Since I’m getting back into full swing writing Tegan’s Magic, I thought I’d post a little snippet from the start of the book to whet your appetites. From the emails I’ve been getting, I know there are quite a few lovely readers eager for the next installment, and I’m hoping to have it ready to publish for February 2013.

 I know I previously said it would be January, but then I got caught up with writing Painted Faces and so I’ve had to push things back a little. Sometimes as a writer you just have to go where your creativity pulls you, Painted Faces got into my head and wouldn’t quit pushing until I’d finished writing it, which is why I had to take a little hiatus from Tegan. But never fear, the third book is in the works and I’m going to try my hardest to make it even better than the first two books.

So, without further ado I give you the snippet, which contains a little scene between Tegan, Rita and Ira (yes, Ira! I know some of you are very, shall we say, interested in him, lol!)

I get up and go into the kitchen to make myself some tea. Once I’ve poured a cup I go and sit down at the table, where Ira is still seated and staring out the window into the dark garden. He definitely has the right idea. The solitary life has its advantages. Getting  involved with people just leaves you broken and bruised. At least in my experience it does.
Ira glances at me serenely and then turns his attention back to Finn’s overgrown back garden. A moment later Rita comes into the room and stands by the door.
“What’s your problem Tegan? I can tell you’re annoyed about something,” she says, her arms crossed over her chest.
“I’m just tired,” I reply, “and I’m also sick of Ethan’s games and how all of the vampires hate me now. It’s not like I did something intentionally evil.”
Rita comes to sit by me, but as she does Ira suddenly turns around and begins growling low in his throat. “Calm down doggie, I’m not going to put any spells on you,” says Rita.
I glance at her questioningly.
Rita sighs. “He seems to have a problem with witches, probably because of the witch who put the curse on him before. He’s not so bad with Alvie or Gabriel because they’re men, but with me and Mum he just growls and won’t let us get too close.”
“That’s odd, he doesn’t get defensive with me at all,” I tell her.
“Well, you aren’t exactly a traditional kind of witch, at least not yet.  Plus I think he’s used to you since you’ve been living here for a while.”
I take a sip of warm tea. “Yeah probably.” Then I do something unexpected. I reach across the table and place my hand on Ira’s bare arm.
“Rita’s not going to harm you. She’s a good witch.” I tell him.
Rita laughs. “Well that’s debatable.”
Ira stares directly into my eyes, grunts, and then pulls his arm away. Rita, being the provocative mare that she is, pulls a chair out, pushes it right up next to Ira and sits down.
His growling starts up again, even louder this time. She puts her arm around his very broad shoulders and places a smacking kiss on his cheek. “Get used to me pooch, because I’m not going anywhere,” she tells him in a vaguely seductive voice. She squeezes his shoulders and then swiftly leaves the room to return to her motor home for the night.
“Goodnight Tegan,” she calls just before slamming shut the front door.

“’Night Rita,” I reply, picking up my tea and making my up to bed, leaving
Ira to resume his solitary contemplation.

***
I might have mentioned before that in the Tegan books I name each chapter after a song. Well, here’s the song I named chapter one of Tegan’s Magic after. It’s called Misery is the River of the World and it’s by Tom Waits, though in this version it’s performed by one of my all time favourite cabaret singers, Camille O’Sullivan.