Publishers Weekly operates BookLife, a website dedicated to Indie publishers. If you have a project there, you can apply for a review by Publishers Weekly, no fees involved.
The website tells you that “We receive over a thousand books a month from self- and trade publishers.” The email notice I received of the review being posted said, "Of the hundreds of self-published titles received each month, only a handful of the very best are selected for review." I was gratified when Hiding Magic cleared that high hurdle.
It often amazes me to learn how others see a story I’m so familiar with and to discover what they see as the important elements. For example, the reviewer classifies Hiding Magic as “paranormal,” and I never saw it that way. On the other hand, that’s a genre that takes in a wide scope of storytelling. For me, it’s science fiction and a thriller.
So here is the Publishers Weekly review of Hiding Magic:
Rhamey draws a realistic and sympathetic portrait of the uses and consequences of magic in this contemporary urban fantasy. On a wintry night in Chicago, Gabe River rescues a suicidal Latina teenager who’s freezing to death in the snow. Then her face flickers and she’s revealed to be a white woman. She also displays a shocking ability to communicate with his autistic son and can even heal his injured horse. She is Annie, a centuries-old member of a clan of beings who manipulate life energy to heal or harm. Annie is running from K.B. Volmer, a sadistic Homeland Security agent who believes her to be a terrorist, and from Clanmaster Drago, her grief-stricken father-in-law, who blames her for the death of his son. Drago vows to wipe out humankind by manipulating DNA to create a fast-acting infectious disease, and Annie must alert the other clans to Drago’s plans. Rhamey focuses as much on his racially diverse characters’ emotions and goals as on the intricacies of magical properties, crafting a solid paranormal story with an epic feel.
If you read the reviews on the BookLife review page, you’ll see that not all—or even a majority—are completely positive, which makes me feel just fine with a verdict of “a solid paranormal story with an epic feel.”
If you’re interested in Hiding Magic, you can learn more here—there’s a sample chapter and the opportunity to purchase an autographed paperback or a Kindle edition. They are also available on Amazon, but not an autographed version. If you do read Hiding Magic and like it, I would appreciate a review on Amazon.
As a student of writing, you might find Hiding Magic to be an interesting read because of the way it handles four very different point-of-view characters—the main protagonist’s story is told in first person, the other three in third person. Oh, it’s also told in the present tense. I know that some readers don’t like that, but I had a particular reason to do it that way, but to reveal that would be a major spoiler.
For what it’s worth.
Ray
© 2017 Ray Rhamey
My books. You can read sample chapters and learn more about the books here.
Writing Craft Mastering the Craft of Compelling Storytelling
Fantasy (satire) The Vampire Kitty-cat Chronicles
Mystery (coming of age) The Summer Boy
Science Fiction Hiding Magic
Science Fiction Gundown Free ebooks.