Ultimate Blog Tour Spotlight- Toby & the Silver Blood Witches by Sally Doherty

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ACROSTIC

Troubled

Open

Brave

Young champion

Secretive

Blood

Witches

BOOK BITE

A promising debut middle grade novel with a vividly realised witchy world in the sky. Fans of fantastical creatures will love the Golden Retrieagle.

BOOK HAIKU

A witch crashes and

Toby’s fraught world takes

flight into chaos

BLURB

A sinister plot. A hidden city in the sky. A boy with an impossible choice.

Twelve year old Toby has little time for friends or football since his mum fell ill. All he wants is to stay at home and keep an eye on her.

But mysterious things are happening beyond his garden hedge. Who is the figure at the window behind the barbed wire fence? And why is there a strange woman in his attic with a broken broom and bothersome pet?

BOOK TASTERS

“But she
hasn’t got better! She’s so fatigued. And in pain. And
now they say it’s M.E. So we’ve been left without
help. I can’t tell anyone because they might take me
away. I don’t want to leave my mum! This is my home.
I belong here. I belong with her. So it’s just the two of
us. And I have to do everything.”

Bumble leaned forwards. “It’s good to be
different.”
“Being different is horrible. Being different
means you get picked on,” Toby muttered.
“Being different is great! Who wants to be the
same as everyone else?

“We’ve been worried for some time that Earthens
have become aware of our existence,” replied Willow.
“Perhaps they shoot because they fear us. People are
often scared of outsiders, of those who are different.
They react without trying to understand more. We
intend no harm. We do not believe in violence. We
wish only to be able to live freely.”
EXTRACTS FROM TOBY & THE SILVER BLOOD WITCHES

BOOK BLOGGERS- SPOTLIGHT

“An exciting adventure, full of mystery, wonderful witches, and real heart.” ~
Louie Stowell, author of Otherland

“Toby and the Silver Blood Witches is a heartfelt story that perfectly blends together a magical fantasy adventure with difficult and poignant real-life issues. A truly mesmerising, empathetic story that captured me completely.”
https://bookcraic.blog/

“I like this story for showing the truth about what it can be like to be a young carer and the frustrations and isolation Toby feels from being in this situation.”
thestrawberrypost.wordpress.com/2023/06/30/blog-tour-book-review-toby-and-the-silver-blood-witches-by-sally-doherty/

“This book was a great mixture of what I love in middle grade stories. It had a lot of whimsy, but also incorporated important messages about chronic illness and the effect it can have on not only the sufferer, but their loved ones.”
https://kerrimcbooknerd.home.blog/2023/06/28/bbnya-2022-winner-tour-toby-and-the-silver-blood-witches-by-sally-doherty/

“I think that this would be a wonderful fantasy story for kids – it has an uplifting feel to it, magic and adventure, witches and villains, and even some tense, dangerous moments. It will definitely capture the imagination and keep the pages turning!”
https://www.bookfrolic.com/book-reviews/review-toby-and-the-silver-blood-witches-by-sally-doherty-blog-tour/

GOOD NIGHT TO READ MINI REVIEW

Toby is struggling to care for his ailing mum when something unbelievable happens. As his world changes irrecoverably he faces some challenging choices and is plunged into a perilous adventure.

This heartfelt story sensitively examines the effects of ME, the pressures placed on a young carer, misconceptions and society’s treatment of diverse individuals. It is empathetic, imaginative and action packed with an array of interesting characters. Fans of magical objects and quests will be entranced by Toby’s dangerous mission and determination to do what’s right in spite of possible consequences.

Sally, inspired by “the cauldron of stories bubbling in her imagination” also intriguingly sets up a trail of breadcrumbs of unanswered questions which lead the reader to wondering about what challenges await the characters and whether secrets will be revealed in a sequel.

There could be more shocks and magical mayhem in store as the worlds of Earthens and witches collide. How much does Toby’s mother know and is there a reason why Dacker is such a bully? Just what is Ebonia planning next for the denizens of Little Witchery? What is Toby’s heritage?

If after reading you are enchanted by the world of Little Witchery and long to know what happens next you can join Toby on further adventures in Toby & the Wizards of Wildhaven which is available on Kindle.

FIVE FACTS ABOUT SALLY DOHERTY

Sally lives in Surrey.
Her debut book and the first in a trilogy, TOBY AND THE SILVER BLOOD WITCHES, was a finalist for The Wishing Shelf Awards 2021 and shortlisted for both The Selfies and The Rubery Book Awards 2022.
She has a three legged dog.
She writes from personal experience of illness blending sensitive perceptions of the life of a young carer with a vividly imagined fantasy world.
You can find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sallydohertywrites. If you or a family member has M.E. and want to connect, you can also find Sally tweeting about life with chronic illness @SallyClareR. Ten Percent of profits from the sale of the book go to the ME Association,

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Title: Toby and the Silver Blood Witches
Series: Toby Bean 1
Author: Sally Doherty
Illustrator: Sarah Jane Docker
Publisher: Soaring Skies Publishing
Publication date: July 5th, 2021
Length: 240 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
Age group: Middle Grade

DISCOVER MORE

Read the first chapter at

https://www.sallydohertyauthor.com/read-the-first-chapter

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sallydohertywrites

Instagram: @sallydohertywrites

Twitter: @Sally_writes

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58528367-toby-and-the-silver-blood-witches

FIVE FACTS ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Sarah comes from a small coastal town in the UK.
UCLAn graduate
Creator of soft toys
Sarah produces colourful and expressive illustrations. Her preferences are digital and traditional media, custom brushes and organic textures created from items collected in nature.
She embraces “the idea of seeing life through new eyes each day, and memories and jokes from childhood. Testimonials describe Sarah’s work as “Eccentric, excitable and whimsical” with “A lot of heart and a gift for expressing feeling”.