Hello!
Things have been a little crazy! My daughter got married about 6 weeks ago and I'm still playing catch up.

So, I had four books come out last year.  One non-fiction book, The Natural Psychic, pictured here--

The Natural Psychic

and also the first three paranormal novels in my Legacy Of Magick Series were released!

To my delight the novels: Legacy Of Magick, Secret Of The Rose, and Message Of The Crow, have been selling even better than I ever dreamed, and the feedback has been both positive and wonderful. Here is a link to the Kindle version of Book One! (Book One is only $1.99 on Amazon.)
Legacy Of Magick: Book One

Legacy Of Magick Series Books 1-3

I've got two more full length novels planned, plus 2 more novellas, that will be featured in Anthologies, in October and December 2016!  It's going to be a busy year!

Book four in the Legacy of Magick Series is scheduled for a late June 2106 release. Beneath An Ivy Moon, is a continuation of the series and is from Ivy Bishop's point of view.

Yes indeed, fan-favorite Ivy steps center stage in her own adventure. The novel is with the editor now and then goes off to formatting. The cover art is finished and is gorgeous! Watch for the synopsis and cover art in early June this year.

Book Five in the Legacy Of Magick Series Under The Holly Moon, will be released in December this year. And you guessed it— it will be from Holly's POV. Book 6 and book 7 in the LOM series are planned out for 2017.

It's back to work for me! Blessed be,
Ellen

Good Morning,
Today is our St. Louis area Witches Discussion Group here are all of the particulars

Witches Discussion Group
Hosted by Ellen Dugan and Charlynn Walls
Date: February 16, 2013
Time: 2:00- 3:30 pm.
Place: Kathryn Linnemann Library (Meeting Room)
2323 Elm Street
Saint Charles, MO. 63301
Library Phone Number 636-346-6294
Ages 18 and up are welcome.
FREE!
A new discussion group for the Witches, Wiccans and Pagans of the St. Louis area.
Topic for December: Imbolc- to Ostara Welcoming the Light!
We will be meeting monthly to discuss magickal topics of interest. This will be a friendly exchange of ideas, magick and the discussion group will allow for attendees to have the chance to network and meet other magickal folks from the area. Ages 18 and up are welcome.
Please note: Due to work on the Blanchette Bridge, please consider taking 370 or the Page Extension to come to Saint Charles. We look forward to seeing you there!

 In other news, after a month at the gym I am starting to see some progress. Which considering I had the flu a few weeks ago, and then I went overboard and strained my knees last week, and have been doing only upper body workouts... isn't too bad. I am hopeful that by Wednesday I can start working out my legs again. In the meantime I want toned arms. I can build a bicep fast but the triceps are harder... and I want sculpted arms. I also need to start working harder on my core.

Last summer I dieted and worked out at home- hard for 6 weeks and lost one stinking pound. After a month at the gym I lost 3 pounds. One inch off my waist, 1 inch off my arms, and 4 inches off my hips! That explains why my jeans are feeling so different. So I am pleased.
I am also learning (the hard way)  that at the age of 49 I need to pace myself and not go balls out when I am at the gym because of the endorphin rush. Oy! that's how I strained my knees and got the IT band all aggravated. Lesson learned. Back to daily IT band stretching....
I still get confused by all the weights and machines. My trainer wrote down homework for me on the days I don't work with him, but I need like stick drawings of people to figure it out. I told him to break out the big crayons for me. Cause I just didn't get it. How do you hold you hands? Palms up or down on the barbells, how do you adjust the machines? Aaack! Very confusing. But he spent some time with me yesterday and I'm starting to feel less like a moron when I am at the gym on my own. With my sheet of paper filled with my stick figure drawings and directions.

Book# 15 is getting closer to completion. I am making good progress on the final chapter and this chapter ended up being deeper and more advanced than I had originally planned on and I am running with it. Actually this whole book is going to take it up a few notches. So I am pleased. I expected it to be done by now but you know what they say about best laid plans.

Okay I need to go hit the gym, then get home and get some work done on Chapter 9 before the discussion group this afternoon. I also hope to go see the movie "Beautiful Creatures" this weekend with the Hubs. I really liked the book- curious to see what they do with the film adaptation.
Blessed be, Ellen

Good Morning,

My master plan for this winter was to find an affordable, close to home, and friendly gym. I hit a plateau this summer and damned if I could get pass it. Considered throwing myself off of it for a while.  Mix in that with some ghastly peri-menopause symptoms including weight gain, insomnia, hot flashes, fatigue, and not being able to loose anything but 1 pound in six weeks- which I still can't figure out.
I did what worked so well before- I lost 60 pounds that way and kept it off for 3 years... Now that same walking, and diet routine was in place and only one pound lost in 6 weeks. (Insert primal scream, here.)
I was exhausted and started to drink lots of caffeine (tea and diet soda) to try and stay awake during the day, and I was stressed out and discouraged as hell.

Here I am looking at hitting the big 5-0 this year, and damn it, I want these 25 -oh that's normal every woman gains weight when they start 'the change'  extra pounds- gone. I worked so hard 4 years ago to loose 60 pounds and gaining back 25 because of stress and hormone changes is a buzz kill.
Perfection is over rated. I just want to get back to where I was, and be as healthy and strong as I can be.

The other reason I was considering joining a gym is because every winter I get stuck inside unable to do my 2 mile walks outdoors as I typically do 8 months out of the year...
I have work out DVD's but they are annoying if you do them all the time. And again you are stuck inside. Plus, if I live on the edge and do take walks in the wind and cold I tend to get a cold or a sinus infection. Right away.
 About a month ago (after valiantly taking my walks outside in the cold anyway) I got a nasty ear infection and it lasted for over 3 weeks. Wow, I had no idea an ear infection could make you so sick. Two rounds of antibiotics, decongestants, and ear drops, 3 trips to the doctor's office and  finally I had to have the ear flushed out so I could hear out of it again...  Ick.

But finally I am over that and have the okay from the doctor to continue to exercise. I made some radical changes to my diet while I was sick over those 3 weeks and to my amazement lost 5 pounds over the holidays. The doctor's scale confirmed that and I was tickled. And a little flabbergasted.
What did I do? I gave up diet soda, all caffeine, chocolate and I cut waaaay back on milk.
I eat yogurt and cheese- I get plenty of calcium- but I cut back on my daily servings of dairy- which I discovered had been far too many anyway, and I guess the changes in the diet must have kicked started something.

That day I left the doctor's office- hearing in stereo once again, I called the gym that I had been scouting out, and made an appointment to come in and take a tour. I liked what I saw. People of ALL ages, shapes and sizes, I saw a tiny older woman who was 80 if she was a day- just flying on an elliptical machine. (Scary but impressive).

So I signed up and went ahead and purchased sessions with a trainer as well. My reasoning? I have NO idea how to use any of the equipment in the gym- this way I can have someone teach me to use the equipment correctly. I have 20 more pounds to loose and I am determined to keep my knees injury free. Plus a trainer can set up a smart work out routine and  keep me motivated. I had my first session with my trainer a couple of days ago. And honestly, I was nervous as hell.

Ended up he is a nice young man, think big, quiet, football player/ teddy bear type. He was encouraging, supportive, soft spoken and probably younger than my own kids. And just when I convinced myself that he was a sweetie, he bent my happy ass like a  pretzel, when it was time to stretch out. Well good gods.
I had no idea I could bend like that.

I went home thinking,well, that wasn't too bad. Then my muscles decided to show me exactly where they had been used in a new and different way.  Yesterday we had crazy warm and windy weather mid 60's in January, so I was able to zip up a hoodie and go for a half hour walk up in the park in the sunshine. I was directed by the trainer not to do any weight lifting - but to either come in and hit the treadmill for a half hour or if the unseasonably warm weather held- to go do a mile and a half walk in the sunshine. I was only too happy with that assignment.

While on my walk I discovered my legs were sore in all new places. So were my arms and so were my shoulders. Well awesome. The best way to get over a plateau (I am told) is to do something different. Now today I go back for the second session, I thought we would do the same machine routines so I could memorize them and I was informed very quietly. "Oh no- Saturday we are working with free weights. All different things."

Which I find a little nerve-wracking when that is said with an affable smile. I think this guy is cheerfully relentless. And you know what? I'm up for that. So yeah, I am nervous but I am up for the challenge.
The motivation has spilled over into other areas of my life as well. I finished up chapter 6 this week and cranked out over 2000 words on chapter 7 yesterday morning.
Then after my walk in the park I figured out and outlined what the rest of chapter 7 of book #15 will be.
Fist pump!  It was a good day's work.

So I wonder what kind of work out challenges the trainer will throw at me today?
Bring it on big guy.

Blessed be, Ellen