Today it’s a quick behind-the-scenes peek at my new urban fantasy novella, CHERRY KISSES. Witches and hexes and deals with demons, oh my!

First: this amazing cover, by Ida at Amygdala Designs. I couldn’t have asked for better. Isn’t it brilliant?

I originally wrote CHERRY KISSES for an anthology, and it was my first effort at writing to a theme. How’d that work out?

Well, an anthology is generally born like this: they throw out a theme and a word count, you go away and write a story. Preferably related to the novel series you’re currently writing. Readers love it, promo all round, everyone’s happy, all go home for red wine and Amazon rankings.

Witches! they said. We want saucy urban fantasy witchyness. Crack on!

No worries! I replied, cheerful as ever.

Because that’s what you always say when an editor asks for something. That’s the way it works. ‘Yes’ first, panic later.

See, at the time, I was writing my Shadowfae Chronicles, a UF/romance series set in a nightmare city ruled by a demon lord and his vampire gangsters, and infested with mad fairies who seduce you and steal your mind.

Awesome series. Small problem: there are no witches in the Shadowfae universe.

I’d already written four novels, with a fifth in the pipe. Not a witch in sight. Demon hexes and glittering fairy spells, check. But witches? Magical humans? Nuh-uh… well, there was one, but I killed him already. Damn. What’s an author to do?

Well, thought I: what if my witch isn’t really a witch? What if she stole her spells from a fairy, because she wanted to be powerful – whether she could control them or not? And what if in this story, she steals something darker… something that’s more trouble than she bargained for?

Meet my heroine. Lena Falco, con artist and thief, violet-haired vixen and wielder of sparkling spells that don’t strictly belong to her. The witch you have when you’re not having a witch.

Problem solved. Add in a vengeful demon paymaster, a possessed amulet up for grabs and an audacious heist in Hell, and we’re good to go.

Of course, when Lena’s potential hero shows up? I made him Mr. Incorruptible, the only man in town who’s immune to her lying charms. If she wants him, she’ll have to find another way to impress – even if it means actually doing the right thing for a change.

Or not.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new ebook of CHERRY KISSES! Right now, it’s free (yay!!) when you join my email newsletter. You can get your copy here.

(Or, you can wait until I put it up at the retailers, and pay for it. But why would you do that? Go on, get a free one. Be daring. This is Paranormal Unbound, after all. We guffaw in the face of danger! etc..)

So: what are your favourite witch books, movies and TV? Are you a Charmed fan? Bewitched? Kim Harrison’s Hollows series?