Tag: fantasy

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Wolf and the Water – Josie Jaffrey*

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Some secrets are worth killing for.
The ancient city of Kepos sits in an isolated valley, cut off from the outside world by a towering wall. Behind it, the souls of the dead clamour for release. Or so the priesthood says.
Kala has never had any reason to doubt their word – until her father dies in suspicious circumstances that implicate the city’s high priest. She’s determined to investigate, but she has a more immediate problem: the laws of the city require her mother to remarry straight away.
Kala’s new stepfather is a monster, but his son Leon is something altogether more dangerous: kind.

With her family fractured and the investigation putting her life in danger, the last thing Kala needs is romance. She would rather ignore Leon entirely, however difficult he makes it. But when she learns the truth of what really clamours behind the wall at the end of the valley, she faces a choice: share what she knows and jeopardise her escape, or abandon him to his fate along with the rest of the city.

If she doesn’t move fast, then no one will make it out of the valley alive.

My thoughts:

Inspired by Plato’s account of the lost island of Atlantis and Ancient Greek society, this is a powerful and fascinating story of how one young woman finds the strength to survive in the face of tragedy and cruelty.

Considered by her awful stepfather as of less worth than the household slaves, she’s ignored and mistreated in the home she has always loved.

Finding the truth about her father’s death and then about their walled city give her purpose and courage. She can save everyone if only they’d listen. But there are forces conspiring against her – some close to home, and she isn’t sure who to trust.

A strong narrative and a truly fascinating protagonist make this a compelling and enjoyable read. I’m fascinated by the ancient world and this really draws upon the history and literature of that time, bringing it vividly to life.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Book Blitz: Eucalyptus Street: Green Curse – Sherrill Joseph

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EucalyptusStreetBRB

Congrats to author Sherrill Joseph on the release of the next exciting book in her Botanic Hill Detectives mystery series, Eucalyptus Street: Green Curse!

I have an excerpt for you to read and a chance to win a signed, personalized paperback copy of the book, and some matching book swag!

Ebook_EucalyptusStreet_GreenCurse_02(1)Eucalyptus Street: Green Curse 

Publication Date: October 20, 2020 (Today

Genre: MG Mystery/ Middle Grade

(For fans of Nancy Drew type mysteries)

In 1945, Isabela de Cordoba’s great-grandfather, the famous silent movie actor Lorenzo de Cordoba, mysteriously hid a legendary, multimillion-dollar emerald somewhere on the family’s sprawling Eucalyptus Street estate. Seventy years later, the gem remains concealed. Nicknamed the “Green Curse,” the emerald is blamed for the Southern California familia’s numerous, untimely deaths.

On her twenty-first birthday, Isabela receives a secret letter with a cryptic poem. These documents from the long-deceased Lorenzo invite her to hunt for the gemstone. But first, she must decipher the poem’s eight stanzas for clues.

To assist, Isabela hires her thirteen-year-old neighbors, the four Botanic Hill Detectives—twins Lanny and Lexi Wyatt, and their best friends, Moki Kalani and Rani Kumar. Eerie footsteps inside the mansion, unexplained occurrences in the adjacent cemetery, and the mysterious tenant in the backyard casita challenge them. But they ingeniously make progress on the poem’s meaning with startling discoveries. Sliding wall panels, a secret room, and hidden passages reveal much. The detectives aren’t the only ones looking for the emerald. The perilous race for the de Cordoba treasure is on!

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Excerpt

Lexi is awakened at two a.m. by an unlatched bedroom window banging in the wind. She has just closed it and is about to return to bed when:

Lexi . . . became transfixed by something she saw out the troublesome window. At the far western edge of the estate grounds, there appeared a light that seemed to be bobbing, then pulsing on and off. Lexi squinted her eyes to aid her focus.

“What’s going on?” Rani asked a moment later. She propped herself up on her elbows.

 “There’s a twinkling light out there. Come see for yourself.” Lexi beckoned to Rani with both hands. “Hurry up, before it’s gone.”

Rani scrambled out of bed and joined Lexi in gazing in the direction her friend was pointing. Both girls watched as the light moved first one direction, then the other.

Rani craned her neck for a better view. “Creepy. What part of the garden is that?”

“I hope I’m wrong, but I think that’s the churchyard at St. Barnabas Cathedral.”

The girls stared at each other wide-eyed as Lexi squeezed Rani’s forearm.

Available in paperback and for Kindle!

About the Author

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Sherrill Joseph will be forever inspired by her beautiful students in the San Diego public schools where she taught for thirty-five years before retiring and becoming a published author.

She has peopled and themed the Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries with children and adult characters of various abilities, races, cultures, and interests. Sherrill strongly believes that children need to find not only themselves in books but others from different races and social situations if all are to become tolerant, anti-racist world citizens.

In addition, the author created her detectives—patterned after her own fifth-grade students and twelve-year-old twin cousins—to be mature, smart, polite role models that will appeal to parents, teachers, but especially to kids who seek to realize their greatest potential with courage and self-respect.

Sherrill is a lexical-gustatory synesthete and native San Diegan where she lives in a 1928 Spanish-style house in a historic neighborhood with her poodle-bichon mix, Jimmy Lambchop. Other loves include her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. She can’t leave out dark chocolate, popcorn, old movies, purple, and daisies. Having never lived in a two-story house, she is naturally fascinated by staircases. Sherrill is a member of SCBWI and the Authors Guild and promises many more adventures with the squad to come.

Sherrill Joseph | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Giveaway:
3 lucky winners will receive a signed, personalized paperback copy of the book, and some matching book swag (US only this time)! Giveaway will be open until October 23rd!

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Blog Tour: Her Dark Sins – T.R. Tells*

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What happens when an ominous phenomenon forces people’s negativity to manifest into demonic creatures called Umbra Shades that spread Apathy Syndrome to its victims? In a violent and corrupted world ruled by negative intentions, a seventeen-year-old girl with the ability to purge these demons wants nothing more than a better tomorrow…

But will she be able to protect her loved ones and save humanity with it?
In a violent and corrupted world ruled by negative intentions, a seventeen-year-old girl with the ability to purge these demons wants nothing more than a better tomorrow…

But will she be able to protect her loved ones and save humanity with it?

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T.R. Tells chose the pen name created as a play on words “T.R “TELLS a story”. She lives in upstate New York with her Bachelors from Southern New Hampshire University in Fiction and Creative writing. When she isn’t writing novels, ideas, short stories, or finished with her classes; she’s usually scrolling through one of her streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Funimation etc). She’s a fan of Anime, RPG, and JRPG games; anything historical or fantasy (books or T.V. shows) – she can go on for hours talking about it or really anything that she is passionate about.

She’s a fan of Anime, RPG, and JRPG games; anything historical or fantasy (books or T.V. shows) – she can go on for hours talking about it or really anything that she is passionate about.

T.R. Tells feels a passion towards it and hopes that (even if it’s just one person) feels the amount of effort, love, and determination that is expressed in her writing.

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My thoughts:

This was really interesting, and reminded me a bit of Buffy – teenage girl battles monsters, monsters as metaphors for life. Or just it was pretty kickass.

Hira is a strong, determined protagonist, she never backs down from doing what’s right – whether that’s stopping bullying in school or literally fighting terrifying mind controlling monsters that few people can see. She also somehow finds time for her family, school and friends.

I really enjoyed this book, it launches straight into the action and the risk Hira is in if she can’t defeat the Umbra Shades – their Master is coming. (See, very season one Buffy – a very good thing as far as I’m concerned, and yes I am old).

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Once and Future Witches – Alix E. Harrow*

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In the late 1800s, three sisters use witchcraft to change the course of history in a Hugo award-winning author’s powerful novel of magic amid the suffragette movement.
In 1893, there’s no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.
But when the Eastwood sisters — James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna — join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women’s movement into the witch’s movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote — and perhaps not even to live — the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.
There’s no such thing as witches. But there will be.

My thoughts:

I loved The Ten Thousand Doors of January and had high hopes for this beautiful looking book and oh I’m so pleased by it. It’s just marvellous stuff.

An alternative history plot, with women having been the dominant sex for years, the gender swapped writers and famous figures were a particular delight.

Magic has been repressed and denied – women have died for possessing it but it’s still there, hidden, waiting.

The three Eastwood sisters reunite in New Salem and their bond wakes something, not just in them but in many of the women and even some of the men in the city.

The story weaves around you, with folkloric elements and slightly altered fairytales between the chapters. There is something incredibly enchanting and seductive about the narrative, I was completely drawn in and couldn’t put it down.

Absolutely delightful and wonderfully done.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Disenchanted – Brianna Sugalski*

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A Breton princess at the peak of the French Renaissance, Lilac lives prisoner in her parents’ castle after a wicked secret is revealed on the eve of her tenth birthday soirée. Years later, her coronation ceremony looms, and between the riotous townsfolk and scheming nobleman bent on snatching the throne, Lilac prepares for the worst…

Until a mysterious letter arrives from The Witch of Lupine Grotto, detailing a curious offer to cure her darkness forever. Lilac begrudgingly trades her coronet for a cloak and ventures into the forest Brocéliande in pursuit of the impious enchantress at the edge of town. With only the protection of an inherited dagger-and, unsolicited help of the sardonic stranger who inserts himself on her quest-she must traverse Brocèliande and return in time to claim her rightful position as sovereign monarch.

This is the story of a cursed princess,

A crestfallen killer,

The town that wants them to burn,

And the witch that can save them both.

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With an education in Mass Communication–and an engrossment in all that is curious and bewitching–Brianna Sugalski is an author and blog editor at the Parliament House Press.

The Filipino-American author was born and raised on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, but travels the country every few years with her husband and two children. She admires the luminaries of the Victorian Era; growing up reading period literature, folklore, and fables has inspired her to paint vibrant settings of nature and narratives that readers will hopefully enjoy.

Ultimately, she aspires to make her own readers laugh, to challenge their perspectives on society and systemic prejudice, and to help them discover the magical meaning of their own powers within.

Website | Twitter | Amazon | Instagram

INTL Tour-wide Giveaway!
Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win a book of your choice from Book Depository (up to $22 USD) + an ebook of Disenchanted!

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The Breton flag – Gwenn-ha-du, which means black and white in Breton

Breton, the language spoken in Brittany, North West France, where the story is set, is actually closer to Cornish than French, as it is a Celtic language not a Latinate one like English or French. It originated when Celts from Cornwall and Wales migrated there, taking their languages with them.

Over time the language changed, and some Bretons speak both French and their native tongue, which is sadly not as many as in the past.

I thought it might be fun to see what English, Breton, French and Cornish words associated with this book look like, as some have similarities and some are very different!

I tried to get a pronunciation guide but it can be tricky with minority languages and I was a bit wary of some of the slightly strange ones on Google. But even without knowing exactly how the words are pronounced, you can easily see the differences and similarities in the different tongues. I am endlessly fascinated by linguistics, so I hope you enjoyed my nerd out!

My thoughts:

This was a really fun read, and came at just the right time, I really needed something enjoyable and not too taxing on my poor old brain. Lilac is a great heroine, a bit naive but very brave and determined – even though she’s been locked up in her parents’ castle for a decade she enters the forest (Brocéliande) without a second thought.

Her relationship with Garin is great fun, they have a real back and forth and she drives him nuts! It reminded me a bit of Tangled, only without the frying pan!

I loved all the elements of folklore and the humour, it made me laugh out loud a few times. Honestly it’s just a really fun, modern take on the fairy tale, with a princess who can, mostly, rescue herself.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Book Spotlight: To Reap the Spirit – Sarah Lampkin

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ToReaptheSpirit

Congrats to author Sarah Lampkin on the release if the third installment in her Dead Dreamer series, To Reap the Spirit!

Read on for an excerpt, schedule details, and a chance to win a digital collection of all 3 books!

TO REAP THE SPIRIT

To Reap the Spirit

Publication Date: October 13th, 2020

Genre: New Adult/ Urban Fantasy

Sanguis daretur. Ignis invocavit.

The third installment in the haunting Dead Dreamer series.

Somehow Brenna Whit has survived to her junior year at Nephesburg College. Despite all odds, she’s fought against the Gatekeepers and lived. But the battle for the Fade has only just begun.

New pieces have been added to the board.

The Fade opens to the Veil.

And a Shade from the past returns.

With Brenna’s secret out, everyone is after her: dead and living alike. Those from across the sea have come and they’re determined to regain control of their broken faction.

Questions will be answers

Fires will be lit

Chaos will reign

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Excerpt

Angrily, I turned and rushed back to the lone tree of the cornfield. Without any hesitation, my arm dropped, releasing my built-up rage with my power. The seal instantly shattered, destroying all evidence of the Gatekeepers’ influence.

The voices quietly whispered their thanks as they were finally free. But one voice remained. The man wailed and cried, alone and trapped within me.

Something cawed from the branches above, and I glanced up. My left eye winced as I noticed a raven was staring at me. It cawed again, before flapping its wings violently, yet staying in place.

“Give it to me,” a voice demanded.

Before me stood a spirit. No, something else. Her energy radiated a power that felt familiar yet foreign. The energy almost matched the soldiers from the graveyard before. Her black hair was pulled back in intricate braids. And her ebony skin seemed to glow with markings unfamiliar to me. Her beauty was breathtaking, and so was her power.

“Give. It. To. Me,” she demanded once again.

Snapping out of my trance, I took a step back. “Give you what?”

The woman held her hand out, waiting. Biting my lip with narrowed eyes, I took a step forward, reaching for her outstretched hand. Immediately she snatched my hand, holding tightly before vanishing. The raven cawed loudly once more before everything went silent. I was alone again. The man’s voice no longer cried, and the woman was gone.

“What is going on,” I murmured.

The Parliament House | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Dead Dreamer Books

To Dream is to Die (Book #1)

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Eighteen-year-old Brenna Whit is entering college as a freshman and starting to meet new people, but she hides a dark secret. Because of an accident that happened three years ago, her spirit wanders the Fade whenever she falls asleep. It’s something she wants to keep hidden from the world, but when she sees someone watching her in spirit form, she fears the secret’s out. With new friends, possibly new enemies, school, and a new crush, Brenna has too much to worry about for just her freshman year of college.

Perfect for those who enjoy Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatura

To Wake the Dead (Book #2)

untitled-design

Brenna Whit teeters the line between the living and the dead. Now that she’s back for her sophomore year at Nephesburg College, she’s determined to focus on the waking world. But when her own soul is trying to kill her and a new Dead Dreamer is fighting for power, Brenna is dragged back into the world of the dead.

The Gatekeepers are doing everything they can to restore the power they once held over the town of Nephesburg. With a mysterious set of twins arriving in town to help them prepare, Brenna must decide what’s important: continuing to hide her secret or reveal herself and fight for what she believes is right. The decision could end up leading to a permanent death for Brenna so she must choose wisely.

Classes have begun…
The battlefield is set…
Let the fight for the Fade begin.

About the Author

GDTC4RiC

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Sarah Lampkin is a 2015 graduate from Lynchburg College [University of Lynchburg] with a master’s degree in English. Since graduation, Sarah now lives in Northern Virginia working in the IT field as a Technical Writer while continuing her research for her graduate school thesis. When she isn’t working, Sarah continues her Celtic mythology research and Gaelic studies, while working on the Dead Dreamer series.

Dead Dreamer | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Click the link below for a chance to win a digital collection of the Dead Dreamer series!

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ToReaptheSpirit

Book Tour Schedule

Reads & Reels (Guest Post) http://readsandreels.com

It’s a Novel Life (Review) https://lifesanovelty.blogspot.com/

The Faerie Review (Guest Post) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

Cocktails & Fairy Tales (Spotlight) https://www.facebook.com/CocktailsFairytales

@bearpiglovesbooks (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/bearpiglovesbooks/

October 13th

@the.b00kreader (Review) https://www.instagram.com/the.b00kreader

I Smell Sheep (Guest Post) http://www.ismellsheep.com/

Dark Whimsical Art (Spotlight) https://www.darkwhimsicalart.com/blogs/news

PoptheButterfly (Spotlight) https://popthebutterfly.wordpress.com

October 14th

@a.p.reading (Review) https://www.instagram.com/a.p.reading/

@joanna.zoe (Review) https://instagram.com/joanna.zoe?igshid=1xipr7pa6a9zl

@dreaminginpages (Review) https://www.instagram.com/dreaminginpages/

@BETTER_OFF_READ (Spotlight) http://WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/BETTER_0FF_READ/

Rambling Mads (Spotlight) http://ramblingmads.com

October 15th

Dash Fan Book Reviews (Spotlight) https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/

Tranquil Dreams (Review) https://klling.wordpress.com/

Horror Tree (Guest Post) https://www.horrortree.com

Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com

Misty’s Book Space (Spotlight) http://mistysbookspace.wordpress.com

October 16th

The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Guest Post) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com

Book Dragon Girl (Interview) https://bookdragongirl.com

Entertainingly Nerdy (Review) https://www.entertaininglynerdy.com

Lunarian Press (Spotlight) https://www.lunarianpress.com/

Sophril Reads (Spotlight) http://sophrilreads.wordpress.com

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Book Review – The Left-Handed Booksellers of London – Garth Nix

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I was very kindly sent a copy of this book by the publisher with no requirement to review.


Eighteen-year-old art student Susan Arkshaw arrives in London in search of her father. But before she can question crime boss Frank Thringley he’s turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin. Merlin is one of the youngest members of a secret society of booksellers with magical powers who police the mythic Old World wherever it impinges on the New World – in addition to running several bookshops, of course! Merlin also has a quest of his own: to find the Old World entity who arranged the murder of his mother. Their investigations attract attention from enemies of the Old and New Worlds. Soon they become involved in an even more urgent task to recover the grail that is the source of the left-handed booksellers’ power, before it is used to destroy the booksellers and rouse the hordes of the mythic past. As the search for the grail becomes strangely intertwined with both their quests, they start to wonder… Is Susan’s long-lost father a bookseller, or something altogether more mysterious?

My thoughts:

As a left-handed book reader of London, I was very excited about the title of this book. One of my favourite sub-genres of books is books about books/libraries/bookshops and when things are set in London, I enjoy going “I know there!” like a small child. Part of the action even takes place just up the road from me in Totteridge (although I don’t know it very well).

Finally left-handers (10% of the population fyi) are getting some recognition – we have certain skills like using things designed for right-handers that are a struggle the other way round! (Lefties of the UK, and possibly elsewhere, google Anything Left-Handed and buy some scissors etc to make life easier for yourself, and also stab any righty who tries to borrow them, it wrecks the bolt that holds the blades together!)

Back to the book – this is tremendous fun, set in an alternate 1983, Susan comes to London for art school, and also to try and locate her long lost dad, her mum hasn’t been exactly forthcoming with the details.

She ends up getting mixed up with criminal elements, both human and otherworldly, and being rescued by a young Merlin, the aforementioned Left-Handed Bookseller of London. One of many it turns out.

He’s part of a secret organisation that keeps things from the Old World from popping up in the modern one. And when they do break through, the booksellers send them back. They also run two bookshops.

I really enjoyed this book, with all its literary references and the vital importance of books in helping the booksellers maintain order, even if fantasy writers are a complete nuisance!

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Book Blitz: A Cut Twice as Deep – Wendy L. Anderson

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ACutTwice

Congratulations to Wendy L. Anderson on the release of her Viking adventure, A Cut Twice As Deep! If you enjoy Norse mythology, you will love this!

Read on for an excerpt and a chance to win a paperback copy of the book!

A Cut Twice As Deep Final Front CoverA Cut Twice as Deep

Publication Date: October 7th, 2020

Genre: Viking Adventure/ Sisterhood/ Romance

The bond between sisters is one forged in blood and fire. Twin sisters, Liana and Deirdre were inseparable like the two halves of a double-bladed axe, making the pain of having to leave each other a cut twice as deep. Their father, Gorsedd Gunnarson, King of the great country of Svartur Rokk, did not care about twin bonds or his daughter’s preferences and severed the pair with a single blow. Both Liana and Deirdre have been sold to the highest bidders for ships, weapons, and alliances. For Gorsedd Gunnarson these are very profitable and advantageous marriage arrangements, but the twin sisters would be torn from each other lives and sent to lands far apart forever!
Liana is forced to leave her childhood sweetheart and marry a stranger. Sweet, timid Deirdre would be wed to a Viking warlord. One would leave her home on a ship and the other on a horse. Both would travel great distances to new lands. Given no choice but to embrace the lives planned for them, they find that the future holds more than they could ever have suspected. In a land where blood and ice reign, danger and betrayal war with love and hope, as they fight to find happiness in a ruthless world ruled by the sword and axe.

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Excerpt

Liana recalled with great detail, the smoky room, and the flickering torches in iron sconces on the walls. Remembered the smell of sweaty men, oiled leather, damp fur, wood smoke, and roasting meat. Heard the rattle of sword and thump of drinking horns and the pounding of eating knives on the worn, beaten tables. Shadows crouched in the dark corners of the hall. She could see clearly in her mind’s recollection, how her father had suddenly stood after eating and drinking for hours and raised his large drinking horn on high. He smoothed his hand over his long greying blonde beard, straightened the black bear fur cloak on his broad shoulders, and roared for silence. As all eyes trained on King Gorsedd, the conversation and laughter quieted.

“This night!” Gorsedd Gunnarson’s deep voice boomed out and the men stilled to listen. “We celebrate!” The men roared in response and then quieted.

“Raise your mead horns and drink to my daughters!” The men raised their horns and cheered loudly sloshing mead on the tables and over their hands.

This was strange behavior coming from their father and Liana and Deirdre exchanged surprised glances as they moved slowly toward the front of the room. Pulled forward by this uncustomary sentiment, their father had their full attention.

“Tonight!” Gorsedd boomed again, waiting for the men to quiet down and regain everyone’s attention. “We celebrate the betrothal of both my daughters! Drink to our good fortune! SKOL!”

All eyes turned to stare, and the men drank to Liana and Deirdre.

“Skol!” they all shouted then quieted as Gorsedd began to speak again.

“For my eldest Liana, I have arranged a marriage contract with Tiernan Lachlan of Lochlannach and Kearn Mac An-Bharain of Noreg for Deirdre.”

He gestured toward strangers in the hall and bellowed.

“Welcome men from Lochlannach to Svartur Rokk my great mead hall where the warriors are more skilled at sword and drinking! These men will be taking Liana across Loch Indaal to marry Tiernan Lachlan!”

Loud cheers rang out and the men raised their drinking horns in salute, sloshed mead into their mouths, and banged their daggers on the tables.

Both Liana and Deirdre stared in wide-eyed shock at their father with their mouths falling open. This was the first time they had heard this news, and both girls stood stunned, disbelieving their ears. They turned and looked at each other, terror written on their identical faces. The men at the tables murmured and some continued to cheer, a few fell to grumbling.

Deirdre staggered in disbelief and her frightened gaze stayed fixed on Liana while she slammed down the pitcher of mead she had been holding onto the nearest table. Her furious gaze flew back and forth between their father and Deirdre.

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Click the link below for a chance to win a paperback copy of the book. This giveaway is open to international entries and will end October 10th!

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About the Author

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Wendy L. Anderson is a Colorado native and mother of two boys.  A devout reader of the classics, fantasy, sci-fi and historical fiction, she has decided it is time to write down the fantasies from her mind.  Writing about everything from fantastical worlds to the stuff of her dreams she takes her stories along interesting paths while portraying worlds she sees in her mind’s eye.  Her goal is to deviate from common themes, write in original directions and transport her reader to the worlds of her creation.

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Blog Tour: Kingdom of Sea & Stone – Mara Rutherford*

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Ever since Nor was forced to go to a nearby kingdom in her sister’s place, she’s wanted nothing more
than to return to the place and people she loves. But when her wish comes true, she soon finds herself cast out from both worlds, with a war on the horizon.
As an old enemy resurfaces more powerful than ever, Nor will have to keep the kingdom from falling
apart with the help of Prince Talin and Nor’s twin sister, Zadie. There are forces within the world more mysterious than any of them ever guessed—and they’ll need to stay alive long enough to conquer them…

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Indigo

Mara Rutherford began her writing career as a journalist but quickly discovered she far preferred fantasy to reality.

Originally from California, Mara has since lived all over the world along with her Marine-turned-diplomat husband.

A triplet born on Leap Day, Mara holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies from the University of London.

When she’s not writing or chasing after her two sons, she can usually be found pushing the boundaries of her comfort zone, whether at a traditional
Russian banya or an Incan archaeological site.

She is the author of CROWN OF CORAL AND PEARL (2019), its sequel, KINGDOM OF SEA AND STONE (2020), and LUMINOUS (2021)

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Giveaway (US Only): Finished copy of Kingdom of Sea and Stone. This giveaway will end on October 13th.

My thoughts:

I recommend reading Crown of Coral and Pearl first as this follows pretty much straight on from the events of the first half of this duology.

Nor and her sister Zadie are finally reunited but the threat of war looms, and together with their friends they must find a way to save their people and the kingdom.

The plot whizzes along, pulling you in its wake, as the twins and their friends travel across the country seeking allies against the despotic prince who is determined to hold everyone in his thrall.

I liked how Nor’s character continued to develop and grow as she met new people and learnt more about her world, her friendships with new people and her determination to save the people around her makes her a fascinating and likeable protagonist.

I think the two books are just long enough to sustain the narrative and another would be too much, as the ending leaves you hopeful for the kingdom (and Nor’s) future.

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*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: The Accidental Medium Series – Tracy Whitwell*

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Tanz is a wine soaked, potty mouthed, once successful TV actress from Gateshead, whose career has shriveled like an antique walnut. She is still grieving her friend Frank, who died in a car crash three years ago, and she has to find a normal job in London to fund her cocktail habit.
When she starts work in a new age shop, Tanz suddenly discovers that the voices she’s hearing in her head are real, not the first signs of schizophrenia, and she can give people ‘messages’ from beyond the grave. Alarmed, she confronts her little mam and discovers she is from a long line of psychic mediums.
Despite a whole exciting new avenue of life opening up to Tanz, darkness isn’t far away and all too soon there’s murder in the air.

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After a fast paced introduction to the world of clairvoyance, ghost busting, mystery and murder, Tanz is currently hiding in bed, having nightmares about a suicidal psychopath, drinking red wine, irritating her cat and waiting to be evicted. Life as she knew it seven months ago has turned on its head and only the prospect of a new TV job in Newcastle and a month with her best friend Milo can help pick her up off the floor.
But when she gets home, the Newcastle of more than a century before decides to haunt her bringing all kinds of spooks and horrors with it. She also finds that her new job involves more than it’s own share of intrigue and humiliation. Then it’s a case of six of one and half a dozen of the other, as Tanz, along with her dead friend Frank, attempts to expose a brutal murder that nobody even knows about. Join Tanz and her friends on another crazy, supernatural ride in GIN PALACE, the second in The Accidental Medium series.

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Tracy Whitwell was born, brought up and educated in Gateshead in the north east of England. She wrote plays and short stories from an early age, then had her head turned and ran off to London to be an actress. By 1993 she was wearing a wig and an old fashioned dress and pretending to be impoverished on telly in a Catherine Cookson mini-series, whilst going to see every indie/rock band she could afford.

After an interesting number of years messing about in front of the camera and traveling the world though, Tracy discovered she still loved writing and completed her first full length play. A son, many stage-plays, screenplays and two music videos followed until one day she realised she was finally ready to do the thing she’d longed to do since she was six. She wrote her first novel. A crime/horror/comedy tale about an alcohol-soaked, gobby, thrill-seeking actress who talks to ghosts. (Who knows where the inspiration came from, it’s almost like she based it on her own ridiculous life.) Then she wrote a follow up and realised she couldn’t stop writing books.
Now Tracy lives in north London with her son, still travels whenever possible and has written novel number four. Now being edited.
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My thoughts:

Both of these books were tremendous fun, I wish Tanz was my pal, she’s so full of life and determined to help people, she solves murders modern and historic, frees people from terrible, cruel ghosts.

Discovering she can hear the voices of the unsettled dead, she teams up with two older woman (one in each story) to help the dead and the living.

The writing is funny, moving and the plots kept me entertained and intrigued all the way through. I look forward to more tales of Tanz and her pals.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.