S.A. Hunter's Blog, page 2

My Demon Episode 10 FREE!

The wait is finally over. The final episode of My Demon is now out! And it's a biggun at 22K! But the best part? IT'S FREE! For the next 5 days until 12/18/15, Episode 10 will be free on Amazon to download. I decided to make it free as an apology to all of you. I feel terrible about making everyone wait so long. To everyone who messaged me support and encouragement, I'm sorry I did not respond to you when you reached out. I thank you and hopefully you'll hear from me personally in the next few days. For the past two months, I've been in ostrich mode. As in head in sand, refusing to acknowledge anything that was going on around me. I knew things were bad and I didn't want to face them.

I was struggling, but things look like they are getting back on track. But you may have noticed Volume 2 of My Demon isn't released yet. I will admit that I pushed it to the back burner while I worked on Episode 10, but I discovered recently that I may not be allowed to publish it until February due to Amazon Select's restrictions. I've asked to be released early from the exclusivity, but I have not heard back yet. It's a long shot, but I figured I should at least ask if they'd be flexible. So that's in limbo for the moment.

Because Episode 10 was released so late, Volume 3 must be delayed until mid-March. But I think it will all work out. I'm going to start working on other things. I've got a lot of projects that I need to start editing and I'd like to do some writing of new material. I'll let you know more about them when they're a little further along.

Beta Readers Needed!

Hi Everyone,

As you can see from the title of this post, I need your help. I need beta readers for an odd project. Amazon has this program called Kindle Worlds that allows writers to create stories set in various television shows or book series. I was intrigued by the idea of playing in someone else’s sandbox. I’ve had a long familiarity with fanfiction. You can even read some stuff I wrote a very long time ago here. So the idea of writing something and potentially selling it and whatnot sounded interesting. I looked at the list of properties available to play with and settled on Ravenswood. My reasoning was simple. It looked like something that was in my wheelhouse: A paranormal show centered on a bunch of high school students. And bonus, it was only one season long. Easy to watch all of it and get up to speed. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. What I wrote is not a side story or an off shoot, I decided to write a continuation that tied up the central story of the show. I couldn’t have chosen a bigger challenge.

This has become a labor of love because I know not many will know the show or be interested, but if you did watch it and would like to help me out, send me an email indicating this. If you’ve never seen the show, but would be willing to read and give me feedback, I’d appreciate your help as well.

The novella is 38K words right now and has multiple POVs. I’ll need help making sure the POVs are consistent and that the plot makes sense. Ravenswood had a large central story/mystery that I’m trying to resolve. I need to know if my resolution makes sense.

You can send your emails here: sahunter@sahunter.net

Thanks!

My Demon Episode 2 Published!

What the heck is Damien's deal?

Sarah's strange relationship with Damien causes her unexpected problems. Threats appear that confound her and put her personal safety at risk. And strangely, Damien is hellbent on protecting her.

This second installment is 15k words.

I would like to thank everyone who took a chance on episode 1 and bravely preordered episode 2. I hope you think it's money and time well spent.

I'm about to do something that all the wise authors say not to do, but I'd like to reply to the wonderful reviewer who has left reviews on both episodes. First and foremost, THANK YOU! I really appreciate the time and effort you put into them. One thing that you highlighted that I'm still struggling to address is the expectation that My Demon will have paranormal elements. I knew I was going to possibly confuse readers by titling the work My Demon. That sounds like it might be paranormal to put it mildly. This is supposed to be a high school drama without any fantasy elements. I don't want to bluntly say in the blurb that this serial has no fantasy elements, but I'm not sure otherwise how to convey it.

Now to address some of your other questions...They will be answered in future episodes. *Very Evil Smile* Honestly, I'm not being flippant. The episodes addressing your questions are written, but still need editing.

And again, thank you for your honest and passionate reviews. I adore them.

Footnote: Generally, I do not read reviews of my work. As the wise authors say, reviews are not meant for the author, they're meant for other readers. I've seen a number of online disasters where authors forgot this simple fact. I'm peeking at reviews for My Demon though because this is still a work very much in-progress, and I think reading reviews and reactions to the episodes could help inform the direction the story takes. My Demon is a big experiment. I have five episodes still to publish, but even as I put those out, I'll be working on future installments and could possibly be inspired by reader input. I'd like this to be a dynamic project. I don't know if that's possible, but I'm willing to give it a try.

Goodreads Note: Oh snap! Last I checked none of My Demon was listed here. I wasn't sure it would be. Thank you to those who have rated and reviewed. I'm a little scared to peek at reviews here because this has been firmly established as a reader zone and I don't want to encroach and make anyone reluctant to leave their honest opinion.

My Demon Episode 1 Published!

The wait is over! My Demon Episode 1 is now available at Amazon! I really hope you like it. This is a pretty big leap for me. I sort of wish I were releasing the episodes faster, but I know that I wouldn't be able to keep up that pace. I hope the wait isn't too long for anyone. If you check it out, please let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you!

Here is the blurb:

Sarah Smith doesn’t want to go to Noble Academy. She has grown up in its shadows and knows she doesn’t belong. Noble is the school for the children of the richest and the most influential in the Western hemisphere. Her father is a handyman, and her mother a cook. They work at Noble. Because they cannot afford to send her anywhere else, Sarah is admitted to this rarefied institution. She doesn’t expect to fit in or to have an especially good time, but then again, she doesn’t expect Damien West either.

From their very first meeting, Sarah knows Damien will be the bane of her existence. He’s rude, loud, and possibly homicidal. She fears he will make her life a living Hell and be her personal demon.

This first installment is 17k words. Each episode will be between 10k-20k words and priced ninety-nine cents or the regional equivalent. A new episode will be released at the start of every month.

This work is considered young adult, but there are instances of strong language and some mild violence.

And here are the first few pages of the story:


My Demon Episode 1
Monday, Day 1


Today was my first day at Noble Academy, the most elite academy in the world. Only the richest and most powerful teens were ever admitted. Well, until today. I was neither rich or powerful. I was enrolled because my family couldn't afford to send me anywhere else. If that wasn’t irony, then I’d get that question wrong on the SATs. I was admitted as special compensation. I was not here on any academic or athletic scholarship. I was here because my father fixed the toilets, and my mother cooked the meals. They were servants. No, excuse me that wasn’t PC anymore, they were staff. Too bad everyone still treated them like servants. I would have rather enrolled somewhere else. Anywhere else. But there just wasn't anywhere else to send me. So here I was starting my first day at Noble Academy.

I knew the campus by heart. I'd been wandering through it my whole life, but only ever as a shadow. The Academy was the only home I'd ever known, but I'd never felt like I belonged. Now I was wearing one of the navy blue jackets with the gold N embroidered on front, and I felt like a stranger in my own skin. The collar of my white blouse was too tight, and I thought they’d given me the wrong-sized shoes, but I tried to ignore these small discomforts as I slipped into my very first class. Most of the other students were already there, though they hadn't taken their seats yet. The seat in the far corner looked unclaimed. I slipped into it and stowed my books. No one greeted me or made eye contact. They all knew each other. Had probably known each other since birth. I was a stranger. Someone to close ranks against. That was fine. I just wanted to be left alone.

Prof. Edwards arrived a minute after me, arms overflowing with papers as he balanced a coffee cup precariously on top. His dress shirt already sported a coffee stain on the front. He was bald with a halo of wispy gray and black hair. His eyebrow were monstrous. I suspected he purposely combed them up in the morning. It gave his black rimmed glasses the appearance of fringe on top. He had taught at Noble for twenty years now. He liked red wine. Lots of red wine. I'd helped collect the empty bottles from his doorstep. He started making noises for everyone to settle down without actually asking anyone to take their seats. I saw him see me in the back, but he didn’t appear to recognize me. I wondered if he would recognize my parents. A shadow fell across me. I looked up at a guy, who was frowning down at me.

"You're in my seat."

He hadn't been in the room when I came in. From the looks of him, he appeared to have just arrived. Like literally. He wasn't wearing a school uniform. He had no book bag or satchel. He was dressed all in black with silver studs in his ears and a silver Rolex watch on his wrist. He had a great poof of curly brown hair and narrow blue eyes. He was handsome, but there was a malevolence about him that put me on edge.

"There’s no assigned seating," I said. I didn't want to give up my seat just because he told me to.

The smile that curled his lips put me on edge. It was condescending and self-assured.

"I think you're mistaken. You see whatever seat I want is mine. So this seat is mine. If you want, you can sit on my lap."
Was this guy for real? I scanned the rest of the room. All of the other seats have been taken. Where was I supposed to sit? His lap was not an option.

"No," I said.

"What?"

People were beginning to notice us while Prof. Edwards took attendance.

"I said no. I'm sitting here, so ipso facto the seat is mine.”

“Is that so?” He grabbed the desk and flung it across the room.

It landed with a crash and all of my books spilled out of it.

“What’s going on?” Prof. Edwards shouted.

I turned to the guy, my mouth hanging open in disbelief.

“Get up.”

He didn’t give me a chance to move. He leaned down and grabbed me by my jacket lapels and dragged me up.

“I will have no fighting in my classroom!” Prof. Edwards shouted.

The guy turned and flashed a smile at the professor. From my vantage point of hanging from his fists, I got a good look at his canines. They were pearly white and very sharp. “Sorry, professor. There appears to be a shortage of seating, and I was discussing with my friend here the best way to rectify that.”

“I don’t believe I called your name, young man.”

“Oh, maybe that’s the problem. My parents only registered me this morning. I’m Damien West.”

Interview up!

Hey, I did an interview with Lisa and Sarah over at their blog Girls With Books. They review books, host author interviews, and book promotion. I want to thank these lovely ladies for kindly hosting me. Check out the interview. I talk about my work process and what inspired me to write Scary Mary.

Strange Girl Published!

Strange Girl, Book 4 in The Scary Mary Series is finally published! This is amazing to me. I can't believe I'm on book 4. I dreamt of writing this series for so long and now it is a reality. It's a real series.

This book was quite the solo adventure for me. Due to my general lack of planning, I designed the cover myself, did all the proofreading, and the formatting. With past books, I've managed to at least hire someone to help with some of these, but this time, I decided it would add too much time and generally slow the process to a halt. So if you see some typos, don't like the cover, or your ereader has a meltdown trying to load the book--It's all MY FAULT. I'll be here for you to scream at. (Hope you enjoy the book!)



So, Strange Girl, what's it about? Well, here's the blurb:

*You look awesome.*

This is a typical text from Jake, the mysterious guy who saved Mary from the Shadowman. After everything had settled down, he started sending little messages to her. They brighten her day and make her feel special. She likes Jake. He's different like her. A freak. They send texts back and forth frequently, and Mary hasn’t told anyone about him. He's her secret friend.

When the TV producer Regina Smith comes to ask Gran for help, Mary pushes Gran to take her up on the opportunity. Regina wants them to go to Alabama to help a group of paranormal investigators, who are making a reality show. They've stumbled onto a real haunted house, and if no one steps in, they're going to get themselves killed. But Mary doesn't really care about that. She wants to go because Jake lives in Alabama. And she hopes to meet him. But when Gran’s kidnapped, Mary no longer hopes to meet Jake, she has to meet him. He’s her only hope of rescuing Gran. But mysteriously, he has stopped answering her texts.

To save Gran, Mary not only has to contend with two malevolent ghosts but also the paranormal investigators who will stop at nothing to capture evidence of the paranormal. If they have to, they’ll put Gran and Mary at risk. They will get the ghosts one way or another.

You know how ghosts are made, right?

The ebook is now live at the following vendors!


Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Smashwords

These vendors coming soon:Kobo and iTunes

And as usual, here is the first chapter of the book as a sample. I hope you like it.


Strange Girl
Chapter 1
Dancing Around

It was finally about to happen. Mary was going to a high school dance. She’d never thought it would happen, but here she stood, with a boy no less. She mentally ticked the box beside school dance. It was on a list titled “Normal High School Things.” Also on the list were graduating, first kiss, and t.p.-ing a jerk’s house. The list was short, but then again, Mary hadn’t thought she’d do half the things listed. All but one thing was left to be marked off now.

Kyle’s hand slid warm and comforting to the small of her back.

“Hey, ready?” he asked.

She looked up at him with a smile and nodded. He handed their tickets to the person manning the door and they entered.
The dance was in full swing. Music reverberated through the air, giving everything a low hum. People were on the dance floor and sitting at tables that lined the room. The couple paused at the school gymnasium’s entrance to take in the transformation by streamers and crepe paper instilled upon it for Homecoming.

“Do you have the overwhelming urge to set off the sprinklers and watch it all melt away?”
Kyle huffed a laugh. “No, and I see I won’t be able to let you out of my sight any this evening.”

“Oh come on, just imagine it. It would all melt into blue and yellow sludge. Maybe some of it would mix into green. Green’s your favorite color.”

Kyle shook his head with a grin. “Can we have one dance before starting the mayhem?”

A shiver went down Mary’s back at the mention of dancing. She smoothed her dress nervously. She was amazed that she was actually here. She’d figured she’d have to forgo all high school dances. The notion had made her sad, but she figured that her freak status had permanently revoked her dance card. But here she was in a dress that made her feel like an alterna-princess with a date that made her feel like a normal girl. Yeah, those were two pretty different feelings, but they were both good so she didn’t question them.
Noticing her nervousness, Kyle leaned in close. “Everything okay?” he asked.

He was in a sports jacket, dress shirt, and slacks. When Mary had first seen him, she’d been surprised by the little flutter in her heart. She hadn’t known suits were something she liked. He wasn’t wearing a tie and the top button was undone on his shirt. She found the small opening of the collar very tantalizing. She was staring at it now. She swallowed uncomfortably and snapped her eyes up to his face. “Everything’s fine,” she said, but the words came out a little garbled. It sounded more like “Very fine.”

Kyle put his hand once more to the small of her back. “Come on, let’s see if we can find Rachel.”

Mary nodded and let him steer her around the room. There were a lot of second glances as they went by. Mary wasn’t sure if they were for her or her dress. The dress was a sleeveless, dark blue, with an asymmetrical hem line. It had a layer of tulle in the skirt that made it flutter around her knees. She loved the dress. Gran wouldn’t tell her where she’d gotten it. When she’d presented it to Mary, the girl had gotten misty-eyed. She’d touched it reverently. Gran had assured her that it was brand new and ghost-free. After the disaster with the Goodwill dress, Mary hadn’t tried going dress shopping again and had resolved herself to wearing her swing dancing/funeral dress to the Homecoming dance. This was so much better. The outer shell of the dress was shiny and silky. A thrill had gone through her at her first touch of the dress, but it had not been due to anything paranormal. It had been a normal teen girl’s thrill at getting something nice, and this was the nicest thing Mary had ever received.

She’d immediately tried on the dress and it fit perfectly. She hadn’t taken it off until it was time to go to bed. She couldn’t stop going by mirrors to look at herself. She’d made excuses to go back and forth from the kitchen to the living room so that she’d pass the large mirror that hung on the wall. She’d slow down and look at herself as she went by marveling at how the material moved and hung on her. Gran had laughed at her, but it was obvious that she was very pleased that Mary liked the dress so much. Not as pleased as Mary. But close.

Things soured a little when Mary chose her footwear. Gran had planned to take her out to find dress shoes, but Mary hated dress shoes. She had a pair of lace up, knee high boots she wanted to wear. Gran had been adamantly opposed to her fashion choice. It had ruined the joy of the dress a little. At the end, Mary had offered to let Gran do her makeup if she could wear the boots. Gran had quickly accepted this, and the matter was settled. Having makeup control was a big deal. Mary had been known to draw scrollwork on half her face with eyeliner. Mary thought it looked cool, but Gran never wanted to go out in public with her like that.

So instead of a swirls coming out from the corner of her eyes, Mary’s face was adorned conventionally with a light layer of smoky eye shadow, some pale lip gloss, a smidge of blush, and eyeliner that was only around her eyes. Mary, of course, didn’t tell Gran, but she’d had no intention of drawing all over her face. But letting Gran do her makeup meant she had on her boots, and she thought they rocked with the dress.

Kyle hadn’t seemed to mind the boots either. When he’d come by to pick her up, his mouth had hung open for a minute. She’d waited for him to say something. When he didn’t, she’d begun to worry.
“Having second thoughts?” she’d asked, beginning to fidget. Maybe Gran had been right and she should’ve gotten some heels. Or he’d finally come to his senses and realized he was about to be seen at one of the biggest social events of the school with the class freak.

Kyle shook his head. “What? No. You look great.”

“Don’t sound so shocked,” she said dryly.

He blinked. “Are you having second thoughts?” he asked uncertainly.

Mary blew out a breath. “No, I’m nervous. Are you sure about this?”

“Pictures! I need pictures!” Gran announced, coming into the room holding a disposable point and click. She took a moment to look over Kyle and gave him an approving nod. “You look very nice, Kyle.”

He smiled at Gran. “Thanks, Mrs. Dubont. Mary looks fantastic.”

Gran hmmed as she checked the camera. “Yes, I suppose even the boots are nice.”

Mary rolled her eyes.

Gran motioned for them to stand together. Mary moved over to him, and he put his hand on her back. “You do look great. I always thought you were pretty, but I’ve never seen you like this,” he murmured into her ear.

“Smile!” Gran said.

Mary put on a smile, but she really wanted to look at Kyle. His hand ran up and down her back. It made her shiver. Gran clicked the camera a few more times. “Okay, I guess that’s enough. Have fun tonight you two.”

“We will, Mrs. Dubont. Thanks,” Kyle said as he ushered Mary out.

When the door had closed behind them, Mary had known there was no going back. She was on her way to the Homecoming Dance. But first there was dinner. They went to Amici’s. The place had been packed with other Homecoming-goers. Everyone noticed Kyle and Mary, but no one messed with them. Mary knew it was probably because of Kyle. He was well-liked and formidable. She happily used him as a social shield. Thus dinner had been good.

And now they were at the dance.

“I see them,” Kyle said and led her through the crowd. She stayed close to him, holding onto his arm, using him as a physical shield now. As they crossed the gym, guys brushed past Kyle, giving him friendly greetings and slaps on the shoulder. Kyle returned all of them with ease. She gave nods and shy smiles to his friends and their dates, but they weren’t people Mary knew.

Kyle kept going with confidence and ease. Mary really admired that about him. She never wanted to be popular, but she had to admit that it seemed to make some people glow with happiness. Kyle practically had a golden halo by the time they crossed the gym.

Rachel and Taryn were sitting at a corner table. Rachel hadn’t gotten her wish exactly. Instead of being asked to Homecoming by someone she liked, she’d done the asking. Mary was so glad that Taryn had said yes. Rachel was dressed in a sexy lady suit while Taryn wore a beaded flapper dress. They looked awesome together.

Rachel hadn’t seen Mary’s dress before the dance. She blew a loud wolf whistle at the sight of her. Mary did a little twirl in response.

“Wow, Mary. Where’d you get that?”

Mary shrugged her shoulders. “Gran got it. She won’t say.”

“Well, I, obviously need to go shopping with her.”

“You both look great,” Mary told the two girls.

Rachel slung her arm around Taryn’s neck. “We know.”

“You look great, too, Kyle,” Taryn said.

Kyle gently grabbed Mary’s waist from behind and stepped in close. “Thanks, but I know I wouldn’t look half as good on my own.”

Mary could feel her cheeks heating up.

Rachel hopped up. “Well, now that we’re all here. Let’s dance!” She turned and offered her arm to Taryn who regally took it.
Kyle gave Mary’s waist a gently squeeze. “Well?” he asked. His breath tickled her ear. Goosebumps went up her arms.

A fast song was playing, and the dance floor was only half full with other couples. There were several groups of only girls dancing as their dates leaned against the walls watching. Mary liked to dance, though she only had with Rachel. She took Kyle’s hand and led him onto the dance floor. They started dancing with Taryn and Rachel beside them. Soon they were laughing and joking while they danced, and Mary’s cheeks hurt from all of the smiling. It was amazing.

After another upbeat song, a slow song started. Kyle raised an eyebrow as he moved in closer. “Okay?” he asked as he put him hands on her waist.

Mary stepped in close and put her arms around his neck. She put her head on his shoulder. They began to sway. She sighed as her heart rate slowed and she calmed down.

“Still want to set off the sprinklers?” Kyle asked quietly.

“Evening’s gotta end at some point,” she said.

He chuckled and rested his head against hers. Mary relaxed and let him lead. The dance floor had filled up as all of the couples crowded on. It was a sea of swaying teens. Mary’s eyes drifted over them. It wasn’t often she was part of the crowd. Too often, she was on the sidelines looking on at everyone else. Being among them was an unusual treat.

As she looked around, she recognized another swaying couple. Cy and Vicky were dancing a few yards away. Mary idly watched them, curiosity keeping her attention on them. She’d never seen them doing couple-y things. Sure, she’d seen them together, but not holding hands or hugging or anything. They looked comfortable together and seemed to fit. Mary could admit they looked good. As the pair made a slow turn, Vicky spotted her. The cheerleader raised a silent eyebrow. Mary gave her a slight nod of acknowledgment before turning her gaze away.

Her eyes immediately picked out another familiar person. Mr. Landa stood by the wall, watching the dance floor. Ms. Myers stood beside him. They were shoulder to shoulder actually. Mary’s eyes bounced back and forth between them. They seemed pretty comfortable together. She wondered if there was some gossip there. Again, she stared too long and Mr. Landa spotted her staring. She gave him a small wave and he raised his punch glass to her. She wondered what he thought of her attendance. Maybe he’d put a check mark in her file.

Kyle laughed at something he saw from his side of the dance floor.

“What?” she asked, lifting her head.

“Rachel,” he murmured.

He swung them around so Mary faced that direction, and she caught the tail-end of the deep dip Rachel had performed with Taryn.

“Don’t do that with me,” Mary said.

“But we can’t let them be the better dancers,” he countered.

“Yes, we can,” she shot back.

He took her hand and firmed up his grip on her waist.

“Don’t you dare, Kyle,” she said, freezing up.

“I promise I won’t drop you.”

“Well, I promise to twist my ankle if you try.”

He laughed, and luckily, the music faded out before he could attempt anything. Mary slipped out of his arms and gave him a distrustful look. He grinned at her unrepentantly. He reached out and pulled her back to his side. She let herself be pulled and bumped into him good-naturedly. Everyone turned towards the stage as Principal Hoke climbed the steps with a microphone.

“If I could have everyone’s attention,” she said.

The gymnasium went quiet. She held up an envelope. “It’s time to announce the Homecoming Court.”

Mary noticed several of Kyle’s buddies turned and gave him enthusiastic thumbs up. He groaned and covered his eyes.

“What’s that about?” she whispered.

Kyle sighed. “They thought it would be funny to nominate me.”

“What?”

Mary hadn’t known this. The seniors voted on who would be picked for Homecoming king and queen while the lower classmen chose a prince and princess for their respective classes. She hadn’t wondered who was nominated among the seniors since she didn’t know many. Vicky and Cy had been on the ballot for the junior class. Mary had voted for them, but only because they were the only familiar names on the ballot.

Principal Hoke opened the envelope. She announced the prince and princess for the freshmen. Mary had no idea who they were. They went up the stage and accepted crowns and sashes to polite applause. Next were the sophomores. Again, Mary didn’t know who they were.
“The junior prince and princess are Cyrus Asher and Vicky Nelson.”

There was general applause for the couple as they went up to the stage. Mary wasn’t surprised that they won. It seemed inevitable really. Cy escorted Vicky up, and they received their crowns and sashes with general grace and nonchalance. This was just another feather in Vicky’s overstuffed cap.

“Jesus, of course, he won,” Kyle said under his breath, sounding unhappy.

Mary slipped her hand into Kyle’s and gave it a squeeze. She knew the brothers had a bit of friction. Kyle felt Cy was handed things to him while he had to work to earn everything. She didn’t think that was entirely true, but she could sympathize.

“Now allow me to present your homecoming king and queen Kyle Asher and Hilary Easton!”

The room erupted in cheers. There were loud hoots and wolf whistles. Stomping feet and energetic clapping filled the air as well. The sudden enthusiasm made Mary jump. Kyle shook his head and gave Mary a kiss on the cheek before heading to the stage. As he went, guys swarmed him to congratulate him. He gave them all rueful thanks and oaths of revenge. Mary watched his back recede in disbelief. She was dating the homecoming king? That couldn’t be right.

Rachel and Taryn came up and stood on either side of Mary. “Whoa, did not expect this turn of events,” Rachel said.

“I don’t know. Kyle does seem to be really popular,” Taryn commented.

“I can’t believe this,” Mary said.

Kyle accepted his crown, sash, and scepter. He waved the scepter at the crowd to general uproar. Hilary, a girl Mary only recognized vaguely, smiled hugely and put her arm around Kyle’s as they took position at the center of the assembled court. Mary remembered that Hilary did the beauty pageant circuit. Her picture had been in the paper when she’d won something. She looked natural in crown and sash. The room lit up with flash bulbs.

Mary once again felt like she was on the sidelines looking in. Even if most of the room was with her on the sidelines, it still twisted her gut a little. What was she doing here? Who was she kidding?

To her right, she heard one of Kyle’s buddies say to another, “Aw man, it’s so great that Kyle won.”

“I know, man. He totally tried to campaign against it.”

“I know. He threatened to send his girlfriend after us if we went through with it.”

“Yeah, but no matter what, it was worth it.”

“Totally.”

Mary glanced over at the two jocks. Nominating Kyle and getting him crowned homecoming king seemed like an odd joke to pull on someone. The fact that Kyle hadn’t wanted it was also a little odd. Wasn’t this what popular kids wanted? Vicky certainly looked like she’d cut anyone who tried to take her crown away.

Kyle and Hilary looked good together. She was only an inch shorter than him in her heels. Her arm fit perfectly around his. Mary wondered if they shared any classes. If they talked. If they were friends. What was Mary doing with him?

“Tell Kyle I went to the restroom,” Mary said to Rachel. Her friend gave her a questioning look, but nodded her head.

She left the gym and went to the bathroom. She stood at a sink and checked her makeup. Nothing was smudged. Her hair was a little tangled from dancing. She took out her brush and began to smooth it out.

From her purse, her phone beeped, indicating a new text message. She pulled it out to take a look.

*You look really nice tonight.*

She smiled. It was Jake, the mysterious guy who’d helped save her from the Shadowman. He’d always known when she was in trouble and who to call to get her help. He may not have been physically there to help her, but he’d earned the MVP award during that whole ordeal and her eternal goodwill.

As soon as she’d gotten her prepaid phone working again, he’d started texting her. They never talked on the phone, but practically everyday, he sent her simple text messages like *Your hair looks nice,* or *Good luck on that test.* She hadn’t told anyone that he was texting her. She liked having a secret friend. She’d learned a few things about him, like he had a younger sister and that he hated math. Mary hadn’t needed to tell him much of anything about herself because he could just see it. His gift was called remote viewing. She hadn’t known what that was and had to look it up. It was a really odd but cool ability. The CIA and the KGB had actually studied it and tried to train operatives to use it. Mary didn’t understand how Jake’s ability worked. One website had described it as dowsing the universe. To Mary, dowsing meant using a Y-shaped stick to find stuff buried in the ground. She’d asked Jake about it, and he’d said he didn’t use anything. He just needed to think about what he wanted to see and an image would form in his mind. That was how he’d always known where she was and who to call when the Shadowman possessed her. When she’d asked him how he’d happened to think of her, he’d simply texted back that he’d wanted to know someone who was like him--Different. When he’d closed his eyes, there she was. For once her ability to talk to ghosts hadn’t alienated her to someone. It linked them. She liked that. And she liked Jake.

*Thanks. Did you see Kyle win Homecoming King?*

*Yeah, he seems really popular.*

Mary sighed at this. She had to face facts. Kyle was really popular, in spite of her. *I know. I can’t believe he’s dating me.*

*I can.*

That little statement made Mary’s heart flutter again. She smiled at her phone’s screen. Someone else came into the restroom. Mary looked up. It was Vicky, still in her crown and sash. Vicky’s eyes fell on Mary’s phone. She raised an eyebrow and gave Mary a knowing look.

“What?” Mary asked. She slipped the phone back into her purse.

Vicky went to a sink and looked at herself in the mirror. “Nothing. I just wondered who you could be texting since everyone you know is here tonight.”

“It’s none of your business.”

Vicky didn’t seem to agree. She checked her makeup and adjusted her crown. Mary waited, not sure why she didn’t leave. Once Vicky was satisfied with her appearance, she turned back to her. “So did you ever find out who that freak was that was calling all of us while you were possessed?”

Mary bristled at the casual insult directed at Jake. “He’s not a freak.”

“Uh-huh. Well, I’m going back to my date. Kyle’s waiting for you outside.”

Vicky gave herself one last look in the mirror and exited. Had Vicky come in just to harass her? Mary wondered dourly. She glanced at herself in the mirror, but couldn’t meet her own gaze. Her eyes dropped to her clutch purse and then darted away. She exited to find Kyle waiting right outside for her.

“Did you send in Vicky to look for me?” she asked dourly.

Kyle’s eyes widened a fraction. “Yeah, sorry? I wasn’t sure if you were in there and she was close by.”

“Well, don’t do that again. It just annoys both of us.”

Kyle dropped his head sheepishly. He still had on his sash and crown. She wondered what he’d done with the scepter.
“Homecoming king, congrats man!” A jock yelled into Kyle’s ear while giving him a friendly shake. Kyle shrugged the guy off with a friendly shove. His friend laughed and kept going. Once he was gone, Mary crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

“So I’m dating the homecoming king,” she said dryly.

Kyle’s good humor turned to embarrassment. “Yeah, I know it’s stupid.”

Seeing his discomfort and knowing that she’d caused it made Mary blanch. She pushed off the wall and stepped up to Kyle. She dropped her eyes and twisted from side-to-side shyly. It was only half an act. “Would the homecoming king like to dance with me?”

Kyle held out his hand. She raised her eyes to meet his. He smiled down at her. “I’d like nothing better.”

They went back to the dance floor. Kyle’s arms felt familiar now going around her. She rested her cheek against his shoulder and sighed.

“Having fun?” he asked.

Mary nodded against his shoulder. “Yeah, I’m really glad we came.”

“Me too,” he said as he slowly twirled them around.

They slow danced for several more songs. Mary only checked the clock when she needed to yawn. It was almost eleven. “It’s getting late,” she said.

Kyle hmmed but didn’t loosen his hold on her. Mary gently pushed him off with a smile. “Come on, take me home before I turn into a pumpkin.”

“I like pumpkins,” Kyle said, pulling her back. “One more dance,” he murmured.

Mary sighed and put her arms back around him. “Okay, homecoming king. One more dance.”

“It’s good to be the king,” he said. Mary had to chuckle at that.


* * * * *

Mary snuggled into Kyle’s jacket as they walked to her back porch. When they’d left, he’d slipped it onto her shoulders before she even realized how much it had cooled down. She’d have to give it back to him in a minute, but she wanted to eke out a few more moments of enjoyment from it. She had to admit there was something inherently romantic about the guy giving the girl his coat. Maybe it was the fact that it was still warm from his body. It was like getting a sartorial hug.

Mary went up the step and turned to face Kyle. She was a few inches taller than him for the moment. The reversal in height made her smile as she tilted her head down to kiss him. She’d been feeling pretty content and a little bit sleepy so was startled when Kyle grabbed her by the waist and jerked her against his body. His tongue pushed into her mouth with a force that startled her. Overwhelmed by his sudden passion, she just tried to stay upright and not fall back onto the porch. Kyle broke off the kiss as quickly as he started it. He rested his forehead against hers while they both panted.

“What was that for?” she asked.

“For being the greatest girlfriend in the world.”

“If you think I’m the greatest, you don’t get out much. I’m sure there’s a girl in Zimbabwe better than me.”

Kyle shook his head. His forehead rolled against hers. “Nope, not for me. No offense to the chick in Zimbabwe.”

Mary smiled shyly. She shifted her head to give him a peck on the cheek. “Have fun at the game tomorrow.”

“You sure you don’t want to go?”

She shook her head. “I’ll let the guys have you to themselves, after all, you are their king.”

Kyle huffed at the reminder. “I still can’t believe they did this to me.”

Mary finally got to ask why that bothered him. “But why aren’t you happy about it? I thought people liked this sort of thing.”
“Would you want to be homecoming queen?”

Mary shook her head. Not even taking a moment to consider the idea. “The only way that would happen is if I was immediately drenched in pig’s blood.”

“But if there was no pig’s blood, would you want it?”

Now Mary didn’t know. She looked away and felt a little afraid. She wanted to be normal. Popularity was a part of normality. She knew, though, that she’d never have it. She’d hear ghosts and never be a happy, shiny person.

“You’re my homecoming queen.”

Mary’s eyes went back to Kyle. He was smiling softly at her. She pulled his mouth back to hers for another kiss. This one under her initiation. It was slower and less frantic, but seemed more intense than the previous kiss. Mary’s body molded to Kyle’s as they both tightened their arms around each other. She only broke away finally when she started becoming light-headed. They both panted against each other’s cheeks. Kyle’s hands kneaded her back. Mary pulled back and slipped his jacket off her shoulders.

“Night, Kyle,” she said softly.

He wordlessly nodded back still panting. He turned and stumbled like he was drunk. He quickly caught himself and made his way back to his truck. Mary watched him pull away before going into the house.

Nanowrimo Winner!

***Wow, had not realized I hadn't updated this blog in ages. Apologies. I'll try to do better in the future.***

I participated in Nanowrimo this year, and I won! I've written a blog post about it over at my domain and shared the first several thousand words of the project. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the project. If you would prefer not to read my ramblings, just scroll down to where it says "My Demon" in large letters and start there.

http://www.sahunter.net/2014/11/winne...

Short Story Published!

I have a short story in the June issue of Swords and Sorcery Magazine. It's fantasy story called "By Any Other Name" that I wrote quite a long time ago. I'm very happy it has finally found a home. It's free to read. I hope you I like it. Find the story here.

Dragon Prey is Published!

Can it be? Is that a new book? OMG! It is!

Finally, after long delay, Dragon Prey is available! It was not a book I had planned to write, but I am very happy I did. It is the sequel to Unicorn Bait. I'm really hopeful that readers enjoy this novel. It is the longest book I've written. (And there's a sex scene! I've never written one of those.) So I'm pretty nervous, but excited to share this with everyone. I hope you like it!

It's available at:

Amazon

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble

Kobo and iTunes don't have it yet, and unfortunately, it may be several days before the book is available on those sites. But I couldn't stand the thought of keeping quiet until the book is available everywhere.

Here is the blurb:

In the inns of Terratu, bards tell the story of Lady Naomi, the unicorn mistress. It’s a grand story, in which she saves the unicorns and defeats the insane god Errilol. At the end, she lives happily ever after with her husband Lord Tavik. But unfortunately, the story’s about to change because there are two Lady Naomi’s and one of them is a fraud.

The fraud is the one who killed the god. The fraud is the one who helped the unicorns. The fraud is the one who got the happy ending, and the real Lady Naomi feels cheated and wants it for herself. With one little sip from a love potion, Tavik’s planning to marry the real Lady Naomi.

Naomi rushes to find an antidote before Tavik marries the other Naomi. She’s hampered, though, by the reward Tavik has placed on her dead head. (Divorce doesn’t exist in Terratu.) She almost has it when a dragon decides that she’s dinner. That’s when her real troubles begin.

Sacrifices will have to be made. The story can’t stay the same. The dragon is hungry.


And here is the first chapter:

CHAPTER ONE

Unicorns are fierce creatures and have been known to best dragons. — From Unicorn Bait


Naomi was happy to see that she’d started her period. Of course, it meant she was in for a day of cramps and crabbiness, but hey, it also meant she was most definitely not pregnant. And that could not be repeated enough. She was not pregnant. She was NOT pregnant. She hummed a little tune to herself as she carefully tucked the clean rags into her sanitary harness.

It wasn’t that Naomi didn’t want kids. She’d always figured that she’d have them one day when she was married with a place of her own. She hadn’t thought to stipulate on the nearby medical facilities. That was what was keeping her from going gung ho over the baby making. Naomi had known she was giving up a lot by leaving Earth to move permanently to Terratu. She’d done it to reunite with Tavik and to save him from the mad god Errilol. She did not regret it. She loved her husband, and he loved her. They were happy together. It was surprising how happy they were, except now everyone expected them to take the next step on their happy path, which was to have a baby, and Naomi’s feet were frozen. She didn’t want to move forward.

Having a baby was a life goal. She did want to become a mother. One day. And she was nervous about how her pregnancy would go. With no nearby hospitals ready to dispense lovely pain medicine, no ob-gyn to perform the sonogram, and no prenatal multivitamins, Naomi didn’t like the odds of her pregnancy going smoothly. She knew the mortality rate for childbirth in undeveloped countries was high, and considering she hadn’t been raised in an undeveloped country, she doubted she’d take very well to natural childbirth, but her worries about her own health felt somewhat disingenuous. If she were being truthful, even if a state-of-the-art hospital were next door, she’d still be overjoyed by the arrival of her period. Actually, she’d probably have a prescription for birth control from said hospital. She didn’t want to get pregnant yet. It was as simple as that.

“Something wrong?” Tavik asked from the other side of the privacy screen.

He was becoming quite good at judging exactly how long she needed behind the screen in the mornings. He was on period watch too, but he was hoping for it not to come. Everyone was on the other side of the watch from Naomi. Yula and Agatha had the timing down, and she could expect inquiries from them, and if she tried to play coy, Mr. Squibbles would just tell them whether she was bleeding. The talking mouse could smell when she was menstruating, which was a little fact Naomi could have happily lived without knowing. And even the mouse was invested in the watch. He’d informed Naomi that he wanted the baby to call him Uncle Squibbles. When she had a baby, the child would have a loving family, that was assured, but Naomi just wasn’t ready.

Naomi cinched the belt of her robe and stepped out from behind the screen. Tavik was already dressed and ready to leave to patrol the road to Ravant. There’d been reports of a bandit encampment. He and a group of men were going to rout them out. Their goal was to capture, not kill. This concession was for Naomi’s benefit. If the trip was successful, they would bring the bandits back for a trial. If they were found guilty, they would be sent to the fields to work. Tavik expected to be gone for five days. Naomi was worried that he would get hurt, but so far, he’d always come back triumphant from similar tasks.

She put a cheerful lilt to her voice when she answered, which was not that difficult considering her quiet relief at her period, “Nothing’s wrong.” She smiled and went to give him a kiss on the cheek.

Tavik saw through her immediately. His shoulders slumped, and he took her into his arms. “We’ve only been trying for four months,” he said as he rubbed her back. “Yula said it was nearly a year before she conceived her first son.”

Naomi nodded and tried not to feel guilty about her secret happiness at not being pregnant. “I know. I’m sure we’ll be blessed soon enough.” But not too soon, she silently added. Was she a bad wife? She knew all good marriages were based on trust, and honesty was the cornerstone of trust, but Tavik’s eagerness for a child was so sweet. She’d seen him play with the stable boys in the early evening. Roughhousing and laughing with them, he was primed to be an excellent father. The thought of dashing that joy and eager anticipation from his face made her want to cry. She squeezed him tight. She’d spare him that. She’d get pregnant eventually. He never had to know how she relished the protracted time it took.

With a kiss to her forehead, Tavik let her go. “Are you off to Agatha’s today?”

Naomi nodded while trying to keep her swirling feelings off her face. “Yep, as usual.”

There was a tap at the door, and Tavik opened it for Yula, who’d brought them their breakfast. Being the head housekeeper now, Yula could have delegated this task to a maid, but she insisted on personally bringing their breakfast up every morning. Naomi worried that Yula took on too much for herself, but the housekeeper always waved off Naomi’s concerns, saying she had everything well in hand. As the castle ran smoothly without any input from Naomi, Naomi did not argue with her. The responsibility and trust instilled on her seemed to make Yula happy, and Naomi wouldn’t dream of impinging on that.

“Good morning, Yula. How goes the day?” Tavik said as he dug into his meal.

Yula was already busy setting out Naomi’s clothing. “We’ve aired out the north tower and taken the hall rugs out for a good beating. We should have all the linens washed by noontime.”

Naomi shook her head. “Listening to you makes me feel like I’ve already wasted half the day.”

“You have more important things to concern yourself with, milady,” Yula said with a heavy glance at Naomi’s tummy.

Tavik coughed and shook his head discreetly. Yula’s cheerful smile wilted a touch at this silent communiqué. Naomi wished she could hide her stomach. She pecked at her food and dreaded the third reiteration of this conversation with Agatha. The witch had been pushing fertility aids for the last month. Naomi had been rejecting them, but she thought she saw Tavik drink something suspicious last week. She feared Agatha would begin secretly slipping her stuff. She no longer drank anything the witch brewed for her.

Once Tavik had departed, Naomi got up from the table and went over to the clothes Yula had set out. She began getting dressed without another word. She was trying not to get frustrated with everyone’s eagerness for her to get knocked up, but it was becoming difficult not to get snippy. Why did she need to have a baby right now, anyway? She and Tavik had been getting along really well. Couldn’t they enjoy themselves for a little bit? Naomi scowled at herself, frustrated with the underlying guilt these thoughts invoked. Having a child was a serious thing. She should be allowed to want to wait. It wasn’t her duty. She was more than just a baby-making machine, and while no one had suggested that, years of latent misogyny on her own world had led her to feel that was what everyone silently thought.

Naomi went down to the stables to get Stomper. Geoff gave her a strange look. Was he on baby watch, too? The whole castle probably was. She wondered if there was a betting pool. The stable master, though, didn’t say anything beyond a few casual pleasantries. He saddled and bridled Stomper for her and helped her on. She pointed the horse toward the woods and let the steed find the way. He’d taken her to Agatha’s cottage five times a week since she returned to stay and had worn the path that they now followed.

She’d begun going to Agatha’s regularly after she came back. Naomi was unofficially the witch’s apprentice. At least that was how she thought of herself. Agatha claimed not to want to train her in anything, but Naomi’s wily strategy was just to hang around enough that she’d learn by watching. And Mr. Squibbles could usually tell her a few things, especially if she offered some wine and cheese.

She arrived at the cottage and tethered Stomper to a tree with plenty of grass around it to munch on. She approached the open door and was about to call out a greeting when a large cauldron came flying out at her. Naomi dropped to the ground to avoid being clobbered, but as the cauldron flew over her, she got streaked by some sort of strange yellow pudding that smelled like bananas and old socks.

Naomi straightened with disgust, shivering as she felt the goop run down her back. “Agatha! What have you just contaminated me with?”

“You better wash that off quickly if you don’t want to grow feathers,” Mr. Squibbles said.

“Please tell me you’re joking,” Naomi said as she began furiously wiping the yellow goop off.

“That side effect only occurs with red-haired boys named George,” Agatha said as she came out wearing a heavy leather apron and gloves. It was her usual attire when potion making.

“So what are the side effects for brunette women named Naomi?”

“It depends. Are you pregnant?”

Naomi growled and marched off toward the nearby stream. Had that whole incident been a setup for the pregnancy question? She shook her hands out to try and remove some of the goop. She took off her kerchief and began wiping off the mess. She hoped it didn’t stain. The laundress always took special care of her clothes and apologized profusely when she couldn’t get a dress back to pristine condition. She hated giving the woman impossible tasks.

Is all well, Mistress? Naomi looked up from her scrubbing at the unicorn that now stood on the other side of the stream. He dipped his horn and touched the water. It shimmered, and all traces of the yellow goop were gone. She at least didn’t have to worry about poisoning any villages downstream.

“I’m not pregnant,” she told Snowflake. That wasn’t the unicorn’s actual name. Unicorns didn’t have names. It had something to do with mind-to-mind communication making names obsolete and all unicorns being the same and different, thus making names redundant. It had made sense when Snowflake had thought it directly into her head, but when she’d tried to express the concept aloud, she’d found herself tongue-tied and confused. She’d named the unicorn to help her feeble mind cope, and unfortunately Snowflake had been all she could come up with. She’d considered other names, but Alabaster had been too much of a mouthful, and Ivory had just seemed wrong. And she couldn’t think of a name that didn’t involve some reference to his white coat. She’d wracked her brain for something better, but Snowflake eventually stuck, and the unicorn hadn’t offered any suggestions. He didn’t seem to care.

You do not wish to be pregnant. Why is your tone sour?

“Because everyone else wants me to be preggers, and they’re disappointed that I’m not yet, and I feel like I need to keep apologizing to everyone, and you’re right. I am happy not to be pregnant. I’m scared that if I get pregnant, the baby won’t be healthy, and I might die, and why can’t I do stuff before getting saddled with a baby anyway?”

Snowflake just stared at her. No thoughts beamed into her head. She went back to scrubbing the yellow goop off. Snowflake was sort of her unicorn. Or maybe she was Snowflake’s human. That was probably more accurate. Anyway, Snowflake checked in on her regularly. He didn’t seem to want to help her so much as make sure she wasn’t doing anything to end the world or something.

She sometimes wondered if he’d done something to piss off the other unicorns, and they stuck him with her as punishment.

“She didn’t mean to goop you.”

Naomi looked over her shoulder and had to peer a few minutes before picking out the mouse from the underbrush. She bent down and offered Mr. Squibbles her palm to climb up on. He swiftly raced up her arm to her shoulder. It made goose bumps form on her flesh. She looked back across the stream, but Snowflake was already gone. He usually only showed himself to her and exited stage right when anyone else showed up.

Naomi sighed and went back to cleaning her dress. “What was she trying to do?”

“She was trying out this potion that a wizard had written to her about, but she should know better than to trust anything he sends her. He always leaves something out or jinxes it somehow.”

“If he always sends her bad info, why does she attempt the spells?”

“She thinks she can figure out the mistakes. She does occasionally, and she’s even improved them to do better than he claimed, but this time, I think he just sent random ingredients.”

“So I’m not going to grow feathers?”

“No, but she does want you to lay an egg.”

Naomi groaned. “You know a watched woman never preggers.”

She gave up on the dress. Most of the goop was gone, and her skin wasn’t burning. She turned and headed back to the cottage. She wondered if Agatha would let her do anything that day. Getting nearly brained by a cauldron had to get her something.

“What was that potion supposed to do?” Naomi asked. When Mr. Squibbles didn’t answer, she jostled her shoulder. “What was it supposed to do?” she repeated.

The mouse sighed. “You know that question Agatha asked you?”

Naomi could feel her stomach dropping. “Yes,” she said, her jaw tightening.

“That was what the spell was supposed to do.”

“She launched a baby-making potion at me?”

“Well, no, like I said, she didn’t mean to hit you with the stuff, but it was supposed to be for you. It didn’t come out right, and in frustration, she hurled it.”

“And what was it supposed to do? Make me insta-pregnant?” Naomi asked.

“Well…”

“Oh my God. What type of baby was the potion supposed to give me?”

Mr. Squibbles’ whiskers twitched. “A curly-haired blond girl was what the wizard promised.”

“Wait, she asked him for this potion?” Her voice rose an octave as she asked the question.

“No, she asked for a brunette boy.”

Naomi rocked back on her heels. She needed to have that talk with Agatha right now, though if the witch had resorted to baby-making potions, maybe it would be no use. When they arrived back at the cottage, Naomi approached the door warily, watching for any more large flying household items. She peeked into the cottage and found Agatha at the worktable grinding something with her large pestle. “Is it safe to come in?” Naomi asked.

Agatha glanced at her and nodded her head. “Yes, it’s fine. Bring me over a slip of yarrow.”

Naomi reached up and carefully snapped off a stem of yarrow from the bunch hanging from the wall. She brought it over to the witch. “Whatcha making?” she asked.

Agatha added the yarrow to the mortar and started grinding again. “Tea. You could probably use something for the cramps.”

Naomi looked away but nodded. “Yeah,” she said quietly.

“Sorry about the cauldron,” the witch said.

“Mr. Squibbles told me what you were trying to make.”

“I was going to offer it to you, not douse you with it when you weren’t looking.”

Naomi stared at the tabletop and built up her resolve. She had to tell Agatha what she wanted. Everyone assumed she wanted a baby immediately, and that just wasn’t the case. “I’m fine waiting a while.”

“What?”

“I just think that having a baby right now may be too much. Tavik and I just settled down. We’re still getting used to each other. I’m still getting used to Terratu. A baby would be too much on top of that.”

“You say that now, but once you have it, you’ll love it, and you’ll have plenty of help.”

Naomi sighed. “I know that’s true, and I do want a baby but down the road.”

Agatha harrumphed to herself. Naomi didn’t know if she’d accepted what Naomi had said or was now plotting ways to douse her with baby-making potions when she wasn’t looking.

“Is there anything you need me to do?”

The witch nodded. “You can go out and gather some plants for me. Take Mr. Squibbles. He can help you identify them. I’ve left a list in the basket.”

Naomi took the large basket off its hook and unfolded the small piece of paper inside. “All right, I’ll go get these. Don’t take what I said the wrong way. I do want a baby, but I want to wait a little while.”

Agatha nodded without looking up. Naomi let herself out of the cottage. She felt better for saying her piece but wished Agatha had acknowledged her more.

She walked through the woods, keeping an eye out for the plants on her list. This was a common chore for her at Agatha’s, and she was beginning to recognize some of the plants.

“How upset do you think she is?” Naomi asked the mouse.

“Don’t worry about it. She’ll be fine.”

She tried to take his words to heart but still felt uneasy. “Why doesn’t she want to train me in witchcraft anyway?”

“She is training you.”

“Not willingly. She seems so proud to be a witch. Why wouldn’t she like an apprentice? Does she think I won’t make a good witch?”

“There’s no such thing as a good witch.”

“What? Come on, Agatha’s a good witch.”

“She would like to be called a good woman by her friends, but there’s no way to be a good witch. A witch can’t worry about morality. Magic is not good or bad, and a magic user can’t pigeonhole it either. Every spell can be used for good or evil. And even if the witch’s intentions are good, the spell can still do evil. If a witch worries about the moral outcome, she might as well not call herself a witch. The only way to be a good moral witch is not to do witchcraft at all.”

Naomi sighed and tried to wrap her brain around what Mr. Squibbles had said. She could understand what he meant, but she still didn’t think Agatha was bad. “So why perform witchcraft at all if you’re not concerned with doing good?”

“Curiosity, a thirst for knowledge, a glee in doing something no one has done before.”

“So, because it’s fun?”

“Isn’t that why any of us do anything?”

That seemed as good a reason as any other. Naomi spotted a plant from her list and began snipping off leaves. “Is she working on anything other than baby-making potions?”

“She was trying to figure out how to make four-legged chickens.”

“She likes drumsticks that much?”

“Doesn’t everybody?”

“Mr. Squibbles, you don’t eat chicken, do you?”

“When it’s nicely cooked, I will happily partake.”

Naomi shook her head. “That’s not right.”

“Why not? You eat chicken.”

“Yes, but I could conceivably kill a chicken if I needed to. A chicken could kill you.”

“Yeah, so? When it’s cooked, I’ll eat it. I’ll always win in that fight. You missed the silversaw,” the mouse said. She stopped and scanned the area. She saw the plant and crouched down to snip it.

“Oh, this is too easy,” said someone from behind Naomi.

Naomi didn’t know who had spoken. She didn’t know anything at all as stars erupted behind her eyes and everything went dark. She collapsed to the ground, squashing the silversaw.

I Need Beta Readers!

Hi Everyone,

I need 3-5 beta readers for Dragon Prey, the sequel to Unicorn Bait. If interested, please send me an email sahunter(at)sahunter.net

What I'm looking for: general comments on plot. I need to know if there are plot holes or if stuff just doesn't make sense. I'd appreciate a quick turnaround time. So if you volunteer, I would expect your comments in hopefully a week.

If you volunteer, you agree to not share the manuscript with anyone else. (Sorry, but I have to add that.) Thanks in advance.

--S.A. Hunter