Today we launch Circle of Witches: The Midwinter Blog Tour! It’s a celebration of the long-awaited release of Circle of Witches, and over the next 10 days I’ll be visiting some of the best websites around the web with interviews, essays, contests, and other fun stuff. All of it will be linked daily here from my home page, so if you subscribe to my feed, follow me on Facebook, or hook-up with me on Twitter you’ll be able to keep track of me during the tour as it happens!

A GOTHIC ROMANCE. MISTY MOORS. ANCIENT SECRETS. FORBIDDEN PASSIONS. Her mother had always been afraid. That’s what Damaris remembered. From the time she was a little girl until the day her mother died, she had seen the fear in her eyes. But now she understood. Now she was afraid, too. Young Damaris wanted more than anything to be happy at Thornoak, the ancient manor owned by her aunt and uncle. Adventuring through the wide, open beauty of the Dale in the company of her rambunctious cousins she rediscovered a joy she had thought lost with the death of her parents. And in the deep, storm-tossed eyes of Lauran Ashbrigg she was surprised to find an entirely new emotion. But even under the warm and inviting sun, Damaris is chilled by the undeniable fact that the family which claims to welcome and love her is hiding truths from her: The truth of the Lady Stone. The truth of the Old Ways. The truth of moon and star and witchcraft. The truth of her mother’s death. Kindle Edition - Kindle UK - Nook Edition - SmashwordsTrade Paperback

A FINAL EVENT…

The winter solstice has arrived and, with it, the end of the Midwinter Blog Tour! But before we bring things to a close, we do have one last special event planned to celebrate the release of Circle of Witches: The Great Midwinter Blog Tour Quiz.

Here’s how it’s going to work: At the link below, you’ll find a list of twelve questions. They can all be found within either the guest posts, interviews, or sample chapters of Circle of Witches which have been posted during the Midwinter Blog Tour. (And you can find links to all those posts on the blog tour’s home page.) Submit your answers and, if you’re right, you’ll be entered to win a signed copy of Circle of Witches and a free e-book of your choice!

TAKE THE GREAT MIDWINTER BLOG TOUR QUIZ NOW!

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES

December 10th: Cancer vs. the Author with Patricia Stoltey
December 10th: Behind-the-Scenes Interview at the LadyKillers
December 11th: Cover Remake Contest at the Authoress
December 12th: The Perils of Offering Your Agent a Book Different Than Your Others at Let Them Read Books
December 13th: A Few of My Favorite Things (Interview) at the Novel Toybox
December 14th: A Digital Chat (Interview) at the Authoress
December 15th: A Pit Stop at Addicted to Novels
December 16th: A Thoughtful Lingering (Interview) with Sharon Kay Penman
December 17th: Designing a Cover at the Alexandrian
December 18th: A Review at Tiffany’s Bookshelf
December 19th: A Guided Tour of the Yorkshire Dales (Interview) at the Hopeful Heroine

READ THE BOOK!

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

PRAISE FOR MARGARET FRAZER

If Circle of Witches is the first time we’ve become acquainted as author and reader, you might want to check the sidebar to your right to see some of my other novels.

“Exquisitely written, the novel offers a brilliantly realized vision… Suspenseful from start to surprising conclusion, this is another gem from an author who’s twice been nominated for an Edgar.” – Publisher’s Weekly

“Love the passionate attention to detail in character, custom, and setting, and the sympathetic creation of believable people and events. Essential.” – Library Journal of New York

“A lovingly told story, rich with fascinating description. Ms. Frazer provides a real treat for lovers of all things.” – Toby Bromberg, Romantic Times

“The writing is seamless… Rich period detail, canny characterization, and a lively plot should endear her tales to anyone…” – Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Mystery… Suspense… Frazer executes with audacity and ingenuity.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Weaves a budding romance and a grand, unrequited passion with a bold and dangerous plot… Great fun for all!” – Alfred Hitchcock Magazine

“Frazer’s books will be among those I read as soon as I see them.” – Houston Facts

Twice nominated for the Minnesota Book Award.
Twice nominated for the Edgar Award.
A Romantic Times Top Pick.

– Margaret

With the long nights of midwinter approaching, allow me to lighten your days with Circle of Witches: The Midwinter Blog Tour!

For ten days, starting on December 10th, I’ll be making daily stops at blogs all around the web for interviews, guest posts, contests, and other fun stuff! If you’d like to keep me company, please subscribe to my feed, follow me on Facebook, or hook-up with me on Twitter to keep track of me during the tour as it happens!

– Margaret

A GOTHIC ROMANCE.
MISTY MOORS. ANCIENT SECRETS. FORBIDDEN PASSIONS.

Her mother had always been afraid. That’s what Damaris remembered. From the time she was a little girl until the day her mother died, she had seen the fear in her eyes.

But now she understood. Now she was afraid, too.

Young Damaris wanted more than anything to be happy at Thornoak, the ancient manor owned by her aunt and uncle. Adventuring through the wide, open beauty of the Dale in the company of her rambunctious cousins she rediscovered a joy she had thought lost with the death of her parents. And in the deep, storm-tossed eyes of Lauran Ashbrigg she was surprised to find an entirely new emotion.

But even under the warm and inviting sun, Damaris is chilled by the undeniable fact that the family which claims to welcome and love her is hiding truths from her: The truth of the Lady Stone. The truth of the Old Ways. The truth of moon and star and witchcraft.

The truth of her mother’s death.

Kindle Edition – Kindle UK – Nook Edition – Smashwords

I’ve been waiting a long time for this.

It started back in 1983 or 1984. I had two young sons I had just reared out of infancy and it had been a long time since I had written everything. I needed to prove to myself that I could still do it. So when my husband took the children for a vacation to visit their grandmother and aunt in California, I spent my own vacation (from them!) to write Circle of Witches.

I proved my point, and a few years later that gave me the confidence to take the leap in writing The Novice’s Tale and launching my professional career.

Over the past twenty-plus years, however, I have periodically submitted Circle of Witches to agents and publishers — the gatekeepers of the written word in 20th century America. And I received the same response time and time again: “What a wonderful book! But I don’t know how to market it.” Or who to sell it to. Or who might buy it.

Apparently it is not historical enough to be a historical novel; nor romantic enough to be a romance novel; nor lurid enough to be a horror novel. People enjoy reading it, but the industry doesn’t know who they can sell it to. And so you haven’t been allowed to see it.

But the world has changed. The success of independent publishing being driven by the Kindle, Nook, and iPad — which I have experienced first-hand in reissuing my out-of-print Frevisse novels — allows authors like me to bypass the gatekeepers and marketers and deliver the book straight to the readers.

And I am so very excited, at long last, to be able to offer this book to all of you.

So, if Circle of Witches doesn’t fit comfortably into an existing genre, what sort of books is it? A gothic romance in the classic sense of the term: Strange secrets lurking the forgotten recesses of ancient manor houses. Damsels in distress. Dark mystery mixed with starry-eyed romance.

Or, as my son insists on saying, “it’s like Twilight and Jane Austen had a baby”. (He is truly a comfort to me in my declining years…)

Circle of Witches has been released for both the Kindle and the Nook. It can also be read on any iPad, Android, Windows PC, Mac, or Blackberry device using either the free Kindle Reading Apps or the free Nook Apps for those platforms. It will also be available through the iBookstore and Kobo.com shortly, but those outlets take much longer to process new e-books than Amazon or B&N.

– Margaret