Chorus of Crows: My Book Launched like a Pumpkin on a Catapult...

“There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.” Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book

The room was black, wholly mysterious and unseen, just like the foul thoughts a person keeps buried, the ones you’d never divulge to anyone, not even your mother, lest she think you are demented or downright evil. A piney decay permeated the air, with notes of bone broth, sumac, and a lingering fishiness. I held my arms before me to investigate the depth of blackness and saw nothing. My fingers swiped over something moist, and I wiped the wetness across my neck. Where was I? The floor felt firm, but I wondered if I was sitting next to a fresh grave where pine trees were too thick for an owl to flap feathery wings. Cold air moved over my bare arms as something or someone scurried around the scrub. Perhaps the maneuvering was the devil’s minions carrying eternal logs to a caldron to bake my soul.

But it was the sound that truly scared me.

Moist slurping, smooshing, and tearing sounds floated in the darkness. Everywhere and all around, crunching, lips smacking, and the perverse gumming of gelatin. There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife. I heard sawing and then prolonged mastication. I swung my hand before me, and something tipped, water washing over me. “Oh, sorry, miss. Let me replace your water glass. How is your macadamia and sumac-encrusted sea bass?”

I swallowed. “It’s fine. Although, I can’t get the hang of eating in the dark. Frankly, it unsettles me. Can I get a doggie bag?”

“Sure thing,” said the waitress, awkwardly retrieving my plate and disappearing into the gloom.

Across the table, I heard my husband clink a knife across his plate and fumble with his napkin while emitting a dramatic sigh. “Hate is too subtle to describe this meal. I’d rather visit a haunted house than dine in the dark,” he said.

The End.

Every launched pumpkin must fall. But who cares? My book flew! Candy for everyone. A new, spooky, strange journey begins on Amazon for The Levitation Game. The first subscriber to leave a review on Amazon will win a free Conspiracy Theory board game! But any subscriber can win by sharing my content on social media. Just clue me in. That’s my treat. Thank you to Kate at Neddy Games for a year’s worth of fun freebies. During my Goodreads giveaway, 1,343 readers entered, and 1,269 readers marked my book as want to read. Plus, I had librarians and book sellers download my book on Netgalley this month. A quiet, hushed, happy dance ensued. Look to your inbox for my next newsletter on November 20th. You can only win free games if you subscribe.