Not too long ago, I wrote a short story for an anthology. It was great. Not only did I get to work with some amazing authors and have my story included on the same pages as theirs, but it made me think of a fun story I might not have otherwise.
We’ve heard the story of Hansel and Gretel, but what is the story of the witch? Just why did she try to lure them into her oven? Why were children on the menu? What if she was a certain type of witch? An Impastusae Witch. What if most of the Impastusae Witches didn’t bother themselves with building an entire house out of sweets, but damned people with something far simpler – a single slice of pie?
BLURB:
SURVIVE THE TRIALS. AVOID HER CAULDRON.
Deep in the centre of the woods is a cabin where all beings befall a feast. Many eat and leave, but a trial must be survived by all who eat the pie. Jhaeros was thrown into the dungeon with a belly full of pie. The magic of the impastusae witch assaulted him as he realized he was a prisoner. If he wants answers, he is going to have to do something he’s never been good at – Jhaeros was going to have to play nice.
Obscura had survived more of the witch’s trials than she cared to keep count of. With each being plucked up for the cauldron, another was thrown down to join them. Jhaeros was no different than any other being, though his arrogance caused anger to burn in her belly. He wanted to escape, and he didn’t care just who he had to step over to do it but even she felt the claws of desperation when the hatch remains closed and no new beings are thrown down to join them.
With their numbers dwindling, can they work together to avoid the cauldron of the wicked witch?
Find out if it’s possible to survive an Impastusae Witch in this novella that will release October 25th. Preorders live now!
SJ Stewart Books 