Valentine Countdown Blitz 2020 ~ Day 5

 

The Lilac Plague
by Kristin j Dawson

 

An oath betrayed. A centuries-long curse.
A kingdom teetering on the edge of destruction.

In a world of magic, Nicoleta is unremarkable, except for her cursed, stuttering tongue. No special powers, no renowned apprenticeship, just the terrible, stammering aftereffects of the Lilac Plague.

Until she opens the ghostly blue vision from her mother.

Instead of words of endearment, the vision reveals that Nicoleta’s mother was a Guardian entrusted with a magical key — a key so powerful that those who rule will do anything to find it.

The burden of protecting the key now falls to Nicoleta. In a race against the crown, she must find the treasure and the true heir, the only one who can stop the curse from being fulfilled. Impossible? Almost certainly. One false step spells disaster. But Nicoleta is no fool. Where those before her died trying, Nicoleta forges a new path, relying on her wits and some unlikely allies.

Do you dare face the Lilac Plague? This coming of age, young adult fantasy adventure with mysterious magic, evil emperors, and a thread of romance will leave you amazed and clamoring for the next book.”

Amazon

 

Kristin J. Dawson is a non-recovering chocolate and romantic English movie addict who loves to read science fiction and fantasy. You can find her most often indulging her favorite things at 2 am — night owls unite!

Kristin writes high fantasy with political intrigue, a bit of romance, and of course, magic. When she’s not writing, toting her kids around to sports practices, or cleaning out the chicken coop, she’s probably trying to talk her friends into more shenanigans.

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Top Ten List:

Ten Things I Love

– My family*

– Reading books

– Shopping for books

– Talking about books

– Writing books

– Watching historical movies, like Pride and Prejudice (Kiera Knight version)

– Chocolate (The good stuff. No Hersheys for me, please! #grownup)

– Star Wars (especially the original trilogy!)

– Helping my friends (some people might call this bossy)

– Talenti Ice Cream (Sea Salt Caramel – yum!!)

* my kids helped me write this list — and they came up with the order, too! hahaha!

 

 

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Saturday Spotlight

 

The Coven Queen by Lily Luchesi

The Coven Series Book 5

Become the witch you were born to be.

Harley Sinclair has had more than her share of heartbreak, and now she’s all alone once again, trying to hold her life together and move on from the tragedies and the losses of both the dead and the living.

However, she cannot indulge in grief over heartbreak nor death.

Bodies are being found all over London, and then one turns up in the Coven’s confines. Someone is hunting witches and wizards, and with the Coven leaderless, they are more vulnerable than ever.

In order to escape the memories haunting her, she agrees to fly to Chicago to find the source of the murders before everyone she knows is killed.

Discover the magic, mystery, and mischief in the final installment of the #1 bestselling Coven Series!

Amazon

 

My Review:

The final book of the Coven Series by Lily Luchesi is another awesome read.

Once again I joined the characters who I’ve come to regard as friends. I feel their sorrow and joy, their fear and bravery, and their anger and delight.

In this instalment I’ve been by their side as they’ve grieved for Salem, hunted the hunters, fought their enemies, and much more.

As is the norm with Lily’s writing, she grabbed my attention at the start and I couldn’t stop reading until I’d turned the last page.

This is a brilliant series from Lily Luchesi, and I am sad to see the end.

Thank you, Lily, for taking me on an amazing adventure with wonderful friends. I will miss them all!

( I received a complimentary copy of the book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.)

 

The Author:

Lily Luchesi is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of the Paranormal Detectives Series, published by Vamptasy Publishing. She also has short stories included in multiple bestselling anthologies, and a successful dark erotica retelling of Dracula.

Her Coven Series has successfully topped Amazon’s Hot New Releases list consecutively.

She is also the editor, curator and contributing author of Vamptasy Publishing’s Damsels of Distress anthology, which celebrates strong female characters in horror and paranormal fiction.

She was born in Chicago, Illinois, and now resides in Arizona. Ever since she was a toddler her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things “dark”. At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle. She is also an out member of the LGBT+ community. When she’s not writing, she’s going to rock concerts, getting tattooed, watching the CW, or reading manga. And drinking copious amounts of coffee.

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The Coven Queen by Lily Luchesi

The Coven Series Book 5

Available now on Kindle Unlimited!
Read the finale of the #1 bestselling Coven Series!

Become the witch you were born to be.

Harley Sinclair has had more than her share of heartbreak, and now she’s all alone once again, trying to hold her life together and move on from the tragedies and the losses of both the dead and the living.

However, she cannot indulge in grief over heartbreak nor death.

Bodies are being found all over London, and then one turns up in the Coven’s confines. Someone is hunting witches and wizards, and with the Coven leaderless, they are more vulnerable than ever.

In order to escape the memories haunting her, she agrees to fly to Chicago to find the source of the murders before everyone she knows is killed.

Discover the magic, mystery, and mischief in the final installment of the #1 bestselling Coven Series!

*** PLUS ***
Books 1-4 are 99c each!
The Coven Princess
The Coven Heir
The Coven Rescue
The Coven History

Excerpt:

      The man yanked Harley up from her seat, still keeping the gun on her, and pulled her across the hall, kicking open the door where Caelum was being held.
He was being held still by two men, while the one woman held a silver blade to his throat. The third man had a gun pulled on him from the corner of the room. His wrists were bright red, as was the area of his neck where the blade touched. The silver was burning him. They had figured out he was a shapeshifter.
“What are you waiting for? Kill him!” the man holding her commanded.
Everything after seemed to happen in slow motion. The woman dug the tip of the blade into his throat and moved it downward, obviously to stab his heart and kill him. Caelum gasped and closed his eyes, absolutely helpless. He looked ready to swoon from the pain.
Harley’s body began to tingle from head to toe as her magic blossomed within her, hot and angry and ready to strike as though it was a living thing.
The man holding her let go abruptly, as her magic burnt him, eyes wide as he stared at her.
She paid him no mind, however. Her eyes, and her heart, were on Caelum.
“No!” she cried, and at her word, as though it was a command, her magic seemed to break free, uncontrolled and harsh. The cuffs holding her snapped apart and fell to the ground with multiple clinks while her green magic flew out, attacking every single human in the room. As if it were a wave, it dispersed, knocking all six humans into the walls. Now not held up by anyone, Caelum fell in a heap to the ground, blood slowly dripping from his wounds.
No longer shaking and filled with brimming magic, Harley rushed forward, not checking on a single human. She kicked the knife out of the way and felt for a pulse on Caelum. It was there, they hadn’t reached his heart yet when her magic had stopped them.
“Caelum,” she whispered, feeling her hand tremble as she held her palm over his wounds. “Plaga reparo,” she cast over and over, until he was no longer leaking blood. Without saying a word, her magic went out on its own once more and shattered the handcuffs so that he was no longer burning. Gingerly, she took his hands in hers and healed the round burn marks on his wrists.
People clattered behind her and she leapt up, ready to defend them both if need be. But to her surprise, she saw Director Mancini and three other agents from the PID. Judging by the Dark energy, two of those agents were vampires.
“What happened here?” Mancini asked, looking around.
“We found the hunters’ lair,” Harley replied. “I will fill you in later; Caelum needs help. He fainted as they were trying to stab him with a silver blade.”
Mancini went down by Caelum and said, “I believe he’s simply unconscious now, but we will take him back to the PID and get a Medic to look at him. Are you all right?”
“Yes, sir,” Harley said.
“How the Hell did you knock them all out?” one of the other agents asked, nudging one of the hunters with her boot.
“I–” She wasn’t sure what to say. To admit that she didn’t have full control of her magic to the paranormal police was a bad idea.
“Never mind. Are they all alive?” Mancini asked.
“Not this one.” The other vampire agent pointed to the woman who had held the knife to Caelum’s throat. “Her skull’s been shattered.”

My Review:

*See Saturday Spotlight (January 12th).

Lily Luchesi is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of the Paranormal Detectives Series, published by Vamptasy Publishing. She also has short stories included in multiple bestselling anthologies, and a successful dark erotica retelling of Dracula.

Her Coven Series has successfully topped Amazon’s Hot New Releases list consecutively.

She is also the editor, curator and contributing author of Vamptasy Publishing’s Damsels of Distress anthology, which celebrates strong female characters in horror and paranormal fiction.

She was born in Chicago, Illinois, and now resides in Arizona. Ever since she was a toddler her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things “dark”. At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle. She is also an out member of the LGBT+ community. When she’s not writing, she’s going to rock concerts, getting tattooed, watching the CW, or reading manga. And drinking copious amounts of coffee.

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Have your e-books autographed!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. It’s very easy to play along, as easy as 1, 2, 3!

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

 

• -BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

By the time Caelum had been in London for a week, he felt like he was chasing his own tail in searching for the proverbial witch hunters. There had been no more murders, the coroner couldn’t give them any more information off the corpse they did have, and no hunters Nick and Roger had managed to capture and question knew anything about anyone trying to target witches.

~The Coven Queen (Arc) by Lily Luchesi

(Release date: Friday 10th January, 2020)

The Coven Queen by Lily Luchesi

 

Available now for pre-order!

 

Releasing January 10th!

 

The final installment in the #1 bestselling Coven Series.

Along with a relaunch of books 1-4!

 

 

Become the witch you were born to be.

Harley Sinclair has had more than her share of heartbreak, and now she’s all alone once again, trying to hold her life together and move on from the tragedies and the losses of both the dead and the living.

However, she cannot indulge in grief over heartbreak nor death.

Bodies are being found all over London, and then one turns up in the Coven’s confines. Someone is hunting witches and wizards, and with the Coven leaderless, they are more vulnerable than ever.

In order to escape the memories haunting her, she agrees to fly to Chicago to find the source of the murders before everyone she knows is killed.

Discover the magic, mystery, and mischief in the final installment of the #1 bestselling Coven Series!

 

The ENTIRE series has been redesigned, with covers by yours truly and interiors from DreadNot Interiors.

PLUS!!!

Books 1-4 are on SALE for only 99c each! Grab your copies today!

 

The Coven History by Lily Luchesi

The Coven Series Book 4

 

The dead hold the key to saving the King.

When the Coven King falls deathly ill, Harley must search through his history, and the history of everyone she once knew, in order to find the cure.

As a child, Salem Sinclair was never meant to amount to much, until he met a girl named Daphne Fraser. As Light as he was Dark, he fell in love at first sight and would do anything to please her, even if his love makes him a target.
But there is a Darkness growing, and Daphne is at the centre of the conflict. Salem must pick a side and do what is right to save the girl he loves.

Meanwhile, will Harley find out how to cure her father or will the Coven once again lose its leader?

Available now for only $2.99
or FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Excerpt:

         “Murder?” Caelum asked.
“What do you mean, murder?” Draven demanded, face pasty white.
“I believe he is trying to say that someone has died by nefarious means,” Salem said sarcastically.
“Where? What happened?” Daphne asked, ignoring the boys.
“In a house just up that way,” the man said, still unblinking. “We have to alert the PID!” And he dashed off without another word.
“What do we do?” Draven wondered.
“We go see what happened. I can feel the Darkness,” Daphne said. “It’s getting stronger and stronger with each step we take in this direction.”
That was the deciding vote and the five of them kept walking, guided by Daphne’s Fraser senses. With each step, it was Salem who was now filled with foreboding, however. Because they were closing in on the house he and Robert lived in.
His fears were confirmed when they reached the end of the road and found a group of magicians gathered around his house, 109 Dahlia Lane. Voices were murmuring and people seemed generally spooked.
“What happened here?” Salem asked the first person to meet his eyes. She merely shuddered and left.
He grabbed someone else by the collar of the cloak, a fellow student whose name he couldn’t place. “Hey, you. I live here. Tell me what happened this instance!”
The poor boy stuttered and couldn’t say a thing.
“Salem!”
Salem turned to see Robert near the doorway of their house, his face somber. “It’s Ms. Stanton. It’s bad. Really bad.”
Daphne clutched her head and said, “My body can already tell that much.” She began to walk toward the house and Salem grabbed her by the sleeve.
“Is it wise for you to go inside? With the way your head is already?”
“Yeah, I have to agree with Sinclair. Don’t go inside,” Michael said, arms crossed.
Daphne whirled around. “You, Mike, don’t ever tell me what to do. Sal, I appreciate the concern, but I have to know what’s happening.”
Salem nodded and let her sleeve go. “All right. Come on, then. Robert, did you call the PID? Or go to the castle?”
Robert said, “That bloke who ran off was going to call. Figured someone who lived here should stick around. Come on, if you guys really want to see. I wouldn’t.” He turned around and the five teens followed him into the house.
“Something smells awful,” Draven said almost immediately after he crossed the threshold.
Salem didn’t smell anything at first, until they got past the foyer. Then it hit him. When he was a boy, a few older boys had killed a small deer and left it to rot in some underbrush near a stream. During the summer, the heat had risen and cooked the rotting carcass. This sickly sweet, gaseous smell was similar to that.
Ms. Stanton was in the living room, on the sofa. She had been knitting when she’d been murdered. But the only reason Salem knew it was Stanton was because he recognised her grey and pink ombre robe, which she wore constantly. The body was decayed to the point where only a magician with the PID could have identified her with magic.
Her skin was wet and greenish, broken open in parts where old blood and Gaia knew what else was leaking out. Her mouth was open, lips blue, tongue black and lolling out the side. One of her eyes was normal, the other hanging from its socket on a long, sticky string of sinew.
“I’m gonna be sick,” Michael said, dashing from the house.
“Me too. The smell,” Draven groaned, following Michael.
Daphne whimpered. “It’s not the corpse making me sick. It’s the Dark magic.”
“The Decaying Curse,” Salem said softly. “The Darkest spell ever created. No wonder everyone in Clan Fraser was sick. That curse hasn’t been used in the Coven in over a century.”

 

Read the first 3 books in the series for only $1.98!
Book 1 is FREE and books 2 & 3 are 99c each!

My Review:

The Coven History, book 4 of The Coven Series, is another fantastic read from author, Lily Luchesi.

In this installment we learn the details of Salem’s life as a youngster at the coven. His daughter, Harley, journeys back through his memories to find a cure to prevent his death.

Harley witnesses the hardship and taunting that Salem endured, but also sees her the love and romance between her mother and father. There are twists and surprises for both Harley and the reader.

Does Harley find the cure for Salem? What does she discover about her father and her friends? You’ll need to read this book to find out.

Lily Luchesi is a brilliant author who continues to impress me with her writing, her plots and her characters. Her books grab you from page one and you live alongside the characters, sharing the same range of emotions as they do.

I loved this book and I love the series. I’m looking forward to the next installment.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.)

 

Lily Luchesi is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of the Paranormal Detectives Series, published by Vamptasy Publishing. She also has short stories included in multiple bestselling anthologies, and a successful dark erotica retelling of Dracula.

Her Coven Series has successfully topped Amazon’s Hot New Releases list consecutively.

She is also the editor, curator and contributing author of Vamptasy Publishing’s Damsels of Distress anthology, which celebrates strong female characters in horror and paranormal fiction.

She was born in Chicago, Illinois, and now resides in Arizona. Ever since she was a toddler her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things “dark”. At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle. She is also an out member of the LGBT+ community. When she’s not writing, she’s going to rock concerts, getting tattooed, watching the CW, or reading manga. And drinking copious amounts of coffee.

Website • Newsletter • Facebook • Street Team • Twitter • Instagram
Goodreads • Amazon
Have your e-books autographed!

The Coven History by Lily Luchesi

Cover reveal for the penultimate book in the #1 bestselling Coven Series!

Coming August 27th from USA Today bestselling author Lily Luchesi
Published by Vamptasy Publishing
Cover art by Rue Volley

 

The dead hold the key to saving the King.

When the Coven King falls deathly ill, Harley must search through his history, and the history of everyone she once knew, in order to find the cure.

As a child, Salem Sinclair was never meant to amount to much, until he met a girl named Daphne Fraser. As Light as he was Dark, he fell in love at first sight and would do anything to please her, even if his love makes him a target.

But there is a Darkness growing, and Daphne is at the centre of the conflict. Salem must pick a side and do what is right to save the girl he loves.

Meanwhile, will Harley find out how to cure her father or will the Coven once again lose its leader?

Pre-order On Kindle!

 

Excerpt:

         Once the parchment had soaked up all of the blood, it began to gather in the centre. Harley watched, with Caelum peering over her shoulder, as a word began to form in vivid red: “Apocynaceae.”
         “Is … is it broken?” Caelum asked. “I don’t even think that’s a word.”
         “It’s a family of plants. They’re known as dogsbane because they were once used to poison dogs,” Harley said. “But … if that’s the case, he should wake up in five minutes. The potion can cure any of the plants within that family.”
         Unless you brewed it wrong, her mind taunted her. It did that sometimes, reminded her that she wasn’t as talented or special as others might make her believe. It was one of the many drawbacks of having depression and anxiety.
         I brewed that potion perfectly, she said, trying to push the irrational part of her mind back. Something else is going on if he doesn’t wake.
         She moved back and crossed her arms tightly around her middle, almost as if she was trying to subconsciously hug herself and get comfort. Caelum moved closer and put his arms around her, over her own. Harley revelled in his comfort, wishing that she didn’t need it so damn often. It had only been two days since they had taken down the organisation known as The Zoo. She had barely had a chance to breathe.
         “Madam Maysa, what if…” She couldn’t say it.
         “If it doesn’t work?” she asked. “Then we have to find out why. It could be something in his past, some abnormality within his physiology.”
         “How the Hell am I supposed to do that?” Harley asked, forgetting her manners.
         “There’s a way, but it’s complicated. Mrs. Donahue can show you,” Maysa said.
         “And how long will it take? How long … how long does he have?” she asked. She could hear the desperate edge in her voice and hated it. She hated always being unable to control anything that happened in her life. Sure, she pretended to, but she was always a victim of fate, ever since she was conceived, and she despised it.
         “Five hours, give or take, and this shouldn’t take that long,” the Medic replied. She checked her pocket watch. “You have three minutes. I will go and fetch her.”
         It was obvious that the Medic did not believe that Salem would wake within three minutes any more than Harley did.
         Five hours. Salem only had five hours to live. Harley’s stomach roiled and she could feel her fingertips going numb from fear and worry. If not for Caelum, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stand.
         “We’re going to figure this out,” Caelum said softly. “I promise, I’m not going to let you do this alone. We’ll save Salem, you’ll see.”
         “How are you so bloody optimistic?” she asked, her voice barely a gasp as tears began to gather in her eyes.
         “Because once upon a time, I lived through actual Hell. Optimism and sarcasm are the only defences I have,” he replied. He turned her around to face him and held her face in his hand. “I believe in you, Princess. You can save him.”
         The three minutes ticked by, and there was no change in Salem. He was still sweating, feverish, and wheezing. Mrs. Donahue entered the sickroom then, looking a bit more put together than she had when she’d initially gotten Harley. She carried a long white candle with peculiar markings along the side.
         “Oh dear,” she muttered, looking at Salem as he lay there. Donahue was in her eighties, she had been Salem and Caelum’s teacher when they were children. “Madam Maysa told me you needed to see into the past, to see why he can’t be cured by the potion?”
Harley nodded.
         “Then come with me. Both of you. But first you need something of his. A lock of hair will do,” she said.
         Harley turned toward her father and stepped up to his pillow. “Praetrunco,” she cast, and a lock of shiny ebony hair was severed into the palm of her hand.
That done, the two of them followed Donahue down the castle stairs and into the courtyard. Harley noticed that the party had broken up, her brother and his friends were nowhere to be seen.
         Harley wasn’t a person who asked a lot of questions. She found that, more often than not, when you stayed silent, you got the answers you wanted without ever having to say a word aloud.
         As Donahue led them across the grounds, Harley saw where she was taking them: the Watchtower. The Watchtower was built before the magicians had made this their Coven, and was used during the First, Second, and Third Clan Wars to signal for help or exchange information with undercover magicians.
         It was also, apparently, haunted.

 

Start the series for only 99c!

 

Meet The Author:

Lily Luchesi is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of the Paranormal Detectives Series, published by Vamptasy Publishing. She also has short stories included in multiple bestselling anthologies, and a successful dark erotica retelling of Dracula.

Her Coven Series has successfully topped Amazon’s Hot New Releases list consecutively.

She is also the editor, curator and contributing author of Vamptasy Publishing’s Damsels of Distress anthology, which celebrates strong female characters in horror and paranormal fiction.

She was born and raised in in Chicago, Illinois, and now resides in Arizona. Ever since she was a toddler her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things “dark”. At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle. She is also an out member of the LGBT+ community. When she’s not writing, she’s going to rock concerts, getting tattooed, watching the CW, or reading manga. And drinking copious amounts of coffee.

Website • Newsletter • Facebook • Facebook Street Team
Twitter • Instagram • Goodreads • Amazon

Have your e-books autographed!

 

Awaken by K.S. Marsden

 
Title: Awaken
Series: Northern Witch #2
Author: K.S. Marsden
Genre: YA Fantasy LGBT
Release date: 20th August 2018

 

 

Mark has everything he ever wanted. He is training to be a fully-fledged witch; and he is dating the hottest guy at school.

But events from last winter have set things into motion that he is not prepared for.

Witches, demons, and danger come together to prove that this… this is only the beginning.

Amazon • B&N • Kobo • Smashwords
Add to Goodreads

 

Excerpt:

      Mark’s attention snapped back to the present, as his horse sharply leapt aside. Lulu’s ears were flat back and her muscles tense, and Mark hurried to steady her before she bolted.
      “What’s happening?” Damian’s voice was laced with panic.
      Mark looked around them, trying to find the source of Lulu’s unease, but there was nothing he could see that would upset the horse. Perhaps it was the scent of a predator, that spurred on such a violent reaction; but Mark had never seen anything bigger than a fox up here.
      “Dunno, it’s fine now.” Mark answered, finally turning in his saddle, when he was sure his horse wasn’t going to take off. He looked at Damian, whose bright blue eyes were wide with fear, and his hands gripped the front of the saddle again. Good old Holly looked remarkably relaxed. The little mare ignored Lulu’s antics, and was quietly grazing, waiting for her rider’s next command.
      Mark sighed, maybe they should turn back now, before he scared Damian off horses forever. And, he had to admit, before he scared him away completely.
      Mark looked at their surroundings. They had left the main track, to take a shortcut to the river. There was nothing but grass underfoot, and rough bushes hovering low to the ground.
      Mark looked closer, through the dead-looking thorns at his side, and saw a lump of stone. It was pockmarked and worn from hundreds of years in the elements, but its shape was too geometric to be accidental.
      It wasn’t unusual to come across the remains of old buildings up here, but Mark had never spotted this one before. He-
      He thought he heard a voice, deep and constant, reverberating through the air. Mark couldn’t make out what the voice was saying, the words deformed, and lost to time. Everything about him went still. The wind dropped, and the birds were silent. Mark strained harder, sure he could understand the voice, if he just tried hard enough…
      His horse suddenly squealed with fear, and reared, throwing Mark off balance. He tried to pull himself straight in the saddle, but Lulu was blinded by panic, and bolted.
      Mark felt the air shift around him, he thought he heard his name being shouted, and then with a heavy thud, everything went black.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author:

Kelly S. Marsden grew up in Yorkshire, and there were two constants in her life – books and horses.

Graduating with an equine degree from Aberystwyth University, she has spent most of her life since trying to experience everything the horse world has to offer. She is currently settled into a Nutritionist role for a horse feed company in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

She writes Fantasy stories part-time. Her first book, The Shadow Rises (Witch-Hunter #1), was published in January 2013, and she now has several successful series under her belt.

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Great Summer Reads 2018 Countdown Blitz: Day 12

 

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab by Fiona Ingram

Chronicles of the Stone: Book 1

 

In this exciting Middle Grade adventure set in Egypt, a 5000-year-old mystery comes to life.

A scruffy peddler gives Adam and Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Only when the evil Dr. Faisal Khalid shows a particular interest in the cousins and their scarab, do the boys realise they are in terrible danger. Dr. Khalid wants the relic at all costs.

Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler.

They are plunged into a whirlpool of hazardous and mysterious events when Dr. Khalid kidnaps them. They learn more about the ancient Seven Stones of Power and the mysterious Shemsu-Hor. They must translate the hieroglyphic clues on the underside of the scarab, as well as rescue the missing archaeologist James Kinnaird, and their friend, the Egyptologist Ebrahim Faza, before time runs out!

Amazon • B&N • iTunes

 

I am a children’s author, but up until a few years ago, I was a journalist and editor. Something rather unexpected sparked my new career as an author—a family trip to Egypt with my mother and two young nephews. We had a great time and I thought I’d write them a short story as a different kind of souvenir….

Well, one book and a planned book series later, I had changed careers. I have now published Book 3 (The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper) in my MG adventure series Chronicles of the Stone, with many awards for the first book, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, and a few for Book 2, The Search for the Stone of Excalibur, and one already for Book 3!

I also teach online novel writing for aspiring authors and I find that very satisfying. Relaxation time finds me enjoying something creative or artistic, music, books, theatre or ballet. I love doing research for my book series. I love animals and have written two animal rescue stories. I have two adorable (naughty) little dogs called Chloe and Pumpkin, and a beautiful black cat called Bertie.

Author Site • Books Site • Blog • Twitter • LinkedIn

 

Top Ten List:

My Top Ten (in no particular order):

1. Travel
   I have been fortunate enough to visit many countries but there are still more on my list.

2. Animals
   I love animals and wish I had tons of money to donate to many of the causes I read about. One day, I will!

3. Movies
   I LOVE movies. Detective, thrillers, animal feel goods, historical series, adventure, action, marvel character movies, I love it!

4. Books
   I LOVE books, of course, and still have many of my old childhood favourites inherited from my parents and grandparents.

5. Music
   Listening to music, mainly classical and movie themes, is very relaxing.

6. Theatre and ballet
   Would you believe it I started out studying drama at university, went to drama school in London and mime school in Paris, came back home and ended up in writing and publishing.

7. Writing
   Not just writing middle grade adventures though. I have an alter ego named Arabella Sheraton who writes Regency romances and has actually written more books than I have. Arabella is the proud author of eight books so far. Do I have a problem wearing two hats? Not at all. I love jumping into a historical fiction romance and having fun.

8. Antiques and collectibles
   I have inherited so many beautiful antiques (furniture and collectibles) but that hasn’t stopped me browsing flea markets and antique shops to enjoy the beautiful items of yesteryear and sometimes buy.

9. Friends/family
   Getting together with good friends is something that can’t be beaten. I love having friends/family over and making a great dinner for us to enjoy.

10. Giving talks on child literacy
    I didn’t start off as an expert on child literacy, but after I fostered and later adopted my daughter Mabel (a disadvantaged young African girl) I had to learn pretty quickly because she came to me just about illiterate at age eleven. From my experiences in teaching Mabel to read, I then was asked to address many institutions and groups on the topic. I enjoy helping parents and teachers to get kids to love reading.

 

 

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Loving the Book

Awaken by K.S. Marsden

Title: Awaken
Series: Northern Witch #2
Author: K.S. Marsden
Genre: YA Fantasy LGBT
Release date: 20th August 2018

 
Mark has everything he ever wanted. He is training to be a fully-fledged witch; and he is dating the hottest guy at school.
But events from last winter have set things into motion that he is not prepared for.

Witches, demons, and danger come together to prove that this… this is only the beginning.

This book is available for pre-order at the discounted price of $1.99!
(Regular price $3.50)

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Excerpt:

      Mark’s attention snapped back to the present, as his horse sharply leapt aside. Lulu’s ears were flat back and her muscles tense, and Mark hurried to steady her before she bolted.
      “What’s happening?” Damian’s voice was laced with panic.
      Mark looked around them, trying to find the source of Lulu’s unease, but there was nothing he could see that would upset the horse. Perhaps it was the scent of a predator, that spurred on such a violent reaction; but Mark had never seen anything bigger than a fox up here.
      “Dunno, it’s fine now.” Mark answered, finally turning in his saddle, when he was sure his horse wasn’t going to take off. He looked at Damian, whose bright blue eyes were wide with fear, and his hands gripped the front of the saddle again. Good old Holly looked remarkably relaxed. The little mare ignored Lulu’s antics, and was quietly grazing, waiting for her rider’s next command.
      Mark sighed, maybe they should turn back now, before he scared Damian off horses forever. And, he had to admit, before he scared him away completely.
      Mark looked at their surroundings. They had left the main track, to take a shortcut to the river. There was nothing but grass underfoot, and rough bushes hovering low to the ground.
      Mark looked closer, through the dead-looking thorns at his side, and saw a lump of stone. It was pockmarked and worn from hundreds of years in the elements, but its shape was too geometric to be accidental.
      It wasn’t unusual to come across the remains of old buildings up here, but Mark had never spotted this one before. He-
      He thought he heard a voice, deep and constant, reverberating through the air. Mark couldn’t make out what the voice was saying, the words deformed, and lost to time. Everything about him went still. The wind dropped, and the birds were silent. Mark strained harder, sure he could understand the voice, if he just tried hard enough…
      His horse suddenly squealed with fear, and reared, throwing Mark off balance. He tried to pull himself straight in the saddle, but Lulu was blinded by panic, and bolted.
      Mark felt the air shift around him, he thought he heard his name being shouted, and then with a heavy thud, everything went black.

 

About the Author:
Kelly S. Marsden grew up in Yorkshire, and there were two constants in her life – books and horses.

Graduating with an equine degree from Aberystwyth University, she has spent most of her life since trying to experience everything the horse world has to offer. She is currently settled into a Nutritionist role for a horse feed company in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

She writes Fantasy stories part-time. Her first book, The Shadow Rises (Witch-Hunter #1), was published in January 2013, and she now has several successful series under her belt.

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Rafflecopter Giveaway

Enter for your chance to win a signed paperback copy of the short story Winter Trials (Northern Witch #1).
This competition is open internationally, and a winner will be selected on 1st July.

Don’t forget that Winter Trials is available as a free download from most ebook retailers.
Check out Kelly’s website for links