Clare Dugmore: magic

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Son Of The First (Lord Of Shadows Book 1) Pre Order, Excerpt and Art

I'm super excited to share with you all today the information about the debut novel from N.S. Armstrong. Some of you may already recognize the name, as N.S. Armstrong was the incredibly talented artist I commissioned to draw Maddie and Kalas from The Starlight Prince.

Well, not only is N.S. Armstrong an amazing artist, he's also a wonderful author too, and his debut novel SON OF THE FIRST comes out on 14th February 2025.

Read on for the blurb, some character art, and an excerpt from this coming-of-age fantasy.

SOTF-ebook

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Man Finding Himself... in Hell

Alyx Archer never planned to go to Hell—he was more of a "fashion degree and fabulous dresses" kind of guy.

All Alyx wanted was to ace his classes and design outfits with his best friend, Brie. Instead, his life is upturned by a demon attack on campus, and by Brie effortlessly ripping said demon to shreds. Turns out, Brie isn’t your average BFF, she’s the Queen of the Hounds of Hell.

To top it all off, the woman who raised him isn’t his real mum. His actual mother? The legendary Lilith. Cue identity crisis.

Now, instead of worrying about grades and fabric swatches, Alyx is getting dragged down to Hell (literally) by someone Lilith would rather smite than see on her doorstep.

PRE ORDER NOW

And to really whet your appetite, N.S. Armstrong created this stunning art of Lilith, Queen of Demons, and has shared this excerpt of Alyx's first meeting with a demon.

Excerpt from Chapter 3 of Son of the First, by N.S Armstrong

Context: Alyx has been hunted by a demon, sent by one of the high dukes of hell, masquerading as a blonde woman to steal powers he has no knowledge of.
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Alyx was hunched over the sink in the men’s toilets. The remnants of the cold water still dripped from his chin into the basin below. It was quiet. The lunch rush was a few hours away and most other students were deep into ongoing lectures.

Taking a breath, he closed his eyes. His nerves were shot. He simply couldn’t get the blonde woman from the metro out of his head. Her face haunted him. In his dreams, her face would become more pointed, often start to twist and deform, transforming more and more inhuman as the nights passed.
A clink in the room sounded. He opened his eyes and looked around. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Stray pieces of toilet paper littered the speckled tiled floor, its grey flecks jarring against the sun-bleached cream of the walls.

With a click of the tongue, he turned back to look at himself in the mirror. Blinking, he noticed a slight blur to the surface. Like condensation, it caused his reflection to become buried in a fog, until he was just a silhouette.

“What?” he queried, his eyebrows knitting together in bewilderment.

Scanning the row of sinks, the other mirrors above were crystal clear. Not a hint of condensation tarnished the reflected cubicles. He checked that he hadn’t accidentally turned the hot water on by mistake and the lights above blinked. It was quick, but it was enough to cause his shoulders to calcify with tension.

Looking in the mirror, through the misty surface he’d noticed his reflection had changed. There was something above his right shoulder. Glancing behind him there was nothing. He eyed the sinks, but he could still see the shape there.

With his eyebrows pulling tighter above the bridge of his nose, he lifted his shaking right hand to the mirror; the left keeping him sturdy against the sink. He cleared the condensation away. Expecting dampness, what he received was like ash. It flaked down from his hand and into the basin below. Looking back up to where he’d swiped, his breath hitched. His heart felt like it was hammering out of his chest.
Staring back at him, behind his shoulder, she grinned. Her lips splitting further up her cheeks, her eyes sinking deep into her skull, resembling jet-black pools gouged into a smooth marble wall.

Her reflection moved forward, taking over his own form. She mirrored him.

Then, she lunged.

---

I've already pre-ordered my copy and as as I've read it, I'll be sharing my review here. Be sure to pre-order your copy, too!

Until next time, take care & stay creative!

T.T.F.N

sig 2024-1

SURPRISE RELEASE

My Christmas gift to you all - young-adult fantasy short-story, SOLSTICE SPELL, is out now!

Clara Birch has always loved Christmas, and the story of The Nutcracker Prince is her favorite festive fairy tale. That’s why she’s determined to attend town's annual masquerade ball themed around the classic story.

Once at the ball, Clara is rescued by a handsome stranger, who offers to buy her a drink. After just one sip, she passes out. When she awakens, Clara discovers she’s been spirited away to the Land of the Dolls; a kingdom ruled by the Nutcracker Prince she so loves.

But all is not as it seems in the Land of the Dolls. After happening on a secret passageway, Clara discovers the Nutcracker Prince is hiding a terrible secret. The magical Land of the Dolls is nothing more than an illusion.

Now Clara must escape this once enchanting fairy tale realm, before it costs her her soul.

Amazon US | Amazon UK

And, if you want to know what I've been up to recently, and what my goals for 2020 are, please head over to my website blog, where I just posted an update.

A-Z Challenge/ CampNaNoWriMo Theme Reveal

Based on results on a poll, the story I've decided to tell for CampNaNo/ A-Z Challenge is the third draft of Choosing Sides - renamed Triquetra: Book One.

Some of you might be familiar with my urban-fantasy about oppressed witches, as I wrote it during last year's NaNo, too. Since completing the second draft (I actually came up with the idea, and wrote the first draft in 2012) I've decided it's STILL not quite the story I want to tell.

Hopefully this serialised version will be closer to the vision in my head. As this project is only projected to be 54,000 words, it will serve as "book one" of the Triquetra series, and I plan on developing the rest of story ideas into at least two more books.

----

“Should those with the witch gene be prevented from procreating?”

This is the question asked by agents of the Paranormal Investigation Department (PID) in the latest government summit about those with magical abilities.

Being a witch in the current political climate is tough. Since a terrorist attack twenty-years ago, the PID have been cracking down on witches, imprisoning many with magical abilities without trial.

Those the PID don’t catch go into hiding – if they’re lucky. If they’re not, they’re caught by religious fanatics and publicly hung.

----

Chapter Index:

A is for Action
B is for Battle
C is for Casualties
D is for
E is for
F is for
G is for
H is for
I is for
J is for
K is for
L is for
M is for
N is for
O is for
P is for
Q is for
R is for
S is for
T is for
U is for
V is for
U is for
X is for
Y is for
Z is for
Bonus Chapter

NaNoWriMo A-Z Challenge 2019

Yes, I know I haven't updated in almost two months. I have started writing a March entry (which will become a March/ April entry now), but I've been busy with work (YAY! I have work. More on that in the full update). But I wanted to announce my participation in both NaNoWriMo and the A-Z Challenge this April, and ask for your help.

I've always wanted to combine the A-Z Challenge with NaNoWriMo. Some of you may remember me previously serializing All It Takes for the A-Z challenge, and the format works perfectly for me.

This time around I want to write a new(?) story and post a 2,000 word instalment each day for the challenge (the title of the chapter will be a corresponding letter of the alphabet.)

My problem is which story, and this is where y'all come in.

I have four different story ideas, and I want everyone to vote on which you'd like to see me write in April. Part of my reason for doing the challenge the way I am is to attracted new readers to my work, so what better way to do so than by writing something you're all interested in?

Here are the choices (some might be familiar to you, as they're re-writes of previous unpublished works.)

1. LGBT, Sci-Fi romance about parallel universes.

A recent episode of The Flash had me wondering, if parallel universes were real, would you be drawn to the same person from all universes? What happens if you've lost your lover and meet an alternate version of them?

The story I have in mind centres around a young (25-ish) lesbian couple - Sian and Jasmine - who met in uni, and have recently gotten married. Six months after getting married, Jasmine is killed in a car accident. Sometime later, a freak storm opens the doorway between universes, and a version of Jasmine comes through from Earth 2 to Earth 1, where she meets Sian. But E2 Jasmine doesn't know Sian, because in her universe they never met and fell in love.

2. Choosing Sides; urban-fantasy about witches oppressed by the government.

Those of you familiar with my writing will know Choosing Sides is my urban-fantasy novel about three young women, who discover they have magical abilities, in a world that hates those with magic.

This will be my third draft of the story, as I try to get onto the page exactly what is in my mind.

We have Esmee, who works with the 'good' witch resistance, and believes with the right policing witches and non-magical people can live peacefully side-by-side. Nola, who is part of the 'bad' witch rebellion, and believes witches should have power over those without magic. And Maggie, who is part of the PID, a team who believe witches are dangerous and should be imprisoned/ wiped out.

3. YA fantasy about a gender-divided magical school.

This one is a new idea, and I see it as a sort of cross between The Handmaiden's Tail and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

The story centres around a magical society where males are the elite and females are inferior. Men train in magic to become leaders, military, doctors, lawyers and other esteemed professions. Women are taught housekeeping, cooking and child rearing related magic.

Breena enrols at the Arcanium at fifteen, like all others her age, and at first falls in line like the other girls, knowing no better. But as her time progresses, she starts to see the inequality in the world and forms a group to challenge it, eventually uncovering a dark secret about society.

4. Cupid; upper YA/ NA paranormal-romance.

This is another one regulars to my blog will recognise, as it's a re-write of a previously unpublished story.

Eighteen year-old Ruby Collins discovers her biological parents are fae, of the Cupid verity, and now she must give up everything she knows and loves - including her adoptive parents, and her best-friend Lucas, who she's never worked up to courage to admit she's in love with. If she doesn't embrace her new destiny as a Cupid, and help seventy-two couples fall in love before her nineteenth birthday, a dark fae named Abraxas will claim her soul.

So those are my four story ideas. Two romances (though scifi and paranormal) and two fantasy with social commentary.

Whichever gets the most votes, I will write and serialize on my blog during April, and then probably self-publish a paperback edition. The other three will be the projects I work on throughout the rest of the year - so don't worry, you will get to read all four stories eventually.

To vote for your favourite, and the one you'd like to see me write during April, please visit the following poll:

What should Clare Dugmore write for NaNoWriMo/ A-Z Challenge April 2019?

Created with QuizMaker

Magic at Midnight ARC Sign Up and Writing Update

Happy weekend, everyone!

Spring/ summer looks like it's finally here, as the weather in the UK is warming up. We have plans to go to the park a little later, but first I wanted to write a quick update.

I know I have a blog over on my website, but I think I might use this blog to update about my writing only, and then the one on my site to update about my writing AND personal life.

We'll see how it works out...

The rest of this entry is under a read more cut, so please click on the link to find out more about the Snowy Wings Publishing Magic at Midnight: YA Fairytale Anthology, and how I got on doing CampNaNoWriMo in April.

COVER REVEAL: Snowy Wings Publishing YA Fairy Tale Anthology - Magic at Midnight

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Today I'm super excited to reveal the cover for the Snowy Wings Publishing YA Fairy Tale Anthology - Magic at Midnight, which is scheduled for release May 29.

Once upon a time is eternal…

Turn the pages and fall into the enchanting worlds of beloved, age-old fairy tales made new again in this fifteen-story collection from Snowy Wings Publishing.

A girl with long, long hair is trapped in an attic, ensnared by promises of immortality, the radio her only companion. An android wants to believe in her life, that the feelings she has are real—and that she might be just as beautiful as her famous stepsister. A gamer must save her true love from the mysterious, dark entity that has ensnared him in their MMORPG. A modern teen is lured to the fantastical Land of the Dolls, and only her own cunning can help her escape. These are just a few of the bewitching tales found within Magic at Midnight.

From sci-fi to fantasy, contemporary to historical, paranormal and more, there’s a fairy tale retelling in this collection for every reader. Featuring stories from bestselling and award-winning YA authors as well as emerging voices, this anthology will take you to distant worlds and back again—all just familiar enough to make you feel at home.

Add on Goodreads now!

Cover by KimG Design

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My, as of yet, untitled re-telling of the Nutcracker Prince is one of the fifteen stories featured, and here's a little more about it:

Clara Birch has always loved Christmas, and the story of The Nutcracker Prince is her favourite since childhood.

That’s why she’s determined to attend town's annual masquerade ball themed around the classic fairy tale. It doesn't matter that she's only sixteen, and the ball is held at town's most exclusive nightclub, Sugarplums. Clara and her best friend, Maria, are armed with fake IDs, and they're not taking no for an answer.

Once at the ball, Clara is approached by a handsome stranger, who offers to buy her a drink. After just one sip, she passes out. When she awakens, Clara finds herself in a strange realm, and though the world is not her own, it’s oddly familiar to her.

She soon discovers she’s been spirited away to the Land of the Dolls; a kingdom ruled by the Nutcracker Prince she so loved as a child.

But all is not as it seems in the Land of the Dolls. After stumbling upon the palace dungeons, Clara discovers the Nutcracker Prince is hiding a terrible secret. The magical Land of the Dolls is nothing more than an illusion.

Now Clara must escape this once enchanting fairy tale realm, before it costs her her soul.

Luna 4 Lumos

I was on Tumblr earlier, and saw something called Luna 4 Lumos mentioned.

Knowing Lumos - as well as being a spell from the Harry Potter Series - is J.K. Rowling's charity for underprivileged children, I Googled what Luna 4 Lumos was.

Turns out, some Youtubers, lead by Tessa Netting and Dayeanne Hutton, have decided to do a fundraising drive for Lumos, in Luna Lovegood's name.

Why?

Because Lumos is a great cause, and because Luna Lovegood (from the Harry Potter Series) is an icon for the voiceless.

She's different and unique, and not afraid to be true to herself, and it's often people like that, people who don't fit into the mainstream, that need our help.

Many Youtubers have recorded videos for the Luna 4 Lumos tag, including Tessa Netting and Brizzy Voices, to promote the fundraiser.

And there's fun things to unlock, like Harry Potter Movie Marathons with the Youtubers, each time an amount goal is reached!

If you're thinking of donating, here's the Luna 4 Lumos page: https://www.crowdrise.com/luna-for-lumos1

And if you can't afford to donate right now, spreading the word also helps, so a Facebook page has been created to help with that: https://www.facebook.com/Luna4Lumos/

I was very tempted to make my own video for the Luna 4 Lumos tag, but I am terrible in front of the camera, so instead I thought I'd post a blog version of the questions. Please feel free to play along!

Book Release: Watch Me Burn, by Sharon Bayliss

Congratulations Sharon Bayliss, on the release of Book Two of the December People Series; Watch Me Burn!

Book one is amazing, and I'm sure book two will be just as fantastic. I'm currently reading Watch Me Burn, so Watch This Space (sorry, couldn't resist!) for the review!

About Watch Me Burn

David Vandergraff lost his home, his job, and contact with his oldest son, but remains determined to be a good husband and father despite being a dark winter wizard.

His resolve is tested when a flyer for a missing girl—who happens to be a summer witch—begins to haunt him. David believes a spell needs to use him to save her, so he follows the magic’s command and looks into her disappearance. His teenage daughter Emmy resents him for caring so much about a random stranger. But when she uncovers some disturbing evidence close to home, she begins an investigation of her own.

David and Emmy quickly learn that the mystery is not only about a missing girl they barely know, but a deeply personal story that impacts everyone they care about. As their world crumbles, they fear the warning may be true—never mess with summer wizards, because the good guys always win.

Amazon | Goodreads

Watch Me Burn Trailer

Watch Me Burn Teasers

About Sharon Bayliss

An avid daydreamer, Sharon Bayliss has lived in magical version of Austin, Texas for her entire life. So, using a fantastical, alternate history Texas as a setting for her debut novel The Charge, was just “writing what she knows”. To her, nothing goes better with barbecue and live music than robots and superhuman royalty.

As a child, Sharon lived on a 6 ½ acre patch of land with cows for neighbors. She enjoyed playing in mud, collecting frogs, and was so certain that there was a ghost in her closet that her mother admits that she half-expected to really find one there. She began writing her first novel at the age of fifteen (handwritten in a spiral marked ‘private’).

A proud Austinite, Sharon never saw much sense in moving anywhere else and got her degree in social work from the University of Texas at Austin. As an author and social worker, she has devoted her life to making the lives of real people better and the lives of fictional people much, much worse. In addition to her official credentials, she is also an expert in fictional Texas history and make-believe neuroscience.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys living in her “happily-ever-after” with her husband and two young sons. She can be found eating Tex-Mex on patios, wearing flip-flops, and still playing in the mud (which she now calls gardening).

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Guest Post: Winter Solstice - Radical Acceptance

One of the perks of working for CQ is that I get to read amazing books for free! One of my favourite CQ novels of this year is Destruction by Sharon Bayliss, and I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of the sequel, Watch Me Burn on January 5, 2015.

As part of her The December People Winter celebration, Sharon agreed to visit my blog, and talk about the Winter Solstice, which as well as being important to winter wizards like the Vandergraff's, is important to me, as it's the date of my youngest's birthday.

To go along with Sharon's guest post, I've also written a review of Destruction, which can be found here.

Take it away, Sharon ...

Traditionally, the winter solstice is primarily a celebration of light, but the dark wizards in The December People Series use this day to celebrate the darkness itself. They are called to "experience" the darkness, and appreciate what the darkness has to offer. Dark wizards are often fighting against what they are, so radically accepting their own darkness is a powerful act.

Although most of us aren't having to accept the fact that we're dark wizards, almost everybody could benefit from radical acceptance. Radical acceptance is the ability to experience and accept ourselves and our lives exactly as they are right now. It sounds simple enough, but it's a pretty big deal.

Recently I decided to stop trying to lose weight, and just focus on exercising and eating healthy, without stressing about numbers on a scale. When I made that decision, I realized that I'd never done that before. Ever since I've been fourteen, I've been trying to change my body in some way. I don't consider myself as someone with low self-esteem or body issues, but I was always working toward something. Trying to lose weight. Trying to look good for a summer vacation. Trying to train for a marathon. It was always about what I wanted my body to be in the future, and never what it was right in that moment. Deciding to actually be okay with exactly how I look now was a major change for me.

Radical acceptance is not just about your body. It's about living in the present in all ways, and accepting yourself and you life. Being grateful for what you have instead of hoping you'll have more in the future. It can also be helpful for emotional issues. Of course you want to feel better, but it's also okay to not fight negative feelings. You can be depressed and anxious sometimes. You can grieve. You can be afraid. It's only human.

On the darkest day of the year, take a moment to just experience yourself and your life. Keep your head out of the past and out of the future, and appreciate the present.

About the author:

Sharon Bayliss is the author of the dark wizard family drama, The December People Series. When she’s not writing, she enjoys living happily-ever-after with her husband and two young sons. She can be found eating Tex-Mex on patios, wearing flip-flops, and playing in the mud (which she calls gardening). She only practices magic in emergencies.

www.sharonbayliss.com

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Begin the series with Destruction for only 99 cents (12/1-12/21 only)!

Semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Review Awards and #1 category bestseller in coming of age fantasy.

About Destruction:

David Vandergraff wants to be a good man. He goes to church every Sunday, keeps his lawn trim and green, and loves his wife and kids more than anything.

Unfortunately, being a dark wizard isn't a choice.

Eleven years ago, David's secret second family went missing. When his two lost children are finally found, he learns they suffered years of unthinkable abuse. Ready to make things right, David brings the kids home even though it could mean losing the wife he can’t imagine living without.

Keeping his life together becomes harder when the new children claim to be dark wizards. David believes they use this fantasy to cope with their trauma. Until, David's wife admits a secret of her own—she is a dark wizard too, as is David, and all of their children.

Now, David must parent two hurting children from a dark world he doesn’t understand and keep his family from falling apart. All while dealing with the realization that everyone he loves, including himself, may be evil.

About Watch Me Burn:

David Vandergraff lost his home, his job, and contact with his oldest son, but remains determined to be a good husband and father despite being a dark winter wizard.

His resolve is tested when a flyer for a missing girl--who happens to be a summer witch--begins to haunt him. David believes a spell needs to use him to save her, so he follows the magic's command and looks into her disappearance. His teenage daughter Emmy resents him for caring so much about a random stranger. But when she uncovers some disturbing evidence close to home, she begins an investigation of her own.

David and Emmy quickly learn that the mystery is not only about a missing girl they barely know, but a deeply personal story that impacts everyone they care about. As their world crumbles, they fear the warning may be true—never mess with summer wizards, because the good guys always win.

ADD ON GOODREADS

PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON

Enter to win!! Get a paperback of your choice of Destruction OR Watch Me Burn. International entries welcome. Also join The December People Winter Celebration for more giveaways!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

COVER REVEAL: Watch Me Burn, by Sharon Bayliss

I am thrilled to take part in the cover and trailer reveal for Book 2 in The December People Series, Watch Me Burn!

So without further ado...

A note from the author:

Thank you to artist Michelle Johnson and the whole team at Curiosity Quills Press for creating a cover I love!

If you haven't guessed it by now, you'll see a butterfly on the cover of every book in The December People Series. The butterfly is a symbol of transformation, hope, freedom, and generally creepy crawlies turning into beautiful things. And also...look how pretty! ;)

Instead of the broken glass from Destruction, this butterfly is surrounded by fire, and it's probably obvious why from the title. Watch Me Burn is the summer book in the series. All the books center around my winter wizard family, but each book takes us deeper into a different season. Summer wizards are the "light" wizards, but light also means HEAT and FIRE.

More about Watch Me Burn:

David Vandergraff lost his home, his job, and contact with his oldest son, but remains determined to be a good husband and father despite being a dark winter wizard.

His resolve is tested when a flyer for a missing girl--who happens to be a summer witch--begins to haunt him. David believes a spell needs to use him to save her, so he follows the magic's command and looks into her disappearance. His teenage daughter Emmy resents him for caring so much about a random stranger. But when she uncovers some disturbing evidence close to home, she begins an investigation of her own.

David and Emmy quickly learn that the mystery is not only about a missing girl they barely know, but a deeply personal story that impacts everyone they care about. As their world crumbles, they fear the warning may be true—never mess with summer wizards, because the good guys always win.

ADD ON GOODREADS

PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON

If you're new to The December People Series, start with Destruction--99 cents for a limited time!

Enter to win!! Get a paperback of your choice of Destruction OR Watch Me Burn. International entries welcome. Also join The December People Winter Celebration for more giveaways!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Destruction Blog Tour: The Magic of The December People Series by Sharon Bayliss

Hey Folks!

I'm here today as part of Sharon Bayliss' tour for her newly released urban-fantasy, Destruction, which is book one of The December People Series.

I was lucky enough to read Destruction before release, and instantly feel in love with the world Sharon has created in The December People Series. Her take on wizards and magic is so original and intriguing that I knew I had to invite her to my blog to talk about it when the Destruction tour rolled around.

Take it away, Sharon ...

One of the really fun things about writing a story about wizards is creating your own magical concepts and spells. The magic in The December People Series is intended to feel as real as possible, so I based my magic on "real" magic. By "real" magic, I mean I adapted ideas from pagan and religious practices and was inspired by what I consider to be real magical concepts--things like love, faith, prayer, self-confidence, and visualizing and realizing your own destiny.

An important thing about magic in The December People Series is it's simplicity. Wizards do participate in rituals, but the most powerful spells are incredibly simple. Basically a wizard wants something--like money, love, revenge, etc.--and it comes to be. There is no wand waving or incantations...although speaking the goal out loud can help with the spell's power and precision. Although casting spells in The December People is simple, it doesn't mean it's easy. Wizards must work within the natural realm. If they want someone dead, they can't simply shout avada kedavra and the victim drops dead. A wizard wishes someone dead, and then they wait for the spell to take it's course through natural means. Common wizard induced deaths are sudden health problems like stroke and heart attack or accidents.

However, if magic was as simple as it sounds, all wizards would be extremely happy millionaires. On the contrary, wizards are prone to short lives and all sorts of misfortunes. Although their magic is powerful, most wizards don't understand how to use it. It's like trying to design a bomb with only a few lines of instructions. With a wizard spell, you can determine the ends, but you can't determine the means. So, if you cast a spell to get money, chances are, the means won't be worth the ends, especially if you're a dark wizard who wields destructive magic. You'll probably get your money because your husband dies and you get his life insurance. Or, you or someone you love will be paralyzed in an accident and you'll win settlement money. Since magic is extremely dangerous in this way, smart wizards don't use it to get frivolous things like money.

Here are some examples of magic you'll see in book one of The December People Series:

Catalyst spells - Perhaps the simplest and most dangerous type of spell, catalyst spells involve adjusting fate to get something you want. Most wizards can control the ends, but not the means.

Perception - When wizards are paying attention, they can be extremely perceptive, to the point that they can almost read minds and see the future. They can also perceive the world around them without the use of their Mundane senses.

Force of body or mind - Used defensively or offensively, and sometimes unintentionally, wizards can send their magic outside of themselves to impact the body or mind of another. With winter wizards, this is almost always done to cause pain or distress, however other types of wizards can create a calming or otherwise positive effect.

Prophecy - Outside of simple perception, some talented wizards can see events in the future. These are generally events that are significant enough that they leave a mark on time that wizards are able to see.

Shielding - To protect themselves, some wizards can actually slide out of consciousness, or make themselves unaware of certain facts.

Expungement - Whereas shielding is done to oneself, expungement is removing memories or thoughts from another person. A similar skill is saving or manipulating memories, although the latter is extremely difficult.

Show or Frivolous Magic - This type of magic has no real purpose and is mostly used in rituals. Generally it means manifesting your magic into something that can be seen, like light.

Talismans - This protective magic is ritualized by keeping actual objects to symbolize protection, but the real power comes from genuine talismans, which are always people. A wizard's talisman is a person who's love or loyalty protects their soul from harm. This is especially important for winter wizards whose magic can easily corrupt the soul.

Types of Wizards - Wizards' magic is classified by the solar year, and wizards are generally defined by the season in which they fall. Their season determines the quality of their magic, and impacts both the means and the ends of spells. Winter magic is destructive, which means that no matter their goal, their magic will always have a destructive quality.

Now that you've completed your Cliff Notes style magical education, you probably already know more about magic than most of the characters in The December People. :)

As the series progresses, you can look forward to learning about new types of magic, especially magic wielded by the other seasons.

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BARNES AND NOBLE

Eleven years ago, David's secret second family went missing. When his two lost children are finally found, he learns they suffered years of unthinkable abuse. Ready to make things right, David brings the kids home even though it could mean losing the wife he can’t imagine living without.

Keeping his life together becomes harder when the new children claim to be dark wizards. David believes they use this fantasy to cope with their trauma. Until, David's wife admits a secret of her own—she is a dark wizard too, as is David, and all of their children.

Now, David must parent two hurting children from a dark world he doesn’t understand and keep his family from falling apart. All while dealing with the realization that everyone he loves, including himself, may be evil.

Destruction (Book One of The December People Series)

The Author

Sharon Bayliss is the author of The December People Series and The Charge. When she’s not writing, she enjoys living happily-ever-after with her husband and two young sons. She can be found eating Tex-Mex on patios, wearing flip-flops, and playing in the mud (which she calls gardening). She only practices magic in emergencies.

www.sharonbayliss.com - @SharonBayliss - https://www.facebook.com/authorsharonbayliss

Destruction by Sharon Bayliss Release Day Blitz

Introducing a new dark wizard family drama, Destruction by Sharon Bayliss, Book One in The December People Series.