Magic in the Stars by Patricia Rice – Review & Interview

 

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Description:
As an astrologer, Lady Azenor Dougall sadly realizes her stars are a danger to her beloved siblings and has banished herself from her Scots home. As the Malcolm family librarian, she dutifully creates zodiac charts for her often eccentric and mysterious relations—until the day she realizes a dire conjunction of planets spells a fatal threat in a distant branch of the family.

Lord Theophilus Ives, heir presumptive to the Marquess of Ashford, Earl of Ives and Wystan, is a dedicated astronomer who has perfected a telescope capable of seeing beyond Saturn’s moons. Living in an all-male family that distrusts the women who regularly abandon them, Theo is undaunted by the tumult of his life—until the day the luscious Lady Azenor arrives to warn them that the marquess is in danger.

Can Aster, the Prophetess of Doom, convince a laughing disbeliever of peril? And what are the chances she can escape the fate her stars predict if she lingers too long in Lord Theo’s enthralling company?

 

Review;

Being a fan of anything magical, I was really looking forward to this book because I guess I was expecting something a little different then what I read.  However, eventually I did come to enjoy Magic in the Stars by Patricia Rice, but it took me a little bit to get fully engaged in the story.  Magic in the Stars is a fast paced read, that I feel has laid the important groundwork for future books in this series.  It has a solid cast of characters, and its their personalities and antics that come to life on the pages that eventually held my interest.  The astrology parts, telescopes and planets not so much.  See I’m not a science fan and wasn’t fond of science class back in my school days.  I prefer the magical aspect, wands, witches, spells, that sort of thing and was kind of expecting more of that based on the title.  However, that being said, I did come to enjoy the book and it’s zany bunch of characters, who did manage to have me chuckling many times and shaking my head at their antics, or comments.  How poor Azenor, or Aster as her family calls her, handled the brother’s Ives is beyond me, and more, decided to marry into this crazy all male family was beyond me. Personally, based on first impressions I would’ve run screaming from their loony bin they call a home, but instead Aster somehow manages to deal with the brothers, and all the issues that arise , even though all she could see was impending doom in her astrological charts, as well as theirs.

Ms. Rice does an excellent job of weaving the astrological element with the science(planets/solar system), while slowly combining a budding romance between Aster and Theo.  Watching the two navigate their beliefs in their respected arts, Aster(astrology) and Theo(planets/solar system) was funny at times, and others frustrating.  Both believe in a form of science, but don’t see it that way, and at times it was frustrating to me to read their arguments.  However, I guess I should’ve kept in mind what time period this was taking place in, maybe that would’ve helped me out.  That’s okay, I made it through and Aster and Theo managed to worm their way into my reader’s heart and make me enjoy their story and want them to get to their HEA despite all the dangers in their charts.  Aster actually had me wondering by books end what my astrological chart would spell out if I ever decided to have it read.  Hmm, maybe one day. 

Magic In the Stars is a well written book, with a solid cast of characters that carry the story and kept me interested in what would happen next.  Theo’s rag-tag group of brothers/family are fun to meet, and watching Theo deal with taking up the reins of head of the family after his eldest brother’s accident is quite comical.  He’s completely out of his realm of planets and moons and has no idea how to deal with the everyday problems of the people who live in their town.  If it wasn’t for Aster who swoops in and pretty much saves the day for poor Theo, he would’ve been floundering in the wind and never would’ve found love, or the chance to make his telescopes and telescope glass famous.  I’m sure whatever Ms. Rice has in store for his fellow brothers will be equally entertaining.

Until next time, happy reading.

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Author

 

Hi Patricia.  Thank you for taking the time today, to answer some questions for our members at The Reading Café.  We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

TRC:  Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Patricia:     I’m young, tall, and attractive… and a fiction writer, so take that description with an entire cellar of salt. I sit at my desk and make up lies for a living, when I’m not moving across the country or making the occasional escape to Europe or the South Pacific with my trusty fellow traveler, my husband. It’s a rough life, but someone has to live it!

TRC:  Did you always have an interest in writing?  When and how did you first start writing?

Patricia:  Always, forever and ever, amen. I wrote in my first read-aloud books. I wrote mysteries by hand in fourth grade. I graduated to a typewriter in middle school—teaching myself to type so I could write faster. It’s much better to put these voices in my head on paper and sell them than to start answering them aloud in public!

TRC:  Magic in the Stars, is the first book in your new Unexpected Magic series. How did you come up with the idea of this book?  Can you please tell us about the premise of this series.

Patricia:  Ever since the original Magical Malcolms series readers have been begging for stories about their descendants (probably something about that baby boy lifting his ball without touching it!).  That series was set in the 1750s. I was a little weary of the Regency era. So I thought—aha, by 1830, the industrial revolution can throw a whole new set of problems at my characters, and now, even the men can have a touch of the Wyrd. I don’t really write about “magic” so much as psychic abilities that people claim are possible but science cannot duplicate. Astrology, precognition, levitation… human abilities can be endless, if we’re trained to recognize them. And that’s the premise—my Malcolms are trained to recognize their special abilities from birth, and to use them for good purpose, or to confuse logical men, whichever makes sense at the time!

TRC:  Can you please give us a brief description of Magic in the Stars?

Patricia:  As an astrologer, Lady Azenor Dougall realizes her stars are a danger to her siblings and has banished herself from her Scots home. As the Malcolm family librarian, she creates zodiac charts for her often eccentric and mysterious relations—until the day she realizes a dire conjunction of planets spells a fatal threat in a distant branch of the family.

Lord Theophilus Ives, heir presumptive to the Marquess of Ashford, Earl of Ives and Wystan, is a dedicated astronomer who has perfected a telescope capable of seeing beyond Saturn’s moons. Living in an all-male family that distrusts the women who regularly abandon them, Theo is undaunted by the tumult of his life—until the day the luscious Lady Azenor arrives to warn them that the marquess is in danger.

Can Aster, the Prophetess of Doom, convince a laughing disbeliever of peril? And what are the chances she can escape the fate her stars predict if she lingers too long in Lord Theo’s enthralling company?

TRC:   You are a very diversified author, writing the following genres:
 Historical Romance
Contemporary Romance
Paranormal Romance
Romantic Mysteries

 Do you have a preference?  Which do you find the most challenging & why?

Patricia:  Diversified is such a polite way of saying “scattered.” I started in historical romance, and my heart is strongly in that genre, but my head has things to say that won’t fit into the past. Each genre has its own challenges. And it’s another challenge to keep word usage from creeping from one genre into another. “Contact” and “handle” for instance, had different usages in 1830 than today.

I also write straight mysteries, the Family Genius series, and plotting those with clues and red herrings is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done!

TRC:  Can you please tell us what you’re working on now, and what you have upcoming in 2016?

Patricia:  Whisper of Magic, the next in the Unexpected Magic series, is being proofed right now, getting ready for release in June. I’m currently revising Theory of Magic, the third book, for a late July release. I’m finishing up the first draft (she says optimistically) on the next Family Genius mystery, and plotting and researching a fourth book in the Magic series. Oh, and I’m editing a couple of old American historical romance backlist books!

TRC:  What is your writing process?  Do you like to outline your story before you start? Do you have a specific place you like to write?  Is there a special time of day that works best for you?

Patricia:  The only thing consistent about my process (and you may see a pattern here—scattered is me) is that I am more creative in the morning, so that’s my writing time. I attempt outlines before I start—or at least character descriptions, goals, conflicts, etc—but I stray. A lot. I like to sit in the sun when I’m creating—which works well here in SoCal. But otherwise, I’m stuck with whatever location works best for what I’m doing—a large monitor is needed when reading revision notes and revising, for instance. So I’m stuck in my office, grumbling, when I’m working through notes.

TRC:  When you are not writing, what other interests or hobbies do you have?

Patricia:  Reading, of course! Gardening, hiking, traveling… just don’t ask me to do anything athletic. I’m a world-class klutz.

TRC:  Many authors have friends or family, that they bounce ideas and information back and forth.  Do you have anyone you like to discuss your story with? 

Patricia:  I have a couple of brainstorming friends I sadly left behind on the east coast. We still email and get together on the phone when stories get stuck in a rut and need outside help to push them out.  I have some buddies at our publishing co-op I like to bounce ideas off of. But talking to family would be as helpful as talking to a crow. I’d get more response from the crow! So I’ll leave them to help me run the technical side of this business.

TRC:   Would you like to add anything else?

Patricia:  I’ve been selling books for a long time, and I could not have come as far as I have without my readers. They’re always there with an encouraging word on days when I want to fling the laptop through the window. They cheer me on, encourage me to make dangerous dives into unmarketable waters <G>, and to help me name characters, books, and anything else that I ask. They cheerfully review my books and tell me I’m not as much an idiot as I sometimes think. I simply want to thank all of them!

 

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: chocolate (that counts as food, right?)

Favorite Dessert: chocolate brownies with mint chocolate ice cream

Favorite TV Show: Elementary

Favorite Actor & Actress (TV or Movies) Benedict Cumberbatch, Maggie Smith

Last Book You Read: Daughter of the Forest, Juliet Marillier

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own): if I’m on a Sherlock kick, might as well say Sherlock Holmes

Milk or Dark Chocolate:  DARK!!!!

Dog or Cat:  dog

 

TRC:  Thank you Patricia for taking the time to answer our questions.  We wish you the best of luck with Magic in the Stars.  .

Patricia:   Thank you!

 

Patricia is offering an e-copy of Magic in the Stars TWO (2) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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