Fashion.
Dead bodies. And magic.
Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats
by
Carla Rehse
Date of Publication: July
24th 2017
In
this fantastical and mysterious tale, seventeen-year-old lock pick Gracie Mason
finds herself inadvertently caught up in a world involving witches, bizarre
rituals, romance—and murder.
BLURB
Witches must bond with humans in order to
produce children—and once the bond is made, it cannot easily be unmade.
Imagine seventeen-year-old Gracie Mason’s
surprise when she accidently bonds with a witch named Asher. Sure, he’s cute,
but that’s beside the point. She’s not going to settle for a guy just because
she’s magically bound to him.
To dissolve the bond, Gracie must seek out
another witch to perform a magical rite. However, matters become considerably
more complicated when witches begin turning up dead. Wanting nothing more than
to get on with her life, Gracie must now team up with her enchanter and wade
deeper into a complex world of enchantment and intrigue.
Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats is an
enthralling story of magic, mystery, and murder—and each new twist will draw
you further under its spell.
Buy
Link: Amazon
Excerpt:
Daddy
told me years ago that to succeed in life I need a strong plan, the right
tools, and the gumption to follow through. His words of wisdom helped me get
elected homecoming queen, become co-captain of the cheerleading squad, and
voted on the student council. Now I plan to use them to help me pull off my
first burglary.
My plan
is solid. I’ve also never backed down from a challenge, not even last year when
Brittany Thomas became overly friendly with the entire football team in a sad
attempt to deprive me of my crown. People say I started the rumor about the
rash of STD cases spreading through the boys’ locker room faster than a brush
fire. I didn’t, of course. Why start gossip when the squad of doctors from the
local Health Department did it for me?
I take a
deep breath as I enter the Trinity Building. At almost four o’clock on a Friday
before a three-day weekend, the place is deader than a PTA meeting. It helps
that today is the hottest July first on record for Central Texas and the air
conditioning in this building is dismally subpar. The Trinity Corporation may
claim to have the most upscale rental space in town, but one look at the gold
leopard granite floor paired with peach-painted walls shows that’s a downright
fib.
The only
guard on duty leans back in his chair and sucks down a Sonic Route 44 Coke like
his life depends on it. I wave as I pass the security desk, wearing a megawatt
smile and fully confident in the strength of my lavender-scented Lavanila
deodorant—vegan, of course. Deputy Dawg gives me his usual perv stare before
returning to the comic book balanced on his knee.
Centex
Therapy, LPC occupies most of the first floor office space. A small bell
tinkles when I open the frosted glass door. What decorum the overall building
lacks, the waiting room has in spades. Brown leather chairs sit on a bamboo rug
and pastel paintings from local artists brighten the walls. A tall grandfather
clock in the corner softly chimes four times. This late on a Friday means the
room is empty of other patients. Perfect.
Jane, the
receptionist, fans herself with a copy of Country Living. “Cutting it awfully
close, Gracie. Go on in.”
Dr.
McDozzle gives me a pained smile as I enter the room.
“Good
afternoon, Miss Mason. Have a seat.” For a head shrinker, he’s incredibly formal.
And a non-Texan, who hates football and sweet tea. I haven’t learned much more
about him in the last month, but that’s enough to get him tarred and feathered
if word got out.
The
leather recliner squeaks when I sit down. “Thanks for seeing me on a Friday,
Doc.” I twirl a strand of newly highlighted platinum hair around my finger. It
goes wonderful with my bubblegum pink manicure. “Mr. Anderson, Daddy’s new
lawyer, is now insisting I have two sessions a month with you. Of course,
Mama’s lawyer says once a month is just fine, seeing how I’m such a
well-adjusted high school senior and all. Almost a senior, I guess, since
school’s not started.”
Dr.
McDozzle straightens his glasses. “Yes, well, your parents do seem to have
quite the barrage of attorneys involved in their divorce. Have you worked on
the homework I gave you during our last session?”
This is
such a waste of time. My parents have spent the last five years embroiled in a
divorce dirtier than a greased pig-wrestling contest. Both sides of the family
have more money than sense, much to the delight of every lawyer in the
tri-county area. Not that I want my parents to get back together. Anytime
they’re within spitting distance of each other, the tension between them gives
me a migraine. Besides, if they hadn’t split up, I never would’ve met Ben.
Ben’s the
son of Daddy’s ex-girlfriend. Until four months ago, they all lived together in
Daddy’s condo. Ben is a sophomore at the local college and is truly hot, in a
geeky, stud muffin, save-the-world, kinda way. Crushing on my almost
stepbrother might seem a bit sketchy, but it’s legal—I Googled it twice.
Which
means it’s time to start step one in my Get Ben Plan.
I toss my
hair over my shoulder before pulling out a pink glitter notebook from my Eiffel
Tower-shaped mini-purse.
“You
wanted me to write down my feelings about my parents’ shared custody thing.
Honestly, I don’t understand why the lawyers are so panty-twisted about me
spending a week with Mama and the next with Daddy. It means I get double the
wardrobe. Hello? What girl would say no to that? It’s way better than Heather’s
situation. I told you about her last time, I think. The girl with the hideous
frizzed-out curls but drives a cute BMW Z4 roadster? Anyway, her parents are
insane.” I continue a steady stream of babble until Dr. McDozzle’s eyes glaze
over.
There’s
no clocks in the room, but Dr. McDozzle keeps checking his watch. I’m sure the
poor man created a nice therapy plan for me, but I’ve completely derailed it.
Mama always says a girl has many tools to choose from in her arsenal—perfectly
curled hair, well-placed boobs, and endless chatter are my faves. Besides,
Daddy’s been paying therapists a fortune for years to show the divorce court
how concerned he is about me. Dr. McDozzle’s earning his car payment today.
Buy Link: Amazon
Author Info
Although not a native Texan,
Carla prides herself on having mastered the correct usage of “y’all” and
“bless your heart.”
Carla is owned by a persnickety
kitty, who rules the computer keyboard and only allows Carla to write when
demands for cat treats are met.
The Book Junkie Reads Interview with
Carla Rehse . . .
How
would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your
work?
First
person, present is my nature voice. I love a mixture of humor and action.
What
are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
I hope
to have the sequel finished by Christmas, but that might be a bit ambitious.
I’m excited to publish for the first time. Pink
Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats will be available on Amazon on 7-24-17.
Do you
feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows
naturally for you?
I
always have stories in my head. The trick is getting them down on paper.
Do you
have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't
quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?
I have
a story about the first settlers on another planet. I love the plot and the
main character, but can never find time to finish the book. Someday…
If you
could spend one-week with 5 fictional character, who would they be?
Throwing
down some butterbeer with Harry Potter and his crew would be awesome.
Where
would you spend one full year, if you could go ANYWhere? What would you do with
this time?
I would
live at Moab in Utah. Rock climbing and jeeping would be fantastic. I’d also
drag my laptop out to a mountain and get some writing done.
Can you
share you next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
Pink Duct Tape and Glittery Broomsticks is the title of the
sequel. It opens with Gracie, a tent, and a jumping armadillo.
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