Yawning, Nerissa thrust the jar at Helen. “Drink this and leave. The Reveal spell I did drained my energy. If I don’t get my nap in, my weakened state could compromise you.”
Though her pulse accelerated, Helen took the container and unscrewed its lid. She chugged, gag reflex lurching as she downed the sour glop. Her eyes watered, and nausea roiled her insides, but she finished the nasty potion. Go big or go home. “So twenty bucks is okay?”
“We’ll settle up down the road.” The old woman’s eyelids fluttered closed as she sagged in her chair. “Study now.”
A rush of pride prompted Helen to straighten her spine. She could be a decent student. Armed with a big book of witchiness and the crystals, she placed her empty jar on a coffee table and sauntered to the front door of the bungalow with her head held high.
The plan: give away two crystals, figure out magic, get L&E solvent, and save her dearest friendship. Doable? Helen smiled and hugged the grimoire to her chest. Hell yeah.
“Sacrificium.” A calm, male voice spoke inside of Helen’s head. An itchy surge of adrenaline shot to her toes. Though she’d never taken Latin, she sure got the gist—sacrifice.
Her hand tensed on the doorknob, and she glanced at Nerissa. “Did you hear that?”
“No!” Nerissa bolted upright. Her mouth dropped, and her eyes stretched wide, but the show of fear in her expression fled as fast as it came.
Helen’s mouth dried. Talk about a bad omen double whammy. “Are you okay?”
Rubbing her temples, the elder looked around the room. “I’m fine. Take care.”
Helen jetted to her Mini Cooper. As she fumbled for her keys, a plume of milky smoke erupted in the recesses of her consciousness, vanishing a second after it arrived. She tried to disregard the inexplicable intrusion. Probably just her magic settling in.
She drove to the Minnesota State Fair, but by the time she squeezed between two cars in a dusty makeshift lot, she hadn’t managed to forget the creepy voice and smoke.
A definitive slam of her door shoved the unsettling events out of her mind, and she strode to the flapping banner marking the entrance to the fairgrounds.
Today belonged in the win column, damn it.
Don’t stop now. Keep reading with your copy of HEX, LOVE, AND ROCK & ROLL available now.
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And visit www.jemcdonald.net to keep up with the latest news where you can subscribe to the newsletter for contests, giveaways, new releases, and more.
Don’t miss more of the Wickwood Chronicles coming soon, and find more from J. E. McDonald at www.jemcdonald.net
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Until then, get your paranormal romance fix with HEX, LOVE, AND ROCK & ROLL, by City Owl Author, Kat Turner!
With a business skidding toward bankruptcy and bone-dry bank account, Helen Schrader is willing to do the unthinkable. But what will happen when she hires a witch to cast a money spell?
When the spell sets in motion her own latent magic and her inexperience causes her to accidentally hex her celebrity crush, rocker Brian Shepherd, all that good fortune she hoped for flies out of the window.
Now, Helen and Brian struggle to break the curse and tackle their growing feelings for each other. Problem is, the harder they fall for each other, the deadlier the curse becomes.
But as a dark magic cult with an unquenchable thirst for power closes in on them, the couple will have to face more than just their inconvenient desire. With time running out and danger mounting, can they beat the hex before Brian becomes its next victim?
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Acknowledgments
The third Wickwood book. Wow! It’s so hard to believe that Ghost of a Gamble was only released a little over a year ago. What a journey. I couldn’t have done it without everyone’s support.
My first thank you goes out to my family who are my biggest fans. It’s surreal to hear my sisters talk about their favorite parts of my books, or the squealing of my niece when I let a spoiler slip. Your enthusiasm is infectious.
Thank you to my husband, Marcel, who helps me hide in my writing cave, who’s a great sounding board for ideas, and whose sense of humour always cheers me up when I’m down. I love you.
Thank you to my editor, Heather, whose excitement for the next book keeps me motivated to be more, and makes it all worthwhile. If it wasn’t for her, I’m not sure this book would have ever been actualized.
Thank you to the whole team at City Owl Press. To Tina and Yelena for their unfailing passion and energy for their company and authors. To Marianne for her wizarding ways of copy editing. And to the cover designers who take my feedback and run with it.
To my fellow City Owl authors: thank you for all the amazing support, especially Lisa, Luna, Gabrielle, Ashley, and Kat. You are all truly giving and selfless rock stars.
To my ARC readers and all those who took the time to review any of my books. Thank you! Thank you! Reviewers are the backbone of this industry and I appreciate your opinions so much. A special shout out to J.E. Hunter, K. Caine, E.E. Hornburg, and Krista Rose.
To my super awesome friends aka beta readers, Bevin, Caryn, and Melodie. You are amazing. If I ever become a billionaire, I’m going to erect a gold stature in my front yard in your honor. You’re the unseen superheroes of my books.
To my publicists Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity, thank you for listening and adapting to my needs and giving me new opportunities I wouldn’t have found on my own.
Thank you to my writing groups online and off! Sometimes motivation comes from places I wouldn’t expect. A special thank you to the Saskatoon Write Club, #5amwritersclub, and the Paranormal Romance Rock Stars Facebook Group. You are all so awesome.
I dedicated this book to my three daughters, magical little humans who keep me humble and on my toes. Your imaginations are inspirations. Thank you for being such amazing people.
About the Author
Photography by Zehra Rizvi
J. E. MCDONALD was born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada, The Land of the Living Skies. As a child, she was either searching the clouds for identifiable shapes, or star-gazing way past her bedtime. She’s an anti-morning person who wakes up at 5am to write. Needless to say, coffee is a morning requirement. She cut her teeth watching Star Trek, James Bond movies, and reading the Harlequin novels her mother left in the bathroom—which resulted in an extremely skewed sense of sex education by age eleven. All of these factors contribute to her love of writing paranormal romance with humor, mystery, and lots of spice. J.E. resides in Saskatchewan with her husband and three daughters.
About the Publisher
City Owl Press is a cutting edge indie publishing company, bringing the world of romance and speculative fiction to discerning readers.
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Escape Your World. Get Lost in Ours!
www.cityowlpress.com
Additional Titles
GHOST OF A GAMBLE
By: J. E. McDonald
There’s something extraordinary hidden beneath Wickwood’s picturesque façade.
* * *
GHOST OF AN ENCHANTMENT
By: J. E. McDonald
Something extraordinary hides beneath Wickwood’s picturesque façade… and this time it’s not staying buried.
* * *
BLOOD AND MAGIC
By: Melissa Sercia
Gray is a Dhampir—a woman alive, but also dead. With supernatural powers and an insatiable need for blood, her existence is cursed.
* * *
BLOOD KING
By: Amber K. Bryant
While Sybille’s a
bility to summon and guide spirits of the undead to the afterlife pays the bills, it comes with colossal risks, including becoming undead herself.
* * *
CINDERS OF YESTERDAY
By: Jen Karner
Paranormal Hunter Dani Black wants nothing more than revenge. Until she meets Emilie.
* * *
CLAWED & CORNERED
By: Heather McCorkle
Sonja Michaelson has a monumental taste for bad men. So, when an alpha male in motorcycle gear walked into her bar, she wasn’t surprised when she fell hard and fast.
* * *
CODE BLACK
By: Tina Moss
USA Today Bestselling Author
Gossip mag reporter Sera Benenati knows a thing or two about unearthing secrets...and burying them.
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EDGE OF THE WOODS
By: Jules Kelley
There’s something lurking in Pine Grove, Montana, and its bite is vicious.
* * *
FORGOTTEN MAGIC
By: Eden Butler
Bane Illes never smiled. He never spoke.
But each day, that brooding wizard gave Janiver Benoit a glance.
* * *
HEX, LOVE, AND ROCK & ROLL
By: Kat Turner
With a business skidding toward bankruptcy and bone-dry bank account, what will happen when Helen hires a witch to cast a money spell?
* * *
MIDNIGHT DESIRE
By: Shari Nichols
Danger and desire collide to form an unlikely alliance between a witch with a sordid past and a special agent who might be her future.
* * *
MY SONG’S CURSE
Ultimate control has its downside, especially when it comes to romance. But will it be enough to keep them together?
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PRIDE AND PARANORMAL
By: Adrienne Blake
USA Today Bestselling Author
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single warlock in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a witch!
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SMOKE AND RITUAL
By: Melissa Sercia
The voices haunt her. Their whispers taunt her with a war she never wanted. But Arya Frost has more to contend with than the cryptic voices disturbing her sleep.
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THE FAMILY CROSS
By: Gabrielle Ash
As she inches close to her goal, Matilda’s world is rocked by monsters roaming the Manhattan streets.
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THE NIGHT’S CHOSEN
By: E. E. Hornburg
Chosen of the Moon Goddess. Destined to rule. Fated to marry. A quest to save her family, kingdom, and heart.
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TIDES OF TIME
By: Luna Joya
A witchy good girl hiding secrets from her family…
A reformed bad boy who doesn’t know his family’s hidden secrets…
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