Truthwitch Party Prep: Something That'll Keep Your Place

Happy New Year! It's the last day of my Truthwitch party-planning series (*cries*) but Truthwitch is out in just four more days, and I can't freaking wait. I've had so much fun coming up with these ideas and designs. I hope you guys have been liking this series too! I might have to keep doing these for new book releases...

So far we've talked about what to drink, what to eat, what to wear, and what to do... Now I have something that will keep your place as you read about Safi, Iseult, Merik, and Aeduan's antics all across the Witchlands. In other words... free printable Truthwitch bookmarks!

( click to download )

Safi will protect your book (with TWO swords, whaaaat) and keep you from losing track of your spot. Just print the PDF on a heavy cardstock paper, and use the gray outlines as a guide to help you cut out each bookmark.

And... I feel like a broken record at this point but... please remember that these printables are for your personal, non-commercial use only. If you share these anywhere, I would so appreciate if you could include a link back to this post. Thank you & happy reading!

Check out all my Truthwitch party posts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Truthwitch Party Prep: Something For Instagram

Today as part of my Truthwitch party-planning series, I have some printable photobooth props for you. They are the perfect party activity – you can recreate the world of Truthwitch and take selfies and everyone will look at your Instagram feed and wish they could be half as badass as you.

( click to download )

In the printable PDFs, you'll get a ship captain's hat (for Merik, our Windwitch and sailor), two swords (one of them is slicing through a splash of water – a little nod to the book cover!), red eyes (so you too can be like Aeduan the Bloodwitch), and some colorful curse words, care of Safiya fon Hasstrel.

All you have to do is print out the PDFs on a heavy cardstock paper, cut out each prop, glue to a wooden stick (like a skewer or a dowel or even a popsicle stick), and get those cameras out.

Just a reminder – these printables are for your personal, non-commercial use only. If you share these anywhere, please include a link back to this post. Thank you kindly!

Also, if you end up using these, I would LOVE to see pictures!! You can tag me on Twitter (@codenametiffany) or on Instagram (@bookplatesforbrunch).

Check out all my Truthwitch party posts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Truthwitch Party Prep: Something To Wear

Sing with me: On the third day of Truthwitch party-planning, tattoos to wear temporarily!

Including Witchmark tattoos!

A Witchmark is the mark all witches are required to have tattooed on their right hand. It indicates what kind of magic they have (Aether, Air, Earth, Fire, Water, or Void). However, certain kinds of magic are more rare and valuable than others, so some witches choose to hide their powers so that they don't get hunted down by evil political figures and questionable mercenaries...

( click to download )

Not only do you get your 6 clan tattoos in this downloadable PDF, I've also included 2 friendship bracelets (because so much of Truthwitch is about Safi and Iseult and their bond as Threadsisters), 4 heart tattoos so you can declare your love for Aeduan (my personal fave), Merik, Safi, and/or Iseult, 1 gorgeous quote from the book, and "Truthwitch" (for those of you who are brave enough to declare your Truthwitchery).

The printable PDF has all the art reversed so that the tattoo looks right-side up when you apply it to your skin. All of the temporary tattoos are formatted to fit on a standard 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper. For detailed instructions on how to print and apply your temporary tattoos, check out Wendy's post at The Midnight Garden.

These tattoos are for your personal, non-commercial use only. If you end up sharing them anywhere, please include a link back to this post. Thank you!

Check out all my Truthwitch party posts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Truthwitch Party Prep: Something To Eat

It's Day 2 of the Truthwitch celebrations! So you have something to drink – coffee from Mathew's Coffee Shop – and now you need some tasty treats to eat. Luckily I have just the thing.

Susan Dennard has said that the Witchlands are loosely inspired by three ancient European empires – the Venetian Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire – so I wanted to find something with a little bit of that Eastern European heritage. I landed on these jam thumbprint cookies which I love because the jam filling reminds me of blood (bwahaha) and Aeduan the Bloodwitch by association. You can use any fruit preserves you like – I went with raspberry because I wanted that deep red color and I just like raspberry-flavored things.

Bloodwitch Cookies

Modified from Allrecipes.com
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Prep time: 40-45 minutes
Cook time: 8-10 minutes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup raspberry preserves

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
Stir flour and salt in separate bowl. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients slowly until a soft dough forms. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Use your finger or teaspoon to make a well in the center of each cookie.
Spoon the raspberry preserves into each well halfway (about 1/4 teaspoon of preserves).
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

*No Bloodwitches were harmed in the making of these cookies.

Check out all my Truthwitch party posts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Truthwitch Party Prep: Something To Drink

In anticipation of Susan Dennard's new book Truthwitch, I'll be sharing one fun Truthwitch-related surprise each day this week! Just some little things to get you in the spirit for its release on January 5th. Not everyone will be able to see Susan on her book tour, but who says you can't throw your own book launch party to celebrate?

So come on in, relax, have a drink... how about coffee? Specifically, coffee from Mathew's Coffee Shop.

Mathew, the proprietor of said coffee shop, is an Aetherwitch and a friend of Safi and Iseult. He's a minor character, but I've inexplicably latched onto him. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Mathew serves "real" Marstoki coffee, the "best" in Veñaza City... Of course, by "real" I mean fake, and by "best" I mean terrible. Definitely no hearts decorating your latte here.

In the spirit of Mathew's Coffee Shop, I've got some tips on how to make terrible coffee, the kind worthy of being served by Mathew himself.

Serve your coffee in a mug that's on-brand.

Here's a Mathew-approved mug – perfect for sipping your beverage of choice. You can buy it at my Society6 shop, the only official licensed retailer of Mathew's Coffee Shop products (currently). Wink.

Brew coffee beans that have gone stale.

Coffee is like wine or cheese, right? You want a good vintage bean for the best flavor. The older, the better.

Never wash your coffee brewing devices.

Think of your coffee maker like a cast iron pan – you don't want to wash a cast iron pan with soap and water, you want to season it with oil to keep it in good condition. Your coffee maker is the same way. The mineral buildup and coffee residue just help ensure it's working at its best.

Use any old water for your brew.

Bathwater, tap water, any water will work. Don't get too fussy with that filtered water or distilled water – who wants to drink sanitized coffee anyway? Keep it real for a nice earthy brew.

Try letting your coffee sit for hours until it cools.

You can always add some ice to make iced coffee, or pop it in the microwave and heat it back up for a different taste. Easy peasy way to keep things fresh.

Ratios are for jerks.

Just throw in a couple scoops of ground coffee and enough water to fill a cup. Remember, real chefs don't measure. Coffee is an art, not a science. (Bonus tip, in case you want to get fancy: lots of ground coffee + a little bit of water = an espresso!)

And there you have it. Coffee that will make you feel like you're right there in Veñaza City.

Check out all my Truthwitch party posts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5