Dog Eared Publicity is pleased to bring you Neil Gaiman’s AMERICAN GODS, ANANSI BOYS, STARDUST and NEVERWHEREvirtual book tour November 7 – December 2!
Due to a series of unfortunate events, I am unable to post a review for American Gods today. I promise, as soon as I’m able I will. For those interested, here are the reviews I posted some time ago for Stardustand Good Omens. I hope you enjoy them…
And for today, I give you a special spotlight of the man who needs no introduction, author Neil Gaiman.
Neil Gaiman is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, Anansi Boys, The Graveyard Book, Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett), The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains; the Sandman series of graphic novels; and the story collections Smoke and Mirrors, Fragile Things, and Trigger Warning. He is the winner of numerous literary honors, including the Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards, and the Newbery and Carnegie Medals. Originally from England, he now lives in the United States. He is Professor in the Arts at Bard College.Visit his website at http://www.neilgaiman.com
Newly updated and expanded with the author’s preferred text. A modern masterpiece from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction, Neil Gaiman.
First published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic, lauded for its brilliant synthesis of “mystery, satire, sex, horror, and poetic prose” (Washington Post) and as a modern phantasmagoria that “distills the essence of America” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). It is the story of Shadow—released from prison just days after his wife and best friend are killed in an accident—who gets recruited to be bodyguard, driver, and errand boy for the enigmatic trickster, Mr. Wednesday. So begins Shadow’s dark and strange road trip, one that introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. For, beneath the placid surface of everyday life, a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and Shadow is standing squarely in its path.
“Pointed, occasionally comic, often scary, consistently moving and provocative….American Gods is strewn with secrets and magical visions.”—USA Today
“Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive.”—George R. R. Martin
Next on the TBR list.
Title: Anansi Boys Author: Neil Gaiman
Release Date: October 25, 2016
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Format: Ebook/Paperback/Hardcover
In this #1 New York Times bestseller, Neil Gaiman returns to the territory of his masterpiece, American Gods, to once again probe the dark recesses of the soul.
God is dead. Meet the kids.
Fat Charlie Nancy’s normal life ended the moment his father dropped dead on a Florida karaoke stage. Charlie didn’t know his dad was a god. And he never knew he had a brother. Now brother Spider is on his doorstep—about to make Fat Charlie’s life more interesting . . . and a lot more dangerous.
“Thrilling, spooky, and wondrous.”—Denver Post
“Awesomely inventive.… When you take the free-fall plunge into a Neil Gaiman book, anything can happen and anything invariably does.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“Delightful, funny and affecting…. A tall tale to end all tall tales.”
—Washington Post Book World
Read it, Enjoyed it! 😉
Title: Stardust Author: Neil Gaiman
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Format: Ebook/Paperback/Hardcover
Now a major motion picture—this charming fairy tale by the #1 New York Timesbestselling author, weaves a magical story set long ago in the tiny English village of Wall, a place where things are not quite what they seem.
Go and catch a falling star . . .
Tristran Thorn promises to bring back a fallen star for his beloved, the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester—and crosses the wall that divides his English country town from another, more dangerous world of lords and witches, all of them in search of the star. Rich with adventure and magic, Stardust is one of master storyteller Neil Gaiman’s most beloved tales.
“Eminently readable—a charming piece of work.”
—Washington Post Book World
“Beautiful, memorable . . . A book full of marvels.”
—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Excited about this one.
Title: Neverwhere Author: Neil Gaiman
Release Date: November 29, 2016
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Format: Ebook/Paperback/Hardcover
National BestsellerSelected as one of NPR’s Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of All TimeThe #1 New York Times bestselling author’s ultimate edition of his wildly successful first novel featuring his “preferred text”—and including his new Neverwhere tale, “How the Marquis Got His Coat Back.”
Richard Mayhew is a young man with a good heart and an ordinary life, which is changed forever when he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. His small act of kindness propels him into a world he never dreamed existed. There are people who fall through the cracks, and Richard has become one of them. And he must learn to survive in this city of shadows and darkness, monsters and saints, murderers and angels, if he is ever to return to the London that he knew.“A fantastic story that is both the stuff of dreams and nightmares” (San Diego Union-Tribune), Neil Gaiman’s first solo novel has become a touchstone of urban fantasy, and a perennial favorite of readers everywhere.“Delightful … inventively horrific.”
—USA Today
William Morrow is giving away a (5) sets of American Gods, Anansi Boys, Neverwhere and Stardust!
Terms & Conditions:
By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
Five winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one set of all 4 books
Today Bruce Jenvey has returned to say farewell, but first he’s going to share an insightful and entertaining interview between him and a journalism student who also happens to be a fan of this work. Enjoy!
FAN: I’m so glad we finally got a chance to sit down with you and ask you about your new book, The Ragtime Coven.
BRUCE: Again, I apologize to everyone for the delays, but family needs come first and this last year has been a long one. But I’m back at the keyboard and the new book is wrapping up well, now!
FAN: First, tell us about your Cabbottown Witches. In today’s books and movies, I’ve never seen witches portrayed like yours are.
BRUCE: That was a bit of controversy when Angela’s Coven was first released. My witches have no magic wands, no pointy hats, no Hokus Pokus. Aunt Maddy and her girls are actually, more historically correct!
FAN: You mean there really were witches?
BRUCE: In a matter of speaking… yes! The first witches were Midwives who had learned the art of natural healing from mothers and grandmothers before them. Even in the dark ages, they were making potions and slaves, things we would today call Home Remedies or Holistic Medicine… and they were getting some pretty miraculous results with those kind of cures! Well, at least by Medieval standards. It was the ‘Men Doctors’ who didn’t like the competition and the legends of green warty noses, cooking children and being in league with the Devil were all started to discourage people from trusting the Midwives. True!
FAN: So, how does that relate to your Cabbottown Witches?
BRUCE: My witches harvest herbs, bark, mushrooms… all things natural and then they simmer things over a stove, grind the powders and mix things together to get some pretty amazing results. You see, when they started burning witches at the stake, as a group, they pretty much went underground. That was over a thousand years ago! I’m just saying that in all those years behind closed doors… I bet ya they’ve made some progress and breakthroughs!
FAN: So these are… modern day witches of the olde school variety?
BRUCE: I like that! I’ll probably steal that if you don’t mind. But yes. In the first book, Angela’s Coven, it involves the witches with a terminally ill rock star and his contract with the devil. In my books, Lucifer is a physical being but never leaves his office in Hell. He sends his right hand minion, his lawyer, out to do his bidding. And yes, there are some very humorous moments you’ll find there, really throughout the books. But bring your tissues, too!
FAN: So the witches don’t work for Lucifer?
BRUCE: No, quite the opposite. Other characters in my books are actually Angels! My wife is a big angel collector and that’s been a big influence on me. So the Angels and Lucifer might be at odds, but the witches are caught in the middle. In the first book, they were guardian angels. In The Great Northern Coven, he was more of a troubled angel. But in the third book, this angel, is an Avenging Angel! He’s quite a character all in himself!
FAN: Tell us more about the third book.
BRUCE: This is The Ragtime Coven and is a prequel to Angela’s Coven. It covers a lot of unanswered questions as it follows the Coven in the time of World War I and the Prohibition Era. There’s rumrunners, gangsters, flappers and it’s really quite fun. Some of my best characters, really! But most important, this book will tie all THREE books together and a lot of pieces fall into place. If you liked the first one, you’ll love this one, really!
Bruce Jenvey is the award-winning author of Angela’s Coven and other tales of the paranormal. He was raised in rural Michigan with a great interest in history, popular culture and the paranormal. After twenty years in the advertising industry, he spent the next decade traveling the Great Lakes region as a journalist Now, Bruce has turned to fiction and shares many of his real-world experiences through his Cabbottown Witches.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Bruce Jenvey is the award-winning author of Angela’s Coven and other tales of the paranormal. Here is an excerpt from his soon to be released third book in the Cabbottown Witch series, The Ragtime Coven, telling the story of the coven through the days of WWI and the Prohibition Era.
The sounds of Aaron’s motorcycle had barely faded down the road when Aunt Maddy started hauling a large collection of jars and storage containers out of the back pantry. With the help of Andrea and Angela, it didn’t take long to bring all the pertinent stores out to the dining room table.
“Alright, ladies,” Aunt Maddy began, “It’s inventory time! What have we got? What’s still good? What are we missing?”
“I can’t thank you all enough for your help with this project,” Angela said as she set the last of the large sealed jars down on the table.
“Nonsense!” objected Celia. “This is what we do.”
“And to do it for family is certainly no hardship,” Evelyn added as she started shuffling through the smaller Mason jars at the far end nearest the windows.
“Our goal here,” clarified Aunt Maddy, “is to come up with a protective talisman for Aaron and we have got to do this before he leaves for Europe.”
“Are we even certain he’ll be drafted?” asked Andrea with a ray of hope.
“Don’t think with your head, girl,” Maddy corrected her. “Use your gift.”
“Use your ability as a Sensitive, sweetie,” Evelyn encouraged her in a less gruff tone than Maddy’s. “He’s young, he’s strong… smart. Even I can sense he’ll be among the first to go, and I’m a Finder.”
“Sorry…”
“No sorry about it,” Maddy stepped in again. “You may well be the best Sensitive I’ve ever seen, bar none. But you got to start drawing that card first instead of thinking things through like regular people. Here, try this. Sit down and close your eyes.” Andrea reluctantly took a seat next to Celia. “Now, they closed?”
“Yes, they’re closed…”
“Keep ‘em that way, now.” Maddy took one of the sealed jars from the center of the table and placed it in front of the younger woman. “Keep ‘em closed, and put your hands on this.” Andrea wrapped her hands around the Mason jar. Almost at once, a faint smile crossed her face. “What you got there, hon?”
“It’s… Milkweed Extract!”
“Mixed or straight up?”
“There’s Pudding Plant in there, too!”
“Exactly!” Maddy congratulated her. “Here’s another.” She traded the jars in front of Andrea.”
“This is… ground oak bark.”
“You’re not peeking now, are you?” Evelyn teased.
“Nope! Aunt Maddy’s right, I can feel it!”
“Well, try this one.” Maddy placed another sealed Mason jar before her.
“This is…” but Andrea’s face fell in confusion. “This is… Marinara sauce.”
“No it’s not,” Maddy objected. “That’s Egg Plant Puree with Sprig Weed in it.”
“No, it’s Marinara sauce!” Andrea insisted. She opened her eyes and looked at the label on the bottom of the jar. “See?”
“Well, how the heck did that get on the wrong shelf…” Maddy puzzled aloud as she took the jar from Andrea.
“Well,” Celia piped in, “That explains the other night’s lasagna disaster.”
“Hush up, Celia. At least you won’t have to worry about constipation for a month!”
Suddenly, Evelyn could no longer contain her laughter though she tried to stifle it with her hands. It was contagious around the table.
“It’s not that funny, Evelyn!” Maddy protested.
“Yes it is!” Evelyn laughed through the tears in her eyes. “Aaron had seconds!”
“Oh my God!” Angela put her hands over her own mouth as she laughed aloud. “He did!”
“Well then, he can thank me for two months. But we’ve got to go through all this stuff and see what’s good and what’s gone bad.”
“This jar of St. Isaac’s Root is cracked,” Celia announced, holding up one of the smaller containers. “Look, they’ve even started to turn that brownish-blue around the top edges.”
“Just toss that one right into the trash bin, there,” Maddy said with a furrowed brow.
“There’s something black growing in the bottom of this one.” Angela handed one of the smaller jars to Aunt Maddy.
“That’s okay, this is just some Queen Ann’s Lace seeds mixed in with Web Dew. It’s supposed to do that… but this one will be a couple years yet before it’s ripe.”
“A couple years?” Evelyn said in surprise.
“I told you guys it was a pretty weak harvest last fall. Probably because of the cold summer we had. It’ll get there, just taking its time.”
“But we don’t have a lot of time,” Angela said, biting her lip.
“Why are we going at it this way, Maddy?” Celia protested. “We’ve made talismans before.”
“And they’re all based on mustard seeds, too,” Maddy tried to explain.
“Best ones are,” Evelyn threw in.
“So why aren’t we going that route?” Andrea asked.
“Listen, Talisman 101 for all of you. A talisman works by repelling things, not by shielding or any kind of avoidance, it’s just a repellant, that’s all.”
“And mustard seeds are the best at that, right?” Celia’s patience was thinning.
“Yes, normally. But there’s a problem this time. The Germans have weaponized mustard seeds into their latest form of poison gas.” Looking at the blank looks around the table, Maddy continued. “Mustard gas is their latest, craziest way of killing each other in mass over there. I read all about it in the papers. It’s worse than anything they’ve used so far. Almost makes me think they’ve had someone like us helping them out, if you know what I mean.”
“None of our kind would ever do that!” Evelyn said indignantly.
“It’s a new world, Evelyn, you just never know. Anyway, we can’t make a talisman based on mustard seeds, not if it’s the same dang thing we’re trying to protect him from. It mostly likely would be useless.”
“Only most likely?” Celia questioned.
“What’s more than most? And anyway, it’s a risk I know we don’t want to take.” Maddy’s words brought silence around the table and tears to Angela’s eyes. It was Celia that spoke first, trying to lighten the moment and bring the focus back to their work.
“We could always send the Huns some of your Lasagna.” Celia’s words worked and a ripple of laughter rolled through the room.
“What about…” Evelyn’s smile suddenly faded away. “What about Golden Rod Buds?” At this very mention, Maddy’s face brightened and the twinkle returned to her eye.
“Yes! They got many of the same properties as Mustard seeds, but they aren’t from the same family at all!”
“And last year was a great year for Golden Rod,” Andrea interjected. “We were picking it for days.”
“And we’ve got lots of Druid Dust and Thistle Milk to go with it!” Maddy said as she quickly picked up and inspected several of the sealed jars. “Oakie Doakie, that’s our way in! Girls, put a couple fresh pots on to simmer, big ones, and start heating the water. Evelyn, you and Celia start measuring out the Golden Rod Buds from the dry bin in the pantry. And let’s clear this table in the process.”
With a clear direction to proceed, the women went to work and Aunt Maddy’s kitchen was busy indeed.
To read more from Bruce and get copies of the first two books in this powerful series, click here.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
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