Industrial Magic (62 page)

"This is Gillian," Randy said. "Dana's sister. I'm going to be looking after her now. Mr. Cortez is giving me a job in town here, so I can stay with her."

"That's great," I said. I tried to catch Gillian's eye and smiled. "You must be what, thirteen? Fourteen? Just starting your second-level spells, I bet."

Gillian looked up at me and for a moment, her eyes were blank, then she realized what I meant. "Spells, no, we don't do that. My mom, I mean. She never . . . well, not much."

"That was, uh, one reason I wanted to speak to you before you left," Randy said. "I know Miss Nast here is about Gillian's age . . ."

It took a moment for me to realize he meant Savannah.

Randy continued. "I know that you're teaching her, and that you used to be with the Coven and you did some teaching there, so I thought maybe you could help Gillian. Long-distance, of course. By phone or e-mail or whatever, maybe visit when you're in town, or we could visit up there. I'll pay you, of course. I hate to impose, but I don't know any other witches. My ex-wife didn't keep in contact with her sister, and I wouldn't even know where to find her, but I really want Gillian to know more, to be able to cast spells, so she can protect herself—" a quick glance at his daughter's grave—"against everything."

"And so she should," I said. "I would love to help her, in any way I can."

"Are you sure?" Randy asked.

I met Gillian's shy gaze with a wide smile. "I'm positive."

About the Author

Kelley Armstrong lives in Ontario with her family. Visit her Web site at www.kelleyarmstrong.com.

[front blurb]

Praise for Kelley Armstrong's

DIME STORE MAGIC

"[A] sexy supernatural romance [whose] story's special strength lies in its seamless incorporation of the supernatural into the real world. A convincing small-town setting, clever contemporary dialogue, compelling characterizations and a touch of cool humor make the tale's occasional vivid violence palatable and its fantasy elements both gripping and believable."

—
Publishers Weekly

And for
BITTEN

"This debut novel from a Canadian writer proves that solid storytelling and confident craftsmanship can rejuvenate one of the hoariest of all horror clichés. . . . Armstrong's true achievement is her depiction of werewolf nature in believably human context . . . the sensuality of Elena's transformations and the viciousness of her kills mesh perfectly with her tough personality. . . . Filled with romance and supernatural intrigue, this book will surely remind readers of Anne Rice's sophisticated refurbishings of the vampire story."

—
Publishers Weekly

"It's terrific. The heroine is the most appealing I have come across in ages. It's clever, quirky, hip, and funny, skating between genres with style and grace. More, please!"

—Joanne Harris, author of
Chocolat

"With a howl, Kelley Armstrong's
Bitten
plunges headlong into a murderous plot rife with violence, lust and intrigue. . .. Armstrong has created a breathless, sexy story . . . gorgeous and grotesque in the best sense of the word. Rumors of a sequel have never been better news."

—
Boulder Weekly

"Kelley Armstrong's debut novel,
Bitten,
combines hints of the strong decadent sexuality and cool-outsider mystique of
Interview with the Vampire
with the creepy hominess of Stephen King . . . Realistic details . . . complement a convincing portrait of werewolf society and its intricate codes of behavior. . . .
Bitten
will satisfy genre fans and those who like their thrills served up with literary savvy."

—
Quill & Quire

"It's as smooth as cream all the way, sure to gain fans."

—
Kirkus Reviews

"There's nothing overtly gothic about this fast-paced, sexy thriller and its model contemporary heroine—it's just that she's a werewolf who is trying to make a go of things among humans. When her pack is threatened by a new group of violent psychotic werewolves, she is drawn back into the old ways."

—
Bookseller

"Brings a new brand of ferocity to horror literature . . .
Bitten
is a lightning-paced, violent and completely readable entertainment that entertains loudly and abundantly."

—
Hamilton Spectator

"Wicked writing gets noticed, and first-time novelist Kelley Armstrong has written a deliciously wicked book . . . This is no ordinary werewolf tale, but a werewolf mystery with a huge dollop of romance thrown in."

—
Toronto Star

"The plot of
Bitten
has echoes of the best crime thrillers . . . the story is fast and entertaining. But what makes the novel so gripping is Armstrong's talent for vivid description and her interest in both the sensuality and psychology of werewolf-hood, a fascination that greatly enhances the world she creates while never slowing down the breakneck plot. At every turn, her depiction of physical sensation is precise and compelling. . . . Surely one of the sexiest, most energetic novels published in a long time . . . [A] Canadian mother of three who hails from rural southwestern Ontario has created a smart, original thriller, destined to keep people reading on into the night."

—
Gazette

"Armstrong has a definite talent for sensual descriptions. The wolf creatures are vividly created in gestures and behaviour, and most of the sexual encounters would knock one's socks off (not to mention other things)."

—
National Post

"
Bitten
is hip and postmodern. . . . Those who enjoy the vampire books of Anne Rice, or Canadian vampire writer Nancy Kilpatrick, will love it."

—
Globe and Mail

"A very contemporary, funky supernatural thriller with a particularly provocative heroine."

—
Hello

"A hair-raising story for the she-wolf in us all."

—Shannon Olson, author of
Welcome to My Planet

"Entertaining new take on an old thriller story form. Makes Buffy look fluffy."

—
Daily Express

"A tasty confection of werewolves, sex and vendettas . . . After the first nibble it's quite hard to stop. . . . Elena and her acid repartee successfully steal the show throughout; she has bags of charm. Gory, sexy fun."

—
SFX

"Good slick fun; expect the television series soon."

—
Guardian

STOLEN

"Elena Michaels, the only known female werewolf, cavorts on a more fully cultivated supernatural playing field in this sure-footed sequel to
Bitten. . . .
[
Stolen
is] a prison-break story spiffed up with magic. . . . Armstrong leavens the narrative with brisk action and intriguing dollops of werewolf culture that suggest a complex and richly imagined anthropologic backstory. The sassy, pumped-up Elena makes a perfect hard-boiled horror heroine. . . . This novel will please not only horror fans but also mainstream readers who like strong female characters."

—
Publishers Weekly

"In
Stolen
, Kelley Armstrong delivers a taut, sensual thriller that grips from the first page. Elena Michaels is at once sublime and sympathetic, a modern heroine who shows that real women bite back."

—Karin Slaughter,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Blindsighted
and
Kisscut

"Like
Bitten, Stolen
paints a perfectly convincing portrait of a woman who quite literally runs with the wolves. . . . Armstrong has created a persuasive, finely detailed otherworldly cosmology—featuring sorcery, astral projection, spells, telepathy and teleportation—that meshes perfectly with the more humdrum world of interstate highways and cable news bulletins. . . .More than just a thriller with extra teeth,
Stolen
is for anyone who has ever longed to leap over an SUV in a single bound, or to rip an evil security force to shreds, or even just to growl convincingly."

—
Quill & Quire

"The narrative veers between clever, scholarly distinctions among different sorts of magical powers and a lot of action movie-style sex and violence. . . .What's interesting are the twists and turns along the way, boosted by bits of philosophy and arcane knowledge Armstrong adds to her strange brew. . . . We meet enough truly entertaining creatures along the way to make us wish that this will not be the last romp for Elena and her pack."

—
Toronto Star

"Armstrong is a clever writer . . . [and
Stolen
] grabs you at the outset."

—
Winnipeg Free Press

"
Stolen
is a delicious cocktail of testosterone and wicked humour. . . . Too earnest to attempt parody, [Armstrong's] take on the well-travelled world of supernatural beings is witty and original. She's at her best when examining the all-too-human dilemmas of being superhuman. . . .[
Stolen
] bubbles with the kind of dramatic invention that bodes well for a long and engrossing series. . . .This can only be good news for the growing Michaels fan club."

—
Globe and Mail

"Mesmerizing . . . the 'otherworldly' atmosphere conjured up by Armstrong begins to seem strangely real. Armstrong is a talented and original writer whose inventiveness and sense of the bizarre are arresting."

—
London Free Press

Version History

1.0 – scanned, formatted, and spell-checked from 1st edition (mass-market paperback ISBN: 0-553-58707-2).

2.0 – November 4, 2004 – The_Ghiti – proofed in detail against deadtree format. As usual, if there was an oddity in dialogue, or an obscure alternate form, I left "as is," but if there was an obvious typo, I corrected it, even if it was in the original, as I regard this as a new edition, not just a reproduction. If you find additional errors, please correct, increment the version number, and re-submit to #bookz.