Monday, October 15, 2012

Giveaway & Guest post ‘Warning: This Book is Cursed!’ by Abigail Roux

We’re very pleased and honored to welcome back author Abigail Roux at Rarely Dusty Books. Last time she was here for a Ty & Zane interview that Sharon had with her, this time she’s here to talk about her newest book The Gravedigger’s Brawl, which releases today. Happy Release Day, Abi! The stage is yours. :)


Welcome to The Gravedigger’s Brawl virtual book tour! Thank you for helping me celebrate the release of the most haunted book I’ve ever worked on. Over the course of the next few days I’ll be giving away prizes to help you get through the reading experiences, namely bundles of sage to cleanse your electronics after you download a cursed book! In addition, every stop along this tour is a chance to win $10 in store credit to Riptide Publishing as part of their first anniversary celebration! To enter to win one of the prizes, just leave a comment here and make sure you include your e-mail address. The giveaway deadline is Sunday, Oct 21 at 11:59pm. Many thanks to Rarely Dusty Books for helping me get this spooky Riptide Publishing virtual book tour under way!

Warning: This Book is Cursed!

The Gravedigger’s Brawl has been unlike any other book I’ve ever written. And it’s not because of the plot or the characters or even the ghostly element. Call me crazy, call me an incredibly inventive PR person, or what have you, but I firmly believe this book is cursed. The manuscript itself, the words, the electronic waves that pass with it whenever I open it on my computer, I think it’s haunted. And I’m going to tell you why.

I started writing this story one October five years ago. October is a month that has always been particularly inspiring for me, and I love everything about it. The crisp fall air, the fun of Halloween, the hint of darkness that creeps into everything we do leading up to that final creepy celebration. I love it. And one year while living in Richmond, the spirit overcame and I decided to write a ghost story.

It took me about a month to finish the first draft, and the original ending to this book was quite different and much darker. A HEA it most certainly wasn’t but I was pleased with it and I left it as it was. Shortly after I finished and shared it with my usual betas and readers, strange things began to happen.

The temperature in my Richmond condo would drop drastically, something I attributed to the 100 year old building and my first winter there. Then my things began to move. Small things, like a ring or a keychain. I blamed my husband at the time and thought little of it.

Then one day I took my dog for a walk. We headed down the stairs and out the building and took a short jaunt across the street to the pond nearby. He frolicked, I complained about it getting colder, it was a typical outing for us. But on the return, I began digging for my keys. I kept them with me at all times, along with my ID, because the area wasn’t the greatest and sometimes a UC cop would drive by and make sure I wasn’t a drug dealer or prostitute by asking for my ID.

I couldn’t find either. I knew I had put them in my pocket, because I always did. I checked in the little bag I kept attached to the dog leash, and they weren’t there either. I began to panic, because I was looking at five hours or more before my husband came home, I had no phone to call for help, and even if I could get into the building, I would still be stuck in the lobby with my giant drooling dog.

When I reached the building, still searching for my keys, I found my keychain on the ground in front of the door. It was a tiny crystal fleur-de-lis, very heavy and very secure. I would have heard it clank when it hit the ground if it had fallen. It was also sitting on the doorstep, as if placed there to get my attention. As I stood looking at it in consternation, my giant stupid dog shied away from the door, began to whine like a huge wuss, and then broke away from me and ran. This is the animal I depended on to protect me in dangerous parts of the world, and at several occasions he had indeed done just that. He’s rarely spooked.

I spent the next thirty minutes chasing down 100-pounds of frightened dog, and when I returned to the building my husband was there in a panic. He said I had called his cell phone but hadn’t said a word, and he’d rushed home thinking I was in trouble. The cell phone, of course, was inside with my keys.

This wasn’t the first time I’d encountered something unexplainable. I firmly believe in ghosts and have all my life, and the area in which I grew up is steeped in stories that would make your skin crawl. But it’s not my intention to tell you about all the ghosts I’ve seen or the strange things I’ve heard of from family and friends. My intention is to tell you all the strange things this particular book has been responsible for, and over the next couple of days I’ll do just that.

You can haunt me at several places on the web, including Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, and my website. I hope to see you around.


The Gravedigger’s Brawl

Dr. Wyatt Case is never happier than when he’s walking the halls of his history museum. Playing wingman for his best friend at Gravedigger’s Tavern throws him way out of his comfort zone, but not as much as the eccentric man behind the bar, Ash Lucroix.
Ash is everything Wyatt doesn’t understand: exuberant, quirky, and elbow deep in a Gaslight lifestyle that weaves history into everyday life. He coordinates his suspenders with his tongue rings. Within hours, Wyatt and Ash are hooked.
But strange things are afoot at Gravedigger’s, and after a knock to the head, Ash starts seeing things that can’t be explained by old appliances or faulty wiring. Soon everyone at Gravedigger’s is wondering if they’re seeing ghosts, or just going crazy. The answer to that question could end more than just Wyatt and Ash’s fragile relationship—it might also end their lives.

You can read the first two chapters and order The Gravedigger’s Brawl HERE.

34 comments:

  1. Happy Release Day!
    Omg that is creepy as hell! I would have been running down the street with the dog! Lol Although I'm curious what kind of chicken, I mean, dog he is?
    I preordered gravediggers from riptide but haven't started it yet. (as soon as I'm done with my current book I'm all over it, though, curse or not!)

    mmph77(at) gmail (dot) com

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  2. I got this over the weekend and can't wait to start it!
    fangirlmom@gmail.com

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  3. I have to read this book it sounds awesome
    ohmygigi71@gmail.com

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  4. I've kept up with most of the weird stuff that this ghost story has caused via your Tumblr, but I hadn't heard this anecdote yet. Here's hoping you've managed to exorcise the creepy from your life, even if that means the rest of us are now subject to it.

    melora.derryth(at)gmail(dot)com

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  5. Yikes, that all really makes you think. Sounds intriguing, though!

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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  6. I really enjoyed this book; even though it took out my laptop!

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  7. That's fairly scary/creepy...this is in my tbr pile; anything starts acting up guess I'll be finding my sage then :)

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  8. Scary! But I love that you build things into your book that really happened to you. I finished Gravedigger's on Sunday and I think it's amazing. Started it Saturday evening but had to stop eventually as it got darker and darker outside. I was freaking out *hehe* Though I found it quite scary I would've loved a creepier ending (^^)

    Sherry
    Codename_Sherry[@]hotmail.com

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  9. Sounds like something I have to read in the day time with all the lights on!

    Ferishia.1@gmail.com

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  10. thanks for stopping by Abi! This is a must read for me :)

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  11. There must be some mischievous fairy involved as your muse for the book Abigail :)

    0401romance(at)gmail(dot)com

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  12. Congrats on the new release! I love scary things. Definitely looking forward to reading this one. :)

    lkbherring64(at)gmail(dot)com

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  13. I really want to read this but I guess I'm a little more superstitious than I like to admit 'cause I haven't had the guts to download it yet! :)

    buttononthetop at gmail dot com

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  14. I was leery until I read the blurb...This one is defintely going on the wishlist. Thanks!
    chellebee66(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. I can't wait to read this one. Please include me in the drawing.
    tmadamski(at)msn(dot)com

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  16. Hi guys! I'm traveling to GRL in New Mexico right now, and I'm trying to post from some sketchy wireless at the Grand Canyon! But I wanted to drop by and say thank you for hosting me today, and thanks to anyone brave enough to give this one a try.

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  17. I just sent it to my Kindle but I'm scared to open it!

    Rachel_ann94 at yahoo dot com

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  18. Congrats Abigail on your newest release. I've read many of your books and reread them. I'm very excited to read this new one. Have a great day.

    Chris
    ceagles48218@yahoo.com

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  19. I am loving the book so far. I wish I didn't have to go to work every day so I could finish it!

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  20. Loved the book. I spent four years in Richmond in Ginter Park right off Boulevard, and this book was so accurate and brought back some great memories. Thanks for that! Now I'll have to devour the rest of your non-Ty & Zane books!

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  21. I want to read it so badly. I've had strange things happen to me before, wonder if this book is really haunted.

    Ninatylee@yahoo.com

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  22. This book sounds great! I love the title of the post, it really catches your attention. Congrats on the new release!
    June
    manning_J2004 at yahoo dot com

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  23. I enjoyed the post; it was a great read. I hav eadded this to my must have list.

    Thanks,
    Tracey D
    booklover0226 at gmail dot com

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  24. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  25. I'm almost finished with the book, taking my sweet time. I'm in love with it. Ya'll GOTTA read it. (with the lights on...)

    I would like to see more with these guys. But, I figure you just fainted at that request.

    charlayned at swbell dot net

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  26. Those first two chapters are AWESOME! I cannot wait to read it :)

    morris.crissy@gmail.com

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  27. Reading it now, please count me in.
    maggie9418@aol.com

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  28. I've heard both scary and wonderful things about this book. Since I'm such a huge Abi fan, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. I just hope it doesn't kill my iPad in the process! I've seen some of the things GB has been blamed for on Tumblr, and I haz a scared! (But not enough to forgo reading, of course!)

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  29. Wow... seriously awesome post! lol..
    I can't even imagine things like that happening to me... holy crow though! Definitively too coincidental. haha.. I look forward to reading this book! :)

    Judi
    arella3173_loveless@yahoo(dot)com

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  30. Hope you are having a great time at GRL. Book sounds interesting and has a really good cover.

    strive4bst(At) yahoo(Dot) com

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  31. OMG Abigail, your new release "The Gravedigger’s Brawl" sounds Incredible!!!! Thank you so much for letting your Readers have a peak of the first two Chapters...now I'll realllllyyyyy hooked!!! I just have to get your Book!!!

    I would very much appreciate the opportunity to be considered in your very generous giveaway.

    Take Care & Stay Naughty,
    PaParanormalFan (Renee’ S.)
    paranormalromancefan at yahoo dot com

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  32. As a firm believer myself that has experienced some creepy things too, my skin is already crawlin'! Love it. XD

    japoki @ inbox.lv

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  33. Strange and spooky... And kind of awesome too!
    MC
    contact at mchoule dot com

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