Shifty Magic
by Judy
Teel
...some
people will do anything for revenge.
A
tough PI struggles to track down a vengeful serial killer only to discover that
the murderer holds the key to her secret magical heritage.
Book
One in the YA13 paranormal/mystery series Dangerous Magic by Judy Teel.
"Expect action, on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense, and the perfect touch
of romance."
Resting my right hand on my gun, I poked the yellow button of my office door’s remote with my left index finger. My muscles tightened for action as the thick metal barrier swung ponderously open with a long-suffering hiss of hydraulics.
Cooper’s curious gaze swept over me and around the room. Wizard’s attention swept over Cooper. When the two of them locked eyes, the Were tensed and the cat started purring. Wizard rose to her feet and arched her back in a luxurious stretch, her focused attention never leaving the Were.
He was dressed for work, which in the FBI world meant black slacks and shoes, crisp white dress shirt, black jacket and a tie. The tie was bright yellow with a picture of Bugs Bunny on it.
He narrowed his luminous silver-green gaze on my cat, and then landed it back on me. “You should check your video readout before opening the door,” he said with that kind of authoritative sternness that inspired people like me to do the opposite.
I frowned at him. “What do you want?”
“To hire you. But first I need your alibi.”
“It’s too early for alibis,” I said, taking a sip of coffee to cover my surprise. As far as I knew, I hadn’t done anything obviously illegal. At least, not lately.
He glided into my office in that graceful, menacing way Weres had, and I buzzed the door closed. Despite looking barely old enough to buy a beer, Cooper radiated energy and purpose like the sun did heat. As the door clicked shut, he filled the space making the bread-box size of my office feel more like a matchbox.
His expression sobered as he eased himself gingerly onto one of the spindly folding chairs. “Where were you last night between the hours of eleven and one?”
Cooper’s curious gaze swept over me and around the room. Wizard’s attention swept over Cooper. When the two of them locked eyes, the Were tensed and the cat started purring. Wizard rose to her feet and arched her back in a luxurious stretch, her focused attention never leaving the Were.
He was dressed for work, which in the FBI world meant black slacks and shoes, crisp white dress shirt, black jacket and a tie. The tie was bright yellow with a picture of Bugs Bunny on it.
He narrowed his luminous silver-green gaze on my cat, and then landed it back on me. “You should check your video readout before opening the door,” he said with that kind of authoritative sternness that inspired people like me to do the opposite.
I frowned at him. “What do you want?”
“To hire you. But first I need your alibi.”
“It’s too early for alibis,” I said, taking a sip of coffee to cover my surprise. As far as I knew, I hadn’t done anything obviously illegal. At least, not lately.
He glided into my office in that graceful, menacing way Weres had, and I buzzed the door closed. Despite looking barely old enough to buy a beer, Cooper radiated energy and purpose like the sun did heat. As the door clicked shut, he filled the space making the bread-box size of my office feel more like a matchbox.
His expression sobered as he eased himself gingerly onto one of the spindly folding chairs. “Where were you last night between the hours of eleven and one?”
Judy knew she
wanted to be a novelist since she was fifteen. She’d always written stories,
but it was in 10th grade literature class during a boring lecture on Billy Budd
(sorry Mr. Melville) that it hit her—the world needed more magic in it. What
would be sweeter than writing fun, exciting stories for a living?
There have been a lot of ups and downs since then and a lot of delays, but she’ll be the first to tell you that you can make your dreams come true. It takes determination and hard work, but it’s never impossible.
Thank you for featuring Shifty Magic!
ReplyDeleteThank you for having me, today, Chucha. It was fun to be here. :-)
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