A MURDER OF MAGPIES

By Sarah Bromley

I’m delighted to be a stop on Sarah Bromley’s A MURDER OF MAGPIES Blog Tour! If you haven’t read A MURDER OF MAGPIES, you need to…NOW! A MURDER OF MAGPIES is available for purchase at the links provided here: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | IndieBound

Review-

A MURDER OF MAGPIES is a story unlike any I’ve ever read. It reads with a quiet urgency, only adding to the mystery surrounding the Silver Twins, Vayda and Jonah. It’s the perfect story to read on a cold, wintery day. Let the snow fall outside, curl up under the covers, and allow yourself to be whisked away to a world where secrets are buried beneath dozens of feet of snow and ice. And let’s not forget about the sweet romance between Vayda and Ward that keeps the cold at bay.

After the mysterious death of their mother, Vayda and Jonah’s father, Emory, moves the family from Georgia to Black Orchard, Wisconsin, so they can start over. But, it soon becomes apparent to Vayda that the move wasn’t to initiate a fresh start, but to run from the evils surrounding their past.

Just as Vayda has gotten close to Ward Ravenscroft, the boy who lives nearby, she finds that her father may be planning yet another move. But this time, she doesn’t want to run. In Ward, Vayda’s found someone who calms the never ending barrage of cold and noise inside her. Someone she trusts.

But the shadows of the past are lurking in the snow covered forests of Black Orchard and the Silver family’s secrets aren’t safe…anywhere they hide. And the residents of Black Orchard may not be safe from the Silver Twins and their unique abilities. In order to have a future, Vayda and Jonah must confront their past.

If you’re a fan of Gothic paranormal tales, AMURDER OF MAGPIES should be at the top of your TBR list! It’s a phenomenal story.

An Interview with MAGPIES author, Sarah Bromley-

I not only had the opportunity to read and review A MURDER OF MAGPIES, but I also had the privilege of interviewing Sarah Bromley! Here’s what she had to say:

What was your inspiration for A MURDER OF MAGPIES?

A MURDER OF MAGPIES first came as Vayda screaming in the night. I knew the house was on fire, and I knew her family was persecuted. My mother’s side of the family has Romani heritage, so I incorporated some of the folklore as well as persecution of people of that culture in the story. My family is superstitious and also has a very strong line of intuition among the women, so all those things came together in this book.

Vayda and Jonah’s family connection is so strong. Something writers often hear, “write what you know”; I liked how you were able to take elements of your own heritage and weave them into Vayda and Jonah’s story. That only adds to MAGPIES depth and helps to create a closeness among your characters and readers. 

Speaking of writing, what is the hardest part of the writing process for you?

I absolutely hate first drafts. They’re messy and don’t get done nearly fast enough for my liking because I spend far too much time trying to make them right, so I have to remind myself “Draft first, revise later.”

I am with you on this! I HATE first drafts!! I am constantly reminding myself of the same thing. I always tell myself, “Write the worst story you can, right now. It will get better!”

To help make writing that first draft (or any other draft for that matter) easier, do you have a writing ritual? Things that must be done before your muse will come out and play?

I need coffee. I like quiet or a file I have of howling winds. I also tend to light a lot of candles, especially the ones with the wood wick to create that crackle and hiss sound. Ambiance seems to be important to me.

Yes! Coffee!! We are kindred spirits! However, I haven’t tried lighting candles or the howling winds. I must give them a try! Especially the wood wick candles, those sound awesome! 🙂 

As you sit down to write that dreaded first draft, are you more of a pantser or plotter?

I’m what my critique partner Shawntelle calls a “plotster.” I write fifty pages where I’m getting to know the character’s voice and story. After those fifty pages, I can sit back and look at the threads and figure out where the rest of the story will go.

Interesting! I love to know how other authors get from A to Z. Myself, I am a tried and true pantser. I do not work well within the confines of an outline. Kudos to you, a mixture of both! And if I might add, you have an awesome CP! I love Shawntelle’s books!

Now that MAGPIES has gone through several drafts and is finally published, you’ve really gotten to know the story and its characters, do you have a favorite line, passage, or chapter from A MURDER OF MAGPIES?

Hmm. It’s tough to choose, but I do love Ward’s reaction to finding out what Vayda is because who in their right mind wouldn’t freak out at such a thing.

I know, right? He handled that news a lot better than most boyfriends would have. I also liked that Vayda didn’t push him. She let him get used to her “specialness” in his own way and own time. Vayda is a really amazing character. I enjoyed being inside her head. Thanks for sharing Vayda and Ward with us! 

So, on the topic of characters… Of all your characters, which one do you most closely relate to?

There are different parts of me in both Ward and Vayda. I lost my parents young, which each of them misses at least one parent from their life. Ward is the artistic side of me that dives into projects without giving a care for how I’ll get it done, I’ll just do it because of impulse. Vayda is the opposite side of me that will carefully weigh out everything, especially in family matters. They’re good at nudging each other.

For me, adding a little of myself to my characters always breathes more life into the story. I can say that the same is true for MAGPIES. Even the smallest personality traits gives the story a heartbeat. 

Now that MAGPIES is out, what are you working on now? 

Well, of course, I have the sequel to A MURDER OF MAGPIES that I am working on, and I am also taking some time to write a YA horror story that is very near and dear to my heart.

I cannot wait for the sequel to A MURDER OF MAGPIES!! And a YA horror too, so excited!! 

Besides writing, do you have any other passions/hobbies?

I am very passionate about animals, especially dogs and horses. I have rescued two of my three dogs in the last two years (the other is a fourteen-year-old pug), and I volunteer at a stable for disabled riders. Therapeutic riding does so much good for our riders, and being around them and the horses is wonderful for my soul. I also spend a lot of time reading, working in the garden where I have a bird garden with native plants, cooking, playing guitar, and working in a variety of art mediums—everything from furniture restoration to cross-stitching to painting.

You are a very busy, talented woman! Wow! You’re amazing! 

How can someone follow in your path of awesome? What advice can you offer aspiring writers?

You must be able to trust your gut. That goes for everything—taking and employing constructive criticisms of your work, who you choose as your agent if you have multiple offers. You need to do research into the genre you are writing and where you see it on the shelf. Know who represents those books. Research any small presses you may want to work it, and always, always be persistent. Very, very few of the seemingly overnight successes actually happened fast—most were years in the making.

So true! Sound advice, fellow writers. Take it to heart. 

Throughout A MURDER OF MAGPIES, Vayda is in the kitchen whipping up something wonderful. As I read, my stomach rumbled its appreciation for the story! You really need to consider a MURDER OF MAGPIES recipe book–From Vayda’s Kitchen to Your Table! Out of curiosity, what is your favorite dessert? 

I am a sucker for a chocolate-peanut butter pie any day of the week.

Um, yeah. I’m going to need that recipe! That sounds heavenly! As did all of Vayda’s culinary creations! I’m serious about that MAGPIES recipe book! I wanted Vayda to invite me over for dinner! 

Sarah, thanks so much for stopping by! I loved having the opportunity to interview you! 

Thank you for having me!

 If you’re looking for more of Sarah’s stops during the A MURDER OF MAGPIES Blog Tour, the tour schedule can be found here:

http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/tour-schedule-a-murder-of-magpies-by-sarah-bromley-presented-by-month9books/

 Add A MURDER OF MAGPIES to your Goodreads list. If you’ve read MAGPIES, leave a review!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17787411-a-murder-of-magpies?from_search=true

 For a chance to win a digital copy of A MURDER OF MAGPIES click on the Rafflecopter link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c08c9e8e250/

• Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of A Murder of Magpies by Sarah Bromley (INT)
• Winner will be drawn on November 28, 2014

ABOUT A MURDER OF MAGPIES

Title: A Murder of Magpies

Publication date: October 28, 2014

Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.

Author: Sarah Bromley

Winter in Black Orchard, Wisconsin, is long and dark, and sixteen-year-old Vayda Silver prays the snow will keep the truth and secrecy of the last two years buried. Hiding from the past with her father and twin brother, Vayda knows the rules: never return to the town of her mother’s murder, and never work a Mind Game where someone might see.

No one can know the toll emotions take on Vayda, how emotion becomes energy in her hands, or how she can’t control the destruction she causes. But it’s not long before her powers can no longer be contained. The truth is dangerously close to being exposed, placing Vayda and her family at risk.

Until someone quiets the chaos inside her.

Unwanted. That’s all Ward Ravenscroft has ever been. To cope, he numbs the pain of rejection by denying himself emotions of any kind. Yet Vayda stirs something in him. He can’t explain the hold she has on him–inspiring him with both hope and fear. He claims not to scare easily, except he doesn’t know what her powers can do. Yet.

Just as Vadya and Ward draw closer, she finds the past isn’t so easily buried. And when it follows the Silvers to Black Orchard, it has murder in mind.

   ABOUT SARAH BROMLEY:

Sarah Bromley lives near St. Louis with her husband, three children, and two dogs. She likes the quiet hours of morning when she can drink coffee in peace, stare into the woods behind her house, and wonder what monsters live there. When she’s not writing or wrangling small children, she can be found volunteering at a stable for disabled riders.

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