Something Wicked

Mystics & Mayhem #2

by A.J. Myers

Welcome back to the World of Weird! I’m Ember Blaylock, and I’ll be your guide through this treacherous—sometimes downright deadly—world I call my own. Because if you thought our last trek through my reality was a rollercoaster ride, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

I thought I was going to get my life back. I swore off all things witchy. I lied to everyone I cared about. I was even dealing with the nightmares that plagued me every night—souvenirs of my first foray through this not-so-wonderful world of mine. Seriously, if the World of Weird doesn’t leave you with your fair share of issues, nothing will. I really thought I could go back to being a normal senior in high school.

I was so wrong.

Between my doubts about giving my heart to my vampire boyfriend, uncovering a whole new set of secrets and lies, and seeing my old friend Jack every time I turned around, there was nothing ‘normal’ about my life.
And if that wasn’t enough to keep a girl on her toes, Moonlight, Missouri just got its very own serial killer. A real psycho who seems to think it’s fun to turn his victims into Ember clones—and this creeper isn’t working alone. He’s got help. The witchy kind. Sucks to be me, huh?

And you thought just surviving high school was tough…

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Witches, Paranormal, Vampires

Kindle Edition

First published December 13, 2012

About the author

Place of Birth: Houston, MS, in 1976
Hair: Brown (unless I’m having a ‘Blonde Moment’)
Eyes: Green
Height: Short (and that’s all you get to know)
Weight: Fluffy (cough)



About Me:

I’m a prolific Paranormal Romance author who started writing for my daughter in 2008 when she ran out of vampire series to read. I'd never written a book before that, but by the time I finished that book for her I had the fever. I've been doing what the nagging voices in my head tell me to do ever since. I work full time, run a family, and still manage to put out two novels a year. To hear my husband tell it, I type in my sleep!



Likes:

Books. I've read everything I could lay my hands on since I was six.
The color orange--seriously, I love it.
Pajamas--I always said my dream job is one where I could to go to work without getting dressed :)
Music--all music (except bluegrass which gets on my last nerve). I'll listen to everything from country to rap to alternative to classical to heavy metal to the blues. My writing playlist is so mixed up it's crazy! I just love music. Acoustic guitar is my favoritest (no, I don’t care that's not really a word) favorite, though.
Scary Movies--not the blood and guts variety, but the truly creepy ones that have you looking under the bed before you get in--even when you're thirty.
Caffeine!! Favored fixes: Coffee, Caramel Iced coffee, Diet Coke



Dislikes:

People who talk on their phones while driving and in checkout lines.
Reality television. (Gags)
People with small minds and big mouths. (For some reason, they tend to come together).
Laziness--my biggest pet peeve EVER.


People Who Make Me Tick:

My amazing husband, Ronnie, whom I couldn't function without and who willingly shares me with the 500 people screaming in my head at all hours of the day and night. He also doesn't seem to mind that I can't cook to save my own life. That helps. :D
My even more amazing kids, Trey, Ben, Sierra and Taylor who keep me young, make me laugh, make me cry, and drive me absolutely crazy. I love you guys!
My sister, Audrey, who loves me enough to hide my laptop from me when I visit.
My ‘twinkie’ and the other half of my twisted mind, Terrica, who always comes through in a pinch when I'm running on empty--and who has read every incarnation of Something Witchy since the very first draft.
And my friend, mentor, and editor, Sara, who helped me turn a great book into an incredible adventure. My hero! :)






What I'm ‘Famous’ For:

Like Ember, I'll take on a challenge just to prove I can do it. I've been that way my whole life.
I'm an amazing friend--I'm everybody's Kim, from Something Witchy. If you need me, I'm there. If you cry, I cry. If you laugh, I laugh. If you kill someone, I help hide the body. (Due to concerned comments made on this particular point, a bit of explanation is appropriate here. In no way is the author condoning the wrongful death of those who deserve it, nor has she ever hidden a body. Come ON people, just a figure of speech!)
Being queen of the "Blonde Moment"--despite the fact I’m not blonde (really!!) and the fact that I have a really high IQ (which personally I don't think is any indication of intelligence, to be honest), I can do some of the dumbest things. My husband's favorite story to torment me with is the time I decided to paint the bedroom and didn't look at the paint can first. I kept painting and painting and the damn wall wasn't changing colors. Because it wasn't paint. It was latex. We were peeling that crap off the wall in strips for months.
Being able to listen without judging. I've never met a teenager that didn't feel they could tell me anything.
My wicked sense of humor--and my unnatural mastery of being blatantly sarcastic without being mean. I've been married to the master of being a smartass for the last eleven ye

Reviews

[Patches Braz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something Wicked---Book 2

Ember is a Teenage Witch and doesn't want to be. She has a Hot Un-dead Boyfriend. A gram's that IS a cross between Glenda the Good Witch and The Wicked Witch of the West. She has a Stalker ex-boyfriend who is now a Demon Host and wants to kill Ember.Oh and someone betrayed them and brought him back from the last vanquish. She see and talks to the dead and has a peeping tom ghost that loves watching her in showers!! Oh and Some guy that wants to help her yet she has no clue what he is and her boyfriend Nathan can't stand him!!! Add in 2 best friends that are tired of being lied to. Teachers who are more then the seem. Welcome to Embers World Where she has more issues then a mental patient!!!!


This is a very fast pace book. I had to make myself go to bed, I don't need sleep!! Well not when reading this book! Ember is having to come to grips with who and what she is and with all her goonies and there creative differences!! I laughed so hard at times my sides hurt! I felt what Ember felt and Nathan and Kim and Grams. To me that is one heck of a writer that can pull you in and you feel what the characters felt. AJ Myers is well on her way of becoming the top writer in YA yet so Adult that you forget this is YA. This series would make an AWESOME MOVIE surpassing that other YA Movie! LOLOLOL

I know I could write more, I will think of more that I should have said later but heck If you want to know all the quirky sayings the Bit@@ Fest that Ember goes through well JUST READ THE BOOK!!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Cliffhanger.



The story picks up right after the first one. All Ember wants is to finish High School and be as normal as possible... kinda hard when you're a bloodwitch and your soulmate is a vampire. A serial killer has murdered three girls whom look eerily similar to Ember. Things start to unravel and Ember finds out what she must do in order save all those around her and what she must give up.



The writing is fantastic! I loved Ember's sense of humor and stubborness and her absolute loyalty. Nate was just as wonderful and moody as last time. We learn about Ember's past lives and a little more about Nate.

And how it ended... I have NO idea what happened. Well, I do but UGH!! Cannot wait to see what happens next. Loved it!!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really mixed with what I rate this. Part of me enjoyed it and thought it was pretty good and then the other part is thinking but it wasn't as good as the last book. And I can't put my finger on why.

What does bug me is her rose tinted view of her first time, why this is in there I have no idea. However first times are never that good. If yours were you are a major minority because mostly everyone I hear speak about it, its either so bad they don't want to go there or it was just awkward and plain ok. I fall into the AWKWARD folder! (TMI?!) I just think OK so pretending its amazing makes girls (or guys) that haven't had sex assume its going to be like that and that is unrealistic, its also good in some ways because if it had been bad you're frightening all the people that haven't had sex and that can also be pretty damaging. So I would have prefered a reaction of nothing. I'd have prefered they didn't have sex for the first time or it didn't feel like such a big damn deal.

I don't appreciate the Vamp BF, hes controlling and possessive and that isn't something I'd want my teenage daughter (I'm thinking future) to read and want? And find attractive. Its not OK to be like that, you need to get some help (I don't mean that nasty I swear) but feeling possessive and acting it are two different things and he acts it too much for me.

I like that Ember doesn't let him pull his crap and I supose that counters the message hes being possessive and controlling because she doesn't actually allow him to do that, she kicks off and stands up for herself quite a bit (WOO) but does she have to be such an air head? Like for real, you're due to die because of a prophecy and yet you're thinking about sex? I'd be running around like a headless chicken but you do you...

Will I read the next book, well with the ending I'm intrigued to say the least. However I'm unsure of what to do. I'll TBR it and decide later.

[Julie Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something Wicked

It was all over. The demon Jack was sent to a far away place and Ember was safe. So they all thought. When Ember passes Jack's locker and feels bad for her lost friend, she sees him standing outside leaning against a tree. NO, It can not be him, he is gone! When Nate, Embers vampire boyfriend, finds Embers necklace and a note stabbed to a tree, Nate knows Jack is back. When a murderer starts killing girls and dying their hair red (like Ember), they know they have bigger problems and the cause is from a stalking demon. Jack is obsessed with Ember, but Why? Nate loves Ember but is there more to the story? Ember gets to learn about Nate's past and if they are really truly meant for one another and she also finds out why Jack is after her. Her best friends have new secrets too! She will need more than her ghosts, to help protect her from the demon who took over Jack.

This one is a roller coaster ride. You feel the connection between Nate and Ember. There is a trust issue Ember has to battle. Jack is determined to get Ember, but is it because he loves her too or just to get back at Nate? I enjoyed this one even more than book 1. So many questions answered and so many new ones to answer. This one is good for all ages, young and old alike. The characters are great and well written. Had a hard time putting this one down. Can't wait till the next one!

juliesbookreview.blogspot.com

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished the second book in the Mystics and Mayhem serious and I loved every bit. Many characters and personalities, that all have great depth. Very creative story and writing. I am addicted and I want more. Can't wait for the next book to come out.

[Tawnya Raab · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has a fast paced style that made it impossible to stop turning pages. Also I usually find a second book a bit dull and boring when there is a third one on the way but this one had more surprises that I never expected. I can't wait to see what Ember is up to next. :)

[Stacey Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! I can't wait for the third book! Another great story that can't be put down - obviously...finished it less than 24 hours!!

more more more....lol

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I accidentally picked up Something Wicked before I read the first book, Something Witchy. I got about 6% into the book before I realized they were referencing characters that I knew nothing about, and things that were confusing. It was only then that I realized I had book 2 instead of book 1 in my hands. This is definitely a series that needs to be read in order. I liked that book 2 didn't completely rehash the events in the first book, but it can be kind of confusing if you didn't read the two books back to back, or close in time to each other. Something Wicked picks up a little after the huge fight scene at the end of Something Witchy. Something Wicked is a great book for getting answers. Most of my unanswered questions from the first book were addressed in this book, and there is some good action as well. I enjoyed Something Wicked, and the ending made me very curious about the next book in the series.

Ember really comes into her own in this book. We find out more about her powers and we get to see her in action once again, as she tried to vanquish a big bad demon. What I liked about the demon storyline, was that it wove into Nathan's backstory. We got to learn more about his past and about how he is connected to Ember. Nathan and Ember are as adorable as ever. I do kind of wish that they got a chance to just enjoy being with each other, instead of having to fight evil the whole time, but maybe next book they can have a chance to have some fun.

I loved that we got to see more of Kim and Blake in Something Wicked. I was so excited that they got to be a part of Ember's new life. Kim is great and I hope we see a lot more of her in the next book.

Something Wicked is a good second book. It bridges the gap from the plot of the first book and really opens this up to being an interesting series. There were a few slow parts of the story, but overall I really enjoyed learning more about Nathan's past and I loved the kick butt action fight scenes. And the ending. Oh my, it certainly caught my attention! I have no idea what it means, but I need to find out.

[Juana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ember thought she had vanished Jack into a lost plane and was finally going to live a peaceful life with her Vampire boyfriend Nathan but she soon discovers that it is not over, someone helped Jack come back. His obsession for Ember as strong as always. He is killing innocent girls that look just like her and dying their hair red like hers. Ember has to vanish the demon that's inside Jack for good before he hurts anyone else but ember doesn't want to kill her friend Jack in the process. In order for Ember to do that she needs to know who this demon is, why he is so obsessed with her, and how to destroy him with ought hurting her friend Jack. But before she does all that she needs to accept who she is and learn how her powers work. She will discover what Nathan had been hiding from her about their past and the guilt he has for something he believes was his fault. Ember will need to make a few hard decisions that may result in losing Nathan but she is willing to take the risks if it means Nathan will be out of harms way.

While there is a whole lot of action, there is also lots of romance(my favorite). A.J. Myers made an amazing story line, by giving the characters their ups and downs in their relationship made it even more realistic. Nathan and Ember love each other but they do disagree when it comes to making decisions that will put Ember in danger and Nathan does not agree with it. I don't blame him for not agreeing with her, the poor guy had suffered so much and losing the love of his life over and over and over again wasn't something he'd like to go through again. I really didn't want to finish reading Something Wicked because I know I have to wait for the next book to come out and the waiting is a torture specially with that amazing cliffhanger.

If you haven't read this series you really need to check them out, you will love them.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It can't be over... Something Wicked is book #2 in the Mystics & Mayhem series by AJ Myers. Be sure to read Something Witchy first.

I couldn't believe this book - it was just as good as the first. We got to know more about the characters, although Tyler is still a mystery, but I have my suspicions. Love how gentle Nate the vampire is even though is isn't always. Then there was the small side story of Charles and Mary Beth - it brought tears to my eyes - even though they were just a small tiny sub plot. Then there is the whole Nate and Ember fighting and making up, who can resist that.

I read the first book quickly over a weekend, this one I could only read a few hours at night and on lunch breaks, I knew I was almost finished with it by looking at the percent on my kindle, but after a while I lost track and when the page wouldn't turn anymore, I thought there was something wrong with my device until it said 100% -- I couldn't believe I was at the end. It is a cliff hanger for sure. I'm hoping there is a book three so I can find out what happens to someone who is tainted.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

So there are some really obvious hints in this book, which I picked up on immediately, and then there are some less obvious ones which I couldn't figure out. I like always guessing at what's going to happen and sometimes getting it right - sometimes not. When you see the obvious hints, you're like - come on, I know where you're going with this. And it's almost like Myers does that to trick you out of guessing the harder hints.

That being said, I love these books. I love Nathan and Ember's relationship. I loved hearing about her past lives. I think it's very obvious that Tyler is an angel, and I was really surprised it didn't come out by the end of this book. I liked their tongue in cheek 'help from above' nod to Tyler when he was upstairs from them, but they were obviously talking about heaven.

Lots of witches popped up in this book. It became a game of 'guess who else is a witch!' which can ruin a lot for me. Also, it seems a little unfair that Kim constantly gets mad at Ember for not being truthful when she hid the entire time that SHE WAS A WITCH. I want to reread book 1 now that I've read book 2 and see if there are hints about all that we learned in book 2.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So amazingly good! Even though all Ember and Nathan do is fight, I still love it! They are both stubborn and it kind of just makes it funny how angry he actually gets and she's just like yeah yeah why ever I do what I want! I love Kim and Blame too they are awesome! I really want to know why Tyler actually is since he is obviously something. The end if this was such a huge cliffhanger that I can't wait for the next one! Like she is obvi dying but death won't take her...why won't death take her? Not that I want her to die but still! What e heck does is mean!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great. Not as fun or lovey as the last book, but there was a lot of stuff that had to happen. There's a lot of loose ends associated with this one, but I understand the need to set up some more books in the series. We still don't know who was behind the ending of Book 1, so I hope they follow up on that... I was sad that there was always so much tension between Ember and just about everyone. I wish she would just catch a break at some point. It's exhausting.

[Amber Sage- smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars..
This book picks up right where the other left off and it's way better. The lead female Ember is far stronger in this book and thank goodness to because the whining is what killed the previous book for me. There is one hell of a cliffhanger in this book and I will be reading the next book just to see how it ends.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book to Something Witchy. Just as good as the first book. It continues witht the characters of the first book and adds more. Very good read, fast and exciting. Could not put it down and can not wait until Something Wanton is released.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is a great book to read

[Sherri Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A HOME RUN!

I am soooooooooo glad I kept on reading! The first book was ok, but this one rocked! I can't wait to get the next one started! Gotta go read!

[Adel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story

[Jen Bolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy cliffhanger!!!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!!!! But that ending was just plain cruel! I want, no NEED, to know what happens next!!!!