Thursday, December 21, 2017

Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway: Stone Circle by Kate Murdoch

Stone Circle by Kate Murdoch

Publication Date: December 1, 2017
Fireship Press
eBook & Paperback; 286 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Fantasy
Is the ability to read minds a blessing or a curse? When Antonius’s father dies, he must work to support his family. He finds employment as a servant in the Palazzo Ducal, home of Conte Valperga. Sixteenth-century Pesaro is a society governed by status, and Antonius has limited opportunities. When a competition is announced, Antonius seizes his chance. The winner will be apprenticed to the town seer. Antonius shares first place with his employer’s son. The two men compete for their mentor’s approval. As their knowledge of magic and alchemy grows, so does the rivalry and animosity between them. When the love of a beautiful woman is at stake, Antonius must find a way to follow his heart and navigate his future.

Praise for Stone Circle

"Murdoch presents a delightful romance, feathered with light touches of fantasy. The development of her love triangle is gratifying, and even secondary characters offer stark dramatic moments…" -Kirkus Reviews "Kate Murdoch’s characters are so greatly human, that it’s easy to sympathise with them: to cheer them on during hard times and to admonish them for being foolish. Her characters’ interactions with each other and their individualities helped shape the book into something wonderful; at the same time she excels at pacing the story with her characters, all within a framework designed to help readers understand the world of seers and alchemy she has created." -Readers’ Favorite (5 Stars) "Kate Murdoch's STONE CIRCLE is a stunning historical fantasy debut set in Renaissance Italy, packed with rich imagery, well-developed characters, and an enthralling plot. The execution of the love triangle is both captivating and refreshing, weaving love, jealousy, and rivalry into a complicated but realistic story of one young seer's journey into alchemy and adulthood. I can't wait to read more by Kate Murdoch." -Madeline Dyer, author of the Untamed series

About the Author

Kate Murdoch is a Melbourne-based writer and artist. Her short-form fiction is regularly published in Flash Fiction Magazine, Eunoia Review, Sick Lit Magazine, Ink in Thirds and Spelk Fiction. She also writes for her blog at https://kabiba.wordpress.com/. Kate’s first novel is Stone Circle, a beautifully imagined work of historical fiction. An earlier version of Stone Circle was widely-acclaimed on the HarperCollins UK website, Authonomy, where it was chosen by the editors as the “one to watch” and ultimately ended up ranked 16th out of more than 10,000 manuscripts. For more information, please visit Kate Murdoch's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Friday, December 1 Interview at Passages to the Past Monday, December 4 Feature at The Writing Desk Feature at What Is That Book About Wednesday, December 6 Review at 100 Pages a Day Friday, December 8 Feature at A Literary Vacation Monday, December 11 Interview at The Book Junkie Reads Tuesday, December 12 Feature at Historical Fiction with Spirit Thursday, December 14 Review at Book Nerd Sunday, December 17 Review at Carole's Ramblings Tuesday, December 19 Feature at CelticLady's Reviews Thursday, December 21 Review at Locks, Hooks and Books

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 3 paperback copies of Stone Circle! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on December 21st. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open to US & Canada only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. Stone Circle

 



My Review

Stone Circle is Kate Murdoch's debut novel. I thought it was good. I found this magical and historical combination to be an easy read. I enjoyed the beautiful setting and 16th century time period. Antonius is a good character that I connected with. He needed to find his way and find where he belonged.

I would give Stone Circle four stars. I hope to see more by Kate Murdoch and see where else her imagination goes to next.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.



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Review Tour With Giveaway: Movie Magic by Michelle Garren Flye



Movie Magic
by Michelle Garren Flye



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GENRE:   contemporary romance

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BLURB:

Lights…camera…magic!

Sabrina Parker has spent her professional life creating unbelievable stunts and magical effects for movies and stage magicians. Now she needs some special magic to help her bring her movie to life. Her search leads her to the very unlikely stage of Walt Bryson, host of a long-running children’s television show in Beaufort, North Carolina.

Walt isn’t terribly happy about taking Hollywood’s call. He’s never sought the same notoriety as his colleagues Ian Logan and Andre Hawke. But there’s something about the beautiful, levelheaded Ms. Parker, and when he reads her screenplay, he knows he wants to work with her. For the first time in years, he’s willing to put tragedy behind him and make real magic.

Can Walt and Sabrina use love as their guide or will their past mistakes haunt their future?

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EXCERPT:

“How long can you stay?”

He drew away and looked at her in amusement. “I’m here all night.”

“No, I mean this trip. How long is it?”

“Just til day after tomorrow, why?”

She couldn’t hide her disappointment. “Oh. Okay.”

He sat up on his elbows, looking down at her. “Why do I get the feeling that’s not the answer you wanted from me?”

She shook her head, trying—too late—to reassure him. “No, it’s just that Dylan has this actor who’s looking at a part in the movie. The male lead. And it’s kind of a big thing for the movie, and if you were there, you could see if he would even be able to learn the tricks. You know. For the movie. But it’s not—”

“I can stay.”

“What?” She looked at him incredulously.

“I can stay.” He brushed her hair back from her face with a gentle smoothing motion. “The show’s wrapped up, and I’ve got no plans for the rest of my life. What’s another couple of days?”

“Oh. Fantastic.” She relaxed into his arms. “That means there’ll be more time for this, then.”

“And that is the best news I’ve heard all day.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~



AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Michelle Garren Flye is an award-winning author of romance and women’s fiction. Reviewers have described her work as: “an engaging novel with charming and likable characters”, a story that “will make you believe in love and second chances”, and a “well-written and thought-provoking novel.”
Michelle placed third in the Hyperink Romance Writing Contest for her short story “Life After”. Her short stories have been published by the romance anthology Foreign Affairs, Opium.com, SmokelongQuarterly.com and Flashquake.com. She has served on the editorial staffs of Horror Library, Butcher Shop Quartet and Tattered Souls.
Michelle has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is the mother of three and lives in North Carolina with her husband and their rapidly growing collection of pets.


Links:
Blog: BREATHE: http://michellegflye.com

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GIVEAWAY:

Michelle Garren Flye will be awarding $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.



DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THE TOUR AND COMMENT
ON EACH STOP TO EARN MORE ENTRIES TO WIN!





My Review:

Movie Magic is the fourth installment to the Sleight of Hand series and my first introduction to Michelle Garren Flye's writing. I thought Sabrina and Walt's story to be a pretty good and fun read. I found myself laughing out loud right from the beginning. I loved their chemistry together. I enjoyed the beautiful Beaufort, NC location.


I look forward to more by this author in the near future. I give Movie Magic 4 stars.


I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.



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Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Review: Haunting the Deep (How to Hang a Witch #2) by Adriana Mather


Blurb (from Amazon):

Samantha Mather knew her family’s connection to the infamous Salem Witch Trials might pose obstacles to an active social life. But having survived one curse, she never thought she’d find herself at the center of a new one.

This time, Sam is having recurring dreams about the Titanic . . . where she’s been walking the deck with first-class passengers, like her aunt and uncle. Meanwhile, in Sam’s waking life, strange missives from the Titanic have been finding their way to her, along with haunting visions of people who went down with the ship.

Ultimately, Sam and the Descendants, along with some help from heartthrob Elijah, must unravel who is behind the spell that is drawing her ever further into the dream ship . . . and closer to sharing the same grim fate as its ghostly passengers.



My Review: 

Haunting the Deep is the second installment from the How to Hang a Witch series. This was just an okay read for me. I had a hard time having a connection to the characters. The plot was painfully slow and confusing at times. I just could not get into it, to be honest. I did like the Titanic parts the most. They were the best part of the book. I do believe others would enjoy this one, but it just was not a read for me.

2 1/2 stars.

I received this noon from Blogging for Books program. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
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Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Blog Tour: Guest Post and Giveaway: The Remains in the Pond by Ann Swann



The Remains in the Pond
by Ann Swann


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GENRE: Romantic Suspense

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BLURB:

Senior prom is the happiest night of Gabi’s life. Her crush has just revealed that he is every bit as infatuated with her as she is with him. When he has a car wreck and is transported to the hospital in a coma, Gabi feels as if she’s taken a knife to the heart. But his jealous cousin, Rose, sees her chance to give the knife an even harder twist. She convinces Gabi to meet her at a local parking spot outside town. It's a night that will change several lives forever. One of the girls will return, and one will become known as the remains in the pond.

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EXCERPT

I pushed my glasses up and took a deep breath. “We were in love. I know that’s what teenagers always think, but in our case, it was true.”

The unsmiling detective simply stared at me and pulled out his little notebook. His burnished head gleamed under the fluorescents.

Why wasn’t he writing in that notebook? He just held it, as if he found nothing I said worth noting.

The room grew cold and I began to shiver. Probably some sort of tactic; turning down the temperature to make me uncomfortable. Just like this little waiting game. Waiting me out to make me talk. I’d seen enough crime TV to recognize these schemes. I took a sip of the Diet Coke he’d brought—to make me feel grateful, I suppose—and immediately regretted it because it made me need to burp.

I let the little bubble of gas explode in my closed mouth and began to talk to cover the sound. “We fell in love at prom. We were both with other people. I went with Asa and he brought Rose.” I sat up straighter in the hard-backed chair and hoped I’d said enough to placate him.

The detective sat chill, one ankle propped on the opposite knee. I got the impression he wanted to be my best friend.

I don’t know why I started talking again. I think it had something to do with the way he looked at me, as if he already knew everything I wanted to tell him, because yes, suddenly I did want to tell him. I’d held onto the truth for too long.

I wanted to tell him everything about that night.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Ann has been a writer since junior high school, but to pay the bills she’s waited tables,
delivered newspapers, cleaned other people's houses, taught school, and even had a short
stint as a secretary in a rock-n-roll radio station. She also worked as a 911 operator and a
police dispatcher.

Ann’s stories began to win awards in her college days. Since then she’s published novels,
novellas, and short stories. But even if no one ever bought another book, Ann wouldn’t stop
writing. For her it’s the cathartic pause in a sometimes-crazy world. Most of the time, it even
keeps her sane.

Blog: www.annswann.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/annswann.books
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/6vuw7vl
Twitter: @ann_swann
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-swann
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Remains-Pond-Ann-Swann/dp/1631122037

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Author Interview: 

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel? 
Mine! All for Love is a page-turning, tear-jerker that everyone should read.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have? 
2,593,653.4

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? 
I love research. I still have a part-time job researching court cases for the online journal, The Courthouse News. When it comes to my books, I research religiously. My editor may not believe it, but I DO research everything (I’m just not very good with math and dates, LOL). 

How many hours a day do you write? 
As many as possible until real life creeps in.

How do you select the names of your characters? 
The Muse does that. I have no say in the matter. No, that’s a lie. I ran two contests to have characters named after the winners. Both girls are in THE REMAINS IN THE POND. One is Gabi, and the other is Rose. 

How long on average does it take you to write a book? 
Each one is different. The best books tend to write themselves. All For Love did that. Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot (and the others in that series) did that, too. Stutter Creek and Lilac Lane went quickly, too. This book, THE REMAINS IN THE POND, took much longer because I had to stop midway and have a talk with that Muse. On the other hand, I have two complete novels that really want to be born but they are stuck in computer no man’s land because they won’t come to heel.

Thank you so much, Ann! So fun to learn more about you and your books!
  

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GIVEAWAY 

Ann Swann will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.



a Rafflecopter giveaway



DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THE TOUR AND COMMENT
ON EACH STOP TO EARN MORE ENTRIES TO WIN!
December 11: Danita Minnis
December 13: Christine Young
December 15: La libreria di Beppe
December 15: Long and Short Reviews
December 18: The Avid Reader
December 19: Locks, Hooks and Books



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