Brenda Lynn Smith

Bad Witch, Good Familiar Brenda Lynn Smith

Xantha is a witch, but doesn't know it yet. She is celebrating her 12th birthday and receiving her "familiar", Pumpkin, as a present. Pumpkin is the only female kitten in a litter of all black cats and she is the only one to have an orange spot on her. Her uniqueness and personality help Xantha decide which kitten to choose. She doesn't realize that the choice wasn't hers to make. She lives with her older sister (Clytie), and loving parents (Lavinia and Ernest). Xantha has always been jealous of her sister's looks. and the way that everything seems to come easy for her. Clytie seems to be able to make falling on her face glamorous. Xantha's best friend, Terrance, lives across the street. They have known each other since they were little and do everything together from going on ghost hunts to watching horror movies. Ernest owns a bookstore and it is there that Terrance and Xantha come across a mysterious book in a donation box. It is believed to be an old witch's Book of Shadows. The loss of Mokosh, Xantha's grandmother, seems to light a fire with Xantha's emotions making her magic display itself earlier than it should. Xantha starts to realize that she is making things happen, learns that the cats in her family seem to live as long as the owners, and that a real Book of Shadows does exist. As people start to get hurt, Pumpkin has to take over to stop her mistress from doing any major harm to the people around her. Will Pumpkin have the strength to make things right?