RITUALS & RUNES is HERE! Posted on October 4, 2022 | by C.D. Gorri Rituals & Runes is the PERFECT escape to worlds filled with paranormal, romance, urban fantasy, and more! And you can get a sneak peek into one of the stories exclusive to the box set, Air Witch. Check out the interview with C.D. Gorri and Gina Kincade to find out about her contribution! Author: C.D. Gorri & Gina Kincade Title: Air Witch R & R: You mentioned in your taglines that this an academy book. What makes it different that others? C.D.: Unlike most of the Academy books, Westwood Academy for Witches is specifically for those Witches and Wizards over the age of 18. Think of it as a magical university where Witches with elemental magic go to hone their craft. R & R: That sounds amazing and something that will sizzle the reader’s imagination. What crazy antics does your FMC get into while in school? C.D.: In Air Witch, the FMC is Maia Meriwether. She finds herself caught between trying to change her fate and learning the limits of her magic without fear. R & R: A true heroine. It sounds like the hero will have his hands full. Why do you think your readers will be drawn to the characters? C.D.: This series is told in first POV, and I really think readers will resonate with the journey, hardships, joys, and trials of each of the five main characters as their stories get told in their own voices. Maia is compelling because she appears to be the typical spoiled rich girl. The lesson of course, is that appearances are deceiving, but you will have to read to find out more. R & R: Delicious. I can only imagine the trials and tribulations the journey will take her on. What made you think of your heroine’s character? C.D.: I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with a co-writer for this series. Gina Kincade and I collaborated on this book and the other five. We wanted to do something with witches and the Westwood Academy was born! R & R: I think finding the right writing partner adds to the creativity level. What books do you have coming out that are not involved in the anthology? C.D.: I typically have a book every month or so. You can find many of my releases with Naughty Nights Press, the next of which is titled Arachne, and this is one of the Speed Dating with the Denizens of the Underworld books. This shared world has been fantabulous to write in and I can’t wait for this story to get into readers hands. R & R: They sound incredibly exciting and something the readers will devour. How many hours a day do you write? C.D.: I don’t know if I go by hours, but I do write every day. Whether its 90 words 9000 depends entirely on my muses. R & R: That’s amazing! Your creativity level is off the charts. What author would you like to meet the most and why? C.D.: OMG, do I have to pick one? I have worked with so many amazing indie authors whom I would LOVE to meet. And then, of course, I would fangirl super hard over seeing my heroes in person. Right now I am in love with all things Charlaine Harris. Mary Janice Davidson, and Robyn Peterman. R & R: I can tell you have diverse tastes and that’s wonderful! Would you prefer to read a suspense thriller or a romcom? C.D.: Romcom!! Hands down. And I just love paranormal and sci-fi romcom. I really love to laugh, and I try to read (and write) those as much as possible. R & R: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer the questions! Blurb Air Witch Exams suck, especially Westwood Academy’s midyear Magical Decathlon. Maia is the youngest Witch in her family, and the sole heir to the fabled Meriwether cache of magic. It is her duty to uphold the family name and to bring honor to the Meriwether Witches that came before her. Her parents aren’t the only ones with high expectations of their youngest. She has the professors on her back too. One in particular. Not exactly what she had in mind when she came to Westwood Academy. Longing for freedom, she only wants to make her own choices without repercussions to her family name. Will Maia disappoint her family and school by refusing to play their midyear games? Or will she draw on her inner strength and surprise even the most cynical of her instructors? Find out in Air Witch! Welcome to Westwood Academy. Forget what you know and let your magic run wild. Excerpt A few years ago… “You can be smart or pretty, Maia. Not both,” Sissy said, pulling my hair into a braid so tight tears rolled down my once chubby cheeks. I hated special occasions. My cousin Sissy had lived with us for as long as I could remember. She was fifteen years older than me and had been put in charge of my appearance that holiday season. Celebrating Samhain with a huge feast and carnival was a Meriwether tradition. My family always hosted the festivities on our huge estate out in Long Island. It used to be fun when I was a kid. Now that I’d grown boobs and my magic had come in, it was something else. I used to look forward to this holiday. The Long Island house boasted a large library where I’d disappear for hours when I’d been younger. Reading was one of my guilty little pleasures. Eating too. Oh, how I’d once looked forward to the succulent, roasted meats, trays of freshly made pastas, and perfectly sauteed vegetables. Not to mention the endless cakes, sweets, and cold-pressed apple cider we offered to celebrate the occasion. But not anymore. Sissy had been relentless about my diet in the months leading up to Samhain. Her harsh reminder as she pulled my hair into a ridiculously complicated plait down my back was unnecessary. I knew what I was. My future was already decided by my powerful father and beautiful mother. I could choose to be a nerd, but not without consequences. I was still too young and desperate for approval to ever consider life shunned by my rich and powerful family. My parents, Martine and Frederick Meriwether, were the heads of our house. They valued beauty and power above all else. The choice was simple. I could either embrace what being a Meriwether truly meant. Or I could try to live without them. At seventeen, I was not ready for such a choice. So I sat quietly and endured the pain as Sissy doubled her efforts to make me cringe. I was pretty, but I was also smart. I could play their game. For now, I told myself as I stood to look at myself in the mirror. “Thank you, Sissy,” I replied politely. I had to hand it to my pinch-faced cousin, the intricate design she’d created in my long golden locks was quite beautiful. I looked like a fairy princess. “Hmmpf,” she muttered and turned away. Sissy always did hate me. I wasn’t exactly sure why. Maybe it was because her hair was a flaming red instead of the preferred Meriwether blonde. Maybe it was because her parents sent her to mine like some sort of indentured servant. But it probably had more to do with the simple fact that our grandmother had willed a greater portion of her magic to me than any of her other heirs. Grandmother Meriwether had seven sons, and each son had a minimum of three children. All of them vying for a bigger piece of the family magic. It was pathetic and cruel. The idea of having children so you could siphon their powers and add them to yours. But that was what the Meriwether men expected of their female children. Author Bios: C.D. Gorri is a USA Today Bestselling author of steamy paranormal romance and urban fantasy. She is the creator of the Grazi Kelly Universe. Join her mailing list here: https://www.cdgorri.com/newsletter An avid reader with a profound love for books and literature, when she is not writing or taking care of her family, she can usually be found with a book or tablet in hand. C.D. lives in her home state of New Jersey where many of her characters or stories are based. Her tales are fast paced yet detailed with satisfying conclusions. If you enjoy powerful heroines and loyal heroes who face relatable problems in supernatural settings, journey into the Grazi Kelly Universe today. You will find sassy, curvy heroines and sexy, love-driven heroes who find their HEAs between the pages. Werewolves, Bears, Dragons, Tigers, Witches, Romani, Lynxes, Foxes, Thunderbirds, Vampires, and many more Shifters and supernatural creatures dwell within her worlds. The most important thing is every mate in this universe is fated, loyal, and true lovers always get their happily-ever-afters. Want to know how it all began? Enter the Grazi Kelly Universe with Wolf Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel or pick up Charley’s Christmas Wolf and dive into the Macconwood Pack Novel Series today. For a complete list of C.D. Gorri’s books visit her website here: All Books Thank you and happy reading! del mare alla stella, C.D. Gorri & USA Today Bestselling Author Gina Kincade spends her days tapping away at a keyboard, through blood, sweat, and often many tears, crafting steamy paranormal romances filled with shifters and vampires, along with witchy urban fantasy tales in magical worlds she hopes her readers yearn to crawl into. A busy mom of three, she loves healthy home cooking, gardening, warm beaches, fast cars, and horseback riding. Ms. Kincade’s life is full, time is never on her side, and she wouldn’t change a moment of it! Find more from Gina at: https://www.ginakincade.com Website and social media links: C.D. Gorri Newsletter https://www.facebook.com/Cdgorribooks https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-d-gorri Tweets by cgor22 https://instagram.com/cdgorri/ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7899700.C_D_Gorri https://www.tiktok.com/@cdgorriauthor?lang=en Gina Kincade https://www.ginakincade.com https://www.amazon.com/Gina-Kincade/e/B00WSRLHVOhttps://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/l4c8u1 https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4806016.Gina_Kincade Tweets by GinaKincade https://www.instagram.com/ginakincade/ https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gina-kincadeGet more magical & paranormal-themed stories like this in Rituals & Runes! Universal: https://books2read.com/rituals Amazon: https://amzn.to/3oz9aGJ