Hi, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host C. B. Lyall and her new book, “The Virus of Beauty,” here on FAB!! 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 $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!! Also, come back daily to interact with C. B. aka Carolyn and to increase your chances of winning!!
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
The Virus of Beauty
by C. B. Lyall
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GENRE: YA Fantasy
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BLURB:
Ugliness is power, and the Virus of Beauty is spreading causing panic throughout the witch population.
Wilf Gilvary is a teenage wizard who is terrified of using magic. When his father dies under mysterious circumstances, Wilf is plunged into the middle of a political struggle between the witches and wizards in the Magical Realm. He’d rather play soccer than practice magic, but he’s forced to make a choice between the life of a normal Hong Kong teen and one of wizardry after a powerful virus begins to decimate the witch community. The cure is spellbound in a journal Wilf inherited from his father and when his friend Katryna contracts the virus, Wilf understands that he must overcome his fear of magic to unlock the journal’s secrets – but will it be too late to save her?
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EXCERPT ONE:
The tattoo pulsed. He shoved the hand into his pants pocket and continued threading his way through the store’s cluttered shelves of T-shirts, Laughing Buddhas, shot glasses, and Happy Cats. The sinking feeling in his stomach grew.
A sharp pain shot up his arm.
“What the…?”
A rumbling groan echoed around the store. He glanced towards the alcove housing the Mages Crystal. His eyes widened as the mirrored surface glowed red. A loud crack pierced the air like a ball smashing through a window. He ran for the supply closet and forced his six-foot body inside.
Quartz exploded across the room from the crystal’s center.
He felt a whoosh of air next to his ear as he slammed the door shut. He switched on the closet light and stepped backward into brooms and mop handles that banged the back of his head. A large piece of polished quartz, still vibrating from its violent impact with the wall, reflected the shock in his gray eyes.
Thuds echoed in the tiny room as projectiles impaled the door. He touched his ear, but seeing no blood on his fingers, exhaled. That had been too close.
Several seconds passed before he braved stepping outside. The store was filled with colliding rainbows as sunlight hit the debris. Wilf blinked rapidly. Crystal daggers studded the closet’s wooden door. All he’d done was look in the crystal’s direction, but his father would blame him for this disaster.
“Wilf, is that you?” Reginald’s shout was followed by a creaking sound from the basement stairs.
Wilf bolted for the front door. His shoes crunched the broken glass. He jerked open the door and the bell gave a traitorous jingle.
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AUTHOR INTERVIEW:
Good morning Carolyn! Welcome to Fabulous and Brunette! We are thrilled to have you here and can’t wait to learn more about you and your new book, “The Virus of Beauty.”
What is the sweetest thing someone has done for you?
That is hard to narrow down. I’ve been so blessed with great family and friends to support me. I think it’s probably been when we’ve relocated to a new country and someone goes out of their way to reach out to you and help you acclimatize. This was especially true moving to Mumbai, India when my eldest boys were only 2 and 4 years old. It all seemed strange and a bit overwhelming until other expats in the building reached out to help us navigate life there.
How would you spend ten thousand bucks?
In these COVID 19 times I miss not being able to see all my family from the UK. So, I would probably spend it on a vacation for us all to meet up, once we can travel again safely.
Where do you get your best ideas?
From reading other novels, articles and non-fiction. The Virus of Beauty began because I had signed-up for a class in short story writing. I attended the class with the idea for a teenager who hated magic, witches being infected by a virus that caused them to lose their magic and become beautiful. My instructor told me I was writing a novel – she was right.
What comes first, the plot or characters?
With the Virus of Beauty, it was Wilf my protagonist who came first and then Ermentrude, the mature witch sent to find the formula for the vaccine/antidote. After that I sat down and plotted the novel.
What does your main character do that makes him/her special?
Wilf hates magic. He doesn’t want to be a wizard. He wants to be a normal teenager and hang out with his friends playing soccer. However, he makes the right decision when lives depend on him to do so.
Thank you so much for spending time with Fabulous and Brunette readers and sharing your exciting new book with us! We wish you all the best on your book tour!
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AUTHOR BIO:
Carolyn Lyall was born in Stockton-On-Tees, United Kingdom. As a child Carolyn growing up in Northern England in the sixties Carolyn loved sports, reading and amateur dramatics. She joined a renaissance group, practiced the broadsword and dreamed of visiting other worlds. Her passion for what could be drove her forward when faced with everyday struggles. Her first memorable skirmish with gender inequality came at nine-years old when she was told that only boys were allowed to play soccer. In response, she simply refused to do any classwork until they changed their old-fashioned policies. She won that battle.
At the age of 18, she took a role as typist for a nursing school in Middlesbrough. She then moved to London and enrolled in night school. She was quickly recognized for her ability to fit in anywhere and for not being afraid to push back on the predominantly male leadership. She eventually became a project manager in software development and micro-computers, bridging the gap between computer programmers and management.
Her dream to travel was finally realized in 1990 when she moved to New York City, USA with her husband and the first of three sons. This was the steppingstone to a lifelong adventure that has taken her and her family to India, Belgium and Hong Kong.
Raising her family in multiple countries around the world, she saw that each move, while a shock, was an opportunity for her sons to redefine themselves against new challenges and different cultural norms. Now, that her sons have left home, Carolyn has used her passion for the fantastic to create a world where every day gender inequalities are at the forefront of a world ending conflict. She shares this story through the eyes of a young man who is suddenly thrust into this new world along with all of his own woes and prejudices. The introduction to this world is in Carolyn’s debut YA fantasy novel, “The Virus of Beauty,” due to be released July 31, 2019 under C B Lyall.
Carolyn has published two short stories in an annual anthology by 25 Servings of Soop. She wrote a number of articles for the American Women’s Associates Magazine. Fueled by her love of the works of Terry Pratchett, Sarah J Maas, Cassandra Clare, Brandon Sanderson and others, Carolyn has completed a number of writing courses, which included a Master Fantasy/Science Fiction writers course with Gotham Writers’ Workshop, a YA Voice class and Advance Novel Writing course at Sarah Lawrence College’s Writing Institute.
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CONNECT WITH CAROLYN:
Website:
Subscribe to Carolyn’s Podcast:
https://cblyall.com/subscribe-to-podcast
Email:
cb@cblyall.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/CarolynBLyall
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/cblyall
Instagram:
http://www.instagram.com/carolynlyall
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19000496.C_B_Lyall
Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55886275-the-virus-of-beauty
Amazon Author Page:
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon Kindle eBook:
Amazon Paperback:
Amazon Hardcover:
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-virus-of-beauty-book-1-c-b-lyall/1138893139
The Book Depository Paperback:
https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Virus-of-Beauty---Book-1-C-B-Lyall/9781736002704
BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:
https://www.booksamillion.com/product/A16176465473
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
One randomly chosen winner via Rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/Barnes and Noble Gift Card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway**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**
Carolyn ~ Good morning! Welcome to FAB! It is so great to have you here! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Ally for the good wishes and for hosting.
DeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt, thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your interview. I like the excerpt as well. I'm definitely adding this to my reading list.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy the read. Thanks
DeleteI really enjoyed the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteSounds good!
ReplyDeleteThe book cover is fantastic. The blue just pops and the graphics are very cool!
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the comments. I hope you enjoy reading THE VIRUS OF BEAUTY.
ReplyDelete