I could tell many of the other novices didn’t quite understand why I found joy in fixing things. Still, Mio had asked if he could use the lamp in his office, and I’d humbly accepted. If I was going to leave, and I’d been giving that a lot of thought, then perhaps Mio wanted something to remember me by. The envelope sitting on top of a box had a return address from the Radio Arcanum Society. I opened it to find a letter addressed to me giving me a new call sign, USREC3. I had no idea what to do with it, and I was told I couldn’t use it until I passed a test. A test? I struggled against rolling my eyes because studying for a test most definitely wasn’t part of the joy I had to experience. Except, if it allowed me to connect, and maybe even use the radio once I might experience joy. And the learning might spark joy too. I flipped through the papers. There was a lot to go over, and then I opened the books. As I guessed, there’d be a lot to learn, but it was interesting. I didn’t know a lot about electronics or electric stuff, in spite of my finding things from the curb and fixing them like the lamp. Fixing a lamp, and I’d done a lot of lamps in my stay here, was one thing. It was like my hands were being guided to transistors and diodes, and I knew just what to do. Scanning these books were like going into a math class, only it was an interesting topic and something I wanted to learn. I grabbed a book and took it to my bed, stretching out to read. A few hours must have passed because soon I heard a soft knock on my door and looked up from the diagram I was examining to see Mio standing in the doorway. “You didn’t come down for laughter today,” he said. “Is everything all right?” A moment later his eyes landed on the open box, the books strewn around, and the one I was holding. He smiled. “Ahh yes, that material arrived today for you. I see, you’re pursuing joy. I hate to interrupt, but I think I have some thoughts on your next journey.” I used a postcard that had come with the book to mark the page, then set it on the table next to my bed. “My next journey? Then I won’t be staying here with you.” Mio went to the desk and pulled the chair over so he could sit next to the bed. “No, Haven. I have meditated and this order needs to remain as isolated as possible. We allow people to walk, and the locals know we’re here. But going onto the airwaves isn’t aligned with our purpose. We are a sanctuary, a place to find joy away from the world. It is time for you to go back into the world.” A sudden fear washed over me. I stiffened, the only word coming to my mind was “no”, because the world was too big, too much, and I— Mio touched my arm. “You would not be alone. I reached out to a transition order, one that if you wish, would help you find the school of magic to which you belong, because you do have the potential, and joy will not fully express it for you. The radio is yours. Take it with you. After devotions tomorrow, I’d like you to meet someone.” The decision had been made then. I nodded. “Thank you,” I said. “I appreciate…” My throat closed and I feared tears would make it difficult to speak. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” I said at last. “I know. This isn’t easy for us either. We have enjoyed having you here.” But my time was done. The decision final. My need for connection, even though I believed there was joy in connecting with others, and I knew Mio did too, would be my undoing. Mio stood, reminded me that dinner would be served soon, and I could learn and find my joy on a full stomach. But I wasn’t hungry. Still, I went downstairs anyway. ~* * *~ My heart pounded as I walked to the meeting room where outsiders arrived. The last time I’d been in this room I’d been worn out, exhausted, running on fumes and grasping at straws, which had come in the form of an invitation to meet with Mio and find sanctuary. I entered the room to find a man wearing a nice t-shirt with a blazer over it and jeans and Converse sneakers standing next to a woman wearing a blouse and jeans with low-heeled boots. “You must be Haven,” the man said, striding forward and offering me his hand to shake. I accepted. “I’m Vern from Ordo Recortis, or the Order of the Guide, but you can just call us The Order. Mio wanted us to talk about the next steps in your journey.” I noticed a tattoo of a fancy-looking key on the inside of his wrist. “I am.” I wasn’t sure what to say and my anxiety was starting to overwhelm me. “Let’s sit. I’m Sura. This is probably a shock for you. I bet Mio told you just last night that you’d be meeting us.” She gestured to the chairs around a large meeting table, and I accepted one. “He did,” I admitted, taking the chair closest to me. Sura gave me a sympathetic smile. “I told you, Vern.” She sat across from me, and Vern took the chair next to her. “This isn’t an interrogation. You’re welcome at the Order. What neither Mio, nor Vern, has told you is that the guides at the order are bound to help you find your magic. It sounds like you have an affinity for electronics and are looking to be a part of Radio Arcanum, but you also have some connection with joy magic, is that right?” I nodded. “Just how long as Mio been talking with you about me?” I asked, because I was starting to think this had been in the works for a while and no one had bothered to tell me until last night. “Only a couple of weeks,” Vern said. “As you probably noticed most joy mages work with the arts. Mio wondered if perhaps your affinity for electronics was another manifestation of that. Part of his work is to make sure that you find your joy. We’re going to be the next step of that.” I processed what he said. “Mio said I can’t stay here. Where will I go?” “You’ll stay with the Order until we can determine your magic skill or if you have a blending of skills, and then we’ll help you find your next spot. Think of us as a halfway house for wayward mages.” That didn’t sound so bad, though it did sound as if I’d be going through a lot of transitions, and there was a lot of uncertainty. One thing I knew, Mio didn’t have services or devotions for those who weren’t novices or lived here. I guess I’d hoped I’d become a novice someday, but things just hadn’t seemed right. Now I knew why. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. On one hand, it reminded me of things that had happened before the burnout. On the other, it meant Mio cared about my joy, which I suppose was part of his work, and wanted me to be where I was happy. The problem was, at the moment, I wasn’t sure where I was happy. Read the full article

[kitauthor]

Interview with Morgan Daimler

https://youtu.be/V_faC-t8ASg

About Our Guest

Morgan Daimler teaches classes and writes about Irish myth and magical practices, fairies, and related subjects. Morgan’s writing has appeared in a variety of magazines including Pagan Dawn and Witches & Pagans, and anthologies including Naming the Goddess and Harp, Club, & Cauldron. Morgan is also the author of a variety of fiction books such as the urban fantasy/paranormal romance series Between the Worlds, and non-fiction through Moon Books including bestsellers Fairy Witchcraft, Pagan Portals: The Morrigan, Pagan Portals: Brigid, and Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk..

Books featured on our podcast:

Murder Between the Worlds: https://amzn.to/3PHpIIQ The Morrigan: https://amzn.to/3Q2vULX Celtic Fairies in North America: https://amzn.to/3PHKcRH Paid with a Kiss: https://amzn.to/3Wpg5m6

Author Links:

Author Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/4h0GQoS

Author Socials:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Morgandaimler/ On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/morgandaimler/ Read the full article

[kitauthor]

Connect Your Blog to the Fediverse

Imagine if readers could follow your blog the way they follow any other social media account. And the blog could be followed on a variety of different platforms. If you have a WordPress blog, this can happen with the ActivityPub plugin. This allows your blog, or individual authors if your blog has multiple authors, to be followed like any other social account on Mastodon, Pixelfed, Pleroma, and many other services that run the ActivityPub protocol. This places each blog post in your followers' home feed. I wouldn't recommend this as the only way people can follow your blog; you want to have multiple ways such as sharing your posts to your other social media, but the Fediverse is growing. For example I have an account on romancelandia.club, a Mastodon server for romance authors, and wandering.shop, a Mastodon server for sf/f authors. Both are places to meet new readers and network with other authors. ActivityPub is one of the recommended plugins because after it is activated, unless you want to change the blog's name from your blog's domain (example.com@example.com) to something else (example@example.com), there is very little configuration required. Simply install, activate, and go. I use the sidebar widget to put a link to it in the sidebar as well. The good news is that those who are on the Fediverse know it and will look for it. The bad news is that a lot of people don't often know what the fediverse is. I'm not saying this plugin will get your blog noticed by everyone, but it is yet another way to promote it, and that is always a good thing. Read the full article

[kitauthor]

Interview with Ellen Evert Hopman

https://youtu.be/j_C1B7gJhhs

About our Guest:

Ellen Evert Hopman, is the author of a number of books of Herbalism and Celtic lore and has been a teacher of Herbalism since 1983 and of Druidism since 1990. She is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild and has presented on Druidism, herbal lore, tree lore, Paganism and magic at conferences, festivals, and events in Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and in the United States. She has participated in numerous radio and television programs including National Public Radio's "Vox Pop" and the Gary Null show in New York. She presented a weekly "herb report" for WRSI radio out of Greenfield, MA for over a year and was a featured subject in a documentary about Druids; A&E Television's; "The Unexplained" (Secret Societies, The Druids and the Knights Templars original air date 4 March, 1997) https://www.inetvideo.com/products/the-unexplained-secret-societies-a-e-television. She is a Master Herbalist and a lay Homeopath who holds an M.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling. She is the former Archdruid and founder of Tribe of the Oak (Tuatha na Dara) www.tribeoftheoak.org and a founding member of The Order of the White Oak (Ord Na Darach Gile) and its former Co-Chief, a Bard of the Gorsedd of Caer Abiri, and a Druidess of the Druid Clan of Dana. She was Vice President of The Henge of Keltria, an international Druid Fellowship, for nine years and has been at times a member of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids and Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship (ADF). She is a member of the Grey Council of Mages and Sages. Ellen Evert Hopman is a voice for Herbalists and Druids in modern society and is the author of a growing number of books.

Books featured on our podcast:

Once Around The Sun: https://amzn.to/4joUL9S The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas: https://amzn.to/4g3pJS8 Celtic Druidry: https://amzn.to/40qlXfZ

Author Links:

Author Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/4jipV2J Author Website: www.elleneverthopman.com

Author Socials:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564085407083 and https://www.facebook.com/alegacyofdruids/?fref=ts On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/elleneverthopman/ On Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/23137.Ellen_Evert_Hopman At Inner Traditions https://www.innertraditions.com/author/ellen-evert-hopman At Simon and Schuster https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Ellen-Evert-Hopman/410047891 At Findhorn Press https://www.findhornpress.com/author/ellen-evert-hopman/ Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Evert_Hopman Read the full article

[kitauthor]

Reasons Why You Should Write Through Uncertainty

The publishing industry has always been one of constant change. Having been a published author for over twenty years, I can tell you that. Publishers rising and falling. New trends. Heck, I even remember when ebooks were new and you no longer had to explain to people what they were. Yeah, I'm old. That's okay, though, because it means for the purposes of this blog, I've been through a lot of uncertainty in the business, a lot of changes, and I want to tell you that the world needs your stories. You must write with and through uncertainty. Think about marketing. Platforms rise and fall. Some allow us to gain large followings and help us boost our sales while others seem perfect for us and end up flopping. Trends, tropes, even whole genres seem to come and go in and out of fashion. Through all of this, yes, the world still needs your stories. But it can be difficult to write through uncertainty. It can be difficult to write when you don't know how you're going to tell people about your books or if they'll even hear about it. It can be difficult to know what to do when the political landscape, which has the power to impact our stories, shifts so quickly. My answer? Keep writing. I'm not going to be all pollyanna about this and say that things will change slowly enough for you to get your bearings. They might change on a dime. But what I will tell you is that your voice is needed. Your voice needs to be heard. Your stories need to be heard. Your stories could change a day or even a life. And let's be honest, for many of us the reality we're living in is difficult. It's tough. Finding joy. FInding an escape. Finding a way to experience joy and hope for a while, even if it's about fictional characters, that's a powerful gift to give someone. So how do we get through this? Together. With our communities. By holding one another, keeping space for one another, and most of all, you know I'm going to say it, so say it with me--keep writing! If you're afraid, put that fear onto the paper. If you're worried for the future give yourself an escape with your writing. Do it for yourself and do it for others. I promise you, your story and your voice is needed right now. Read the full article

[kitauthor]

New Covers for the Second Joy Stable Series

The second book in the Second Joy Stable series, Head Shy, is now available, and I wanted to update the covers so they looked like the equestrian lit I wrote as "Mary Kit Caelsto". I'll be doing a separate announcement about that release, but for now I wanted to share the new covers for the series.

I'll be sharing an excerpt from Head Shy on this week's #SnippetSunday, so stay tuned! Read the full article

[kitauthor]

Why I Don't Recommend the Paid Version of WP Encryption

Having a SSL certificate is a requirement on your website, and if you have a WordPress website, there are a few different plugins that I've used to generate SSL certificates. WP Encryption is one, and I've used it on several sites because the paid version allows me to generate a wildcard SSL (one that will secure multiple sites) much cheaper than if I purchased this type of security certificate through my host. I know this sounds very technical, but bear with me.

Free and Paid

WP Encryption, like many Wordpress plugins offers a free and a paid version. The free version allows you to secure one domain with or without the www (www.yourauthorwebsite.com or yourauthorwebsite.com). For most people that's sufficient. Once every 90 days you need to add some verification and regenerate the certificate, and this is a service I offer for FREE for my website hosting customers. Therefore, you never have to worry about your security certificate expiring and your website (along with its data) stays secure. If you have a web store on your site, then it is vital you always have a valid SSL certificate. The paid version will install the certificate for you, though depending on your host you may still need to go in and complete verification every 90 days. Additionally, it allows you to generate a wildcard SSL which secures multiple subdomains. (For example this website and the subdomains of this website.) And let's be honest, for a $49 lifetime fee, that WP Encryption paid program is one heck of a deal.

Why I no longer recommend upgrading

I have four paid upgrades for various websites with WP Encryption. Of those four upgrades, only ONE works correctly each and every time, out of the box. Considering that the back end of those websites is the same hardware/server configuration, and the websites are more or less the same (theme, WordPress, plugins, general configuration, etc.), that's a pretty high failure rate. I'm a technical person. I know how to put in support tickets and provide appropriate server information. I'm even extra nice to the help desk people I interact with because I know how awful some customers can be. And yet, the "support" I've received has been some of the worst, and that's saying something. And one issue (with my license key reading free, rather than paid, when I have and have provided receipts), they refuse to fix. I've taken steps to ensure I no longer have to deal with them on the websites that weren't working, and while I am willing to use the free version of their plugin and continue to do so, I cannot in good conscience recommend anyone upgrade this plugin.

The Bottom Line

First, the other plugin I've used to generate SSL certificates is SSL Zen, and this is the plugin that I'm using and suggesting on all new sites moving forward. Secondly, if you're hosted with me, I'll handle this for you, so you don't have to worry about it! It's included in the price of web hosting. And finally, if you do need a wildcard SSL, I am happy to recommend hosts which include the SSL in the cost of hosting for free or discussing different options. But I do not recommend paying for or upgrading to WP Encryption, because the truth is, it may or may not work, and the support will fail you and your site. Read the full article

[kitauthor]

Interview with Irisanya Moon

https://youtu.be/O544GZnBcVU Books featured on our podcast: Iris: https://amzn.to/4jalnLT The Norns: https://amzn.to/3CeGzQ3 Gaia: https://amzn.to/40qzNjz Artemis: https://amzn.to/3E1xBWU Author Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/42a6HWQ About our Guest: I'm an author, Witch, priestess, international teacher, poet, and initiate in the Reclaiming tradition. I have served the godds, my community, and the Earth for 20+ years. I am a devotee of Aphrodite, Hecate, the Norns, and Iris. My pronouns are she/they. I am passionate about the idea that life is, and I am a love spell, a dance of desire and connection, moving in and out of the heart, always returning to love. My teaching/facilitation style is immersive, gracious, and welcoming. I believe in creating safe spaces to hold whatever work you need to do at the moment. While I offer didactic classes in ritual skills, priestessing, and Reclaiming Witchcraft, I lean heavily into experiential work. I am a neurodivergent Witch who offers magickal containers that support various ways of experiencing the world, our bodies, and the mystical. I hope to be in service to those who feel disconnected from their power and their self-trust. I cultivate spaces of radical acceptance to foster trust and liberation. You are not alone. Author links: Author Website: http://www.irisanyamoon.com Author Socials: https://www.facebook.com/irisanyamoon https://www.instagram.com/irisanya.moon/ https://www.tiktok.com/@irisanya.moon Want to know more about MuseCharmer Network and Write Talk Wednesday? website: https://musecharmer.eponaauthorsolutions.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553724362580 Instagram: https://instagram.com/EponaAuthorSolutions Twitch: https://twitch.tv/EponaAuthor YouTube: https://youtube.com/ @eponaauthorsolutions Do you like our interviews? Consider supporting our network with a tip or by advertising. Tip through Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/eponaauthorsolutions Tip through Liberapay: https://liberapay.com/EponaAuthor Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/eponaauthor Tip through our website: https://musecharmer.eponaauthorsolutions.com/package/tip-the-network/ Advertise on our network: https://musecharmer.eponaauthorsolutions.com/advertise/ Read the full article

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Interview with Laura Perry (#WriteTalkWednesday)

https://youtu.be/owZ-Cm9Ug-M

Books featured on our podcast:

Ariadne's Thread: https://amzn.to/4a1XPV9 or https://books2read.com/u/baVpYL Labrys & Horns: https://amzn.to/4a1i59J or https://books2read.com/u/meV2Wl The Minoans (releases July 26, 2025): https://amzn.to/4gZlbwT Author Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/4iU1V5P

About our Guest:

Laura Perry is a Pagan creator who works magic with words, paint, ink, music, textiles, and herbs. She's the founder and Temple Mom of Ariadne’s Tribe, a worldwide inclusive Minoan spirituality tradition. Her non-fiction books include Labrys & Horns: An Introduction to Modern Minoan Paganism, which is the official guidebook to Tribe spirituality. She has also written Ariadne’s Thread: Awakening the Wonders of the Ancient Minoans in Our Modern Lives, The Minoan Coloring Book, The Minoan Tarot, The Wiccan Wellness Book, and Ancient Spellcraft. Her novels include the Minoan historical MM romance Leap! A Love Story, the Minoan historical novel The Last Priestess of Malia, and the urban fantasy The Bed. Her articles have appeared in Spiral Nature, The Magical Times, Indie Shaman, SageWoman and Pagan Dawn magazines, among others. When she’s not busy drawing, writing, or leading rituals and workshops, you can probably find her digging in the vegetable and herb garden or giving a living history demonstration at a local historic site.

Author links:

Author Website: https://www.lauraperryauthor.com/ Ariadne's Tribe: https://ariadnestribe.com/ Substack: https://lauraidaeja.substack.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraPerryAuthor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraperry.artist/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsjc-y9Ei46OsnJFucePzxA Mastodon: @pagan.plus/@TheTempleMom Minoan Path blog: www.witchesandpagans.com/pagan-paths-blogs/the-minoan-path Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/LauraPAuthor/ Want to know more about MuseCharmer Network and Write Talk Wednesday? Please feel free to explore our shows on this site and our social media links on our page. Do you like our interviews? Consider supporting our network with a tip or by advertising. Links are on this page. Read the full article

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Want More Time To Write? Get A Technical Assistant!

It doesn't matter if you're technical or not, dealing with technology, whether it's your websites, services you use, integrations you want to create or ways to save time and money, takes valuable time. That time could be better used writing or editing. Want to get that time back? Think about a technical assistant. What's a technical assistant? A technical assistant is someone who handles the technology so you don't have to. Our technical environment is constantly changing. With the upheaval in social media more authors are thinking about websites and ways to drive readers to their site, rather than battling the algorithm. You might want to offer a subscription to your readers. Perhaps you have exclusive goodies for your ARC/review team. There are many ways you can use technology to help build your author career; you also don't want to be constantly worrying about it. If you have a publishing assistant or even just a general virtual assistant, think about a technical assistant. Get the help you need and find more time to write! Would you like to get more time to write? I'm putting together a technical zen zone where you can have me on call and get your questions answered. The community will have both in-person (Zoom) and asychronous ways to reach out with your technical questions. And, even better, it will be less than a lot of services you use! Interested in learning more? FIll out the form below. Read the full article

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How Do You Know When Not To Write?

When you consult your to do app, the next item on the list is "write" and often there's a word count attached. You open the file. You try to write, but you keep getting distracted, scrolling through social media or having other projects interrupt. What usually takes you an hour or less is now into its second or third hour of attempting to work and it's just not happening. How do you know when not to write? Or when to call it a day and move on? Or maybe try a different task and come back to it? The truth is only you can make that call. But pushing yourself to write, especially on a day when the words won't come is a quick way to drive yourself into burnout. The more frustrated you get, the harder it is to come up with words, and the cycle continues. Sometimes, it's a good thing to realize that the writing isn't happening for whatever reason, and try again later or on another day. The key to a sustainable writing career is to work with your brain. And let's face it, right now the world is a whole series of dumpster fires with each one designed to make us worry and stress about or even fear the future. So knowing when not to write, when not to add that additional stress on you, is a good way to help keep your career sustainable and your writing at least at times, enjoyable.

Is it the story or is it something else?

When you find you can't write, the first thing to do is to see if it's the story. As writers, sometimes we write ourselves into corners or the character/setting/scene just isn't working and we don't know why. One symptom of this is not knowing what to write or not having the enthusiasm to write. Take some time and decide if it's the story or if it's something else. You'll know if it's the story if you're not sure where the story is going in a general way or if something feels off to you. You know it's something else if you want to write, even have an idea of the scene or situation, but the words just aren't flowing or you keep getting distracted.

If it's not the story, then is it you or the world?

Once you determine that it's not the story, then it's important to know if it's you or if it's an outside situation. Generally if it's you (aka burnout) then you won't be enthusiastic about writing or even see it as a chore. If you want to write, but can't settle your mind, then it is probably an outside situation and quite often you'll even know what's stressing you out like your job or a global or political situation.

Once you know the cause, you can take action

Once you know what is happening (i.e. burnout, story issues, or outside things), then you can take action. If it's the story, then brainstorming with someone or taking time to determine the next steps or seeing where things could be changed might be in order. If it's you, it's time to step away from the computer. Do something you love. Go for a walk with your dog or if you can, get outside, or go to a coffee shop. Make a cup of tea. These things won't immediately fix burnout, and I don't want to imply that they will. But they often can help restore your spirit, even for a little bit. And little drops in your creative cup will add up. If it's an outside situation like a job or a geopolitical situation, that may be harder to work with. Starting small with steps you can control, ways to help your community, or even making a plan, may help ease your mind enough. And there's also no shame in reordering your list. Do something else, then come back to writing. Most of all, be gentle with yourself. We're all going through a lot these days, and sometimes the kindest thing you can do for yourself is to step away from your story, just for a little while. That way when you do come back to it, hopefully you will feel better and ready to write once more. Read the full article

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Excerpt: Frenchman's Cowboy #SnippetSunday

I'm happy to announce that Frenchman's Cowboy will be releasing again this month. This book was previously part of a series from a publisher; it has been revised and will now be a part of my Cowboy Matchmaker series, where the Flings will be contemporary stories and there will be other stories in the series that are paranormal, but they're all featuring hot cowboys looking for and finding love across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Dustin leaned back against the headboard and willed his aching body to take the weekend off, too. Too damn much, if the truth were told, except he couldn’t admit that to the world. Sure, everyone might guess rodeo was a tough sport. One of his buddies had broken a leg and been told he had the joints of a seventy-year-old. He’d been pushing thirty-five, which made him crazy old in this sport. Dustin’s body hurt all the time. Old injuries, fresh injuries, it didn’t matter. And, honestly, if he got the gold buckle this year, he might retire. Use his significant savings and buy a ranch somewhere. Maybe raise some rough stock, or perhaps trail ride for the rest of his life. Could he live without a thousand pounds of pissed-off equine beneath him every weekend? He wasn’t sure he could. He wished he could blame his slump on Tony’s memory, but he couldn’t. He’d been interested in the reality show about jousting so he could make some cash without battering his body. Dustin laughed out loud at the thought. Yeah, like riding draft horses and getting shoved off them with a pointy wooden stick wasn’t battering his body. He grinned and suddenly wished he had a beer. Meeting the high-rolling Frenchman during the show’s taping hadn’t been in his plans. He’d had to get back on the circuit, and Tony needed to get back to his underwear ads and his polo hadn’t helped either. Dustin had cowboyed up and done what he’d needed to on the television shoot, then left, as his contract had required. Nights like these, he wondered what the hell he’d gotten out of the bargain. Except, glancing around at the posh hotel room and folding back the edge of the comforter to run his hands over the super soft sheets, he had his answer. A chance to have a one-night stand—the perfect one-night stand if his bull-riding buddy was to be believed—and get his mojo, and his career, back on track. Funny how he could sit there as the top saddle-bronc rider in the world and not feel like he was on track. Maybe he’d lost his course and needed to forget that fact for a few hours. Really wanting that beer, he slid his legs over the edge of the mattress and stood gingerly, before hobbling over to the mini bar. He opened it to see that the resort stocked a good variety of expensive brews. Grabbing a label he recognized, he twisted off the top. By the time he made it back to the bed and had his leg settled, he’d drunk half of the beer and set it on the nightstand. With a grumble, he shifted enough to pull off his boots, then contemplated putting the bolster pillow beneath his knee. He took another pull from the bottle instead. He wasn’t about to meet his one-night stand like a cripple. When he checked the television again, the roping events were on, and he turned down the volume. Those guys were good, and it took talent. Somehow, he didn’t think it as exciting as the eight-second ride the rough stock athletes gave. He shrugged and finished the beer. A key card clicked in the lock. Good, he didn’t feel like getting off the bed. Must be his date, or fuck buddy, or whatever he should call him. Why hadn’t he thought to grab two bottles out of the mini fridge before he’d sat down. The door opened. His heart raced like it did during the scant seconds before the chute opened and the bronc reared out. He held position, like holding his mark out—no use getting caught at the gate—and waited for his date to enter. Shock sucked the air from his lungs. “Tony?”. The stunning blond man, whose perfect hairstyle had to have come from a salon, strode into the room. He turned, stared at the bed, and stopped. “Shit,” he whispered, and Dustin startled. Big words filled Tony’s vocabulary, not the coarse, four-letter ones he’d just used. Had Tony meant to be heard? The latch clicked shut, the overnight bag he’d been wheeling into the room forgotten. The man stood there. His jaw didn’t drop, but clear surprise filled his expression. Dustin hadn’t gotten to the top of his sport by being emotional. Where other cowboys slammed the chutes or stomped their hats, he remained stoic, good ride or bad. That talent served him well right then. The man who’d walked through the door was the last one he’d expect. Frenchman's Cowboy will be released on January 14 at all major ebook retailers and is available to purchase now at the Spicy Ebooks bookstore in epub format for immediate reading. Read the full article

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The Trouble with AIOSEO and Divi

If you have a WordPress blog, then there's a good chance you use a SEO plugin. One of the more popular is AIOSEO, available in both free and paid editions. And it claims to be compatible with Divi, a popular theme and one I've used for years. The problem is that AIOSEO and Divi don't quite play nicely together. Let me explain the trouble with AIOSEO's "compatibility" with Divi.

What's the issue?

As a general rule WordPress uses the first lines of your blog as a post excerpt. This is what shows up under the image when you share the link on social media or what you see in a search engine result. However, SEO plugins change this behavior. By default AIOSEO also uses the post excerpt in the meta description, which is what this part of your website's appearance is called. However, if you use the Divi Builder to build your post, then instead of the first few lines, your excerpt will look like code (usually a square bracket followed by information that's only legible to the plugin]. And this doesn't happen just on posts, but also on pages. If you don't pay a lot of attention to SEO, and let's be honest, most authors are not SEO experts or even think about it. I know I didn't until I realized this was happening and wanted to improve my search engine optimization game, then your readers will see your post appears to be gobbledygook and not want to click. So how do you fix it? I reached out to AIOSEO's free support through the Wordpress.org forums, and they told me to uncheck a hidden setting that's automatically checked by default and then to check and make sure my meta description said post expert. It did. And when I completed those steps, which again, the average user wouldn't be familiar with... it still didn't work.

How I Fixed It

Beneath the space for a featured image there is a line that says "add an excerpt". If you click there a small box will come up. You can either type in the first 55 words of your post, which is what Wordpress is use in this space if another plugin, like AIOSEO doesn't change its behavior, or you can describe what the post is. For example, in my serial story updates which are members only, I'll explain that the post is a serial episode and how someone can read it. By paying attention to the excerpts in your posts and pages, your readers will have a better experience when you share this information online. Since AIOSEO is one of the more recommended SEO plugins, this is a good situation to be aware of. Read the full article

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Writing and Publishing Round Up For 2024

I debated about writing this kind of publishing round up post because frankly 2024 was an extremely tough year for me, one of the toughest in the past six years. Between struggling with a major burn out relapse, the transphobic policies being pushed by certain factions, working at a job that even my therapist calls toxic at best, and my health situation, let's just say I was more than ready to kick 2024 in the ass on the way out last night. But looking at my writing for last year, I have some things to celebrate, so thought I'd do that here. One of the things I realized as I was coming out of The Big Burnout (TM) was that my writing was a keen indicator of my mental health. I've been tracking my yearly word count since 2019. That was my most productive year with 679,919 words written. My word count dipped slightly in 2020, but then was halved in 2021, the start of The Big Burnout(TM). In 2022 I only wrote 15,034 words, and in 2023 I wrote 60,272. That was quite a drop, and those 2023 words were written primarily in the last four months or so of the year. Last year, 2024, was the year I began to bounce back. Yes, my word count was somewhat erratic, and it was easy to tell when college was in full swing and when it wasn't, but I finished the year with 209,815 words. I'm really proud of that! Most of those words are in my serials available here and on my other pen name's website, but there were also new works written, or finished, and new worlds and series created. You can see the short stories I wrote as a Muse Happens member. I've also re-branded and re-released some of my fantasy works and hope to continue to do that during 2025. That project didn't got as fast as I wanted to, but it did make progress. I'm also going to probably consolidate my old pen name onto this page as well to help bring some visibility to those works. I feel like there will be a lot of overlap in the readers. I won't say too much about my 2025 plans because a lot of them depend on how my health and other things go. But I'm looking forward to continuing to write and am pleased I got my daily 1000 words in today. Here's hoping we all have a gentle and creative new year. Read the full article

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Five Questions To Start the New Year Right

It's that time of year again when my social media feeds are full of ads for programs designed to boost your creativity and your productivity in the new year. People are making posts about their "word for the year" and for the low price of only $19 or $79 you, too, can have the magic wand to make all your writing woes go away in 2025. Everybody wants to help you start the new year right, if only you pay them. I have an easier way, one that helps you find what's working for you and what you want more of in your writing. After all, I don't want to be pessimistic, but I think anyone who has been in this business knows that a single class or a single word isn't going to fix everything we'd like to fix about publishing. And instead, focusing on starting the new year right by repeating success is always a good way to focus on your writing career. That being said, what can you do to help your writing career in the new year? Instead of giving into new year gimmicks, which like resolutions, a lot of us purchase (or make) and then forget about halfway through January, take time to put your creative powers to use.

Ask yourself these questions:

- What worked well for me this year? - Am I happy with what I've written? - Did writing come easily and did it act more like something I did for myself or was it a chore? - What would I like to do more of? - What would I like to do less of? Those five questions will help get to the heart of what is working for you and help you start the new year right when it comes to your writing career. Depending on if you feel ready enough to disclose the answers, they may also make good blog posts or ways to share in your writing groups. I'd love to hear what worked well for you this past year and what you're carrying into 2025. Drop me a comment below! Read the full article

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Excerpt: Finding Pack #SnippetSunday

I really like to reach into the history of my Musimagium world, so please enjoy this short story set in the Ozarks around 1917. I write short stories for my Muse Happens group who get to read them early and for free. I hope you enjoy Hiram, and I feel like we'll have more stories with him in the future.

Excerpt

On the floor by the door, Remus whined as the howl of the local red wolf pack rose into the trees. Family. The thought skirted Hiram’s mind, and he nodded before taking another sip of the moonshine. “They ain’t your family no more,” he said. “But it still hurts. I know.” Hurt like the dull throb of his thumb, the nail black and threatening to peel from where he’d missed the nail he’d been hammering because he’d been thinking about the letter that had come nearly a week ago now. Hurt like the reminder he wasn’t wanted. The increased lanterns he saw coming from the direction of Gemini Lacus, headquarters to Armis, the Musimagium’s law enforcement arm, told him something not very good was going to happen. He still read the dits and dahs like he had during the great war, the cadence of morse code somewhat soothing, even as they talked about the schisms happening in the Musimagium. People like him weren’t welcome. Not fancy enough. Not cultured enough. Damn prohibitionists doing more than trying to outlaw the drink. They really didn’t like people who didn’t meekly follow the rules, people like him who asked too many questions. Even tonight, with the burn of moonshine in his veins and the howl of wolves making Remus itchy to go out and run with the pack that had refused him, the sound of those same dits and dahs coming from the receiver didn’t soothe him either. Not wanted. The foreman at Gemini Lacus had said as much the last time he’d been by to repair their radio transceivers. Not a lot of call for the skills he’d learned during the Great War down in the Ozarks, but they’d needed him where the agents listened to the radio signals and tried to ferret out those who were using magic to harm. But the official letter that his contract had ended put a stop to that. Someone else would fix their radios now, someone a bit more cultured, someone not bonded to a three-legged wolf. A grin turned Hiram’s lips, and he took his third and final sip for the night, before putting the cork back in the bottle and setting it on the table beside him. Remus whined again. The thunder, and the howls, were getting louder. Family. This time the images sent to his mind were a flash of red fur darting between spindle-trunked oak trees, the scent of loam with a hint of warm sunshine he associated with rabbits, filling his nostrils. Remus rose onto his three good legs, the paw of his right front not quite long enough to support his weight. He went to the door and nosed it once, twice, then sat, tail thumping gently against the cabin’s wooden floorboards. “You know you can’t run with them. Can’t keep up and you smell too much like me.” He held out his arm, the sleeve rolled up to reveal forearms tanned from the sun and thick with graying black hair, as if to let Remus smell him and remember where he belonged. Remus sniffed and his tail thumped a little faster. “Okay, boy. But don’t go far and come right back.” A crack of lightning and rumble of thunder nearly drowned out his words and for a moment Remus hunched down. But he had the door opened and the red wolf darted out without hardly making a sound. He stepped onto the porch that looked off to the east and toward the road. From the ridge he could barely see it through rows upon rows of trees, but he thought about Remus, saw the trunks flashing past as he raced down hill, tongue lolling out of his mouth, and sheer joy in the movement. Electricity crackled in the air. Any other wild creature would be holed up in its den, but not Remus. It’d been on a night like this when he’d found the pup, his paw caught in a bear trap someone set and forgot about. The pup had been weak, and he hadn’t thought it’d survive. But Remus had. Hiram’s leg twinged with the change in weather. He reached down to rub his thigh, then stopped, hand hovering mid-air when the image of the grey and red pelt flashed through Remus’ vision. His wolf had stopped, hunkered low in some blackberry vines, ignoring the thorns in the hopes of not being seen. The bigger wolf looked like a cross between a gray and a red, and when he sat and howled even the rumble of thunder stopped to listen. Shivers ran down his spine. The Moko Pack. This short story was previously exclusive to the Muse Happens subscription program (paid tiers) is now available for sale only here at the Kit Author website. When you purchase it for $0.99 you'll receive a coupon for $1 off your first month of membership at Muse Happens. Grab the short story here! Read the full article

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Season 2 Update for #WriteTalkWednesday

https://youtube.com/shorts/IW9dOA1oCms I am pleased to announce that after a very long hiatus we're back for season 2. Listen to the podcast or watch the video to find out when we launch and how you can be a guest. Let's see if we can fill 2025 with author interviews! Read the full article