Living the Fictional Dream

Whew! It has been a crazy two weeks; however, I am proud to report that I did indeed write a story every day. And while not all of the 14 stories turned into greatness, there are several that I think will be worth pursuing, and a couple of others that were more ideas, but that could possibly be developed into something later. All in all, not a bad two weeks’ work. And, now that SED is over, perhaps I can get back to a semi-regular writing schedule over here!

So, on my first day back, I want to talk about a book that I just read, Don’t Hex With Texas, by Shanna Swendson. This is the fourth book in her Enchantment Inc. series, which I’ve really enjoyed. I’ve given the first book as a Christmas gift at least four times.

I discovered the series through my sister. She told me that I friend of hers had a novel published, so I took a look, and that was that. The series is a cross between fantasy and chick lit, but, for some reason, most of the bookstores shelve it in the general fiction area. (I know, because I’ve had to hunt for it! I expected to find it with the fantasy novels, but… not so much.)

Katie, the heroine of EI, is unique, but not in the usual way. See, it turns out that there is magic in the world. In fact, most people have a little magic in them, which means that magic will work on them, too. There is a whole magical community out there (fairies, wizards, pixies, enchanted frogs, etc.) that your everyday people don’t see thanks to illusion spells and the like.

But Katie’s super secret magic power is not really so magic at all. She is immune to magic, which makes her a valuable commodity in the magical world. She gets a job at the “Microsoft” of the magical world (a company that makes magic spells), and soon finds herself bringing both her immunity and her common sense into the wacky world of magic, as well as meeting some interesting guys along the way, such as Owen, an extremely shy co-worker who just happens to be one of the most powerful wizards of his generation.

Don’t Hex With Texas takes place right where the previous book (Damsel Under Stress) left off, with Katie out of New York and back in her hometown in Texas. She thought that coming back to Texas would give her a little respite from the wacky hijinks of the magical world, but instead, the magical world follows her to the Lone Star State.

I don’t want to give away too much of DHWT or the EI series in general, so I won’t say any more about plot, but if you’ve read the other books, you definitely need to pick up your copy of DHWT as soon as possible. And, if you haven’t read any of the EI series, what are you waiting for? Head out and pick up a copy of all four titles (Enchantment, Inc., Once Upon Stilettos, Damsel Under Stress, and Don’t Hex With Texas) and settle in for some the fun.

Shanna writes with a bright and easy style, and the pages just seem to flow by before you’ve realized it. The characters are memorable, and her world building is top notch. These books are good fun with a liberal sprinkling of magic and action — summer reading material that you need to put on your list!

Sadly, the one tragedy is that Shanna’s short-sighted publisher has not offered a contract for more books in the EI series, so, as of now, DHWT is the last installment. However, don’t let that deter you from reading the series. First of all, the stories are fun and should not be missed. Second, the more copies of the existing four books that get bought, the more likely it is that a publisher will take notice and possibly contract another installment. And, finally, because I know some of you out there would want to know this before starting the series, if DHWT is the final installment ever, it leaves the characters in a good place. There are unanswered questions, of course, but no cliffhangers, either physically or emotionally.

Also, if you’ve finished the series and want to know more or if you’re a writer looking for another good blog to read, you should check out Shanna’s blog.

Happy reading, y’all!