I’m happy to step aside today and host C. S. Boyack on blog tour with his new book, Will O’ the Wisp. I’ve been fortunate to host C. S. On tour previously as well as interview him for Fantasy Authors Unplugged. I’m sure he’s got some interesting tidbits to share about Will O’ the Wisp. Take it away, Craig!
The Frighteningly Fun Halloween Tour
Will O’ the Wisp Research
Will O’ the Wisp is a paranormal tale from C. S. Boyack. It involves a mildly handicapped girl facing a mysterious threat. The wisp has been killing off Patty Hall’s family for generations, and she’s next on the list. It is suitable for young adult readers. It’s a perfect Halloween read.
All stories involve some kind of research. I set this story in 1974, because I wanted Patty to use her wits, and display a bit of patience in revealing this story. Suspense is a great story technique, and having high speed internet would have spoiled some of the fun.
1974 threw down the first research challenge. I was around in ’74, but memories fade over time, and I had to verify my details. Patty’s home town has an International Harvester dealership, there’s a Montgomery Wards catalog store too. Greyhound Busses make an appearance in the story, along with the early microwave ovens.
Some of these things are still with us, but they had a different nuance back then. A microwave oven was looked at as a modern miracle. Pay telephones were the order of the day in an era before cellular. I even researched the baseball playoffs and incorporated them into the story. Who can forget Catfish Hunter?
This is a paranormal story. I had to research the American colonies, and discovered an old system of land grants called hundreds. These were basically 100 acre grants for forming new colonies.
The Will O’ the Wisp is a very rare natural phenomenon. Modern science still doesn’t know exactly what they are, but they’ve been reported all over the world and in almost every culture. They are associated with swamps, old cemeteries, and earthquakes. I even found one, and only one, video of them appearing right before a Canadian earthquake.
It’s hard to research something so rare. Theories abound as to swamp gasses that ignite, to a plasma phase of some rare element, to tectonic plate friction. As humans drain swamps, and fill in marsh lands they are becoming even more rare worldwide.
Legends from all over the world involve ignis fatuus, Jack o’ lantern, fairy lights, and more. The legend usually involves some evil spirit leading a traveller to his or her doom.
In my mind, it was witchcraft. It ties in with colonial America, makes a great curse, and sets the stage for Patty’s adventure. Salem, Massachusetts seems like the logical place to set this tale, but that’s been done before. I learned that most of the colonies have records of witchcraft in one form or another. I set my story in Virginia.
Patty goes on quite the adventure, and I’m very happy with this book. I hope you’ll give it a chance.
You can pick up a copy on Amazon using your Kindle or a free reading app. Download it here:
North American version: http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B00UPH6BNS
International version: http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B00UQNDT2C
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Author Bio I was born in a town called Elko, Nevada. I like to tell everyone I was born in a small town in the 1940s. I’m not quite that old, but Elko has always been a little behind the times. This gives me a unique perspective of earlier times, and other ways of getting by. Some of this bleeds through into my fiction. I moved to Idaho right after the turn of the century, and never looked back. My writing career was born here, with access to other writers and critique groups I jumped in with both feet. I like to write about things that have something unusual. My works are in the realm of science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy. The goal is to entertain you for a few hours. I hope you enjoy the ride.
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Follow Craig at the following locations:
Follow my blog: http://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com
Check out all my novels here: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00ILXBXUY
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/Virgilante
On Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9841203.C_S_Boyack
Best wishes to C. S. Boyack with Will O’ the Wisp. Please take a few moments to look at his work and maybe shelve it on Goodreads. Thanks to 4WillsPublishing for arranging a wonderful tour as well.
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. Sign up for my Archer’s Aim Digest mailing list to receive the forthcoming edition of my newsletter with announcements about upcoming releases and events. You’ll receive my a SPECIAL coupon for The Bow of Destiny, the first novel of The Bow of Hart Saga. Speaking of which, it is now available on Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks Amazon – Kindle & Smashwords. Additionally, September’s FREE book, What Is Needed is available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks and Smashwords & Amazon.
I wish you a resounding success with this tour Craig, especially as Halloween is knocking at the door. May it bring you lots of sales. Thank you P.H. for hosting.
Thank you so much.
Happy to help out today!
Halloween is a great time for this tour 🙂 Hope you have a blast, Craig! 🙂
PH, it’s great to stop by and say hi 🙂
I couldn’t pass up the chance to promote this one during October. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi, Harmony! Hope you are well. Thanks for clicking over this way!
What a great surprise to wind up back here today. Thank you for being a tour host.
You are welcome! Happy to help today.
Reblogged this on Entertaining Stories and commented:
This stop along the blog tour is about research. P. H. is a great supporter. Stop by and check out some of his wares while you’re there.
Thanks for the reblog!
Reblogged this on Legends of Windemere.
Thanks for the reblog, Charles.
You’re welcome. 🙂
Good luck with your tour Craig! This is a great book, I really enjoyed it, and you did your research well… all those 1970s quirks gave it such an authentic feel, and were a delightful trip down memory lane!
Thanks, Ali. I had a ton of fun writing it, and folks seem to be enjoying it. I’m getting a lot of those memory lane comments too.
I am always amazed at the amount of effort you put into your books Craig. I think it really shows in the final product. Thanks PH for hosting and good luck on the rest of the tour.
Thanks, John. The final product is being pretty well received in this case. Thanks for coming along on the tour.
TBR for sure.
Thanks even more this time.
🙂
Thanks for dropping by today, John.
🙂
I was just reading the first chapter. Excellent work, as always!
Thank you, Sir. Feel free to read some additional chapters too. 🙂
Lol – it’s a deal 😀
Thanks for dropping by today, Nicholas.
The 70s were my era (ack!, showing my age) and I thought you captured the time brilliantly in Will O’ the Wisp. It was a great spooky read, perfect for this time of year. And that authenticity of a time I remember fondly really added to my enjoyment of the novel. Quisp cereal, LOL!
Wishing you an awesome tour!
Me too. Quisp, International vehicles, Wards… all gone now.
Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog.
Thanks for the reblog today!
Will O’ the Wisp sounds wonderful. I’ll definitely have to read it. Love the cover also.
Thank you so much, Kim. It’s got a Halloween flare to it. Thank you also for the reblog.
Thanks for the link back to this post.
Will O’ the Wisp phenomena are fascinating and ideal to tie-in with spooky Hallowe’en holidays. I like Tolkien’s approach as ‘corpse-lights’ (in the Dead Marshes on Mordor’s doorstep) so I’m looking forward to reading your take on it now! 😀
Thanks for giving Craig a great boost today, PH 🙂
Hey, Jan! I’m happy to help!
I hope you enjoy it. I had a lot of fun with this one.
Loved to learn about a will ‘o the whisp! I’d heard the term, but never knew the background. Best of luck with your blog tour!
Thanks for reading it and commenting.
Great post, Craig.
Thanks for hosting, P.H.
Happy to help. Glad you stopped by, Beem!
Thanks Beem. Sounds like we are going to be talking about it soon.