Wickedly Dangerous (Baba Yaga, #1)
Deborah Blake
To Jeanette Neisuler, who always believed this day would come.
My grandmother and my friend, who shared my love of chocolate and reading, and so many other things. She remembered all the important stuff, even after she lost her short-term memory, and started every conversation with me by asking, “So, do you still have five cats? And what are you writing now?” I miss you, Germambie. This one’s for you. Hell—who am I kidding? They’re all for you. Thanks for believing.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This is my first published novel, and it was a long time coming, so I have a lot of people to thank. I promise the acknowledgments in the second book will be much shorter . . . (And if I leave out someone important, it is from exhaustion, not intent.)
Big, huge thanks go to my agent, the amazing Elaine Spencer of the Knight Agency. I couldn’t ask for a better advocate for my books, and I am grateful beyond words to be working with someone so savvy and enthusiastic. Thank you for your faith in me . . . and for all those revision notes that made my writing better. (Really, I take back the cursing. Mostly.) And to Lucienne Diver, who kindly helped to hook us up, and who has done more than her fair share of cheerleading along the way. Knight Agency peeps rock.
I feel equally fortunate to have an editor who is such a joy to work with. Thanks to Leis Pederson for taking the chance on this debut author, and for all those revision notes that made my writing better. (Really, hardly any cursing at all.)
Humongous gratitude goes out to all my First Readers, who suffered through the first draft of this book, and in most cases, many others. Lisa DiDio is the best critique partner anyone could ever hope for, and not just because she threatens to kick me with her Uggs if I don’t get off my butt and WBW. You’re next, babe. Judith Levine has read every book I ever wrote, and is single-handedly responsible for the fact that Leis didn’t have to take out an extra 2,625 commas. She also happens to be my mother and a pretty fabulous writer too. Alex Bledsoe is an inspiration in everything he does, and I’m honored to have him on my team and in my life. Mindy Klasky is a writer and editor extraordinaire, and her input has always made my books better.
I spent the years prior to getting published in fiction in two ways: first in writing seven nonfiction books for Llewellyn Worldwide, where my amazing editor Elysia Gallo put up with all my newbie-author shenanigans and generally taught me everything I needed to know about how to be a professional, and second in establishing lasting relationships and—when I was lucky—true friendships with many talented authors, editors, and agents.
These folks cheered every success and commiserated at every setback and taught me more than I can say. Many, many thanks to the remarkable Candace Havens, the best mentor a beginning writer could want, and in no particular order: Nancy Holzner, Heather Long, Tanya Huff, C. E. Murphy, Lisa Shearin, Jim C. Hines, Jeri Smith-Ready, Patience Bloom, Marlene Stringer, Maria V. Snyder, Jennifer Crusie, Lani Diane Rich, C.S. MacCath, Yasmine Galenorn, Annette Blair, Linda Wisdom, Dakota Cassidy, Donna Andrews, Julie Butcher, Tamora Pierce, Louisa Edwards, Katie Fforde, Trisha Ashley, and Carol Berg.
Thank you to my family, for encouraging me to be as weird as I wanted (which is pretty weird) and for cheering on all my endeavors. Big love especially to my kid, Jennifer Holling-Blake, for being such an inspiration with her own creative undertakings, and for bragging about me to everyone she meets. (Silly girl. The check is in the mail.) And to my friends, who are among the best people in the world. Ellen Dwyer, who keeps the cats fed when I travel; Blue Moon Circle, who keep my spirit fed; and especially Robin Wright, who was there at the very beginning of it all, writing and reading and making notes on printed-out reams of manuscript in the bathroom, since that was the only place she got five minutes of peace from her kids.
A big huzzah to the Betties (you know who you are), many of whom are also talented writers, and especially to Skye and Sierra for their never-ending support and Castle-watching. You two rock. And to my gang at the Creativity Cauldron, who took my online writing classes and insisted on sticking around afterward.
And last, but not least, to @HarriedWizard—because witches and wizards have to stick together.
CONTENTS
An Unexpected Feeling
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Epigraph
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO