Book Tour for Rosewater by Mason Kuldinow

Rosewater is the story of six friends who embark on the adventure of a lifetime to mark the revival of the Druidic religion. Rosewater contains a well written balance of adventure, romance, horror, and comedy that will entice the reader to swallow the book whole and not put it down until the end. 

Delia Dumont has just returned to New Destiny Village after completing her groundbreaking run on the Broadway stage. As she and her close friends gather for a summer of fun, they find out that they are heirs to a great culture of ideas that is about to be released. They share fantastic adventures as they partake in the rituals of friendship that will lead to the rebirth of Druidism. But when a shadowy figure comes to New Destiny Village, seeming to be a knowledgeable host to the coming events, trouble fills the air and strange occurrences plague the community. The events of the revival become monstrous in their scale and severity, while the village itself is unaware of what the shadowy host has in store for them or for their new awakening. 

Will there be new paths of awareness for humanity revealed, or will there be damnation for all?

EXCERPT:

In a quaint, spooky village called New Destiny, Suzanne Talus locked up the community center and then checked on the guest of honor to see if she was ready for the next event. The brunette beauty looked tired after spending the entire afternoon listening to people lavish her with praise. The village never had one of their own become a Broadway star before, and even though Delia Dumont’s part wasn’t the lead in the hit play, the gratifying review of her performance was reason enough to celebrate her return.

Suzanne guided Delia through the birch forest of the community park to reach Rimbaud’s Tavern, a rustic establishment that was definitely off the beaten path. From the road, the place appeared empty and Suzanne caught herself worrying about the owners. She had to remind herself how much money her friends and family spent there, and hoped that it was enough to keep Rimbaud’s open every day of the year. During the winter, when the village got snowed in, people would put on their snowshoes and cross country skis to visit the tavern, where they would have family dinners next to the blazing hearth, and listen to musicians play their guitars and sing. Suzanne had great memories of those secluded times. But in the peak season, she regretted having to share her village with the rest of the world.

Charlie Hodgkin sat alone at the bar. He smiled as the two women approached. “Hey darling,” he said, giving Suzanne a kiss on the lips that she quickly tore away from, even as he wanted more of her attention.

“Why did you leave so early?” she asked. “We had to do cleanup.”

Charlie smiled playfully. “I hope you didn’t make the guest of honor wash dishes.”

Suzanne became tense hearing his jocular tone. She brusquely replied, “No, the caterers took care of that. Delia and I had to carry all the chairs and tables back inside, and we could’ve used your help—”

Delia interrupted the couple. “Where’s Sarah? I thought she’d be here by now.”

“Andy is picking her up,” Charlie said. “She broke down in Albany and had to take a bus back to Plattsburgh.”

“I wish Isabel could have stayed longer,” Delia said. “It was really sweet of her to fly out here just for me.”

Reg the bartender approached the group and presented a bottle of Clos Du Val, the wine Suzanne had requested days earlier. “The dealer calls this stuff the rich blood of Napa Valley. I’ve got two bottles on the house for Delia’s party.” He winked at the guest of honor. “Congratulations kiddo. It’s good to have you back.”

Delia smiled graciously as she brushed back her wavy chestnut hair, exposing more of her long neck. “Thanks Reg. It’s good to be back.”

“We’d like to use our VIP room,” Suzanne requested.

The bartender chuckled. “It’s always available for you. Who else but the Talus girl would host parties in an archeological dig?”

Suzanne led Delia across the dining areas and into a dark hall, where a secret door led to the bowels of the building. There was a barely lit corridor leading to each set of stairs, descending lower and lower until they could barely tell where they were in relation to the tavern. From the cellar, they entered the stone ruins, and the site of Suzanne’s great discovery.

“What do you think?” she asked.

Delia examined her surroundings. The last time she was there, the site was covered in roots and briars, but after the careful excavation, the merging of several foundations became plain to see. “You’re right; the tavern and the grist mill were definitely not part of these older ruins.”

Suzanne smiled as Delia confirmed her theory. It was gratifying to hear after New York University had ridiculed her findings, telling her and her father that the ruins they had uncovered were no more than one hundred and fifty years old. “For us to prove that this groundwork was built by early French settlers, we have to reconstruct their original design.”

“What about carbon dating?” Delia asked.

“We’re talking about stones that were placed in this pattern three hundred years ago, although the stones themselves are millions of years old.”

Delia stopped her there. “We didn’t come here to discuss New France. You promised me a ghost story.”

Suzanne raised her eyebrows and grinned devilishly. “Oh, you’d like to hear more about the haunted paintings.” She took off her red wool sweater and tied it around her waist, gazing at Delia as she leaned her backside against an ancient wall. “Actually, there isn’t much to tell. Back in nineteen twenty, seven mysterious paintings appeared on the walls of Lake George Resort. A woman claimed ownership, testifying that they were works by her dead husband. Each one depicted a unique image of his boating accident. After she won her case, she sold the paintings for quite a lot of money. But then less than a year later, she died the same way her husband died; she drowned in the lake.”

“How did you come across this story?”

“You know Janice Pine, the art dealer? She invited me to the auction where it got sold.”

Delia was intrigued. “What was it like?”

“It was a picture of someone caught in rough waters. The notoriety of it being haunted worked well for the owner, because it sold for twenty thousand dollars.”

“So do you document urban legends and ghost stories?”

Suzanne laughed nervously. “The haunted painting only interested me because there is some documented truth behind it. It’s more likely that the wife was a con artist.”

“Remind me what the story is behind these ruins?”

“But you said you don’t want to hear about that stuff.”

Delia stood in a haughty thespian pose and spoke in a faux British accent. “I know this one. This is where Breton Fermier staged his last standoff with the British, before his mighty guild went into hiding.”

“I know what you’re trying to do.”

“Do you?” Delia ran her hand under the back of Suzanne’s shirt. “Maybe if I tickle it out of you….”

“Stop it!” Suzanne tried to dash away. She laughed uncontrollably as she felt Delia’s thin hands grasp her ribcage, just under her armpits. Delia called it her sweet-spot.

A young man surprised them when he called out, “What the hell are you ladies doing?”

Delia stopped tickling her friend. “Hey gorgeous man,” she said, and then went to embrace Andy where he stood. “Where is Sarah?”

“She said she’d be right down. I think she went to the bathroom.”

Author Mason Kuldinow Bio:

Mason Kuldinow studied creative writing at Naropa University and at the University of Colorado. His specialty is writing ghost stories and mystery novels, though he has tackled science fiction and horror with excellent results. When reading a short story or novel by Kuldinow, you can expect strong relationships between characters, and romantic elements that are integral to the plot. You can also expect to be led assertively through paths of intrigue and mystery that lead to mind blowing realizations, and spine tingling frights, that make the reader hold the book tighter and turn the pages faster. His sense of humor often shines through in the pages of his writing, where you will find yourself laughing out loud and begging for more. His writing is smooth and flows easily. You don’t have to struggle to read any of his works. And when it comes to keeping the reader’s interest, Mason Kuldinow does not disappoint.