It’s Sunday night and about time for bed so I can get up and face Monday morning. I had grandiose plans to write AT LEAST 8000 words this weekend and clean my house. But instead, I laid around in my jammies sipping tea and reading books – because I got sick. IDK if it’s a cold or a resurgence of allergies but I had a wonderful sore throat, ear ache in both ears, cough and a general feeling of ick. So yeah. I did write 1,121 words a couple of hours ago when I had a mental flash of a conversation between two characters. I guess that counts for something.

So instead of doing anything useful, I spent the weekend reading. One of my favorite authors is Dakota Cassidy. Her new paranormal cozy mystery series – Witchless in Seattle – has been calling to me. I settled in to read Book 1, Witch Slapped, and quickly fell into the next two, Quit Yer Witchin’ and Dewitched. Book 4 comes out next month (August 2016). I cannot wait! As usual, Dakota’s books are fun and breeze right along. The characters are engaging and the setting and world building are solid. How I WISH I could write like her!

Quick description: Stevie Cartwright, accompanied by her loyal bat familiar, Belfry, is broke and one step away from being homeless. The former witch-turned-mortal moved back to her hometown of Ebenezer Falls, WA, after being exiled from her home in Texas by her coven. Stevie angered the wrong being, who literally slapped her witch powers right out of her. One of Stevie’s powers was talking to the departed. After a lot of wrangling, it turns out she can still talk to one – Winterbottom, British spymaster extraordinaire. After he has someone rig his will to leave everything to Stevie in exchange for her assistance with his post-life needs, Stevie finds herself a wealthy woman with a crumbling old Victorian manor. Stevie bungles her way into a murder scene and immediately becomes the prime suspect. Book 1 is Stevie coming to terms with her new reality, becoming reacquainted with her hometown and its many colorful inhabitants and trying to solve a murder to clear her name and avoid that whole prison thing. Books 2 and 3 show the evolving relationship between Stevie and Winterbottom, Win for short, as well as people she’s known since childhood. She realizes even if she is mortal now, she can still have a good life with good people. I can’t wait to read the next installment.

So if you’re looking for a fun read, try Witchless in Seattle. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything by Dakota Cassidy!