No Warm and Fuzzies for These Witches: Guest Blog & Giveaway with Linda Wisdom

Thank you Fang-tastic Books for having me here today to talk about my witches’ sidekicks!

Most people envision a witch dressed in a shapeless black gown standing over a hot cauldron with a black cat sitting sedately by her side.

When Jazz, my first witch, popped into my head I saw her standing in front of a microwave oven wearing a tank top, pj pants with coffee cups on them, and wearing bunny slippers that sport razor sharp teeth. Ironically, their names are Fluff and Puff, prefer licorice root or chocolate over carrots and tend to get into trouble at the drop of a hat.

Perhaps it says something that their original names were Doom and Destruction before Jazz rescued them from an evil sorcerer. From the beginning of 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover Fluff and Puff took on a life all their own.

I write a lot of short stories featuring them on my blog and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say they inhabit my personal bunny slippers. Perhaps I shouldn’t have named them or have them tattooed onto my ankle. The tattoo artist even went so far as to add blood splatter around their fangs. Even then, I consider them my good luck charm.

When I moved onto to Stasi in Wicked By Any Other Name, I used my beloved Chihuahua/Yorkie, Bogie, as her dog adding that he floated more than walked and could disappear. But I also threw an eight-inch gargoyle named Horace into the mix. Horace isn’t just mischievous. He’s politically incorrect, loves the ladies, and why he was cursed by a troll. Never fool around with a troll’s wife. Even though he hangs out in Stasi’s lingerie boutique dressing rooms, watches way too much adult pay-per-view, he is loyal to Stasi and Blair, as long as it means he can create a lot of mayhem. Horace excels at that. And maybe that’s why he’s tattooed on my other ankle. I felt he was a perfect fit for soft-hearted romance loving Stasi and he does provide a great balance.

Since Blair in Hex in High Heels and Stasi share an apartment, it was natural they share Horace. Scary to think it takes two powerful witches to keep one gargoyle in line, doesn’t it? As I said, he’s also helpful and with Blair gifted in revenge spells, Horace was perfect to help out when need be. Who else could she call on to set out bags of flaming poop? But Blair also has Felix, a Kit-Kat clock, who can’t leave Blair’s shop, but soaks up gossip like food. I’ve always loved those clocks and knew one had to show up somewhere. With Blair owning a shop selling retro items, it was perfect to have Felix there.

And on to Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend, and Maggie’s diamond-covered black widow spider tattoo sidekick, Elegance. Elle for short. It seemed appropriate for a kickass witch to have a tattoo and why not one who’s a black widow spider from France? Whose web is the softest of silk, who spends her free time surfing the World Wide Web searching for the perfect spell to keep her lovers alive for longer than one night of sexy, but also has the power to put down even a half fire demon if he gets out of line.

Sometimes I think it’s more fun to create the creatures than the characters. Possibly because they can get away with more than the characters can. I can throw them into situations that sound totally implausible, but they can carry if off.

They all have their own forms of magick, all with different personalities, and at least in my mind, are very real. They’re not pets. They’re friends. They have a life.

My agent took Fluff and Puff on vacation with her. I took Fluff, Puff, and Horace to Las Vegas with me. Never again. And I think Elle would be a great shopping buddy with her European sense of style.

I’ll give you a hint of what’s next. In A Demon Does It Better is a cat, but don’t call Cleo (yes THAT Cleo) a familiar or you’ll sorely regret it.

Cleo’s a silver chinchilla colored Persian cat who advises Lili on her love life and can detect old magick. But she can be distracted by the usual tricks to keep a feline entertained.

So don’t mess with me. I have magick bunny slippers that bite, a gargoyle that can create a lot of disaster in your life, and a black widow spider tattoo that can give you a whole new meaning of the word pain.

My question to you is – do you love a main character’s sidekicks? Do you feel it makes the book richer in flavor?

Linda

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linda Wisdom has published more than 70 novels with 13 million copies sold worldwide. Her bestselling books have been nominated for RT Book Reviews awards and the RWA RITA Award. She recently won the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Hex in High Heels.

Linda lives with her husband in Murrieta, California, where she is working on her next book, A Demon Does it Better, set to release in January 2012.

For more information, please visit http://www.lindawisdom.com/ .

DEMONS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND BY LINDA WISDOM – IN STORES APRIL 2011

A Bewitching Woman on a Mission…

Feisty witch Maggie enjoys her work as a paranormal law enforcement officer—that is, until she’s assigned to protect a teenager with major attitude and plenty of Mayan enemies. Maggie’s never going to survive this assignment without the help of a half-fire demon who makes her smolder…

A Hotter-Than-Sin Hero with an Agenda…

Declan is a proprietor of an underground club and busy demon portal. No way he’ll allow his demon race to be blamed for the malicious acts of some crazy evil Mayans. But he’s already got his hands full when the sexy witch offers him a challenge he can’t refuse…

Would you like to win a copy of Demons are a Girl's Best Friend?

Thanks to Sourcebooks I have 2 copies to giveaway

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