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Mystic Storyteller: A Writer’s Guide to Using the Tarot

Created by Amanda Hughes

New from author and designer Amanda Hughes! This definitive source for writers on how to use tarot cards to build story, plot and character... and so much MORE! MYSTIC STORYTELLER is a 500-page book with its own tarot deck — Art by Roz Kazaz

Latest Updates from Our Project:

YOU are at the top of my acknowledgements.
9 days ago – Mon, Jan 13, 2025 at 04:36:03 PM

Dear Mystic Storyteller Backer,

Mandy here! I'm thrilled to announce that I've just received the finished first draft of Mystic Storyteller: A Writer's Guide to Using the Tarot for Creative Inspiration!

I'll be spending the next few days reading through and catching last-minute edits before Stacey sends the book to print. In the meantime, I wanted to share how grateful I am for the support of everyone who rallied to help bring this book and tarot deck to life.



The following is a preview of my Mystic Storyteller Acknowledgements, and as you will see, YOU, my dear Backer, are at the very top of my list. I appreciate your support more than I can express.

Additionally, in the spirit of giving back and celebrating the work of my fellow creatives and peers, I've added links where you can explore their work, if you so choose.

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Mystic Storyteller Acknowledgements

All books start out as ideas, and most end up with one or two names on their covers, but the reality of bringing a book to shelves, hands, and hearts depends on a team of dedicated supporters. Mystic Storyteller would not have been possible without several Muggles and magickal folk.

My highest gratitude and deepest bow goes to my Backers. Your support is an honor, and I sincerely hope this book and cards inspire stories that enrich your life and the lives of others as you have so graciously done for mine.

To Shederal, the love of my life and my favorite Emperor, thank you for your listening ear and pointed feedback while I was crafting this book. Your unbiased nature and unconditional love and support not only make me a better writer but a much better person. Thank you, also, for changing the way I think about The Emperor, because before your warmup suit and sneakers, he felt like a stodgy old curmudgeon.

To Jalan and Devan, my Knights of Cups and Pentacles, you are my best work and my favorite gifts. I’ll never create anything as beautiful and meaningful as you, but with your love and support, I’ll never stop trying.

To Stacie, my Six of Pentacles, my closest friend and Sister, thank you for patiently and genuinely listening to me while I used our dinner tables and road trips as whiteboards for piecing together this book. Like your card, you are generous with your time and resources, and none of my books could have been written without you.

To Grisel, my Six of Wands, my editor and cherished Sister, you walked into my life the most incredible, magickal gift. Your fiery determination and spirit have ignited my world in ways I never imagined before the day we met. Thank you for lighting the path for this book and tarot deck to find their way.

To Stacey, our Queen of Wands, your work provided me exactly what I pray this book and these gorgeous cards do for others: a calling to create fearless, authentic stories that change hearts and minds. I am indebted to the Universe for its synchronous magick in crossing our paths.

To Shannon, our Queen of Pentacles, I’m grateful every day to have found your work. Your wisdom and insight nourished my soul while drafting this book, and I’m incredibly lucky to call you my friend.

To Weslyn, our Death Rider, and Roz, our illustrator, thank you both for your keen eyes and hands, along with your imbuing the Mystic Storyteller project with the highest intentions for creative transformation and abundance.

Enormous gratitude goes to Theresa Reed. Your words and chill energy were most instructive and appreciated while writing this book. And that you read and reviewed it? Wow! I’m honored and humbled. Thank you for making the tarot accessible in a way that resonates in every ‘hood and on any street.

Many special thanks go to my Sisters, friends, peers, and fans who supported me during the writing and publishing of Mystic Storyteller: Maria, C-Mac, Debbie, Erika, Nancy, Thomas, Sonja, Mandi, Jillian, Lisa, Christiana, Connie, Mimi, Victoria, Cyndera, and many, many more.

And, finally, to Pixie, Pamela Colman Smith, for her tremendous contribution to tarot, and to Pinkie Perideaux, my very own High Priestess who brought her work to my imagination. Thank you.

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Stay tuned for printing and shipping updates coming soon!!!

All my best,
Mandy

Amanda Hughes
www.HaintBlueCreative.com
[email protected]

A Very Mystic Update
about 1 month ago – Mon, Dec 16, 2024 at 03:28:51 AM

A letter from Mandy's desk to yours:

Dearest Mystic Storyteller Backers,

I hope this update finds you safe and well, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed all the resources you received during Camp MST over the past couple of months. No matter where you are in the creative process, KEEP AT IT! And let me know how it's going! I'd love to celebrate your accomplishments alongside you.

I wanted to send an update regarding where we are in the Mystic Storyteller project development, as well as share a few new festive card images - YOU are the first to see these!

Production Update

December 2024
  • Our illustrator, Roz, is dashing for the finish line as she's completed 75 of the 78 card designs! They are SO GORGEOUS.
  • Stacey, book designer and La Panthère founder, is busy adding the finishing touches to our Mystic Storyteller book design. I will have a peek in the next week or so, and we cannot wait to reveal the final design to YOU in the new year.
  • As for me, I am writing the "Little White Book" that will accompany the Mystic Storyteller Tarot cards, and I will deliver that to Stacey by Christmas.

January 2025
As per your previous update, manufacturing is set to begin this month, and it usually takes 4-5 weeks before La Panthère receives a sample for approval. The samples are approved, and real production begins.

Spring 2025
  • Surveys are sent out - I have received several inquiries about this part of the process, so thank you for reaching out. Surveys include the opportunity to finalize your shipping information to be sure the products arrive at their intended location. The survey email will go out a couple of weeks prior to shipping, so be on the lookout for an email like this one, coming through BackerKit.
  • Products are received and BackerKit rewards are sent promptly! Our goal is to have them in your hands by April 2025, if not sooner.

Look at these beautiful new cards!



In closing, if you are celebrating the holidays, I wish a very Mystic Holiday season to you and yours. Stay tuned for more updates to come, as we are SO CLOSE to getting these books and cards into your hands!

Please stay in touch with questions or comments here in this update or email me at: [email protected]

All my best,
Mandy

Mystic Storyteller production timeline!
4 months ago – Wed, Sep 18, 2024 at 10:15:10 AM

Hi everyone!

We know the question on everyone's minds today (at least as it pertains to this project, anyway) is: When do I get this amazing book in my hands!??


Production Timeline

Here's a peek behind the scenes to keep you all informed of the production work we're doing, and have done, thanks to your funding.

July 2023 (last summer) — July 2024 (this summer)
Amanda, whose completed manuscript was ready for review last July, sends her proposal to La Panthere Studio, and gets accepted. Stacey, the Creative Director, gets to work designing the look and feel, and searching for artists. Roz Kazaz is contracted and paid to create the first 40 cards for the deck, a risk we needed to take in order to show the beauty of Mandy's creation.

(Intermission — samples are sent and reviewers give RAVE reviews!)

August 2024 — September 2024
The Crowdfunding campaign is a success! The funding has been received and 2nd payment sent to one grateful artist so she can create the remaining cards to complete the deck.

Stacey has begun the process of building the 400+ page book design file that will be sent to press to become an illustrated, complete paperback reference book. This process takes several weeks as well. About 4-5 pages can be created per work day, on average.



September – November 2024
Roz and Stacey work hard on the production of files that will ultimately be sent to the press for manufacturing. Final edits and revisions.

(Intermission — the holidays slow us all down a bit, as we hang with our families)

Goal for delivery to press is December, but possibly January 2025
Manufacturing begins, and it usually takes 4-5 weeks before we receive a sample for approval.

January 2025
The samples are approved, and real production begins

Spring 2025
Product is received and BackerKit rewards are sent promptly! Our goal is to have them in your hands by April 2025, if not sooner.

Each month we will send you updates to let you know how well we are meeting or exceeding this production schedule! Thank you for funding this effort. We are grateful to you for bringing Mandy's dream to fruition.

Meantime, stay tuned to Mandy's channels, Haint Blue Creative and Mystic Storyteller Tarot on socials and in email, to continue your work on Camp MST, and stay tuned.

With gratitude,
Stacey & the whole La Panthère Studio team

Thank you from Mystic Storyteller, and What's Next
5 months ago – Thu, Sep 05, 2024 at 02:28:58 PM

We did it!

Thank you so much to you Backers, for making it possible for us to fund the Mystic Storyteller book, and companion tarot deck. Mandy, Roz and I (Stacey here) are over the moon with plans for the images on the remainder of the cards, and the printing of the book. Yay!

What Happens Now

Camp MST

You all should have received an email from Mandy, aka Amanda Hughes, on what lies in store for you as a participant in Camp MST, Mandy's free writing course for Backers. As a Backer, you are invited to continue enjoying Camp Mystic Storyteller (Camp MST), which provides weekly motivational card pulls, exercises, resources, and activities. In case you missed something, you can find all your resources here

Production

Here are the steps we will be completing behind the scenes to make this product a reality.

  1. The La Panthere Design team, led by me, will complete the book layout and design.... all 500 pages of it. Whoo! This is the graphic design labor that turns humble Word docs into book layouts. All in all this will take about 6 weeks.

  2. Roselyne, the illustrator for the Mystic Storyteller Tarot, still has 38 cards to create to make our set of 78 complete. (We already have a rough sketch of the High Priestess, which she just started since the successful campaign! Cannot wait to share these with you as they emerge.)

  3. We plan to have these tasks complete before the holidays, which means we can send to manufacturing (fingers crossed!) in December, for completion by early February. Assuming all goes well, we will have books and decks by Spring!

Risks

We know it can be nerve-wracking on the Backer end, so here is our best assessment of risk. Very low! In fact, there's just about no risk at all because we've done this many times before, and have very reliable vendors and an awesome team.

Why the risks are minimal:
  • The book is already written and reviewed. It wants to be in the world!
  • The illustrations are in progress and Roz is raring to go, already painting the new ones.
  • La Panthère Studio has a great relationship with our overseas manufacturing team, who have worked with us for years to produce thousands of decks and books. We rely on them and communicate at least weekly, so the lines of communication are always open. Even when things like shipping get weird and worrisome, we have points all along the way to solve problems when and if they arise.

The bottom line:
We plan to ship your decks and books in the Springtime!

And speaking of shipping...

Your shipping will be charged separately, as we indicated in the campaign. The rates are tailored to what you asked for in your Rewards, as well as your location, and ours.

By keeping shipping personalized and separate, we avoid overcharging you.

Here's the graphic we made for the campaign. Why the asterisks? Because they are just estimates. To repeat, your shipping rate will be based on your Reward, how much it weighs, how much the postal service charges in future months, and where you exactly live.

Please trust that your shipping charge is correct. If it comes through and you have questions, please write to us and we will work with you to clarify or make it right.


Thanks again everyone!

We will keep you posted periodically throughout this process to keep you up-to-date.

We are so grateful to you all for making this project possible! Congratulations on being AWESOME!

Stacey & the team
La Panthère Studio LLC

Time is running out!!! Let's get MYSTIC STORYTELLER Tarot over the edge... here's how
5 months ago – Wed, Aug 28, 2024 at 01:56:14 PM

Only 48 hours left to back the Mystic Storyteller Tarot and Book, and we are still about $2,000 away from bringing this project to fruition.

Just a reminder: BackerKit is all-or-nothing, so if we do not reach the $17,000 goal that we specified to manufacture these products, then no one's card is charged, no book is printed, we all just pack up and go home.

But Mandy has already written the book, y'all! And think of the time that Roz put into making these amazing illustrations! Let's back this gorgeous tarot and bring it into the world.


Thanks everyone! Only 48 hours left!

Let's go!