Happy Release Day! Author Guest Post & Giveaway w/N.J. Walters; A Touch of Magick

It's Tuesday so that means another great book is hitting the eShelves! And just in time for Halloween festivities, I have a magical book by the extremely nice author, N.J.Walters, who is welcoming the newest edition to her published bookshelf, A Touch of Magick. I don't know about you, but I've had my eyes on this book since Samhain first told us it was coming. Therefore, I'm happy to have N.J. here on the blog with us today, to tell us all about her newest release!

Please help me welcome Ms. N.J. Walters to the blog!

Magick in the Air!

By

N. J. Walters 

Magick. The word alone evokes images of wizards and witches, of quests and thick, dusty books filled with spells. Webster's Dictionary defines it as 1: The use of means (spells and charms) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces. 2: an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural force.

There are varying definitions, but you get the idea. It's something beyond the ordinary. A power. A gift. A curse. Is there any wonder that writers have used it as fodder for inspiration since the beginning of time.

Children's writers use magick to amaze us and open us up to a sense of wonder and possibility. Sometimes they use it in a funny way to make children aware of social customs and differences. I remember a series I read as a child called The Witch Next Door. As the title implies it is about a witch who moves in next door to a regular family. I honesty don't remember much about it except I enjoyed it. (Hey, it was 40 years ago…) And it pointed out the fact that different isn't necessarily bad.

Disney has used magick in its movies since Fantasia was released in the 1940's and we watched Mickey Mouse as the bumbling Sorcerer's Apprentice. You had the wicked witch in Sleeping Beauty and the fairy godmother in Cinderella. These movies still evoke a sense of wonder and joy in children.

Magick and the occult has made its way into adult fiction as well. The dark side of magick always seem to appeal to us. We want to know what is lurking in the dark. We are tempted by the promise of power from a source within and outside ourselves. Some authors have made a career at penning such frightening tales. But there is a light side to magick as well. Beloved television shows like Bewitched and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are fan favorites.

There is no wonder that romance authors have taken magick and made it their own. There is no limit to what you can do with magick. There have been books that have delved into the dark depths of our souls and frightened us with the depravity of the villains. (Thankfully in romance there is always a happily ever after.) There are light tales of fun and romance where things go awry and make the reader laugh.

That's what I wanted to do with the first book in my Spells, Secrets and Seductions series from Samhain Publishing. A Touch of Magick is about inept witch, Rhiannon Sparks, who can't seem to unlock the power within her, which is particularly upsetting because she comes from a long line of witches. During an evening of good food and wine, she finally confesses to her two best friends that she is a witch. While they're uncertain about what that really means, they are willing to participate in a simple candle magick spell that is designed to bring them a lover. Instead, Rhiannon asks for a love that is true and that sets off a whole set of problems when she meets Deputy Ryland Stone, a man who doesn't believe in anything he can't see with his own two eyes.

The sparks ignite between the two of them from the first moment they meet. Rhiannon's magick flares out of control during a date, which leads to some fun, and potentially humiliating moments for her. But will Ryland be able to help her unlock the magick within her? And what will happen if he does?

~*~Book Blurb~*~

Rhiannon Sparks admits she's not a very good witch--she can't even light a candle without a match--but she keeps trying. At least her talent for business has made her magick shop a huge success. Now if only there was even the faintest flicker in her nonexistent love life.

During a night of eating and drinking, she and her girlfriends cast a candle-magick spell for hot sex. All in good fun, of course. Except Rhiannon accidentally mixes up the words. Instead of a lover, she asks for true love.

Deputy Ryland Stone's past keeps him firmly rooted in reality. Then he meets Rhiannon and sparks literally fly. One date leads to another, and then they're practically setting the bedroom on fire…until she reveals the deal breaker.

Though love and magick have found Rhiannon at last, getting a handle on her newly unleashed power is the least of her problems. Unless Ryland accepts that magick exists, he will never accept her for who and what she is.

N.J. has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks--all vie for her attention. It's a tough life, but someone's got to live it.

Check out all my books at http://www.njwalters.com

http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/ (newsletter group)

A Touch of Magick is available from Samhain Publishing.

What are some of your favorite books with a touch of magick in them?

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Giveaway:

• Enter to win a GC from MBaM to cover the cost of "A Touch of Magick".

• Answer Ms. Walter's question and leave your email addy.

• Contest will end Saturday, October 30.

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Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!