![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VgqMTJqKo9I/SZcMJ4H0WvI/AAAAAAAAAmU/Y5rrirUCGaQ/s200/34513828.jpg)
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VgqMTJqKo9I/SZcMJ-PL1CI/AAAAAAAAAmM/TM4TrDVXosM/s200/horace.jpg)
Horace – “I really should be the one interviewed here because I’m totally hot. Oh yeah, who’s the gargoyle?” Sighs heavily and throws up his claws when more than one set of eyes glare at him. “Okay, okay.” The eight-inch gargoyle coughed into his claw and waved off the sheaf of papers held out to him. “I’ll just wing it.”
Stasi – “Horace.”
He ignored her warning. “Who’s the interviewer and who’s the interviewee here?” He looked around, frowned at the lack of cameras and returned to Stasi who lounged in a chair across from him. “Stasi, my love. We all know you’re one of the thirteen witches expelled from the Witches Academy in 1313 and now you own a lingerie boutique that also features romance novels.” He raised a stony eyebrow. “Very nice reading on those long winter nights, I might add. But you’re also in the middle of a lawsuit filed in Wizards Court and we all know those guys have no sense of humor. What are you going to do about that?”
“What can I do but fight it?” Stasi groaned. “Carrie’s a human, but it didn’t stop her from finding a wizard attorney and accuse me of hexing a sachet to make sure her husband didn’t come back to her. So now I’m dealing with Trevor Barnes and red hearts over our heads.”
“Yeah, what’s with them?” He stared at the red hearts dancing the Macarena over her head. “That’s just …” he clearly didn’t have words to describe the sight. “Anyway, the town’s not too happy with you. And considering you’re the sweetest witch of the bunch, something’s seriously wrong.”
“Tell me about it! Look at Moonstone Lake. It’s been tainted by an unknown magick and I have flashbacks to Olde Salem.” Stasi reminded him with a shudder. “All you want is a wonderful fall celebration and everything goes wrong.”
“But you got Trev out of the deal,” he reminded her.
Stasi’s smile brightened like the noonday sun. “Yes, I did.”
Horace twisted around rooting into an unseen pocket before pulling out a cigar. One warning look from Stasi had him putting it back. “So what do you think we can do with all this turmoil going on around here?”
“We? More like what I’ll do and I’ll do what I do best. Magick.” She wiggled her fingers, allowing her power to sparkle around them.
Horace grinned. “Sounds good to me.”
Stasi – “Horace.”
He ignored her warning. “Who’s the interviewer and who’s the interviewee here?” He looked around, frowned at the lack of cameras and returned to Stasi who lounged in a chair across from him. “Stasi, my love. We all know you’re one of the thirteen witches expelled from the Witches Academy in 1313 and now you own a lingerie boutique that also features romance novels.” He raised a stony eyebrow. “Very nice reading on those long winter nights, I might add. But you’re also in the middle of a lawsuit filed in Wizards Court and we all know those guys have no sense of humor. What are you going to do about that?”
“What can I do but fight it?” Stasi groaned. “Carrie’s a human, but it didn’t stop her from finding a wizard attorney and accuse me of hexing a sachet to make sure her husband didn’t come back to her. So now I’m dealing with Trevor Barnes and red hearts over our heads.”
“Yeah, what’s with them?” He stared at the red hearts dancing the Macarena over her head. “That’s just …” he clearly didn’t have words to describe the sight. “Anyway, the town’s not too happy with you. And considering you’re the sweetest witch of the bunch, something’s seriously wrong.”
“Tell me about it! Look at Moonstone Lake. It’s been tainted by an unknown magick and I have flashbacks to Olde Salem.” Stasi reminded him with a shudder. “All you want is a wonderful fall celebration and everything goes wrong.”
“But you got Trev out of the deal,” he reminded her.
Stasi’s smile brightened like the noonday sun. “Yes, I did.”
Horace twisted around rooting into an unseen pocket before pulling out a cigar. One warning look from Stasi had him putting it back. “So what do you think we can do with all this turmoil going on around here?”
“We? More like what I’ll do and I’ll do what I do best. Magick.” She wiggled her fingers, allowing her power to sparkle around them.
Horace grinned. “Sounds good to me.”
Your characters are "wicked" cute, Linda!!
ReplyDeleteI love your cover, Linda! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we don't want to encourage Horace too much.
Linda
Thanks Terry. I love it too. And the artist captured the true Horace.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Fun excerpt, Linda. :-)
ReplyDeleteFun excerpt, Linda. :-)
ReplyDeleteBTW
ReplyDeleteMany congrats to the pitch contest winners. There were some strong entries--hard to imagine how Deb made her choices.
Thanks MM.
ReplyDeleteLinda
I love love love the pop culture references. And hearts dancing the macarena... omg, too funny! Just one of the reasons I love paranormal stories!
ReplyDeleteJudi,
ReplyDeleteThe hearts like to show their own emotions.
Linda
Too cute, Linda!
ReplyDeleteLooks like Horace might give Fluff & Puff a run for their money in the cute creatures dept.
AC
AC,
ReplyDeleteThey're good buddies, but Horace's claim to fame is easily guessing your bra size and if the girls are real or not.
His enjoyment of the opposite sex is what got him turned into a gargoyle in the first place and explained in Wicked.
Linda
Too funny, Linda. Thanks. I love Horace. He will give Fluff and Puff a run for their money.
ReplyDeleteRobin :)
Thanks Robin.
ReplyDeleteI'm already realizing that Horace will appear on my other ankle.
Linda