Join us for this tour from Nov 18 to Dec 22, 2018!
Book Details:
Book Title: MagesUnbound: Book 2 of the Fifth Mage War Seriesby Laura Engelhardt
Series: Fifth Mage War Series
Category: Adult fiction (18+), 480 pages
Genre: Paranormal Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Laura Engelhardt
Release date: Nov 2020
Content Rating: PG-13 + M for battle sequences, bad
language including F-words, and adult-themes mildly referenced. Euphemisms are
used in lieu of graphic descriptions of sex/violence. There is NO sexual
violence or child abuse.
Book Description:
It’s ironic to find out your whole life has been a lie when you’re married
to a truth-teller.
If only Mary could find some humor in it. She’s drowning her sorrow in
vodka and song when a surprise visit from her youngest sister jolts her into
accepting the magical reality hidden from her for fifty years.
Mary’s
epiphany can’t come soon enough because her fresh start may be the only thing
that can save her siblings and the world from an utter melt-down.
As the
two Bant sisters grapple with sirens, faeries and the FBI in America, their
brother is trapped in a high-stakes game of mage politics in Australia.
Meanwhile, middle-sister Amy’s malfunctioning mage-sight forces her to seek
help from the very same mages who tricked her once before.
Can Mary pull herself together in time to rescue her family from the coming
war?
Mages Unbound is a paranormal women's fiction novel, told from the
perspective of the Bant family members. This is Book 2 in the Fifth Mage War
Series, a magical epic about sirens, fae, and family ties.
Book Title:Sirens Unbound: Book 1 of the Fifth Mage War Seriesby Laura Engelhardt
Series: Fifth Mage War Series
Category: Adult fiction (18+), 548 pages
Genre: Paranormal Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Laura Engelhardt
Release date: July 29, 2019
Content Rating: PG-13 + M for battle sequences, bad
language including F-words, and adult-themes mildly referenced. Euphemisms are
used in lieu of graphic descriptions of sex/violence. There is NO sexual
violence or child abuse.
"Loved it! Members of the Bant family become entwined in an upcoming
mage war in this epic urban fantasy novel about sirens, fae, and family
ties." -- Michelle Hogmire, Reedsy Discovery
"a unique take and meshing of different established ideas... Sirens that
feed and aid? Fae trapped in England as a prisoner camp? Mage's getting
optical surgery for magick sight? I really loved the combination of ideas and
I thought they all worked together surprisingly well ... I found myself
immersed in watching the fae emerge and interested in Amy's work. I
appreciated not being talked down to on either side, as a reader. Some writers
over-explain or use too much jargon. This was just the right mix for me. And
the descriptions placed me in each scene. I'd definitely buy this." --
Mel Candea, Ink & Insights
Book Description:
Amy’s day starts with three things: Coffee, breakfast, then brains. In that
order.
Relax, it’s not what you think. She’s just your everyday neurosurgeon
who can fix everyone’s brain but her own. It doesn’t matter if she has fifty
years of life experience and regularly works with mages—she’s still a
mundane.
She’s turning fifty, and her last achievement was what, ten years ago? She’s
not sure if anyone even remembers it.
Determined not to be a one-hit-wonder, Amy jumps head-first into a new
opportunity. Literally.
Some people have affairs to deal with a midlife
crisis—Amy has brain surgery.
The results are even bigger than her career ambitions, and Dr. Amy Bant will
need the help of her siblings to survive what comes next. Cordelia, an
agoraphobic underwater photographer, Thomas, a playboy with a Brazilian
tourism business, and Mary, a choir director with a truth-teller husband are
all keys to unlocking secrets a whole lot closer to home than any of them
could have realized.
Turning fifty doesn’t have to be mundane—not when you’re in the Bant
family!
Sirens Unbound is a paranormal women’s fiction novel told
from each member of the Bant family. This is Book 1 in the Fifth Mage War
Series, a magical epic about sirens, fae, and family ties.
Author Interview Q: One of your characters is a singer, do you listen to
music while writing? A: It's too distracting. If I start playing anything,
I stop writing to listen to it. But when I sketch out my scenes, I often go for
a walk and listen to music. I also listen to music while doing research — often
when I'm looking to create a feeling for a scene, I'll listen to different
genres of music to see what fits best. I'm rather eclectic in my taste, and
listen to everything from rap to jazz standards to pop to country to opera.
Q: Do you know how the series will end? A: Well, I know how the war will end, but not who
will "win." This isn't the kind of good vs. evil conflict where one
side gets to declare ultimate victory. This is the heartbreaking kind of war
where everyone loses, even the "winners."
Q: What comes first, the plot or the characters? A: I'm more of a character-driven writer. So start by
imagining my main characters, then the kind of relationships with each other
that they have. I also start imagining my world and the kind of creatures and
developing a magick system. Only then does my plot start to come together. But
as it does, more characters come into play and start to get developed.
Q: What is the most challenging book you've read this
year? A: Well, I just finished Harrow the Ninth. The
author is such a fantastic writer, but this book was a hard read. The main
character experienced a completely different reality from the events of the
first book for the first 2/3 of the story, so I had a hard time finding an
anchor. But her writing is so beautiful – she merges the visceral with the meta
in such a way that's just a bit too gritty to be poetic. So I'll pick up Book 3
of her series when it comes out with the hope that she's a little gentler on
her readers with that one.
Q: Have you ever gotten reader's block? A: Oh my gosh, yes! That's actually why I started
writing my series. I'd been in a "dnf" rut, where I'd pick up a
fantasy book and put it down after 30 pages. All I was reading was non-fiction,
and I missed immersing myself in a story. Finally, I figured why not try
writing the kind of story I wanted to read … three years later, I've published
two books in the series.
Q: What's the most difficult thing about writing
characters from the opposite sex? A: I sometimes swap my characters' genders after
writing the first draft to see how they read. I reversed the
"classic" gender roles for my antiheroes, Thomas and Kyoko in this series.
To me, Thomas seems more like a romance novel heroine, while Kyoko comes across
like the male lead in a paranormal romance. It's harder for me to empathize
enough with men who follow the more traditional patriarchal version of manhood
to adequately write about them. I've kept them as side characters because I
don't think I can do them justice with a larger role.
Q: Does writing energize or exhaust you? A: When it goes well, and I feel like I'm making
progress, I get fired up! But when I'm struggling with a scene, I often leave
my computer exhausted. Sometimes that's when I realize it's time to take a walk
and try to work through it.
Meet the Author:
An avid sf/fantasy reader, Laura Engelhardt writes the kind of book she
likes to read: fantasy with intricate worlds and complex characters facing
moral dilemmas. She started writing plays in college, then moved to
Germany, where she continued to write while teaching ESL to executives.
After moving back to the U.S., she supported her playwriting by teaching
ballroom dance and working retail. Deciding that living in her parents'
attic wasn't for her, Laura went to law school and then spent the next
seventeen years as a lawyer and compliance officer in New York City. In
2017, she quit Wall Street and began helping people resolve disputes as a
mediator and arbitrator. She now lives in New Jersey with her family.
Please try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.
Welcome to Jazzy Book Reviews.
Here you will find my various book reviews, as well as cover reveals, blitzes, and tours I've hosted.
If you're an author and would like me to review your book, please have a peek at my review policy before contacting me.
Thank you!
Hi Jasmine, thanks so much for featuring my book! I hope you enjoy it. Best, Laura
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! :)
Delete