Category: Fantasy

Book Tour, Fantasy, Mythology, Partners In Crime, Witches, Women, Young Adult

Circle of Nine: Sacred Treasures & Mercy in the Mist by Valerie Biel

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Virtual Book Tour October 27 – December 31

Sacred Treasures

Description

Brigit Quinn thought uncovering her magical heritage was the biggest shock of her life. But a year after learning she’s descended from a legendary Celtic tribe sworn to guard the mystical power of Ireland’s ancient places, the real battle is just beginning. As she trains for her place in the Circle of Nine, Brigit is determined to protect the secrets and sacred traditions of her people.

But when a cryptic warning arrives—hinting at a shadowy force hunting the Sacred Treasures—everything she’s fought for is suddenly at risk. If the ancient weapons fall into the wrong hands, The Circle could be shattered forever.

Haunted by doubts about her powers, the true intentions of those around her, and disturbing revelations about her family’s past, Brigit must navigate a dangerous path of betrayal, magic, and myth. The enemy is closer than anyone suspects—and time is running out. Can Brigit uncover the truth before darkness claims the Circle?

The first time I summoned a portal, I didn’t understand how I accidentally opened a doorway to another realm. The second time wasn’t a mistake. I was ready—and I stepped through with the grim resolve that my mission must succeed.” —Brigit Quinn

Mercy in the Mist

Description

The danger was supposed to be over.

The sacred treasures are safe.

The enemies banished to the Otherworld.

But Brigit Quinn’s dreams tell a different story.

The condemned return to haunt her sleep—pleading, accusing, refusing to be forgotten. Something is still wrong, even if the rest of the Circle of Nine insists the threat has passed.

When anonymous warnings surface and the police begin asking questions about the missing, Brigit’s visions intensify, blurring the line between dream and prophecy. The Circle is unraveling. Shadows are gathering.

To restore what’s been broken, Brigit knows they must return to the Otherworld and seek answers from the immortal Elders—knowing that to question them is to risk everything.

In this spellbinding fourth installment of the Circle of Nine series, ancient magic, mortal danger, and Brigit’s quest for the truth collide in a journey that will test the bonds of loyalty, love, and the fragile trust between gods and mortals.

My Thoughts

This immersive series is nothing short of spectacular. I kept thinking as I sped through these 4 volumes that this series is a perfect gateway for a young adult reader who is maturing in their reading tastes. I could easily see myself recommending this to a 13 year old then leading them on to The Mists of Avalon.

The characters are likable, endearing, infuriating, treacherous, crafty, and wise. The author does a fantastic job of building the mortal characters true to life – for example, Brigit is as much a teenager in love as she is powerfully magic. There is romance, danger, love, and hate infused in these pages, emotions that often traverse time.

The real glue, though, is the wonderful story of a family pledged to protect the magical history of Ireland. Brigit and the women who came before her are depicted as part of a greater whole, and the relationships between mothers, daughters, grandmothers, and so on are very well done.

The author has built a world that prickles with excitement as the age-old tale of good versus evil, light against dark is told in a new and gripping way. The battle scenes in both these volumes are some of the best I’ve read in a while, and the depiction of the Tuatha gods and their weapons is riveting.

Recommended for teen readers trying out fantasy, and for adult readers who enjoy Irish mythology and fantasy.

Author Bio

Valerie Biel writes award-winning books for middle grade to adult audiences–stories inspired by her travels and her insatiable curiosity. Her young adult fantasy series, Circle of Nine, was inspired by the myth and magic of Ireland’s ancient stone circles. She’s also the author of HAVEN, a contemporary middle grade novel, and BEYOND THE CEMETERY GATE, a mystery suspense story. She’s a founding member of the Blackbird Writers & a member of Sisters in Crime & the Wisconsin Writers Association. When she’s away from the computer, she’s likely wrangling her overgrown garden, reading multiple books per week, or traveling the world–often on trips for the The World Orphan Fund charity she and her husband run. She calls a (tiny) portion of her family’s century-old Wisconsin farm home, but regularly dreams of finding a cozy cottage on the Irish coast where she can write and write.

Catch Up With Valerie Biel:

ValerieBiel.com
Valerie’s Substack Newsletter
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads – @valerie_biel
BookBub – @ValerieBiel
Instagram – @valeriebielauthor
Threads – @valeriebielauthor
X – @ValerieBiel
Facebook – @ValerieBielBooks
YouTube – @ValerieBielAuthor
Pinterest – @ValerieBiel

Author Links:  

Website https://pictbooks.tours/2tg9I

Follow Valerie On Substack https://pictbooks.tours/sUrW8abh

Amazon Author https://pictbooks.tours/MKxdO

Goodreads https://pictbooks.tours/6Wxhi @valerie_biel

BookBub https://pictbooks.tours/9n9Lb @ValerieBiel

Instagram https://pictbooks.tours/FIfun @valeriebielauthor

Threads https://pictbooks.tours/9C3sp @valeriebielauthor

Twitter https://pictbooks.tours/MUefU @ValerieBiel

Facebook https://pictbooks.tours/xopXx @ValerieBielBooks 

YouTube https://pictbooks.tours/9Ah3s @ValerieBielAuthor

Pinterest https://pictbooks.tours/J9keqaHB @valeriebiel

Valerie at BookShop https://pictbooks.tours/vyrRwnYH

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Series Links: Circle of Nine

Series – Amazon https://pictbooks.tours/2TAPy81G

Lost Lake Press https://pictbooks.tours/cy8KYciQ

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CIRCLE OF NINE: BELTANY

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/tg5AGjPn

Kindle Unlimited – https://pictbooks.tours/tg5AGjPn

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/r9EcLX6l

BookShop.org – https://pictbooks.tours/QV77VhnY

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/tuPZPWTg

BookBub – https://pictbooks.tours/BdaX0cBf

Spotify Playlist https://pictbooks.tours/7NBCJQj4

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CIRCLE OF NINE: NOVELLA COLLECTION

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/b4xrn4Mr

Kindle Unlimited – https://pictbooks.tours/b4xrn4Mr

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/4URFpdQh

BookShop.org – https://pictbooks.tours/xX2rwG5W

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/bC7QXLu6

BookBub – https://pictbooks.tours/2yTVscoF

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CIRCLE OF NINE: SACRED TREASURES

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/IRoplUNG

Kindle Unlimited – https://pictbooks.tours/IRoplUNG

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/4TnshxIz

BookShop.org – https://pictbooks.tours/mmXGqSLn

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/JQ5CCdZy

BookBub – https://pictbooks.tours/LizZXaAP

Spotify Playlist https://pictbooks.tours/xEezUUVt

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CIRCLE OF NINE: MERCY IN THE MIST

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/LTWbtAsL

Kindle Unlimited – https://pictbooks.tours/LTWbtAsL

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/vejaoZrd

BookShop.org – https://pictbooks.tours/b8Nxw612

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/zHtMdQa6

BookBub – https://pictbooks.tours/DPeWY9FG

Book Tour, Family, Fantasy, Historical, Mythology, Partners In Crime

Circle of Nine: The Novella Collection by Valerie Biel

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Virtual Book Tour October 27 – December 31

Description

Return to the Celtic magic that began with the suspenseful, award-winning novel Circle of Nine – Beltany.

Descended from a legendary Celtic tribe that guards the secrets of the ancient stone circles, the Quinn women have a great responsibility to protect their pagan rituals and way of life. As members of the formidable Circle of Nine, they celebrate the holidays of the year from Yule to Samhain, keeping the traditions of the Tuatha de Danann alive through the centuries against insurmountable odds. We first met these women in Circle of Nine – Beltany, and now a set of three novellas reveals more of their engaging stories.

In Bressa’s Banishment the power struggle between Father Banan and village healer Bressa Gormley unfolds amidst accusations of treachery, heresy, and murder. Can the Circle protect their trusted healer and the path of the Tuatha against a growing religious fervor?

Dervla’s Destiny brings us to medieval Ireland where the beloved character Dervla Quinn learns of her gifts and fights tremendous loss, betrayal, and violence, all the while never giving up on finding the love she deserves.

In Phoebe’s Mission, when an evil force on a quest for ultimate power threatens the Circle of Nine, Phoebe Quinn must leave Ireland for the first time and travel to the United States to protect their way of life. Along the way, she meets the handsome Macklin Scott, taking her mission, and possibly her future, on a far different course than expected.

My Thoughts

The Novella Collection provides a fascinating backstory for the characters we first met in Beltany. The Quinn heritage, awash in Irish folklore, comes to life through Bressa, Dervla, and Phoebe. The injustice of the historic times in which the women lived will make your blood boil, but the golden thread holding it all together is the heritage and the importance of what the Quinn family guards.

Dervla’s story is especially violent and upsetting, as she comes very close to sexual assault.

The author continues to build the world of the Quinns with beautiful descriptive narrative, engaging characters, and lovely language.

Author Bio

Valerie Biel writes award-winning books for middle grade to adult audiences–stories inspired by her travels and her insatiable curiosity. Her young adult fantasy series, Circle of Nine, was inspired by the myth and magic of Ireland’s ancient stone circles. She’s also the author of HAVEN, a contemporary middle grade novel, and BEYOND THE CEMETERY GATE, a mystery suspense story. She’s a founding member of the Blackbird Writers & a member of Sisters in Crime & the Wisconsin Writers Association. When she’s away from the computer, she’s likely wrangling her overgrown garden, reading multiple books per week, or traveling the world–often on trips for the The World Orphan Fund charity she and her husband run. She calls a (tiny) portion of her family’s century-old Wisconsin farm home, but regularly dreams of finding a cozy cottage on the Irish coast where she can write and write.

Catch Up With Valerie Biel:

ValerieBiel.com
Valerie’s Substack Newsletter
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads – @valerie_biel
BookBub – @ValerieBiel
Instagram – @valeriebielauthor
Threads – @valeriebielauthor
X – @ValerieBiel
Facebook – @ValerieBielBooks
YouTube – @ValerieBielAuthor
Pinterest – @ValerieBiel

Book Tour, Fantasy, Magical, Mythology, Partners In Crime

Beltany by Valerie Biel

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Circle of Nine Series Virtual Book Tour 1 – October 27-December 31

Description


Brigit Quinn has always felt like an outsider. Growing up in a small town where her mom’s pagan practices are the stuff of local gossip, she’s spent her whole life trying to be normal. On her 15th birthday, Brigit makes the same wish she always has—to just fit in. But the universe has other plans.

Instead, Brigit discovers she’s descended from a legendary Celtic tribe—guardians of Ireland’s mystical stone circles. A spellbound book reveals her astonishing family history and the incredible abilities of her ancestors—powers she’ll inherit if she chooses to embrace them.

When an ancient evil resurfaces, threatening her family’s legacy, Brigit is forced to quickly make this impossible decision. Will she accept her magical heritage and fight to protect it? Or reject it to live the “normal” life she’s always wanted?

This thrilling mix of magic, self-discovery, and Irish mythology will captivate fans of coming-of-age stories with a mystical twist. Lovers of ancient legends, enchanted stone circles, and family secrets will be drawn to Brigit’s journey into a world where her true power could be her greatest strength… or her downfall.

My Thoughts

First in a series of four books, Beltany introduces readers to an unusual and appealing clan of magical women. The author skillfully develops the ancient story of the Quinn women through the powerful coming-of-age time of Bridget.

The coming of age of a young woman possessed of powerful magic isn’t new to fans of fantasy and folklore, but Biel does a wonderful job of blending modern teenage life with ancient tradition. Bridget acts like a regular teen while she begins to unravel the mystery of her family. She’s a bit of a brat, but Biel spins a captivating story that shows us how Bridget grows, learns, and matures into her power. Biel writes a compelling narrative about mothers and daughters, which is an added layer to the book.

Beltany is a powerful beginning to an un-put-downable series that will appeal to fans of fantasy, romantasy, and historical fiction with a fantasy bent. The family dynamics here set the stage for the next books in the series, which I devoured over the course of a few days. Watch for those posts later in December.

Author Bio

Valerie Biel writes award-winning books for middle grade to adult audiences–stories inspired by her travels and her insatiable curiosity. Her young adult fantasy series, Circle of Nine, was inspired by the myth and magic of Ireland’s ancient stone circles. She’s also the author of HAVEN, a contemporary middle grade novel, and BEYOND THE CEMETERY GATE, a mystery suspense story. She’s a founding member of the Blackbird Writers & a member of Sisters in Crime & the Wisconsin Writers Association. When she’s away from the computer, she’s likely wrangling her overgrown garden, reading multiple books per week, or traveling the world–often on trips for the The World Orphan Fund charity she and her husband run. She calls a (tiny) portion of her family’s century-old Wisconsin farm home, but regularly dreams of finding a cozy cottage on the Irish coast where she can write and write.

Catch Up With Valerie Biel:

ValerieBiel.com
Valerie’s Substack Newsletter
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads – @valerie_biel
BookBub – @ValerieBiel
Instagram – @valeriebielauthor
Threads – @valeriebielauthor
X – @ValerieBiel
Facebook – @ValerieBielBooks
YouTube – @ValerieBielAuthor
Pinterest – @ValerieBiel

Find CIRCLE OF NINE: BELTANY on Amazon | KindleUnlimited | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

Click here to read an excerpt!

Praise for Circle of Nine: Beltany

“This was a truly beautiful read. Valerie Biel has a captivating, almost lyrical quality to her work that helps the flow and the smoothness of the piece wonderfully. You can just feel the words slide along as you read and it’s a remarkable experience. I enjoyed her storytelling as much as I enjoyed the characters and the plot! Circle of Nine: Beltany is a wonderful blend of present and past, mixed with a healthy dose of Celtic mythology to captivate the brainiacs among us.”
~ FIVE STARS from Readers’ Favorite for CIRCLE OF NINE: BELTANY

British, Cozy, Fantasy, Magical, Mythology

Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Publisher Description

From an absolutely unmissable new voice in cozy fantasy comes Greenteeth, “an extraordinary tale about the most unforgettable heroine:” (Sarah Beth Durst) a charismatic lake-dwelling monster named Jenny Greenteeth with a voice unlike any other. 

Beneath the still surface of a lake lurks a monster with needle sharp teeth. Hungry and ready to pounce.

Jenny Greenteeth has never spoken to a human before, but when a witch is thrown into her lake, something makes Jenny decide she’s worth saving. Temperance doesn’t know why her village has suddenly turned against her, only that it has something to do with the malevolent new pastor.

Though they have nothing in common, these two must band together on a magical quest to defeat the evil that threatens Jenny’s lake and Temperance’s family, as well as the very soul of Britain.

This is a tale of fae, folklore, and found family, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher and Travis Baldree.

My Thoughts

Like many pre-teen kids, I went through a phase where I was fascinated with all things faerie. I devoured books like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia McKillip, The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, and The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. What really tweaked my imagination though was the book Faeries by Brian Froud. It was in that book that I first encountered Jenny Greenteeth.

For some reason, the short section on Jenny and the accompanying illustration have stayed in my mind over the decades, so I was immediately intrigued when I came across this book by Molly O’Neill.

Folklore fans will love this imaginative look at Jenny Greenteeth, one of the many water “monsters” that show up in British folklore. O‘Neill spins a tale about Jenny combined with some Arthurian lore.

O’Neill has successfully humanized the Jenny in this book, making her a friend, a mother, a deadly foe, and (at the end) something much, much more. The narrative description here is wonderful and the author paints vivid pictures of both Jenny’s underwater realm and the realm of man.

My early reading of Fround’s Faeries led me to discover the fact that scholarly study of the little people actually existed, so maybe, just maybe so do they! In fact, as I I read Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde books last year, I imagined Emily as a young Katharine Briggs.

I am so pleased to see a new generation of writers discovering those old tales and spinning them into something completely new. Greenteeth should surely find an audience among fantasy and folklore readers.

★ “Full of magic that is rich, mysterious, and exciting.” – Booklist (Starred review) 

★ “Full of magic, but even more heart.” –Kirkus (Starred review) 

★”A beautiful story of found family among the most disparate of creatures.” –Library Journal (Starred review)

Publication Date: February 25, 2025
Published By: Hachette Book Group
Thanks to the Chili Public Library for the book

Action Adventure, British, Fantasy, Magical, Mystery, paranormal

Piety’s Fury by Sam Ragnarsson

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

A missing girl. A town full of secrets. A past that won’t stay buried.

Some families keep dark secrets. Some families *are* dark secrets.

When a young girl vanishes in rural Northern Ireland, Piety, a newly appointed Queen’s agent, must return to the same orphanage she grew up in to investigate.

Lissy isn’t just any child. She has magic in her blood, a power she doesn’t understand and can’t control. It’s been driving her father to madness. It may even have killed her mother.

As Piety digs deeper, she finds more than a missing girl. A dangerous artefact, steeped in ancient power, was left in Lissy’s bedroom. A warning, a weapon, or perhaps something worse. And Lissy isn’t the first girl to disappear.

The trail leads to a quiet family farm where generations of women protect a dark secret. They all share the same magical gift, and the same tragic history; taken in by their new mother, after their real parents mysteriously died. And now that mother has her eyes set on Lissy.

To uncover the final, terrifying truth hidden in Templepatrick, Piety must untangle decades of disappearances—and confront a past that wants to stay buried.

A chilling and atmospheric urban fantasy set in 1960s Northern Ireland, Piety’s Fury is a tale of magic, mystery, and the cost of uncovering the truth.

My Thoughts

What a wild story! I haven’t read such an un-put-downable adventure in ages, and am now mourning the end because I WANT MORE!

The second in the Agents by Royal Appointment series, Ragnarsson has written one of the best fantasy/adventure stories of the year. The characters leap off the pages with smart-ass dialog and heart-stopping action centered on Lissy, a young girl who is just learning about her gift of magic. The concept here is one I’ve not read often – a family of magical beings keeping their line going by “adopting” children gifted with magic. I suppose it’s a bit similar to Mother Malkin’s “family” in Joseph Delaney’s Last Apprentice series, but this story is just so well-developed it seems wholly original.

The action never stops, and Piety and Fitz are two of the most engaging lead characters out there. As I read, I kept imagining this as a movie or TV series. It would be fantastic!

Fans of witty, fast-paced, action-packed fantasy will slurp this one up.

Highly recommended.

Publication Date: April 20, 2025
Thanks to Book Sirens for the review copy

Fairytales, Family, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Suspense, Teens, Young Adult

The Whisperwood Legacy by Jo Schulte

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Knives Out meets The Hazel Wood in this twisty contemporary fantasy about an amusement park shrouded in dark secrets—and the family desperate to inherit it at any cost. 

Welcome to Whisperwood, a sprawling theme park nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, where thrilling rides and picture-perfect scenery bring cult-classic fairy tales to life. Or at least they did until eighteen months ago, when the family matriarch, Virginia Strauss, suddenly shut Whisperwood’s gates and the beloved park was left to wither away along with the family’s dwindling fortune.
 
For seventeen-year-old Frankie Strauss, Whisperwood’s closure has been a blessing in disguise. After seeing three generations of wealth’s corrupting influence, she is more than ready to shed the Strauss-family’s gilded handcuffs.
 
But when Virginia goes missing, Frankie realizes that her family might be guilty of something much worse than mere dysfunction. With the help of the mysterious and handsome groundskeeper Jem, Frankie sifts through a web of near truths and outright lies, uncovering a reality where nothing is as it seems and fairy tales aren’t just real—they’re deadly. 

My Thoughts

With nods to many, many sources – folkloric, modern film, YA horror – The Whisperwood Legacy turns them all inside out in this fabulous, creepy, dark fairytale. Just when I think I won’t find another author or story to surpass books like The Hazelwood and The Clackity, along comes something new that just blows my mind.

Emerging readers of dark fiction will adore this twisted, anxiety-ridden tale as our protagonists attempt to control a story centuries in the making. Schulte spins a tale that envelops you with sticky little tendrils that just won’t let go until the last little bit of your nerve has been shredded.

This one will be at the top of my October spooky reads list this year.

Highly recommended.

“Atmospheric and delightfully eerie with monstrous fairy tales and toothy secrets.”—CG Drews, New York Times bestselling author of Don’t Let the Forest In

Publication Date: May 27, 2025
Published By: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Family, Fantasy, Magical, Magical Realism, Women

The Moonlight Healers by Elizabeth Becker

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Netgalley Description

A powerful debut with a magical twist about one woman’s discovery of her family’s secret healing abilities and the mysterious consequences she must contend with when she uses them on someone she loves.

For generations, the Winston women have possessed an unspoken magical gift: they can heal with the touch of a hand. It’s a tradition they’ve always had to practice in secret, in the moonlight hours, when the fireflies dance and the whippoorwill birds sing.

But not every healer has rightfully passed on this knowledge to her descendants, and for young Louise Winston, the discovery of her abilities comes in less-than-ideal circumstances—she brings her best friend back from death following an accident, the day after he professed his long-held feelings for her, five days before she’s supposed to move away.

Desperate for answers, and to avoid this new reality between them, Louise escapes to her grandmother’s lush Appalachian orchard. There, she uncovers her family’s hidden history in a tattered journal, stemming back to her brave great-grandmother who illicitly healed Allied soldiers in war-torn France. But just as Louise begins to embrace her unique legacy, she learns that it can also come with a mysterious cost. And with a life hanging in the balance, she’ll be forced to make the most impossible of choices…

Spanning eighty years, The Moonlight Healers is a deeply empathetic, heartfelt novel about mothers and daughters, life and death, and the beautiful resilience of love.

My Thoughts

There are many great stories out there about women’s power and knowledge passed through generations, and I find I gravitate to this concept time and again. In The Moonlight Healers, I found a lovely, tender, and sometimes tragic story about the power of women healers and the joy and heartbreak the gift has had on past and present generations.

The relationships between mothers and daughters is especially poignant and emotional. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about each member of the family, from Agnes to Helene on down to Camille, Bobbie, and Louise. The overarching theme of how, in history, the persecution of women healers forced them to move their activities to nighttime to avoid scrutiny is not only the source of the title, but also a stark reminder of how dangerous it was to be a woman knowledgeable in the healing arts.

There’s some romance included here, but it’s not the core of the story, which is all about mothers and daughters, endings and beginnings. If you’ve keenly felt the loss of a mother, a grandmother, sister, or a mother figure, I recommend a box of kleenex by your side as you approach the ending.

Highly recommended.

Publication Date: February 11, 2025
Published By: Harlequin Trade Publishing Graydon House
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Fantasy, Folktales, Ghosties, Horror, Magical, Mythology, Short Stories, Victorian, World Literature

Christmas Ghost Stories

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

I’ve had a lot going on lately so my reading time has been limited. However, given the season, I thought I’d share a bit about one of my favorite things: Christmas Ghost Stories!

I’ve loved ghost stories since I was a child, and delved into the weird and wonderful Victorian tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmastime during an English class in college. Before the advent of radio and television, storytelling was a true art which thrived in wintertime when people gathered closely around the hearth for warmth during the darkest days. Tales of ghostly apparitions provided rich fodder for talented storytellers who entranced their listeners then scared the pants off them with a well-timed BOO! You can learn more about the tradition from History.com – https://www.history.com/news/christmas-tradition-ghost-stories

Some of my favorites are shown below…

My Favorite

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – the quintessential Christmas ghost story chronicling the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge after a night of facing three ghosts. Storytelling at its best!

For Young Readers

Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford – Spend Christmas in a mysterious house high up on a cliff overlooking the equally mysterious Nagspeake with a colorful cast of characters including the “raw nights” performers.

Fotinoula and the Christmas Goblins by R.G. Fraser-Green – Follow Fotinoula as she works feverishly to save her little sister from the fiendish Kallikantzaroi, the Christmas Goblins.

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper – Young Will finds himself hunted by the mysterious and threatening horseman who threatens to bring chaos into the world. This classic is a must-read for fantasy fans.

Super-Scary Collections

The Mistletoe Bride by Kate Mosse – Mosse is one of the best writers out there today and here she turns her attention to traditional ghost stories from England and France, including the eponymous “Mistletoe Bride,” truly a gruesome and sad tale.

Christmas and Other Horrors: a Winter Solstice Anthology – The long nights in the darkest time of the year call for scary stories from Garth Nix, Alma Katsu, Tananarive Due, and others.

The Scary Book of Christmas Lore: 50 Terrifying Yuletide Tales From Around the World – Bone-chilling global tales of monsters such as the anti-Santa Krampus, the bloodthirsty ogre Gryla, and the Mari Lwyd (touched on in Greenglass House).

The Haunting Season – a shiver-inducing collection of tales from the English countryside.

Winter Spirits : Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights – original ghost stories from current horror writers Catriona Ward, Stuart Turton, Jess Kidd and more.

If you’re looking for something weird and a little twisted, check out these and other holiday ghost collections.

Merry Christmas!
Children's, Fantasy, Magical, Middle Grade, New Releases

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

The day that Christopher saved a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake would change his life forever. It’s the day he learned about the Archipelago—a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures of every kind have thrived for thousands of years, until now. And it’s the day he met Mal—a girl on the run, in desperate need of his help.

Mal and Christopher embark on a wild adventure, racing from island to island, searching for someone who can explain why the magic is fading and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. They consult sphinxes, battle kraken, and negotiate with dragons. But the closer they get to the dark truth of what’s happening, the clearer it becomes: no one else can fix this. If the Archipelago is to be saved, Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.

Katherine Rundell’s story crackles and roars with energy and delight. It is brought vividly to life with more than 60 illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures.

Two kids race to save the world’s last magical place in the first book of a landmark new fantasy series, from “a writer with an utterly distinctive voice and a wild imagination.” (Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass)

“An instant classic from one of the most gifted storytellers of our time, Impossible Creatures is an astonishing miracle of a book.” —Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal Winner for The One and Only Ivan

My Thoughts

This absolutely brilliant fantasy novel for middle graders and up will surely become a favorite for kids just cutting their reading teeth on complex stories. Rundell has built a magnificent world of unicorns, griffins, and other fantastical beasts and crafted an intricate plot that takes the reader on an unforgettable journey.

The prose is accessible enough for young readers, but the plot is layered enough to hold the interest of older readers and adults. Not to mention, Rundell is a very accomplished storyteller. Her use of language is smooth and clever, with sentences that make you want to read them over and over to enjoy the beauty of the language. I found myself reading aloud – to myself – just to hear the cadence of the language.

This will create plenty of young fantasy fans who will easily graduate to Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden. Wonderful stuff. Plus, Rundell also has a non-fiction book coming out about real endangered animals which, taken together, could make an excellent reading experience.

Publication Date: September 10, 2024
Published By: Random House Children’s, Knopf Books for Young Readers
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Author Spotlight, Fantasy, Romance

Author Spotlight – A.N. Horton

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

A. N. Horton is a two-time award-winning author living in Nashville, TN with her husband, children, and moderately chunky Corgi. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, baking more cookies than her family can eat, and plotting crimes against her characters. Best known for crafting characters that steal her readers’ hearts as much as they shatter them, A. N. Horton is a cross-genre writer.

You write a blend of romance and fantasy. Tell us why you’ve chosen to tell the stories you’ve published.

For me, I love a brand new world. I love the idea of creating a universe that is not bound by the physical or natural laws of our own. I love the idea of magic and mystery and the development of cultures and species. My stories tend to cross genre boundaries, bringing romance and mystery into fantasy and sci-fi so you might find yourself reading about falling in love in a new world or engage in political espionage against the gods. I like to let my imagination run wild and challenge the normal tropes. You won’t find too many damsels in distress in my writing, either. One of my biggest motivations is writing heroines who can stand on their own two feet and have intellectual strength as well as spiritual and physical. And, as I always say, I write the story that I would want to read.

Do you have a favorite reference book or website?

I actually have several references I use while writing but the ones I use the most, I would say, are The Emotion Thesaurus by Becca Puglisi and wordhippo.com which is a new website I’ve found that is a thesaurus specifically for writers. It has helped me drastically in saving the time I usually spend staring at my computer trying to think of the right word or scrolling through a traditional thesaurus for the word with the right feeling behind it.

What are your favorite and least favorite things about interacting with your readers?

I always love interacting with my readers. Just hearing that someone took the time to read anything I wrote is such an honor, whether what they have to say is positive or negative. I have mostly had positive interactions with my readers and they are a fantastic community who are very supportive. They’re the type of readers who, once they find a new author they love, they champion that author’s work better than I ever possibly could myself and I am so appreciative of every reader that finds their way to my book. My favorite thing is probably reading the reviews. I love to read what people thought of my book. My least favorite thing is probably how difficult it is to interact. It’s quite hard to pierce the noise of the publishing industry to reach new readers in the first place but then, once I do, I’m limited in how often I can respond due to social media’s restraints meant to identify bots. But I always thoroughly enjoy it when a reader reaches out as I’m always thrilled to hear from them!

Do you have a favorite genre that you read? Why or why not?

I do! It is, unsurprisingly, fantasy. And all types of fantasy. I can swing from an epic, thousand page, fantasy to a light, romantic urban fantasy and enjoy both stories immensely. But, even though fantasy is my favorite, I have very eclectic tastes when it comes to genre and I’m open to pretty much anything. I’ve also got a soft spot for a cheesy rom com every now and then and enjoy historical fiction and mysteries as well. I am obsessed with trying to predict twists before they happen and am always eager to see which authors can fool me as I support them in their work.

For a fiction writer – Are there certain tropes that you are just OVER? Why or why not?

Yes, several. Though I hesitate to mention them because I know I’ll get some backlash for it. I will say that, just because these tropes aren’t for me, doesn’t mean that they won’t be someone else’s all-time favorite and no judgment! I would never yuck someone else’s yum. But for me, accidental pregnancies, third act breakups, and age gap are just not something I enjoy. I don’t necessarily need a happy ending and I’m just tired of vampire/werewolf romances.

Why do you write?

Because I love it. Even when it definitely doesn’t love me back. Writing is hard. We spend years developing worlds, plots, and characters which are then picked apart by editors and reviewers before making it to readers. But, even if just one person reads my story and falls in love with it just as much as I have, it’s all worth it. We suffer for our art but it’s worth it in the end.

Does it matter to you if your readers dislike your characters?

It does. It probably shouldn’t but I pride myself on crafting relatable characters who make my readers feel real emotion. So if I miss the mark on that, I take it quite personally. My stories tend to be more character-driven and I often write in first person because I feel that it gives the reader a better connection to the world and plot. If my narrative character, therefore, ends up as an annoyance, then I’ve failed.

Do you ever write characters based on real people?

Most of my main characters are females who project the strong feminine archetype that I wish I could be. In Seren, we have the thoughtful academic who harbors a brilliance that transcends the physical realm of her world. In Adrian, we have the unwilling rebel who keeps fighting even when very powerful people back her into a corner. And in Nori, from a work-in-progress I hope to reveal soon, we have the nurturing idealist who sacrifices everything to save her people. They are all flawed. They all have their traumatic backstories and emotional wounds which they are slowly healing from. But I would like to think that each of them also serve an ideal that I aspire to. As for my other characters, I will confess that some of the love interests share certain personality traits with my husband. Most notably would be their senses of humor and their resilience. And some of my side characters are based on friends I’ve known and people I’ve met but very loosely. For the most part, they are their own.

How important is historical accuracy in fiction?

I would say I’m far more lenient than most about this but it truly depends on what the book is billing itself as. If it states it’s a story about a spy in World War 2, I would expect that spy to have an extensive knowledge of true and accurate facts regarding WWII since that is what the story is about. However, if the book claims to be a historical romance in or around the regency period, I’m far more lenient because it isn’t about a specific place, person, or event. I read to escape the world so I am happy to suspend belief for the purposes of a sweeping historical romance. I have had readers argue with me, however. I think that if someone is that bothered by historical inaccuracy, they might want to consider nonfiction. Though I do encourage authors to do the proper research while writing, sometimes things are missed. We are not writing this in the 1800s and sometimes mistakes are made.

Do you hide Easter eggs in your narrative?

So many that I wonder if I’m even being subtle anymore. In my original award-winning series, I would foreshadow quite a bit and make early references to characters who would later have their own story. Now, in my fantasy world, I’m planting some new seeds as well and am eagerly awaiting my readers to see if they can spot any connections.

Your Amazon profile mentions two intriguing things: your “moderately chunky corgi” and baking cookies. Will you share a picture of your pup and a favorite cookie recipe?

Of course! For the cookies, I always get rave reviews when I bake these Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Cookies. They are soft and light with a deliciously spiced fall taste. Highly recommended now that fall is rapidly approaching! As for my corgi…her name is Tallulah, though we call her “Tully” and she’s four years old but just as rambunctious as ever. She loves playing with my kids and barking at everything that moves. I say “moderately chunky” because the vet recently put her on a diet and she is definitely not pleased.

Find out more about A.N. Horton here:

Website: www.authoranhorton.com
Links: https://linktr.ee/ANHorton

Horton is currently promoting book one of her Immortal Plane series, All That Falls. She has just finished book two and will be searching for ARC readers in the near future. If you’re interested in being an early reader, sign up for her newsletter at https://authoranhorton.ck.page/deebdc9b8c

If you like:

🖤Dark Romantasy

⚔️Mythical beasts and fae

💪Strong FMC

🥵Brooding Book Boyfriend

✍️Immersive Worldbuilding

Check it out today: https://authoranhorton.com/immortalplane/