Welcome to the Official Blog Tour for The Skinwalker's Apprentice, a prequel novella for the Empire Witch series, by Claribel Ortega!
Genre:
Young Adult Paranormal
Series:
Empire Witch Series
Publish Date:
February 24, 2014
Publisher:
Winslet Press
Summary from Goodreads:
“Welcome to
The Empire State, where banshees, witches, and skinwalkers wait…”
Margo Pennyfeather is being hunted. The 16-year-old witch has always been an outcast, in her home back in England, and now in the village of East Hampton New York where her family has settled. No one but her family has ever cared for Margo, but now the most important witch in the magic world wants her as an apprentice, giving her a chance to bring her family out of poverty.
Margo Pennyfeather is being hunted. The 16-year-old witch has always been an outcast, in her home back in England, and now in the village of East Hampton New York where her family has settled. No one but her family has ever cared for Margo, but now the most important witch in the magic world wants her as an apprentice, giving her a chance to bring her family out of poverty.
Before long, Margo realizes things aren't what they seem, least of all, what
kind of witch she really is. Now, the young witch must face a terrifying
monster on her own, and the reverberations will reach farther than she could
have ever imagined.
More than three hundred years later, in 1984 Emerald Kipp is a high school
senior in New York City. A troubled teen with a rebellious streak, Emerald
can't seem to figure out what to do with her life, and unfortunately for her,
“witch” isn’t one of the available career choices in her guidance counselor’s
office. As she struggles to figure herself out, Emerald is faced with the
threat of being stuck in school and missing her final summer with her three
best friends. Her last year of high school is turning out to be the worst yet,
and Emerald thinks it can’t possibly get any worse. Unfortunately for her,
she’s dead wrong.
And there’s something else, something far more sinister stirring in Emerald’s
world, and she’ll have to believe in herself if she wants to get through it
alive.
Two witches, three hundred years apart, one inescapable fate.
The Skinwalker's Apprentice is a prequel to the upcoming novel, Emerald Kipp
and The Riddle of The Timekeeper, a terrifying magical scavenger hunt through
the gritty streets of 1980’s New York City,set to a killer soundtrack, and
perfect for fans of Harry Potter and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Part of
The Empire Witches series.
~~~~
The History Behind
The Skinwalker's Apprentice
The Skinwalker's Apprentice is a book about two witches and the events in their lives leading up to a treacherous race against time that holds the fate of the magical world in the balance. But behind the spells and witchcraft, The Skinwalker's Apprentice -- which is part of the Empire Witch Series -- is inspired by real life events and residents of NYC.
In TSWA, we meet Goody Garlick, a nurse maid who aids one of the story's heroines Margo Pennyfeather. Goody Garlick was an actual resident of what was then known as Easthampton, Long Island (now East Hampton) and she was accused of witchcraft thirty five years before the Salem witch trials began. This little known story is also shrouded in mystery, as Garlick lived on the island until her death, but no records of her death or burial site has ever been found.
Aside from Garlick, Lion Gardner, the settlement's founder is also talked about briefly in TSWA, and one of his direct descendants, Live Pirrotti, contributed artwork to the book.
For the next book in the series, Emerald Kipp and The Riddle of The Timekeeper, the character of The Timekeeper is inspired by real life New York resident, the late John Votta. Votta was nicknamed The Timekeeper for his daily hobby of shouting the time to NYU students, and helping them stay on time for class. He was a small man of less than five feet tall and was cherished part of the NYU community.
Votta passed away in 2012 but through Riddle of The Timekeeper, his spirit lives on in an alternate magical NYC.
In a New York Times article from 1879, NYC resident Henrietta Snowden was nicknamed "The Witch of East Broadway." Snowden plays a pivotal role in Riddle of The Timekeeper, and her character is described much like the actual person she was based on -- unusually tall, with a penchant for trouble and an array of cats and dogs living in her apartment, all with small silver coins tied around their necks.
There are many more character inspired by little known NYC residents weaved throught the story, with more to come as the series progresses. Author Claribel Ortega also plans to include obscure but magical places in the upcoming books, such as the inspiration behind the iconic yellow brick road from The Wizard of Oz, which is located in Peekskill, New York.
Read more about The Skinwalker's Apprentice and the Empire Witch Series at www.claribelortega.com.
~~~~
**About the Author**
Claribel Ortega is a graduate of the SUNY Purchase journalism program, and got her start writing for the school’s Independent Newspaper. There, she quickly rose the ranks from editing the student’s often times hilarious ads and ramblings on the back page of the paper to staff and feature writer.
After graduation, Claribel worked as a reporter for The Rivertowns Enterprise, a local paper in lower Westchester County, New York. As a reporter, she enjoyed going to board of education meetings and texting the town mayors about the line at Starbucks.
Today, Claribel works for The Combined Book Exhibit, a book marketing company in Westchester NY.
She lives in New York with her really awesome boyfriend, her suspiciously intelligent yorkie Pancho Villa and is surrounded by an impenetrable fort of books she gets from her job.
The Skinwalker’s Apprentice is her first book, and cheese is her favorite food.
A signed paperback copy of The Skinwalker's Apprentice
Plus, a Forever 21 Prize Pack including:
Posh Stackable Rings
Cameo Bow Necklace
Shopper Tote (design may vary)
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