Mary Caelsto, New Age Girl at Heart

I've always been a new age girl. I blame it on the local library. At the age of sixteen I fell in love with the work of Mercedes Lackey and had just finished her books Oathbound and Oathbreaker. The main character, Tarma, worshipped a goddess. The writing seemed so vivid, and being an aspiring teenage writer myself, I knew it had to be researched from something in real life. So off I went to the library and came home with a copy of Margot Adler's, Drawing Down The Moon.

Once I discovered Wicca, a whole new world of tarot, crystals, anything and everything new age was opened up to me. Although faith has been a strong part of my family, I'm blessed to have family that looks beyond the labels to the person beneath. When writing science fiction and fantasy, it seemed easy to incorporate my faith. As a romance reader and writer, I'd thrilled to Evelyn Vaughn's The Circle series from the old Silhouette Shadows line. Seeing paganism, or Wicca, depicted with accuracy in romantic fiction makes me smile. Thus, when it comes to writing the "books of my heart", I choose to write what I like to call pagan inspirational romance.

I've had two books published, and a cute, sweet, novella about a rescued kitten, with Pink Petal Books. As a nonfiction author, I've had numerous articles published in magazines and websites. (My most recent article has appeared in the latest issue of Global Goddess.) I've also had a nonfiction book about reiki for animals published, as well as repackaged into ebooks several years' worth of articles I've written about pet parrot care.

I look forward to blogging here every month and sharing a little bit about myself and my work.

And to those who celebrated Lughnasadh, the first harvest festival earlier this week, Happy Harvest! May all you reap the bounty of the season. :) I know I'm enjoying fresh, Iowa grown sweet corn (YUM!) and the sweet banana and chili peppers in my garden. (Waiting for the tomatoes to ripen, yet, alas.)