Kirsten Weiss
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GENRE: paranormal women's fiction mystery
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BLURB:
All April wants is to start over after her husband’s sudden death. She’s conjuring a new path—finally getting her degree and planning her new business in bucolic Pennsylvania Dutch country. Joining an online mystery school seems like harmless fun.
But when a murdered man leaves her a cryptic message, she catches glimpses of another reality she’s unwilling to acknowledge. A reality where bygone enchantments cast cryptic shadows, and the present brims with unanswered questions.
As April works to unearth the mystery, every step brings her closer to a truth she’s been evading. And to a conspiracy of hexes that may end in her demise.
Legacy of the Witch is a spellbinding, interactive tale of a woman’s midlife quest to understand the complexities of her own heart. A paranormal women’s fiction murder mystery for anyone who’s wondered if there might be more to their own life than meets the eye…
Book
1 in the new Mystery School Series featuring the UnTarot, a deck of cards for
meaning-making. Start reading now!
UnTarot deck app included!
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EXCERPT
And there was someone inside the yellow coat. A silver-haired man.
For a moment I thought it was a bad joke, he wasn’t real. Then, heart banging, I hopped over the stone ledge.
Heedless of the brambles tugging at my clothes, of the muck squelching beneath my shoes, I stumbled to the supine man. He lay staring with one broad hand pressed to his chest. Blood stained his neck and pooled in the hollows around him.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, fumbling for the phone in my jacket pocket.
His head turned toward me, and I yelped.
I dropped to my knees beside him. “You’re alive. It’s okay. I’m calling for help now.” What had happened to him? Had he tripped and fallen? But what had he been doing in the circle?
“Can you put pressure on the wound?” I asked. If he couldn’t, I’d need to. I’d need a cloth, something to staunch the flow.
But first, help. Hands shaking, I called 9-1-1.
He lifted a hand and pointed toward the trees. “Look beneath,” he whispered. “The brotherhood.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m calling now.” I pressed the phone to my ear. “I’m calling...” My voice faded.
His blue eyes grew as cold and impersonal as the Atlantic, and he stared without seeing at the sky. A thick dullness fogged my chest. I was too late. He was dead.
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Unraveling
the Veil: Exploring Paranormal vs. Metaphysical Mystery Novels
Mystery novels have held an allure since Edgar Allan Poe
wrote Murders in the Rue Morgue. These stories entertain readers with
intrigue, a good puzzle, and maybe even a little romance.
As an author, I’d been long writing in the paranormal
mystery (aka witch mystery) genre. But I always tried to “keep it real,”
staying true in my books to past and current magical practices and
philosophies. In short, I got a little metaphysical.
Now, with my new book, Legacy of the Witch, I’ve gone
all in on the metaphysical mystery. Let’s take a look at both mystery genres.
Paranormal Mystery: Bridging the Mundane and the Otherworldly
Paranormal mysteries are characterized by their
incorporation of supernatural elements. From ghosts to psychic abilities, these
stories blur the lines between the natural and the supernatural. Authors in
this genre often weave intricate plots where the paranormal phenomena serve as secondary
puzzles to be solved (though it’s considered unfair to the reader to resolve the
central murder mystery with magic).
One of the defining features of paranormal mystery is its
grounding in the familiar. These stories often unfold in contemporary settings,
where ordinary people encounter extraordinary occurrences. Through the lens of
the paranormal, authors explore themes of belief, scepticism, and the
unexplainable, inviting readers to question the boundaries of reality.
In paranormal mystery, the emphasis is typically on solving
the immediate puzzle presented by the supernatural phenomena and understanding
how it may connect to the central murder mystery. The heroines in these stories
embark on journeys that lead them to confront forces beyond their understanding
and through that challenge, develop emotionally. The resolution involves both
unravelling a murder and the mystery behind the paranormal occurrences,
offering closure and occasionally enlightenment.
Metaphysical Mystery: Questing for Truth Beyond the Ordinary
Metaphysical mysteries delve into the deeper questions of
existence and consciousness (plus murder). Rooted in philosophy,
spirituality, and metaphysics, these stories explore themes such as identity,
purpose, and the nature of reality itself. Metaphysical mysteries delve both
outward—into the central murder story—and inward, probing the mysteries of the
human psyche and the cosmos.
In a metaphysical mystery, the journey is less about solving
a specific paranormal puzzle and more about unravelling the mysteries of
existence. Protagonists in these books may grapple with existential dilemmas,
undergo spiritual awakenings, or embark on quests for enlightenment. The
narrative can sometimes get experimental—in the case of Legacy of the Witch,
an UnTarot app and emails from a mystery school are part of the story that
readers can interact with.
At the heart of the metaphysical mystery lies a quest for
truth—a truth that ties thematically into the central murder mystery. Authors
in this genre may draw upon religious symbolism, esoteric teachings (such as
Legacy’s mystery school emails), or mystical experiences to evoke a sense of
wonder.
Bridging Worlds: Finding Common Ground
While paranormal mystery and metaphysical mystery may seem
to inhabit separate worlds, they aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, they often
intersect.
At their core, both genres share a fascination with the
unknown and a desire to puzzle out the mysteries of existence. Whether through
encounters with ghosts and demons or journeys into the depths of consciousness,
these stories offer glimpses into realms beyond the ordinary, both entertaining
and challenging readers to expand their minds and question their assumptions
about reality. Both offer pathways into the unknown, inviting us to embrace the
mysteries that lie beyond the veil of our everyday lives.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
My current focus is my new Mystery School series, starting with Legacy of the Witch. Traditionally, women’s fiction refers to fiction where a woman—usually in her midlife—is going through some sort of dramatic change. A lot of us do go through big transitions in midlife. We get divorced or remarried. The kids leave the nest. Our bodies change. The midlife crisis is real—though it manifests in different ways—as we look back on where we’ve been, where we’re going, and the time we have left.
Now in my mid-fifties, I’ve spent more time thinking about the big “meaning of life” issues. It seemed like approaching those issues through witch fiction, and through a fictional mystery school, would be a fun and useful way for me to work out some of these ideas in my own head—about change and letting go, faith and fear, and love and longing.
After growing up on a diet of Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes, and
Agatha Christie, I’ve published over 60 mysteries—from cosies to supernatural
suspense, as well as an experimental fiction book on Tarot. Spending over 20
years working overseas in international development, I learned that perception
is not reality, and things are often not what they seem—for better or worse.
There isn’t a winter holiday or a type of chocolate I don’t love, and some of my best friends are fictional.
https://www.facebook.com/metaphysicaldetective/
http://www.twitter.com/kirstenweiss
https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Witch-Paranormal-Fiction-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CH3T41JS/ref=sr_1_1
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Kirsten Weiss will award a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
10 Comments
Thank you so much for hosting LEGACY OF THE WITCH today.
ReplyDeleteYou're most welcomed, Goddess.
DeleteThank you for hosting me today!
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcomed, Kristen.
DeleteThis sounds like a good story.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read your review.
DeleteThis looks like a great novel. Thanks for hosting.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, Michael.
DeleteSounds like a great book to read.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your favorite writing-related memory fro childhood?
ReplyDelete