Halloween Fact Treats
 
Halloween dates back to ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), celebrated on November 1 as the new year. It marked the end of summer and harvest before the dark, cold winter. Celts believed that on the night of October 31, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. They wore costumes, built huge bonfires, and left treats on doorsteps for friendly spirits. 

Pope Gregory III expanded the Catholic feast of All Martyrs Day to include all saints, observed on November 1.

Eventually All Saints Day was also called All-hallowmas. The night before it began to be called All-hallows Eve; eventually it was renamed "Halloween."

Today in America, Halloween focuses on trick-or-treating for the young. With an estimated $6 billion spend annually, it has become the country's second largest commercial holiday 


Goodreads Giveaway
giveawayEnter Goodreads Giveaway by October 31 for a chance to win a free paperback version of Mystical Aria: Seeking the Gallion Queen. Click the "Enter Giveaway" link below for details. Good luck!

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Goodreads Book Giveaway

Mystical Aria by Jean Neff Guthrie

Mystical Aria

by Jean Neff Guthrie

Giveaway ends October 31, 2016.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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New Blog
Seven Similarities of Plots and Projects
Writing a novel and creating a software project schedule seem as alike as sumo wrestling and calf roping. Jean Neff Guthrie, young adult science fiction author and information technology program manager, reveals seven similarities that meld her two passions.

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Lisa Michaels
Blog by Lisa Michaels
If you like a walk in the woods, watching the full moon, and going with the flow, you may also like Lisa Michaels' blog, Align with the Sacred Timings of the Universe. Her articles and videos explain how the elements and seasonal cycles impact our lives. Check out her books and creation cards as well. Fun fact: Lisa's also a former ballet teacher!

Author Jean Neff Guthrie
Fun Facts About the Author
My most memorable Halloween costume was a Pocahontas outfit that my mom made from brown feed sacks. Unfortunately, It itched most of the night. 

Because we lived on a farm, Mom drove us to the neighbors's homes for trick-or-treating. Eventually our church hosted a community Halloween party for the kids.  Less gas, more fun.

Aria Vanir with her Transmission Diary
Aria Vanir Speaks

Sequel on Wattpad

Good news, friends! Now you can follow both novels of the  "Mystical Aria" series in the Teen Fiction section on Wattpad, a social media community that focuses on writers and readers. Just create a free login, and you can read books or stories as they emerge. 

Click the link below for Jean's Wattpad profile. Follow her or send a message. 

Then click the title of either Mystical Aria novel and the "Read" button to access beginning selections for FREE. Jean adds paragraphs each week, so follow to find out more about my diary entries in the sequel, "Spaceship Diary"! 


Dare-me Halloween Costumes

On Halloween, most kids want to dress up as a vampire, witch, or main character from the most recent superhero movie. Aria Vanir says, "nuke to the no" for these boring choices. Here are her seven ideas to turn a Halloween cloak from boring to daring.

Aria and Tommy on Facebook
Aria and Tommy would enjoy interacting with you on their Facebook pages. What would you like to know about these characters? What secrets would you want them to tell?

Like us on Facebook Like Aria Vanir's FB page                       Like us on Facebook Like Tommy Manger's FB page
 
Thank you again for supporting  Mystical Aria series . If you have questions or suggestions, click here to beam me a message. 

Next time, more blogs from Jean and Aria.

Sincerely,

Jean Neff Guthrie
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