For millennia, man has been using herbs; in food, for healing, and for magical purposes. Only in the last hundred years have the magical and medicinal properties of herbs been separated by scientists and the magical community. This book reunites the two into a comprehensive reference. Drawing on her years of practice and research, Deborah Martin has compiled information on over three hundred herbs. Avoiding the confusion of common names which can vary by region, she uses the Latin binomial or scientific names for all the plants but gives the reader a cheat sheet for easy reference. Written with a touch of humor, she details the difference between synthetic drugs and herbal alternatives. Lists make looking up an herb for a simple ailment or magical spell effortless. Also given are instructions for different types of herbal preparations and their medicinal and magical uses.

In older times, the female head of household was responsible for the health of the household. Doctors or healing priests were usually too far away to consult except in extreme circumstances. In addition to directing the planting & maintenance of the garden, she had an herb room (later, a stillroom) where she dried the harvest and made the necessary medicaments from herbs.

Of necessity, she would compile herbal recipes and other practical information used to treat the illnesses and injuries of both family and retainers. This information would come from a variety of sources: her mother & other relatives, neighbors and travelers.

Following the tradition of her forebears, Ms. Martin has compiled helpful information on over thirty common health complaints and fifteen magical situations. As her ancestors would have recorded, she includes information on growing your own herbs and how to make herbal preparations.

Herbal medicine has once again come to the forefront of the public’s mind. Without research, many think that herbs are safe. Many are, yet many can be just as deadly as a dose of arsenic.

Most everyone knows Socrates died from ingesting Hemlock. Have you heard about the Celtic chieftain who committed suicide by Yew? How about the duels between rivals who ate just half of a poison bean?

From Abrus precatorius to Viscum album, Master Herbalist Deborah Martin takes us on a journey of discovery … ninety-five herbs that, while they had or have their medicinal and magical uses, can be deadly.

With few exceptions, our ancestors did not store their cooking, medicinal, and magical herbs separately. If the lady of the house needed a pinch of cinnamon for a sweet treat, she reached for the same cinnamon she would use in a warm drink to ease a child’s cold. That same herb would be used in a spell to ignite passion in her husband.

Today should be no different. In this book, Master Herbalist Deborah Martin details sixty-nine herbs that will do triple duty, whether in your cooking pot, medicine chest or cauldron.

Ogres, vampires, dwarves, witches, wizards. Just a normal day for this human administrative assistant.

My boss is a malodorous, temper-tantrum-throwing ogre who wears Armani suits. Like most ogres, he’s not the most logical of thinkers, which is where I come in. I keep his business running smoothly while he schmoozes with high-profile people, some of whom are paranormals. Like one of his best friends, an agent to the stars who happens to be a centuries-old vampire.

I’m pretty good at maintaining an even keel, until I fall for a handsome man who isn’t what he seems. At the same time, a young vampire declares his love. Then there’s the demon who threatens to blackmail me. Life has become a disaster.

Even my BFF, who’s a witch, is at a loss. What’s a poor human to do?

s a Virgo, I like routine and order. Finding out I’m not fully human? That’s disruptive.

Juggling being an administrative assistant to a smelly, temper-tantrum-throwing ogre with a secret life writing paranormal romance novels and squeezing in my out-of-town werewolf boyfriend can be demanding, but I manage to keep my red-headed temper in check – most of the time.

My predictable life suddenly becomes chaotic when my magical powers manifest at the same time as my boss is kidnapped. As a strong Earth witch, my temper can cause disastrous things to happen. Can I adapt to the changes in my life (including finding out my cat isn’t simply a pet) and get the boss back without killing myself or anyone else in the process?

My magical abilities manifested relatively late in life and take some getting used to. And I don’t quite understand where they fit into my very organized life.

I work for a smelly, somewhat naive ogre, who tends to get himself into a lot of trouble. This time, he suddenly disappears while visiting New Orleans. No one knows how, where, or why.

With my familiar, a cat named Fudge; and a friend and magical mentor, Gregory, I delve deeper into the paranormal world than I ever wanted to find my boss. It’s not all unicorns and sparkles but, like humans, paranormals can have less-than-savory objectives. Along the way, I finally find a use for my newfound skills.

If you had a friend who was over 2,000 years old, wouldn’t you want to know about their life?

Amy is a witch. She’s lucky enough to have a familiar – not every witch or wizard is assigned one by the Familiar Council. Familiars are noncorporeal spirits who incarnate – and reincarnate – in bodies appropriate as a companion to their assigned charges. Their magic consists of keeping their body healthy during the lifetime of their human, boosting their human’s power, and acting as a repository of information.

The spirit currently occupying the body of Amy’s cat is old even by the standards of familiars. Being a nosy person, Amy asks Fudge, the name she gave the cat, to tell her some of the things he’s seen over the centuries, and about his previous witches and wizards.

Settle back along with Amy as Fudge relates a tale of kidnapping, palace intrigue, piracy, thievery and, of course, magic over a couple of millennia.