Acquired Book By: Earlier this Spring, I participated in an event uniting book bloggers and Indie Authors called #ReviewPit. One of the authors I discovered during this event was Leanne Leeds – of whom has penned a rather interesting Cosy Mystery series – wherein her lead character is a witch and the whole series is rooted out of her love of carnivals and her past experience of them. What intrigued me the most is how this is a Paranormal Fantasy Cosy series and I was thinking it would make a perfect series to curl up inside during #WyrdAndWonder!!
I was seeking stories during #ReviewPit which caught my eye for their uniqueness but also what was quite lovely is how most of the stories which intrigued me to read were actually within the realms of Fantasy! I found this wicked interesting and it is why I was thankful during #WyrdAndWonder Year 2 I could continue to celebrate my love of Indie Authors & Indie Publishers and Press!
I received a complimentary copy of “Witchiest Circus on Earth” direct from the author Leanne Leeds in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Something wicked came this way during #ReviewPit:
When I first learnt of the #bookishTwitter event #ReviewPit, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect – I keep a watchful eye on twitterverse events where writers are seeking betareaders or where authors are seeking publication (ie. #PitchWars, etc) as I generally find #newtomeauthors this way and I do like to champion the writers who are on their path towards becoming published as this is something I can personally relate to as I’m a writer whose currently moonlighting as a book blogger and joyful tweeter! It is lovely to reach out into the Indie community on Twitter and continue to seek out the stories I desire to be reading. Ever since I first started blogging here at Jorie Loves A Story, I’ve had an eye out for Indie Press, Publishers and the writers who are seeking alternative publication – either through the Indie side of publishing directly through established publishers and press; or through Small Trade publishers or taking the full-Indie route into Self-Publishing or Hybrid publishing options.
This is what made #ReviewPit such a keen event for me – I decided to just jump into it and see what I would find. It is run similar to other events where you get a pitch about a story and you are given a clue of a nod towards its genre of interest. I quite literally had such a wicked joy just scrolling through all the lovelies being offered, I wasn’t entirely sure how many would be available to receive as print editions for review but I decided to give myself the chance to just seek out the authors first and request which ones were available lateron.
Turnt out – one of the authors who drew my eye towards her quirky series called the Magical Midway was Leanne Leeds! Here was an author penning Cosy Mysteries (love, love, LOVE those dearly!) with a quirk of a twist – she sets them at a circus with a full bevy of characters you’d expect to find at a circus whilst having this full backdrop of paranormal characters rounding out the cast!
Witchiest Circus on Earth
Subtitle: Magical Midway Cozy Paranormal Mysteries Book One
by Leanne Leeds
Source: #ReviewPit Author, Direct from Author
Magic under the big top.
Murder under investigation.
Can a non-practicing witch save the family business and live to see the encore?Charlotte never had the choice to follow in her family’s magical footsteps. Her parents decided decades ago to live amongst the humans and leave the mystical circus far behind. But when her ringmaster uncle is murdered and wills her the family’s magical business, she feels the pull to step back under the big top. As she harnesses the awesome powers of the enchanted performance, she vows to bring her uncle’s killer to justice.
In the midst of juggling her investigation, running the show, and navigating rival groups of carnies, the human-phobic Witches Council schemes to replace her faster than a flying trapeze. With threats coming from both sides of the tent, Charlotte must unmask her uncle’s murderer before the legendary circus takes its final bow.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 978-1950505012
Published by Badchen Publishing
on 5th April, 2018
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 280
Published by: Badchen Publishing
Formats Available: Trade Paperback and Ebook
The Magical Midway series:
The Magical Midway series is a paranormal cozy mystery series with eccentric characters, show-stopping magic, sweet romance subplots, and twisty mysteries. If you like eccentric characters, show-stopping magic, and twisty mysteries, then you’ll love this paranormal cozy mystery.
Be sure to visit the Synopsis for these stories on the author’s site!
Charlotte & Aidan (prequel short) | Synopsis
The Witchest Circus on Earth (book one) | Synopsis
Life on the Lion (book two) | Synopsis
Unbearable Magic (book three) | Synopsis
Go for the Juggler (book four) | Synopsis
Irrelephant Omens (book five) | Synopsis
→ A Call to Charms (book six) *forthcoming 2019 | Synopsis
About Leanne Leeds
Leanne Leeds writes sweet, fun, often romantic but always fast-paced paranormal mysteries, fantasies, and romances. She lives in rural Texas with her husband, daughter, and a house full of cats that would sound like Samson if they could talk.
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Letter to Readers
Thanks for visiting this book blogger whose reading my stories during #WyrdAndWonder! (be sure to follow the tag in the twitterverse for her updates!) I guess you want to know a bit more than the standard blurb above, hmm?
Well, okay then.
I wrote my first book when I was eight years old – it was, essentially, Trixie Belden fan fiction. Written in pencil and stapled together with a sketch on the front, I was quite proud of my ragged chapbook of a mystery. The desire to write books followed me all the way to The College of Staten Island, where I majored in English with an option in Writing…
…until I dropped out to join the circus. Because, like, why not?
Okay, well, not the circus. I was a production assistant for a stage hypnotist as well as a carnie worker in a variety of food joints touring the Eastern seaboard fair circuit. The experience was relatively short but incredibly impactful on my worldview. Though I went limping back to my apartment in New York broke and had to get a “real job”, I maintained a lifelong fascination with eccentric, alternative and extraordinary lifestyles.
This came in handy in my forties when I was laid off from a large publicly traded company in the middle of mass-layoffs that massacred the careers of nearly everyone I knew—at least for a short time. It was a frustrating end to a 20+ year career in an industry I had once loved but which I now… didn’t. That experience made me realize that I was ready to leave my twenty plus years in management and tech and do something different.
I returned to my childhood dreams of being an eccentric storyteller and living my best weird life. The Magical Midway series was written as a nod to my experience with the showman of the east coast, and their incredible influence on me. I have plans for more paranormal-themed cozies, fantasies, and romances as time goes on, and I tend to produce one book every 2-3 months. These have minimal sexual content (in case that’s important to you).
For dedicated fans, there will always be at least a week-long 99¢ pre-order phase on new books as a thank you. These are announced on the newsletter only, so if you’re interested in getting every future ebook under a buck, sign up!
Thanks for going on this journey with me, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- #BeatTheBacklist 2019
- #WyrdAndWonder
