Black Lion Tours/Witch in The Wind Review Tour

Brenda M. Collins'

Witch in the Wind

Everything happens in Bandit Creek when witches, warlocks and canine familiars slip through the portal from the magical world called THE OTHERLAND.

When murder strikes in Bandit Creek, and the victims aren’t who they seemed, powerful guardian warlock, Marcus Egan, is sent from The Otherland to investigate. What he doesn’t expect to find is Avalon Gwynn, the grieving daughter of the victims, who has no idea she’s an extraordinary, hereditary witch. And Avy’s pent up magical abilities have just been set free in the mortal world.

Can Marcus catch a killer while making sure Avy doesn’t bring Crow Mountain crashing down on the town—destroying Bandit Creek for the second time?

This is a sweet paranormal novella of approximately 50,000 words written for an adult audience but also suitable for young adult readers.

Website | Twitter | Amazon | Smashwords | Kindle

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My Review: This paranormal novella is part of a larger series all set in the town of Bandit Creek, Montana featuring various authors and genres. It can absolutely be read as a stand-alone and is a wonderful story filled with mystery, magic, romance, and the sweetest canine familiar you will ever meet. Avy and Marcus are a couple to cheer for and I look forward to the opportunity to spend more time in Bandit Creek with this enjoyable cast of characters.

I received a copy of the book as part of this blog tour.

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Enjoy an Excerpt

Everything happens in Bandit Creek when WITCHES, WARLOCKS, and CANINE FAMILIARS slip the portal from THE OTHERLAND

(Excerpt from Chapter 2)

Marcus debated if he should fade into the background. In his line of work, his talent for making even another witch’s eye look past him without registering his presence was useful.

He felt another power surge. “What the—

The woman wasn't the magic source. Fierce, dark eyes locked on him, not in a friendly, or mortal, way. And the beast already knew Marcus was there. What the hell is a familiar doing here? Familiars couldn’t be summoned. They appeared only when gifted by a more powerful spirit in times of great danger. There hadn’t been such a creature around The Otherland for centuries. So who sent this one to the mortal world, he wondered. And why?

Pushing away from the wall, Marcus wandered over to the reception desk. By habit, he moved with quiet steps, yet the young woman seemed to sense his approach and turned in his direction. She pulled the cap from her head, pushed loose wisps of hair from her forehead, and looked up at him.

His breath stopped in his throat and his mouth watered. The little nymph was more than the usual pretty combination of golden blond hair and flawless fair skin. Her electric blue eyes, even smudged with fatigue, jolted his gut in a way he hadn’t felt since his teens, when his magical energy was working overtime along with his hormones.

He smiled and managed to keep his stance casual as he kept one eye on the familiar and one on the woman. She seemed startled for a second but then returned his smile with a brilliant one of her own. The familiar didn’t. He bared his teeth and growled.

“I mean you no harm.” He didn’t want the familiar to blow his cover so he stood completely still as he spoke to it directly.

To the woman he said, “Is he always afraid of strangers?”

The familiar rumbled again as if insulted.

“Only you as far as I know,” she replied. Her voice, a rich alto, wrapped around him like a siren’s song. “He was fine with me, and the sheriff, yesterday.”

He blinked trying to regain some control of his brain. “What’s his name?” He eased his hand, very slowly, towards the familiar murmuring reassurances that only the magical beast would understand.

“I don’t know really. I found him last night with no collar.” She shrugged and a light flush colored her cheeks. “I’ve been calling him Busby. You know, after the big furry hats the guards at Buckingham Palace wear. When I first saw him on my porch, that’s what he reminded me of.”

That answers one question, Marcus thought. He’s here to protect this woman. But does she know that? With his hand dangerously close to the familiar’s mouth, he let the beast scent the strength of his power. Warlocks were a level above most magical creatures, having been bred for generations as warriors. Of course, that didn’t mean the familiar wasn’t as strong, or even stronger. No one knew how familiars travelled from witch to witch and many assumed they were from the spirit realm.

Finally, the creature eased back on his haunches.

“Busby’s giving me a reprieve.” He very slowly withdrew his hand. To the familiar he said, “Giving me a chance, aren’t you, Busby. But you let me know who’s got the teeth when it comes to this woman.” He stepped back.

Meet the Author

 

Brenda M. Collins has wanted to write romance since she was twelve years old. At the age of twenty, she spoke to an editor in Toronto, Canada, who expressed an interest in her story; however, she soon realized it takes more than an idea to be an author. She joined a number of writing groups to learn about ‘the craft’ and completed two mystery manuscripts. To help her fellow writers develop strong business skills, Brenda has published articles, and delivered workshops to hundreds of writers, on career planning, professional networking and presentation skills. Her most recent article, entitled How to Improve your Presentations, is in the 2013 Writer’s Market (Brewer, R.L., ed. F&W Media Inc. p. 153).

Brenda’s debut novel, WITCH IN THE WIND, starts with a murder, but comes to life with witches, warlocks, a canine familiar and a magical dimension called The Otherland. For upcoming titles in The Otherland Chronicles, and other stories, keep an eye on Brenda’s website www.brendamcollins.com and follow her on Twitter.

 

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The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow by Olivia Newport

Blurb:

The whole world is coming to Chicago.
Charlotte's whole world is coming down around her.

While the rest of Chicago focuses on the enormous spectacle of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, Charlotte Farrow's attentions are entirely on one small boy--her boy--whom she has kept a secret from her wealthy employers for nearly a year.

When the woman who has been caring for her son abruptly returns him to the opulent Banning home, Charlotte must decide whether to come clean and face dismissal or keep her secret while the Bannings decide the child's fate. Can she face the truth of her past and open her heart to a future of her own? Or will life's struggles determine her path?

This compelling story of courage, strength, and tender romance captures the tension between the glittering wealthy class and the hardworking servants who made their lives comfortable.

 

My Review: Ever since reading Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City, I've been drawn to anything involving the 1893 World's Fair. In this book the Fair is a backdrop and portrayed so vividly that I felt like I was there amongst the sights and sounds of such a marvelous event.

 

With the current popularity of period dramas such as Downton Abbey, this is a book with definite appeal to readers of historical fiction. The "dilemma" Charlotte faces makes for a real page-turner as she's forced to face any mother's worst nightmare. It's a beautiful story portraying the strength and power of a mother's love. I'm very interested in reading the first book in the Avenue of Dreams series, The Pursuit of Lucy Banning, to learn more of the back story of these characters.

 

 

"Available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group."

 

I received this book free from the publisher through the Baker Publishing Group book review bloggers program.

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Love Saves the Day by Gwen Cooper

Blurb: From the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Homer’s Odyssey comes a tender, joyful, utterly unforgettable novel, primarily told through the eyes of the most observant member of any human family: the cat.

Humans best understand the truth of things if they come at it indirectly. Like how sometimes the best way to catch a mouse that’s right in front of you is to back up before you pounce.

So notes Prudence, the irresistible brown tabby at the center of Gwen Cooper’s tender, joyful, utterly unforgettable novel, which is mostly told through the eyes of this curious (and occasionally cranky) feline.

When five-week-old Prudence meets a woman named Sarah in a deserted construction site on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, she knows she’s found the human she was meant to adopt. For three years their lives are filled with laughter, tuna, catnaps, music, and the unchanging routines Prudence craves. Then one day Sarah doesn’t come home. From Prudence’s perch on the windowsill she sees Laura, the daughter who hardly ever comes to visit Sarah, arrive with her new husband. They’re carrying boxes. Before they even get to the front door, Prudence realizes that her life has changed forever.

Suddenly Prudence finds herself living in a strange apartment with humans she barely knows. It could take years to train them in the feline courtesies and customs (for example, a cat should always be fed before the humans, and at the same exact time every day) that Sarah understood so well. Prudence clings to the hope that Sarah will come back for her while Laura, a rising young corporate attorney, tries to push away memories of her mother and the tumultuous childhood spent in her mother’s dusty downtown record store. But the secret joys, past hurts, and life-changing moments that make every mother-daughter relationship special will come to the surface. With Prudence’s help Laura will learn that the past, like a mother’s love, never dies.

Poignant, insightful, and laugh-out-loud funny in the ways only a cat can be, Love Saves the Day is a story of hope, healing, and how the love of an animal can make all of us better humans. It’s the story of a mother and daughter divided by the turmoil of bohemian New York, and the opinionated, irrepressible feline who will become the bridge between them. It’s a novel for anyone who’s ever lost a loved one, wondered what their cat was really thinking, or fallen asleep with a purring feline nestled in their arms. Prudence, a cat like no other, is sure to steal your heart.

My Review: This is by far the hardest review I've ever had to write; how do you do a book justice that has so completely touched your soul? In a word it is exquisite. I've spent the last few nights reading until the wee hours, savoring each and every word dreading the moment it would end. Every moment I wasn't reading it I was aching to get back to it, unable to stop thinking about it. I will never forget these characters or this story...it has a forever home on my keeper shelf and in my heart.

Sweet little Prudence has completely stolen my heart. Her voice and the way she sees us crazy humans is exactly how I would imagine a cat's thought process to be. It is obviously how Gwen Cooper knows cats. Some of her observations had me laughing out loud, while others simply broke my heart. The pets left behind when an owner dies don't understand why they've been abandoned, and the way Prudence spent every moment in her new home surrounded by the Sarah-boxes, thinking that if she kept remembering Sarah she would return, fearing that if the scent of her and Sarah together disappeared Sarah would never find her way back...everytime I think about it I get a lump in my throat. Prudence's simple view of love is something we could all learn from; the love only a pet can provide.

Sarah and Laura's relationship teared me up as well, mostly because my own mother is my best friend in the world and I can't imagine not having this extremely important relationship in my life. I kept wondering what could have happened to drive such a wedge between a mother and daughter that had once been so close, knowing only that it had something to do with their neighbors the Mandelbaums and their cat Honey, and when the reason was revealed I was stunned. And to think the event is based on something that really happened is just unthinkable. It made the whole picture so much clearer, and showed that the circumstances surrounding Sarah rescuing Prudence were meant to be. The love and magic of one little brown tabby was meant to change so many lives.

I can pretty much guarantee you will need a box of tissues when you read this book, but you will also be filled with the hope, healing, and love that Prudence, Laura, and Sarah discover and make you want to hold your two and four legged loved ones a little tighter. It is sure to be a classic for anyone who loves a beautifully written story about the relationships that make up our lives, destined to be a cherished re-read because there is so much wisdom about love and life contained in it's pages you will want to absorb them again and again. I can't help thinking what a beautiful movie this would be.

Prudence now has her own special place in my heart right alongside my own beloved pets...she feels that real to me.

Tara adored the book (and Prudence) too!!!

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Back to the Future Giveaway Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Back to the Future Giveaway Hop!

There will be a different book given away at each of the stops. At the bottom of this post are all the sites participating in the book hop. Make sure to visit (and follow) everyone and enter their giveaways :)

So, on to my part in the hop!

I'm giving away four Regency mass market paperbacks...A Regency Christmas Harlequin Historical Anthology, What Happens in London by Julia Quinn, A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas, and Untamed Rogue, Scandalous Mistress by Bronwyn Scott. Simply leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you, and if you choose to follow my blog I'll enter you twice. Good luck and have fun!!!

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Q&A with Mollie Cox Bryan

Today I'm honored to be interviewing Mollie Cox Bryan, author of the Cumberland Creek Mystery series.

Welcome, Mollie, and thank you for joining me today. Can you tell us about your Cumberland Creek Mystery Series...what was the inspiration for the series?

For several years, I was a stay-at-home mom and part-time freelancef after working full time for most of my professional. I got to know a lot of women who were doing the same thing. It’s an isolated way of life at times. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I knew a lot of moms that struggled with depression and so on. At the same time, I found out that there was a woman in my neighborhood who was so addicted to meth that her family was in great danger. I begin each book with the same basic question: how well do we know our neighbors? So that was the spark of the inspiration.

At the same time, when I found out about my neighbor’s horrible meth addiction, a group of scrapbooking women opened their homes and hearts to me. I was hooked on the sharing and the generosity. Unfortunately, we no longer get together because our kids are older and we all are running in different directions.

With the newer books, the inspiration is the same at its core, but now, it feels like I’m visiting old friends when I write about my characters. Their personalities and stories are more the inspiration.

The books are also kind of a wish fulfillment for me that my friends and I could get together every week and scrapbook or eat or do anything. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Are you a scrapbooker?

Yes. Though I don’t have as much time to devote to it now that I’m writing full time. I usually catch up over Holiday breaks.

Can you see yourself in any of your characters?

I think I see parts of myself in each character. But they are each their own women. Heh.

Do you have any advice for an aspiring writer?

A lot of people will go on and on about finding an agent, your platform, and so on. I say find a good teacher and learn your craft. The rest will come when you are ready—and you don’t really want to publish until you are ready. It’s a tough business.

If you could jump into the pages of a book and live in that world, which would it be?

I’d like to live in Three Pines, the fictional Canadian town in Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache books. It’s quiet and artsy, surrounded by woods.

Give us a glimpse into a typical day for you.

I usually get up before my daughters and get some writing in before they need to get up for school. I walk them to the bus stop every day. Depending on which day of the week it is, I head off to the gym for Zumba class or a run. If it’s a Tues. or Wed., I head back home and get busy either writing on my current project or writing blog posts and social media. Usually when my daughters get home, we get a snack or dinner—depending on what they have going on that night. And we are off for evening activities—dance, music, play rehearsals, and so on. And of course, there’s always homework and countless chores around the house. I am never bored.

What's your favorite way to spend a rainy day?

Reading in front of a warm fire with my family around me, including my dog and cat.

What's up next for the Cumberland Scrapbook Crop?

Here’s the blurb for the new book, SCRAPPED.

The ladies of the Cumberland Creek Scrapbook Crop are welcoming an eccentric newbie into their fold. A self-proclaimed witch, Cookie Crandall can whip up a sumptuous vegan meal and rhapsodize about runes and moon phases with equal aplomb. She becomes fast friends with her fellow scrapbookers, including freelance reporter Annie, with whom she shares shallow roots in a community of established family trees. So when Cookie becomes the prime suspect in a series of bizarre murders, the croppers get scrappy and set out to clear her name. Annie starts digging and discovers that the victims each had strange runic patterns carved on their bodies - a piece of evidence that points the police in Cookie's direction. Even her friends begin to doubt her innocence when they find an ornate, spiritual scrapbook that an alleged beginner like Cookie could never have crafted. As Annie and the croppers search for answers, they'll uncover a shockingly wicked side of their once quiet town - and a killer on the prowl for another victim.

Website/blog: Http://www.molliecoxbryan.com

Twitter: @molliecoxbryan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/molliecoxbryanauthor

Email: molliebryan@comcast.net

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The Sunday Post #25

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Netgalley:
  

For Review:
   

Bought/Downloaded:
   
A Deadly Beef (The Classic Diner Mystery Series) by Jessica Beck
A Chili Death ( The Classic Diner Mystery Series) by Jessica Beck
A Killer Cake (The Classic Diner Mystery Series) by Jessica Beck
After the Ashes by Cheryl Howe
The Outer Edge of Heaven by Jaclyn Hawkes
Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond
Gooseberry Patch Circle of Friends Cookbook: 25 Chili Recipes
Past Imperfect by Kathleen Hills
Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark
English Tea Murder by Leslie Meier
Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey
Dog Park by Deena Marie Kaylee

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Scrapped by Mollie Cox Bryan

Blurb: The ladies of the Cumberland Scrapbook Crop are welcoming an eccentric newbie into their fold. A self-proclaimed witch, Cookie Crandall can whip up a sumptuous vegan meal and rhapsodize about runes and moon phases with equal aplomb. She becomes fast friends with her fellow scrapbookers, including freelance reporter Annie, with whom she shares shallow roots in a community of established family trees. So when Cookie becomes the prime suspect in a series of bizarre murders, the croppers get scrappy and set out to clear her name. . .

Annie starts digging and discovers that the victims each had strange runic patterns carved on their bodies--a piece of evidence that points the police in Cookie's direction. Even her friends begin to doubt her innocence when they find an ornate, spiritual scrapbook that an alleged beginner like Cookie could never have crafted. As Annie and the croppers search for answers, they'll uncover a shockingly wicked side of their once quiet town--and a killer on the prowl for another victim. . .

My Review: In the second Cumberland Creek novel from Mollie Cox Bryan, Annie's peaceful new life is disturbed by the violent deaths of two young women from the local Mennonite community. Suspicion falls on the newest member of the Scrapbook Crop, self-proclaimed witch Cookie Crandall, because of the runic patterns carved on the victims' bodies. The ladies stand by their new friend, but doubts arise about her honesty when they discover an elaborate "scrapbook of shadows" that a beginner never could have created.

This is an extremely well-crafted mystery filled with complex women and deep friendships, a quiet town with buried secrets, and witchcraft. I found it interesting how even though Annie is the main character, each of the scrapbookers day to day lives are given equal focus, from Vera's struggles as a single mom and doubts about her new relationship to 81 year old Beatrice's despair that the ghost of her dead husband has abandoned her since she had a fling in Paris. I'd love to have the opportunity to have a bowl of pumpkin soup with these ladies!

I received a copy of this book from the author with the request for a review. Please join me on Monday, January 21, when I'll be interviewing Mollie!

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