by Cassandra
The imp shook his head, confused. “No. When you’ve been stuck in the cards for a while, all you see is the stuff happening around you. It’s like being behind a window where you can see the outside world but can’t interact with it.”
Chad scratched his chin. “Huh. So what could Roger have possibly been talking about? His card has simply sat on the fireplace.”
Jessica turned to look at the fireplace, initially confused at first as well. Then, it dawned on her that the fireplace—and hence, Roger’s card, once Ethel had moved it—faced the living room couch.
She swallowed and recalled all too well what she had seen one evening when Grandma Ethel and Pastor Norman had been on that couch, a little tipsy from all the wine they’d drunk.
Her gaze drifted towards her grandmother and she was shocked and a little grossed out to see that the old lady was blushing. As for Pastor Norman, he had begun to make a show of gathering his demon-fighting supplies but a rather noticeable redness had spread across his face as well.
“Oh…my…God,” Jessica muttered.
“What?” Chad and Frank asked at the same time.
“Nothing,” Ethel, Pastor Norman, and Jessica replied quickly.
Once she’d composed herself, Ethel clapped her hands and clearly wanted to change the subject. “Jessica, you’ve been so brave and you’ve done such a good job, it’s only fair that another celebration is in store. I’m in the mood for cooking. So let’s have a huge celebratory dinner. Call your parents and invite them over.”
Jessica smiled and glanced around at the living room. “Sure. But I think the place ought to be cleaned first. My dad is new to all of this. I don’t want to push things by making him come in and find demon blood and ashes all over the place.”
“Good point,” her grandmother said.
Frank waved a tiny hand. “Jessica and I can take care of this mess, right?” he said and grinned at his witch.
She smiled in response. “Yes, I’d say so.”
The imp nodded. “Right. So you get in there and start cooking.” He looked at Ethel and waved her toward the kitchen. “After being trapped in that card, I’m so hungry…so hungry that I can’t even come up with anything clever to say about how hungry I am!”
That sent everyone into a roar of laughter.
“Well, if a one-hundred-year-old imp is so famished that he can’t come up with a good analogy, I think that’s a definite sign that I need to fix an extra special meal. The rest of you, go clean yourselves up and get back here in time for the most magnificent dinner in town.”
Jessica stirred in her sleep and the aroma of delicious food drifted to her nose. She rolled onto her side and opened her eyes, feeling refreshed and much more at ease than she had felt in a long time.
After cleaning the house courtesy of Frank’s spell, she had realized how worn out she was. So, once she’d showered and bandaged her injured hand, she had collapsed into bed for a much-needed nap.
Now, however, her stomach positively rumbled in anticipation of the dinner Grandma Ethel was preparing.
She got up and dressed, putting on the shirt she’d felt was too dressy to go out with Kacey in, and matched it with a simple black skirt.
When she made it downstairs, she found Pastor Norman and Chad in the living room, dressed impressively and talking to her parents.
“Ahh, there she is!” her mom said and smiled.
Jessica walked into her outstretched arms. She then turned to hug her dad. “So…have these two told you about all the excitement going on around here?”
Chad cleared his throat. “Oh, only some of it,” he said and winked.
She nodded, understanding that the full details hadn’t been relayed, which was probably for the best.
“Yeah—I hear this lovely dinner is due to how excellent your training has gone,” Mark said.
“That’s right, Dad.” She suppressed a laugh and exchanged a glance with her mother that he didn’t notice.
“So, where’s that funny little friend of yours? What do you call him? Your familiar?”
As soon as the question was asked, Frank appeared with his customary popping sound.
Mark jumped and immediately laughed as he knelt to shake Frank’s hand. “Hey there, little guy! How’s it going?”
Frank shook Mark’s finger and bowed. “All is well,” he replied.
“Looking sharp, Frank,” Chad said with a smirk.
Jessica had to agree. The little imp was dressed in his Sunday best. She recognized his clothes as one of the outfits she had bought for his wardrobe.
Her familiar turned toward Theresa and Mark. “Would you like to see my new home? Jessica bought it for me—and stocked it with impeccable clothes, might I add. I’m known as the best-dressed imp around these days!”
“We’d love to see your home,” Theresa said and smiled politely.
“Make it quick.” Ethel emerged from the kitchen. “Because dinner is done and will be served in a jiffy.”
About twenty minutes later, they were all gathered around the dinner table. Anyone who saw it would have been under the impression that Thanksgiving had come early. The food looked delicious and smelled even better.
“Wow, Ms. Ethel—you’ve outdone yourself this time,” Chad said. “Roger will hate that he missed this. I told him to come.”
The old woman waved her hand airily. “Oh, don’t worry about Roger. He’ll come around eventually. He simply needs um…some time.” As she spoke, her face reddened again.
“Yes, this is lovely, Ethel.” Pastor Norman beamed. “It reminds me of a nice dinner with loved ones back in England.”
Her blush deepened. Jessica didn’t want to notice, but the two of them made it difficult not to. She couldn’t help wondering exactly what was going on between them and whether it was serious or not.
Because her grandma and her pastor… That would be entirely too weird.
Ethel cleared her throat. “Pastor, would you mind carving the turkey?”
“Not at all,” he answered, stood, and picked up the carving knife.
Once all their plates were filled to capacity and a prayer had been said, everyone was more than eager to dig in. Jessica’s parents filled the dinner conversation as they told the others about their vacation.
“Oh! I almost forgot,” Mark said and dug into his suit pocket, “I brought back a really cool souvenir. I thought it would be perfect for after dinner entertainment.” He produced a deck of playing cards and grinned at Jessica. “Remember how we used to play cards when you were a kid? How about a game after dinner?”
Forks and spoons dropped in unison and clattered across the table.
“No!” everyone yelled simultaneously.
If you loved, 13 Covens try out, Contamination for something a little different, available now at Amazon.
Humanity has one option.
Evacuate Earth.
After a wave of fear crashes over the world in response to a deadly virus. Fear intensifies when it's discovered that the virus is the first wave of attack by an alien race that wants Earth for themselves.
It's one day before Paige's twenty-first birthday, and the world is turning into the walking dead! Zombie-like people are seeking her out.
What the hell! Just Paige's luck.
Can Paige rescue her family and get off the planet before The Wave captures her?
Author Notes - Hayley Lawson
March 25, 2019
Hello guys Hayley here,
I hope you enjoy the third installment in the 13 Coven series.
In my last author note, I told you about the fun I had with my team as we tried to get on the leader board and failing.
I thought about the group of people which I work with and how similar we are, so I thought it would be fun to put it to the test and see if we were similar. I got the team to do a personality test. I’d taken the Briggs and Myers personality test a few years earlier and it surprised me at how correct it was, it gave me two result
s I was INTJ and INFJ.
We all took the test, this time my result was INTJ with 75% introvert, (this is why you don’t find me speaking much on social media, I’m normally hiding away in my dark cave).
I wasn’t surprised with the results, INTP, INTJ, INFJ, INTJ, and INFJ! We are a group of introverts! We’re designers which like our headphones on and draw awesome concepts. This explains why we hate presenting and get on so well!
Then my co-worker Spenser thought it would be good to do a serial killer test, let’s just say we have three potential serial killers in the group and one liar.
Warning to all, be very scared of the quiet ones … Mwahahahaha
Bye for now, Hayley
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
March 25, 2019
THANK YOU for not only reading this story but these Author Notes as well.
(I think I’ve been good with always opening with “thank you.” If not, I need to edit the other Author Notes!)
RANDOM (sometimes) THOUGHTS?
I have a potential serial killer as a collaborator?
You know, that doesn’t surprise me, considering that when I met Hayley some (almost) three years ago, she would discuss all sorts of ways to kill people with her husband (it was a family thing they did on family walks.)
So no, I’m not shocked. However, I feel Hayley is too determined to hit the goals she has for her family to succumb to the temptation, however intense it might be, because time in prison plays havoc with goal schedules.
Thank GOD for that.
No, seriously.
Hayley has one of those voices and accents that would allow her to get away with murder, and we would all be shaking our heads in agreement that the person deserved it.
I’m personally happy she has focused her attention on books. Check out her Zombie Books for a killing good time. ;-)
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
One of the interesting (at least to me) aspects of my life is the ability to work from anywhere and at any time. In the future, I hope to re-read my own Author Notes and remember my life as a diary entry.
I’m on my way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas (using the route through Palmdale from Beverly Hills to skip the 5:00 traffic). The mountains on my right still have snow peppering their tops and some down their flanks as we go a steady thirty mph in traffic to get to the 15 freeway.
And freedom from such slow speed.
I’m noticing that the road construction (the reason for our slow movement) has put a stake into many of the businesses on the sides of the road.
That steak house? It’s closed. (Admittedly, it looked a bit sketchy before the closing.)
Now we are past the road construction, and away we go!
Las Vegas, here I come.
(For those who are curious, I was in Beverly Hills at a Cheesecake Factory to meet Jacob, our middle son, who had driven in to meet us from Oxnard area. It was a nice meeting place ;-) )
FAN PRICING
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HOW TO MARKET FOR BOOKS YOU LOVE
Review them so others have your thoughts, and tell friends and the dogs of your enemies (because who wants to talk to enemies?)… Enough said ;-)
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
Other Books from Hayley Lawson
INVASION SURVIVOR
Contamination (1)
Inhabitable (2)
Stowaway (3)
AGE OF SANCTIONS – AN INVASION SURVIVOR SERIES
Wasteland (1)
LIVE FREE OR DIE
Madness Unleashed (1)
Madness Rising (2)
Escaping Madness (3)
THEY ARE ZILLIONS
Zapacolypse (1)
Zurrounded (2)
THE FOG SERIES
The Fog (1)
Beer Run (2)
Lock In (3)
Hangover (4)
The Fog – Omnibus Book 1- 4
TOWNSEND
Townsend (1)
SCHOOL OF MAGIC
The Principal is Missing - Book One > Amazon
Principal for a Week - Book Two > Amazon
Spooktastic - Book Three > Amazon
Cuba Hunt - Book Four > Coming soon
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Books by Michael Anderle
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