Funk-N-Fiction

Today’s author brings a “Blank” Makes Me Happy post just in time for seasonal festivities!!
Coastal Magic Convention Featured Author Deborah Blake is sharing about her love of tarot, and one of YOU can win a mini version of her customized deck!!

Tarot Makes Me Happy
by Deborah Blake

I’m pretty well known for being the author of multiple fiction series, including the Baba Yaga paranormal romances and the Furbidden Fatality cozy mysteries, as well as my many nonfiction books on modern Witchcraft from Llewellyn. But did you know that I also have my own tarot deck? Not many authors can say that!

My love of tarot isn’t new. A friend taught me about it many years ago, and I’ve been a professional tarot reader for over twenty-five years. These days I give readings via Zoom, and have read for people from across the globe. I consider it to be something of a universal language, because it seems to work equally well for anyone, no matter where they live or what their background is, as long as they have an open mind and a genuine interest.

Writing the guidebook for a tarot deck is a completely different challenge than writing any other kind of book. In the case of The Everyday Witch Tarot, I used the standard Rider-Waite deck as a starting point, keeping the names and general meanings of the 78 cards the same, but I updated the interpretation of the cards so it was more accessible to the modern user. Working with my amazing illustrator, Elisabeth Alba, I came up with images that I thought would make the cards easier to understand, and added my trademark sense of humor, plus a lot of cats, just because I could. Honestly, it was the most fun project I’ve ever worked on, although not an easy one, and I’ve been loving the response I’ve gotten from those who have used it over the years.

Elisabeth and I followed up with very different oracle decks (which are simpler to use than tarot, for those who aren’t familiar with them) and we’re currently working on a new tarot full of cute animals who live in a quaint and whimsical village. I’m also working on a novel that has a tarot reader as a protagonist, because I am intrigued by the idea of taking the tarot I love and putting it into a book.

Have you ever had your tarot cards read, or do you read the cards yourself?

If so, I hope they make you happy too.
If not, you can think of it as a whole new world, waiting to be explored.

Be sure to answer Deborah’s question in the comments for a chance to win a mini version of her tarot deck!!

This is the perfect way for someone new to tarot to dip their toes in – or for experienced tarot readers to try out Deborah’s customized deck. One entry per commenter. Winner will be selected on October 31st and notified via the email associated with their account.

Good Luck!!

Deborah Blake is the author of seventeen books on modern Witchcraft, including The Eclectic Witch’s Book of Shadows, The Little Book of Cat Magic and Llewellyn’s Little Book of Spellcraft, as well as the acclaimed Everyday Witch Tarot and Oracle and Everyday Witch’s Familiars Oracle decks.
She has also written three paranormal romance and urban fantasy series for Berkley, and as well as a cozy mystery series about a run-down pet rescue. Deborah lives in a 140 year old farmhouse in upstate New York with numerous cats who supervise all her activities, both magical and mundane.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this Coastal Magic Convention Featured Author Spotlight post.
Deborah will be one of the amazing authors we’ll get to hang out with during the 14th annual reader weekend in Daytona Beach, FL, Feb 19-22, 2026.
 For a full list of Featured Authors, info about the weekend, and link to register to attend, visit http://www.CoastalMagicConvention.com. 
And be sure to watch for more Featured Author spotlights coming up here each month!