Episode 55: ARCANE AWAKENINGS, Money Pigs, and Puppy Piddles
In today’s episode of Cliffhangers and Cocktails, Shéa interviews five of the eighteen authors (including our very own Amy Cissell) who are part of the Arcane Awakenings anthology that went live on Kickstarter today!
We also discuss a few magical ways to wake your own creativity, share our magical and mystical drinks, and as always, try to have a few shenanigans.
What is Arcane Awakenings?
Urban fantasy stories usually begin after magic has become part of the world. Mystic forces are wielded by a chosen few. Hidden societies already exist, plotting and scheming while hoarding arcane knowledge and manipulating human events. Supernatural wars are fought, and monsters roam the streets looking for unsuspecting victims.
But where does the story truly begin? Who first realized magic was real? What caused the veil between worlds to blur, merging the physical world and the realms beyond?
Was it a sudden shift in the natural order? A mage unleashing a forgotten ritual finally completed? An ancient race of beings entering the modern world? Was it the creation of a new god? Or the clash of two armies wielding unknown elements, resulting in unforeseen consequences?
Arcane Awakenings is an anthology about the emergence of magic.
Daniel Coolbaugh (he/him)
Daniel Coolbaugh currently writes in the urban fantasy, dark fantasy, and science fiction genres. When he isn’t writing about adventures and struggles in fantastical lands and on far off worlds, he spends his days podcasting, playing Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder with his friends, practicing martial arts, and spending time with his family in Central New York.
Ben Schenkman (he/him)
Urban fantasy author, audiobook narrator, and aspiring mensch.
Alin Silverwood (he/him)
A former member of the Marvel Comics editorial staff, Alin has also worked for Paramount Pictures and Mattel. He has released a novel, short stories, and several comics, also editing books and comics for a number of authors.
C. Thomas Lafollette (he/him)
C. Thomas Lafollette is the author of three action-adventure urban fantasy series. Besides reading and writing, he loves a good action movie, be it a Hollywood blockbuster or a classic Samurai flick, as well as the occasional rom-com. He lives in Porto, Portugal with his partner – the devastatingly talented author Amy Cissell (see below) – his stepdaughter, and their three jerkface cats.
Amy Cissell (she/her)
Amy Cissell is a USA Today Bestselling Author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels. She lives in Porto, Portugal with three cats, her amazing teenager, and her husband C. Thomas Lafollette (see above).
Amy is a witch whose practices are rooted in Norse and Celtic traditions and an atheistic pagan. She has more tarot and oracle decks than she knows what to do with, and desperately needs more magic rocks.
Oracle Deck of the Week
-Mugwort-
Rest, Retreat, Recovery
Intuition, Insight, Clarity
Perception, Meditation
Cocktail Magic!
The Aviation
Drink Energy: love, cleansing, protection, abundance, divination, GOOD VIBES!
Ingredients
Gin: 2 oz/60 mL
Maraschino liqueur: 1/2 oz/15 mL
Crème de violette: 1/4 oz/ 8 mL
Freshly squeezed lemon juice: 3/4 oz/23 mL
Garnish: maraschino cherry
Instructions
Combine the gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds until the mixture is well-chilled.
Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a chilled coupe glass.
Garnish with a maraschino cherry at the bottom or a trimmed lemon twist on the rim.
Gin Martini, Dry with a twist
Drink Energy: cleansing, healing, protection, divination
Ingredients
Gin: 3 oz/90 mL
Dry Vermouth: 2/3 oz/20 ML
Garnish: lemon peel
Directions
Add all ingredients to shaker, fill with ice
Stir until it’s 0°
Strain into martini glass
Express a lemon peel
Garnish
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