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Michelle Winkler
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Dust on the Altar Kindle Edition

by Michelle Winkler (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 15 ratings
See all formats and editions

One city ruled by technology.

One township losing its magic.

One reluctant witch could bridge the divide… or bring ruin to them both.

Jade thought she could run from her tragic past. She thought she’d left magic behind. When she learns her aunt was murdered, she has no choice but to return to the magic that betrayed her.

Facing her fears, becoming coven leader, and discovering who killed her aunt, all seems too much to face. It’s a good thing she’s not alone.

You’ll fall in love with the charming characters in this magical world, because friendship and faith are at the heart of the adventure.

Get your copy now.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    246 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    October 30, 2020
  5. File size
    3313 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"In this first book in the series, Winkler has written a complex and ambitious tale that is filled with likable and ineresting characters" -Union Square Review
"for a debut novel, Dust on the Altar is a good, tight read that will grip readers until the cliffhanger ending." -Union Square Review

From the Back Cover

Jade loves her life in Sun City: their technology is cutting edge, she's right-hand woman to the country's most powerful business owner, and no one suspects she's a Witch. But when her old coven's High Priestess and last remaining family member is murdered, she's expected to leave her beloved city life behind, regain the powers she abandoned years ago, and take her place as coven leader.
Going back to Sugar Hill won't be easy. She'll have to find a way to reconcile with her former best friend who's the man she must now call partner, find the keys to her ascension ritual, and stop a Witch who will do anything to bring his daughter back from the dead.
With the coven's magic fading and a whole township counting on her to bring it back, will she find the strength to face the ghosts of her tragic past, or will she run from her responsibilities, again?

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08C35NRNZ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mariposa Bookworks; 1st edition (October 30, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 30, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3313 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 246 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 15 ratings

About the author

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Michelle Winkler

Michelle Winkler

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Hi! Thanks for checking out my bio. Here's a little about me.

I was convinced by my husband to live in the Arizona desert. While skeptical at first, I realized if I could survive hitchhiking halfway cross country at 20 years old, spend eight years in the Navy, and raise two sons, as long as I had air-conditioning, I'd probably be okay.

Since my move I've: started a veggie garden, learned how to shoot a bow, completed three associate degrees, and become a kayak enthusiast. However, I still hate to cook and will absolutely run screaming from the room at the first sight of a bug. Because bugs are evil.

I completed my first novel for National Novel Writing Month in 2015. After five years of hard work, dedication, and struggle to climb the learning curve, I published Dust on the Altar, in October 2020. With that novel, I went on to be a semi-finalist in the Book Blogger’s Novel of the Year Award and shortlisted in the Page Turner Awards in 2021.

Now I’m a proud indie-author who can't imagine loving any other career. My goals for the future include giving back to the writing community and helping aspiring authors on their journey to becoming published.

When writing, I'm usually supervised by an adorable Brittany Spaniel named Zen and his mini-me little sister, Pepper. Sign up for my monthly newsletter at michellewinkler.com, for info on future projects, free short stories, and more.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
15 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Brittany Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing magical journey!
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2020
Verified Purchase
I want to start this off by saying I have a hard time sticking to full length novels if they don’t completely pull me in, and this book did just that and more.

The main characters are relatable, despite the fantastic use of magic throughout the book. The magic itself is not only powerful in the context of the story, but it’s believable too. I’ve read books before that take the magic too over the top or make it so unrealistic to the world that I couldn’t even stomach it, but this story had me just falling more and more in love with the world and magic system with every turning page. The settings really came to life and felt like real places despite the main story being about magic and using it in a very tangible way.

Pick this up and get ready for a story full of twists and turns, a story that will get you right in the feels at just the right times, with a lovable cast that you really want to root for, including the side characters, and villains you can’t help but also love to hate. And don’t forget a little bit on romance too!
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Kim
5.0 out of 5 stars Great mix of a magical society with that of a modern, futuristic one
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book is a very entertaining read. Great combination of a futuristic society and a magical word. The characters were very relatable and to my surprise the plot did not seem extremely far fetched. It has great twists that are not expected as well. I can’t wait for more!!
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Tan
4.0 out of 5 stars A Magically Spooky Read
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2020
Verified Purchase
In this magical debut novel by Michelle Winkler, a witch named Jade must leave her comfortable life in the technologically advanced Sun City to take her place as coven leader in the small witch town of Sugar Hill. Fortunately, she has her best friend April to provide moral support. She's able to reconnect with her childhood best friend Charlie and a very wise Grandma Willow. Together, they must face the mysterious dark forces threatening the coven, but reconnecting with her magic after so much time away isn't easy for Jade.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the atmosphere. The settings are all meticulously crafted with details woven throughout the story that really paint a clear picture of where you are and what it feels like to be there. There's a bit of a spooky element here with the witches and the magic and the mystery, and I absolutely loved diving into those elements and learning more about how everything fit together. I also really loved getting to know the characters. Grandma Willow was my absolute favorite, and I expect that will be true for many readers. I also really liked Charlie and enjoyed seeing his relationship with Jade develop. Jade herself is well-written and complex, with an impactful character arc that still leaves room for further development in future installments of this series. (Also, while we're on the subject of this being a series, I have to say how much I love the series title of A Lighter Shade of Darkness.)

The magic system is really interesting and all the pieces fit together in a way that was believable. I was really really interested in the dynamics between the Citizens in the more technology/science-oriented Sun City and the witch covens in these outsider towns. Fictional societies are always super interesting to me and I wanted to know more about how those dynamics came about. We didn't get to see much of that in this book, but I'm hoping to get more later in the series. Parts of the story were a little predictable, but that didn't ruin my enjoyment at all and it was actually kind of fun to see how things played out in the end compared to my predictions.
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Megan
5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting blend of near future and magic
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2021
This book has a really interesting and unique world in which there’s some future tech combined with magic and I thought it was handled really well. Especially the way non-magic users felt about magic users and the politics of it that were hinted at early on. I don’t think I’ve ever seen future magic done in such a realistic feeling way before and I loved it. Aside from that the book has an interesting range of characters, a twist I didn’t see coming, and a questlike plot progression that means there’s never a dull moment.
I also really appreciated that the characters (including the protagonist) had flaws and strengths which were played with throughout, and tied into the tests the protagonist went through.

If you’re looking for an interesting blend of modern and magic, check this book out!
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JH Books
4.0 out of 5 stars quick read, can't wait for book 2!
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2021
An easy read, which is always a plus to me! I love how Jade has to face her past and work through it to get where she needs to be. I can't wait to read the next book!
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