This virtual book tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.
Click HERE for more tour information.
Welcome to The Wormhole and The Timeless Keepsakes Tour.
Today I am pleased to feature Mistletoe and Magick by Ruth A. Casie.
Mistletoe
and Magick
Ruth A. Casie
She would give her last breath for him. He
would give up everything to guard her well and love her more.
Excerpt
Mistletoe and Magic:
Chapter One
Dead. Maximilian glared
at the wilted mistletoe in disbelief. He poked and prodded the plant. It lay
there tired and limp. He had cared for the sacred plant for a year. The
Ancestors had trusted him to follow their orders. Find a wife—a soul mate. How
difficult could it be? All he needed to do was visit the eligible women and
choose one. He slammed his fist onto the rough oak table and bellowed his anger
to the empty room. Dishes skidded and crashed to the floor. The lifeless shrub
didn’t move. It didn’t change. It sat where he’d put it—robust and healthy—the
night before. Now the crumpled brown leaves and withered white berries silently
screamed his failure...
...
Doward
regarded him thoroughly. After a few seconds he squeezed Max’s shoulder. “We
will get through this.” His mentor took his leave.
He
glanced again at the shriveled plant. It had the power to heal everything but
itself, it seemed. Doward was right, of course. He would get through this. But
would he still be the Grand Master, or reduced to a druid councilman, a priest,
or, worse—exiled? He had delayed in order to search his vast library to prepare
himself for the consequences and realized he would have the distinction of
being the only Grand Master to fail when tasked by the Ancestors. He shuddered
inwardly at the idea of failure. It was something he had no practice in.
“Well.”
He slapped his hands on his knees and rose. He must see this through. He doused
the fire, grabbed his half-full pack, and filled it with provisions.
He
picked up his warding stones. Perhaps the Ancestors would allow him to train
his successor. His chest tightened at the thought. He held the warding stones
over the opening of the pouch. But what if the Ancestors had been wrong? He
threw the small bundle into his kit and stared at the plant. Somewhere deep
inside, a different answer sought light. He turned the problem over in his mind
until the solution finally burst through the haze. He smiled at its simplicity
and truth. He would go to the Otherworld. Give the Ancestors the withered
mistletoe. And tell them he passed their test. There was no soul mate for him.
About Ruth
A. Casie:
Ruth started reading romance books while traveling
the world for business. Traveling alone can be daunting but she found a book in
hand could see her through long waits at the airport as well as being good
company at dinner for one. For some of her longer treks, she pared down what
she packed to make room for books. Her favorite genres are romance and
adventure.
A seasoned professional with more than twenty-five
years of writing experience in communications and marketing for a large
financial institution, she gave way to her inner muse and began writing a
series of historical fantasy romance novels. Ruth is published by Carina Press
and Harlequin Books.
When not writing you can find her home in Teaneck,
New Jersey, reading, cooking, doing Sudoku and counted cross-stitch. Together
with her husband, Paul, they enjoy ballroom dancing and going to the theater.
Ruth and Paul have three grown children and two grandchildren. They all thrive on
spending time together. It’s certainly a lively dinner table and they wouldn’t
change it for the world.
You can read more about Ruth online at
www.RuthACasie.com , on Twitter at twitter.com/RuthACasie, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RuthACasie
My thoughts:
I have a weakness for Christmas stories so I was excited to participate in this tour. The first story of the collection I read was Mistletoe and Magick. I liked Max immediately. It was the same with Ellyn. They are both strong willed and courageous, the kind of characters I love to read about. The story itself is steeped in lore, tradition and strong beliefs. As Max and Ellyn struggle in the Otherworld, where they have unwittingly traveled together, they form a bond that grows rapid and solid. I was enthralled by their journey in the Otherworld. The story is well written and touching. The emotions ran wild while I worried about the outcome of the path they embarked on. I was thrilled with the ending and found myself wishing that there were more pages to turn. I will be looking for more from Ruth A. Casie.
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