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Thursday, September 10, 2020

Baptism of Fire by Virginia Crow - Book Tour - Book Sale - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hey, lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Virginia Crow and her new book, “Baptism of Fire”!  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 Virginia and to increase your chances of winning!

This eBook is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!!  See below for more details.

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


Baptism of Fire
by Virginia Crow

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GENRE: Thriller

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BLURB:

Kevin gripped Jilly’s coat and his voice became little more than a whisper. “I’m cursed, Jilly. Everyone who looks after me dies in a fire, or someone they love does. I don’t know how to stop it.”

When Rev. Alastair Roberts adopts Kevin Alderman, he dismisses any reference to the boy’s curse. But, as the pair spend more time in each other’s company, it becomes apparent that Kevin is not the only one with a bitter past.

As the past continues to haunt them, can they hope to change their future?

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EXCERPT TWO:

Every twist in the road, every open patch where the bitter wind had caused a flash of ice across the tarmac, seemed like a battle he had to win. When the village lights came into view, after twenty minutes of driving a stretch which normally only took eight, he muttered an appreciative prayer and drove across the village to Mrs Henderson’s house. His smile was firmly on his face, and his relief even caused him to laugh.

His laughter faded as he turned the corner onto the quiet road where Mrs Henderson’s cottage was. It wasn’t quiet now. Blue lights filled the street, and Alastair stopped the car as a police officer appeared, lifting her hand to stop him. He turned off the ignition and climbed out of the car.

“What happened?” he whispered, looking at the fire engine which towered almost as high as the small cottage’s eaves. The cottage windows closest to him were smashed, but the house was not where the fire had been. The burnt-out remnants of the car, still in the drive, told the story. “Is Mrs Henderson alright?”

“Are you family, sir?” the policewoman asked.

“No,” Alastair replied. “I’m her priest. Her son sent me to find her. Is she Okay?”

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GUEST POST:

Five Reasons You Should Read My Book:

Hello! Thank you for inviting me back to your fabulous blog, for what is the third appearance!

Today, I’ve opted to tell you the five reasons you should read my book. There are more, of course(!), but I’m going to be strong and stick to the recommendation of five.

1.)  Strong Characters

Baptism of Fire is my first non-historical book. Usually, I’m used to plunging into the realm of history books and resources to find out what people did to pass the time away, how they spoke to one another, what the etiquette of that time and class was, and so on!

This time it was different. This time, I could call back on all my own experiences and conversations, putting them onto my characters. My fabulous readers has praised my previous three books for their strong characters, and I feel like Baptism of Fire has taken this aspect of my writing to an even higher plane!

There are three main characters, Kevin, Alastair and Jilly. Each one of them have their own idiosyncrasies and quirks, as well as tumultuous pasts, which give them an unpredictable future (no spoilers!). The book is built around their route to this, as they continue to grow as individuals.

2.)  It has a fast-moving plot

The pacing of Baptism of Fire is something I’m particularly pleased with. The cosy nature of some of the scenes, set off against the horrific manner of others, means that something crucial is happening all the time. I didn’t want to write a book where the reader can’t breathe because the pace was so fast, but I did want a book which caused the reader to gasp in surprise from time to time. There are clues throughout the book about what is going on, and I’d definitely suggest a re-reading after you’ve read the ending just to see what you can spot the second time through!

3.)  It’s uplifting

But the book is not solely about the curse. During the course of Baptism of Fire, I aimed to have readers become invested in the wellbeing of these characters. They are all fighting demons, and that is the one battle – whatever happens in the end – which I think all characters deserve to win.

One of the book’s Beta Readers highlighted the themes of Family and Faith as fundamental to the story. I loved so much that she had picked this out!

Faith is a major theme in the book. Alastair is a priest, and the day to day running of the parishes he covers provide the backdrop for most of the book. With this comes the powerful message of hope which is sometimes the only thing to lift the characters free. The importance of family is paramount to me, and this book looks at the significance of this in all different guises. These two themes really do underpin the book and bring a light out of even the darkest events.

4.)  Contactable author – I love your feedback

I love hearing from you!

Every single one of my books has my contact email on the copyright page. This isn’t an oversight or an accident, it’s because I love to hear from my readers. Whether its words of encouragement, questions, reviews, or whatever, your feedback is why I publish my books.

In the arrival of Social Media it’s easier than ever to contact authors, which is fantastic! So please share any of your thoughts on Baptism of Fire with me, either using my email or my Twitter page!

5.)  Little acts of kindness make the biggest heroes – you’re a hero too!

As in all my books, Baptism of Fire is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. One thing I love so much about this book is that it creates a hero out of that-guy-you-pass-on-the-street. There is nothing outstanding or special about these characters except for how they interact with one another. They are the biggest heroes, after all, the people who give of themselves without any personal gain.

I hope, when people read Baptism of Fire, they realise that they can be heroes of their own world and the world around them. Little acts of kindness, no cape required!

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AUTHOR BIO:


Virginia grew up in Orkney, using the breath-taking scenery to fuel her imagination and the writing fire within her. When she's not writing, Virginia is usually to be found teaching music. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of music, especially as a tool of inspiration. She also helps out with the John o' Groats Book Festival which is celebrating its 4th year next April.

Virginia lives in the far-flung corner of Scotland, soaking in inspiration from the rugged cliffs and miles of sandy beaches.

She loves cheese, music and films, but hates mushrooms.

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CONNECT WITH VIRGINIA:

Website:

Blog:

Email:
daysdyingglory@gmail.com

Facebook:

Twitter:

BookBub Author Page:

BookBub Book Page:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS & BOOK SALE INFO:

**The Baptism of Fire eBook is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!!**


Amazon US Kindle eBook:

Amazon US Paperback:

Amazon UK Paperback:

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

The Book Depository Paperback:

Crowvus UK Paperback:

Kobo eBook #1:

Kobo eBook #2:

Smashwords eBook:

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Virginia 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.

5 comments:

  1. Virginia ~ Good morning! Welcome back for our third times the charm visit lol! It is always a pleasure to have you here! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! :) I am looking forward to having you back on the 30th to share my review on your exciting new book :)

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  2. Hi Ally! Thank you for hosting me - again! It's great to be back :) and I can't wait to see what you thought of the book on 30th September!

    I hope your readers enjoy my guest post as much as I enjoyed writing it!

    😊

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  3. this sounds like a really good book to read

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  4. I appreciate getting to hear about your book. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete