Maggie Graham's life is a mess. First, she loses her job. Then, her bathroom ceiling collapses. Hoping a weekend getaway will restore her spirits, she drives to Vermont and stumbles upon the Crossroads Theatre. Although she has no intention of auditioning, she soon finds herself part of a very odd summer stock company that includes moody and mysterious director Rowan Mackenzie, a man with the uncanny ability to transform a train wreck of a show into something magical. Before the season ends, Maggie is determined to discover the truth about the Crossroads. She never imagines that she'll discover secrets about her past - and Rowan's - that will change their lives forever.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Four Stars. (Romantic Times Book Reviews)
A surprisingly poignant novel...woven by an author with a deft touch at creating a realistic and emotional love story. (Night Owl Reviews Top Pick)
A surprisingly poignant novel...woven by an author with a deft touch at creating a realistic and emotional love story. (Night Owl Reviews Top Pick)
There's a vast but little known overlap between fans of fantasy and fans of musical theater, and Barbara Ashford hits the sweet spot on both with SPELLCAST. It's warm, humorous, emotional, heartfelt, and full of magic. Curse you, Barbara, for making me cry! And for getting ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ stuck in my head all week.
(New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn)[A] charming fantasy novel...left me wanting more, in fine theatrical tradition.
(Locus)One of those rare gems... something completely different... a love story, a fantasy, a mystery, and a theatre book all rolled into one. (New Myths)
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More About the Author
Barbara wrote her first novel "Cherokee the Wild Pinto" when she was eight years old and prepared the final manuscript on her Tom Thumb typewriter. She abandoned a career in educational administration to pursue a life in the theatre, working as an actress in summer stock and dinner theatre and later, as a lyricist and librettist. Her years as an actress inspired her to create the Crossroads Theatre series - "Spellcast" and "Spellcrossed." Barbara lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband whom she met while performing in the play "Bedroom Farce." Visit her at www.BarbaraAshford.com.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By E. Kerley
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I love Kindle books because if a book is bad I usually haven't spent a bunch on it and don't feel bad in getting rid of it.
Spellcast is one that I'll read again in a few months and again after that and maybe again after that. The description of the book is mild compared to just how good this book is. It held me captivated, the characters are well drawn, the plot is not what you think and the resolution of the two main characters will surprise you. And it's a good surprise and in hindsight makes sense, it is the only resolution that makes sense for these character. It would be nice to know or think that there will a sequel but I don't see how one would work as well as Spellcast.
I'm not trying to be mysterious, just don't want to ruin it for anyone. Take a chance and BUY THIS BOOK.
Spellcast is one that I'll read again in a few months and again after that and maybe again after that. The description of the book is mild compared to just how good this book is. It held me captivated, the characters are well drawn, the plot is not what you think and the resolution of the two main characters will surprise you. And it's a good surprise and in hindsight makes sense, it is the only resolution that makes sense for these character. It would be nice to know or think that there will a sequel but I don't see how one would work as well as Spellcast.
I'm not trying to be mysterious, just don't want to ruin it for anyone. Take a chance and BUY THIS BOOK.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
After hearing so many good things about Spellcast by Barbara Ashford I knew I had to read it, I was waiting for the perfect moment and it came during my vacation, a vacation in which I vowed not to read (much) or do anything book related. But Spellcast had another idea; after reading just couple of paragraphs I found myself completely surrendered to its magic and wishing for more alone time to read.
I like and enjoy theater but if I'm being honest I don't know much about what's going on behind the curtains nor do I know about the process it takes for an idea to become a reality in a stage. Mrs. Ashford clearly knows her theater and in Spellcast she masterfully brings all her knowledge to the pages making us live and experience the life behind and on the theater.
What I liked about Spellcast? I liked everything, there is nothing I can say I didn't like. Spellcast is a book that made me laugh, cry, hope and wish for more. The characters are diverse and so well written that they felt very real, so real that you can identify them with people you know. They all have their flaws and their good qualities, flaws and qualities you also identify in yourself and others.
Maggie is a great heroine, her life is upside-down and she finds herself in a weird theater, surrounding by unconventional people. She knows there is more to them and the theater even though they are pretending everything is normal. I loved how she was stubborn enough not to let other people's suggestions change her reality.
Rowan is the mysterious hero with a secret past and an aura of sadness surrounding him. He is moody and reclusive but lives to helps others. He is one of those persons that you would give everything to discover what's causing his melancholy and comfort him in any possible way.
Spellcast is a book of discovery of oneself, the value of friendships and relationships, all this with a smidgen of romance, lots of hope and a touch of bittersweet added to the equation.
As I said before the writing is superb, the words flows and the pages fly one by one, submerging you even more in the magical world Mrs. Ashford created.
Categorizing Spellcast is not an easy task, because it has a little of different genres, the closes it comes is to contemporary fantasy. Anyway Spellcast is a book I recommend to anyone who wants an opportunity to read a very beautiful book.
The end of Spellcast is the one it should have, even though you may wish for a different one. After finishing it I was glad to learned Mrs. Ashford is working in the sequel of this wonderful book, needless to say I'm eagerly looking forward to Spellcrossed's release sometime later on during this year.
I like and enjoy theater but if I'm being honest I don't know much about what's going on behind the curtains nor do I know about the process it takes for an idea to become a reality in a stage. Mrs. Ashford clearly knows her theater and in Spellcast she masterfully brings all her knowledge to the pages making us live and experience the life behind and on the theater.
What I liked about Spellcast? I liked everything, there is nothing I can say I didn't like. Spellcast is a book that made me laugh, cry, hope and wish for more. The characters are diverse and so well written that they felt very real, so real that you can identify them with people you know. They all have their flaws and their good qualities, flaws and qualities you also identify in yourself and others.
Maggie is a great heroine, her life is upside-down and she finds herself in a weird theater, surrounding by unconventional people. She knows there is more to them and the theater even though they are pretending everything is normal. I loved how she was stubborn enough not to let other people's suggestions change her reality.
Rowan is the mysterious hero with a secret past and an aura of sadness surrounding him. He is moody and reclusive but lives to helps others. He is one of those persons that you would give everything to discover what's causing his melancholy and comfort him in any possible way.
Spellcast is a book of discovery of oneself, the value of friendships and relationships, all this with a smidgen of romance, lots of hope and a touch of bittersweet added to the equation.
As I said before the writing is superb, the words flows and the pages fly one by one, submerging you even more in the magical world Mrs. Ashford created.
Categorizing Spellcast is not an easy task, because it has a little of different genres, the closes it comes is to contemporary fantasy. Anyway Spellcast is a book I recommend to anyone who wants an opportunity to read a very beautiful book.
The end of Spellcast is the one it should have, even though you may wish for a different one. After finishing it I was glad to learned Mrs. Ashford is working in the sequel of this wonderful book, needless to say I'm eagerly looking forward to Spellcrossed's release sometime later on during this year.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Totally taken by surprise regarding SPELLCAST by Barbara Ashford! This book was sugary sweet, but deeply introspective all wrapped up in a musical that was laced with a little paranormal tid-bits here and there. I still don't know why I accepted this review copy, I'm not into musical theater, I guess it was the cover, or the originality, or maybe even the glowing reviews - but I'm so glad I did take it, read it and subsequently highly enjoy it. Don't judge, just read. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
On a whim Maggie Graham, unemployed, unattached and slightly frayed, ends up in Vermont looking for a bed and breakfast. Instead of finding a place to crash for the night she ends up auditioning for the Crossroads Theatre and being cast into minor rolls for three separate plays that will be performed that summer. Not know why she accepts the gig, Maggie ends up in a run down hotel, being paid $100 a week and now a part of a very strange cast of characters and an otherworldly staff - that casts people not by the character they could best play, but by the character that will teach them the most.
Maggie is the only one that has any prior acting experiences, but the ridiculously handsome, yet strangely ethereal director will only put her in characters that he thinks will make her a better person. It would seem that Rowan, the director has made it his life goal to help people through singing and acting and he has an almost magic voice that brings the motley cast together to make something spectacular. At first skeptical Maggie is soon drawn into friendships and helping others like she never has before. She finds herself eerily drawn to Rowan and his mystery and the aura of otherness that surrounds the staff of the Crossroads. Will this only be a summer fling for Maggie, a push towards her right direction, or will the Crossroads set her on her life-path...
I read somewhere SPELLCAST described as unassuming and it is true. This books description and cover can't convey what it is. While a bit long, it's entirety is a discovery of self and friendship and hope. Myself as a person could only hope that a Crossroads Theater would appear for me when I was faced with a large pot-hole in my road of life. Ashford constructed each character with precision and describes each scene as if she had experienced them herself. The plays the characters act out are almost real for me and I wish I had prior knowledge of them so I could get just a little better grasp on what is going on. This was a very entertaining read and I kept finding myself drawn back into the pages as if I had never left as soon as I picked it up.
The drawbacks that I found was that yes, it was a bit long. Ashford would go into details regarding the most trivial of scenes, yet her writing flowed so well that I couldn't skim - therefor I felt it went on and on over trivialities. And then there was the ending. I will not spoil it, but I do have to say, that while the ending was how I think it should have been there was still that bitter part of me that wanted so much more...
This is an excellent read that I really can't compare to anything else. Recommended for contemporary romance fans because of it's only slight taste of the paranormal. Yet, I really wouldn't describe this as a romance. There is enough to give it a flavoring, but not something I would describe as romance. I don't know, but this one would probably fit in one of those random genres like Magical Realism or something. It is an adult read, with a bit of language and some sexual encounters.
Like this like that:
The Girl That Chased The Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
On a whim Maggie Graham, unemployed, unattached and slightly frayed, ends up in Vermont looking for a bed and breakfast. Instead of finding a place to crash for the night she ends up auditioning for the Crossroads Theatre and being cast into minor rolls for three separate plays that will be performed that summer. Not know why she accepts the gig, Maggie ends up in a run down hotel, being paid $100 a week and now a part of a very strange cast of characters and an otherworldly staff - that casts people not by the character they could best play, but by the character that will teach them the most.
Maggie is the only one that has any prior acting experiences, but the ridiculously handsome, yet strangely ethereal director will only put her in characters that he thinks will make her a better person. It would seem that Rowan, the director has made it his life goal to help people through singing and acting and he has an almost magic voice that brings the motley cast together to make something spectacular. At first skeptical Maggie is soon drawn into friendships and helping others like she never has before. She finds herself eerily drawn to Rowan and his mystery and the aura of otherness that surrounds the staff of the Crossroads. Will this only be a summer fling for Maggie, a push towards her right direction, or will the Crossroads set her on her life-path...
I read somewhere SPELLCAST described as unassuming and it is true. This books description and cover can't convey what it is. While a bit long, it's entirety is a discovery of self and friendship and hope. Myself as a person could only hope that a Crossroads Theater would appear for me when I was faced with a large pot-hole in my road of life. Ashford constructed each character with precision and describes each scene as if she had experienced them herself. The plays the characters act out are almost real for me and I wish I had prior knowledge of them so I could get just a little better grasp on what is going on. This was a very entertaining read and I kept finding myself drawn back into the pages as if I had never left as soon as I picked it up.
The drawbacks that I found was that yes, it was a bit long. Ashford would go into details regarding the most trivial of scenes, yet her writing flowed so well that I couldn't skim - therefor I felt it went on and on over trivialities. And then there was the ending. I will not spoil it, but I do have to say, that while the ending was how I think it should have been there was still that bitter part of me that wanted so much more...
This is an excellent read that I really can't compare to anything else. Recommended for contemporary romance fans because of it's only slight taste of the paranormal. Yet, I really wouldn't describe this as a romance. There is enough to give it a flavoring, but not something I would describe as romance. I don't know, but this one would probably fit in one of those random genres like Magical Realism or something. It is an adult read, with a bit of language and some sexual encounters.
Like this like that:
The Girl That Chased The Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and idiosyncratic "urban fantasy"
This is the first novel, and it has an equally good sequel. However, I'd recommend reading this one first, because the sequel expects one to know the intricate relationships... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Cissa
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's a grabber!
I totally enjoyed this book! It brought me back in time thinking of my theater days. The humor and wit that Barbara uses completely captured me and I couldn't put this down. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Maureen Ross Gemme
5.0 out of 5 stars
An enchanting read
4 3/4 stars!
"Spellcast" by Barbara Ashford is a sweetly fantastic book that conjures up the highs and lows of summer theater as it tells the tale of Maggie Graham who ends up... Read more
"Spellcast" by Barbara Ashford is a sweetly fantastic book that conjures up the highs and lows of summer theater as it tells the tale of Maggie Graham who ends up... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Elf2060
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful & Subtle
In SPELLCAST, Maggie Graham's life is a bit of a mess. And then it gets worse. She's not the sort of heroine who packs a sidearm and looks good in leather; she finds her strength... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Kate
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure Enchantment
For those of us who love to be in control of all things - our jobs, our personal lives, our reputations, SPELLCAST is a wonderful tale of what happens when fate has other plans... Read more
Published 13 months ago by R. C. Fitzsimmons
4.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting New Book!
I enjoyed reading Ms. Ashford's book. She definitely has a passion for Theater. I love the relationships that are developed in the book , particularly among Rowan and Maggie. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Steven F. Silverstein
5.0 out of 5 stars
Captivated by Spellcast - Twice!
I was utterly moved by this book when I read it the first time in hard copy last year. I loved it even more the second time when I read it on my kindle in anticipation of the... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Chris Romanello
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spellcast (Mass Market Paperback)
From page one I was immediately sucked in! Barbara's characterization was (as usual) brilliant. By the end of the first chapter I had lost count of the times I'd laughed out loud... Read more
Published 13 months ago by David C. Stier
3.0 out of 5 stars
Do You Like Showtunes and Plays?
If you have immersed yourself into the amateur acting sub-culture, this novel is exactly what you want to read. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Judah
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent read
Not being a big fan of musical theatre, I wasn't expecting to really like Spellcast but after winning a copy, and reading good reviews from another author I admire, I decided to... Read more
Published 21 months ago by blood_of_winter
