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Blythe of the Gates
by Leah Erickson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Can the
gates of perception be bypassed?
gates of perception be bypassed?
A rash love affair with a member of the Irish Mafia catapults Luna
Mulkerrins into scandal, murder, scorn and decadent friendships in
Ragtime Manhattan. Escaping from the blaze of publicity, a new Luna
emerges: Blythe of the Seven Gates. Her meteoric rise as a magician
leads to fame, vaudeville, silent movies and the notoriety of a
damaging court case. Can Luna reclaim her reputation and reinvent
herself as an independent woman of the time?
Mulkerrins into scandal, murder, scorn and decadent friendships in
Ragtime Manhattan. Escaping from the blaze of publicity, a new Luna
emerges: Blythe of the Seven Gates. Her meteoric rise as a magician
leads to fame, vaudeville, silent movies and the notoriety of a
damaging court case. Can Luna reclaim her reputation and reinvent
herself as an independent woman of the time?
From Leah Erickson, author of The Brambles, winner of the Crime
Fiction
award from the IPA.
Fiction
award from the IPA.
Leah Erickson is the author of the novel “The Brambles” (2017)
and “Blythe of the Gates.” She is the recipient of the 2018
Independent Press Award and the Independent Book Award. Her short
fiction has appeared in many magazines and journals in print and
online, including The Fabulist, Pantheon Magazine, The Saint Ann’s
Review, Eclectica, The Coachella Review, and many more. She lives
near Newport, Rhode Island with her husband and daughter.
Covered in cracked, brown leather and very old, the box had rows of
hammered
brass tacks along its edges, the lock held shut with a heavy latch of blackened
metal. Only the Magician was allowed to use the key, and he kept it in his
breast
pocket at all times.
Luna knew about the faded red velvet lining. And she knew how the antique
metal hinges creaked when he opened it. She knew about the ancient smell of
mildewed newspaper, the smell of trapped life, the smell of time passed by …
“Luna. Open your eyes and look at it!”
Why the Magician did this to her, she did not know. Some nights when he was
in a particularly wicked mood, he’d take the box down from the top of his closet
and make Luna look inside, even though she turned away, and shut her eyes to
it.
This made him laugh. “Girl, I am your husband. Listen to me! Look at it.”
But it was unbearable, to look straight into it, because it hurt. Looking straight
into the thing was like looking straight into the sun; when she shut her eyes,
she
saw pulsing blood, red and floating orbs …
“Look.”
To look inside the box was to feel dissolution, deep down in her very center,
spreading out and out until she had no more edges to her.
But once she did look, it was so hard to look away again.
hammered
brass tacks along its edges, the lock held shut with a heavy latch of blackened
metal. Only the Magician was allowed to use the key, and he kept it in his
breast
pocket at all times.
Luna knew about the faded red velvet lining. And she knew how the antique
metal hinges creaked when he opened it. She knew about the ancient smell of
mildewed newspaper, the smell of trapped life, the smell of time passed by …
“Luna. Open your eyes and look at it!”
Why the Magician did this to her, she did not know. Some nights when he was
in a particularly wicked mood, he’d take the box down from the top of his closet
and make Luna look inside, even though she turned away, and shut her eyes to
it.
This made him laugh. “Girl, I am your husband. Listen to me! Look at it.”
But it was unbearable, to look straight into it, because it hurt. Looking straight
into the thing was like looking straight into the sun; when she shut her eyes,
she
saw pulsing blood, red and floating orbs …
“Look.”
To look inside the box was to feel dissolution, deep down in her very center,
spreading out and out until she had no more edges to her.
But once she did look, it was so hard to look away again.
Cant wait to give this award winning author a read.
The book cover looks great!
I love the cover. It’s beautiful!
The cover is very cool.
I like cover, it looks magical.
The excerpt really really makes me want to read this book!
That cover art is gorgeous!
I love the book cover. Very mystical and interestinf
The book cover looks magical.
I love the cover . Really cool looking.
love the cover
That cover is gorgeous! Thanks for the giveaway!
The cover looks ethereal!
This cover looks very intriguing
Wow! Looks like an amazing book!
I love the cover!
A lady magician in that era would have been quite rare. It would be interesting to see how audiences reacted to her.
Do you like to participate in NaNoWriMo? 🙂
That book cover is beautiful and very original.
Great cover! Where is your favorite place to write?
The cover is cool
It sounds like an intriguing book to read and I love the cover perfect for the name.
It has a gossamer feel!
I love all things astrology-like so I really love this cover. Sounds like a good book too!
I like the Cover quite well
love the cover
I honestly really like the cover. It grabs your attention. I love anything that is “angel” related or looks like an angel. There’s not too much going on. It’s just the right amount of content! Great cover.
I THINK THE COVER IS BEAUTIFUL 🙂
The cover is attractive, but I was a little surprised to read about the premise of the book. Of course, they don’t really have to match!
the cover looks amazing! it’s really unique.
I think the book sounds great and I would love to read it.
I love it, its enchanting.
I like the cover, very mysterious.
The cover is intriguing. How did you think of the plot?
Looks great!
The cover looks really neat!
This is perfect
It sounds like an interesting read.
The book looks great
The cover is chillingly beautiful and leaves me intrigued. I bet this would be a great read.
I love the cover, its really cool!
I love the artwork of the book cover, Very eye-catching. The book sounds really interesting. I’d love to read it.
I like the cover because of the colors used and the fact that it reminds me of a vintage car hood ornament. I have no question for the author.
I like the cover and the excerpt is very intriguing.