The Accidental Alchemist
by Gigi Pandian
Zoe is a fun character with a witty and great personality. This book will put a spell on you to keep reading until the end.~Shelley’s Book Case
The Accidental Alchemist(An Accidental Alchemist Mystery)
First in Series
Paperback: 360 pages
Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK (January 8, 2015)
ISBN-10: 0738741841
ISBN-13: 978-0738741840
Synopsis
From USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian comes a modern tale of ancient intrigue.
Unpacking her belongings in her new hometown of Portland, Oregon, herbalist and reformed alchemist Zoe Faust can’t help but notice she’s picked up a stowaway. Dorian Robert-Houdin is a living, breathing three-and-a-half-foot gargoyle—not to mention a master of French cuisine—and he needs Zoe’s expertise to decipher a centuries-old text. Zoe, who’s trying to put her old life behind her, isn’t so sure she wants to reopen her alchemical past… until the dead man on her porch leaves her no choice.
Includes recipes!Guest Post ;
Family Support to Follow My
Dreams
By Gigi Pandian
Three
years ago, I received a breast cancer diagnosis -- right after my
36th birthday. It was my wake-up call to see what was important in my
life: family, friends, and following my dreams.
My
cancer diagnosis made me realize I wanted to throw myself into my
dream of writing. My family and friends were wonderfully supportive,
which made all the difference in the world. Instead of wallowing on
the couch all year while my hair fell out, I let my writers’ group
take me shopping for a glamorous wig! And my doctors say that one of
the reasons I did so well getting through my intensive year of cancer
treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation) was because I had a
positive project to focus on. It wasn’t a fun year, but amazing
things came of it. I’m both closer with my friends and family than
ever, and I have a new book I’m excited about.
My
new book, The
Accidental Alchemist, is
a mystery about a centuries-old female alchemist, and I wrote a first
draft of the book during that year of cancer treatments. Because my
family and I were learning to cook delicious healthy foods as I went
through chemo, ideas such as culinary alchemy and the Elixir of Life
became central themes in the book.
BLURB
for
The Accidental Alchemist:
Unpacking her belongings in her new hometown of Portland, Oregon, herbalist and reformed alchemist Zoe Faust can’t help but notice she’s picked up a stowaway. Dorian Robert-Houdin is a living, breathing three-and-a-half-foot gargoyle—not to mention a master of French cuisine—and he needs Zoe’s expertise to decipher a centuries-old text. Zoe, who’s trying to put her old life behind her, isn’t so sure she wants to reopen her alchemical past... until the dead man on her porch leaves her no choice.
Unpacking her belongings in her new hometown of Portland, Oregon, herbalist and reformed alchemist Zoe Faust can’t help but notice she’s picked up a stowaway. Dorian Robert-Houdin is a living, breathing three-and-a-half-foot gargoyle—not to mention a master of French cuisine—and he needs Zoe’s expertise to decipher a centuries-old text. Zoe, who’s trying to put her old life behind her, isn’t so sure she wants to reopen her alchemical past... until the dead man on her porch leaves her no choice.
Includes
recipes!
“Zoe
and Dorian are my new favorite amateur-sleuth duo!”
—New
York Times
bestselling author Victoria Laurie
EXCERPT
A
three-foot stone gargoyle stared up at me from the wreckage that used
to be carefully-organized antique alchemy artifacts.
Instinctively,
I stepped backward. How had this statue been added to my sealed
crate? And why on earth would someone do so?
I
ran out the front door, but movers had already departed. The porch
sagged beneath my feet and the rickety front door banged shut behind
me in the strong wind. When I turned the door handle to let myself
back inside, the brass knob came off in my hand. Be
careful what you wish for, Zoe Faust.
Thankfully,
a strong shove was all the door needed to open. Back inside my new
home, I returned to the crate for a closer look. The gargoyle
reminded me of the stone carvings on Notre Dame in Paris. The gray
creature looked to be modeled after the famous stone “thinker”
gargoyle, with short horns and folded wings. The main difference was
that this gargoyle held an old, leather-bound book in his arms. That
was odd. I would have expected any added detail to be made of stone,
not this real book with leather binding. I couldn’t place the type
of stone used to carve the gargoyle. Granite? Sandstone? Or perhaps a
softer soapstone? It wasn’t like any stone I’d seen. I leaned in
for a closer look. There was something...
The
gargoyle blinked.
My
fist tensed around the crowbar. I stumbled backward, falling into the
large couch.
Sprawled
out on the couch, I laughed at myself. I’d seen a fair share of
magic shows in my time. I knew what this gargoyle was. He was
something that had been a popular attraction over a century ago: an
automaton.
“You’re
the best looking automaton I’ve ever seen,” I said.
The
gargoyle’s shoulders moved, as if it was stretching. It was a
wonderfully constructed piece. It must have been programmed to awaken
when light shone on him. A good trick for the stage.
“I
am no automaton,” a deep voice emanating from the automaton said.
He—for his voice assured me he was male—climbed out of the crate
onto the hardwood floor.
I
gasped and fell off the edge of the couch. Ouch.
I’d
seen ingenious automatons created by stage magicians. None were as
advanced as this one. If I were to believe my eyes, I would have
sworn he was alive. But then again, technology had progressed since
automatons were popular in stage shows of the 1800s. A famous example
of an early automaton was The Turk, a chess-playing machine that drew
huge crowds to watch him play chess against famous chess players.
Automatons were a combination of technical wizardry and stage
showmanship, and the most famous automatons were aided by human
helpers. There was no way a person was inside the crate with this
creature, so he had to be completely mechanized.
“Where
are my manners?” the creature said, bowing before me. “I did not
mean to startle you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Dorian
Robert-Houdin.” He spoke in English with a thick French accent.
I
pulled myself together and stood up. “Either I’m going crazy, or
your creator had a mischievous sense of humor. Incorporating a
recording of his voice—”
I
broke off when the gargoyle who called himself Dorian Robert-Houdin
blinked at me again. The effect was quite disconcerting. His eyelids
looked like granite, but the eyes themselves were a liquidly black
substance.
“I
assure you,” he said, “I am not a robotic automaton, nor are you
going crazy.”
Most
people would have run screaming from the room if they saw a walking,
talking gargoyle emerge from their storage crate. I admit I was
surprised, but I’ve seen many things in my lifetime…
Did
I mention that when I was born in Massachusetts, it was 1676? I’ve
been around for a while. But even my many years hadn’t prepared me
for what I’d find in Portland.
Guest post; 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! would like to thank author Gigi Pandian for sharing her thought with us.
Family Support to Follow My
Dreams
By Gigi Pandian
Three
years ago, I received a breast cancer diagnosis -- right after my
36th birthday. It was my wake-up call to see what was important in my
life: family, friends, and following my dreams.
My
cancer diagnosis made me realize I wanted to throw myself into my
dream of writing. My family and friends were wonderfully supportive,
which made all the difference in the world. Instead of wallowing on
the couch all year while my hair fell out, I let my writers’ group
take me shopping for a glamorous wig! And my doctors say that one of
the reasons I did so well getting through my intensive year of cancer
treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation) was because I had a
positive project to focus on. It wasn’t a fun year, but amazing
things came of it. I’m both closer with my friends and family than
ever, and I have a new book I’m excited about.
My
new book, The
Accidental Alchemist, is
a mystery about a centuries-old female alchemist, and I wrote a first
draft of the book during that year of cancer treatments. Because my
family and I were learning to cook delicious healthy foods as I went
through chemo, ideas such as culinary alchemy and the Elixir of Life
became central themes in the book.
About This Author
Gigi Pandian lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with an overgrown organic vegetable garden in her backyard. A cancer diagnosis in her 30s taught her two important life lessons: healing foods can taste amazing, and life’s too short to waste a single moment. Therefore she writes the Accidental Alchemist mystery series while drinking delectable green smoothies and eating decadent home-cooked meals. Gigi was awarded the Malice Domestic Grant for her debut mystery novel. She does not apologize for loving kale. Find her online at www.gigipandian.com.
Author Links:Website: http://gigipandian.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GigiPandian
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GigiPandian
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/GigiPandian/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GigiPandian
Blog: http://gigipandian.blogspot.com/
Gargoyle photography blog: http://www.gargoylegirl.com/
Purchase Links
Amazon
B&NTour Participants
January 8 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review, Giveaway – book
January 9 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – Guest Post,
January 10 – Libriamorimiei – Review
January 10 – Writers and Readers of Paranormal Mystery – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway – book
January 11 – Mystery Playground – Interview, Giveaway – mug
January 12 – fuonlyknew – Review, Giveaway- book
January 12 – Books-n-Kisses – Review, Giveaway – mug
January 13 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Review, Interview, Giveaway – book
January 13 – Queen of All She Reads – Review, Giveaway – mug
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