Welcome to the Blog Tour for Shadowcast by Crystal D. Grant, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I’m delighted to have Crystal on the blog today to chat about her book!
SHADOWCAST by Crystal D. Grant
SERIES: The Gateway Trilogy #1
GENRE: Fantasy Romance (Clean)
PUBLISHER: Quill and Flame Publishing
RELEASE DATE: September 20, 2023
PAGES: 505
He has known nothing but darkness for years. Now it’s time to let it consume him.
After witnessing the brutal death of his brother at the hands of the Steward Knights, Mason Grey turns to vengeance. Using his Gifts to read and control the minds of others, he climbs the ranks of the Dark Army, determined to earn the coveted Shadowstone-a powerful tool against the light-wielding Stewards. But when he is wounded in battle, he finds himself recovering in the home of a chatty peasant girl…without the use of his Gifts. Even worse, the girl mistakes him for one of the Stewards he despises.
Seria Gayle longs to be seen as more than the town washerwoman. When she finds an injured Steward in the woods, she welcomes the chance to use her healing skills and hopes it will earn her some respect. But as she nurses the sullen stranger back to health, she discovers he is nothing like the knights she has long admired.
When Mason’s true identity is revealed, Seria is devastated and humiliated. But she is offered a chance at redemption by the very prince that Mason hates. Now Mason struggles between two choices: accept the Shadowstone to avenge his brother or pursue this newfound light in the form of a peasant girl. With time running out and war looming, will Mason and Seria defy their own convictions for a chance at love or stand against one another like they’ve sworn to do?
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Hi Crystal! Welcome to the blog!
Crystal: I will have to say coffee. I never did like tea, growing up, but I always loved the smell of coffee. Now I love to experiment with different flavors and creamers. Iced coffee is my favorite. But, I am developing an appreciation for some flavored hot teas. 😊
Carrie: I’ve never developed a taste for either – but I wish I did! They both seem so cozy and grown up lol
Crystal: I will always pick music. Due to my hearing impairment, audiobooks are not as enjoyable to listen to as I’d like them to be, although I do like familiar classics like LOTR. But even if I don’t catch the lyrics, music can be so emotionally impactful.
Carrie: So true!
Crystal: Honestly? It doesn’t matter to me. It’s toilet paper! It’s going in the toilet either way. LOL!
Carrie: haha!! Fair enough 🙂
Crystal: Print book, hands down! I will read ebooks on occasion, especially for ARCs, but there’s nothing like the feel and smell of a book in my hands.
Carrie: i read mostly on ebooks (because…. over 40 means I need to enlarge that font lol) but I still buy my fave print copies to have on hand for hugging privileges!
Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?
Crystal: I love the idea of reading being a superpower. If I could pick a superpower, it would be to be able to instill the love of reading into everyone I meet.
Carrie: ooo i love that! Yes please!
Q: Tell me some good books you’ve read recently.
Crystal: Some good books I’ve read lately are Of Fire and Ash by Gillian Bronte Adams, (I’m actually rereading it now!) Aberration by Cathy McCrumb, (Children of the Consortium Book 2) Authentically Izzy by Pepper Basham, and R.E.M. by Ashley Schaller.
Carrie: I’ve only read Izzy from your list but wasn’t it such a fun read?? So adorably bookish!
Q: Writing spaces are as diverse as authors and books. Where is your favorite space to write?
Crystal: I like to change things up a bit when I write, so sometimes I write in my bed or in the recliner in my living room. But my favorite place to write is at my wooden desk that was hand made by my dad. It’s quite beautiful with engravings. He even burned one of my favorite verses (Is. 26:3) into a plaque to hang so I can see it every time I sit at it.
Carrie: oh wow! That made me teary a little bit – what a special desk! ♥
Q: Which of your main characters in Shadowcast is most like you?
Crystal: I’d have to say my female main character, Seria Gayle, is most like me. She feels awkward around other more polished people, dreams of a better future, loves her pet donkey, and talks too much.
Carrie: But now I want to know if you have a pet donkey… LOL
Q: Did you have the whole plot outlined before you started writing Shadowcast, or did you let the characters dictate what came next?
Crystal: I had a general idea of where the plot was going to go, and I took it there. But my characters definitely decided how they were going to get there.
Carrie: best of both worlds!
Q: What is something God taught you while you wrote Shadowcast?
Crystal: There were a lot of things I learned during the making of this story, including things about my writing process and craft. But patience was the biggest lesson I learned. This story has been in my heart for over a decade, so learning to wait on God’s timing was difficult at times, but so rewarding now.
Carrie: His timing is always perfect but oh goodness it’s hard to wait for sometimes, isn’t it? ♥
Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.
Crystal: Thank you so much for having me! It was so fun answering your questions. Coming up, I have a story featured in Tales of Maney, an anthology of children’s stories coming out in November from Twenty Hills Publishing. I am also hard at work on the sequel to Shadowcast, which is tentatively scheduled for some time next year.
Crystal D. Grant is a daydreamer who adores freshly-baked cookies and anything with fur or feathers. During the day, she strives to instill a love of books and learning within her young students. As a hearing-impaired, home-school graduate, she found her voice in writing and has had multiple short stories and poems published. When she’s not reading or writing stories that sweep her away to another time and place, she watches classic movies and TV shows that do the same. Or she works on jigsaw puzzles. Crystal currently resides in smalltown Missouri, where she is always looking for space for another scented candle.
Connect with Crystal by visiting crystalgrantauthor.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
(1) winner will win a signed copy of Shadowcast, book swag, and exclusive color art from the book!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 18, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 25, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
This giveaway is hosted by JustRead Tours, not RimSP
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
What about you? What makes you want to read Shadowcast by Crystal D. Grant?
Captivating, intriguing and fascinating novel which is a real treasure. Very creative and talented author.
Sounds interesting. Thank you for sharing.
It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
This book sounds sooooo good!
right?!? The reviewers on the tour LOVED it!
Shadowcast sounds like an epic page-turner!