Wicked Witches of the Midwest Shorts Series by Amanda M. Lee

It’s the summer of 2002, and Winnie Winchester is a normal mother. She has the same highs, the same lows, and the same fears as any other mother of a fourteen-year-old girl. Of course, since she’s a witch – and her daughter can talk to ghosts – those fears are amplified to an unnatural degree. When camp counselor Donna Wilder goes missing, Winnie volunteers her services (and those of her sisters and persnickety aunt) so the Winchester witches can take over the extended weekend camp... moreIt’s the summer of 2002, and Winnie Winchester is a normal mother. She has the same highs, the same lows, and the same fears as any other mother of a fourteen-year-old girl. Of course, since she’s a witch – and her daughter can talk to ghosts – those fears are amplified to an unnatural degree. When camp counselor Donna Wilder goes missing, Winnie volunteers her services (and those of her sisters and persnickety aunt) so the Winchester witches can take over the extended weekend camp. Local police detective Terry Davenport is running the boys’ camp across the lake, and everyone is looking forward to a weekend of fun and frolicking. It’s all going as planned until Bay Winchester does what she always does and sees a ghost. Like a stack of dominoes, things start falling and normal childhood hijinks turn into days of torture for Bay and her cousins, Clove and Thistle. That’s on top of a visit from second-cousin Rosemary, who has the personality (and warmth) of a snake. The girl immediately aligns herself with Bay’s sworn enemy, which means things are going to be bad before they get even worse. Bay is on a mission to help the ghost cross over, and it’s up to her mother and family to make sure she doesn’t get hurt in the process. Note: This is a short novella set in the Wicked Witches of the Midwest world. It is set back in time so you can't read it out of order. It is approximately 25,000 words, and will not take the place of regular installments in the series. It’s just a short snapshot so you can get to know some of the other characters in Hemlock Cove. Thank you for reading. less

It’s the summer of 2005, and Marnie Winchester is in charge. That’s right, her sister Winnie is out of town for a week and Marnie is officially the boss. It’s everything she’s always wanted. Kind of. If her teenaged daughter and her two cousins weren’t getting into the wine … and if her sister wasn’t belting out show tunes at the drop of a hat … and if her aunt Tillie wasn’t threatening curses at every turn … things would be perfect... moreIt’s the summer of 2005, and Marnie Winchester is in charge. That’s right, her sister Winnie is out of town for a week and Marnie is officially the boss. It’s everything she’s always wanted. Kind of. If her teenaged daughter and her two cousins weren’t getting into the wine … and if her sister wasn’t belting out show tunes at the drop of a hat … and if her aunt Tillie wasn’t threatening curses at every turn … things would be perfect. That’s a lot of “ifs,” isn’t it? Marnie is planning the Winchester family’s annual solstice celebration – and it’s a lot of work – but the real work comes when niece Bay sees a ghost and Aunt Tillie declares war on her meddlesome great-nieces. Marnie has to find a way to keep the solstice celebration on track – and no one is up to the task of helping. The curses are flying fast and furious, and Marnie is running out of time to help a forgetful ghost move on, find her missing magic supplies and prove she should’ve been the boss all along. Note: This is a 27,000-word short set in the Wicked Witches of the Midwest world. less

Marcus Richmond might be the quiet one in the Winchester witches’ world, but that doesn’t mean he has nothing to say.Between renovations at his stable – and plans for a bright future with a certain feisty witch – Marcus has his hands full. Things get even more hectic when local FBI Agent Landon Michaels discovers blood in Marcus’ loft and a series of strange occurrences and thefts plague Hemlock Cove... moreMarcus Richmond might be the quiet one in the Winchester witches’ world, but that doesn’t mean he has nothing to say.Between renovations at his stable – and plans for a bright future with a certain feisty witch – Marcus has his hands full. Things get even more hectic when local FBI Agent Landon Michaels discovers blood in Marcus’ loft and a series of strange occurrences and thefts plague Hemlock Cove.It’s a holiday weekend and the weather – and tempers – are running hot as tourists descend on the popular vacation haven to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday. All Marcus has to do to be a part of it is figure out what’s going on… oh, and keep Aunt Tillie out of trouble when she decides someone is stealing from her special field. Marcus knows what he wants and he’s determined to get it. He just needs to solve a mystery and make sure Aunt Tillie doesn’t take matters into her own hands when no one is looking.This is a short story set in the Wicked Witches of the Midwest world. It is set between Charms & Witchdemeanors and The Trouble With Witches. less

Clove Winchester is feeling lucky at life, and that’s before a mysterious stranger drops into her magic store and gifts her with a special coin. Suddenly things can’t go wrong for Clove, and she’s the center of attention in the Winchesters’ world – especially because Aunt Tillie wants that coin. When a near-death experience rocks Clove and her boyfriend Sam, Clove takes a closer look at the coin and realizes there’s a lot she can do with her new luck streak... moreClove Winchester is feeling lucky at life, and that’s before a mysterious stranger drops into her magic store and gifts her with a special coin. Suddenly things can’t go wrong for Clove, and she’s the center of attention in the Winchesters’ world – especially because Aunt Tillie wants that coin. When a near-death experience rocks Clove and her boyfriend Sam, Clove takes a closer look at the coin and realizes there’s a lot she can do with her new luck streak. Unfortunately for Aunt Tillie, Clove is determined to keep the benefits to herself. When a brazen armed robber hits Hemlock Cove and goes after Bay, all of the Winchester witches band together to solve the crime and save the day. Of course, they may need a little luck to do it. Note: This is a 28,000-word short in the Wicked Witches of the Midwest world. It is set after The Trouble With Witches in the timeline. less

Thistle Winchester never thought of herself as responsible, but when Overlook helper Belinda gets a chance to go to a special conference and learn about opening her own business, Thistle volunteers to watch Belinda’s daughter Annie. Thistle was the queen of rotten children so she thinks Annie will be easy. How hard can one child be to handle, after all? That feeling only lasts until Annie disappears into the frigid woods surrounding Hemlock Cove... moreThistle Winchester never thought of herself as responsible, but when Overlook helper Belinda gets a chance to go to a special conference and learn about opening her own business, Thistle volunteers to watch Belinda’s daughter Annie. Thistle was the queen of rotten children so she thinks Annie will be easy. How hard can one child be to handle, after all? That feeling only lasts until Annie disappears into the frigid woods surrounding Hemlock Cove. Thistle is at a loss and desperate to find her, so she calls for reinforcements. After that it’s a mad race, with everyone who loves Annie tearing apart the town to find her. Answers are never easy, and when clues start rolling in Thistle and Aunt Tillie are left to piece together a puzzle that is years in the making and could have dire consequences. It’s all hands on deck for another Winchester adventure. When the end comes, Thistle finds her belief system shaken to its very core … something she will gladly overcome to get Annie back. Note: This is a 28,000-word short set in the Wicked Witches of the Midwest world. It is set between The Trouble With Witches and Murder Most Witchy. less