Do you have The Goddess Connection?

by Cate Masters

Every woman should embrace her inner goddess! That’s the premise of The Goddess Connection series, and The Magic of Lavender, a full-length paranormal romance, kicks off the series.

I have several more novels in this series in mind to follow. In each, the heroine will be somehow connected to a goddess. Her lifelong quirks will become strengths once she finds her true place in the world, and accepts herself for who she really is.

In The Magic of Lavender, Joss is related to the goddess Iris. Many figures from Greek mythology appear in this story. I'm a research nut, and love to incorporate cool myths and legends.

Why select an obscure goddess like Iris? As it turns out, she’s actually the perfect one to begin this series. As the Goddess of the Rainbow, Iris connects the gods to humans, and the otherworld to this world. She’s also called the Messenger of the Gods, and can travel at the speed of wind anywhere in the world, or beyond. So my subconscious must have been working overtime – sometimes it knows best!

Iris also has some cool goddess connections herself – her mother’s Electra, the ocean nymph, and her father is the Titan named Thaumaus, whose mother is Gaia, or mother Earth. This is an important link to the story line, because the heroine buys an old bed and breakfast which happens to sit atop ley lines, which convey powerful energy.

In ancient times, some believed ley lines held spiritual power. Many people today still seek out the positive energies from ley lines such as those in Sedona, Arizona, or the Great Pyramid at Giza, Nazca in Peru, or Stonehenge.

So you can see why it might cause a conflict with the Underworld if the relation of a goddess moved to such a spot. Poor Joss has no idea what she’s gotten herself into! All she wants is to fill in the void left when her husband died, and grow lavender to flavor special dishes at the inn.

Joss also doesn’t realize that planting lavender will draw the fae. Lavender also has many interesting legends. Throughout history, lavender has been used to protect against evil, to heal (doctors used it during World War I to disinfect walls and floors), and to help calm and soothe people’s troubled minds. In Ireland, brides used to braid lavender in their hair to retain their sacred power, and used it as an aphrodisiac. So if you need a little boost to your love life, or in your own sacred power, plant some lavender. *grins*

And, like at the fictional Lavender Hill Inn, people cook with lavender. Here’s a taste of one of Joss’s offerings at the inn:

Lavender Lemonade

Ingredients

3 cups sugar

7 sprigs lavender (stems and buds), plus additional for garnish*

2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 12 lemons)

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 5 limes)

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring one gallon of water and the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat; add 7 lavender sprigs and lemon and lime juices. Cool to room temperature, strain, and chill. Serve on ice, with additional lavender for garnish.
* If unavailable, substitute fresh basil or lemon thyme.

Blurb:

Jocelyn Gibson forgot about the realm of magic. But it never forgot her. Gram always told her: don’t ignore your magical gifts, it will insult the family. But Joss didn’t realize her gifts included channeling the energy of powerful ley lines. Or that her family included a goddess. Family connections come in handy when the Lord of the Underworld kidnaps local vet Eric Hendricks. He’s an amazing lover, but Joss didn’t know she loved him until too late. With a little help from the Goddess Iris, Joss defends the new life she’s forged, and helps save the town of Boiling Springs from destruction. Once Eric escapes Hell, can she stop loving him to keep him safe? 

You can read the excerpt, see the book trailer, Casting Call (who I envisionedin these roles, a very fun blog series I started), and read the first chapter ofThe Magic of Lavender on my blog. 

Giveaway!

I’d love to give an ebook of The Magic of Lavender to a commenter. I’ll leave the giveaway open until this weekend and select a winner at random on Saturday. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you!

Thanks so much for reading! Always remember to treat yourself like a goddess! And now it's easy to get the Goddess Connection –The Magic of Lavender is available at Amazon and Smashwords