GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ Jamie McFarlane guest post: The pros and cons of being a wizard in a witchy world. (Wicked Folk book tour) + giveaway | I Smell Sheep

Friday, September 23, 2016


If you catch me on a bad day, you'll find I secretly wish I were allowed to see the world as the mundanes in the world around me do. To wake up and drive to Starbucks on the way to my mundane job, where I'll meet my co-workers and sit at my desk, and do whatever things mundane folks might do behind their endless array of desks behind those vast walls of glass and cubicles. I wish for this life because I know these mundanes have long ago exchanged knowledge of things that go bump in the night for the safety of ignorance. It is on days like this that I most wish to walk down the street and not smell the telltale scent of werewolves on the hunt, or catch a glimpse of a troll's disguise faltering under the bright sun. For me the burden of knowledge is born not because I am willing, but because I've been of this world from birth.

Now that you know how I feel when I'm low, you should know about the incredible joy I find being a wizard in a witchy world. The mundane world seeks to trivialize the supernatural. By far the most difficult and therefore the most affected are the witches, who are often portrayed as nutty old woman, with crazy looks in their eyes, rambling on about this and that. For me, reality could not be further from the truth, for you see, I was raised by a witch and her coven. Now, you need to understand, I'm not a witch myself, but instead I'm a wizard. While the difference is significant, it's not incredibly important for our purposes here.

At an early age, I was abandoned by my mother and placed into foster care. Honestly, I don't remember much about her and even less about my father. While I struggled as any kid would under those circumstances, it wasn't until I was in my early teens that my powers first started manifesting. As it turns out, I ended up burning down the high-school gymnasium at my school and this was where Judy, a local witch stepped in and rescued me. It is the beauty of these women, that I would miss the most if I were mundane. It is a rare treat for a wizard to be allowed into the inner workings of an active coven, but Judy and her sisters accepted me as their own. It is with these women that I have experienced the joy of feeling fully accepted by not just the people around me but also very universe itself.

Wicked Folk (Witchy World Book Two)
by Jamie McFarlane
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Fickle Dragon Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-943792-12-2
Number of pages: 266
Word Count: 86,837
Cover Artist: Silviya Yordanova
Late one night, a teenaged witch witnesses her uncle perform the forbidden ritual to summon a demon. His carelessness results in the demon breaking free and being released into the world. Drawn to the young witch's powers like a shark, the demon is only temporarily thwarted when she manages to escape.

Felix Slade is a wizard living far from the family he grew up with. Recently he's been unable to sleep as night after night a beautiful young witch is stalked by a demon in his dreams. Each night, new details are exposed and Felix is soon convinced that it’s up to him to prevent the woman’s demise. The dreams reach a critical point when Felix’s own family is threatened by the violence he’s sure is yet to come.

With his sister and the woman he loves by his side, Felix rushes to face the greatest challenge he’s encountered yet. There is great darkness inside him and he must choose to embrace or reject it in order to face the demon’s evil.


Faa Farmstead, just outside Eppy Faire, five years ago 

Lace Faa stared out at the waning crescent moon through the wavy glass of the old farmhouse window, wishing for even the slightest breeze. The day's heat refused to dissipate from the humid, summer air which clung to her as she tried unsuccessfully to fall asleep. As if on command, a slight puff of wind rustled the sheer curtains of her second floor window, carrying with it the faint sound of chanting. She strained her ears, curiosity piqued, wondering who might be working her family's hidden craft so late at night. Her gaze shifted to the barn across the gravel driveway. A flickering glow between weathered siding exposed the presence of lit candles and a ritual in progress. 

She dropped her legs over the side of the bed and placed her feet in just the right spot to keep the weathered floor from creaking. At the age of sixteen, Lace wasn't fully initiated in the subtle magics of her kin, but moving silently had been drilled into her from an early age. She walked carefully, rolling from heel to toe along the unseen joists that supported the floor, avoiding loose boards as she slipped from bedroom to hallway. The hem of her white cotton nightgown thumped quietly, caressing the wooden stair treads as she descended to the kitchen. 

For a moment, she paused at the screen door and considered its habit of screeching when opened. Wetting forefinger and thumb in her mouth, she rubbed them on the old, rusted top hinge. Tall and slender, Lace slipped through the door, opening it only a crack. Relief from the heat held in the old house was welcome as she picked her way gingerly across the gravel. Her eyes focused on the flickering light leaking from the ancient barn. 

Lace negotiated the piles of junk that had found their final resting place next to the building and carefully placed both hands on the rough siding, leaning forward to look through one of the many cracks in its façade. Her eye came to rest on the edge of a white circle, drawn on the dirt floor only feet from her position. With her limited view, she glimpsed two black candles burning brightly at the tips of what she suspected was a pentagram, although without full view of the circle, she couldn't know for certain. 

"Phezore Gesteriph Feoro, I summon you." The bold voice, her uncle Willum Gordon's, resumed chanting in the ancient language Lace believed was only known by her extended family. Her heart thudded in her chest, recognizing the simple ritual - if only from her reading. 

"Oh, Willum," she whispered involuntarily before bringing her hand to her mouth. 

"Who's there?" Willum asked loudly from within the barn. 

Lace stepped back, startled, catching her heel on a piece of long forgotten machinery. She spun, trying to save herself, but in the poor light her knee came in contact with a stack of precariously balanced wooden crates. She lunged from her position, diving away from the collapsing junk, all pretense of stealth abandoned. The tall door of the barn slid open as she twisted, trying to free her legs. 

"Madge?" Willum asked, the low angle of wavering candles illuminating him eerily from behind. 

Lace hastily scrawled a rune in the air with her finger, turning away from Willum's position so he wouldn't see the faint sparkling trail as she did. As an initiate of her clan's magic, she'd mastered the one spell that had come easily to her – shadow walk. 

Willum stepped from the barn, closing the door behind him. Lace used the noise to her advantage and gained her feet, moving slowly from her original position. Willum turned and stared directly at her, standing stock still – a hunter trying to locate its quarry. Lace froze. She knew him to be cruel when cornered and he would not take kindly to her spying on his ritual. A weak practitioner by family standards, he'd often taken out his frustrations on her. With the provocation of an interrupted ritual, Lace well understood the danger she'd placed herself in. 

Willum took a few steps forward, cutting the distance between them in half. Lace breathed slowly, trying to calm her heart, the lack of oxygen demanding deeper breaths. Swiping the air between them, Willum moved toward her. Slowly, she stepped aside, anticipating his movements. Sweat beaded on her forehead as his fingers came within inches of her face.

About the Author:
Jamie McFarlane is a graduate of Colorado School of Mines with a Master of Science in Mathematics. An avid reader, tinkerer, woodworker and metal sculptor, Jamie is just as likely to be seen smelting aluminum cans in his garage as he is tacking random, discarded iron objects into a small army of beasties that adorn his home’s landscaping.

Jamie’s writing career began as something of a dare which later turned into a tribute. In his late teens, Jamie was well known as the family story-teller, spinning fanciful yarns about ordinary events, usually with the objective of escaping well-deserved trouble.

One day, his mother, often the target of his mischievous tales, challenged him to commit his words to writing. Jamie promised he would but time passed, as did his beloved mother. In 2014, Jamie made good on his promise and published his first book.

Jamie is the author of a growing library of novels and novellas including the space opera series - Privateer Tales, and the urban fantasy series - Witchy World. Jamie lives in Lincoln, Nebraska with his wife and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Tour Giveaway 
2 $10 Amazon Gift Cards

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  1. This sounds like a great series! Enjoyed the excerpt, thank you for sharing! Also love the cover

    1. Thank you, Veronica. I've had a great time writing this series and look forward to more in the future! -- Jamie

  2. Loved the excerpt and I like the cover

    1. Hi Pamk -

      Thank you, I hope you get a chance to check out the books.

  3. Great excerpt! This sounds like a very good book.

  4. Sounds great. Looking forward to reading. Thanks.

  5. Nice post. I love that your mom got you into writing. Moms always seem to know ;).