Welcome back, everyone! I am really excited because today I have something special to share with you. Before I begin, I wanted to update you on how our store is going. We have a meeting today with the town to see if they approve of our sign for the building. We are on Mainstreet in the historic district so the rules are very strict. We are not allowed any bright colors or crazy fonts. So, our logo was out of the picture for the sign. We are able to put our logo on the inner door though! We are getting slowly but surely started. We have the warehouse room almost all unpacked and organized. We’ve still been doing lives on Facebook which we will continue to do even when we open our metaphysical store.
Alright, I know you didn’t come here to hear about me so let’s get to the purpose of this post. I’ve worked with Claire Bartlett on a few other occasions in the past. She reached out to me and was wondering if I would like to help her with her new book, The Winter Duke. I’d have been crazy to refuse!! Of course, I said yes! I love her books and couldn’t wait to read another. We thought a guest post might be interesting and boy o boy is it a good one! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.
Remember to get your copy when it is published, March 3rd, 2020!!
The Winter Duke
Author: Claire Eliza Bartlett
Published: March 3rd, 2020
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Book Length: 432 Pages
Genre: Fantasy (YA)
Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository (Use my referral ID: TheBibliophagist)
An enchanted tale of intrigue where a duke’s daughter is the only survivor of a magical curse.
When Ekata’s brother is finally named heir, there will be nothing to keep her at home in Kylma Above with her murderous family. Not her books or science experiments, not her family’s icy castle atop a frozen lake, not even the tantalizingly close Kylma Below, a mesmerizing underwater kingdom that provides her family with magic. But just as escape is within reach, her parents and twelve siblings fall under a strange sleeping sickness.
In the space of a single night, Ekata inherits the title of duke, her brother’s warrior bride, and ever-encroaching challengers from without—and within—her own ministry. Nothing has prepared Ekata for diplomacy, for war, for love…or for a crown she has never wanted. If Kylma Above is to survive, Ekata must seize her family’s power. And if Ekata is to survive, she must quickly decide how she will wield it.
Part Sleeping Beauty, part Anastasia, with a thrilling political mystery, The Winter Duke is a spellbinding story about choosing what’s right in the face of danger.
About the Author
Claire Bartlett lives in an enchanted forest apartment in Copenhagen with too many board games and too few cats.
Get more detailed information, like how many board games is too many, how many cats is too few, and what book-related beauties I’m working on by signing up for my newsletter.
A Visitor’s Guide
Visiting Kylma Above?
Here are some things you should know before your trip.
Pack Warm
Kylma Above is famous for being a duchy of ice – literally. The palace, the inns, the theaters and the alehouses are all constructed from ice. Make sure you’ve got your warmest coats, your iron-spike shoes, and that you’re ready to see some snow!
Walk the main boulevard…or take a ride in the dog sled
The ice buildings of Kylma Above make for glorious sights, if you’re not too cold to see them. The city sparkles like crystal on a sunny day. Make sure you take in the domes and bronze bells of the Snowmount, the spires of the stock exchange, and the intricate carving on the facade of the Grand Theater. If you don’t fancy a walk, there are plenty of dog sleds for hire – just don’t expect to take your horse around Kylma Above. The freezing temperatures and slick road conditions are not suited to horseback riding, and the poor creatures are best left at home.
Enjoy the magic displays
The rarest and most famous export of Kylma is magic – usually refined, but occasionally raw. If you’re too poor to buy magic of your own (like the rest of us), perhaps you can swing an invite to a public event hosted by the Grand Duke. Kylma loves pomp and circumstance, and the Duke often shows off his power and prowess with some kind of magical display. Just remember that the magic is temporary, though the effects can be permanent – so make sure you enjoy the show but keep your distance from the magic itself.
Look out Below
When strolling the ice boulevards of Kylma Above, make sure you’re not just ogling the buildings around you. Beneath your feet is a whole other kingdom – literally! You might see fish nibbling at the ice sheet under you, or you may even catch sight of another rare creature: a citizen Below. Fishwives and fishmen live, hunt, farm magic and obey their own Grand Duke in the duchy of Kylma Below, the underwater counterpart to Kylma Above. Enjoy the sights but don’t try to get in touch – only the Grand Duke Above is allowed to go Below or consort with its citizens.
Don’t favor any one member of the royal family
Kylma is famed for its magic, its cold beauty and its duchy Below, but it’s known for darker realities as well – fratricide and patricide among the members of its royal family. The Grand Dukes have traditionally sired numerous children, and these children all seem to have a competitive streak to the highest degree. More than once a disagreement in the family has led to murder, and most reigns begin with coronation trials, in which family members compete – often lethally – for the right to be crowned Grand Duke. If you do happen to fall in with the royal family, tread carefully. You don’t want to be caught up in their machinations.
Don’t touch the ice roses
Kylma Above lacks for flowers, as you might guess. But one bloom flourishes throughout the palace and its grounds. Ice roses can be found growing in every room, with stems, leaves, thorns and flowers just like the roses we have. Their razor-thin petals may seem fragile in the winter sun, but don’t touch them without gloves. They’re colder than normal ice, and can quickly give you frostbite. Legend has it that the roses bloom whenever the royal family is in danger, but most people write that off as baseless superstition. After all, the roses are always blooming…
Now that you are all well prepared, will you be visiting Kylma Above? I want to thank Claire once again for an amazing guest post. I love working with her and her work is simply amazing.
Be sure to grab your copy of The Winter Duke tomorrow!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.
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