The Apothecary's Curse
by Barbara Barnett
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Pub Date Oct 11 2016 | Archive Date Oct 15 2016
Description
In Victorian London, the fates of physician Simon Bell and apothecary Gaelan Erceldoune entwine when Simon gives his wife an elixir created by Gaelan from an ancient manuscript. Meant to cure her cancer, it kills her. Suicidal, Simon swallows the remainder--only to find he cannot die. Five years later, hearing rumors of a Bedlam inmate with regenerative powers like his own, Simon is shocked to discover it's Gaelan. The two men conceal their immortality, but the only hope of reversing their condition rests with Gaelan's missing manuscript.
When modern-day pharmaceutical company Transdiff Genomics unearths diaries describing the torture of Bedlam inmates, the company's scientists suspect a link between Gaelan and an unnamed inmate. Gaelan and Transdiff Genomics geneticist Anne Shawe are powerfully drawn to each other, and her family connection to his manuscript leads to a stunning revelation. Will it bring ruin or redemption?
When modern-day pharmaceutical company Transdiff Genomics unearths diaries describing the torture of Bedlam inmates, the company's scientists suspect a link between Gaelan and an unnamed inmate. Gaelan and Transdiff Genomics geneticist Anne Shawe are powerfully drawn to each other, and her family connection to his manuscript leads to a stunning revelation. Will it bring ruin or redemption?
A Note From the Publisher
Barbara Barnett is Publisher/Executive Editor of Blogcritics Magazine, (blogcritics.org) an online magazine of pop culture, politics and more, for which she has also contributed nearly 1,000 essays, reviews, and interviews over the past decade. She published in-depth interviews with writers, actors and producers, including Katie Jacobs, Adam Nimoy, Rod Roddenberry, Kevin J. Anderson, Dean Haglund, Jesse Spencer, Jennifer Morrison, Robert Carlyle, Lana Parilla, David Strathairn, Russel Friend, Garrett Lerner, Wesley Snipes, and many, many more. Her book on the TV series House, M.D., Chasing Zebras: THE Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. (ECW Press, 2010) is the critically-acclaimed and essential guide to the themes, characters and episodes of the hit show. Always a pop-culture and sci-fi geek, Barbara was raised on a steady diet of TV (and TV dinners), but she always found her way to the tragic antiheroes and misunderstood champions, whether on TV, in the movies or in literature. (In other words, Spock, not Kirk; Han Solo, not Luke Skywalker!) It was inevitable that she would have to someday create one of her own.
She is an accomplished speaker, an annual favorite at MENSA’s HalloWEEM convention, where she has spoken to standing room crowds on subjects as diverse as “The Byronic Hero in Pop Culture,” “The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes,” “The Hidden History of Science Fiction,” and “Our Passion for Disaster (Movies).” This autumn, she will reprise her MENSA appearance with “The Conan Doyle Conundrum.”
Barbara Barnett is Publisher/Executive Editor of Blogcritics Magazine, (blogcritics.org) an online magazine of pop culture, politics and more, for which she has also contributed nearly 1,000 essays, reviews, and interviews over the past decade. She published in-depth interviews with writers, actors and producers, including Katie Jacobs, Adam Nimoy, Rod Roddenberry, Kevin J. Anderson, Dean Haglund, Jesse Spencer, Jennifer Morrison, Robert Carlyle, Lana Parilla, David Strathairn, Russel Friend, Garrett Lerner, Wesley Snipes, and many, many more. Her book on the TV series House, M.D., Chasing Zebras: THE Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. (ECW Press, 2010) is the critically-acclaimed and essential guide to the themes, characters and episodes of the hit show. Always a pop-culture and sci-fi geek, Barbara was raised on a steady diet of TV (and TV dinners), but she always found her way to the tragic antiheroes and misunderstood champions, whether on TV, in the movies or in literature. (In other words, Spock, not Kirk; Han Solo, not Luke Skywalker!) It was inevitable that she would have to someday create one of her own.
She is an accomplished speaker, an annual favorite at MENSA’s HalloWEEM convention, where she has spoken to standing room crowds on subjects as diverse as “The Byronic Hero in Pop Culture,” “The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes,” “The Hidden History of Science Fiction,” and “Our Passion for Disaster (Movies).” This autumn, she will reprise her MENSA appearance with “The Conan Doyle Conundrum.”
She is an accomplished speaker, an annual favorite at MENSA’s HalloWEEM convention, where she has spoken to standing room crowds on subjects as diverse as “The Byronic Hero in Pop Culture,” “The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes,” “The Hidden History of Science Fiction,” and “Our Passion for Disaster (Movies).” This autumn, she will reprise her MENSA appearance with “The Conan Doyle Conundrum.”
Advance Praise
"Barnett’s debut novel is a fantastic mix of history and fantasy using a combination of facts, fiction, myth and reality that add to the tale’s veracity. The dual timelines of past and present perfectly paint her vivid scenes while her expert narrative chronicles her period perfect story and believable characters in often unbelievable settings. Her scintillating portrayal of Gaelan’s tortured soul and Simon’s haunting guilt plus the “OMG” ending truly sets this novel apart."--RT Book Reviews (Romantic Times)
“Anne Rice meets Michael Crichton in this fever dream of a fantasy. Richly textured, terrifying, and somehow timely, Barbara Barnett’s time-jumping tale will keep readers up well past their bedtime. Highly recommended!” —Jay Bonansinga, New York Times–bestselling author of The Walking Dead: Search and Destroy and Self Storage
“Looking for a new narrative world lovingly furnished with the craft and care of an older time? This book feels like Holmes. --Jane Espenson, writer/producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica, and Once Upon a Time
“Myth, medicine, and immortality, braided together like the border of an illuminated manuscript.” —Doris Egan, screenwriter, novelist, and writer and co-executive producer of House
“Part medical drama, part thriller, and completely absorbing. Barnett explores the dark side of one of humanity’s oldest obsessions–the quest for immortality–and tells a great story about greed, unintended consequences, and ultimately love.” —John VanZile, author of The Legend of Arkatak
“An irresistible blend of fairy folklore, science, and suspense that’s sure to keep you reading late into the night.” —Shanna Swendson, author of Enchanted, Inc.
“Something for every fiction fan – sci-fi, horror, romance, and fantasy – but the story interweaves the genres so deftly that the reader is focused on the story – and what a story it is! Barbara’s gift for credible, era-specific dialogue and detail is wonderful, as is her pacing and the story’s pay-off.” Denise Dorman, WriteBrain Media.
“Anne Rice meets Michael Crichton in this fever dream of a fantasy. Richly textured, terrifying, and somehow timely, Barbara Barnett’s time-jumping tale will keep readers up well past their bedtime. Highly recommended!” —Jay Bonansinga, New York Times–bestselling author of The Walking Dead: Search and Destroy and Self Storage
“Looking for a new narrative world lovingly furnished with the craft and care of an older time? This book feels like Holmes. --Jane Espenson, writer/producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica, and Once Upon a Time
“Myth, medicine, and immortality, braided together like the border of an illuminated manuscript.” —Doris Egan, screenwriter, novelist, and writer and co-executive producer of House
“Part medical drama, part thriller, and completely absorbing. Barnett explores the dark side of one of humanity’s oldest obsessions–the quest for immortality–and tells a great story about greed, unintended consequences, and ultimately love.” —John VanZile, author of The Legend of Arkatak
“An irresistible blend of fairy folklore, science, and suspense that’s sure to keep you reading late into the night.” —Shanna Swendson, author of Enchanted, Inc.
“Something for every fiction fan – sci-fi, horror, romance, and fantasy – but the story interweaves the genres so deftly that the reader is focused on the story – and what a story it is! Barbara’s gift for credible, era-specific dialogue and detail is wonderful, as is her pacing and the story’s pay-off.” Denise Dorman, WriteBrain Media.
Marketing Plan
Per Pyr:
Marketing: Select trade and consumer advertising
Promote/sell at select SFF and genre fiction fan cons
Co-op funds available to select independent retailers
Publicity: Wide outreach to genre fiction media especially those that feature historical fantasy, urban fantasy, and alchemy
Feature in Pyr-a-zine e-newsletter and on Pyr-o-mania blog
ARC giveaways
Advance Edelweiss digital review copy (DRC) made available
Promote on Pyr social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
Book signings, online, print and podcast interviews, guest posts, speaking engagements
Marketing: Select trade and consumer advertising
Promote/sell at select SFF and genre fiction fan cons
Co-op funds available to select independent retailers
Publicity: Wide outreach to genre fiction media especially those that feature historical fantasy, urban fantasy, and alchemy
Feature in Pyr-a-zine e-newsletter and on Pyr-o-mania blog
ARC giveaways
Advance Edelweiss digital review copy (DRC) made available
Promote on Pyr social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
Book signings, online, print and podcast interviews, guest posts, speaking engagements
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781633882331 |
| PRICE | $17.00 (USD) |
Average rating from 26 members
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