It’s still six months away from publication, but things are already coming together for the release of THE WOLF’S EYE (book two in The Order of the Seven Stars series), coming May 14th, 2024. The novel is on Netgalley for review, Advance Reader Copies should be arriving any day, and now we have the full cover spread for the final novel. Thanks, as always, to the art team at 47North and Kimberly Glyder for the gorgeous cover design and layout. Beautiful!
The Witch's Lens on Audible
Audiobook fans of my previous novels may notice there is a new narrator for The Witch’s Lens on Audible. Please meet Gail Shalan, an actor, award winning audiobook narrator, and puppeteer!
Check out The Witch’s Lens on Audible!
And, as always, when you buy the ebook version of the novel on Amazon you can add audible narration for $1.99 in the US.
Happy witchy season! ✨🍂📚🧙♀️
Another Trade Review for The Witch's Lens!
Thank you to Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association, for their wonderful review of THE WITCH’S LENS!
And thank you to all the Amazon Prime readers who’ve downloaded and reviewed the book so far during the First Reads pre-publication promotion!
“The Witch’s Lens launches Smith’s (The Raven Song, 2022) newest historical urban fantasy focusing on Petra Kurková and a team of witches who are recruited to combat undead at WWI’s eastern front. When the countries went to war, their magic users went with them, unleashing vile forces that mortals cannot fight on their own. Petra, whose husband, Marek, enlisted without sending home his wages, is scraping by doing tarot readings for her landlady and others, using any extra cash to fund her photography habit that allows her to see souls of the dead on film. This and her other long-suppressed magical abilities lead to her recruitment by the mysterious Josef Svoboda, a mortal who is fighting a terrible curse. Teamed with witches who either avoided the wartime draft or were rejected by the military, Petra is forced to reexamine the limits she has placed on her own magic as she stumbles through encounters with other occult foes. Smith’s thorough descriptions make this first novel in the Order of the Seven Stars series an immersive experience for readers.”
— BOOKLIST
ARCs for The Witch's Lens Have Arrived!
Such an exciting moment for an author when the first physical books for a new novel arrive. These ARCs (Advance Reader’s Copies) are part of a limited print run. They are meant for reviewers to give them a chance to read the book before it is officially published. These are uncorrected proofs, which means they still contain some minor (and sometimes not so minor) errors in them that will hopefully be fixed in the final version.
But now that the physical copies have shown up, it means we’re getting closer to publication, and I can’t wait to share Petra’s story with readers!
If you’re a reviewer or blogger of historical fantasy and would like a physical copy, please get in touch through my contact form.
🍂COMING OCTOBER 2023🍂
Synopsis:
With her husband off fighting at World War I’s eastern front, Petra Kurková embraces her fleeting freedom, roaming the city at night with her camera. A born witch, she’s discovered that she can capture the souls of the dead on film. Her supernatural skills don’t go unnoticed by the enigmatic Josef Svoboda. He’s recruiting a team of sorcerers to infiltrate the front lines, where the bloodshed of combat has resurrected foul creatures. Petra’s unique abilities will be needed against the most dangerous enemies of all—those ever present, undead, and unseen.
Deep in the cursed Carpathian Mountains, the ragtag team meets with an emissary of an ancient organization founded to maintain balance between worlds. Photographing the escalating horrors is beyond anything Petra imagined. So are the secrets among her fellow witches. But Petra can’t turn back. Not before she discovers her husband’s fate and the myriad ways her magic is manifesting. To defeat an occult foe, Petra must release the power she’s been concealing for so long, or risk damning a war-torn world to ashes.
The witch’s Lens full cover: paperback edition
I’m pleased to share the full paperback cover for The Witch’s Lens. I love, love, love the spread of golden leaves. Linden trees are associated with all kinds of symbolism. Because of their heart-shaped leaves, they’re a natural emblem of love, but they’re also associated with good luck, divinity, and protection. This is why my main character carries an amulet of bound linden leaves in her pocket when her adventure begins.
Out October 2023! Pre-Order your paperback copy at Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or Target today. It may also be available at local independent stores if you ask.
💛🍂🍂🍂💛