As soon as I heard about this novel I was supremely interested – the melding of genres in this novel grabbed my attention and it’s definitely been a novel I’ve been looking forward to. So you can imagine how happy I was when I received a message inviting me to join in the Blog Tour advertising and celebrating the novel’s release. 🙂
Thanks to the great people behind ‘A Thousand Perfect Things’ at Premier Digital Marketing and Kay Kenyon, I’ve got an excerpt of the book for you reading pleasure (plus a GIVEAWAY!). 🙂 So, without keeping you waiting further, here’s the excerpt:
***
She met Jessa on the walkway between the greenhouse cottage and the great house.
“A visitor!” Jessa declared, waving a note. “Arriving this afternoon.”
“Who?”
“Captain Edmond Muir-Smith. He’s coming to visit Papa.”
Tori vaguely remembered that a Muir-Smith had served under her father in the Pict campaign.
Jessa’s color was high. “Mama’s in a tempest, though he’s just an army officer. One to whom I suppose papa will try to marry me off.”
With her sister’s recent broken engagement tarnishing her prospects, any eligible male visitor raised immediate interest. “How old is this one?”
“Twenty-eight. A captain in the King’s Company of the fusiliers. And he’s taller than I am.”
Tori felt a smile break out. “How long do we have to tear apart the closet to find something to wear?”
Jessa grinned. “Not long enough.”
Looking at her sister, Tori could not imagine that she wouldn’t impress the captain no matter what she wore, with her light brown tresses framing a heart-shaped face.
Looking back toward the library, Tori said, “I’ll be right up.”
As Jessa ran off, Tori paused, glancing up at the sycamore tree. It always managed to gather shadows this time of day. With its flaking bark and patches of dusty green algae it was easy to see in it something that wasn’t there.
Oh, but this time, it was. Her throat went dry.
It perched on a branch quite close to the trunk of the nearest tree. At first impression, it was an owl with bluish purple feathers. Its rotund body was very bird-like, but it wasn’t a natural creature, not with that visage. The face was almost human. A bulbous nose flabbed down the length of its face so that both human and owl aspects were equally repugnant.
Its head rotated around to her. Large eyes, chillingly light-filled, met hers. She backed up a step. It was . . . it had to be, a manifestation of magic. Do not be afraid, she charged herself.
She shivered under that maladroit gaze. Sometimes magic killed, Anglics had come to learn. Such visitations were called contagions, a term that so perfectly represented Anglic fear of the unscientific. Sometimes contagions presaged a malign event: for example the disaster in Oxfordshire when the train went off its tracks and went four miles before plunging over a cliff. But that said nothing about magic as a practice, for any endeavor might be turned to horrid purpose by those who abused knowledge. She did not wish to judge the intrusion in the sycamore. But the face . . .
It looked away, as though to prove it had other business. But then, slowly, the head swiveled back in her direction. Her stomach tightened. Oh, it looked at her. Assessed her. She yanked her gaze away, lest its eyes drag something out of her–she knew not what.
Why had it come? Oh, leave us in peace, she wanted to plead, but found herself unable to speak. Backing up, she felt a most unseemly haste to be away from it, and turning, rushed up the walkway.
***
Here are the details for the tour – make sure to check out each excerpt and the interviews with Kay, as they come up!
Tour Schedule
The Blog-Tour kicked off on the 28th of August, and these are the posts that have already hit the internet:
Aug 28. Asteria’s Blog – Review and Giveaway
Aug 29. Behind a Million and One Pages – Excerpt and Giveaway
Sept 1 Author Jonathan Ryan – Excerpt and Giveaway
Sept 2. Chirenjenzie – Favorite Pinterest Pins and Giveaway
Sept 3. Dave-Brendon’s Fantasy and Sci-Fi Weblog – Excerpt and Giveaway
Coming up after this post, you can look forward to the following:
Sept 4. Mindy Ruiz – Excerpt and Giveaway
Sept 5. Elizabeth Isaacs’ Blog – Excerpt and Giveaway
Sept 6. Hooked in a Book – Excerpt and Giveaway
Sept 7. BlKosiner’s Book Blog– Interview!
Sept 8. Delphina reads too much – Featured Article and Giveaway!
Sept 9. A Dribble of Ink – Featured Article!
Sept 10.Lilliputian’s Journey – Excerpt and Giveaway
Sept 11. Mom With A Kindle – Interview!
Sept 12. A Dragon’s Love – Excerpt and Giveaway!
As soon as I get a copy of this intriguing novel I’ll be reading it, so expect a review sometime soon. 🙂
Remember to check out Kay’s website for all the info you’ll need about her and her work, including the SF quartet loved and praised by everyone who’s read it, ‘The Entire and the Rose‘, which kicked off with ‘Bright of the Sky‘.
You can also connect with Kay just about everywhere else:
Until next time,
Be EPIC!
Dave de Burgh 
Amanda Frank
September 29, 2013 at 3:03 am
Sounds like a great and interesting book! From time to time I like a historical fantasy and in fact I’m reading another one others might like if this is the genre they’re interested in. It’s called “The Children of Gavrilek” by Julie Kirtón Chandler, http://www.juliekirtonchandler.com. I’ll be looking in to “A Thousand Perfect Things”. Thanks for the post and suggestion!
Dave-Brendon de Burgh
September 30, 2013 at 9:32 pm
Pleasure, Amanda. 🙂 I’m looking forward to reading this book, too, definitely piques my interest! 🙂 Thanks for visiting the blog, much appreciated! 🙂
Dave-Brendon de Burgh
October 6, 2013 at 8:39 pm
Thanks, Benjamin, really appreciate your compliments! 🙂 Sent you an email. 🙂