Bøker av Ward Parker

Even goddesses can't catch a break.Ever since the Goddess awoke in me, she's been a pain in the butt. The powers she gave me came with too many responsibilities. And now I face the greatest challenge of all: repairing the rift in the Veil that allows monsters of legend to pass through into our world and wreak havoc.And boy, how they keep coming.Everyone has been on my case about fixing the Veil. By everyone, I mean the few humans who know about the rift and worry about being eaten by the monsters. And the angels who watch over the world. They can't heal the Veil themselves, nor can they stop a growing conspiracy to create more fallen angels.How much will I need to sacrifice to accomplish this task? What happens if I fail? Will I get fired?And how am I supposed to find time to run my inn and serve the Memory Guild? Even goddesses can't multitask as much as that.I have a feeling that things will never be the same. And neither will I.The forces of Heaven and Hell collide in the final book of the Memory Guild series. (The sequel series, "Memory Guild's Daughter," is coming soon!)Get enchanted by an alluring world of magic, murder, mystery, and mischief.

A monstrous murder.I'm Missy Mindle, middle-aged witch, sometimes nurse, and woman up to her eyeballs in monsters. Now, I must solve the murder of a voodoo sorcerer. The victim, along with a fantastically wealthy vampire, had been using magic and alchemy to create freakish, unnatural creatures.Speaking of which, would you like to adopt a monkey-cat looking for a forever home? I didn't think so.There are many folks with motives to murder the sorcerer, such as his partner, the vampire, as well as several disgruntled customers. Or, who knows? Maybe he'd created a Frankenstein's monster that killed its creator.Anything is possible. Especially when you live in Jellyfish Beach.Dive into a wacky world of murder, magic, and mayhem with the "Monsters of Jellyfish Beach."

There's a new monster in town.I'm so grateful Jellyfish Beach has preserved its small-town charm, despite the new residents who constantly arrive here. Especially when many of them aren't human.Case in point: a species of ogre from Venezuela and Colombia called the munuane. Known as the "Grandfathers of Fishes," legend has it that these ogres don't take kindly to humans who over-fish or otherwise abuse the environment. So, when fishermen and hunters start turning up dead around town, my handlers from the Friends of Cryptids Society suspect a munuane is to blame.Who is assigned to investigate? Yep, yours truly. With help from Matt, naturally, along with all the magic I can muster.The police don't suspect a hairy ogre from South America. And their "usual suspects" are surely innocent in my eyes. But, like most of my life, the investigation gets weird.And dangerous.Then, wouldn't you know it, my black-magic sorceress mother has to turn up and make my life even more complicated.Will evil prevail? Ogre my dead body!Dive into a wacky world of murder, magic, and mayhem with the "Monsters of Jellyfish Beach."

A high-stakes vampire murder mystery.I'm just your typical witch who owns an occult shop and catalogs monsters for a mysterious society. But now, I must play witchy private detective for a young woman trying to free herself from a vampire who mesmerized her after they met on a dating app.Before I get the chance to work my magic, he is staked. My client is accused of the crime by the vampires' barbaric criminal justice system. And she's depending on me to prove her innocence and save her life.The murdered vampire had dated many young humans whom he later turned into vampires and dumped. All of them had motives to stake him. He was also a wealth manager for vampires-who need gigantic nest eggs to last them for eternity-and he defrauded several clients. Any of them could have staked him.Meanwhile, storm clouds are brewing in Jellyfish Beach as my estranged mother returns to practicing black magic. And a sinister monster-slaying cult continues to stalk me.On a happier note, the vampire creative writing group I supervise got a new member: a famous poet who was supposed to be buried 130 years ago. Too bad his genius hasn't rubbed off on the other members.Dive into a wacky world of murder, magic, and mayhem with the "Monsters of Jellyfish Beach" paranormal mystery adventures.

Welcome to Jellyfish Beach, a fishing town with a monster problem.My name is Missy Mindle. I'm a witch in my forties stuck in a dead-end job: home-health nurse for elderly vampires. So, when a mysterious organization offers a huge grant to an occult shop where I work part time, I decide to change my career path.But the grant comes with strings attached. My business partner and I must catalog and monitor all the monsters living under the radar in our Florida community. "Monsters" include supernatural entities, mythical beasts, and every scary, creepy being that shouldn't exist and wants to eat you.Which brings me to the three sweet, elderly sisters who live on my street. When a delivery driver leaves not just a package in their front yard, but also his leg, the sisters are suspected of his murder.Are they guilty? One thing I know: they're secretly ghouls who shift into human form. And this murder has "ghoul" written all over it. My cute reporter friend and I try to find out if they did it. Add into the mix a sinister monster-slaying cult we encounter at a Renaissance festival, and I'm up to my eyeballs in danger.Enjoy quirky characters, silly and dark humor, plus a slow-burn romance. These clean but warped paranormal mysteries are set in the same world as the Freaky Florida paranormal series but can be enjoyed independently.Soak up the sun, surf, and supernatural in Jellyfish Beach today!*** NOTE: This book includes monsters known to eat people (offstage with no gore). There's also a werewolf whose man-chest isn't the least bit sexy, and an irascible talking iguana who smokes. The series features larger story arcs, but each book ends with a solved mystery, not a cliffhanger.

The vampires want to turn us all. I just want to turn the channel.I never expected Mr. Jubbles of Yeehaw Junction, Florida, to return to my inn. After all, the last time he stayed here, he witnessed a monster invasion and was scolded for stealing towels.I really didn't expect him to be attacked and drained by a vampire in my pantry while stealing cocktail peanuts. Nor, for me to be accused of his murder.Things only go downhill from there.The fiend who attacked Mr. Jubbles is the world's oldest vampire. Meaning, she's as powerful as they come. She wants to take over the San Marcos vampire community now that it's been ravaged by an evil spell.The vampires want to turn all of us humans into vamps.My daughter wants to marry the Fae god of war.And the world's oldest vampire wants something from me very badly.No one cares what I want: for all this trouble to go away.Get enchanted by an alluring world of magic, murder, mystery, and mischief.

Nightmare on memory lane.I'm Darla. I'm a psychometrist. I can read thoughts and emotions left upon objects. Some people call my ability a "gift." Some people are idiots.You see, my ability isn't providing easy answers when I try to learn who killed one of my inn's guests, a developer about to cover a scenic meadow with condos.The dead developer created another problem. Turns out his job site was the location of a long-ago demolished sanatorium. Unmarked graves are uncovered. And my "gift" is leaving me haunted by the memories of some of the sanatorium's deceased patients: shifters and other supernaturals.I feel obligated to find justice for the victims, as well as solve the murder of my guest, with the help of the Memory Guild. They're great at uncovering forgotten history.But they're no help whatsoever in solving my problems. Like finding my second husband who's still missing, without offending the dreamy detective who wants to be more than friends.Or, teaching my daughter how to help me at my historic inn, without her burning the place down.Or, making sure my inn's own resident ghosts behave, without encouraging the Elvis impersonator's spirit to sing "Hound Dog" in the middle of the day.I'd always believed that in middle age I'd be living the good life. Instead, I'm living the psychic life. Of magic, mayhem, and murder.

Are lizards the wizards of doom?Midlife witch Missy Mindle is busy enough as a home health nurse for elderly vampires and werewolves in Jellyfish Beach, Florida. But now she needs to solve a murder, too. Who or what killed Marvin Nutley, her vampire patient found incinerated on his oceanfront balcony?Marvin believed in the Reptilian Conspiracy: that Lizard People are taking over the planet. He claimed to have a video showing a human turning into a dragon. He also claimed he shot said dragon. And now there's the threat of all-out war between vampires and dragons, and between humans and every reptile with teeth. To prevent it, Missy needs to find out if Marvin was killed by cold-blooded reptiles or a hot-headed vampire, while she also tries to learn the truth behind her father's murder decades ago.Gazillions of Reptilians is Book 7 of Freaky Florida, a humorous fantasy series filled with magic, monsters, and mystery; sarcasm and satire; and, of course, Florida Man. If you love the thrills of urban fantasy, the wit of cozy witch mysteries and paranormal women's fiction, and a big splash of comedy, this series is for you.

Midlife manatee insanityWho's behind the plot to kill off Florida's sea cows? While midlife witch Missy Mindle tries to solve this mystery, she must nurse a rescued manatee back to health. The problem is, he's actually a human shifter, Seymour, who wants to celebrate manatee mating season with her.Missy and her reporter friend Matt face corporate villains and team up with the ruthless Mothers4Manatees. Throw in a vengeful vampire who wants to kill her, and Missy's magick is pushed to the limit. Meanwhile, she discovers what life would have been like if she hadn't divorced years ago: living with a flabby, middle-aged guy who leaves the toilet seat up.Dirty Old Manatee is Book 6 of Freaky Florida, a humorous fantasy series filled with magic, monsters, and mystery; sarcasm and satire; and, of course, Florida Man. If you love the thrills of urban fantasy, the wit of cozy witch mysteries and paranormal women's fiction, and a big splash of comedy, this series is for you.

Embrace your destiny. Even if it kills you.After a failed marriage and burnout from her hospital nursing career, Missy Mindle has started over in midlife. She's now a home-health nurse to elderly vampires and werewolves in Florida. And she's also improving her craft as a witch.But suddenly she has two mysteries to solve. First, who is making a series of dangerous magick attacks against her that appear to be tests of her growing witchy abilities? And who is stealing corpses from funeral homes in Jellyfish Beach? When an embalmer is murdered, one of Missy's patients, a werewolf, is arrested. Can she exonerate him? Oh, and don't forget the hordes of ghouls and Hemingway lookalikes. Who will stop them?She gets plenty of unsolicited advice from a 400-year-old ghost. And also from the Fates. The three ancient Greek goddesses happen to live in a trailer park nearby. They know whether she'll survive or not, but that's the one thing they're not saying.Fate Is a Witch is the third book of Freaky Florida, a clean, humorous fantasy series filled with magic, monsters, and mystery; sarcasm and satire; and, of course, Florida Man. If you love the thrills of urban fantasy, the wit of cozy witch mysteries and paranormal women's fiction, and a big splash of comedy, this series is for you.Grab this book and enjoy a vacation in Jellyfish Beach today.

A vampire tale even a caveman would love.The retired vampires at Squid Tower in Jellyfish Beach, Florida, have it good. Until some ancient vampires show up in a massive yacht named The Man Cave. These guys are a bunch of Neanderthals. No, really. You see, not all Neanderthals went extinct. Some went undead. And they want to rule all the vampires of Florida.Missy Mindle, midlife witch and nurse to elderly supernaturals, uses her magick to help her vampire patients fight back. But when the Neanderthals start taking vampire hostages, and kidnap the daughter of Missy's cousin, get ready for a conflict of prehistoric proportions.Going Batty is Book 5 of Freaky Florida, a clean, humorous fantasy series filled with magic, monsters, and mystery; sarcasm and satire; and, of course, Florida Man. If you love the thrills of urban fantasy, the wit of witch mysteries and paranormal women's fiction, and a big splash of comedy, this series is for you. Grab a copy of Going Batty today and bring it back to your cave.

They're coming for you.Can you really blame garden gnomes for having a grudge? They're displayed as kitschy jokes, wounded by weed whackers, peed on by dogs. After midlife witch Missy Mindle seriously bungles a spell, gnomes throughout Jellyfish Beach, Florida, are becoming possessed by an evil force and are exacting retribution. Missy has to undo the fast-spreading spell and stop the surge of "accidental" human deaths.The problem is, her regular job is home-health nurse for elderly supernaturals, and she also has to help solve the murder of one of her werewolf patients. Like the gnomes, the Werewolf Women's Club is out for revenge. And something is coming for her, too.Gnome Coming is the perfect place to jump into Freaky Florida, a clean, humorous fantasy series filled with magic, monsters, and mystery; sarcasm and satire; and, of course, Florida Man. If you love the thrills of urban fantasy, the wit of cozy witch mysteries and paranormal women's fiction, and a big splash of comedy, this series is for you. Grab this book and enjoy a vacation in Jellyfish Beach today.

Gators. Pythons. Iguanas. Dragons? Why not? It's Florida.Missy, midlife amateur witch and nurse to elderly supernaturals, has two problems. First, she found a young, injured dragon in the Everglades with a price on its head. Second, her vampire patient Schwartz has disappeared after getting caught by Customs with werewolf blood. (It's like Viagra for vampires. Don't ask.)There are many bizarre creatures in the Everglades, native and non-native, but who knew dragons were among them? And this isn't just any young dragon. This is a dragon prophesied to restore its species to greatness. That's why an evil, ancient god wants to destroy it, and an almost-as-evil CEO tries to capture it. Missy has to protect the dragon while it heals (and snacks on the iguanas in her neighborhood). Too bad she also has to locate and rescue Schwartz before he gets staked. Her best weapon is her not-always-dependable magick. And she is learning that she inherited much more power from the parents she never knew than she had realized.Invasive Species is the second book in Freaky Florida, a clean, humorous fantasy series filled with magic, monsters, and mystery; sarcasm and satire; and, of course, Florida Man. If you love cozy witch mysteries, the thrills of urban and paranormal fantasy, and a splash of comedy, this series is for you. Think of it as an unholy blend of Annabel Chase, Jana DeLeon, Kim Harrison, Shayne Silvers, Christopher Moore, and Carl Hiaasen. Grab this book and enjoy a vacation in Jellyfish Beach today.

Keep your hands to yourself.There I go again, touching things I shouldn't.A knife my antique-dealer mother bought at an estate sale holds the memories of a terrified young woman about to be abducted by a werewolf.You see, I'm a psychometrist. I can read the memories people leave behind on the objects they touch. And this ability gets me into a lot of trouble.I feel obligated to save the young woman before she is killed. And it turns out that she's not the first woman this shifter has taken. Nor will she be the last. The others are turning up dead.I'm a member of the supernatural Memory Guild, but I'm no detective. (I do, however, have a sexy detective helping me.) I'm just a middle-aged innkeeper with a 300-year-old bed-and-breakfast, a witchy mother, and a trouble-prone daughter. All of them demand a lot of attention.When you throw into the mix an evil necromancer raising the dead, and an ancient magical stone, well, things get wicked complicated.And I have to solve this mystery before someone else is killed. Namely me.Don't miss this thrilling midlife paranormal mystery!

Psychic seeking psycho.My name is Darla, and I'm a psychometrist.When I touch objects, I pick up the memories and emotions of other people who have touched them.I was well into my midlife when I was recruited to serve on the Memory Guild, a secret society of supernaturals and paranormals. Based in one of the nation's oldest cities, the Guild preserves historical memory while fighting lies and conspiracy theories.And now a psychopath is trying to assassinate the members of the Guild. Including yours truly.With the reluctant help of a handsome detective, I try to find out who's behind the attacks. In between that and trying to stay alive, I also have a day job: running a historic bed-and-breakfast. So I'm kind of busy right now.I don't need the unplanned trips though a magic portal and the revealed secrets about my second husband who left me. All while dealing with my wacky witch mother and my trouble-prone daughter.I'm your typical overworked woman. Except I also have a price on my head.Enter a world of mystery, magic, murder, and mischief with this thrilling midlife paranormal mystery!

Be careful what you touch.My name is Darla, and people think I''m weird. I know this because I''m a telepath.After my second husband bails without a word, I''m moving back to my hometown, San Marcos, Florida, one of the nation''s oldest cities. I''m here to open a nearly 300-year-old inn, and, hopefully, begin a new life. It turns out the inn comes with ghosts and other supernatural features. And the paranormal in my genes is going haywire.My telepathy has always been hit or miss. But now, along with the arrival of my first hot flashes, I gain a new ability: psychometry. By touching an object, I can read the thoughts and emotions of other people who have touched it.Good thoughts as well as creepy thoughts. Sweet emotions as well as memories of murder.Yep, I help a detective investigate a murder. And not a bad-looking detective, I should add.Living in an ancient city and running an old inn, I''m constantly touching things filled with memories.And some of them could kill me. A thrilling midlife paranormal mystery filled with magic and snark.