Welcome to our stop on Mad Magic tour for Nicole Conway. This tour is hosted by Rockstar Book Tour.
Mad Magic Author: Nicole Conway
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: November 14th 2017
Publisher: Month9Books
Mad Magic is a beautifully dark and rich Young Adult fantasy from Nicole Conway, bestselling author of the Dragonrider Chronicles.
Josie Barton is a high school student living in terror. Invisible creatures torment her everywhere she goes, constantly getting her into trouble at school, and even haunting her apartment. But just when Josie thinks things couldn’t get any worse... she meets the guy from across the hall.
Zeph Clemmont is a changeling with enemies in all the worst places, fighting to undo a curse that threatens to end his life. Survival means he will have to swallow his pride and trust Josie with all his darkest secrets.
With the help of a gun-slinging shaman and the enigmatic Prince of Nightmares, Zeph and Josie are only a heartbeat away from defeating one of the most diabolical faerie villains their world has ever known.
Excerpt
I cleared my throat. “What does the faerie language sound like?”
Eldrick’s tense, furrowed brow went slack. His expression became
as serene and blissful as the cool surface of the moon. “Music,” he
breathed the word as though it were ecstasy.
“You mean like the chimes?” I knew that sound well.
He nodded slowly. “Ages ago, some called it the music of the
spheres. Your father possessed an exquisitely intimate knowledge of
spellsongs. He could hear the tones and translate the harmonics into
the human language.” We paused at a corner, letting a few bicyclers
pass on the sidewalk. “To be perfectly frank, I’m impressed he was
able to do such a thing. The details of our language, particularly the
ancient spellsongs that comprise spellwork, are difficult for even an
elder fae to discern. I’ve never seen so many texts about us in the
human language before.”
My head spun with questions as I tried to keep up with Eldrick’s
long strides. “What’s a spellsong? And what does it have to do with
spellwork?”
“A spellsong is, as you described it, the chimes. The use of magic
of any kind has a unique sound. A song, if you will.”
My lips parted—that was why I heard that sound whenever Zeph
or Eldrick worked magic!
“Some are more distinct and obvious than others, usually
depending on their desired effect. But each note, each melody, can be
paired with a unique shape, line, or design—something your father
quite skillfully deciphered.” He stopped at the edge of a crosswalk
and turned to face me. “It isn’t unlike how humans write sheet music.
You need to see the notes in order to understand how a song is made.”
“Do faeries have to write down all their spellwork, too?”
He smiled and opened his other hand. One twist of his wrist, and
a beautifully intricate ring of bright runes appeared. It hovered in the
air above his open hand, glowing softly while the details, designs, and
smaller rings within it moved like the inner mechanisms in a pocket
watch.
My breath caught as the familiar tingle whispered over on my
skin. I heard the soft, whispering of bells in my ear.
Other people were walking and cycling by, passing us on the
sidewalk. But no one else even seemed to notice. It was as though
they couldn’t see it at all. It was just the same as when Lumi had
kidnapped me—they were blind to it.
“Most faeries do not require a knowledge of how a spell is made.
For us, it is innate—comparable to someone who can play by ear
rather than requiring sheet music. But there are instances where we
must know how to read spellwork, such as in the case of learning a
new spell, or performing a ritual that would be otherwise unnatural
to us,” he explained, snapping his hand closed and extinguishing the
spell. “Apparently, your father had begun developing some of his own
spells; a dangerous endeavor for a human. His journals are full of
them.”
Eldrick’s tense, furrowed brow went slack. His expression became
as serene and blissful as the cool surface of the moon. “Music,” he
breathed the word as though it were ecstasy.
“You mean like the chimes?” I knew that sound well.
He nodded slowly. “Ages ago, some called it the music of the
spheres. Your father possessed an exquisitely intimate knowledge of
spellsongs. He could hear the tones and translate the harmonics into
the human language.” We paused at a corner, letting a few bicyclers
pass on the sidewalk. “To be perfectly frank, I’m impressed he was
able to do such a thing. The details of our language, particularly the
ancient spellsongs that comprise spellwork, are difficult for even an
elder fae to discern. I’ve never seen so many texts about us in the
human language before.”
My head spun with questions as I tried to keep up with Eldrick’s
long strides. “What’s a spellsong? And what does it have to do with
spellwork?”
“A spellsong is, as you described it, the chimes. The use of magic
of any kind has a unique sound. A song, if you will.”
My lips parted—that was why I heard that sound whenever Zeph
or Eldrick worked magic!
“Some are more distinct and obvious than others, usually
depending on their desired effect. But each note, each melody, can be
paired with a unique shape, line, or design—something your father
quite skillfully deciphered.” He stopped at the edge of a crosswalk
and turned to face me. “It isn’t unlike how humans write sheet music.
You need to see the notes in order to understand how a song is made.”
“Do faeries have to write down all their spellwork, too?”
He smiled and opened his other hand. One twist of his wrist, and
a beautifully intricate ring of bright runes appeared. It hovered in the
air above his open hand, glowing softly while the details, designs, and
smaller rings within it moved like the inner mechanisms in a pocket
watch.
My breath caught as the familiar tingle whispered over on my
skin. I heard the soft, whispering of bells in my ear.
Other people were walking and cycling by, passing us on the
sidewalk. But no one else even seemed to notice. It was as though
they couldn’t see it at all. It was just the same as when Lumi had
kidnapped me—they were blind to it.
“Most faeries do not require a knowledge of how a spell is made.
For us, it is innate—comparable to someone who can play by ear
rather than requiring sheet music. But there are instances where we
must know how to read spellwork, such as in the case of learning a
new spell, or performing a ritual that would be otherwise unnatural
to us,” he explained, snapping his hand closed and extinguishing the
spell. “Apparently, your father had begun developing some of his own
spells; a dangerous endeavor for a human. His journals are full of
them.”
My name is Ashley "Nicole" Conway. I'm originally from North Alabama and attended Auburn University where I earned a BA in English with a concentration in Classics & Mythology. I'm happily married and have one son, Ethan. I also have a cat, Mr. Darcy, and a dog named Phoebe.
Writing has been a passion of mine since childhood, and to be able to do it as a full-time career is something I take as a great blessing and honor. My heart is in children's literature, specifically middle-grade and young adult fantasy. I'm best known for my MG/YA fantasy series THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, which is published by Month9Books. The second series, THE DRAGONRIDER LEGACY, just launched this fall!
My other works in include MAD MAGIC (2017), THE DISTANCE BETWEEN STARS (2017), SCALES (tbd), and SHATTERBEAST (tbd).
I am represented by Fran Black of Literary Counsel.
1 winner will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card, US Only.
1 winner will win a finished copy of MAD MAGIC, US Only.
Week Two:
1/8/2018- Once Upon a Twilight- Excerpt
1/8/2018- Step Into A Book World- Review
1/9/2018- Blushing Bibliophile- Review
1/9/2018- Book-Keeping- Review
1/10/2018- Novel Novice- Guest Post
1/10/2018- Pervy Ladies Books- Review
1/11/2018- My Crea Bookish Kingdom- Review
1/11/2018- The Book Recluse Review- Review
1/12/2018- Owl Always Be Reading- Excerpt
1/12/2018- Abooktropolis- Review
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