The Land of Heart's Desire Giveaway

Princess Edane heard a voice singing on a May Eve like this, and followed half awake and half asleep, until she came into the Land of Faery, where nobody gets old and godly and grave, where nobody gets old and crafty and wise, where nobody gets old and bitter of tongue.  ~WB Yeats, "The Land of Heart's Desire," 1894

This is a quote by a favorite Irish poet of mine, WB Yeats.  His poetry inspired images of magic and a mysterious people just out of our reach.

It's only fitting to introduce this special giveaway with a touch of magic. I've been blessed by the friendship of a group of lovely authors who write in the realms of Irish fairy stories and folk lore. As you may know, my novel in progress has basis in Irish mythology as well, so it was an instant attraction to the #FairyTribe on twitter.

Two of the #FairyTribe (Sophie Moss and Diane Reed) recently got together with me to discuss this phenomenon that has taken place across the interwebs, the banding together of authors in all stages of publication. Like the mystical land of Eire, this group has a magic all it's own. 

As we talked, it was amazing how similar the paths to publication have been for these lovely ladies. Both share a love for all things Irish, making it a no-brainer that their debut novels would be based on magic and romance.

Diane Reed is the author of Twixt, a novel of magical realism featuring Rose-our skeptical heroine trying to start her life over, when after her 30th birthday, circumstances force her to take a new look at her life and challenge the her beliefs in magic and love.

After writing the manuscript, Diane attempted to have it traditionally published. The replies she received all had a similar tone- strong story, but not something that would sell. Publishing houses felt that it was not quite a fantasy, but not quite women's fiction, either.

Diane decided she didn't want to compromise her story, so she self-published. Knowing nothing about marketing or social-media, she didn't sell many books that first month.

She thanks her lucky stars she met fellow author Sophie Moss, who had recently been through a similar experience. Sophie took Diane under her wind and showed her the ropes of Amazon's KDP select and how to maximize the free days offered through the program. At one point during Diane's promotion, Twixt reached Number One on Amazon's Free list.

A few months before Diane's publication, Sophie had published The Selkie Spell, a story based on experiences living in Ireland and the movie The Secrets of Roan Inish. 

After spending several years writing The Selkie Spell, Sophie queried agents and, like Diane, was told she had a fantastic story, but they didn't think they'd be able to sell it.

After hearing that reply enough times, Sophie decided if nobody else thought she could sell it, they could all just watch her sell it.

The Selkie Spell is about Tara, an American doctor who finds herself moving to an island offshore of Ireland. When a mysterious woman tells her she has the power to break a 200-year old spell, she gets caught in a world somewhere between magic and reality.

The synchronicity between Diane's and Sophie's stories is nothing short of magical, and if you've spent any time chatting with them, don't be surprised if you come across a patch of coveted four-leaf clovers!

To celebrate our love for Irish folklore Diane, Sophie and I have come together to put on a magical giveaway featuring copies of their books- Twixt and The Selkie Spell as well as art prints created by honorary #FairyTribe member Liza Lambertini.

Twixt- Midnight Flight

The Selkie Spell- Drawing Down the Moon

a Rafflecopter giveaway