Monday Give Away
Happy October! There’s a nip in the air and pumpkin spice in my coffee. Which means… it’s time for stories of ghosties and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night!
To kick off October, I have a copy of M.J. Rose’s Paris-set gothic ghost story, The Secret Language of Stones
Here’s the official blurb:
As World War I rages and the Romanov dynasty reaches its sudden, brutal end, a young jewelry maker discovers love, passion, and her own healing powers in this rich and romantic ghost story, the perfect follow-up to M.J. Rose’s “brilliantly crafted” (Providence Journal) novel The Witch of Painted Sorrows
Nestled within Paris’s historic Palais Royal is a jewelry store unlike any other. La Fantasie Russie is owned by Pavel Orloff, protégé to the famous Faberge, and is known by the city’s fashion elite as the place to find the rarest of gemstones and the most unique designs. But war has transformed Paris from a city of style and romance to a place of fear and mourning. In the summer of 1918, places where lovers used to walk, widows now wander alone.
So it is from La Fantasie Russie’s workshop that young, ambitious Opaline Duplessi now spends her time making trench watches for soldiers at the front, as well as mourning jewelry for the mothers, wives, and lovers of those who have fallen. People say that Opaline’s creations are magical. But magic is a word Opaline would rather not use. The concept is too closely associated with her mother Sandrine, who practices the dark arts passed down from their ancestor La Lune, one of sixteenth century Paris’s most famous courtesans.
But Opaline does have a rare gift even she can’t deny, a form of lithomancy that allows her to translate the energy emanating from stones. Certain gemstones, combined with a personal item, such as a lock of hair, enable her to receive messages from beyond the grave. In her mind, she is no mystic, but merely a messenger, giving voice to soldiers who died before they were able to properly express themselves to loved ones. Until one day, one of these fallen soldiers communicates a message—directly to her.
So begins a dangerous journey that will take Opaline into the darkest corners of wartime Paris and across the English Channel, where the exiled Romanov dowager empress is waiting to discover the fate of her family. Full of romance, seduction, and a love so powerful it reaches beyond the grave, The Secret Language of Stones is yet another “spellbindingly haunting” (Suspense magazine), “entrancing read that will long be savored” (Library Journal, starred review).
For a chance to win a copy of the gloriously haunting The Secret Language of Stones
What’s your favorite gemstone?
The winner will be announced on Wednesday.
Sapphire, my birthstone…
Blue Sapphires
aqua marine, my birthstone! 🙂
Rubies have always been my favorite. Thanks!
Opals!!
Garnet:)
I love blue diamonds or emeralds!
Emeralds, with sapphire being a strong second choice.
I’ve always loved Emeralds. I love how they are imperfect, yet dazzling. And green is my favorite color.
Sapphire.
Opals
My favorite gemstone is emerald.
My birthstone, aquamarine!
Sapphire because my favorite color is blue.
My birthstone, sapphire!
Sapphires! Very conveniently my husband’s birthstone. Makes for a lovely engagement ring.
Amethyst
It feels somewhat cliche to say diamonds, but I do love a nice diamond. My mom recently gave me an antique ring from my great aunt with an Old European cut diamond. I have never seen such a beautifully cut stone.
I just cannot pick one. I love all sorts of gemstones, especially since they’re all just so beautiful. I love the mysteriousness of the opal, the fiery red of the ruby, and the classic elegance of diamonds. I believe, however, that I’ve always been inclined towards opals (which is incidentally my birthstone). There’s a certain subtlety to the beauty of an opal, which I find lacking in rubies and diamonds sometimes.
Alexandrite
Opals! Although garnets and rubies are right up there.
I’m so lucky that emeralds are my birthstone! They’re my favorite, hands down!
I’m so lucky that emeralds are my birthstone! They are my favorite.
Don’t have any, but opals
Though my birthstone is a ruby, I’ve always preferred emeralds. Opals are always very striking too!
Amethyst
Sapphire
I think my favorite would have to be sapphires. I love the rich blue color.
Amethyst
Sapphire
Opals – particularly the white ones that are shot through with red and blue.
I like opals, even if they are supposed to be unlucky. I also like Moissanite.
Rubies. 🙂
My favorite gemstone is Tanzanite. I adore the spectrum of color it has all within the purple family.
Saffires and emeralds. They are both gorgeous and bold!
Such a hard decision to choose a favorite! I would have to call it a tie between moonstone and rose quartz. Both are simple, yet beautiful.
Rubies!
Sapphire!
Sapphire
I love emeralds!
Sapphires!!!! The birthstone of September!
Fire opals–almost entirely because of the Lorna Hill Sadler’s Wells ballet series 🙂
Opals!
Alexandrite, my birthstone, but I also love peridots and garnets.