His Magic Touch by Debby Grahl Book Tour and Giveaway :)
His
Magic Touch
by
Debby Grahl
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
The
night before Jared Dupre's wedding, a specter warns him the demonic
witch, Adam Montief, has kidnapped his brother in a centuries-old
vendetta unknown to Jared. A powerful witch himself, Jared tracks
Adam from New Orleans to a remote island off the coast of
Connecticut, where he's given no choice. He must rescue his brother
and break his engagement to Kendra O'Connell, or they both die. After
complying, Jared engages in a sword fight and believes he has
vanquished his foe, but when he returns to New Orleans, he finds evil
still threatens all he loves. Kendra, not knowing why Jared broke
their engagement, devastated, finds solace in another's arms. With
help from an ancestor's spirit, can Jared defeat the dark magic
descending over the Big Easy while winning back the woman he loves?
In
the stifling heat, Angelique Montief flicked her wrist and set the
bamboo ceiling fan spinning. Kneeling on a woven mat with sweat
coating her body, she lifted a small wooden brass-bound casket from
the bottom of a large trunk, inserted a gold key, and opened the lid.
Inside two objects lay wrapped in thick cloth. She carefully
unwrapped the smaller bundle to reveal a pentagonal mirror, a gift
handed down to her by her grandmother, its ancient oak frame carved
with tiny pentacles. She glanced over her shoulder at her locked
bedroom door, then stared into the mirror and whispered, “Show him
to me.” When
the glass remained blank, fear clutched at her chest. Again, she said
the words, and the image of a plantation house engulfed in flames
appeared. “No, please, he can’t be dead.” Tears blurred her
vision. The fiery image changed to reveal a human form lying beneath
flowering bougainvillea. Hope
rising, Angelique peered closer. “Show
me his face.” She
saw his indigo blue eyes blink open. “I’m
coming, my love.” He
couldn’t hear her, but she hoped in his heart that he knew she
would find a way to get to him. As
the smoke in the room thickened, she knew her time was running out.
She rewrapped the mirror and placed it into the smaller casket among
cloth bags of herbs and potion-filled vials. Relocking the lid, she
hung the key on a chain around her neck, dropped a jeweled dagger
into her pocket, and tucked the casket under her arm. Crouched
beneath the smoke, she considered the quickest way to reach her son
and escape. Augustus
had locked her in, placing what he thought would be an impenetrable
shield across both doors. Angelique coughed, choked by the smoke. Her
husband’s biggest mistake was underestimating her power.
Debby
Grahl lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, with her husband,
David. Besides writing, she enjoys biking, walking on the beach and a
glass of wine at sunset. Her favorite places to visit are New
Orleans, New York City, Captiva Island in Florida, the Cotswolds of
England, and her home state of Michigan. She is a history buff who
also enjoys reading murder mysteries, time travel, and, of course,
romance. Visually impaired since childhood by Retinitis Pigmentosa
(RP), she uses screen-reading software to research and write her
books.
Her
first published book, The Silver Crescent, won
the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers’ Choice award. Her
second book, Rue Toulouse, a contemporary romance set in New
Orleans, was a finalist in the National Excellence in Romantic
Fiction Award and was selected as a May, 2016, ‘local read’ by
Hilton Head Monthly.
Decorated
to Death is a holiday mystery cozy. She also has stories in three
anthologies, The Haunted West, Never Fear/Christmas
Terrors; and Ebb and Flow from the local Island Writers’
Network.
Debby
was featured in the January, 2016, Hilton Head Monthly article
‘Intriguing People of the Lowcountry’. She is a member of Romance
Writers of America, Florida Romance Writers, and First Coast Romance
Writers.
Her
latest book, His Magic Touch, was released December 5, 2018,
by Wild Rose Press.
New
Orleans blog post
New Orleans,
known as the Crescent City or the Big Easy, just celebrated its
three-hundredth anniversary. It was first settled by the French, then
taken over by the Spanish, sold back to the French, who then sold it
to the United States. The city's
historic past includes such characters as the famous pirate, Jean
Lafitte, and the infamous Delphine LaLaurie who in 1834 was run out
of New Orleans when her mansion caught fire and tortured slaves were
discovered. And such locales as the notorious Storyville red light
district, the iconic riverboat gamblers, and everyone's favorite
party, Mardi Gras. My husband
David and I first visited New Orleans in 1989 and fell in love with
the city. I’m a history buff by heart so I found the old Spanish
architecture with its wrought iron balconies enchanting. All you have
to do is walk the streets of the French Quarter to feel the magic. There’s a
saying, “Only in New Orleans.” And this is so true. As I sat on
our hotel balcony sipping a glass of wine and munching on a bag of
voodoo chips, I could see a musician setting up on the corner.
Soon the clear sounds of his saxophone filled the night. The smell of
spicy gumbo from the restaurant across the street wafted through the
air. The clip clop of a horse- drawn carriage passed beneath
me, its driver thrilling his passengers with tales of the ghosts who
haunt the city. A man, painted silver, walked along juggling oranges,
while a bicycle cab pedaled by. On Bourbon Street, a second line band
marched past. A group of laughing tourists carrying red go cups went
into a bar, and the long low whistle of a paddle wheeler on the river
could be heard. As I sat
there taking it all in, I thought what a wonderful place to set a
story. From its diverse people and cultures to its incredible food,
such as hot sugary beignets, po boy sandwiches, and crawfish
etouffee; every kind of music from funky blues to jazz, rock ‘n
roll to country; and Voodoo shops, haunted houses, and above-ground
cemeteries. People claim
witches and ghosts walk the streets, and I have to admit sometimes I
believe it’s true. It was while touring St. Louis #1, the oldest
above-ground cemetery in the city, standing in front of the tomb of
the Voodoo queen, Marie Laveau, that the idea for His Magic Touch
began. I swear she zapped me. I started feeling faint and had to
leave the tour. Now, my husband will tell you it was because of the
heat, but I felt fine until we approached her tomb. I think my
version is more interesting. I began my research into local
witchcraft and hauntings. The Hotel
Monteleone, on Royal Street, is one of the settings I use in the
book. Not only known for its Carousel Bar, it’s also one of the
most haunted hotels in the city. I hope His
Magic Touch brings a little of New Orleans to life for you, and
you’ll get a chance to visit this unique city on the Mississippi.
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the tour HERE
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