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Elizabeth Fais

Category Archives: Magic

“Illusions of Fate” by Kiersten White ~ Author Signed Copy GIVEAWAY!

13 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Books, Fiction, Giveaway, Magic, Young Adult

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Books, Elizabeth Fais, Epic Read, Fiction, Giveaway, Illusions of Fate, Kepler's Books, Kiersten White, Magic, Young Adult

Rich in imagination & deep in character…

IllusionsOfFate-coverThe people of Albion are different from anyone Jessamin has ever known: harsh, upright, and obsessed with wealth and rank. Jessamin knew as much when she left her sun-drenched island home to attend school in their gray, dreary country. 

But she had no idea how different they truly were.

She never thought she would discover a house with door that open onto a hundred corners of the city or a book that spends its days as a bird. She certainly never expected to become a pawn in a political and magical power struggle between the sinister Lord Downpike and the handsome, charming Finn Ackerly. And she never so much as imagined she’d win Finn’s affections—or that one day his shadow would follow her every step. 

Fortunately for Jessamin, fate has other ideas… (jacketflap)

If I had stayed on the thoroughfare that day, not taken the alley, I would never have met him. … I sit, defeated, and shuffle the cards for the hundredth time. I cut the deck, close my eyes, and draw a card at random. FATE. I always draw fate.

 

Magic, romance, intrigue, and a dash of steampunkery…

Jessamin swept me into her fictional 19th century world and immediately won me over with her sharp wit and strength of character. At the age of sixteen she left her tropical island home for a distant country, so she could better herself with an education she helped earn working as a servant in a hotel.

Jessamin’s meager finances put her at the bottom of Albion’s high-society caste. To make matters worse, her darker skin label her as a foreigner, making her even more of an outcast. Jessamin works hard to be the best in her classes,and getting little recognition. Still, she’s proud of holding her own. That is, until the fateful day Albion’s magical forces catch her up in their vicious snare. Strong spirited Jessamin fights back, battling her wits against evil magic, proving her island moxie is something to be reckoned with.

Why this book rocks…

ILLUSIONS OF FATE is flat-out fun–Witty dialog and scenes crafted with style and polished prose. I highly recommend this beguiling story to any young adult, or adult who is young at heart.

Here’s a few reasons why this book is so awesome:

  • Jessamin’s wit and fortitude gave me a  heroine I could laugh with, root for, and admire.
  • Jessamin is ordinary, not ‘the chose one’, so it’s easy to empathize with her.
  • Even though she has meager funds on which survive, Jessamin isn’t swayed by money and power. She knows her mind and sticks to her morals.
  • Lord Ackerly is wealthy, powerful, and of high social standing. He’s adept in casual social situations, but nervous when it comes to personal relationships of depth. His flaws make him vulnerable, and I couldn’t help hoping Jessamin would give him a chance.
  • The 19th century fantasy world has a steampunk patina that gives the setting depth, and brings the world to life.
  • Quirky secondary characters, such as Sir Bird and Eleanor, add humor and give depth to Jessamin’s character.
  • I don’t want to ruin it for you, but I didn’t see the ending coming. Better still, after the last twist was revealed, I was satisfied with the outcome because it was more than earned.

To win an author signed copy…

NOTE: The FREE giveaway of an author copy of this book is open to residents of the United Kiersten White holding a signed copy of Illusions of FateStates only, due to shipping costs. My sincere apologies.

Here’s how to enter to win:

  1. Leave a comment on this blog–explaining WHY you’d love to read this book– by midnight, November 20th (1 entry).
  2. Tweet about this giveaway, using #IOFGiveaway in your tweet (1 entry).
  3. I’ll put all *entries* in a hat and pick a winner blindfolded.

I’ll announce the winner on this blog Saturday, November 22nd.

Author signed title page of Illusions of Fate, by Kiersten White

May Fate be with you!

[Photo of Kiersten White taken at Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park, CA by moi]


No Tricks, All Treats ~ Movies That Put the “Happy!” in Halloween

30 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Holiday, Humor, Magic, Movies, Paranormal

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Corpse Bride, Elizabeth Fais, Halloween, Helena Bonham Carter, Johny Depp, Joss Whedon, Nicole Kidman, ParaNorman, Practical Magic, Sandra Bullock, Tim Burton, witchcraft, Witches, Zombies

If you’re a die-hard (pun intended) fan of dark-and-scary, you might want to skip this post. I’ve seen my share of white-knuckle horror films, but I’m a happy-haunts kind of gal. Which is why I’m putting a light-hearted spin on a haunting holiday with the following movies…

ParaNorman

ParaNorman_posterThis hilarious stop-motion marvel is about a small town that comes under siege by zombies. The only person who has a ghost of a chance at saving the town, is a misunderstood boy named Norman. Norman isn’t the usual stuff heroes are made of. His only qualification for the hero job is that he can see and speak with the dead.

Unfortunately, zombies aren’t the only supernatural riffraff that Norman’s thrown up against. He also has to take on ghosts, witches and, worst of all… moronic grown-ups, to thwart a centuries-old curse. 

A la Joss Whedon, ParaNorman gets dark, scary, and then throws in the humor. At its core, ParaNorman is a heartfelt zombie comedy (ZomCom) with an added dash of macabre for spice. You can watch the trailer here.

Corpse Bride

Corpse Bride movie poster

Tim Burton’s quirky stop-motion tale about one wedding … two brides … and a grave misunderstanding.

Meet Victor, our accidental hero, who lives in a small European village in the 19th century. He’ been pledged to Victoria in a marriage arranged by his parents, and meets his bride-to-be for the first time the day before the wedding. Understandably nervous, Victor botches the wedding rehearsal on a nerdastic scale.

In hopes of improving his performance on his wedding day, Victor goes for a walk in the woods, practicing his vows along the way—not that it helps. When he reaches the part of ceremony where they exchange rings, Victor slips Victoria’s wedding band on what appears to be a tree branch, sealing his fate. You see, Victor unwittingly put the ring on the skeletal finger of the enchanted Corpse Bride, binding himself in matrimony to her for eternity.

To Victor’s shock and dismay, his new bride whisks him off to her dark and mysterious netherworld–the land of the dead. Terrified, Victor’s predicament goes from bad to wickedly worse as he realizes he actually loves the real-live fiancée he left behind. Victor’s desperate to return to the world of the living to be with his true love, but sinister forces stop at nothing to block his escape. 

This dark comedy comes full circle, delivering a well deserved happy ending that glows with compassion and redemption. You can watch the trailer here.

Practical Magic

“What’s Halloween without witches,” you ask?Practical Magic movie poster My point exactly for picking this classic tale of merry magic and spells gone deadly wrong.

The wry, romantic comedy follows the Owens sisters, Sally and Gillian, as they struggle to use their innate mystical gifts to overcome the obstacles in finding and keeping true love.

The Owens sisters always knew they were different. After their parents’ deaths, they went to live with their two eccentric aunts who gave them chocolate cake for breakfast and taught them how to use their magical skills for practical purposes.

Not everything about their magic was good, however. The Owens’ mystical birthright came with a price—some called it a curse:

Any man an Owens woman falls in love with is doomed to an untimely death.

The sisters learned how real the curse is when Sally loses her husband and Gillian her lover. The sisters efforts to reverse the curse result in supernatural forces retaliating and threatening their lives. The quiet Sally and the fiery Gillian must use all of their wits and dig deep into their powers to ward off the evil bent on destroying them all.

This movie gets a little dark, but never scary. And there’s plenty of fun to swing the scale into delightful. For one, these witches know how to rock a happy haunt. Sneak a peak at their midnight margaritas dance party, if you don’t believe me…



Have a Happy Halloween everyone!

Sandra Bullock & Nicole Kidman, Practical Magic


What are your favorite Halloween movies (scary or not)?


A Real Magic Castle!

11 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Castles, Magic

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Castles, Elizabeth Fais, Hollywood, Magic Castle

Hollywood’s Secret Magic Castle

Yes, a real Magic Castle nestled against the Hollywood hills … a private clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts, Inc. It’s secret because you have to be as talented as Houdini to get in, or know someone who is. Seriously. You have to be a professional magician or know one to be admitted to the mystical fortress … which is actually a vintage Victorian, but whatever. The strict admission policy is a reflection of the professionalism of an organization devoted to the advancement of the ancient magical arts. No sideshow amateurs here. This is the real deal folks. Trust me on this one. I’ve been inside!

How did I rate an invite to this exclusive club?  Nothing as glamorous as befriending a magician, I’m afraid. I stumbled upon the Magic Castle before I was old enough to get in (21 because alcohol is served), and was obsessed with the place ever since. Finally, I discovered a local  B&B who’s owner was a member at the Magic Castle and he treated his guests to reservations. I couldn’t believe my luck! The price for the elusive invite was well worth it. The magicians I saw perform were AWESOME! The seating for all the shows is intimate … and it was all MAGIC!

The B&B changed hands, but now there’s a Magic Castle Hotel just a couple of blocks from the castle that can hook you up with a magical invite when you stay there. As easy as Bibbity-bobbity-boo!

A Glimpse of Magic…

Those of you who won’t be dashing off to Hollywood can still sneak a rarified peak inside one of Hollywood’s best kept magical secrets…

What’s magic for you?

Come on, spill. You know you want to!

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