Hi, awesome readers!
Imagine a place with buildings that date back as far as the 1700s, a reputation for haunted houses and a phoenix-like knack of rebirth after floods and fires. A place where you might see a costumed man in a haze of bubbles. Or people dressed as wizards. Or ghost tours.
Actually, imagination isn't required. This place really exists.
Historic Ellicott City, Maryland, is pretty magical. So I couldn't resist borrowing it as the setting for the Clandestine Magic series, renamed Ellicott Mills (a nod to its days as Ellicott's Mills) and reimagined as a town that never became a whimsical shopping district of some renown.
Instead, it's the birthplace of a resistance movement in an America run by wizards.
If Ellicott City was sentient, I think it would like that. It's that kind of place.
Oh, and the buildings:
They're so cool.
The arresting ruin in this photo is Ellicott City's Mount Ida, built in 1828. It's since been fixed up, but this snapshot was great inspiration for the omnimancer's mansion in Ellicott Mills. This is the description in Clandestine, the prequel to the trilogy:
It looked like a wizard’s house—the sort straight out of a fairy tale rather than real life. The kind of wizard who might lure you in and never let you out.
(Haven't read Clandestine yet? You can get it free here.)
If you ever have a chance to visit the actual town, definitely do. (Have you been? What did you think?)
Cheers,
Colleen
P.S. Revolutionary, the final novel in the Clandestine Magic trilogy, is out this Sunday. 🎉 I've got five ✨ advance review copies ✨ to hand out: If you want one, hit reply and tell me what format you prefer, mobi (for Kindle) or epub.
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A few more cool & bookish things
Do witches, a looming ancient evil and a small-town Louisiana setting pique your interest? Check out The Witch of Belle Fleur. Juliette Mariana Fontaine has a secret, and it’s not about spoilers on the telenovela in which she stars. There’s magic in the air around her, and she can’t decide if it excites her or frightens her – or both.
If you're in the mood for even more books, here are a bunch in a variety of genres (including plenty of fantasy), all free to read in Kindle Unlimited. And for free-for-everyone fantasy and sci-fi, check out this promotion.
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