We have much pleasure in announcing the Cassandra by Starlight Virtual Book Tour, beginning Saturday April 20th and continuing through to midnight on Wednesday May 1st, 2013 . The romance/suspense novel set in London has been incredibly well-received and has garnered some wonderful reviews: “Cassandra by Starlight” is a beautifully written romance novel that will keep you reading until the end. Between the twists, turns, ups and downs of the well written plot, Susan Mac Nicol keeps her characters realistic in her debut novel. I fell in love with this story and recommend it to all romance fans.” My Cozie Corner
As well as attending all tour stops, Susan will be doing a one-hour Tweetup with us, where she will share some of her writing secrets and publishing tips on Twitter. Susan will also be awarding a selection of her published novels to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. To increase your chances of winning, stop by each of the scheduled stops and leave a comment. Please see below for full tour itinerary.
We have also set up event pages on Facebook and Goodreads so you can be sure to keep up to date with all the fun events. You may even catch Susan chatting with her fans.
About the Book
Title: Cassandra by Starlight 
Author: Susan Mac Nicol
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Excerpt: Chapter One
Booksellers: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk
Falling in love makes Cassie Wallace’s everyday and normal life much more complicated that she’d ever thought it could be.
Being an independent and somewhat unconventional woman, she’d never intended to fall head over heels for a handsome, charming and younger man, one who lived a life she’d only ever imagined before on the big screen.
But Bennett Saville, up and coming star of theatre and film and filthy rich to boot, was one such man. From the tips of his shiny Armani loafers to the auburn curls on his head, he turns Cassie’s world upside down. From their initial tragic meeting to the dangers that threaten them both as their relationship grows more intense, Cassie finds herself a willing participant in Bennett’s world. She learns about a life in show business and living with a man who is constantly on show to the world – not to mention having to face the fact that women throw themselves at him with regular abandon.
Cassie embraces the challenges as only she can, in her usual feisty fashion, lending humour and compassion to their developing relationship. And when violence and fear comes calling for them both, it takes the two of them to hold the dangers at bay and face the events together.
Cassandra by Starlight Tour Dates
Follow the tour for the chance of winning some super prizes!
Saturday 20th April – Deb Sanders (interview)
Sunday 21st April – Virtual Writers, Inc. ( interview)
Monday 22nd April – Sophie Sansregret from Evolved Books (review and guest post)
Tuesday 23rd April – Deborah Carney from Book Goodies (guest post)
Wednesday 24th April – Twitter Chat with Author, Susan Mac Nicol (12 noon – 1pm GMT) under the hashtag #CassandraByStarlight
Thursday 25th April – Jesse Kimmel-Freeman (guest post)
Friday 26th April – Sarka-Jonae from Between Boyfriends (interview)
Saturday 27th April – Helena Fairfax (guest post)
Sunday 28th April – Amy Metz from A Blue Million Books (interview)
Monday 29th April – Tana Rae from Tana-Some of My Favorite Books (review)
Auggie from Auggie Talk (promo post)
Tuesday 30th April – Elizabeth Rose from Once Upon a Reality (promo post)
Wednesday 1st May – Crystal R from Crystal’s Random Thoughts (review)
Beth Edwards from Curling Up With A Good Book (promo)
Cassandra by Starlight Tour Giveaway
Our giveaway is open to anyone over the age of 18. The winning entry will be selected by Rafflecopter and verified by email prior to prize allocation. You will have 48 hours to respond. No purchase is necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
About Susan Mac Nicol
Susan Mac Nicol was born in Leeds, UK, and left for South Africa when she was eight. She returned to the UK thirty years later and now lives in Essex. Her debut novel “Cassandra by Starlight”, the first in a trilogy, has recently been published by Boroughs Group Publishing in the US.
Sue has written since she was very young, and never thought she would see herself being a Romance writer, being a horror/psychological thriller reader all her life. But the Romance genre is now something very close to her heart and she intends continuing the trend.
To learn more, visit Susan on her website and blog on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
Susan Mac Nicol is also author of The Magick of Christmas.
Thanks to anyone stopping by to leave a comment! Let’s get this party started….:)
Wonderful to have you with us, Susan! Have you got your cup of tea and chocolate biscuits at the ready?
Hi yes I have my cup of tea and the shortbread biccies at the ready …
Loved Cassandra by Starlight! It was recommended to me by a friend and fellow Cumberbatch appreciator so I had to read it. the thing is though I might have gone in because of the object of Susan`s inspiration I stayed because of Susan`s talent as a story teller. I had enormous fun following Cassie & Bennett`s tale so far and look forward to the last installment.
Catalina, thanks for your feedback, you are such a star. Hopefully book 3 won’t be too far away, and everyone will get to see Bennett and Cassie finally tying the knot. Along with all the other things that happen to them of course….it wouldn’t be a Starlight book if trouble didn’t just follow these two around.
Strangely, I didn’t see the attraction before but now that I look a little more closely at Cumberbatch, I have to agree there’s a certain charisma.
Aha, I have managed to convert yet another person to the Dark Side…welcome fellow fan. *wicked villainous chuckle*
In the words of the great Dick Emery, “you are awful, but I like you” (playful but over-enthusiastic shove). You might have to be British and over 40 to get it. 🙂
i love these stories and jump when susan sends me anything!!!!
Hi Angie! Angie is one of my favourite reviewers. She’s never too busy to read one of my books and tells me she sets aside anything she’s busy with to read mine! I think that’s such a great compliment to an author. She’s totally in love with Bennett, as are we all, and her reviews are always so full of wonderful comments. Thanks for stopping by, Angie 🙂
Susan, this line from your bio really caught my eye: “Sue has written since she was very young, and never thought she would see herself being a Romance writer, being a horror/psychological thriller reader all her life. But the Romance genre is now something very close to her heart and she intends continuing the trend.”
I tend to read and write psychological/horror stories, myself. I’m rarely drawn to romance novels, these days (although I cut my teeth, as a young reader, on “girl-running-away-from-the-house novels” – aka, gothic romance). I’ve been happily married for nearly 30 years, and appreciate the lack of “relationship drama” that normally fuels a stirring romance novel.
So, the fact that you veered off the psych/horror stories to write romance intrigues me, and tempts me to read this – but given what I’ve just told you about me and my reading tastes, what is there in Cassandra by Starlight to push me right over the edge of temptation and drive me to the virtual book store? 🙂
Hi Holly. What a wonderful question. Let me see if I can try and convince you. I don’t ever think I could write pure romance like the old Mills and Boon I used to read when I was a kid. I’d need something else that was closer to my love of thrills and conflict, of adversities and often controversial topics. Cassandra by Starlight is a romance, have no doubt. But it’s a romance suspense, and what with psychopathic mothers trying to kill people, the subject of child abuse, a rather evil stalker who has no boundaries, a rather nasty rape scene, a vigilante plot to get justice for a wronged man and the psychological interplay between the characters, based on all these events, I think there’s enough to keep you interested 🙂
My publisher said to me last week, ‘Sue, the more horrible things you do to your characters, the more your readers seem to like it!’ People want realism, even in a romance novel. Cassie and Bennett go through one hell of a lot in this first book and still come out crazy in love. The important thing is that all these adversities are overcome and the happy ever after ending rings true. And that is one thing you don’t mess with in a romance book! You may be hung , drawn and quartered lol.
I know personally when I read romance now (my totally new passion is gay male romance and I’m branching into this genre with my first book at the moment as there’s something about man love that is incredibly addictive) if it didn’t have the HEA I would be very upset. Other than that -anything goes and from the sounds of it, the more dangerous the better for my characters 🙂 I hope this convinces you to at least try Cassandra by Starlight – then Together in Starlight and finally Starlight and Promises which is the last book in the series due out soon.
That does sound intriguing!
Given that, even as a kid, I liked the gothic romance, I’ve never been into the saccharine sweet and romance without some sinister plot on the side. However, I would quibble with “people want realism” (at least in the context in which you placed it here!) – I think the reason people like for us to torment our characters and follow up with the HEA ending is to reassure them that even if things were MORE horrible than real life (especially on days when we wonder if that’s even possible), there’s real hope that they’ll turn out okay. The only “realism” I crave is in the characters – they do need to be well-rounded people we can relate to. I know I don’t read fiction for a daily dose of real, though – I want ESCAPE!!! I want a world where the bad guy – no matter how charming, clever, or skilled – is going to get his just desserts and the good guy wins. The trick is keeping me wondering if that’s going to happen and HOW (we all know it’s a winning formula, so it’s hard not to be TOO predictable). If I can read the first three pages and the last two, and still want to read the book, it’s probably not going to disappoint. I want the writing to waft me away to where I can’t hear the lawnmower outside – I have to care HOW you got from A to Z, regardless of how predictable it is that you’ll go to Z instead of to 99z42. 😉
I’m so glad Andie suggested to me that I come on this tour and meet you, Susan. And yes, I am looking forward to reading your novel!
Good to hear, Holly! As for the realism, I suppose I was referring to the people in the books, less of the antics. Gosh, if Bennett and Cassie were real people they’d probably be basket cases 🙂 As a writer it’s what we do- create worlds where people can get lost, escape and finally find their way out, overcoming the bad guys, and triumphing. I agree with you 100% on that one.
But the people need to be real with real experiences that readers can relate to, and not over beautiful, over clever -they need flaws.
I’m so pleased you’re taking the plunge and intend meeting Cassie and Bennett. You’ll have to let me know how you get on with it. 🙂
Ooh. He sounds like a yummy hero.
Hi Jackie
I think Bennett is the yummiest ever but then he’s based on my very own personal fan crush as you know – or I think you do because I never stop talking about him- Benedict Cumberbatch. Jill and Michelle know him well lol.
What’s not to love about a 37 year old Englishman, auburn hair, green eyes, handsome, debonair, well dressed, sarcastic and with a bad temper. Did I mention arrogant? We all have our faults…
It sounds like a terrific read. I love reading about characters who have to overcome obstacles to find their HEA.
Hi Janna, welcome! I have to say I love all the angst and drama along the way to actually getting the characters together HEA in the end. I can put up with a lot during the tale as long as I know it’s all going to turn out well. And poor Cassie and Bennett definitely have a lot to put up with in this series 🙂
Just a quick reminder to all of Susan’s fans. Have you left a comment on at least one of the blogs in the tour? That’s all you need to do to enter the raffle. Once you’ve left a comment, visit the author schedule page (see link below) scroll down to the Rafflecopter form and verify your comment. Easy! Then, if you REALLY want to help Susan spread awareness of her contemporary novel, think about passing her author page (see link below) and her bookseller link (http://astore.amazon.com/virwriinc-20/detail/B008XCJ6JI) to your friends.
Susan’s Author Schedule Page: http://authoressentials.virtualwritersinc.com/2013/04/on-tour-cassandra-by-starlight-by-susan-mac-nicol/
And the winner of the book package is….
– Holly Jahangiri –
Congratulations, Holly!!
Well done Holly! Congratulations on winning. Let me know your email address and I’ll get the books to you asap.
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