A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 20
September 24, 2024
Like some sizzle with your sorcery? Check out my books on Kobo
Love reading? Like #fantasy with fizz and dark #fantasy? Check out my books on Kobo https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/search?query=a+l+butcher https://www.kobo.com/US/en/search?query=a+l+butcher
September 23, 2024
The Spiral of Life – Blog Tour and Giveaway #YA #Fantasy #Mythology
Eilean’s life wasn’t easy andnow she has to save a God – great
The Spiral of Life: An Old GodsStory
Eileanin the Otherworld Book 1
byFrancesca McMahon
Genre:YA Contemporary Fantasy, Mythology
The first lesson Eilean MacAlistairlearned in blacksmithing: First, you harden, and then youtemper.
Otherwise, your metal will break.
Thesame is true with life.
Afew years back, Eilean didn’t temper herself, and she brokesomeone. Badly. Hospital badly.
Herfamily had to flee Scotland because of her, but now they’vereturned, and 17-year-old Eilean’s life feels like a forge with thetemperature rising around her. Mamó is sick, her family is strainingat the seams, and magic is real!
AnOtherworld has been calling to her from beneath Loch Lomond.
Whenshe answers, Eilean discovers a world of blacksmiths in ballgowns,cruel cyclopses, and chronically critical kelpies.
Becauseshe didn’t have enough problems to deal with already.
WillEilean be able to temper herself against everything in this strangenew world, and withstand the weight of her past? Or will she breakonce again?
Findout in the first adventure of Eilean in the Otherworld, The Spiral ofLife, a young adult fantasy inspired by Celtic folklore.
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Francesca McMahon was born inOxford, England, to a Scottish father and an Essex mother. Theygained a B.A. in Creative Writing at Edge Hill University and wasshortlisted for the university’s Dame Janet Suzman PlaywritingAward in 2019. Since graduating, Francesca has worked consistently inpublishing while working on her writing of fantasy, horror andromance fiction, as well as various tabletop RPGs and screenplays. Asa queer person, their work is dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ community,and she hopes that they will all find a home in her imaginary worlds.
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September 22, 2024
Like Reading? Check out my #Fantasy Books on Google Play
My books are available on Google Play – #Fantasy #Horror Short Stories and Poetry
https://play.google.com/store/books/author?id=A.+L.+Butcher&hl=enWhether you like fantasy with fizz, sorcery with sizzle, or mythic-style tales – check them out.
September 19, 2024
Lily of the Valley – Blog Tour #fantasy
A hunted princess. A reclusive woodcutter. A laughing forest.
Lily of the Valley
by Megan Derr
Genre: FantasyRomance
Lily is the first crown princess her kingdom has ever had, and manylook forward to having a queen on the throne someday. Others arevehemently against it, and the anger stirred up by dramatic andsevere changes to certain laws is causing even more turmoil.
Whenthat tension finally explodes, Lily finds herself running for herlife, forced to leave behind everything she knows and plunge blindlyinto the dense, dangerous forest that surrounds the royal palace. Aforest said to be filled with ancient ruins, monsters, and ghosts wholaugh at unwary travelers.
Instead of finding monsters andghosts, Lily is found by a woodcutter, gruff and quiet and clearlynot pleased to be saddled with an uninvited guest who doesn’t evenknow how to fetch water from a well. But Lily has nowhere else to go,and no way of getting home safely, not when there are people stilllooking to remove her head.
If she hopes to live longenough to claim her throne, she must first prove her worth to thewoman who can’t wait to be rid of her.
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Megan is a long-time resident of queer romance and keeps herself busyreading and writing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense.When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass herwife and cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers andcan be found all over the internet.
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September 18, 2024
The Llysygarn Series – Blog Tour #Paranormal #Historical #Crime
There are old tragedies sealed in the stones of Llysygarn and theirshadows don’t let go.
Shadows
Llysygarn Book 1
by Thorne Moore
Genre: ParanormalHistorical Crime
Kate Lawrence can sense the shadow of violent death and it’s a curseshe longs to escape. But, joining her cousin Sylvia and partnerMichael in their mission to restore and revitalise the old mansion ofLlys y Garn, she finds herself in a place thick with the shadows ofpast deaths.
She seeks toface them down but new shadows are rising. Sylvia’s manipulative son,Christian, can destroy everything. Once more, Kate senses that aviolent death has occurred…
A hauntingexploration of the dark side of people and landscape, set in themajestic and magical Welsh countryside.
Long Shadows
Llysygarn Book 2
Llys y Garn is an ancient mansion riddled with mysteries. Whattragedies haunt the abandoned servants’ attics, the derelict greathall, the deep mire in the woods?
1884. The GoodServant. Nelly Skeel is the unloved housekeeper whose only focus ofaffection is her master’s despised nephew.
1662. TheWitch. Elizabeth Powell, in an age of bigotry and superstition, whowould give her soul for the house she loves.
1308. TheDragon Slayer. Angharad ferch Owain, expendable asset in her father’seyes, dreams of wider horizons, and an escape from the seeminglyinevitable fate of all women.
Thornewas born in Luton and graduated from Aberystwyth University (history)and from the Open University (Law). She set up a restaurant with hersister and made miniature furniture for collectors. She lives inPembrokeshire, which forms a background for much of her writing, asdoes Luton.
She writes psychologicalmysteries, or “domestic noir,” exploring the reason forcrimes and their consequences, rather than the details of the crimesthemselves. and her first novel, “A Time For Silence,” waspublished by Honno in 2012, with its prequel, “The Covenant,”published in 2020. “Motherlove” and “The Unravelling”were also published by Honno. “Shadows” is set in an oldmansion in Pembrokeshire and is paired with “Long Shadows,”which explains the history and mysteries of the same old house. Herlatest crime novels, “Fatal Collision” and “Bethulia”are published by Diamond Crime. She’s a member of Crime Cymru.
She has also written theScience Fiction trilogy “Salvage,” including “InsideOut,” “Making Waves” and “By The Book” aswell as a collection of short stories, “Moments of Consequence.”
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Shakespeare’s Conspirator – Historical Fiction – Blog Tour
Did a shunned Jewish woman of color write many of Shakespeare’splays?
A young woman sealsa secret pact with Shakespeare bringing her plays into the world butthe acclaim to him, yet she embeds subtle clues pointing to herauthorship and imperiling her life.
Shakespeare’s Conspirator
The Woman, TheWriter, The Clues
by Steve Weitzenkorn
Genre: HistoricalFiction
Brimming with intrigue, SHAKESPEARE’S CONSPIRATOR shatters beliefsabout the world’s greatest playwright. Did he really write thethirty-seven plays credited to him?
It’s 1587.Shakespeare is struggling to launch his career. Finally he persuadesJames Burbage, a theater owner, to stage Henry VI. He’s the sameproprietor who refused to look at Amelia Bassano’s comedic script.Infuriated after being blocked at every turn, she reluctantly seals asecret pact with Shakespeare.
So begins a fieryrelationship that triggers suspicions, plots to expose them, andgrave dangers.Craving recognition and ways to break through, Ameliapursues illicit relationships with Elizabethan luminaries whilebecoming a controversial advocate for women.
Scandals andcomplications follow as her life takes dreadful turns. WhenShakespeare pressures her to write a soul-tormenting script, shefears being exposed as a hidden Jew, a felony in Elizabethan England.Undeterred, she embeds hints to her authorship and true identity inShakespeare’s plays. But not everyone is deceived.
In this captivatingstory, the web of secrets and trail of clues reveals a perilous andcloaked Shakespearean world.
REVIEWERS HAVE CALLED SHAKESPEARE’SCONSPIRATOR:
“A STUNNINGACHIEVEMENT.”
“A MUST READ ON THETRUE AUTHORSHIP OF SOME OF SHAKESPEARE’S GREATEST WORK.”
“AN HISTORICALWHO-WROTE-IT,” “ENTHRALLING,” “LOVINGLY RESEARCHED.“
“A TRIBUTE TO ASTRONG AND CREATIVE JEWISH WOMAN.”
I write historical fiction that challenges assumptions and providesfresh insights into the events of prior centuries, legendary figures,and people overlooked in the sweep of time. My first novel,Shakespeare’s Conspirator, has been optioned by acelebrity-owned production company in LA. It imagines the life ofEmilia Bassano Lanyer, a real woman who may have written severalplays attributed to Shakespeare. I’ve also written a prequel andsequel that delves in to the Shakespeare authorship mystery. With anyluck, all may be coming to a screen near you.
My writing journeybegan as I was winding down my career as an organizational behaviorconsultant and co-authored a book on teamwork and leadership. As anavid reader, I became intrigued by curious fact patterns inconsistentwith commonly-held beliefs, that I, like many others, assumed weretrue. When I realized the logic of those assumptions did not alwayshold up to close scrutiny, and experts had dug trenches around theirown theories, I launched into my own research. Fascinating storiesemerged and my imagination took over.
Since most peopledon’t read academic material, I reasoned that a compelling way toconvey the evidence and challenge beliefs was to depict real andfictional characters dropping the bread crumbs, or following them, inreality-based historical fiction. In my novels, characters uncoverand discuss clues through intriguing plots that track with historicalchronologies—allowing readers to form their own conclusions.
My most recentpublished novel delves into the Spanish Inquisition, the trauma itcreated, and the life-changing decisions it triggered. Two otherhistorical novels are in the pipeline. In one, the protagonistdiscovers her family’s hidden past while alternate chapters trackher ancestor’s journey over hundreds of years.
I have alsoco-authored two non-fiction books: The Catalyst Effect: 12Skills to Boost Your Impact and Elevate Team Performance andFind-Fulfill-Flourish aboutdiscovering one’s purpose.
Ihave a dry sense of humor along with a Ph.D. in Human Learning andOrganizational Behavior. I’ve been honored with the William C.Byham Award for Innovation and Excellence in Training Technology andthe Henkel Award for Global HR Excellence. I have served on theboards of nonprofit organizations and as president of two. I enjoymentoring, teaching, presenting, volunteering, and learning in anyway possible.
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September 17, 2024
The Little Helliad – Blog Tour #Fantasy #HistoricalFantasy #HeroesInHell
In this first-ever full-length Heroes in Hell novel by Janet andChris Morris, Homer, the famous poet of ancient Greece who wrote TheIliad, receives a travel pass to tour Hell on specialassignment from Satan.
The Little Helliad
A Heroes in HellNovel
by Janet & ChrisMorris
Genre: Dark Fantasy
In the ninth installment of the acclaimed Heroes inHell series, The Little Helliad takesreaders on a journey through the underworld like never before. Homer,the legendary ancient Greek poet, finds himself in Hell, tasked bythe Devil himself to chronicle the epic tales of the damned. Drawinginspiration from the lesser-known vignettes of the Iliad, this novelweaves a tapestry of myth, history, and fantasy.
As Homernavigates the treacherous landscapes of Hell, he encounters a host ofunforgettable characters, each with their own stories of heroism,betrayal, and redemption. With the unique perspective of the Morrisduo, this book offers a fresh and compelling take on the classictales of the Iliad, reimagined in the fiery depths of the afterlife.
The LittleHelliad is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy andmythological retellings, blending rich storytelling with the darkallure of the underworld. Join Homer on his odyssey through Hell anddiscover the timeless tales that continue to captivate readers acrossthe ages.
**OnSale for Only $2.99 this month!**
Bestselling author JanetMorrisbegan writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels,many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. Most of herfiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres,although she has also written historical and other novels. Morris haswritten, contributed to, or edited several book-length works ofnon-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons,developmental military technology and other defense and nationalsecurity topics.
ChristopherCrosby Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction andnon-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, andsinger-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is adefense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris, butoccasionally uses pseudonyms.
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What is the Secret of Blossom Rise?
When a young nurse takes a job at an old military hospital she finds the answers to an old family question – what is the secret of Blossom Rise Hospital? Who is the long-dead man who walks the grounds?
#Ebook #Audiobook #Paranormal #Ghoststory
September 16, 2024
The Three Investigators Series – Blog Tour
The Three Investigators series are a wonderful and wholesome mix ofadventure, mystery, comedy, and critical thinking/detection. Theyenthralled several generations of readers worldwide – and in thesenew 60th-anniversary editions, they are again ready to take onthe world!
The Secret of Terror Castle
The ThreeInvestigators Book 1
by Robert Arthur
Genre: Middle Grade Mysteries with a Supernatural hook
In the first adventure of Robert Arthur’s classic mystery series,it’s 1964 in the town of Rocky Beach, California. Working out oftheir newly established Headquarters – an old trailer hidden behindcarefully arranged junk in the Jones Salvage Yard – and drivenaround southern California in a gold-plated vintage Rolls Roycethey’ve won the use of in a contest, Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw,and Bob Andrews decide to get publicity for their fledgling detectivefirm by finding a real haunted house for the renowned film directorReginald Clarke.
But although the highly rational Jupiterstarts with the belief that there is no such thing as a ghost, aspook, a phantom, or a spirit, Terror Castle – the old mansionsupposedly troubled by the ghost of the late Stephen Terrill, thesilent horror film star called the Man with a Million Faces – mayprove him wrong!
By turns exciting, spine-tingling, andhumorous, The Secret of Terror Castle promises to please not only theexisting fan base of The Three Investigators series but a whole newgeneration of readers who will find in its pages three very differentboys whose imagination, courage, and intelligence can remind us thatcuriosity, perseverance, and rational inquiry are just as vital asfriendship and cooperation.
At the end of each ThreeInvestigators book published by Hollow Tree Press are notes writtenby Robert Arthur’s daughter and son-in-law, exploring three subjectsconnected to the story – in this case, Silent Movies, SalvageYards, and Rolls Royces – and young readers may want to use thenotes as guidelines for further investigation. After all, the mottoof The Three Investigators is “We Investigate Anything,”and their trademark is “???” – three question marks, takentogether.
On the 60th anniversary of the creation of TheThree Investigators series, the first-ever English-language e-bookeditions of Robert Arthur’s novels, as well as the first newEnglish-language print editions in over twenty-five years, standready to delight a whole new audience. Be sure to seek out all tentitles!
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The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot
The ThreeInvestigators Book 2
In the second adventure of Robert Arthur’s classic mystery series,Jupiter, Pete and Bob are in search of a missing parrot. The casesoon gets complicated as they discover that not one but six talkingparrots and a mynah bird have disappeared.
With the helpof their new friend Carlos, the Three Investigators figure out thateach of the birds has been taught to recite part of a complex puzzle,that, when taken together, could lead the boys to a great painting.But as their search takes them to a spooky graveyard, they’re not theonly ones hot on the trail!
By turns puzzling, compelling,and absorbing, The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot promises toplease not only the existing fan base of The Three Investigatorsseries but a whole new generation of readers who will find in itspages three very different boys whose imagination, courage, andintelligence can remind us that curiosity, perseverance, and rationalinquiry are just as vital as friendship and cooperation.
Atthe end of each Three Investigators book published by Hollow TreePress are notes written by Robert Arthur’s daughter and son-in-law,exploring three subjects connected to the story – in this case,Puzzles and Word Games, Parrots, and Sherlock Holmes – and youngreaders may want to use these notes as guidelines for furtherinvestigation. After all, the motto of The Three Investigators is “WeInvestigate Anything,” and their trademark is “???” – threequestion marks, taken together.
On the 60th anniversary ofthe creation of The Three Investigators series, the first-everEnglish-language e-book editions of Robert Arthur’s novels, as wellas the first new English-language print editions in over twenty-fiveyears, stand ready to delight a whole new audience. Be sure to seekout all ten titles!
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**Don’t miss the rest of the series!**
ROBERTARTHUR is best known as the creator of THE THREE INVESTIGATORS, theclassic mystery series for young readers, for which he wrote thefirst ten books before his untimely death in 1969. Bythe time the last English-language-original book was published in thelate 1980s, there were forty-three titles, some of which had beentranslated into over twenty languages.
Young readers in the U.S., Canada,Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, Denmark, Italy,Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, and Slovakia, as well as in France,Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and throughout theSpanish-speaking world grew up on the books, and many credit theirlifetime love of reading to having discovered the story of threeyoung American boys who form a detective agency.
Robert Arthur got the idea for the serieswhile working in Hollywood as a story editor, showrunner, andscriptwriter for Alfred Hitchcock’s TV show, AlfredHitchcock Presents. In 1963, heleft Hollywood and moved to Cape May, New Jersey, where, in abrown-shingled house two blocks from the Atlantic Ocean, he createdThe Three Investigators. TheSecret of Terror Castle and TheMystery of the Stuttering Parrot werepublished in 1964 by Random House. The series’ original title wasALFRED HITCHCOCK AND THE THREE INVESTIGATORS.
The bookshave supernatural hooks — haunted houses, whispering mummies,gnomes, ghosts riding carousels, screaming clocks, talking skulls —that turn out, after closer examination, to have rationalexplanations.
From his memories of his years in southernCalifornia, Arthur created the small fictional town of RockyBeach, not far from Hollywood. His disbelief and dismay at the wayold houses were being torn down and their contents junked resulted inhis placing The Three Investigators Headquarters in a salvage yard,where all sorts of goods have been reclaimed and are for sale. Hebased his head investigator, Jupiter Jones, on his idea of a youngAmerican Sherlock Holmes, and the boy who keeps records and doesresearch — Bob Andrews — he based on himself (they have thesame initials!)
The books are a wonderful and wholesome mixof adventure, mystery, comedy, and critical thinking/detection. Theyenthralled several generations of readers worldwide – and in thisnew 60th-anniversary edition, they are again ready to take onthe world.
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Kingdom of Air and Duty – Blog Tour
Prepare to be swept away by an epic tale of two beings who shouldnever have met.
A Kingdom of Air and Duty
Portals of Scienceand Magic Book 1
by Liz Cain
Genre: Urban FantasyAdventure Romance
Ascientist’s assistant. A portal to a new world. A strange male shenever should have met.
Venture into the unknown withRebecca, the brilliant assistant to renowned physicist HowardBristol, as they open a portal to the fae realm. When the portalexplodes and leaves behind a mystery creature, Rebecca must shelterthis unusual being, known as Kaval.
In a race againsttime, Kaval and Rebecca desperately seek a way to send him backbefore he attracts dangerous attention. As a malevolent presencehunts the newcomer, threatening their every move, Rebecca findsherself entangled in a battle not only against their adversaries butalso against the irresistible pull of this enigmatic stranger.Journey through a spellbinding urban fantasy where the lines betweenscience and magic blur, and the power of friendship and love becomethe ultimate weapons against the encroaching darkness.
Prepareto be swept away by an epic tale of two beings who should never havemet.
LizCain is an urban fantasy writer and NHS frontline staff. She was bornin East Yorkshire in the UK and grew up near the sea with her parentsand two sisters. She moved to the midlands, which was much too farsouth for her, graduating from Leicester University with a degree inPhysics and going on to complete an MSc in Medical and RadiationPhysics. She has worked in the NHS since 2008 as a Nuclear MedicineClinical Scientist, helping with cancer treatment and diagnosis.
She has traveled at every opportunity from Thailand and Australiato touring national parks in North America. Liz has done lots ofcrazy things for charity, including skydiving, running, swimming, andeven cutting off her hair. While out on adventures she finds herselfweaving intricate tales in her head which one day she had to writedown.
Liz has loved reading her whole life, growing up with AnneMcCaffrey, Mary Stewart, and Terry Goodkind. Becoming an authorhappened by chance when she jumped at the opportunity to help afriend tell a story that deserved to be told. It inspired her tofollow her lifelong dream and now she has published books with hercoauthor Anne K. Whelan in the fantasy romance and paranormal romancegenre, finally taking that last step and publishing by herself in2023.
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