New Release: Malefica by Katie H. Weill
Malefica - Veneficus: Book OnePublished: 7/8/17
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Cover Artist: Dark City Designs
Publisher: Satin and Stone Publications
Claudia
Matthews turns 18 tomorrow – as long as she can make it through the first day
of classes at Oakley High School. It’s more than her inherent strangeness that
keeps her from fitting in. Her ill-tempered service dog, Luca, isn’t winning
her friends and her class schedule is even less welcoming, dropping her into
the government- mandated, “The History of Witches”.
They
are real, she's been told. They are powerful, and evil – yet Claudia wants to
know if that's actually a universal truth. Are all witches really that
bad?
When
a mysterious gift appears, dark secrets are cast into the light, and the world
as she knows it may change forever. Now armed with questions, Claudia will need
to figure out if it's truly worth finding the truth when textbooks don’t hold
all the answers. Drawn into a world of hidden covens and regulated magic, she
may learn more than she bargained for. Now Claudia has to fight the lure of
power and a temptation much more passionate…or lose herself to both. The truth
could set her free… or damn her forever.
EXCERPT:
She
could turn the demon over, and she could find out about her father…
“Can
I help you?” A skinny cop in uniform sat, bleary-eyed, and clutching a giant
cup of coffee between his two hands as he shivered against the cold which
drifted in through the briefly open door.
“I
need to speak to,” she paused; who did she ask for?
Claudia
reached up once again to brush her fingers over her eyes as if that would help
clear the haze from her mind, and felt her brows furrow down as the name of the
department her father worked for came to her.
“Someone
in the Department of Occult Enforcement.” She lowered her hands as the officer
slowly lowered his cup to the desk, his eyes widening.
“T-this
is just a local P.D. miss,” he extended his hand, pressing a button firmly on
the phone on the desk, picking up the receiver while never looking away from her.
“But I’ll get you my superior,” he was already starting to mumble, and when he
spoke into the phone, it was a blur of words her tired brain didn’t feel like
deciphering.
“Thank
you,” Claudia had considered turning to sit down in one of the chairs, but the
slap of shoes on the linoleum brought her attention to a door off to the right
that swung open, and she watched a large man in a suit and undone tie step
forward. Instant recognition crossed his face, and his hand snapped towards his
side arm.
‘Run,’
her mind whispered, but she couldn’t make herself head for the door.
Her
feet felt rooted to the spot as if the ivy from outside had curled up around
her ankles and held her in place; the perfect target for a full clip of
bullets. “I’m Claudia Matthews,” tears clogged her throat suddenly as she
watched him, voice thick, tired and desperate. “And I really need your help.”
She managed and then her knees buckled in their exhaustion, sending her
tumbling to the floor.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Katie
H. Weill is the descendant of a witch - descendant of Ann Pudeator, a wealthy
woman in her seventies who did nothing but care for others, and one of the last
women accused and executed in Salem, Massachusetts. Katie was inspired by the
hard fought findings of her Aunt to create a story that started with a sprinkle
of history and unraveled a tale from there. With her husband and her rescued
dog at her side she is enthralled by the idea of creating new stories and
worlds and looks forward to sharing them with the world. Ann Pudeator was
exonerated in 1957 by the Massachusetts General Court of all charges.
Connect with Katie and stay up to date on all the latest news, events and releases:
www.facebook.com/KHWeill