fuonlyknew

Enjoy this peek inside:

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My name is Hecate Grimm, and I own
a bookshop. For those of you not into myths and legends, you pronounce my name,
Hecka (like we’re going to have a hecka of a time) and Tea (Like that ambrosia
from the gods that keeps me kicking). Heh-kuh-tee. I have two sisters, Eos and
Nyx, who are also named after Greek deities. What can I say? My parents love
their mythology.

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   Now, the shop is
fairly normal, as far as bookstores go. Nothing special to see here, or at
least that’s what my regulars believe. They also think I’m a ventriloquist,
special effects guru, and dedicated actress. No one said they were the brightest
crayons in the box. After all, they’re modern people. How could anything
supernatural be going on right under their noses?

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   We call the store, The
Haunt. I inherited it from my grandmother, but it’s not one of those family
things. Sometimes it works out that way, but The Haunt must be inherited by a
witch or warlock and, hopefully, one who’s interested in books, though that
hasn’t always been the case either.    

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   “Come on, Hecate,”
Jason whined. “They’re in good shape. Just give me two credits for the lot.”

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   “No,” I said without
looking up from the newest Harry Dresden novel. “That box smells like cigars
and unwashed genitals. I’ll never be able to flip them.”

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   “I’ll admit I should
have ditched the box, but the books are solid. Look, they don’t stink at all.”
He said, taking a big whiff of a paperback with a black and orange cover. I
moved my head to the side as he shoved it under my nose. There was no
noticeable smell, but I disliked anyone in my bubble.

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   “Jason, you have two
seconds to vacate my personal space before you’re banned for life,” I said. He
backed up quickly.

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   “Sorry, Hecate. They
really are good books, though. Come on, just one credit, then? That’s a
bargain. All these for one measly credit.”

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   I glared at him and
glanced into the box. There were likely a few salvageable items, but he was
being pushy, and I couldn’t reward that type of behavior. 

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About SamiJo McQuiston:

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SamiJo is a first-class shenanigator, decorated coddiwompler,
narrator, creator, and author of The Abney Kelly series and The Haunt (coming
October 8th). She also has a short story, One Samhain Night, published in the
UJ Plainsong literary journal in April 2024, and a poem, The Bottom, coming out
in collaboration with other North Dakota authors in late 2024. She lives in
North Dakota with her husband (Andy), dogs (Puck, Enzo, and Bailey), and three
cats (Horus, Anubis, and Snow Kitty). In her spare time, she reads, writes,
listens to audiobooks, plays video games, and enjoys D&D on the weekends.

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On a more serious note, writing is everything to SamiJo. As a
sickly child, she often spent her time indoors or at the hospital before they
figured out she had asthma. At that time, books were her best friends. Without
fairy tales, the Dear America Books, and authors like Diana Wynne Jones, Jim
Sukach, Anne Martin, and Richard Peck, she would have been unthinkably lonely.
She aims to write stories that give people a much-needed escape from reality
and create places to go when getting out the front door is too much to bear. 

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Website | Blog | Twitter | Bluesky | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon

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1 winner will  receive
a tote, water bottle, hardback copy of THE HAUNT, and a $25 Amazon gift card, US
only.

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Ends November 5^th, midnight EST.