Hey, everyone! Happy October! I'm excited for this month to kick off with the start of my virtual book tour. October is my absolute favorite month of the year, and I'm excited to share the experience with you all. In addition to my virtual book tour, I'll also be a part of two separate events with two separate giveaways for Amazon gift cards, but more on that later (I'll make a post on that soon). For now, here's the info for my book tour, including the giveaway items, excerpts from my book, and a video containing an exclusive code to get 10% off the etsy beauty shop @TheHouseonWhiteOak.
Monday, October 4, 2021
Now On Tour Smoke and Mirrors: A Vampire Romance by Elise Nelson #PNR #ExclusiveExcerpt
October 4 A Bewitching Guide to Halloween (Guest Blog)
https://www.abewitchingguidetohalloween.com/
October 5 Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
http://mommasaystoreadornottoread.blogspot.com/
October 6 Roxanne Rhoads FB
https://www.facebook.com/RoxanneRhoadsAuthor/
October 7 Fang-tastic Books FB
https://www.facebook.com/FangtasticBooks/
October 8 The Book Junkie Reads (Interview)
https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blogspot.com/
October 11 Supernatural Central (Interview)
http://supernaturalcentral.blogspot.com
October 12 Lisa’s World of Books
http://www.lisasworldofbooks.net/
October 13 Bewitching Book Tours
https://bewitchingbooktours.tumblr.com/
October 15 Booklikes
http://roxannerhoads.booklikes.com/
October 18 Fang-tastic Books
http://fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
October 18 Midnight Musings with Bertena
https://midnightmusingswithbertena.blogspot.com/
October 19 Paranormalists (Interview)
https://paranormalists.blogspot.com/
October 20 Roxanne’s Realm
http://www.roxannerhoads.com/
October 21 The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom (Guest Blog)
http://creativelygreen.blogspot.com/
October 22 Jazzy Book Reviews
http://bookreviewsbyjasmine.blogspot.com/
October 25 Sapphyria's Books
https://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/
October 25 BookLover Sue
https://booklover-sue.blogspot.com/
October 26 Roxanne Rhoads Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/roxannerhoads/
October 27 The Pimpettes FB
https://www.facebook.com/bookpimpettes/
October 28 JB's Bookworms with Brandy Mulder(Interview)
https://jbbookworms.blogspot.com
October 29 Bewitching Book Tours FB
https://www.facebook.com/BewitchingBookTours/
October 29 I Smell Sheep (Review)
http://www.ismellsheep.com/
November 1 Westveil Publishing
https://www.westveilpublishing.com
Giveaway Items:
Vampire gift box from Etsy shop @TheHouseonWhiteOak. Box includes body scrub, face mask, and two bat-shaped bars of goat milk soap.
Body scrub from the Etsy shop @TheHouseonWhiteOak.
Two copies of Smoke and Mirrors: A Vampire Romance. Winners will also get a copy of this book if they win the above @TheHouseonWhiteOak
Book Tour Video With Exclusive 15% Off Code for Etsy Shop @TheHouseonWhiteOak
Bewitching Exclusive Excerpt:
A few days went by, but I couldn’t peel the image of that creature from my mind. I couldn’t shake the nightmare, or the hallucination, if that was truly what it was. I still couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t seen it in years. Maybe it was like it was when I was a child—maybe it was a manifestation of my inner distress.
It was probably because I was worried about this new assignment. Everyone was getting all worked up for nothing—out of some blind hysteria. A mass belief in a curse borne from one horrific incident no one wanted to talk about.
My whole life had been riddled with superstition and fear. I was absolutely sick of it. I would face the fears I’d lived with my entire life, as well as the fears of this city, and I’d prove to everyone that there were no such thing as monsters or curses.
I went home at the end of another busy day to find Mr. Clarke sitting at the front desk, drumming his fingers on something in front of him. He watched me walk in with a look of deep unease. That same queasy feeling snaked through me, a contagious sensation around here. I feigned a smile and nodded in greeting. “Good evening, Mr. Clarke.”
“Caroline, you have something here,” he said quietly.
“What is it?” I asked, my voice catching slightly on my throat. He sighed, picked up the envelope, and made his way over to me. My eyes immediately fell on the letter. It undoubtedly had my name on it. When he handed it to me, I flipped it over and saw the crest of Ashdown Manor, along with the name of the family. The color drained from my face.
I looked up at Mr. Clarke, trying to find the words to say. When they failed to come, he spoke up instead. “Are you really going to do this?”
The grandfather clock in the lobby thumped even louder than usual, filling the space between us. I swallowed, then nodded. “Yes,” I said quietly, “I am.” He nodded in return, a sort of resigned nod, and then walked into the dining area.
Unsure of whether or not he wanted me to follow him, my feet stayed planted in place. I wasn’t sure if I could move right now anyway. My body felt like ice, though it had never really felt the same since that day I passed out at work.
The man shuffled back into the room, holding what looked like a frayed, cream-colored cloth. It was rolled up tightly, and the way he handled it made me feel that there was something inside. He held it out for me to take, so I grabbed it carefully. Something was indeed inside. When I unraveled it, my hands froze. It was a knife.
I looked up at him, fear and confusion clear in my eyes. He puffed out a breath and said, “Take that with you to the castle. It might prove useful to you.” My hand stayed frozen in place, fingers out and palm upright, as if afraid to fully grab hold of the blade. What would it mean if I accepted it? What would it mean if my fingers curled around the handle and I tucked it into my purse?
Mr. Clarke continued, “You may need protection. You don’t need to say anything, but please take it with you.” Neither one of us moved for about two minutes after that, judging by the crescendoing thunks of the clock.
Then, finally, he shuffled away, and for some reason, tears burned against my skin. I closed my hand around the knife, tucked it back inside the cloth, and shoved it in my bag. I grabbed hold of the letter, which had been tucked under my arm, and walked up to my room.
After closing the door, I let myself fall against it, my back sliding down the wood until my bottom reached the floor. I looked at my name on the front of the envelope. So flawlessly written, with swirling curves and thick black lines. I flipped it over and examined the seal—the crest: two ravens and a lion, vines looping around the exterior, outlining the curious animal depictions.
The ravens were floating atop the lion, the feline’s paws reaching heavenward, its gaping mouth snarled open. The odd thing about it, though, was that the ravens didn’t look like they were afraid of the lion. They looked like they were commanding it, smiling over the lion’s vain attempt at attacking them. What a strange crest, I thought, mesmerized by its peculiar design.
I reluctantly took the knife Mr. Clarke had given me and broke the seal, cutting the envelope open and releasing the contents inside. A crisp, bone-colored piece of parchment fell into my lap.
I picked it up and read it:
Brakerton Heights September 16, 1885
Miss Caroline Blake,
We are pleased to inform you that your application has been received and accepted. Please report to the front gates of Ashdown Manor at 9 am sharp on Friday, September 18th. Your stay with us will be for a period of six weeks, in which you will accompany a member of the house as we make preparations for the newly re-introduced Ashdown Family Harvest Festival.
We look forward to making your acquaintance.
Sincerely,
William Ashdown
Ashdown Family Manor
September 18th. That was only two days away.
I could hardly believe it. I applied for the job, and I wanted it, but a part of me thought I’d get rejected. What was I to do now? I looked out the window as if the dreary weather would offer me my solution. What could I do other than wait until the morning for my fate to arrive? Whatever fate that might be.
You can purchase your copy on Amazon or on this site in the shop. Use code "FALL2021" for 20% off.