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I am so excited that A SPECTACLE OF SOULS by Jessica Julien is available now and that I get to
share the news!
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If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author
Jessica Julien, be sure to check out all the details below.
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This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon GC
& a copy of the eBook courtesy of
Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d
like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.
A SPECTACLE OF SOULS
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(Circus of the Stolen Book 1)
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by Jessica Julien
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Pub. Date: July 7, 2020
Publisher: Bleeding Ink Publishing
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 268
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Caitlyn always thought she was just your average small-town waitress, but she’s
anything but average. Suffering from frequent headaches and vivid daydreams,
her oddities mask a secret hidden deep within her mind—one that could defeat
even the cleverest of psychics.
When a mysterious circus arrives in town, Caitlyn is immediately drawn to it. While
visiting the hypnotic show, she meets a seer who warns her of a gruesome future
and urges her to stay away. But soon, Caitlyn finds herself ensnared in the
show and the Ringmaster himself.
Recognizing Caitlyn’s powers for what they are, and believing they are the ones he has been
searching for, the Ringmaster is determined to claim them as his own. Trapped
within the circus and the Ringmaster’s devious grip, Caitlyn realizes that to
escape the seer’s foretold fate, her only choice is to fight. Banding together
with Bevier, an imprisoned psychic, Meg, an eccentric seamstress, and Daniel, a
handsome magician, Caitlyn falls into the Psychic Realm to thwart the
Ringmaster and stop the show before they succumb to his control and are trapped
forever in his spectacle of souls.
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Excerpt:
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Sitting against the velvety pillow, Caitlyn saw they had a perfect view of the stage.
They were close enough that she could practically reach out and grasp whoever
walked on to perform, yet far enough away to feel as though she couldn’t. It
was an odd feeling of being close, far, high, and low it made her head spin
with the gentle beat of music surrounding her.
The boy handed them each a glass from his tray. “Here you go.”
“Thank you,” Caitlyn said, taking hers and handing one to Vanessa.
“I’ll be back shortly if you need anything else,” he said, giving Vanessa a wink.
“And so it begins!” Vanessa held her glass to cheers with Caitlyn.
Tapping her glass to Vanessa’s, Caitlyn laughed, drinking her shot. The deep crimson liquid
tasted like ripe cherries—not tart like the ones used in pies, but the juicy
and deep ones that leave behind stains on your fingers.
All the lights flashed twice, the music rose in volume, and the Ringmaster, dressed in
a blood red suit, walked onto the stage. Cheers rang from the audience as he
bowed multiple times, his arms outstretched toward the crowd.
“Welcome, welcome,” he began. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming back tonight
for our show. We hope you brought your appetite, for tonight we have a
thrilling routine that will surely delight, and leave you feeling anything but
uptight.” He paused as the audience tittered. Caitlyn smiled at the continuous
bad rhymes.
“So, relax. Enjoy! And drink up!” The Ringmaster shouted.
The baby-faced boy, Ian, returned, his hand outstretched with two larger glasses
filled with amber liquid. One by one, the audience raised their glasses to the
stage. Caitlyn and Vanessa mimicked their spirit.
“Tonight, we fill our night with fire and magic!” The Ringmaster clapped and immediately
every light snapped off leaving them in utter darkness. Caitlyn felt her body
tense as a sudden fear tickled the back of her skull. She had never been afraid
of the dark before but her hand shook, and she found herself searching for a
ping of light—anything to give her a sense of grounding as she felt herself drowning
in blackness. An image began to form within her vision but a gong rang out
pulling her back to the show. With a whispering whoosh, all
their raised glasses caught fire creating small torches that lit the arena like
fireflies.
Caitlyn let out her breath and blinked away the hazy image. She gasped as the stage began
to burn in thick flames; yet, no heat cast itself into the audience.
A wave of awe rushed through the arena and out of the dancing flames came two figures,
both slender and tall, moving with the blaze. Drifting back toward their
escape, the flames rolled flat, lashing out at the dancers who now stood
center.
Wearing nothing but tight leather bikini bottoms that glistened in the firelight, a
female figure stood. Glitter dotted her body, covering her nipples enough to be
censored, and her long obsidian hair pulled tight against her angelic face. As
she moved, the braid twisted around her body like a snake. Her arms, laced with
gold bracelets, moved gracefully with the flames while her bare feet padded
against the flame ridden stage. She flipped, tumbled, and spun around, while
fire danced up and down her body, licking at any exposed skin.
In perfect unison, her male partner—lathered in oil and wearing shorts that left nothing
to the imagination—cartwheeled and carried her from one end of the stage to the
next. As he lifted her into the air—throwing her high above the stage—his slick
skin tightened and contracted, allowing the audience to swoon at his perfectly
toned body that even Hercules would be envious of. Flames danced up and down
his body, wrapping themselves around his bald head, and obeyed his every
command.
Still holding their smoldering drinks, Caitlyn felt that the glass itself was not
actually getting warmer. She slid her finger through the flame, feeling it’s
cool burn.
“Whoa!” She smiled at Vanessa who attempted the same feat.
“Raise your glasses,” the flaming woman yelled in a heavy Italian accent, “and toast to the
fire god.”
“Saluti,” the man shouted as a gong bellowed.
“Saluti!” The audience answered, drinking their fire.
Caitlyn burst with energy as the chilled liquid coated her throat like a menthol cough
drop. Her entire body shivered and without thinking, she shouted “another” as
Ian passed. Handing her two more shots, she toasted Vanessa and downed another
liquid cold fire that left a numbness in her mouth, but a fire in her belly.
The dancers entertained them with flaming swords and blazing hula hoops. They manipulated
fire, transforming it into snake-like creatures that struck out at the audience
making them gasp for more. They danced together, as if competing for their
lives among the flames and grasped the other in places that made Caitlyn blush,
blowing flames instead of kisses onto their bodies. Just as the Ringmaster had
said, it was turning from chaotic to slightly erotic, and yet, Caitlyn couldn’t
look away.
As the stage began to dim leaving an ember-like glow, the dancers allowed a single flame to
envelop them. It clung to their bodies and receded, leaving only the female
dancer behind who now appeared wearing a tiny red sequined top hat and leotard
with a severe neckline. She curtsied to the audience as a thick rope fell from
the ceiling which she pulled gently. Nothing happened.
Motioning that she had an idea, she pointed at a man sitting directly in front of her.
Waving him up, he climbed onto the stage attempting to avoid any lingering
flames.
With her thin arms, she positioned his hands on the rope, motioning for him to tug. He
jerked it once, and still, nothing happened. The fire dancer made a sad face,
and the audience booed.
“You’re going to have to do better than that!” She patted him on the back. “Come on
everyone, cheer him on!”
Caitlyn and Vanessa screamed with those around them, giving him all the encouragement he
needed and watched as he put all his weight into it. Suddenly, an echoing rip rang
through the audience and the cord fell. In a slow motion blur, the ceiling
began to catch fire and spread quickly, leaving behind the twinkling night sky,
filled with shooting stars.
A hush fell over the crowd, if from terror or wonderment, the reason was unclear.
What Caitlyn thought were shooting stars, were actually falling ash that drifted down to the
audience. A piece landed on her arm. It was cool, like a drop of rain, and left
behind a shimmering hue on her skin as she brushed it off.
A moment later, the sky began to concave toward the stage like a rush of water being
freed from a blockage. The falling stars turned into fireballs, colliding with
the ground while the audience sat in their glow, gasping and holding their
breath and as the final flame reached the platform and died out, a murmur
started in the audience.
“What just happened?” Vanessa asked, turning toward Caitlyn, her face speckled with
stardust.
“I think—” Caitlyn began but stopped as the stage began to shift.
The glitter vibrated and lifted, rippling out from the center like a rock being thrown into
a serene pond.
Everyone tittered in anticipation, their seats vibrating with the commotion before them.
Vanessa gripped Caitlyn’s hand as the stage exploded, covering everyone in
stardust.
After a second of silence, the audience erupted in laughter as it fell like fresh snow,
tickling their skin.
Rising from the remaining ashes, like a newborn Phoenix, Daniel proudly stood center stage.
His bedazzled suit threw speckled light off him like a disco ball, bouncing
from side to side. Removing his top hat, he bowed to the audience. They
clapped, standing in ovation at the magic before them.
“Thank you! Thank you all for being here tonight for this magical delight.”
Everyone chuckled. Caitlyn felt herself blush as Daniel made eye contact with her, his
smile pulling into a wide stage grin.
“What you just witnessed was nothing more than hypnotic magic as you are all under my
control.” He stopped as the crowd gasped then replaced his top hat. “With the
clap of my hands, everything you thought you saw will vanish,” he said,
lowering his voice. Daniel lifted his hands and clapped.
Caitlyn blinked as if waking from a dream, and realized that they all sat in the
original, stardust-less arena. No flames coated the stage, nothing glistened in
the moonlight above them, and the big top had not exploded into the
night—everything sat untouched.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Caitlyn said, clapping loudly along with the
audience.
Vanessa smiled back. “I can’t believe it! It felt so real.”
“Thank you. Thank you!” Daniel bowed. “Now, if you could all reach into your pocket and
pull out what’s in there. Oh, no. You don’t have a pocket?” He pointed to a
woman who wore a slinky blue dress.
“Well, reach down in front there,” he said, motioning for her to reach between her breasts.
“See if—Oh, see, there it is!” He laughed. “Everyone please, pull out the card
and raise them high.”
Caitlyn reached into her shorts pocket and felt a thin piece of cardboard. Pulling it
out, she saw she held the two of hearts and lifted it high into the air.
“Alright, great! Now, keep your arms up if you hold a card higher than a four.”
Caitlyn lowered her hand and saw confusion cross Daniel’s face. His eyes had been on
her, waiting to see what she would do. Vanessa sat at the edge of her seat, her
arm up straight.
“Now, keep your arm up if you have a card in the spade family.”
Half of the hands fell.
“Okay,” he said rubbing his hands together. “We are getting there.”
The audience chattered with laughter.
“Keep them up if you have a card of spades that is higher than an eight.”
Only a dozen hands remained taut—one of which was Vanessa’s.
“Higher than a ten.”
Another four or five hands fell. Caitlyn looked wide-eyed at Vanessa who bounced at the edge
of her seat.
“Higher than a queen?”
Two hands remained.
“But not an Ace.”
One hand lowered.
“We have a winner!”
The audience clapped.
“Please, come down to the stage, the lovely lady with the King of Spades!”
Vanessa screamed with joy as she jumped to her feet. “Oh my goodness!
That’s me! I never win anything.” She squeezed Caitlyn’s arm before bounding
down to the stage.
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About Jessica:
Born in the
picturesque state of Washington, Jessica Julien is the marketing director of a
boutique publishing company, a stay at home mom, wife, and wanderluster. When
not drafting marketing plans or doing laundry, she spends her time writing
young adult and new adult novels focused on the paranormal and supernatural
inspired by her love of all things dark and twisty. With her vivacious
imagination, witty personality, and ability to bring sarcasm to a new level
Jessica creates unique worlds and characters that readers can’t help but hate
to love and love to hate.
In her free time, Jessica can be found enjoying a cup of dark roasted coffee while
snuggling under a blanket with a good book. When the weather is right she hops
in the car with her husband, son, and dogs to road trip across the country
where she delights in eating red vines, drinking iced lattes, and singing
loudly in the passenger seat.
P.S She loves pumpkins, her dogs, the rain, eating food, being snarky, and staying away
from all people if possible…but she won’t tell you that because her bio is
already TOO LONG so find her on social media to learn more…
P.S.S
Jessica Julien loves coffee so much she mentioned it twice, it does not mean
she has a problem. She can stop anytime she wants (*whispers) she doesn’t want
to!
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Giveaway
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