"A Candle Loses Nothing By Lighting Another Candle" - Father James Keller


Friday, September 23, 2011

Practical Magic Blog Party with Giveaway


Welcome to the Practical Magic Blog Party here at Authors By Authors. I was so thrilled to be able to participate in it this year!


If you asked me why I loved the movie Practical Magic, or what I loved most about it, you would have to sit and watch it with me as I gave you a play by play! LOL It’s everything from the advice and beautifully written lines, to the clothes (aunts and Sally’s) and the conflicts, to the music and the margaritas, to the sisters (old and young) and the spells (both right and wrong)… like I said, I would have to point it all out as I went along. My husband likes to ask, each time he catches me watching it just how many time a person can re-watch a movie. For this one, an endless number of times!


I have always been a huge Stevie Nicks fan, so I do love her song “Crystal” being in the movie. I found this great fan-made youtube video which plays the song along with some great clips from the movie. Sharing of course.   






To show you how much I love this movie, here is an excerpt where I mention Practical Magic a few times, from a short story called, “Samhain’s Visitors,” published in the Just Another Paranormal Halloween Anthology with Mojocastle Press:  


     The movie always got to her no matter how many times she watched it. Ripping at her heart, causing it to soar, making it long…Practical Magic just gave her a good emotional work out all around.  As a solitary witch and a single gal in her early thirties, October thirty-first had followed the same timeline for years now.  First there was the handing out of candy to the neighborhood children where she ate almost as much as she gave.  Then when the streets quieted down and her porch light was out, she popped in the movie and ate popcorn to try to counteract the sugar and fat induced queasy feeling in her stomach. Once those traditions were accomplished, she centered herself before moving onto whatever Samhain ritual she had chosen for midnight.
      Sarah was a sucker for a good happily-ever-after romance any day.  Add in some magic and suspense, especially with a sprinkle of horror, and man she was hooked.   Once again this holiday, by the end when the fully costumed witches jumped off the roof of the beautiful East Coast Victorian house, she found herself smiling making the dried tears pull on the skin of her cheeks.
      However, tonight instead of jumping up and rushing to her prepared alter, she sat, arms curled around her legs, hugging her knees to her chest, wanting for something.  She gently searched for the source of the ill feeling inside of her, something more than just a stomach protesting her over-indulgence in food. This was more like an intense longing for something or someone lost. It was so unlike her, and she knew herself enough, respected herself enough, not to ignore it.  Sure everyone wanted for things in life, but tonight was different, more consuming to the point of a physical ailment. 
      With nausea rising, her limps heavy and her breathing coming in small pants, words from the film sang out in her head as unfounded tears fell…Sometimes I feel there is a hole inside me... An emptiness that, at times, seems to burn… And the moon tonight, there's a circle around it --- A sign of trouble not far behind. I have this dream of being whole... Of not going to sleep each night wanting… I dream of a love that even time will lie down and be still for. I just want someone to love me. I want to be seen… but there is no man... Only that moon.  She did move finally, drawn to the window, toward the only thing she knew she wanted but didn't quite have, at least not in the sense she wanted him.
      Pushing aside the curtains about an inch, something along the lines of butterflies, no bats, beat their wings inside of her stomach.  It was a warning she knew she needed to heed, but from what, she didn't know.  So her eyes could not play tricks on her, she blinked hard twice to clear her vision of tears.   There was nothing around the moon out there, no red-tinged circle like in the movie.  The thing wasn't even full.  Besides, such a halo effect didn't really mean anything other than a meteorological event caused by rain clouds to the best of her knowledge anyway.  She was just being silly now, letting the emotions the movie stirred up combine with whatever else was going on.
      However, there was a man there outside her window, just one she was not sure she could have…

The main site for this party is at http://pmparty2011.blogspot.com/ Stop by to see all of the participating blogs. I plan on hopping around to visit each of them today, then use the party as an excuse to pop in the movie once again, and maybe drink a margarita in celebration!

Giveaway
To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post today about the movie. If your profile doesn't have an email I can see, then please leave me a way to contact you in the post. I will pick a winner Sept 25th. The winner will get a hand-knit, by me, witch hat and broom book thong, along with the anthology quoted from above, Just Another Paranormal Halloween, just in time to read in October. So you are aware, the stories in this anthology are for those over the age of 18.


22 comments:

  1. Oh wow Oh wow...
    Hold on to your men ladies ;-)
    I mean who could not feel a fissure of excitement and lust run through their bodies when Gillian thrusts her slim hips forward.
    How could you not cry your eyes out wanting to help Sally find the click beetle and stop the fate that was going to befall her husband.

    If you have guessed Kiki I am a devoted fan, right down to the cactus pancakes.

    Excellent post and your story sounds sublime.

    So when do we start organizing Midnight Marguerite's?

    *bites n kisses*
    PS, you know how to contact me hehehe

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  2. I love Pracial Magic. Its one of my all time favorite movies! I am the same as you, i cant pick a favorite thing about the movie. Its everything! The beginning grabs you and you hold on! I always sing along with the margarita song. ;P The 'aunts' were crazy and awesome; i definitely adore them! I love this movie! *sigh* I think ill watch it now. lol
    shadowluvs2read(at)aol(dot)com

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  3. Awesome post! Glad I found you. Practical Magic is one of the favorites listed on my FB profile. I have to say that the part that always gets me is when all of the teachers and neighbors, who thought the Sisters were weird, come around to help get rid of the evil SOB. My email is polishedwordsediting(at)gmail(dot)com I will definitely be following you now!

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  4. Wow, great minds really do think alike. It is so kool how you used a Stevie Nicks song you liked in this post and I just decided to read and listen to Stevie Nicks myself. I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the movie Practical Magic. I am a HUGE Sandra Bullock fan and I love movies dealing with magic. The Craft and The Covenant are more great movies about magic that I can't get enough of. I don't have Margarita mix but I do have some already frozen Strawberry, Peach, or Pomegranate Daiquiri's.

    Your book, as always, sounds superb. The book thing is so adorable. You are very crafty (pun intended....LOL). you have an amazing talent for telling such wonderful stories and creating such wonderful crafts. Always looking forward to what you come out with next.

    And you also know how to contact me....^_^.

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  5. MY eyes deceive me... When I first saw the picture, I really thought it was a THONG...but no. Book thong...it was like: if I look at the picture long enough... That has got to be the coolest book thong I ever did see :)
    HOW CREATIVE! ❤ LOVE IT

    cassandra
    monkeycstars(at)aol(dot)com
    http://monkeycstars.blogspot.com/

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  6. I absolutely loved Practical Magic and have watched is several times and sometimes will just look for it on demand and put it on. I really enjoyed all the ladies of the phone tree getting together to save the day and what could be more perfect than jumping off the roof on Halloween:) I too was a little thrown by the thong until I realized what it was and after picked my chins up off the floor and shut my mouth, just started laughing at my nutbunny brain, and was every so grateful I was not going to have to try and fit in it LOL. Thank you for the fun today and for the awesome giveaway opportunity.

    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com

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  7. Love Sandra Bullock, so love the movie. Haven't seen it in a while, will have to watch again in preparation for the story above, which sounds great! lisagk(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  8. Cracking up over the thong thing, hmmm, might have to get creative here! LOL

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  9. One of the things I love about your writing, is how you fill it with reality, even if the reality comes from fiction.

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  10. Wow! I really enjoyed your PM post! Thank you for stopping by my blog and commenting I really appreciate it!! Blessed be

    *´¨)
    ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
    (¸.•´ (¸.•`*SANDI

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  11. That is so creative! I love crazy book markers! Yes fellow lover of the Practical Magic - come see my sister's PM party post - giveaway also!
    tlabunski **((gmail))**

    http://rinnisplayground.blogspot.com/2011/09/magic-is-practical-ode-to-practical.html

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  12. This is an awesome song for an awesome movie- thanks for the giveaway -- i love bookmarks
    audie@wickerness.com

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  13. I too love the book as well as the movie. We watch it at least every month, and October...more. Your giveaway is awesome..as I would love to have it...it would be a very special addition to my collection. Thank you so much for sharing it all. I am hoping that you will visit me:
    momentsinaneye.blogspot.com
    e-mail..momentsinaneye@hotmail.com

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  14. Really enjoyed the excerpt and the again!
    Lisa

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  15. What a fantastic story! It left me wanting to read more!

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  16. excellent post, and intriguing read!
    count me in, but I have to ask, what is a book thong? LOL
    BB,
    Susan

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  17. Such an Enchanting post...
    And you have captured what appeals most of all in the film... Love it !!
    Bless,
    Karen

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  18. Love your enchanting post and story, Practical Magic is one of those films you never tire of watching.

    frith
    J x

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  19. What a great post !! I love it. It's nice to see that the movie is used in other books too ; )
    Great give away. I'm would certainly like to read the whole story ; )
    Have a magical day.

    amethistiaATgmail.com

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  20. Hi Kiki,

    What a lovely party post -- and, yes, I have also watched the movie several times. :)

    Magical Times,
    Birgit

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  21. Random.0rg has chosen Linda as my winner. Congrats! Sending you an email now :)

    I really appreciate all of the comments here, and had a great time visiting as many of the party posts as I could.

    Kiki

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  22. I finally made my way here and so glad I did. I love your post...I think I need to read the whole thing! I love how you worked Practical Magic into your story and made it so relatable for all of us that love the film. I can't even count how many times I've watched it and like your Sarah it's become a tradition for me to pop in the movie after all the trick or treaters have gone and all is quiet once again. Thank you so much Kiki for being a part of my party and for sharing your wonderful work :)

    Anna

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In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, Kiki Howell of An Author's Musings, would like to advise that in addition to purchasing my own books to review, I also receive books, and/or promotional materials, free of charge in return for an honest review, as do any guest reviewers.