KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
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HIDDEN MAGIC
Magic Underground Anthologies Book #1
BY DEVORAH FOX ETAL
Blurb
No matter the world, life can be dangerous. Be they wizards and shamans, assassins, or everyday people, Hidden Magic tells their stories about escape, consequences, and most of all, magic. From Earth cities and fantastical new worlds comes twenty-three stories where heroes grapple with the seen and unseen in order to save themselves, their families, and often the world. This collection features:
- Elderly antiques experts interacting with souls
- Shamans growing outlawed magic
- Baby chimeras battling for their lives
- Children sprouting fluffy tails
- A perfect life coming at a not-so-perfect cost
- Vikings defending a village against the unseen
- A lone shifter atoning for his past mistakes
- Trolls and pixies tumbling through the doorway to another world
- And from Devorah’s story in “Hidden Magic”, “The Mouth of the Dragon, Rumors,” King Bewiliam’s ship is thrown off course.
Contributing authors:
- USA Today Bestseller, Joynell Schultz
- C. Ireland
- USA Today Bestseller, Melinda Kucsera
- Seattle Times regional bestseller & multi-international award winner, Raven Oak
- Tiffany Shand
- Alesha Escobar
- USA Today Bestseller, Lee French & Erik Kort
- B. Lyne
- Anela Deen
- Majanka Verstraete
- Krista Ames
- K. Rieke
- Leah W. Van Dinther
- S. Johnson
- Barbara Letson
- Kiesha Thomas
- Toasha Jiordano
- Gwendolyn Woodschild
- M. Jones
- Stephen Wallace
- International Bestseller, AR Johnston
- William C. Cronk and
- Devorah Fox
HIDDEN MAGIC
Magic Underground Anthologies Book #1
THE MOUTH OF THE DRAGON, RUMORS
BY DEVORAH FOX
Excerpt
The distance closed between the ship and the target and the king identified a single person in boat without sails. Not a woman, unless she somehow managed to grow a long white beard. A wine-colored robe cinched with a braided belt covered the lone sailor from neck to ankles and a wide-brimmed peaked hat shaded the wrinkled face of an elderly man.
“You are in need of help?” Sir Alan called.
“I am, good sir. I would be ever so grateful,” came the hoarse reply.
Crew members lowered a rope ladder, scrambled down, grabbed the boat’s lines, and secured them to The Fancy. The boat’s passenger struggled to climb the ladder. He was so feeble he needed to be lifted aboard. “Thank you.” The man’s gaze swept the assembled crew. “You saved my life and for that, I am in your debt.” He bowed to each one. When his eyes fell on the king, he dropped to one knee. “Your Majesty.”
“King Bewilliam. Of the Chalklands,” Sir Albert told the stranger.
“And the Palisades,” Sir Maxwell added.
“Rise, good sir,” the king said.
“I … I cannot.” The man caved in on himself and appeared about to plant his face on the deck. Sir Albert and Sir Alan each put a hand under the man’s armpits and raised him.
“He’s probably parched,” said Dame Deidre. “Hungry, too.”
“Take him to the mess. Give him food and drink,” the king commanded. “And put us back on our original course.”
His knights half carried the man to the grimy lower midships. Hunched over the table, the strange man sucked on a ship’s biscuit and gulped some watered wine.
“Slowly now, good sir,” said Dame Deidre. “Take it easy.”
Nourishment revived the man such that he could straighten his torso. “Again, I thank you for your kindness,” he said, his voice gruff.
“How came you to be in such dire circumstances?” Sir Albert asked. “So far from land, alone, in such a small boat?”
The man drank more. “Yes, I owe you an explanation. I am Ofan. I am a wizard.”
A wizard. King Bewilliam’s throat tightened and his belly cramped. Magic. He did not like magic. Like many rulers, he had seers and soothsayers at court and consulted them but never found their pronouncements to be of much help. Facts, figures, the testimony of witnesses, the opinions of experts, those were valuable aids in decision-making. Now here he was, on a ship in the middle of the ocean, with a magician.
About Author Devorah Fox…“What if?” Those two words all too easily send Devorah Fox spinning into flights of fancy. A multi-genre author, she has written a best-selling epic fantasy series, an acclaimed mystery, a popular thriller, and co-authored a contemporary thriller with Jed Donellie. She contributed short stories to a variety of anthologies and has several Mystery and Fantasy Short Reads to her name. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she now lives on the Texas Gulf Coast with rescued tabby cats … and a dragon named Inky.
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Links to Devorah‘s Website, blog, books, etc.
HIDDEN MAGIC Pre-Order: https://amzn.to/2TD7UTt
“Dee-Scoveries” blog at http://devorahfox.com.
Free e-mail newsletter, http://eepurl.com/LrZGX
FMI on Hidden Magic trilogy: https://magicalmayhempress.com
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**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Hidden Magic is on Pre-order (only $.99!!!) until March 10. Devorah is giving away one (1) print copy (U.S. Only) of “The Redoubt, Book Four of The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam”, after which Devorah’s story picks up in Hidden Magic, to one lucky reader of her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Happy Reading!!
Thanks, Devorah, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
I love anthology books, especially ones with magic! I’m pre-ordering this right now. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much. This collection runs the gamut of fantasy fiction genres so you’re sure to find something you like.
This book does sound like a fun read! Thank you for sharing the excerpt.
I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.
The book sounds wonderful, and Devorah’s an excellent writer!
Ah, Sarah, you made my day. My week! Some seriously talented writers contributed to this collection.
interesting blurb
Oh, thank you. A good blurb is as hard to write as an entire novel!
Good morning, Devorah, and welcome back to Karen’s Killer Book Bench. I’ve got my copy! Cannot wait to dig into the stories. Love anthologies, especially if they’re magical. Thanks so much for sharing your book with us today!
There are all kinds of magic in this collection. It was an especially challenging project for me because King Bewilliam is a skeptic and does not like magic.
Anthologies are one of the ways I find new to me authors and this one sounds fabulous! Thanks, Karen and Devorah!
You should find this a goldmine. Lots of awesome writers contributed to this collection.
Hi Devorah,
I’m currently reading a Sherlock Holmes Anthology and am enjoying it. Your anthology sounds very interesting. I love magic!
You will find all kinds of magic in this collection. Enjoy!
This book sound like a fun read! Thank you for sharing the excerpt.
With so many stories about so many types of magic, you’re sure to find something that you enjoy.
Thank you. Enjoy the collection!