Illicit Magic by Camilla Chafer
Published: May 1, 2011 by Audacious
More than three hundred years after the most terrifying witch hunts the world has ever known, it's happening again.
Young witch, Stella, has to put her faith in strangers just to stay alive but she might not be any safer in their midst than from the danger she is running from.
There is more than one dark secret in her new family: Étoile’s sister is spoken of in fear and sadness; Marc is supposed to be a powerful witch but is missing his magic; where does the owner of their safe house vanish to every day and why does Evan have the eyes of someone not quite human? There is only one secret that someone will do anything to keep quiet, but whose secret is it and will Stella have to pay the price for silence?
Young witch, Stella, has to put her faith in strangers just to stay alive but she might not be any safer in their midst than from the danger she is running from.
There is more than one dark secret in her new family: Étoile’s sister is spoken of in fear and sadness; Marc is supposed to be a powerful witch but is missing his magic; where does the owner of their safe house vanish to every day and why does Evan have the eyes of someone not quite human? There is only one secret that someone will do anything to keep quiet, but whose secret is it and will Stella have to pay the price for silence?
Guest Post:
When I first started thinking about writing about witches, I knew I didn’t want to do a traditional tale of spellcraft. No frogs, toads and lizard tails solely for my witches! Instead I wanted magic to be a very intrinsic part of their being, something that comes as naturally to them as breathing. When they use their magic it’s simply an extension of themselves, much like another sense. However, there are some that specialize in spellcraft and we’ll meet them too.
Our heroine, Stella, hasn’t had the benefit of growing up in a witch family. Instead she’s been left, untutored, in an almost hostile human world. Without training, her magic is frightening, uncontrollable and very isolating. She “shimmers” or dematerializes by accident, appearing unexpectedly in a different location and her telekinetic “burden” means things happen around her, often bursting forth when she is angry or frightened. Despite not understanding how her magic works, or even what it is, it’s her ability to shimmer that enables her to escape the dangerous witch hunters who chase her one dark night.
Each of my witches is a little different. There’s Etoile who is psychic and can dematerialize at will, Kitty who controls the weather, and David who is a master of spellcraft. And then there’s Marc, the son of powerful witches, who unfathomably has no magic of his own. On meeting a witch in this world, you never know what skills they possess or how strong they are. Magic is neither good nor evil in this world. It can be a great aid, it can corrupt horribly and it can also be a great comfort.
Despite the innate nature of their magic, my witches still need to learn to control it. As Stella’s control grows other abilities appear, and her personality changes so she’s more relaxed and comfortable in her own skin, enabling her to form the relationships she craves with her new friends and love interest, the enigmatic Evan. Gradually, her power grows, Stella is able to move objects at will, shimmer to locations of her choosing and protect herself. But as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibilities and we’ll see the effects of too much power on some of the witches and the devastating legacy it can lead.
About the author:
Hi, I'm Camilla and I'm the author of the Stella Mayweather Series, an urban fantasy/mystery. The series starts with Illicit Magic and a lonely young woman, Stella, who has been caught up in a terrifying witch hunt and is whisked thousands of miles away to what she thinks is safety to learn her craft. The series is a blend of magic, mystery and romance with a splash of humour - and while the girls really do go all out to save themselves, there's always a hunky guy or two on hand to help them out. The series continues with Unruly Magic and Devious Magic, both out now.
I live in London, England, but I try to travel as often as I can – I’ve been all over the US and Europe. In my day job I'm a journalist and editor so I write for magazines, newspapers and websites throughout the world (my favourite assignment was spending a week riding rollercoasters - if you listen carefully you can probably still hear me screaming) but writing fiction has always been my first love.
You can find out more about Camilla Chafer and how to connect with her on her website.
Giveaway:
1 winner will receive an eBook of Illicit Magic by Camilla Chafer.
How to enter:
+1 Follow Krazy Book Lady in whatever way you choose.
+1 Tweet about this giveaway. Here's the tweet to use:
I want to #win ILLICIT MAGIC by Camilla Chafer @camillawrites from @KrazyBookLady! http://bit.ly/H9zVXb
Giveaway details:
Giveaway is open internationally. This giveaway will run until midnight EST on April 23. Must be 13 or older to enter. Winner will be chosen using Random.org. Winner will be emailed and this blog post will be updated to include the name of the winner. Winner has 3 days to contact me or a new winner will be selected.
Sorry! This giveaway is now over.
Winner: Alyssa
Thanks for joining me on tour today and good luck to all entrants!
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