Featured Author: Candace Meredith

By Raja's Insight on February 3, 2019 • ( 0 )

Candace Meredith earned her Bachelor of Science degree in English Creative Writing from Frostburg State University in the spring of 2008. Her works of poetry, photography and fiction have appeared in literary journals Bittersweet, Backbone Mountain Review, Anthology 17, Greensilk Journal, Saltfront and The Broadkill Review. She currently works as a Freelance Editor for an online publishing company and has earned her Master of Science degree in Integrated Marketing and Communications (IMC) from West Virginia University.

Here is an excerpt from Candace’s New Book Winter Solstice

One

She stood at five feet and four inches with a round belly and long, wavy jet black hair that reached her waist, with pretty hazel eyes and straight white teeth – he loved her enough before she was pregnant but took off thereafter even changing his number, wanting no more to do with her.

Hanna then worked until she was let go and paid her rent on time and did all that she could do right, then, instead of him, she found The Sister’s Coven and learned how to chant and evoke spirit – something that made her to never feel alone again.

It was the night she walked the cobblestone street during Halloween when she met Amber, Sydney, Priscilla and Paisley. The women called themselves the Sister’s Coven as they had been sworn in to protect one another against darkness. Hanna fell in love with the four women the moment she met them; Amber was the youngest at eighteen with a bobbed haircut, honey brown in color that looked glossy especially in the light. Sydney was the tallest, very elegant with curly tresses of blond hair aged twenty-two. Priscilla was the sweetest, aged twenty with dark, rich brown hair, cinnamon brown eyes and bronzed skin and Paisley, the second to the youngest, aged nineteen, had olive skin, green eyes and strawberry blond hair. The sisters tossed their arms around one another’s neck when they approached Hanna; she immediately noticed their necks that were enamored with a single emerald locket, laid upon their chests from a silver necklace.

“We can help you get back at him,” Amber said, stopping to remove her shoe that was rubbing at her heel.

Hanna turned to look, seeing no one else she could be talking to.

“How did you know?” She said muffled in her breath.

“We just kinda know things,” Paisley said, taking a seat at a nearby bench, patting the space beside her.

“Have a seat,” Sydney said, and Priscilla smiled her sweet smile.

“We use our minds to focus on the thoughts and emotions of others,” Sydney said, appearing to be the leader of the group as the other three young women glanced at her often.

“It’s not that I want to …”

“Not that you want to hurt him,” Paisley finished her thought.

“Right.” Hanna said, seated awkwardly.

“Getting back at him doesn’t have to be evil,” Amber said politely, “we just mean in a bad luck kind of way.”

“Yeah,” Paisley agreed, “like making him have an embarrassing accident.”

“That’s right,” Sydney joined in, taking the lead, “what my sisters are trying to say is we can help him look stupid, you know, in front of others.”

“But not, you know, cause him to die or anything like that,” Paisley insisted.

“I understand,” Hanna began…

“But you don’t want to bother with him still.”

“Right, I just want to…”

“Help your baby,” Sydney said, taking a seat on the opposite side, tossing her arm around Hanna’s shoulder.

“It’s nothing to be afraid of…” Paisley mused.

“It’s just that we know you were praying for your baby.”

“That’s right,” Priscilla agreed.

“We can hear deep desires,” Amber explained.

“So we came to you tonight,” Sydney assured her. “We are the sisters of magic.”

“Magic?”

“Of enchantments,” Amber said shyly.

“Is that like witchcraft?”

The three women laughed subtly.

“Enchantment,” Sydney interjected.

“Evocation,” Paisley said.

“Spells,” Amber added.

“We help others who ask for the help,” Sydney explained.

“And we know you want protection for you and your baby,” Amber said.

“So we’re here to help you,” Paisley said turning her eyes to Sydney.

“We can teach you all we know to help you, to protect you, to be sure that your baby is safe from harm,” Sydney explained.

With that thought resting in her mind, Hanna walked the streets aside the four sisters, and began learning incantation; she learned that their necklace, barring an emerald locket, had been anointed with a protective enchantment and cleansed of impurities then consecrated with the power of the guardian.

The Guardian is an ancient soul who has the presence of a woman, the soul of a warrior, the wings of a Phoenix and one who is shrouded in a golden hue, Hanna reads from the Book of Enchantments she purchased before leaving High Tide as a Ripple in a Pond. The owner, Sterling, gave her a “new moms” discount and was sure to tell her to always do her own research before entrusting others to practice divination on her behalf.

Continued in book . . .