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Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Ravens Cove by Mary Ann Poll - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hello, lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Mary Ann Poll and her new book, “Ravens Cove”!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Mary Ann and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!


Ravens Cove
by Mary Ann Poll

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GENRE: Supernatural Thriller

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BLURB:

Welcome to Ravens Cove, Alaska, a tiny town nestled in a small hollow on the majestic Cook Inlet. A town familiar with storytelling—after all, Alaska abounds in rich legends. In Ravens Cove, though, legends have a tendency to come to life.

Meet Josiah Williams, the peculiar stranger whose warning to lifetime residents Kat Tovslosky and her cousin, Sheriff Bart Andersen, raises more questions than answers; a man whose dark past and knowledge of the murders make him a suspect more than an ally. Join Kat and Bart as an unlikely troop forms (including a very unwelcome FBI agent) to discover the identity of a killer. The unearthing of which will throw the reluctant warriors into a battle for their very lives and the lives of all who call Ravens Cove home.

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EXCERPT TWO:

“This is Agent Melbourne again. If you hang up, I will call back as many times as it takes. This is urgent. Tell your boss to pick up the phone, and do it now!”

Kat-fight mode sounded the first bell in the back of her brain. She knew her orders, and she would enforce them.

“With all due respect, Agent, no.” She dropped the phone into the cradle.

Ten minutes and several Melbourne calls later, Kat stomped to Bart’s office, angry at being ordered by the know-it-all FBI agent to get her “boss.”

Bart looked up to blazing eyes and a flushed face. He leaned back in his chair, linking his hands behind his head, and hoping his body language would diffuse the onslaught of emotion. It didn’t.

“There is an Agent Melbourne who keeps calling. He insists on talking to you.”

“Told you my policy on nosy outsiders.”

Being reprimanded brought the stew of frustration, weariness and hunger to a boil.

“Yes,” her voice rose, “yes you have. And, I told him, too. And I hung up. And he called back again, and again, and again. I hung up again, and again and AGAIN. He is now ordering me, under threat of interfering with FBI business, to put my ‘boss’ on the phone. He is on hold.”

Bart knew Kat. No matter who paid her, she did not have a “boss.” She had been, and always would be, a freethinker and free spirit. He could not control the grin creeping across his mouth.

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GUEST POST:

Describe Your Book Cover and How it Came About:


When we developed the book cover for Ravens Cove, I hoped to capture the readers’ curiosity and interest, in addition to instilling a sense of foreboding and/or danger. After all, it is a supernatural thriller, and it is creepy. Haha.

I wanted a cover that said, “Come on in, if you dare!”

The cover needed to project a visual picture of the story. In order to meet the criteria, I was faced with writing a short paragraph for my publisher’s graphic artist. At first, I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know if I could explain what was in my head well enough for it to be put in picture format. After the initial self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy, I pretended I was looking at a piece of artwork and wrote what I saw. (Below is the description I sent to my publisher. Until now, it has not been seen by anyone but my publisher and the graphic artist.)

The object who lures people to destruction is Pet, a shapeshifter. In Ravens Cove he is a sharp rock and/or arrowhead. The focal point is a black rock, emanating a yellow and purple light sitting on or close to a path that drops off into a ravine. There is vegetation on either side of the path and a large dirt mound to the right of the path (called Corpse Mound in the book).  Black quickly envelopes the path. A dead tree stands off to one side of the path.  It has ghostly limbs and moss (or something that looks like hair) hanging from its top (the old hag tree mentioned in the book).”

Most of this description was used by the graphic artist. The rock, the pathway, and his rendition of the tree are all on the cover.
The artist and my publisher made a critical addition—the raven sitting in the tree above the pathway. It tied the book art to the title, and the addition of the raven tells a reader, consciously or subconsciously, this is an ominous place.

 When I saw the raven, the hair on my arms stood up. I was surprised by my reaction. I couldn’t understand why the raven added dramatically to the creepy feeling we were trying to project. So, I did some research. And recently my publisher sent me some examples of why a raven evokes such dark feelings. In addition to my earlier research, these examples helped solve this mystery:

1.)  In some cultures, the raven is seen as a bad sign. In others it is described as a trickster and deceiver. Both descriptions of the raven ring true in Ravens Cove. The raven is a symbol of the darkness within.

2.)  Edgar Allan Poe is a great example of using a raven to create an ominous, almost frightening, ambiance in his work, The Raven. Poe was the master of using symbols in his writings. The symbols always represented something else. Edgar Allan Poe's use of the raven is very emblematic. A raven is midnight black. His story does take place at midnight. The darkness of the bird is the perfect, sinister symbol for the man.  Poe’s spooky raven enters the narrator's house, perches on a bust above his chamber door, and repeats only one word, “Nevermore.” The narrator soon learns the raven has come to stay, and he'll never be free of longing for his lost love, Lenore. In The Raven, Poe could have certainly used another animal, but the effect wouldn't have had the same impact. He could have used a parrot, for example. But not only can a parrot speak many words, they are brightly colored. And there is not much threat in a parrot. There is something menacing about a midnight-black raven repeating only one word, “Nevermore.”

3.)  In Greek mythology, ravens are associated with Apollo, the god of prophecy. They are said to be a symbol of bad luck, and were the god's messengers in the mortal world. According to the mythological narration, Apollo sent a white raven, or crow in some versions, to spy on his lover, Coronis.

These are just a few examples of the mystery and foreboding ravens can impart, and have imparted, over the centuries.

Creating this book cover took many hours and careful thought. What is odd is I didn’t realize how much thought we all put into the cover until I wrote this post. I loved the process of creating the cover. I cried when I held the first edition in my hands. Now, I know why I am always excited to create and see the book cover when we release a new novel. They are a part of me as much as the book inside.

Thank you for the opportunity to tell you a part of my story.

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AUTHOR BIO:


I’m Mary Ann Poll, America’s Lady of Supernatural Thrillers and charter member of Author Masterminds. The first question most people ask is, “What is an Iconoclast?” Iconoclast means, “The destroyer of religious beliefs or symbols.” I took this definition and applied it to the supernatural realm, which is how the Iconoclast Thriller series was born. My books revolve around the battle between good and evil. They also revolve around the heroic acts of ordinary people who must face extraordinary, even unbelievable, circumstances.

I draw from real-life experiences, as well as my imagination, to create these supernatural thrillers. My love for a creepy, goosebump-creating ghost story and my love for Christ come together in these books.

I am a proud pet lover, which is also reflected in my writing. In my off time, I enjoy gardening, swimming and spending time with beloved family.
I pray you enjoy reading Ravens Cove as much as I enjoyed writing it. Blessings in Christ!

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CONNECT WITH MARY ANN:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle eBook:

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Amazon Audiobook:

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Mary Ann will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

8 comments:

  1. My family and I all appreciate you bringing to our attention the book description of another great book to read. Thanks so much!

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  2. Replies
    1. Hello, Rita Wray! Thank you for taking the time to comment. Do you have any questions I can answer?

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  3. Thank you for hosting me, Fabulous and Brunette! It is a treat and a privilege.

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  4. Hello, James Robert. I am thrilled you are interested in Ravens Cove. What are your core reading goals for the next 12 months?

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  5. Did you have any alternative titles for the book?

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    1. Hi Bernie Wallace. What a great question. Yes. I did have an alternate title. It was Iconoclast. My publisher and I went toe-to-toe because he felt the book should be titled Ravens Cove. We all know who won that battle. Haha.

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