As I was hanging at my favorite coffee shop, sipping a (very tasty) peach mint kombucha, and writing, I realized I hadn’t yet announced my latest venture. Shame on me! So – here it is, fabulous cover and all, a cozy mystery Halloween anthology!
I’m drafting a Star & Ben short story, as yet untitled, for the anthology. I had a title, but then the story got away from me (oopsie) and I had to scratch it. The antho is due out in September, and it has a ton of cool cozy folks participating. I’m super excited!
For now, here’s an excerpt. Enjoy!
***Begin Excerpt***
Maybe a Halloween party hosted by a bunch of witches hadn’t been the best idea for a second date—at least not a second date with a human.
The woman draped over the edge of the jacuzzi tub stared blankly back at me. If she hadn’t been murdered, she’d agree that my judgment had been lacking. Isabella Treece was no fan of humans.
Bad choice or not, I could hardly have been expected to predict a murder when I invited Ben.
“She’s dead?” Ben held out his arm, just like a mom who’d slammed on the brakes. It was protective in a way that would be kind of cute…but for the corpse.
Wet strands of blonde hair clung to Isabella’s face and neck. Her head was tilted unnaturally and her eyes stared vacantly into the distance. She was so obviously dead that I had to assume Ben’s question had been prompted in part by shock. People said and did the oddest things when confronted with dead bodies.
I grasped Ben’s hand, gently squeezed his fingers, then moved his arm. I wasn’t about to get any closer. Not yet. Not with the stench of dark magic still clinging to her. Ducking my head close to his, I whispered, “Drowned. She’s a witch.”
Drowning with a dollop of dark magic: an excellent way to kill a witch.
Something about being immersed in water prevented self-healing. I tried to remember the particulars—it really was something I should know—when an ear-piercing shriek interrupted my train of thought. I swallowed a sigh. No way Ben and I were keeping this quiet now.
***End Excerpt***
If you haven’t read Star and Ben’s first story, Night Shift Witch, you can get it here:
