Forged in Dreams and Magick Book Description Reveal

Hello, everyone!

The time has finally come to reveal the book description for Forged in Dreams and Magick, the first novel in the Highland Legends series and my debut novel.

I would like to thank my friend Tamie for graciously assisting me by being the first to share the news on her fabulous blog Bookish Temptations.

And now…

{hears drumroll}

Forged in Dreams and Magick Book Description

Isobel MacInnes wakes up in present-day California, lunches in medieval Scotland, and by ten days’ end, falls in love with a man and his country, only to lose them in a heart-wrenching twist of fate . . .

Found in the arms of her second soul mate . . .

Forced to balance the delicate strands of time between
two millennia . . .

Shocked by revelations rewriting the very foundations of
history . . . of everything.

Isobel, a rising-star archeology student, is dropped into two ancient worlds without warning . . . or her permission. Her fiery spirit resists the dependency thrust upon her. Amid frustration at her lack of control, she helplessly falls in love. Twice.

She struggles to adjust to the unimaginable demands of two leaders of men—a laird in the thirteenth-century Highlands and a Pict chieftain in a more ancient Scotland. Isobel transforms from an academic, hell-bent on obtaining archeological recognition, to a woman striving to care for those she loves, and ultimately . . . into a fearless warrior risking everything to protect them.

~~~

{whispers} Sooo . . . what do you think? I hope you’re as excited to read the story as I am to share it with you.

Please add Forged in Dreams and Magick to your Goodreads by clicking on the button below!

 

Add to Goodreads Button

 

Be sure to also follow/like/friend me on TwitterFacebook, and Goodreads so you don’t miss a thing!

Your continued support and excitement about the upcoming releases is appreciated more than I could ever express. Thank you.

Until next time…

Your humble shoe,

~ Kat

© 2013 by Kat Bastion

Forged in Dreams and Magick releases September 23, 2013
Bound by Wish and Mistletoe releases November 2013

Utterly Loved with foreword by Sylvain Reynard
  Romantic poetry to the world for charity
  Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Highland Legends News ~ Save the Dates!

Hello, my friends!

It is an exciting week at the Kat Bastion Writing Desk…

Highland Legends Series News

I finished the first edits of the draft for Bound by Wish and Mistletoe, the Highland Legends holiday novella. The story came together very nicely at 40,000 words. A few weeks of thought percolating and polishing magic, and it’s off to my fabulous beta readers.

Also, I’ve received news from my editor that I’ll be receiving the edits on Forged in Dreams and Magick this week. She messaged saying she thinks I’ll be very pleased with the edits. Just… {vibrates}

Did I mention that we have the book covers finalized for both books? They’re gorgeous. {vibrates sommore}

Right. So, I’m vibrating in excitement…and you’re probably wondering when I’m going to share some things with you.

Well…

Save the Dates

Charity Event

June 1 through June 15th – Toss the Bouquet Charity Event & Giveaway

Forged in Dreams and Magick (FIDAM) Dates:

June 24th – FIDAM Book Description Reveal on Bookish Temptations
July 9th – FIDAM Cover Reveal (AToMR Tours*)
July 22nd – FIDAM Teaser on Bookish Temptations
Sept 23rd – Forged in Dreams and Magick Release Date
Sept 23-28th – Forged in Dreams and Magick ARC Tour (AToMR Tours**)

  * Sign-ups for the FIDAM Cover Reveal will be mid-Junish
** Sign-ups for the FIDAM ARC Tour will be mid-Julyish

More dates and events, including for Bound by Wish and Mistletoe, will be announced as they materialize in ink.

Be sure to also follow/like/friend me on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads so you don’t miss a thing!

Until next time…

Your humble shoe,

~ Kat

© 2013 by Kat Bastion

Happy Beltane!

Happy Beltane, my friends!

And for all those not yet in the know, Happy May 1st, 2013!

Maypole In Brentwood, California © 2012 by Jengod - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

Maypole In Brentwood, California © 2012 by Jengod – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

Perhaps when you think of May Day, an image of maypoles with their dance and colorful ribbons comes to mind. 

Did you know that some believe the maypole itself is a phallic symbol?  It’s apparently discussed by Sigmund Freud himself.
(Not that I’ve had any such discussions.)

Hmmm…I wonder what Freud would say about my tendency to work sex into a discussion about Beltane. 
{runs far away from the couch}

What of the Gaelic celebrations of Beltane (on May 1st) and Samhain (Oct 31st-Nov 1st)?

Before I began writing Forged in Dreams and Magick, I’d only read of Samhain in fictional paranormal romance novels. My insatiable curiosity had been sparked.

When we think of Halloween and Day of the Dead, we get a close idea of Samhain.  It’s a day of pagan tradition when the barriers between the spirit world and the human world grow thin, and many believe…penetrable. 

Hence all the skeletons and ghosts…

Beltane

Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man celebrated Bealtuinn on May 1st to mark the beginning of summer.  It’s also a day where they believe the walls between the worlds of the living and the dead…and the humans and the fae…grow paper thin. 

Early records, dating back more than a millennium, speak of the druids walking cattle through bonfires to protect the herds and promote a good harvest. It’s said that Gaelic Beltane rituals in Scotland also celebrated the fertility and good health of their livestock, plants and people.

What does a writer do when her heroine is dropped into medieval Scotland just before the celebration of Beltane?
{smiles}  She lets her imagination run wild.

In Forged in Dreams and Magick, I bring to life a very special celebration of Beltane.  A colorful festival with Highland games, feasting, and of course…danger…lead us to the culmination of the event.  When our heroine walks between two blazing bonfires with the hero at her side, they embark on a journey that changes them both forever.

{whispers} But…those secrets will be revealed in due time…

I cannot wait to share more of Forged in Dreams and Magick the first novel in the Highland Legends series.

For now, Happy Beltane, everyone!  May this year bring all of us a fruitful harvest, so that we may share our abundance with others.

Until next time, my friends… {vanishes into the Highland mist}

Your humble shoe,

~ Kat

© 2013 by Kat Bastion

ARC Tour: Forged in Dreams and Magick

Happy Friday and Happy Weekend, everyone!

I’m thrilled to share some news: I’m working with AToMR Tours for the ARC Tour of Forged in Dreams and Magick, the first novel in the Highland Legends series.

The tour is scheduled for release week, September 23-28th, 2013.  Tour sign-ups will be in July, and I’ll keep you posted and share links for the sign-up once available.

Are you excited?  I am!  {vibrates}

{whispers} Get ready for the Highlanders… {disappears into the mist}

Your humble but clearly jazzed shoe,

~ Kat

© 2013 by Kat Bastion

Highland Legends Series: Book Titles Reveal

If you prefer a bit of historical in your romance, love to fall in love with medieval Highlanders, or wonder about those enigmatic Highland Picts, then you will find everything you’re looking for and more with my Highland Legends series.

My debut novel, and the first book in the series, is set to release this fall with the holiday novella releasing just before Thanksgiving.

Without further ado, below is the unveiling of all four titles in the series:

Highland Legends Series

Forged in Dreams and Magick
Bound by Wish and Mistletoe ~ a holiday novella
Born of Mist and Legend
Found in Flame and Moonlight

Be sure to follow me and friend me in all my usual hangouts for updates as the weeks progress!

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Official Website

Meanwhile, I shall be working with an editor and cover designer…writing and tour planning! 

Lots of surprises are being planned for the next six months, including an excerpt, outtakes, and some very special interviews you won’t want to miss!

Until then…

Your humble shoe,

~ Kat

© 2013 by Kat Bastion

Highland Legends Series ~ Upcoming Book Titles Reveal

One week, my friends…

The Highland Legends series is coming…

On Monday, April 1st, 2013, all four titles of the Highland Legends series will be revealed.

I’m thrilled to have some of my favorite bloggers help participate in the reveal next week.  A big thank you in advance to all of them:

Bookish Temptations
Under The Covers Book Blog
That’s What I’m Talking About
Scandalicious Book Reviews
Literati Literature Lovers
The Book Queen’s Book Palace

Do you follow their blogs?  You should.  Fabulous book reviews, author interviews and chats, giveaways and much more await you from romance readers just like you and me.

Until the release of the foursome {smirks} a week from today…

Your humble shoe,

~ Kat

© 2013 by Kat Bastion

World Poetry Day ~ On Highland Time

In celebration of World Poetry Day (Thursday, March 21st, 2013), I created a poem that’s a teaser of my upcoming series.

It also happens to coincide with how I wake up every morning…

 

On Highland Time

A clock can’t hold the sands of time
The world hides vast dimensions
When mist burns off the heathered hills
Revealed are Highland Legends

 

Tricky how I worked the name of my upcoming series in there, don’t you think? {grins}

Actually, it’s a bit of a poetic synopsis.  Has anyone ever done a synopsis by poem?  I’m not sure, so there you have it, my friends.  Perhaps we just made history together.  And all for World Poetry Day.

Which brings me to my next thought…

Have you bought your copy of Utterly Loved yet?  Have you bought copies for friends and family? Celebrate poetry and share your gift with the world through the charities Utterly Loved supports, World Vision and Covenant House.  Be inspired by the brilliant foreword written by the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Sylvain Reynard.

Below are a few links where you can purchase copies of Utterly Loved.

Utterly Loved for Nook
Utterly Loved for Kindle
Utterly Loved in paperback on Amazon

Thank you for your continued support with Utterly Loved and the charities that each purchase supports.

As far as the Highland Legends series goes, stay tuned for an announcement of the names of all four book titles in the series…

Thank you for sharing in the love of poetry and romance, my friends.

Your humble shoe,

~ Kat

© 2013 by Kat Bastion

Series Name and Upcoming Title Reveal

Hello, my friends.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be ripped from your modern-day world and thrown into the past without warning or permission?

I have.

I’m lost in a world where… 

The heroes are Highlanders… great alpha males to the core.
The heroines are feisty, refusing to bow down to circumstance.

{smiles}  Won’t you join me?

The name of the series encompassing the four stories…

     Highland Legends

Stay tuned for the reveal of the titles for all four books in the series…

For further updates:  follow me on Twitter, “like” me on Facebook; and “friend” me on Goodreads.

Until the title reveals…
{disappears into the Highland mist, notepad and pen at the ready}

Your humble shoe,

~ Kat

© 2013 by Kat Bastion

On the Road to Published…

Hello, everyone!

In recent weeks I’ve been posting weather reports on Twitter from the Highlands.  Every morning before dawn, I race into the woods after my favorite alpha male characters and their feisty heroines, inking their adventures into stories to share with all of you.

If you hadn’t already noticed on either my website or my spirited Twitter posts, I write time-travel paranormal romances set mostly in the medieval Highlands of Scotland.

This fall, I’ll be bringing you the first story in the series.
{vibrates excitedly}

The 2013 Calendar

First Manuscript

The first award-winning manuscript in the series is nearly ready to publish.  Starting next week, I’ll be glued to my keyboard as I incorporate the insightful suggestions made by my beta readers.

In mid-April, the manuscript is going to a wonderful freelance editor.
{cringes, imagining a chainsaw ripping into my work of art} 

A creative summer will be filled with final edits, final proofing, cover art, and arranging a promotional tour.  

The first book is tentatively set for a September 2013 release date.

Holiday Novella

My early morning Twitter weather reports from Inverness, Scotland?

They’ve prepared me for the daily plunge into the snowy forests of the Highlands in a holiday novella I’m also penning for the series. 

Incorporating characters from all three of the longer novels, the novella will release in November of 2013.

Second Manuscript

Furious drafting of the second manuscript has begun.  While chasing after my characters to document their wild adventures, I’ve been typing two to three thousand words a day.

I anticipate an early 2014 release for the second book.

About the Stories

I’ve had such a blast combining my favorite genres–paranormal, romance, and the medieval Highlands–into my writing.  All the stories feature strong characters who go on a journey of self-discovery, finding unexpected love amid their turbulent adventures.

Many themes center on the difficulties in overcoming issues of trust and the rewards of learning acceptance.  Redemption will play a large role in the second and third novels of the series. 

Some of the stories will also highlight the great tragedy of human trafficking set within the timeframe of the stories.  The characters struggle with the grave injustice brought into their lives and learn to survive and thrive in spite of the darkness of their world.

The completed series will tell the stories of three siblings whose lives and clan are affected by a very unique kind of magick.
{refuses to give away spoilers} 😉

ARC Reviews and Blog Tours

Are you a book reviewer? 
Do you love paranormal romance, time-travel, or Highlander romances?

I’ve begun a list for ARC copies.  If you’re a book reviewer interested in reviewing the book for its release, and we’ve not yet spoken, please contact me via Twitter or by email.  I’d love to add you to the list.

If you participate on a blog or with a magazine and wish to be a part of any of the promotional tours, please email me your information and ideas.  I’d love to start building that list and calendar as well.

As I mentioned, I’m anticipating a release of the first book sometime in September 2013 and the novella sometime in November 2013, but will know firmer dates as the months progress.

Donations to Charities

In recent months, traveling along my own road of self-discovery, I’ve become a more selfless creature and strive to continue toward that end every day.

Both World Vision and Covenant House support efforts to fight human trafficking.  In November of 2012, the romantic poetry collection of Utterly Loved, with inspiring foreword by the incredible author and humanitarian Sylvain Reynard, was published to support those worthy charities.

With every other book I publish, a portion of the proceeds will go to an ever-growing list of charities in the hopes of raising awareness and increasing support for those that are lost in this world and in need of our love.

Final Thoughts

Now that I’m chronicling a rowdy clan of Highlanders, my weekly blog posts will transform into spontaneous musings.  I’ll occasionally wander out of the forest for a signal on my electronic devices.

My goals for the year are to get that first book into your hands by early fall and release that novella by the holidays.

Meanwhile, be sure to follow me on Twitter, where I try to say hello at least once or twice daily; “like” me on Facebook; and “friend” me on Goodreads.

Thank you for every bit of enthusiasm and support that you’ve given for my writing and for the charities I support.

Until the next blog post…
{disappears into the Highland mist, notepad and pen at the ready}

Your humble shoe,

~ Kat

© 2013 by Kat Bastion

Utterly Loved Release Day!

In true Utterly Loved whirlwind fashion, Utterly Loved with Foreword by Sylvain Reynard surprised us all with a release day less than ten hours after submission instead of 5-7 business days.

Please see the new page on this blog dedicated to Utterly Loved, which can also be accessed under Menu on the left sidebar.

On the page you will find the latest information about Utterly Loved, links to purchase the book, and links to the charities Utterly Loved will be helping.

Please share, like, and comment on the page.

Please share the news of Utterly Loved with all your social worlds.  Together we can make those in desperate need feel… Utterly Loved.

Thank you for all your help and support.

Your humble shoe,

~ Kat Bastion

© 2012 by Kat Bastion