The other night after finishing up an email, Laura and I swapped parental duties so she could proofread it before it was broadcast to the Legion.
It’s a luxury I am not always afforded, but one I try to take advantage of when she’s got free hands.
Anyway.
A few minutes into the swap, Laura burst into the bedroom with ashen skin, rudely interrupting Master Liam, Nathan, and my dancing to Rhythm is a Dancer.
(True story.)
“Alexa, off,” I said over the music. “What’s up?”
“Does your chair… move forward when you sit on it?”
My head jerked back. “Of course not.”
Her eyes almost bulged from her sockets, so I pushed the kids into her arms and stepped into the home office to determine whether or not to whip out the sage.
I surveyed everything from the chair to the curtains, and the rough pile of chapter ideas for The Divided Region Book #6 on my desk.
To my utter surprise…
Nothing happened.
With a sigh and a shake of the head, I waltzed back into the bedroom — like any self-respecting man with the power to send ghosts scurrying away would — to report my findings, but most importantly…
To give Laura all the reassurance she needed to carry out the single most important duty God could bestow beyond motherhood:
Reading my email.
Reluctantly, she ceded and handed over the boys so we could resume Rhythm is a Dancer.
Five minutes passed, and she returned.
“Well?” I asked cheekily.
“Good email. Send it.”
I barked with laughter, only to earn a scowl.
“All future newsletters must be sent to me directly. I’m not going in there for a while, you hear?” she said.
🤣
Well, on the plus side, at least I won’t have to keep secretly topping up my whiskey decanter.
The thing is…
I actually believe Laura felt the chair roll forward.
Sure, she’s easily spooked. Yes, she hates being home alone. And by God does she have the impressive ability to mistake creaking pipes for distant footsteps, but I will say this:
Strange, unexplainable things have happened in this house.
Luckily, it’s usually benign and has no impact on our lives whatsoever (except for the odd bout with sleep paralysis). Hell, I’ve spent entire nights in my writer’s corner like I did just last night for a secret project I’ve been working on (more on that soon).
The only thing to disturb me wasn’t a disgruntled spirit.
NAY.
It was the guest bed I had perched in the corner.
I cannot begin to tell you how much my back hates that bloody thing.
So yeah, I do not doubt my long-suffering partner’s account, for it would be foolish for me not to, considering I spent three years writing supernatural thrillers, many of which I abandoned (I’ve explained why in previous emails and likely will again in future ones — so don’t pester me for reasons).
That said, there are two books that have seen the light of day.
They are:
Sticks and Stones and Abbey Ruins.
You can either get them individually on Amazon, or you can get the duology at my Storehouse and save a few shekels doing so.
The choice — as ever — is yours.
To learn more about the stories that eventually “forced” me out of the genre, go here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/COAR
DJJW