Book Heaven Wednesday Presents: The Palace of the Stars by Karina McRoberts @Gaklari #timetravel #ro
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    • Oct 10, 2018
    • 3 min read

Book Heaven Wednesday Presents: The Palace of the Stars by Karina McRoberts @Gaklari #timetravel #ro


Title: The Palace of the Stars

Subtitle: Harker Investigates Mystery 1

Author: Karina McRoberts

Genre: Historical Fiction/ Time-Travel Romance

Publisher: Rocanadon Press

Book Blurb:

Time travel adventure, romance, and mystery! This richly realised and highly evocative novel will appeal to crime, mystery, and romance readers alike.

In 2014, Michael Harker, rookie ex-cop, has been badly beaten but is determined to re-invent himself as a crime fighter. While convalescing with the spry, quirky bookshop owner Mari Linden, an earthquake opens a time portal and Mike finds himself over a hundred years in the past. He befriends JT Gordon, the magnanimous impresario of The Palace of the Stars, a grand musical hall theatre. Mike battles with strange shifts in consciousness, sleepwalking, restrictive dress standards, and the strict morals of the time. And, his love for a beautiful dancer and stage musician, Mae Belle. Mae has a strange bond to her on-stage magic partner, the mysterious Chan Li. Her off-stage lover? The mother of his young children? She says no, but Mike hears otherwise. Should he stay or go back? Can he go back? Does he have any right to take Mae with him, even if he can convince her he's not a nut case? Before Mike can sort out this dilemma, Mae begs him to solve a series of gruesome murders. Mike joins with his friends from the Palace to trap the murderer, but realises no justice will be done and he must make a horrible choice. In the present day, Mari must deal with a cunning book thief and a bureaucrat who would shut down her shop. If the building's condemned, the portal will close and Mike will never be able to return! Welcome to the Palace - you're in for a treat!

Excerpt:

“Gorgeous ladies and illustrious gentlemen! May we have quiet please?” Gordon had taken over as master of ceremonies.

“Tonight, for your complete astonishment, your musical edification, and, most of all, your supreme enjoyment, the Palace presents to you, direct from London…Miss Mae Belle!”

The applause was uproarious!

Mike re-entered the theatre.

Mae Belle was in the middle of her rowdy song and dance. When Mike came back to his seat, she had her back to the audience. Usually a theatrical sin, but in this case she was doing the hoochy coo. As she waggled her bustled bum, the gallery again erupted in pandemonium!

But when she turned face-on once more, Mae Belle was an entirely different creature. Sombre, most serious. It was time for the magical part of her act.

For Michael Harker, this began when he looked straight into her magical eyes.

He was nothing.

Because she was everything.

She sang. It was singing as heaven sings.

Her notes touched his ears, in tender caress.

Her voice kissed his soul.

Exquisite.

She was exquisite.

Every perfection.

Each nuance of her being called out to him to be known.

One look into those eyes, where every heaven dwelled, lifted his heart, his entire being; far aloft. Riding with the highest note of her enraptured song… where was she taking him?

And then he knew he must have her.

At all costs.

At any cost.

“An assistant? A volunteer from the audience? You, Sir?”

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Giveaway:

I'm one of the authors participating in the Trick or Treat Binge-Read Giveaway and you can win one of my books.

Open internationally and runs October 1 - 31. Winners will be drawn on November 1.

Good luck!

Author Biography:

Karina lives on a rural property outside the historic town of York, Western Australia. She and her husband are converting the block from degraded farmland to natural paradise.

Once a scientist, and forever interested, Karina is now a writer, musician, painter, theatre producer, and workshop presenter. She writes to give joy, entertainment, and enlightenment. All things she finds can be lacking in the everyday lives of many people. She wants to put some of the “magic” back!

Karina is intensely interested in history and social change, in particular, the people and stories not headlined in standard take. The scope of human consciousness is another focus of her writing.

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