Invoking Nonna: Tripple Goddess Series Book 1

        Title: Invoking Nonna

        Author: Sage Adderley

        Series: Triple Goddess Series (Book 1)

        Genre: YA, Paranormal

        Paperback: 186 pages

        Publisher: Sweet Candy Press; 1ST edition (December 20, 2013)

        ISBN-10: 0989709825

        ISBN-13: 978-0989709828

Book Description

Maggie Sloan is a free-spirited teenager growing up in rural Georgia. Unlike her peers, Maggie is a witch and so is her mother. In addition to normal teenager rites of passage, she must learn about her family lineage and witchcraft. Her mother, Laura, keeps a tight lid on their family secrets - like the mysterious life and death of her grandmother who passed away before Maggie was born.

Practicing the craft will test solid friendships and introduce Maggie to new realms. While seeking the truth about herself and her family, Maggie is faced with danger from churchgoing classmates who will stop at nothing to make sure she is found out. Laura and Maggie strengthen their bond through witchcraft and work together to overcome their enemies. Are their magical gifts enough to keep them safe?

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5Dnc1YczF0

Purchase Links:

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Invoking-Nonna-Sage-Adderley/dp/0989709825

Etsy (print & digital available) - https://www.etsy.com/shop/sage

Excerpt

My heart sank as Ruby stood there holding the blue book with the pentacle and a very confused expression. Oh man, why couldn’t Ruby keep her hands to herself? She always looked through my stuff. Normally, I didn’t have anything to hide, so I didn’t think too much about it. I had completely forgotten about the witchcraft book.

I took in a deep breath and just decided to go with it. “Yeah, I’ve been reading about Wicca.”

“What? Since when and why haven’t you told me about it?”

I ran my fingers through the madness on my head, and sighed. I knew this day would come, and I tried to pre- pare myself for the million questions that Ruby would fling at me. I sat on my bed and fiddled with the strings on my pink pajama pants.

“I started seeing these twinkles from the corner of my eye. They were like tiny sparkles of light that flashed quickly around my head. I thought I had low blood sugar and I was getting light headed, but it even happened when I felt physically fine. I tried to explain the sparkles with a rational reason, but I have yet to come up with one.”

“Wait, you see sparkles, and now you read about witchcraft. Call me crazy, but I am not seeing the connection here, Maggie.”

For the first time ever, Ruby was looking at me as if I had gone full blown nuts. I had no idea how to explain my- self or to transfer my thoughts into words that would make sense to her because honestly, I had a hard time understanding things myself. I am reacting on emotion and gut feelings - two things that can be hard to describe to other people not experiencing them. I sat down on the ground and took a deep breath and tried again.

“Ruby, I just feel different. When I see those sparkles, it’s as though I have a higher awareness of what is going on around me. I feel light, almost as though I am floating. It feels ... it feels really awesome.”

I could see Ruby’s brows crunching together, and her head tilts to one side. She was trying very hard to understand me. I saw her lightly nibbling on her bottom lip which meant she was unsure, but sympathetic to her best friend who just came out of the witchcraft closet.

“Well, have you cast any spells?”

Ruby sat down across from me and waited for my response. I picked up the book on Wicca and thumbed through some of the pages. I was waiting for words of wisdom to roll off my tongue.

“When you go to church with your family, do you feel something? Do you feel God?”

Ruby thought for a moment, “I guess so. I mean, I believe in God.”

“See, when I go to church or read about God, I don’t feel anything and it just doesn’t make sense to me. But this, this book makes sense to me. It just feels right.”

“Does your mom know?”

One confession was enough for today. I wouldn't open up the can of worms about my mom being a witch, too.

“No and I’d like to keep it that way for now. And that goes for everyone else, too. Not even Rhiannon!”

Ruby held her hand up in a gesture promising she would not peep a word. I wondered if she thought differently of me now. Ruby was one of the kindest humans I know. I’d be surprised if this shook up things between us.

And it didn’t.

Guest Post:

As I tossed around ideas for my young adult novel, I was positive that I wanted to write about an adolescent witch. I tried to think of what my teenage self would have wanted to read. Like my main character, Maggie Sloan, I grew up in a rural town in Georgia and stood apart from most of my classmates because of basic things like, music preference, clothing, and brightly colored hair. I would have loved to read about an alternative teen while going to school with pretty conservative-minded kids.

Being a teenager is awkward enough without having to worry about discrimination or harassment because of gender, race, class, religion, or sexual preference. I wanted a relatable character for a teen witch or any young person feeling out of place. Maggie is a 15-year-old on a journey to find herself while partaking in a magical world despite the odds set against her.

I adore fairy tales and fantasy, but I decided to focus on the realism of witchcraft when writing my book. No pumpkins turning into golden carriages or flying monkeys – but those are great, too! While I am not a practicing Wiccan, I do identify as a Pagan and I’m very familiar with the Wiccan path. I think presenting the facts behind the nature-based religion is important and made sure that stayed a priority throughout the story.

It was crucial for me to depict a witch practicing white magic and being mindful of how her actions would affect others. I wanted to emphasize the importance of being ethical while identifying as a witch and casting spells. And hopefully, I can reach a reader that may have some false preconceptions about “real life” witches.

I strived to maintain a respectful presence for all religions. I also played with the dynamic between two best friends who are involved in polar opposite religions. So yeah, maybe I have a not-so hidden message of let’s be kind to each other despite our differences.

It was heart warming to receive positive feedback from Christians who normally don’t read about witches and enjoyed Invoking Nonna. Likewise, I received reviews from witches who were excited to read a realistic portrayal of a witch.

I might be a little biased, but Invoking Nonna is an enthralling story with magic, mystery, and some paranormal interactions. Maggie is on a mission to search for her family’s history in order to unlock secrets that have been tucked away for years and repair the fractured relationship with her mother.

Follow Sage:

Website – http://sageadderley.com/

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7559413.Sage_Adderley

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MyNameIsSage

Twitter - https://twitter.com/sageadderley

Author Bio

Sage Adderley is a single (and very busy) mom of three humans and one cat. She is passionate about kindness, coffee, mental health, fat activism, and the DIY lifestyle. Sage is the owner of Sweet Candy Distro & Press, Sage's Blog Tours, and writes the zines Tattooed Memoirs and Marked For Life. She is also the creator of FAT-TASTIC! Sage currently resides in the magical land of Olympia, Wa.

The Line: Witchery in Savannah

Move over, Sookie Stackhouse—the witches of Savannah are the new talk of the South. Bold, flirty, and with a touch of darkness, debut author J.D. Horn spins a mesmerizing tale of a family of witches . . . and the problem that can arise from being so powerful. As Charlaine Harris’ series winds down—and as Deborah Harkness’ series heats up—Witching Savannah is new contemporary fantasy that will be sure to enchant new readers.

Mercy Taylor, the youngest member of Savannah’s preeminent witching family, was born without the gift of magic. She is accustomed to coming in a distant second to the minutes older, exquisite and gifted twin she adores. Hopelessly in love with her sister’s boyfriend, she goes to a Hoodoo root doctor for a love spell. A spell that will turn her heart to another man, the best friend who has loved her since childhood.

Aunt Ginny, the family’s matriarch, would not approve. But Mercy has more to worry about than a love triangle when Aunt Ginny is brutally murdered. Ginny was the Taylor family’s high commander in the defense of the bewitched line that separates humankind from the demons who once ruled our realm.

A demon invasion looms now that the line is compromised. Worse yet, some within the witching world stand to gain from a demon takeover. Mercy, entangled in the dark magic of her love spell, fighting for her sister’s trust, and hopelessly without magic, must tap the strength born from being an outcast to protect the line she doesn’t feel a part of...

In this riveting contemporary fantasy, Horn delivers the full betrayal, blood, and familial discord of the best of Southern gothic.

Amazon

The Line (Witching Savannah, Book 1)


Savannah, the whole damned place is a graveyard. Serene and beautiful, but built on the bones of those who fell under her spell. Magic clings to her as sure as Spanish moss hangs from her ancient live oaks, but most of that magic is under the control of a sole family, the Taylor witches, and they plan on keeping it to themselves. After all, real magic belongs in the hands of real witches, the people who created and maintain The Line, a safety net of energy that protects us from the demons that once owned our reality and who are doing their best to fight their way back in.


Mercy Taylor has none of her family's power. The Taylors, although no one other than her aunt’s husband would ever say so openly, view Mercy’s lack of power as an unfortunate, if not entirely debilitating, birth defect. Well, maybe that is too strong. Maybe more like her ginger coloring, not the ideal, but nothing to be ashamed of.


Maisie, Mercy’s fraternal twin, on the other hand, came into the world nearly glowing with power. She never knew an awkward phase or felt like an outsider in the Taylor witches’ magical world. But Mercy adores Maisie and never begrudged her sister her grace, beauty or magic. Mercy never coveted anything that belongs to her sister, that is until Jackson came along. As hard as she tries to resist her feelings for her sister’s lover, something in Mercy’s heart tells her that Jackson should be hers.


When Mercy discovers the bludgeoned corpse of the family matriarch, she begins to unravel a skein of lies and misdirection that covers a conspiracy to bring down The Line. A conspiracy in which she is the central pawn.


Guest post:

The Craft Versus Lovecraft

Magic. Witch. Witchcraft.  These words are emotionally charged and laden with many different connotations. Some are positive, but the majority not so much.  The watercolor image of a wise earth mother contrasts with that of a lurid black Sabbath, the honorable religion of Wicca with that of debased devil worship. When I set out to write The Line, first book in the Witching Savannah series, I was confronted with the need for a magical system that could somehow sidestep the pitfalls of both popular culture stereotypes, and the intolerance that has too long colored mainstream religion’s perception of those who follow Pagan paths.

The question became how to make practitioners of Wicca (and other Pagan faiths) feel respected, but also to broaden the meaning of these three enchanted words so that people of all faiths (or no faith at all) could join in on the fun.

 Inspiration came to me when rereading H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Dreams in the Witch House.” Certainly Keziah Mason, the titular witch, falls very much within the literary camp of evil child-sacrificing hags, but what caught my imagination was that the source of her power fell outside the purview of any earthly religion. Lovecraft created a space for cosmic horror that lies beyond theological debate. There may be a “big G “ God, or there may not be, but in his cosmic horror there are incomprehensible and frightening entities out there whose access to power would certainly lead early man to view them as gods.

Lovecraft’s old gods and “Elder Things” spring from a place where science intersects the occult. I decided I wanted to play in this sandbox. I asked myself what it might look like if this magic, this cosmic power, wasn’t in and of itself evil, the only evil being the way Keziah chose to interact with and use it. This thought combined with a marathon viewing of “Ancient Aliens” to form the base of The Line’s magical system.

Even though Lovecraft’s archaic language and affected ambience (two things I personally enjoy in his work) don’t find their way into The Line, readers of the Witching Savannah series will notice many affectionate nods to Lovecraft, from the Old Ones the magic of the line protects us from, to a creature inspired by Brown Jenkin that makes an appearance in The Source, second book in the Witching Savannah series. In The Line, the heroine, Mercy Taylor, notes that her family came to Savannah shortly after the end of the Civil War. It is part of the (unwritten) family backstory that they came to Savannah from Lovecraft’s own beloved Providence.

Lovecraft’s concept of cosmic horror provided space to create witches whose power has nothing to do with their creed. The witches of The Line are followers of many faiths, including the Wiccan, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Aboriginal and Native American spirituality.  Some are even atheist. The Taylor family, the central family of the series, falls firmly in the category of the spiritual, but religiously unaffiliated.

 I hope readers will enjoy the narrative freedom this lack of connection to any one religion permits as Mercy’s story unfolds in The Line, The Source (coming in June 2014) and The Void (coming late fall 2014). 

J. D. Horn was raised in rural Tennessee, and has since carried a bit of its red clay in him while traveling the world, from Hollywood, to Paris, to Tokyo. He studied comparative literature as an undergrad, focusing on French and Russian in particular. He also holds an MBA in international business and worked as a financial analyst before becoming a novelist.

Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Line-Witching-Savannah-Book-One-ebook/dp/B00CIDTH2E/ 

 http://www.WitchingSavannah.com 

http://www.Facebook.com/TheLineSavannah

@TheLineSavannah

Elemental Magic: Book Five in the Riga Hayworth Series

Sympathetic Magic in Witchcraft

Have you ever wondered how spells work?

As a paranormal writer, I wonder about this a lot while I’m crafting my magical world. But the basic “law” behind spell crafting is as simple as it is old: sympathetic magic.

Though the law of sympathy has been used and understood since the ancient Egyptians (and perhaps beyond), it got its first scholarly, western analysis by Sir James George Frazer. He explained it as an mash-up of two other laws: the law of similarity and the law of contact.

Law 1: Similarity, or like produces like. The easiest example of this to give (and everybody does) is the poppet or voodoo doll. A poppet is a small doll created to represent the person you want to cast a spell on, for better or worse (let’s assume better). Whatever the spell caster does to the poppet, then happens to the person.

Law 2: Contact. The idea here is that objects that were once in contact with each other will continue to affect each other even after that contact has been broken. For example, in the Dresden Files, warlock Harry Dresden is careful to make sure no enemy gets hold of his hair or nail clippings. Why? Because the strongest contact would be between a person and, er, all those little bits that tend to fall off.

Put these two ideas together, and voila! Sympathetic magic.

But let’s say your witch doesn’t want to go the evil poppet route and thinks nail clippings are icky. How could she use sympathetic magic to build a spell? The answer: correspondences.

Correspondences – the idea that seemingly unconnected things actually do share a connection at a mystical level – stem directly from sympathetic magic. For example, the sun corresponds to fire, the lion, the birch, the heart and circulatory system, happiness, and success.

So if you want to craft a spell, you could use an object that corresponds to your intended effect and give your magic more oomph. Using the solar example, a witch might bring some sun energy into her spell for personal happiness by lighting candles, scattering birch branches on her altar, and/or by casting her spell around the summer solstice.

In the film Practical Magic, the young witch casts a true love spell, Amas Veritas spell. To cast the spell, she lists the qualities of the lover she’s calling. For each quality, she plucks a flower petal or blossom that represents that attribute. When she says that his favorite shape is a star, she adds a star-shaped flower to her magical mix.

I can’t get enough of this idea. In fact, it was the inspiration for a locating spell in my latest book, The Elemental Detective, when my metaphysical detective uses a favorite book to find her missing familiar.

To sum it all up: as illogical and paranormal as magic seems – and let’s face it, that’s what makes reading about it so fun – it’s really surprisingly logical.

About the Author

Kirsten Weiss is the author of the Riga Hayworth series of urban fantasy/paranormal mystery novels. Here’s a blurb from her latest, book five in the series – The Elemental Detective.

Mermaids, menehunes, and murder.

Riga Hayworth just wants to relax with her new husband on their Hawaiian honeymoon. But a body on a Kauai beach pulls them into a murder investigation, sending the supernatural world into an uproar.

When Riga detects traces of magic at a murder scene, she knows she can’t ignore the call. There’s necromancy afoot, and she must prepare for the battle to come. But can Riga fight the forces of nature? Or will they destroy her and everyone she loves?

Book five in the Riga Hayworth series of paranormal mystery novels, The Elemental Detective is a fun, fast-paced urban fantasy blending romance with the supernatural, and exploring the magic of Hawaii.

The Elemental Detective

Author: Kirsten Weiss

Published December 21, 2013 by misterio press

Genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Mystery

Series: Book 5 in the Riga Hayworth series of paranormal mystery novels

Word count: 70,647

Available for review: ePub/Nook, mobi/Kindle, PDF, paperback

Get it from:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo

Blurb:

Mermaids, menehunes, and murder.

Riga Hayworth just wants to relax with her new husband on their Hawaiian honeymoon. But a body on a Kauai beach pulls them into a murder investigation, sending the supernatural world into an uproar.

When Riga detects traces of magic at a murder scene, she knows she can’t ignore the call. There’s necromancy afoot, and she must prepare for the battle to come. But can Riga fight the forces of nature? Or will they destroy her and everyone she loves?

Book five in the Riga Hayworth series of paranormal mystery novels, The Elemental Detective is a fun, fast-paced urban fantasy blending romance with the supernatural, and exploring the magic of Hawaii.

Excerpt: pages 1 – 3

The palms outside rattled like bones, awakening Riga. A warm salt breeze slipped through the open door, and shivered across her bare skin. Beside her, the mattress sagged, the bed frame creaking an accompaniment to her own, steady breathing.

One breath, rising and falling. Her breath.

Muddled by sleep, she stilled, her heart leaping with a sudden jolt of adrenaline as she understood it wasn’t her husband beside her, weighting the bed. Riga kept her breathing steady, and extended her other senses. Probing. She opened her eyes, peering through her lashes. Through the open glass door, the moon illuminated a winged figure, hunched beside her on the hotel’s bed.

“Brigitte!” Riga sat up, torn between annoyance and the panic rising in her throat. She clutched the sheet to her breasts. “What are you doing here? Where’s Donovan?”

The gargoyle shrugged, the sound of rocks grating together, and the bed shifted. “Monsieur Mosse left an hour ago,” she graveled, a French-accented Lauren Bacall. “And his whereabouts are the least of your worries.”

Riga lurched to the left and reached for the bedside lamp. Instead, her fingers found emptiness, fumbled in the dark, then touched a wooden leg, upright, seemingly supporting nothing. Where the hell had the tabletop gone? Her fingers brushed a rounded stump and it fell over with a crash. Where the hell had the lamp gone?

She swung her feet out of bed, took two steps, and bashed her shin into something hard. Riga felt along the wall and smacked the light switch, cursing. Uncomprehending, she stared. Everything but the bed had been turned upside down. Cushioned wicker chairs. Wooden table. Television… She grabbed her silk robe, draped over an upside down ottoman, and slipped it on, walked to the entertainment center. That was still upright, but the TV inside had been inverted.

Wonder leaked past her anxiety. She sniffed. A trace of magic lingered, wild like a forest glade, elemental. Fae? She regarded the creative destruction she’d slept through, and amended that thought. Stealth fae. Dammit. She fumbled the belt of her robe.

“What happened to Donovan? Where is he?” Riga’s voice sounded shrill, even to her ears.

“Your husband left of his own accord.”

“Alone?” Riga motioned toward the mess. No, it couldn’t be happening again. Not another run-in with the faery world. Not here. Not now. “Did you see who—”

Brigitte’s stone-feathered head reared backwards. “I do not spy!”

“But you saw Donovan leave.”

“And then I waited by ze rocks until you woke up.”

“You woke me up.”

The gargoyle picked at her feathers. “I grew bored, and the sun will rise soon, and we have much to discuss.”

The diamond on Riga’s finger glinted, and she rubbed the back of her wedding rings with her thumb. She and Donovan hadn’t yet adjusted to island time, and both were rising well before daybreak. Donovan had probably woken up while she was sleeping and grown restless, hadn’t wanted to wake her. Of course he was safe. It couldn’t be happening again. That would be stretching the bounds of… She worked the knot on her robe. He was safe.

She swallowed, despising the remnants of fear that made her muscles twitch, and flipped her emotions to anger. Anger was simpler.

About the Author:

Kirsten Weiss is the author of the Riga Hayworth paranormal mystery series: The Metaphysical Detective, The Alchemical Detective, The Shamanic Detective, The Infernal Detective, and The Elemental Detective.

Kirsten worked overseas for nearly fourteen years, in the fringes of the former USSR and deep in the Afghan war zone.  Her experiences abroad not only gave her glimpses into the darker side of human nature, but also sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives.

Now based in San Mateo, CA, she writes paranormal mysteries, blending her experiences and imagination to create a vivid world of magic and mayhem.

Kirsten has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer reruns and drinking good wine. 

You can connect with Kirsten through the social media sites below, and if the mood strikes you, send her an e-mail at kirsten_weiss2001@yahoo.com

@RigaHayworth
Kirsten's Website: http://kirstenweiss.com

The Dark Huntsman Virtual Book Tour and Review

The Dark Huntsman, A Fantasy of the Black Court

Tales of the Black Court,

Book One
Jessica Aspen

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Abracadabra Publishing

Date of Publication: October 2013

ISBN: e-copy: 978-0-9899558-0-5

ISBN: Paperback: 978-0615891682  

ASIN: B00FN2P7A8

Number of pages: 326

Word Count: 88,000 words

Cover Artist: Kari Ayasha of

Cover to Cover Designs

Book Description:

An evil queen, a dangerous man, and a witch, tangled together in a tale of Snow White...

Desperate to save the last of her family from the murderous Faery Queen, Trina Mac Elvy weaves a spell of entrapment. But instead of a common soldier, the queen has released the Dark Huntsman, a full blooded fae with lethal powers.

Caged for treason, Logan Ni Brennan, is ready to do anything to win free of the manipulative queen, even if it includes running a last errand for her…murdering a witch. The sight of Trina, ready to fight despite the odds, gives him another option: use the witch as a chess piece, put the queen’s son on the throne, and bring down the queen forever.

As the queen slides into insanity and her closest advisor makes plans to succeed to the throne, Logan secrets Trina away in the enchanted forest and makes a decisive move in his dangerous game of manipulation. But the gaming tables of fate turn on him, and when Trina’s life is threatened he discovers he risks more than his freedom…he risks his heart.

Dare to enter Jessica Aspen’s world of steamy, fantasy romance in her new twisted fairy tale trilogy: Tales of the Black Court…

Purchase it at Amazon   

Add to Goodreads Shelf

Excerpt:

Riding into the dry-as-bones mountains on the back of the puca, Logan’s anger seared bitter in his chest. It rolled off him in waves, pulling thunder down from the sky. He toyed idly with the storm letting his anger draw the danger of the lightening to him as he seethed. Fifteen years away from his hounds. Fifteen years of Solanum’s running wild, the puca causing havoc wherever he went. Fifteen years of Logan’s life eaten away in the hole of the queen’s dungeons.

And now he was to kill witches for the queen. A fact that rubbed him raw.

Humans were amusing companions, why create trouble? Irritated with the brief flare of morality, he smothered it with brutal force. It didn’t fucking matter what he wanted. It never had.

Lightening cracked. The eerie silent hounds of the Dark Hunt tightened around him, their tense glances and snapping teeth reflections of his flaring emotions.

He had no room for second thoughts tonight. The Black Queen had given him no reason why she needed these witches killed, but if he satisfied her it might give him his freedom. At the very least it would give him some space. Maybe some time to figure out a way to stay out of the dungeons. And time to figure out how to truly extricate himself from her bloody dominion.

Because no matter what she had promised him, he knew, there was no way she would simply let him go. Not after the way he had betrayed her.

Solanum tossed his head and bucked. “Quit squeezing my ribs.” Lurid green faery flames leapt from his hooves, igniting short-lived cold fires in the dry Wyoming brush.

“Cease, horse,” Logan said, squeezing his legs a little more. Punching Solanum’s buttons felt good, really good. Just like his wrath at the queen felt good. Justified.

The puca tossed his long mane into Logan’s eyes. “Lay off, or you’ll be eating dirt,” the puca snarled, his nostrils flaring in the dimming light.

Solanum’s irritation put a hard smile on Logan’s lips. He tightened his legs and drove the puca harder down the hill through the brewing storm.

A hound pushed in close. Solanum’s hoof lashed out, connecting with a solid thud. The hound’s yipe sounded inside Logan’s head as he regained his balance, cursing the hound’s behavior and the puca’s intolerance.

He was back. The hounds would get used to him again. And Solanum too.

Thunder crashed in the sky, following him down into the shadowed hills as he approached the witches’ lair. Nostrils burning from the ozone, nerves tingling, he distracted himself with the dark moist wind, manipulating it to blow through the dry autumn brush like a child's tantrum.

He laughed, the spiteful wind stealing away the dark sound as cracks of thunder echoed off the mountains. He let the anger simmer and the lightening moved further away. He wasn’t free yet, and he wasn’t suicidal. What he was, was trapped. And it pissed him off, the frustration riding him like a hag.

What could he do when the queen changed her mind and refused to release him from her service? What if the bitch thought she could use him then put him back into her dungeons Underhill, calling him to her side like a lapdog? He needed a way to show her there would be repercussions. He needed leverage.

In the distance, thunder rumbled and they tipped over the edge of the valley in search of the witch. A wavering glow of candles shone above the last few rocks.

Almost there.

The telltale traces of a spell raised the hair on the back of his neck. He extended his Gift to perceive what he couldn’t yet see. A labyrinth set by a single inexperienced witch. His lips twitched. As protection it might have worked, had the Faery Queen sent her regular henchman. Unluckily for the witch, the queen had unleashed him. The Dark Huntsman.

He would kill the wench, and be done with this thing between himself and the queen of the Tuatha De Dannan. And when the queen refused to release him? He’d deal with that when the time came.

The wind carried the hot dry smell of sage mixed with the smell of fear and musky female. He inhaled the raw flavor of the witch, the taste of her fear and anger and power slid down his throat, easing his rage.

The anxious hounds shifted around him, sensing the proximity of their prey. Solanum rounded the rock.

And there she was.

The sight of her rocked him back like a blow, almost knocking him to the ground. And he realized that despite the stasis, fifteen years had been too long a time to be without a woman.

Glimmers of power limned her naked body and the silver blade of the athame that gleamed between her breasts. Her legs were spread slightly apart, tensed for battle. Long black hair crackled and lifted with static. Her expressive face was poised on the edge of dilemma, her body caught between the need to hold the spell and the need for action.

He paused to let the feel of power and woman roll through him.

Beautiful.

Unexpected.

Green, almond shaped eyes widened. Her stance firmed, her shoulders pulled back, and her full breasts rose, nipples tightened with cold or fear. Something wild and raw he hadn’t felt in a hundred years stabbed low in his gut.

His agenda changed.

The queen wanted to kill the witch. Why? His plan of placating the queen suddenly seemed weak. She’d never let him go without leverage, and here was leverage standing naked and lovely before him. He had a new plan.

Screw the queen.

 Review:

From the first page, this book grabbed me by the hair and wouldn't let go. The fresh retelling of the Snow White-esque story was well done and I loved it. The voice was crisp and each and every character came through clearly. The huntsman was a figure that became Herne, the lord of the Great Hunt and the witch became his prey. The evil queen brought elements of Alice in Wonderland. The book is rife with familiar fairy tales and stories I loved as a child, now woken up for a more adult spin on things. Excellent read! In fact I can't wait to get back to it now to see just what happens to that wicked queen. I hope she gets a trip down the oubliette herself. I know just the huntsman who could put her there. 

*Great sexual tension

*Believable characters

*Smooth pacing and vibrant action

*Fairy tale lovers will adore it!

5/5

About the Author:

Jessica Aspen has always wanted to be spirited away to a world inhabited by elves, were-wolves and sexy men who walk on the dark side of the knife. Luckily, she’s able to explore her fantasy side and delve into new worlds by writing paranormal romance. She loves indulging in dark chocolate, reading eclectic novels, and dreaming of ocean vacations, but instead spends most of her time, writing, walking the dog, and hiking in the Colorado Rockies.

Stop by Jessica’s website and leave a comment to enter Giveaways!

Website: http://jessicaaspen.com

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5759763.Jessica_Aspen

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Lisa Morton Speaks

For nearly three centuries, as the Black Death rampaged through Europe and the Reformation tore the Church apart, tens of thousands were arrested as witches and subjected to trial, torture, and execution, including being burned alive. This graphic novel examines the background; the methods of the witch-hunters; who stood to profit; the brave few who protested; and how the trials finally faded as Enlightenment replaced fear and superstition with reason and science. The book examines famed witch-hunters Heinrich Kramer, architect of the infamous Malleus Maleficarum; Matthew Hopkins, England's notorious "Witch-finder General"; King James I, supposedly the target of assassination by a Scottish coven; the Salem Witch Trials; and the last witch trials and executions in Europe.

Witch Hunts has been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in the Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel category. The Awards will be presented at the World Horror Convention in New Orleans on June 15, 2013

Amazon

Goodreads

www.witchhuntsbook.com

Join me as we welcome horror great Lisa Morton to On the Broomstick. Lisa has agreed to answer some questions about her work in the horror field. 

 1. How did you get started writing in the horror genre?

I've always loved the genre (even as a very young child), and it was
just an obvious choice for me. I started as a screenwriter, where I
was a "hired gun" and wrote everything from children's fantasies to
disaster movies, but when I turned to prose, horror was my obvious
first choice.


 2. Tell me about your work on Witch Hunts and how the graphic novel
 came to be.

Rocky Wood created the project and had already brought Greg Chapman in
as the artist when he asked me to co-write. I loved Rocky's take on
it, and I'd always wanted to work in the graphic novel field; plus, my
Halloween research had already given me a good introduction to the
history of the witch persecutions, so it was all a good fit.

 3. Burgers or sushi?

Sushi, no question! I'll start with scallop and smelt egg, and go from there.


 4. Name three things on your desk right now.

My endless to-do list, the "Icky-Sticky" toy I've had since I was
about six years old, and - one of my most recent acquisitions - a
"Hello Kitty" Dia de los Muertos figure.


 5. What is one thing that has helped you as a writer that you would
 pass on to aspiring horror novelists?

Persevere. Unless you're very lucky, it's unlikely that you'll be
successful instantly. The real success stories are the ones who hang
in there and build an audience and never give up.


6. What to you is the difference in pacing between a short story and a novel?

A novel can indulge more freely in description and observation. A
short story needs to focus more on telling a succinct story quickly,
so plot and character development take center field.


7. Is there anything in horror today that you think is overdone? Underdone?

Horror is in interesting state of flux right now. I do think we're
finally seeing more women and writers of color entering the genre, and
the old things I used to complain about - like an over-reliance on
rape and misogynistic content - are fading away. I'm excited about the
genre's future.


 8. Tell us about your newest project.

My newest novel is NETHERWORLD, just released by JournalStone. It's
the first book in a trilogy about a globe-trotting British noblewoman
fighting evil in the nineteenth century...and not all of those evils
are supernatural. It was tremendous fun to write, and I'm excited
about its release.


 9. Do you write to music? If so, what do you listen to?

I used to, but the older I get, the more I need quiet to focus. I will
occasionally put on one of Somafm.com's electronica stations, but I
absolutely can't have anything with lyrics playing.


10. Favorite ice cream flavor.

Baskin-Robbins's Pralines and Cream.

Find out more about Lisa on her site: http://lisamorton.com/zine/

Witch Hunts: A Visit with Greg Chapman

For nearly three centuries, as the Black Death rampaged through Europe and the Reformation tore the Church apart, tens of thousands were arrested as witches and subjected to trial, torture, and execution, including being burned alive. This graphic novel examines the background; the methods of the witch-hunters; who stood to profit; the brave few who protested; and how the trials finally faded as Enlightenment replaced fear and superstition with reason and science. The book examines famed witch-hunters Heinrich Kramer, architect of the infamous Malleus Maleficarum; Matthew Hopkins, England's notorious "Witch-finder General"; King James I, supposedly the target of assassination by a Scottish coven; the Salem Witch Trials; and the last witch trials and executions in Europe.

Witch Hunts has been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award in the Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel category. The Awards will be presented at the World Horror Convention in New Orleans on June 15, 2013

Amazon

Goodreads

www.witchhuntsbook.com

Please join me as we welcome Greg Chapman in our first of two interviews with the amazing authors of this comprehensive graphic novel that covers the history of persecution of witches. 

> 1. How did you get started writing in the horror genre?
After I joined the Australian Horror Writers Association in 2009, I was selected for its mentor program and from that I had my first two novellas published – Torment and The Noctuary (2011). I’ve had two more published since then – Vaudeville (2012) and The Last Night of October (2013) so I must be doing something right ;)

> 2. Tell me about your work on Witch Hunts and how the graphic novel came to be.
I think it was towards the end of 2010 that I was contacted by Rocky Wood who was looking for an artist to illustrate a graphic novel. Of course I was extremely interested and after tossing around a few ideas, we settled on doing something around the witchcraft persecutions as it hadn’t really been done. When Lisa Morton came on board it added a whole new level of crazy fun! 

> 3. Burgers or sushi?
Burgers!

> 4. Name three things on your desk right now.
Micron drawing pens, watercolour paints and a Crystal Head Vodka skull bottle full of drawing ink!

> 5. What is one thing that has helped you as a writer that you would  pass on to aspiring horror novelists?
Read horror, read outside of horror. When you’re not doing that sit down and write!

> 6. What to you is the difference in pacing between a short story and a novel?
Pacing. Novels are intended to be slow burns with explosions of action here and there. Short stories should build up to a blistering climax, like a detonation timer counting down.

> 7. Is there anything in horror today that you think is overdone? Underdone?
Overdone - Virus induced zombies.

Underdone – Vampires that are actually frightening blood-sucking monsters! 

> 8. Tell us about your newest project.
Currently, I’m editing the first draft of an intended YA dark fantasy series

> 9. Do you write to music? If so, what do you listen to?


Sometimes. I love to write to soundtracks, like Mark Snow’s music from The X-Files or Danny Elfman’s Nightbreed soundtrack.

> 10. Favorite ice cream flavor.




Cookies and cream!

Learn more about Greg at : http://darkscrybe.com/