More Hazel Moon Magic Mischief...

 

I just got this email from one of the Hazel Moon authors, Lisa Minneti:

This morning a very "November" thing happened! I was walking my dog Jake and a black dog followed us and was playful and then when we were on a slope Jake bolted, I let go of his leash, and landed on my side and cried out in pain! I either bruised or maybe cracked a rib, but the weird thing is when I was on my side I came face-to-face with a black lamppost lying on the ground, uprooted...it was crazy. Both dogs came to my rescue and soon the owner of the black dog arrive on the scene!!

 

 

I knew the Hazel Moon Magic Mischief Machine would have another surprise for us today, of all days...the rising of the 2015 Hazel Moon and a Supermoon at that!!! Just two days ago, the story's Camaro turns up parked right outside of the cafe where I was meeting with author, Lisa Minneti, to go over our final edits. Now today, a scene happens to Lisa right out of our book when November, walking on a slope, slips on something she wasn't expecting underfoot and hurts herself badly...OMG!!!!

Here's the scene:


SONNY ARRIVED FIRST on the scene and quickly began administering first aid. Hunched down on all fours, he was doing what came naturally, licking November’s wound, her clothes stained with bright-red fresh blood, quickly turning a deep maroon as it hit the air and ran down her leg.

What do you do when someone upsets you? Flip them off, if you’re Italian you might give them the chin flick, but if you’re Angela Gonzales you’ll let out a she-devil scream, which is exactly what she did.

Taking a shortcut on their way back from the checking out the carnival rides, it all happened so fast. It could have been foul play as the freaky carny burnouts were capable of anything, but in fact November took a nasty accidental spill on the slick grass and moss-covered rocks leading to the injury. Seeing the blood, Angela’s shriek of terror traveled to the turrets of the Tampax Stage, pressed on to the Carburetor Stage, before echoing back to the scene of the crime.  

And the lamppost Lisa mentioned seeing, that caused her fall, another key scene in Hazel Moon is where Lady Luna first appears, standing like a statue under a lamppost in the rain holding an umbrella. 

Here's that scene:


A CAPRICIOUS WIND from the ominous storm slammed the heavy door behind them as the girls scampered back to the Camaro, each holding a black umbrella embroidered with the funeral parlor’s name and logo.

Slamming the shifter into first and about to speed off, November froze after seeing a vision from another era—a woman draped in a long, black cloak covered in elegant scalloped beading and silk buttons, holding a frilly parasol and perched under a lit lamppost. She pulled the shifter out of gear and abruptly jumped out, handing Angela her drink.

Oblivious to the rain, she ran to the light under the lamppost and the mysterious woman standing there.

“Luna!”

“Moonlight Star…I know I’m late, but you know it’s my nature to be naughty.”

November stood there in awe…Luna’s voice as sweet and intoxicating as a Champagne truffle. She added a polished curtsy, worthy of a member of a 19^th Century French Court. An amber glow danced around her olive skin and coffee-with-cream eyes. Turning her head to the left, Luna held her chin with two forefingers, striking a fetching pose, the glow from the lamppost casting her in a cocoon of light.

“Where have you been?” November petitioned, her heart now a useless lump in her throat.

“There will be plenty of time to chuckle over my amorous misadventures…tonight is all about you and your destiny…after all, this is the Eve of the Hazel Moon.”

In a few hours I'll be going to a Hazel Moon festival where author Lori Minneti will be singing, entertaining a crowd gathered to celebrate the full rising of the 2015 Hazel Moon. I can only imagine what Magic might happen under those feisty moonbeams!! 

Washington Park Media Library...

What could possibly account for all the remarkable guided incidents of Synchronicity that seem to be swarming around not only my Hazel Moon project, but as one of the main themes of Hazel Moon point out, Magic is there for anyone to grab hold of...but you do have to Believe in Something...as author Lisa Minneti recently said to me.


We were meeting at my Starbucks office to both finish up the remaining edits for the release of her book and to go over her notes for the beginning of the sequel, Hawthorn Moon. We were only hours away from the rising of the 2015 Hazel Moon, a supermoon that only comes around once each 14 months. The stage was set for more Hazel Moon Magic when I walked up to the Starbucks entrance and parked right in front was a midnight purple Camaro. Now, in the book set in 1984 November's car is a classic '69 midnight purple Camaro!

I find it fascinating to note that whatever this unseen force is, it is not perfect. I didn't see a '69 Camaro, but rather a newer model, and yet I've been going to this Starbucks for years and never saw this car before. But, the Universe of Magical Possibilities was not done. Look at the license plate. The tag, also rare not to have numbers, was LILO...and our authors names are Lisa & Lori...LILO!!! Now ask yourself, what are the odds seeing a license plate like this at any time, but consider it is only hours away from a full Hazel Moon and only a few hours away from the printing of the first book!!

I mentioned in an earlier blog that Lisa and I had been reading the same book, Siddharthha by Hermann Hesse. She happened to show me her copy and on the inside cover was the imprint of Washington Park Media Center...and I went to Washington Park High years before Lisa acquired the used book...Connections!

The rock picture is a piece of tourmaline...featured in the book. In an early scene, November stopped at her apartment to pick up a dress for Angela for the music festival they were going to. Worried about needing protection from dangerous spirits, November picked out a piece of tourmaline for the magic color it had in it. The actual rock above was given to me by author Lisa Minneti who just happened to bring three samples and let me pick out the one that was meant for me. I picked out the one above!! Life imitating Art imitating Life...

And, again, if all that weren't enough, a young Tony Robbins came into the cafe and first Lisa, then I noticed him and his gift for reaching out to people. I invited him to ask Lisa some questions about the book to give her some experience with an author interview. Besides asking excellent questions, when the subject of the magic mentioned throughout the book and all the magic surrounding the publication of the book came up, he actually referenced The Law of Attraction as providing some basis for understanding what was happening. The more we were focused on the book and the story and the characters the more we Attracted Connections related to the story.

Another remarkable day in the life of the publication of Hazel Moon!

When Your Story Talks to You...

The author of Wicked, Gregory McGuire, was recently interviewed on NPR discussing his new book, Egg & Spoon, set in Russia. He talked about one of the characters, Baba Yaga, a Russian witch in a real Russian fairytale who lives in an old house perched up on chicken legs. While writing the book he wandered into an antique store and it was as if his story was speaking to him! There was a replica of a house on chicken legs, something he'd never seen before, which he promptly purchased to honor the magic surround the telling of his story. Here's a link to the Gregory McGuire interview: http://wuwm.com/post/egg-and-spoon-gregory-maguire-re-imagines-pre-revolutionary-russia  

The Marlboro box above is a pic of the actual empty box that I found while riding my bike around my neighborhood on the morning before going to a soiree hosted by my authors, Lisa & Lori Minneti, which was originally planned as a book-release event before we ran into difficulties completing the cover. 

I'd ridden this route hundreds of times over many years and never came across an empty cigarette box, much less a Marlboro box. On the way back home I found another Marlboro box, so I had two. In Hazel Moon there are two Marlboro Girls promoting Marlboro cigarettes at the Hazel Moon Music Festival. In real life, Lori  & Lisa had been Marlboro Girls!

Next, walking up to the home where the party was being held, I found a 20-dollar bill on the ground (see the actual bill above). In all my years I've never found a $20 bill before. In the book, character Cash Reynolds pulls a wad of big bills out of his pocket while buying clothes for his girlfriend, Cola, at the Merry-Go-Round where November and Angela work. So, the $20 bill had a direct connection to Cash!

While at the party I met Jake, Lisa's dog, who was the inspiration for Sonny in the book, and the people who had volunteered to play the other main characters in some promotional videos the authors are planning to produce including, Mrs. Casimir, the fortune teller, and November. I also had a chance to speak at length with their Armenian friend who took the time to explain the disturbing back story behind the Armenian Holocaust which took place in the early 1900s.

All in all, it was another magical night enhanced to surreal levels by all the Magic swirling around Hazel Moon's publication! And the actual Hazel Moon will be rising in all its full-moon glory only a few days from now...I can only imagine what might happen on that night!

 

Here are some pics of a few of the many who attended Lisa & Jeff's Summer Soiree!