To Catch a Magic Thief Release and Ebook Giveaway! (Lizzie)

It finally happened! I published my second full-length novel. The second was so much harder than the first. But now it's out! And isn't the cover beautiful? To celebrate I'm giving away an ebook copy of both my books--To Catch a Magic Thief and The Rose and the Wand. But first let me tell you a little bit about the books.

A spunky heroine, an unlikely hero, a cunning thief, and a race against a terrifying curse--everything a reader could want in a fantasy adventure! Marcel and Gabriella are both easy to root for as they overcome obstacles and their own misconceptions, and their growing friendship against the odds is executed to perfection. E.J. Kitchens has once again created a world of elegant manners and complex magic that will both intrigue and enchant her readers through the very last page.~Laurie Lucking, award-winning author of Common

I wrote The Rose and the Wand because I wanted to know the story of the enchantress in Beauty and the Beast. I intended it to be a standalone story. But then I fell in love with one of the villains. I couldn't leave him a bad guy, so I started a story for him (which I'm still working on...). In his story, I met so many wonderful characters and discovered such a fascinating world of magic that I ended up with a dozen or so story ideas. During a break in writing the aforementioned story, I decided to go back to Alexandria's family and tell the story of how her sister Gabriella--one of the Perfect Floraisons--fell in love with the plain, bumbling baron Alexandria disliked so. I was shocked and excited to discover quite a bit of mystery, danger, secret identities, and even a terrifying curse, all playing out under Alexandria's very nose. Here's a blurb about the story:

Falsely accused of being the notorious Magic Thief, the non-magic Marcel Ellsworth, Baron of Carrington, wants nothing more than to stay away from enchanters and sorcerers. Unfortunately, he soon discovers his mentor, the Duke of Henly, is head of a family of proud enchanters—and that they’re the next target of the Magic Thief, a servant of the sorcerers. With the threat of another accusation hanging over him, Marcel sets out to prove his innocence, especially to the duke’s beautiful daughter Gabriella, and to stop the Thief once and for all.

But Gabriella is hiding a deadly secret that complicates Marcel’s mission, and raises its stakes. For one thing is certain: the Magic Thief has come for more than magical treasures—he’s come for Gabriella.

Fun facts

1) I intended To Catch a Magic Thief to be a simple romance telling how Gabriella and the “bumbling baron” Marcel Ellsworth fell in love. However, I soon discovered I could not directly write a romance. So I threw in a legendary thief, magical items to steal, a curse, and other dangers, and found the story (and the romance thread) much easier to write and so much more fun. This inability to write "simple" probably explains why my planned 20,000 word romance novella ended up 121,000 word fantasy adventure novel.

2) Marcel Ellsworth wears a lift in one shoe to make his legs even so he can walk without limping. I loved Janette Oke's books growing up, and this struggle of Marcel's was inspired by one of her books. The heroine in her mail order bride book A Bride for Donnigan had a bad limp because of uneven leg lengths. One detestable character tried to take advantage of her because of that, saying no one would love her due to her limp. She wisely didn't give in to him, and she ended up married to a wonderful man who made a special shoe for her to correct her leg lengths. That part of the story more than any other stuck with me for some reason. Almost prophetically actually. I have lower back problems, and sometimes it causes my spine to curve wrongly, causing my hips to tilt and one leg to be shorter that the other. At one point, my back just wasn't getting better and my chiropractor suggested that I might need a lift for one shoe to ease the strain on back. Fortunately, things straightened out (literally), so I never needed the lift. But I have a better understanding of Marcel and other's struggles now.

3) There are a lot lines in the book that I find myself repeating or smiling about as I remember them. Here's one that doesn't require a knowledge of the story to understand. It also just happens to be one of my favorites.

Giveaway

But on the giveaway. Gabriella is hiding a curse. Now this curse is different from Alexandria's and much more sinister. I can't say too much without giving away too much. Suffice it to say this isn't the kind of curse a kiss can cure, or even an admission of love. It's a kind of half-curse actually, drawing Gabriella to itself to complete the curse, like Sleeping Beauty is drawn to the spinning wheel and her doom. But what is this doom and can Gabriella escape it? Well, you'll have to read the story to find out. :) It's available to purchase on amazon here.

So for the giveaway, I'd like to know, if you were cursed, what kind of a curse would you choose? Answer in the comments. Next Friday, I'll pick one commenter at random to receive a set of my ebooks.