Today I am so pleased to welcome Kit Brisby to Joyfully Jay. Kit has come to talk to us about her latest release, Rogue Magic. She has also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving Kit a big welcome!

Rogue Magic Tour Banner

The Real History Behind the Book’s Climax

(not that kind of climax, alas)

The end of ROGUE MAGIC takes place on North Brother Island, a real place in New York. Of course, it doesn’t function as it does in the book!

North Brother Island is located on the East River between the Bronx and Rikers Island. (South Brother Island is there, too.) The derelict hospital on the island treated Smallpox victims who needed to be isolated. The history and the state of the derelict buildings inspired me to make it the setting of Harvest Initiative buildings. Right now, the island is uninhabited and seems ripe for a maniac business owner to purchase it and convert it into a terrifying laboratory! In truth, it’s unlikely that this space would be developed for anything like a tech or lab space.

I’ve always been fascinated with urban exploration and photography of abandoned spaces, along with the ways that what we create decays when left to nature. North Brother Island as it stands today is a gorgeous example of nature left to its devices. I’d love to explore an abandoned space like this, but I’m not quite as brave as the story’s heroes – and I think I’d moonwalk away from anything scary in a hurry.

Spooky fact: Mary Mallon (Typhoid Mary) was forcibly confined to the island for decades and died there.

In ROGUE MAGIC, the island is home to a bird sanctuary. This is actually true to life. While volunteers don’t hang out there with the birds, the island is home to nesting colonies of black-crowned night heron. Barn swallows also hang out in the abandoned buildings.

I played fast and loose with geography in the story. Activities at the island wouldn’t have been visible from Manhattan, but from the Bronx. For the sake of the story, the positioning is much closer to the location of Governor’s Island.

If you’re looking to enjoy one of the cool islands around the city, I highly recommend Governor’s Island when it’s open seasonally. (When it’s warm.) Pack a picnic lunch, rent bikes, or enjoy one of the many food trucks out there. It’s a gorgeous escape from the bustle of Manhattan, and it’s cheap or free depending on which ferry you take. It’s easy to access from Brooklyn or Manhattan. Don’t miss the incredible view of the downtown skyline! If you’re traveling with kids, this is one of the best places outside of Central Park to let kids run rampant and burn some energy off.

Fans of Hamilton, which gets a small nod in the story, can make a full day of island exploration by visiting Trinity Church back in Manhattan after disembarking. Hit the Seaglass Carousel and take a quick walk over to the church to pay your respects to Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler Hamilton.


Blurb

Rogue MagicWhile trapped in a stalled subway train on his morning commute, PR rep Byron Cole flirts with Levi, a young waiter with adorable curls. But Byron’s hopes for romance crash and burn when Levi saves him from a brutal explosion—with outlawed magic.

When Levi is imprisoned, Byron begins to question everything he’s ever believed. How can magic be evil when Levi used it to save dozens of lives? So Byron hatches a plan to save Levi that will cost him his job and probably his life. If he doesn’t pull it off, Levi will be put to death.

Byron discovers that he isn’t the only one questioning America’s stance on magic. And he learns that Levi is stubborn, angry, and utterly enchanting. Time is running out, though. Byron must convince Levi to trust him, to trust his own magic, and to fight against the hatred that’s forced him to hide his true nature his entire life. The more Levi opens up, the harder Byron falls. And the more they have to lose.


Bio

Kit Brisby lives in Tampa Bay, Florida, with her two young sons and two rescue dogs. A graduate of the University of Florida, she’s been writing professionally since 2002. Her career has taken her from writing think pieces on breastfeeding to writing erotica for the adult industry—and nearly everything in between. She works in digital marketing and helps businesses find and tell their stories.

Kit is always trying to find balance between working full-time, revisiting or writing books every night, and modeling badass behavior to her two boys. Sometimes the lure of Tumblr interferes with all of that balancing. She’s just old enough to still be utterly enchanted by animated gifs.

A single mom and aspiring yogi, Kit is open about her struggles with anxiety and the importance of self-care. She also advocates for neurodiversity and acceptance of those on the autism spectrum. Few things get her as riled up as bisexual erasure.

Though she lives in the South, Kit is a NYC girl at heart, and makes a point of traveling to the city as often as she can to catch a few shows and eat as much ramen as humanly possible.

She reads avidly, and gravitates toward historical queer romance and young adult fantasy, especially when the stakes are high. She’s a fan of awkward first dates unless she’s participating in them, and is outspoken about embracing kink and sex positivity.

Connect with Kit:

Website: www.kitbrisby.com/
Twitter: @kitbrisby


Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Rogue Magic, one lucky winner will receive a yoga mat from Kit and a $15 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 4, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

  • By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
  • If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
  • Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
  • Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
  • All book prizes are in electronic format unless otherwise specified.
  • By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
  • Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
  • Void where prohibited by law.
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