The Back of the Book: The Conjurer

Friendship is powerful magic.

BOOK THREE is the final addition in The Vine Witch series. It has been an absolute blast to write these three stories of women coming into their own power. Here is a summary of The Conjurer, out January 2021:

Sidra didn’t murder her husband. Yet even a jinni can’t wish away a wrongful imprisonment. Determined to prove her innocence, she returns to her adopted home—a French village renowned for its perfume witches—with her friends Elena and Yvette by her side. Here is where Sidra’s true destiny awaits, but danger also lurks in the village’s narrow lanes.

On her trail is Jamra, another jinni, who’s after more than revenge for the murder of his brother. He also seeks vengeance for the indignities inflicted on jinn by mortals over the centuries. When he learns of an ancient relic capable of unleashing chaos on the world, and that the weapon is in the hands of his murderous sister-in-law, he vows to destroy Sidra to get it.

Relying on a sisterhood of magic, a mysteriously faithful dog, and a second-rate sorcerer, Sidra defends herself using the village’s greatest asset: its perfume. It’s as beguiling a lure as it is a formidable shield. But is it enough for Sidra to protect herself and those she loves from powers yet to be released?

Publication Day!

The Glamourist is officially out in the world today! Thank you to everyone who preordered or put the book on their TBR list for later. The narrative alternates between Elena and Yvette in this one as they find themselves in the big city with big problems to overcome. I hope you enjoy the story. It was such fun to write!

Oh là là!

Amazon has named THE GLAMOURIST one of the Best Books of the Month for Science Fiction & Fantasy and I’m absolutely thrilled! Hard to believe we’re only one week away from the release of book two in The Vine Witch series. Thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered or plans on reading the story when it comes out!

Take care and stay safe!

**also, if you were expecting an email response from me through this site and haven’t heard back, you might check your spam folder. Seems a few have gone astray lately.

And Now We Have A Cover!

Book three in The Vine Witch series

Another beautiful cover design by Micaela Alcaino. She, of course, did all three covers for The Vine Witch series and I couldn’t be happier. Each one captures the essence of the individual novel in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I love the touch of smoke she’s added to the image for book three. With the incense, perfume, and spices she used to create the mood, you can guess this novel is all about colorful sights and smells. Throw in a jinni in trouble and you get an intoxicating mix of cultures set against the backdrop of southern France. I hope you love these covers as much as I do. Stunning!

And…in other news, I’ve added a few questions to the “About” page beneath my bio. They’re for book clubs to use as a jumping off point for discussion about The Vine Witch. They’re certainly not inclusive, but I figure with a little wine and a book at hand most groups seem to find plenty to talk about with or without guided questions anyway. Happy reading!

We Have a Title for Book Three!

Ack, I did not mean to go so long without an update. However, I wasn’t just slacking off. I finished the draft for book three in The Vine Witch series in mid-March. As is always the case, that was followed by weeks of developmental edits. The first few rounds can be intense as everyone tries to make the story as strong as it can be. After that comes the copy editing, which is the fine detail work of making the words shine and ensuring everything is in order. Usually do a few rounds of those, which we haven’t even started yet, so the lockdown will likely be done before I am with this latest novel.

BUT I wanted to share that we have a title for the third book and it will officially be known from here on out as THE CONJURER. A most intriguing title, I think, though I don’t take credit for it. Clarence, one of the story editors I work with, plucked it out of the storyline. THIS novel is about Sidra the jinni. It’s been fun to explore her rich history in the southern part of France, where the perfume witches are infamous for their scented potions. Of course, her past catches up to her and she finds herself in all sorts of trouble, but you’ll have to wait for the release of book three some time in late 2020 or early 2021 to know the rest.

We don’t have a cover concept yet, which is why you get this odd painting by Hieronymus Bosch titled The Conjurer (1502).

Thanks, as always, for reading! And please take care and stay safe in these unprecedented times. Hunker down. Read a book.