The Friday 56 - Week 189

Welcome to Week 189!

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post to the Linky at Freda's Voice. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Known for its beautifully curated gardens and brief-but-memorable cameo in the Salem-based flick Hocus Pocus, the Ropes Mansion has a haunted history dating back to 1774 when the Tory-leaning Judge Ropes was mobbed by a gang of Patriots who hurled mud and stones at the house.

~ page 56 of the digital version of Ghosts of Salem: Haunts of The Witch City by Sam Baltrusis

Mailbox Monday - January 13

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

My mailman was kind to me last week and only sent catalogs. He knows I've got a lot of catching up to do. My Kindle Inbox, however, added a few new titles.

Eleanor Parkhurst is determined to get in the way of Nathaniel Naverly seducing her sweet cousin Rose. Nate has a history of treating girls badly and Ellie suspects his intentions are far from honorable. Getting Nate to switch his attention to her seemed like a good plan, but Ellie didn’t foresee that she might have to protect her own heart from his schemes as well. The game is proving a challenge. Midnight meetings, fighting or kissing, it’s all part of the fun of flirting. Set in an English boarding school, Ellie discovers that boys are more complicated than classes, and you have to play the game well or you might just get played!

Suitable Age Range: 12 - 18 yrs

After spending hundreds of years as a familiar to an abusive witch, Surla runs away to find freedom. But there's one catch! The Black Cats' Curse states she will have to switch bodies with the first lonesome soul to cross her path.

Painfully shy Cathy Phillips can't muster the courage to ask hot water polo player, Craig Nelson, on a date. Neither can she stand up to the three biggest snobs at Washington High. What's a girl to do? Could switching lives with a sassy, magical cat be the answer to her wishes?

The "curse" of being "BeSwitched" may just be the most purr-fect secret these new best friends could ever have!

Living on her own for her first time, Bible school student Jane cleans houses to make ends meet. But being independent brings big trials, like falling for a handsome professor, dealing with an obnoxious roommate, and then there's the dead bodies...

Who knew being housekeeper to wealthy owners of a Roly Burger franchise would mean sweeping up clues to their death, while ministering to the needs of their heirs?

This is one big mess that Jane is intent on cleaning up before things get even worse.

"I know it's a Bigfoot," Belle said. "It even smelled different. I hightailed it for Sam's when I saw shadows in the brush."

The 1918 holiday season brings mystery and adventure for orphaned eleven-year-old Belle and her Indian friend, Summer. Belle has adapted to her new home at Uncle Arden's fish camp at Lake Okeechobee, Florida. Known as the last wilderness territory in the United States, this water-filled landscape is populated with snakes, alligators, wild hogs, and now...a hairy outsider. At the Bone Field, she finds clues of a Bigfoot, but her uncle dismisses the signs. Belle and Summer set out to befriend the mysterious stranger with food gifts, but he has reason to stay hidden. Is he a real Bigfoot? How does Belle solve the mystery?

PG-RATED FUN

BAH, HUMBUG! (A Romantic Comedy Christmas Novella)

Lexi Anderson is an up-and-coming, Martha Stewart-type TV hostess whose two kids love the Jared Strong adventure novels, which happen to be written by their new neighbor, Kyle Miller.

For the first time in his writing career, Kyle has writer’s block--until he sees the snowman on his lawn and realizes it’s the perfect solution to his plot problem. He digs in and discovers two things: one, his villain’s weapon will fit inside a snowman's body, and two, this particular snowman was supposed to be the backdrop for Lexi’s next show.

From this improbable beginning comes friendship, but can there be a happy ending for a woman who is afraid to get close again and a man who has shadows from his childhood?

Families join together and hearts are healed as this couple goes walking in a winter wonderland.

Mystery Novel Month: Cop with a Wand by Jim Hartley

Daisy Hudson is a newly reinstated plainclothes cop, but more importantly, she has just come to the realization that she’s a witch. Not just any witch, but a very powerful witch.

After reuniting with her partner Inspector Herb Farrell who eventually catches on to Daisy’s powers—as well as falls for her charms—together they conclude that the ordinary crimes of their city have become overshadowed by the evil conspiracy of a sinister group of gray men.

From petty crimes to those committed at the highest level of government, it becomes apparent that these tall, ugly, gray-skinned men known as the Warlocks harbor a far-reaching, ominous plot...an alien takeover of the Earth.

Even with the aid of the forceful local coven, will Daisy and Herb have the fire power to prevent the Warlocks’ impending overthrow of the government?

Read an excerpt!

Then there was the big fire at an apartment building. According to all the reports, there had been an explosion, and shortly after, the place was engulfed in flames. When we arrived, there were several fire trucks, and firemen were going in with Scott Packs to try to rescue people. Others were on ladders, trying to get people out through windows.

Herb asked me, "Daisy, have you ever trained on Scott Packs or other similar breathing apparatus?"
"No, I haven't."

"Well, I have. I did a stint with a fire company a couple years back. I'm going to go ask if I can suit up and help with the rescues. You stay far enough back, do whatever you can to help."

He turned and walked over to one of the fire trucks. Apparently, they agreed with him. I saw him struggling into one of those yellow suits, and a minute later, he had the Scott Pack on and was walking toward the door of the building. I wasn't sure how I could assist, but I suspected that a little magic would help more than anything else I could do. I found a place where I wouldn't be seen easily, and then got out my wand and held it at the ready.

Several of the firemen had now gotten people out through windows and were bringing them down the ladders. Suddenly, as a fireman and the person he had rescued were opposite a window on the sixth floor, something inside exploded.

A cloud of smoke and flames shattered the window and burst out, hitting the fireman and knocking him and the victim he was carrying off the ladder. The six-story fall would probably be fatal to both of them.

I pointed my wand and cast a quick levitation spell. The only such spell I knew was designed to work on a single person and would not support two, but it slowed their fall quite a bit. Someone had been trying to get a net under them, but there would not really have been time. Now, with their fall slowed, the net was in place in time, and both fireman and victim were saved. I could see people talking, pointing up, waving their arms to mimic the fall. I couldn't hear them, but I could tell they didn't really believe what had happened.

All the activity, clustered around the falling bodies, was in front of the building, and none of the firefighters there could see around the side. But I could, and I suddenly saw a bunch of people pressing up against a third-floor window. There was a stairwell near them, but it was engulfed in flames; they would never make it out that way. I wasn't even sure if the men with Scott Packs could make it through there, and the area below the window was jammed with dumpsters—getting a ladder in would be damned near impossible.

Show time for Daisy. I waved my wand and was instantly encased in a shimmering shield. Scott Packs, ha! I headed in the door to the stairs. I could hear the roar of the flames, but I was cool, and I could breathe without any trouble. I swung my wand back and forth in front of me, and the flames flickered and vanished. Up two flights and down the hall until I reached the apartment where I had seen the people. I opened the door and called to them, "Follow me. I've got a safe way out for you."
They hesitated and then moved toward the door. I led them down the hall, knocking out the flames that were beginning to spring up again. I took them down the stairs and out into the parking lot where they would be safe.

As soon as I saw they were all clear, I ducked out of sight, dropped the shield, and tucked my wand away. Then I walked out and asked them, "You people okay? If you need help, all the EMTs are around front."

Most of them started in that direction, but one man turned to me. "Who, what, was that that led us out? I've never seen anything like it."

"Experimental," I answered. "But the guy wearing it had to get back to the truck and turn it off; he was starting to lose his air. The thing still needs work."

"Guy? Sounded like a woman's voice."

This guy was getting to be a pain. "Yeah, the field distorts sound. Like I say, it still needs work."
I guess I finally satisfied him, because he turned and followed the others I had rescued. I waited a moment and then went over to where all the activity was.

Herb was just peeling out of his yellow coveralls. "Hi, Daisy. Ran out of air and had to get out, but I think we have everyone. There was a report of people on the third floor, but when we got there, they were gone. The flames there had died down for some reason, gave them a chance to escape."

"Good," I said. "Glad you got everyone. Do we need to stick around here, or does the fire department have everything under control?"

"Somebody needs to get statements, but it's all routine. The uniforms can handle it. Let's head back and write up our reports."
When we got back to the squad room, my report was simple. I wasn't trained for firefighting and hadn't done much, so I finished quickly and sat back to wait for Herb.

PURCHASE FROM MUSEITUP PUBLISHING OR AMAZON!

James Hartley is a former computer programmer. Originally from northern New Jersey, he now lives in sunny central Florida. He has published two fantasy novels, The Ghost of Grover's Ridge and Teen Angel, and has a third, Magic Is Faster Than Light, due out soon. He has had stories published in the Desolate Places, Strange Mysteries, Book of Exodi, Christmas in Outer Space, Aurora in the Dawn, Free Range Fairy Tales, and Uncanny Allegories anthologies, and in various e-zines and print magazines. His website is http://teenangel.netfirms.com.

Horror Novel Month: Angela's Coven by Bruce Jenvey

We start off our Horror Novel Month with Angela's Coven, which will be released by MuseItUp Publishing on October 21st.

Reggie Sinclair is an aging British rock star living in New York City who has just found out he is terminally ill. He also has a very dark secret: When he was still an undiscovered teenager, he sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for his great fame and success. Now, as his life draws to an end, he prepares to face the inevitable until he stumbles upon a very enchanting, modern-day witch named Angela, and her extremely untraditional coven.


Angela gradually introduces Reggie to her world of old school Witchcraft with its roots in alchemy and ‘natural chemistry’ dating to the Dark Ages. As their relationship grows, they devise a plan to break Reggie’s contract and save his soul.

This is a story of the struggle between good and evil with a cast of characters that ranges widely from guardian angels to young witches-in-training. Together, they have to come to terms with love, loss, life decisions and uncertainty to save Reggie from an unbearable eternity. It will also cast an entirely different light on anything you may have ever considered as faith. Here is a plot filled with unexpected twists and surprises to the very last page!

Read an excerpt from one of the chapters!

How fortunate they were to have yet another bright, warm autumn day… he thought to himself as he sat on the bench in Greenwich Village. Across the street, he could see the flow of customers come and go from Angela’s shop. Perhaps it was another good night’s sleep that was contributing to his take on the situation, but whatever the reason, he felt buoyant, eager and filled with curiosity.

He was here to ask questions that he hadn’t even yet formed in his mind. How do you ask someone if they were involved in the unexplainable? Especially when they weren’t even there when it happened? Maybe he didn’t really know why he was here. But here he was, in his hoodie and his sunglasses, sitting on the bench in the mid-afternoon light, anxiously waiting for the ‘Potterheads and the Wannabes’ to thin out before he ventured across the street.

He must have lost track of those coming and going from the little shop among the other happenings and distractions on the street. He suddenly heard the shop bell ring and looked up to see her, standing in the open doorway with her hands on her hips. She stared directly at him as if to say, ‘are you coming in or not!’ He picked himself up off the bench, made his way across the street and followed her through the front door. He entered the shop and seeing they were alone, he removed his hood and shoved his sunglasses into the sweatshirt pocket.

“See, I knew you’d be back…” she started as she took her place behind the counter.

“Well… I’m surprised to say you were right…”

“And you look well-rested, too.”

“Actually, I am. I’ve slept pretty well these past two nights.”

“The Dream Catcher hang in your window OK?”

“How do you know I hung it in my window?” he playfully challenged.

“…Because you did. And because you’re well-rested.”

“Sure of that, are you?”

“Did the pounding wake you up?” The fact that she knew about the pounding in the middle of the night suddenly unsettled him.

“Yes… But how do you know—”

“I said my customers were all Potterheads and Wannabes… I never said I was…”

“Then, just what are you?” he asked with great interest.

“Me? I’m the ‘real deal,’ as they say…”

“Now, come on! Do you really expect me to believe—”

“I don’t care what you believe, I’m just glad to see it all worked out for you…” And then she paused, as if lost in thought and her expression changed to one of more concern. “OK, back here!” She reached across the counter and lightly grabbed his sweatshirt. “Someone’s coming…” she said as she led him around the counter and back into the kitchen.

It was Reggie’s first opportunity to take in this behind-the-scenes glimpse into Angela’s life. Much as he had seen two days before, it was a very dated kitchen with aging appliances and fixtures, yet spotlessly clean. The twin stoves were still covered in various pots and pans all slowly simmering away on a low heat making the kitchen feel cozy, even on this warm, autumn day.

But to his left, along the wall, was a small breakfast table with two chairs completely out of sight from the shop floor. They were old, once painted white, but well-worn with decades of use. She guided him down into the far chair as it groaned slightly in protest under his weight. From here, he was looking towards the shop, but he was concealed from view by the wall behind the counter and on his side, a refrigerator and what he assumed was a closet door.

“I thought you didn’t care who found out I was here?” he asked with mild curiosity. “‘Good for business’ I think you said…”

“That doesn’t mean you want to be discovered. After all, you’re the one with the hood and the sunglasses. Besides, right now I want them buying things, not distracted by the great Reggie Sinclair! So, sit!”

“And what makes you think I’ll obey?” There was a good natured taunting in his voice. She looked at him with a great confidence.

“Because I’m going to give you a potion that immobilizes men…” she said as she reached into the refrigerator behind her and pulled out a long-necked bottle of beer. She twisted off the cap and set it in front of him. “It will also make you very susceptible to suggestion. Now, stay!”

“You are so full of it—” he said starting to laugh. But she snatched up the bottle by its long neck and with her thumb over the opening, she gave it a quick, single shake. As she set it back down, she released the pressure in his direction spraying him in the face. “—OK!” He instantly surrendered and picked up a dish towel off the table top, wiping the beer foam from his face.

“I’m sure they won’t be long, Reggie Sinclair!” she said with a smile as she hesitated in the doorway that led back to her counter.

“What do you say, we just make it… ‘Reggie’. I don’t go around calling you by your full name.”

“That’s because you don’t know it!”

“Even if I did…” he started now realizing what a disadvantage he was at with her.

“Bradbury...” she interrupted. “Angela Bradbury… But Angela will be just fine… Reggie…” and she smiled softly at him. And then, on cue, the bell over the shop door jangled as new customers entered. He could tell by their voices and footsteps on the wooden floor, there were at least three that had come in together. “There’s more potion in the fridge if that one starts to wear off…”

ANGELA'S COVEN - COMING SOON FROM MUSEITUP PUBLISHING!

Bruce Jenvey was raised in rural Michigan with a great interest in history, popular culture and the paranormal. After earning a B.A. in Psychology from Michigan State University, he migrated to the Detroit area and began a career in advertising. For twenty years he worked in agency creative departments on such national accounts as Pontiac, Cadillac, Mr. Goodwrench, FTD, Budweiser and more. And then one day… he was downsized.


Taking inventory of his skills as well as his love of sailing and history, Bruce founded “Great Lakes Cruiser Magazine.” He and his wife, Christine, spent the next ten years traveling the region as he and his staff recorded the local history and told their readers about some of the most wonderful places to visit along the shores of America’s Inland Seas.


Along the way, Bruce had unique access to untold incidents and documentation of the unexplained. He collected and chronicled these experiences in every place he found them, from the shores of Lake Michigan to Upstate New York. As he did so, he was struck by how consistent and similar these accounts were from region to region leading him to the conclusion that all we see may not be all there is to know...


Today, Bruce is pleased to share with you so very many of these real-world experiences and accounts, all pulled together and retold here, in the fictionalized saga of his Cabbottown Witches.

Visit Bruce online at  www.covenbooks.com and pn Facebook at

www.facebook.com/covenbooks.

March Paranormal and Fantasy Event: Magic is Faster Than Light by James Hartley

Megan Bradley and the rest of the witches were rounded up by a religious crusade and forced onto a spaceship for a 190-year multi-generation trip to another star. They soon discovered the ship had problems, and would run out of air long before they reached their destination. They were forced to use magic to get to their destination faster, before they suffocated. But then, of course, they had a whole new world to cope with ...


Read an excerpt!

Nobody but Kendra could see into the large cauldron, but soon the watchers noticed its contents were casting a strange green light on the ceiling. When she finally decided things were ready, Kendra opened the valve on the large pipe, and called to the tech at the control panel, "Start the ship's engines." He threw the switch, and after a moment there was a low rumble, similar to that during the first year of the voyage. Nothing else seemed to be happening.

Then someone who was facing the viewplate cried "Look!"

On the viewplate the stars were moving. Soon they were racing across the plate, faster and faster, as the ship gained speed, and after a while it was impossible to distinguish points of light, just streaks. One of the techs stared at the viewplate and said, "I don't believe this is happening, it violates every law of physics! But seeing those stars, we must be moving at several hundred times the speed of light." People started cheering.

COMING IN APRIL 2011 FROM MUSEITUP PUBLISHING!

ALSO BY JAMES HARTLEY, THE GHOST OF GROVER'S RIDGE. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS!

James Hartley is a former computer programmer. Originally from northern New Jersey, he now lives in sunny central Florida. He has published a fantasy novel, "The Ghost of Grover's Ridge," and has two more, "Magic Is Faster Than Light" and "Teen Angel" due out soon. He has had stories published in the "Desolate Places", "Strange Mysteries 1 & 2", "Book of Exodi," "Christmas in Outer Space," and "Free Range Fairy Tales"  anthologies, and in various e-zines and print magazines. He is currently working on a new novel, "This Wand for Hire." He is a member of IWOFA and the Dark Fiction Guild.

Visit James online at http://teenangel.netfirms.com and his blog at http://jameshartleyauthor.blogspot.com/