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?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
