It's always exciting to release a new book especially in a series that means a lot to me. I'd always wanted to try writing cozy mysteries, but other projects always took priority until one day, I was like: Enough! Just have a go. So I did. Fast forward eighteen months and I'm thrilled to release the third book in the Little Shop of Spells series.
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A fun night out ends in murder.
When small-town witch Maddie Goodcharm attends the opening of a new
nightclub, she doesn’t expect to find the body of a famous singer. Maddie
suspects foul play, but the authorities are convinced the death is accidental.
Case closed.
Maddie decides to follow her instincts and dig deeper, but life doesn’t
stop simply because she has a murder to solve. She also has to run her shop,
mix potions, and rehabilitate Jason, who is suffering the aftereffects of a
spell gone wrong.
Keeping all those balls in the air won’t be easy. Especially when her
investigation uncovers old secrets and lies that put her life in danger. Can
she catch the killer before the killer catches her?
Read on for a sneak peek:
Potions, Popstars & Murder
Chapter One
On the day before the murder, I was creating a
new spell. Like most witches’ workrooms,
mine was detached from the house, a necessity when you considered that many
spells stink worse than rotten eggs. The smallish space was lined with shelves
containing bottles and jars filled with liquids, powders, dried herbs and
flowers. In the center stood a large wooden table, which was scratched and
scarred from many years of use by my great-aunt Maeve. Every time I mixed my
powders and potions, I remembered the woman who had gone before me. Sometimes I
even believed she was looking over my shoulder, guiding my hands.
The spell I was working on had been commissioned by
Olley Q—real name John Brown—a former musician and now a businessman, who
wanted an “exciting atmosphere” for the opening of his new nightclub. "Exciting Club" spells
weren’t in my usual repertoire, however, I hoped to remedy that by changing a
few ingredients in my Happy Household spell. With luck I’d create some new
magic that would make Olley’s opening pop.
I had just mixed all the ingredients when
someone knocked on my workroom door.
“Come
in,” I called.
The door opened to reveal my
houseguest, Jason Arandon. He was in his thirties, a few inches taller than me,
with kind eyes and a strong jaw. If we had met under other circumstances we
might’ve dated, but there wasn’t much hope of that now.
Jason remained at the door as though
wary of entering a place where spells and potions were made. It was
understandable since he was recovering from a spell that had gone disastrously
wrong.
“I just came to tell you dinner’s
ready,” he said.
I’d told him he didn’t have to cook,
but he insisted that making dinner was his way of repaying me for my
hospitality, which was totally unnecessary. I mean, if it hadn’t been for my
spell, he’d have left Silver Moon Falls ages ago.
After covering my Exciting Club
spell with a linen cloth, I locked up the workroom and followed him into my
house.
The two-story dwelling, which had been left to me by
Great-Aunt Maeve, was plenty big enough for two. Upstairs were three bedrooms
and a bathroom. Downstairs I had the use of a living room, eat-in kitchen and a
small bathroom. The back of the house, which was once the oversize family room,
den and dining room, had been converted into the apartment where my friend and
employee, Autumn, lived.
Jason
had prepared a simple but delicious meal of spaghetti with meatballs and salad.
As I spooned food onto my plate, I asked, “What did you do today?”
“Slept
mostly.” It was a side effect of the spell. More than once he’d asked if I had
a potion that would make him less tired. The short answer was no. I had done
all I could to help his recovery along this far; the rest would happen in its
own time. “I wish I could do more to help out around here.”
“Not
necessary. Your only job is to readjust to life away from Old Gnarly,” I said,
naming an ancient tree in the nearby woods. It had been the scene of the
accident that had changed Jason’s life forever. I’d been practicing lightning
spells hoping to take out first prize in an upcoming competition. Jason had been
hiking in the woods. We never should’ve met, but fate had other ideas.
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