Facing Family Life Head-On • Guest Post by Author Juli D. Revezzo

When You Have to Face Your Family History Head-On

by Juli D. Revezzo

Family life, huh? It can be a pain, and a joy. Sometimes, it’s a mystery. In the Antique Magic series, Caitlin has taken a long path to get where she and her husband are, starting out bombarded by the horrors of home ownership, dealing with things of a the paranormal kind that you and I (probably) never will face, she’s seen a lot of its different faces from imps, to ghosts, to (egads!l) dragons.  Now fully settled into such a life, little bumps in the night are mere annoyances. Her biggest obstacle is navigating her small business, her college degree, making her next coven meeting on time, and *gasp*  family life.

This final item has been the largest question looming over Caitlin’s head all these years. How did she and her family get sucked into all this paranormal nonsense?

I knew I’d have to answer that question soon, so wanted to tackle it in this: Witch’s Wood, the new, seventh book in the series. To do so, I went back to something I’ve loved for years: The addition of an antique, magical map and set of knitting needles seemed the perfect catalyst. A map—because I am a sucker for old maps—and knitting needles, because did you know knitting is one of the oldest “domestic” crafts in the world? The dates are disputed, but I found a reference for something called nalbinding that’s similar to knitting as early as the 200s BCE. Map making is even older. The first map was set down perhaps as far back as 6000 BCE (one source I found said 25,000 BCE!)

 The answer? Something Cait and Trevor never could’ve dreamed when they were baby witches. 😉 Something that may give them the peace and answer to their family mystery, once and for all—or unravel everything they’ve worked for.

Synopsis:

Caitlin and Trevor inherit a set of enchanted knitting needles, needles that tangle them in another supernatural yarn. Yet the acquisition has freed their most hated enemy and he wants the needles as much as they do. But why are they so important to him? The clues may serve to solve their family’s long-standing mystery. Or lead them right into his clutches.

Can the couple cast off this twisted enigma or will their inheritance unravel their lives?

If you’d like to find out the details, Witch’s Wood is available now at Amazon as is the entire series.

Thanks for having me today, Suzanne!

Bio:

Juli D. Revezzo loves fantasy and Celtic mythology and writing stories with all kinds of fantastical elements. She is the author of Witch’s Wood and Dragon’s Seamstress, part of the Antique Magic paranormal series, the historical romances, the Camden Girls series, House of Dark Envy, the fantasy Gothic romance Lady of the Tarot, and much more. She is also a member of the Independent Author Network and the Magic Appreciation Tour.

Author’s Website and blog: https://julidrevezzo.com/

Join her newsletter: https://bit.ly/signupforJulisnewsletter

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Juli-D.-Revezzo/e/B008AHVTLO

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or Twitter: https://twitter.com/julidrevezzo
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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDP0TPb32YCWAEG6Q_Hiw7g

References:

9 Oldest Maps in the World

www.newscientist.com/article/dn24841-stone-age-mural-ups-the-stakes-in-quest-for-oldest-map/amp/

Nalbinding; a brief history

(*wood or bone)

TROUBLE RETURNS TO BITTER THORN GROVE • GUEST POST BY JULI D. REVEZZO

[Today, I’m turning my blog over to author Juli D. Revezzo, on the occasion of her newest release. Enjoy! ~ Suzanne]

In the continuation of my Stewards War series, with Stacy going back to her normal life, running her history center, I realized that mundane everyday life wasn’t the end (as it wasn’t in the related series Celtic Stewards Chronicles). There was more to tell, after the battle covered in Keeper of the Grove. Thus, the new novel in the series, entitled Bitter Thorn Tribe was born. What “more” is there? Her history center takes up a lot of her thought and life, running such an establishment involves everything from upkeep of the building, to writing grant proposals, to (our favorite pastime!) research. But Stacy also has a full plate.

Because, Balor. Yes, he’s back too, and he likes to do nothing more than cause trouble for Stacy and Aaron. What’s actually there to make the villain follow the rules, after all? Even in his myths he wouldn’t. Case in point, when he was told to stay away from a magical cauldron full of poison. Well, he didn’t, and that’s how he lost use of one eye—except as a weapon—becoming Balor of the Evil Eye.

And even if he’s not totally able to wield power, every good villain has minions. Balor’s are just a little more reptilian than most.

Don’t let ‘em fool you. Balor’s new minions aren’t as sweet as they look!

What will happen to Stacy and Aaron in Bitter Thorn Tribe? Will these so-and-so’s disrupt Stacy’s wedding? You’ll have to read to find out.

Destined to be a bride, if only the gods will let her…

Stacy Macken tries to acclimate herself to her training under Tuatha dé Danaan druids—as if she doesn’t have enough work in planning her wedding to her beloved guardian and fiancé Aaron.

When Fomorii loyalists violate their treaty and seek revenge for their recent defeat, even Stacy’s druids are at a loss to explain the mayhem that ensues. Can Aaron and his brothers-in-arms stop it before Stacy and her family are caught in the crossfire?

If you’d like to check it out, Bitter Thorn Tribe is available in ebook and paperback at Amazon. The entire series is HERE.

About the Author

Juli D. Revezzo loves fantasy and Celtic mythology and writing stories with all kinds of fantastical elements. She is the author of the Antique Magic paranormal series and the Stewards Wars and Celtic Stewards Chronicles series, the historical romances, Camden Girls series, Vesta’s Clockwork Companions, House of Dark Envy, Watchmaker’s Heart, and Lady of the Tarot, and more. She is also a member of the Independent Author Network and the Magic Appreciation Tour.

Website:  https://julidrevezzo.com/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Juli-D.-Revezzo/e/B008AHVTLO

Newsletter http://bit.ly/signupforJulisnewsletter

Blog: https://julidrevezzo.com/blog/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julidrevezzo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julidrevezzo

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jewelsraven/

There’s also a board dedicated specifically to the Stewards War and Celtic Stewards Chronicles series: https://www.pinterest.com/jewelsraven/related-to-the-celtic-stewards-chronicles/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julidrevezzo/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5782712.Juli_D_Revezzo

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/juli-d-revezzo

Guest Post • Annie Douglass Lima

I’m excited to announce that my young adult action and adventure novel, The Gladiator and the Guard, is now available for purchase! This is the second book in the Krillonian Chronicles, sequel to The Collar and the Cavvarach.
First Things First: a Little Information about Book 1:

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire’s most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie’s escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time.  With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?

What is the Collar for, and What is a Cavvarach?

The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences.  One is that slavery is legal there.  Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone.  Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover).
Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil.  It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with “have a rack”), a weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge.  Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades.  You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.

Click here to order The Collar and the Cavvarach from Amazon
for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through May 30th!

And now, The Gladiator and the Guard, with another awesome cover by the talented Jack Lin!

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty of the arena system and seize his freedom before that system crushes him?

Click here to order The Gladiator and the Guard in Kindle format from Amazon for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through May 30th!

Click here to order The Gladiator and the Guard from Smashwords (for Nook or in other digital formats) for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through May 30th!

Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published twelve books (two YA action and adventure novels, four fantasies, a puppet script, and five anthologies of her students’ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.


Connect with the Author Online:

Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Smashwords
LinkedIn
Google Plus

Now, click HERE for a Rafflecopter giveaway! Win an Amazon gift card or a free digital copy of The Collar and the Cavvarach!

Guest Author Juli D. Revezzo • Druid Warrior’s Heart

The life of a budding druid in DRUID WARRIOR’S HEART
by
Juli D. Revezzo

In my fantasy romance series, Celtic Stewards Chronicles, a family whose bloodline goes back to the beginning of the world has to oversee a mythic battle. This battle happens at certain intervals throughout time (500 years to be exact), and in each generation, the duty falls to one woman. In the first book in the series, Passion’s Sacred Dance, the steward, Stacy, lived in our time. However, in the second—and latest book—DRUID WARRIOR’S HEART, the story deals with her ancestor, Ruth, who lived in Ireland in the 1500s.

Each time, the women are sent a guardian from the ranks of the Irish gods, the Tuatha dé Danaan. This time, handsome and mysterious warrior Isaac Connel is chosen as her guardian. He too was part of the first book, a very small part, so in DRUID WARRIOR’S HEART, I got to play with him a bit more. What could a man who, when we first met him, was learned, a doctor, no less, spring from? He’s a soldier, at heart, yes, and very much interested in Ruth and protecting she and her family (and does he fall in love with Ruth? Well, that’s a secret the book will tell) but also, it seems he’s very much interested in peace, in scholarly things, even when we first meet him. For, after all, all battles end and 500 years is a very long time. What will he do after the battle’s end?

Isaac helped me answer the question of on what do these guardians spend the bulk of their time. In his case, he wished to study; a lover of stories, and holding the druids of the Tuatha dé Danaan with which he works in high regard, he watches one he admires very closely, and wonders, what might it be like to become a druid. What magics and mysteries might he learn? What will the druid’s decades’ long scholarly career require of him?

That is, after he gets done battling the evil Balor, and securing Ruth’s heart and hand. How does he deal with the battles ahead? Well, you’ll have to read to find out!

Synopsis:

As the latest in her family’s long line of stewards, Ruth Macken awaits the arrival of a warrior sworn to the Tuatha dé Danaan, the Celtic gods her family has served since the beginning of time. For on that day, a magical battle will erupt. A war between druids and an evil that will decide the fate of mankind.

Isaac Connel knows the battle is imminent, and is ready to fight, once again but from the moment he sees Ruth flitting around the sacred ground, he’s captivated by her fiery charms and a need to protect her.

Despite Isaac’s assurances and the dreams that guide her, what can Ruth and her lover do to drive off this evil? Despite everything, will the world end at the hands of an evil god?

If you’d like to give DRUID WARRIOR’S HEART a look, the book is available at:
Amazon Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback

For more on these and other books visit Juli at her blog or Juli’s Amazon page. You can also find her on: Facebook, Good Reads, Google+, Pinterest, and Twitter. Sign up for her newsletter HERE

Celtic Steward Chronicles Pinterest page, for images and articles that have inspired the Celtic Stewards Chronicles.

Thank you for hosting me and my hero, Suzanne!

Check out the book trailer: