Cover Reveal: The Witching Hour Collection

The Witching Hour Collection by Various

Expected Publication: November 30, 2015

Good witch. Bad witch. White magic. Black magic. Kitchen magic. Pick your potion. Ready for Halloween? The authors of the Blazing Indie Collective, who brought you the Falling in Deep Collection, are brewing up something new. Check out all the novellas in The Witching Hour Collection coming November 2015:

Melanie Karsak: Witch Wood

Claire C. Riley: Raven's Cove

Eli Constant: Sleeping in the Forest of Shadows

Elizabeth Watasin: Charm School: The Wrecking Faerie

Erin Hayes: I'd Rather be a Witch

Carrie Wells: Playing with Magic

Evan Winters: The Witch of Bracken’s Hollow

Minerva Lee: Spun Gold

Blaire Edens: The Witch of Roan Mountain

Poppy Lawless: The Cupcake Witch

The Authors

 Melanie Karsak          Carrie Wells          Claire C. Riley          Elizabeth Watasin

 Eli Constant          Poppy Lawless          Blaire Edens          Erin Hayes

 Evan Winters          Minerva Lee

My Thoughts: 

I love collections like this because it is a great way to discover new authors and read new books/novellas by some of my favorite authors. I also love them because you have a general theme and each story has its own take. I am excited to get this one when it comes out, and hopefully I will have time to read some of the stories right away. 

I want to hear what you think!

Let me know in the comments

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Lady MacBeth Blog Tour: Review and Giveawy

Welcome to Unabridged Bookshelf's stop on the Lady MacBeth Blog Tour!  Make sure to check out everything going on during this tour by clicking the banner above. 

About the Book

Title: Lady MacBeth: Daughter of the Ravens

Author: Melanie Karsak

Series:The Saga of Lady MacBeth

Publication Date: December 3, 2014

Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Purchase: Amazon 

Something wicked this way comes . . .
Gruoch is born to rule, but long before she becomes Macbeth’s queen, ancient forces claim her soul.
Marked from birth by the old gods, Gruoch is initiated into the ancient religion of her ancestors and begins learning the mysteries of the Goddess Cerridwen. But not everything is as it seems. Soon the Battle Goddess Morrigu imposes her will, and Gruoch finds herself at the mercy of the Wyrd Sisters.
With King Malcolm plotting, the Wyrd Sisters schooling her in arcane craft, and haunted by dreams of a raven-haired man she’s never met, Gruoch feels her fate is not her own. That is, until she meets a druid named Banquo. Gruoch’s heart is swept away when Banquo awakens something in her more powerful than duty, magic, or destiny: love.
This retelling of Shakespeare’s classic work leads readers through an unforgettable saga of one woman struggling to escape her fate without blood on her hands.
Begin the Lady Mabeth Saga with Lady Macbeth: Daughter of Ravens.

About the Author

Melanie Karsak is the author of the Amazon best-selling steampunk series The Airship Racing
Chronicles (Chasing the Star Garden and Chasing the  Green Fairy) and the award-wining horror/dark fantasy Harvesting Series. She grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master’s degree in English from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.

   

My Review of Lady MacBeth

*Notice: This is an adult story meant for readers 18 and over*

Witchcraft, vengeance, and love that is my type of Fantasy story, and Lady MacBeth covers all the bases. I love the beauty of the magic featured in Lady MacBeth, and this first installment is actually quite innocent compared to the original tragedy written by Shakespeare. Even though I have never read MacBeth, I still know the general story, and Lady MacBeth is much like a prequel to Shakespeare version but with unique elements crafted by the author, Melanie Karsak. In the original play, Lady MacBeth is very unlikeable character, but in Lady Macbeth: Daughter of the Ravens, I could not help but adore her and root for her as her story begins.

I am curious to see how Melanie Karsak adds to the story with the next installment in the Daughter of the Ravens series. Is she going to stray from the original story, or take the original and give it a spin in her own way. Corbie, the future Lady MacBeth, is just discovering herself and her magical ancestry. I love watching her go from scared teenager to a woman who except her power. I also love seeing her discover her past lives and those that she has loved in past lives, and rekindle her love for Banquo.

I became a fan of Melanie Karsak’s after her zombie novel, The Harvesting, which I loved immensely. I knew I had to try her new take on MacBeth, even if I had not read the play before, due to her talent for sucking readers in with her stories. Lady MacBeth is no exception, I found myself sucked in, and unable to put the story down no matter what interruptions tried to steal my attention. This is not always the case when I read, but the way Melanie Karsak writes this story, I just had to finish it and find out what happens to Corbie.

I cannot wait to see what happens in the next installment of The Saga of Lady Macbeth, because the almost cliffhanger way the story is left. I have to know what is in store for Corbie, and I know the next book is one that I am going to by hanging on a thread as I read. 

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book, in exchange for an honest review**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: The Shadow Aspect

The Shadow Aspect by Melanie Karsak
The Harvesting #2

Expected Publication: Summer/Fall 2014
 Cover Design by Princess of Shadows
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Young Adult, Zombies

When Layla took the final step through the labyrinth, she knew she was saving the ones she loved.

She couldn’t have been more wrong.

The unwitting victims of a grudge seething for eons, Layla and the other survivors now find themselves in a war for our world. With vampires lurking and shapeshifters plotting vengeance, Layla must learn who to trust if humanity has any hope of survival: the carnie girl? The quiet doctor? The tarot reader? The stranger with alluring gold eyes? Or the man she loves? And then there are the voices. What does it forewarn if the dead can speak?

When the world burns, mankind’s shadow side rises. Do we deserve to survive?

 About the Author

Melanie Karsak grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master's degree in English from
Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.

  

My Thoughts: I loved the originality of The Harvesting, and I am curious where the end scenes of the book fit into the story. It looks like The Shadow Aspect is going to answer that for me. I hope it is just as action packed, and original as The Harvesting, if not more. I also like that The Shadow Aspect works well with the updated cover for The Harvesting. It is very eye catching, and the girl on the cover looks like she can certainly handle herself.

I want to hear what you think!

Let me know in the comments

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Cover Reveal: The Harvesting

The Harvesting by Melanie Karsak
The Harvesting #1

 Cover Design: Princess of Shadows
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Young Adult, Zombies
Buy Now at Amazon

The world, it seemed, had gone silent. It was something we knew but did not talk about. We were alone.”

While Layla Petrovich returns home to rural Hamletville after a desperate call from her psychic grandmother, she never could have anticipated the horror of what Grandma Petrovich has foreseen. The residents of Hamletville will need Layla’s cool head, fast blade and itchy trigger finger to survive the undead apocalypse that’s upon them. But even that may not be enough. With mankind silenced, it soon becomes apparent that we were never alone. As the beings living on the fringe seek power, Layla must find a way to protect the ones she loves or all humanity may be lost.

This exciting new dark fantasy/horror hybrid blends the best of the zombie genre with all the elements a fantasy reader loves!

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up undead!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

 About the Author

Melanie Karsak grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master's degree in English
from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.

   

My Thoughts: While I love the dark foreboding of the forest on the original cover, I think the new cover is gorgeous. The flames and the girl with the sword are eye catching, and make me want to read this story again.

I want to hear what you think!

Let me know in the comments

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

The Harvesting Blog Tour with Review and Giveaway

Today I have the pleasure of being a stop on The Harvesting blog tour organized by AToMR Book Tours. I have a review and there is a tour wide giveaway! Make sure to check out all the fun on the tour by clicking the banner above!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Harvesting

Author: Melanie Karsak

Release date: September 18, 2012

Age Group:  New Adult/Adult

Genre: Horror and Fantasy, Zombie

Amazon | Smashwords 

“To label this a zombie book would be a false pretense . . . this is so much more than that. What you start out with and what you end up with are very different, and those twists and turns in the middle will make your heart beat faster over and over again."-- Colossal Pop
It's all fun and games until someone ends up undead.
Though Layla reluctantly returns home to rural Hamletville after a desperate call from her psychic grandmother, she could never have anticipated the horror of what Grandma Petrovich has foreseen. The residents of Hamletville will need Layla's help if they are to survive the zombie apocalypse that's upon them. But that is not the only problem. With mankind silenced, it soon becomes apparent that we were never alone. As the beings living on the fringe seek to reclaim power, Layla must find a way to protect the ones she loves or all humanity may be lost.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melanie Karsak, steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and caffeine junkie, resides in Florida with her husband and two children. Melanie is the author of "The Harvesting" series. Visit the author at her blog, melaniekarsak.blogspot.com, to learn more about upcoming projects, book signings, and other neato things.

FOLLOW MELANIE

Website | Twitter | Facebook 

MY REVIEW

Book Blitz: The Harvesting

Today I am participating in a Book Blitz spotlight on The Harvesting by Melanie Karsak.
Thank you to The Bookish Brunette for allowing me to participate!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Harvesting

Author: Melanie Karsak

Series: The Harvesting Series #1

Publication Date: September 18, 2012

Length: 394 Pages

Purchase: Amazon

"To label this a zombie book would be a false pretense . . . this is so much more than that. What you start out with and what you end up with are very different, and those twists and turns in the middle will make your heart beat faster over and over again."-- Colossal Pop

It's all fun and games until someone ends up undead.

Though Layla reluctantly returns home to rural Hamletville after a desperate call from her psychic grandmother, she could never have anticipated the horror of what Grandma Petrovich has foreseen. The residents of Hamletville will need Layla's help if they are to survive the zombie apocalypse that's upon them. But that is not the only problem. With mankind silenced, it soon becomes apparent that we were never alone. As the beings living on the fringe seek to reclaim power, Layla must find a way to protect the ones she loves or all humanity may be lost. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melanie Karsak, steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and caffeine junkie, resides in Florida with her husband and two children. Visit the author at her blog to learn more about upcoming projects, book signings, and other neato things. A Walking Dead fan, check out her blog for recaps!

BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Thank you for stopping by Unabridged Bookshelf!