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ToadWitch #1
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead
A little magic can go a long way -- to really screwing up a girl's life!
Mara is having the worst month of her life. At least, that's what her cards tell her and they've never been wrong. She's evicted from her apartment, loses her job and is banned from Beverly Hills. So when the tarot cards predict her imminent demise, she uses a little magic to make her world right.
Suddenly, an aunt she's never met dies, leaving Mara as her sole heir. But when Mara moves into her inherited home, she discovers Aunt Tillie never moved out. She's still one pissed-off old lady, even post-mortem, and she blames Mara's magical meddling for her death.
When Mara accidentally releases a demon and awakens the spirit of the most powerful witch in history, Tillie's ready to kill her -- literally. It's the only way she can think of to save the girl from herself. The witch and the demon, however, have other plans for Mara's body.
Mara is having the worst month of her life. At least, that's what her cards tell her and they've never been wrong. She's evicted from her apartment, loses her job and is banned from Beverly Hills. So when the tarot cards predict her imminent demise, she uses a little magic to make her world right.
Suddenly, an aunt she's never met dies, leaving Mara as her sole heir. But when Mara moves into her inherited home, she discovers Aunt Tillie never moved out. She's still one pissed-off old lady, even post-mortem, and she blames Mara's magical meddling for her death.
When Mara accidentally releases a demon and awakens the spirit of the most powerful witch in history, Tillie's ready to kill her -- literally. It's the only way she can think of to save the girl from herself. The witch and the demon, however, have other plans for Mara's body.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 713 reviews
July 25, 2011
I loved this book, but I'm biased. I wrote it!
June 21, 2018
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead
Toad Witch Series, Book 1
By: Christiana Miller
Narrated by: Marie Rose
This is a great book about spirits, mostly evil, trying to come back using a human body. Other spirits help or don't care. Our witch goes through a lot but she has her best friend who is a witch too she can call on if necessary. Good fantasy, characters, plot and ends with a shock and it is a good ending. Enjoyed this odd witch story, odd in a good way!
The narrator was awesome! Great performance!
Toad Witch Series, Book 1
By: Christiana Miller
Narrated by: Marie Rose
This is a great book about spirits, mostly evil, trying to come back using a human body. Other spirits help or don't care. Our witch goes through a lot but she has her best friend who is a witch too she can call on if necessary. Good fantasy, characters, plot and ends with a shock and it is a good ending. Enjoyed this odd witch story, odd in a good way!
The narrator was awesome! Great performance!
March 11, 2012
This book...was kind of a mess. The premise was interesting, but the execution fell short. The whole first part of the book went on way too long and could have been shortened down quite considerably. The book was nearly half over before Mara even got to the cottage she inherited, the cottage where the main action of the story was to take place. Since part one took so long, the second part of the book was a bit jumbled as new characters and plot points were introduced fairly quickly and not fully explained. And then it just got bizarre. What, exactly was the point of the Had I been reading a paper book and not my kindle, that would have been when the book met with the wall.
The characters were one dimensional, and at times stereotypes. I felt that none of them experienced any growth during the book. On the plus side, I did enjoy some of the dialogue between Mara and her best friend Gus. Their relationship was very nicely done, I thought.
But all in all, this book just wasn't my cup of tea. It totally could have been with a little tightening up; having some of the unnecessary scenes removed and the necessary scenes expanded with more detail added.
The characters were one dimensional, and at times stereotypes. I felt that none of them experienced any growth during the book. On the plus side, I did enjoy some of the dialogue between Mara and her best friend Gus. Their relationship was very nicely done, I thought.
But all in all, this book just wasn't my cup of tea. It totally could have been with a little tightening up; having some of the unnecessary scenes removed and the necessary scenes expanded with more detail added.
September 8, 2014
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: A little magic can go a long way - to really screwing up a girl's life!
Mara is having the worst month of her life. At least, that's what her cards tell her and they've never been wrong. She's evicted from her apartment, loses her job, and is banned from Beverly Hills. So when the tarot cards predict her imminent demise, she uses a little magic to make her world right.
Suddenly, an aunt she's never met dies, leaving Mara as her sole heir. But when Mara moves into her inherited home, she discovers Aunt Tillie never moved out. She's still one pissed-off old lady, even postmortem, and she blames Mara's magical meddling for her death.
When Mara accidentally releases a demon and awakens the spirit of the most powerful witch in history, Tillie's ready to kill her - literally. It's the only way she can think of to save the girl from herself. The witch and the demon, however, have other plans for Mara's body!
My Review: Mara's a thirtysomething Angeleno girl with the best kind of life a slightly portly, extremely witchy fag hag can have: Her GBFF Gus keeps her in snack food and gossip, her gay uncle/landlord keeps her in a super-cool apartment for less than market rent, and her spirit guides keep her in grocery money by enabling her to read Tarot with such accuracy she's scary. All in all, an enviably calm existence.
Until it isn't anymore. Gay uncle's new inamorato has a mama who needs a job, so he installs her as manageress of the apartment complex where Mara lives. Trouble is, the lady's a wacko fundamentalist with a major hate on for witches like Mara. Since what makes Mama unhappy keeps Uncle from gettin' laid, Mara has a month to vacate.
*Just* in the nick of time, and thanks to an ill-advised piece of spellcrafting, Mara's Great Aunt Tillie dies and leaves her a beautiful cottage in Devils Point, Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Superior. (Side note: One pities the lassie on the first whiteout due to a lake effect blizzard, being from LA and all.) Mara packs up her entire worldly goods and sets out for Wisconsin in Gus's SUV, which she has traded her beloved 1965 Mustang convertible for (stupid woman).
Arriving in her new home-sweet-home brings many unsettling feelings, including being possessed by an ancestress, hit on by a super-centenarian, boinked to exhaustion by a ghost, and chatted up by a poison toad. It also brings a sense of complete and utter satisfaction, because after a lifetime of rootlessness, Mara is Home.
In the end, what Mara has to do to defend her home is heroically demanding of her witchly talents and worldly energies. Her life, however, is at stake, and her world finally has contours that please and delight her, so Mara sets about making what's hers safe and welcoming for her chosen family, no matter the cost to herself.
I think most of us desire a trip down the river of another's life as an escape, and so we read fiction or gossip magazines (minimal difference there), or watch "reality" TV, or listen to Faux News and pretend it's truthsome and logical.
When that mood hits, there needs to be something at hand that will scratch the itch as well as offer some pleasure in the process. This story did that for me on a few levels. I was quite taken by the characters...I've even been told by some "friends" that the annoying, arrogant, opinionated Gus reminds those perfidious ingrates of me!...and I was quite pleased with the author's plot-crafting.
I wasn't quite so taken with a few details, such as the missed opportunities for world-building and the overdrawn secondary characters that don't get the screen-time (so to speak) that their qualities set readers up to expect. Still, these are quibbles, and readily susceptible to ironing out as the series (Toad Witch, blurgh not the name I'd've chosen) progresses.
This is an investment of $3.99 that pays Kindle owners back with smiles, thrills, and fun in abundance. I say hit the Buy Now button without any hesitation.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Publisher Says: A little magic can go a long way - to really screwing up a girl's life!
Mara is having the worst month of her life. At least, that's what her cards tell her and they've never been wrong. She's evicted from her apartment, loses her job, and is banned from Beverly Hills. So when the tarot cards predict her imminent demise, she uses a little magic to make her world right.
Suddenly, an aunt she's never met dies, leaving Mara as her sole heir. But when Mara moves into her inherited home, she discovers Aunt Tillie never moved out. She's still one pissed-off old lady, even postmortem, and she blames Mara's magical meddling for her death.
When Mara accidentally releases a demon and awakens the spirit of the most powerful witch in history, Tillie's ready to kill her - literally. It's the only way she can think of to save the girl from herself. The witch and the demon, however, have other plans for Mara's body!
My Review: Mara's a thirtysomething Angeleno girl with the best kind of life a slightly portly, extremely witchy fag hag can have: Her GBFF Gus keeps her in snack food and gossip, her gay uncle/landlord keeps her in a super-cool apartment for less than market rent, and her spirit guides keep her in grocery money by enabling her to read Tarot with such accuracy she's scary. All in all, an enviably calm existence.
Until it isn't anymore. Gay uncle's new inamorato has a mama who needs a job, so he installs her as manageress of the apartment complex where Mara lives. Trouble is, the lady's a wacko fundamentalist with a major hate on for witches like Mara. Since what makes Mama unhappy keeps Uncle from gettin' laid, Mara has a month to vacate.
*Just* in the nick of time, and thanks to an ill-advised piece of spellcrafting, Mara's Great Aunt Tillie dies and leaves her a beautiful cottage in Devils Point, Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Superior. (Side note: One pities the lassie on the first whiteout due to a lake effect blizzard, being from LA and all.) Mara packs up her entire worldly goods and sets out for Wisconsin in Gus's SUV, which she has traded her beloved 1965 Mustang convertible for (stupid woman).
Arriving in her new home-sweet-home brings many unsettling feelings, including being possessed by an ancestress, hit on by a super-centenarian, boinked to exhaustion by a ghost, and chatted up by a poison toad. It also brings a sense of complete and utter satisfaction, because after a lifetime of rootlessness, Mara is Home.
In the end, what Mara has to do to defend her home is heroically demanding of her witchly talents and worldly energies. Her life, however, is at stake, and her world finally has contours that please and delight her, so Mara sets about making what's hers safe and welcoming for her chosen family, no matter the cost to herself.
I think most of us desire a trip down the river of another's life as an escape, and so we read fiction or gossip magazines (minimal difference there), or watch "reality" TV, or listen to Faux News and pretend it's truthsome and logical.
When that mood hits, there needs to be something at hand that will scratch the itch as well as offer some pleasure in the process. This story did that for me on a few levels. I was quite taken by the characters...I've even been told by some "friends" that the annoying, arrogant, opinionated Gus reminds those perfidious ingrates of me!...and I was quite pleased with the author's plot-crafting.
I wasn't quite so taken with a few details, such as the missed opportunities for world-building and the overdrawn secondary characters that don't get the screen-time (so to speak) that their qualities set readers up to expect. Still, these are quibbles, and readily susceptible to ironing out as the series (Toad Witch, blurgh not the name I'd've chosen) progresses.
This is an investment of $3.99 that pays Kindle owners back with smiles, thrills, and fun in abundance. I say hit the Buy Now button without any hesitation.
You'd think that church of his would teach him tolerance. Whatever happened to love thy neighbor?"
"Did you miss the Crusades? The Inquisition? Since when has any fundamentalist religion taught religious tolerance?"
"You have a point," he snorted.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
February 13, 2012
SOMEBODY STOP ME. I can't stop downloading books from Kindle's top 100 free list. What to say about this paranormal romp? Huh. Well, on the PLUS side the book is pretty focused on our character being fairly self-sufficient and vaguely competent. Except when she wasn't. On the negative side, it is hard to reconcile the fairly basic plotline (Witchy girl inherits haunted house with moderately disastrous results) with all of the things that happen in this book. Did you want a foray into body-possessed orgies? Check! What about sassy gay best friend? Done! Strange toad side-character? Yep. Lots of info re: spells etc. Yes! Murderous (but ultimately loving?) ghost relative? Uh-huh. Side visit from abandoning maybe a ghost mother? Sure. AND FATHER? Ok....Possible haunted house mystery? Um...WHAT ABOUT THINGS THAT MATERIALIZE IN GRAVEYARDS? POTENTIAL SOUL MATES? TAROT CARD READINGS FOR UNGRATEFUL LA BRATS? SEXUAL HARASSMENT? GAY STEREOTYPES? ZOMBIES? WHERE ARE YOU GOING? COME BACK!
Er, you get my point. It was an interesting concept, but execution was not superb. I think this story could have used some paring down and some fleshing out. Still, if it's free, and you've run out of book money for the month...
Er, you get my point. It was an interesting concept, but execution was not superb. I think this story could have used some paring down and some fleshing out. Still, if it's free, and you've run out of book money for the month...
December 5, 2020
A real witchy tale
A very good book with strong characters and lots of dry humor and a touch of hot sex. The spells and witches seemed so real that I found myself accepting them as real!
A very good book with strong characters and lots of dry humor and a touch of hot sex. The spells and witches seemed so real that I found myself accepting them as real!
November 10, 2011
I picked Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She’s Dead because of a few great reviews on GoodReads. My curiosity was piqued. After all, how can you resist a down on her luck heroine, a flamboyant gay best friend and a magical toad? Not to mention a bossy ghost that doesn’t know when to leave well enough alone.
The lead character, Mara, is a walking, talking example of Murphy’s Law; anything that can go wrong will. She’s date-less, unemployed, and soon to be homeless. Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning of all her problems. Soon she has a dead aunt, a self aware house and a demon that can’t wait to evict Mara from her own body.
I may be in the minority, but in my opinion, this was not much more than a mediocre read. The beginning was a bit a slow and went well into the middle of the book before we really got into the “meat” of the story. The first 92 pages were mostly character building and more than half of that could have, and probably should have been cut. I found the first few chapters repetitive and mostly irrelevant However, to the author’s credit, there were a few one-liners and humorous situations that definitely made me chuckle, if not quite laugh out loud.
The story itself had a good premise, the characters were fun and amusing, and while a bit cliché, the antagonists of the story were sufficiently evil. The biggest concerns for me were the pacing and consistency of the plot. As stated earlier, the beginning was too drawn out and the end felt as though Ms. Miller started to lose control of the story. Plot points were either hastily thrown together or almost abandoned completely.
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She’s Dead wasn’t actually a bad read, especially for the price and will certainly keep you entertained well enough on a flight or long trip.
The lead character, Mara, is a walking, talking example of Murphy’s Law; anything that can go wrong will. She’s date-less, unemployed, and soon to be homeless. Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning of all her problems. Soon she has a dead aunt, a self aware house and a demon that can’t wait to evict Mara from her own body.
I may be in the minority, but in my opinion, this was not much more than a mediocre read. The beginning was a bit a slow and went well into the middle of the book before we really got into the “meat” of the story. The first 92 pages were mostly character building and more than half of that could have, and probably should have been cut. I found the first few chapters repetitive and mostly irrelevant However, to the author’s credit, there were a few one-liners and humorous situations that definitely made me chuckle, if not quite laugh out loud.
The story itself had a good premise, the characters were fun and amusing, and while a bit cliché, the antagonists of the story were sufficiently evil. The biggest concerns for me were the pacing and consistency of the plot. As stated earlier, the beginning was too drawn out and the end felt as though Ms. Miller started to lose control of the story. Plot points were either hastily thrown together or almost abandoned completely.
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She’s Dead wasn’t actually a bad read, especially for the price and will certainly keep you entertained well enough on a flight or long trip.
January 5, 2012
I picked this up for a good price on Amazon. I'm always looking for paranormals with a bite of humor. The reviews sounded positive enough that I purchased this title.
Mara is a reluctant witch, who's life seems to be on a rollercoaster ride downhill. She's lost her job, is being evicted from her apartment and has a cloud of evil following her. Keeping her spirits up is her best friend and sidekick Gus. Things look up, though, when her great-aunt Tillie dies and leaves her a cottage in Wisconsin. It's a whole new world from LA's glitz, but beggars can't be choosers. Only the cottage has a history of being haunted and it appears that Aunt Tillie isn't ready to vacate the premises. It seems Mara has set events in motion that will nearly get her killed. It takes all her witchy talents and the assistance of Gus to survive a demonic encounter with the ancestor from hell.
Miller is a screenwriter with several TV credits to her name according to the book bio. It shows in her flare for dialog. The snappy back and forth between Mara and Gus shines.
While the suspense and tension really ratchet up around the climax, I felt the books beginning went too long. The story can be divided into pre-move--LA and post-move--Wisconsin. The main action takes place in Wisconsin but it takes us too long to get there. I think the beginning could have been tightened and shortened. Also, while I enjoyed the paranormal encounters and Gus' role in the end, I felt a bit conflicted with how things resolve for Mara. It's not clear to me if this is a one-off story or if we can expect to see future adventures with Mara, Gus and Aunt Tillie. I'll be watching to see.
Mara is a reluctant witch, who's life seems to be on a rollercoaster ride downhill. She's lost her job, is being evicted from her apartment and has a cloud of evil following her. Keeping her spirits up is her best friend and sidekick Gus. Things look up, though, when her great-aunt Tillie dies and leaves her a cottage in Wisconsin. It's a whole new world from LA's glitz, but beggars can't be choosers. Only the cottage has a history of being haunted and it appears that Aunt Tillie isn't ready to vacate the premises. It seems Mara has set events in motion that will nearly get her killed. It takes all her witchy talents and the assistance of Gus to survive a demonic encounter with the ancestor from hell.
Miller is a screenwriter with several TV credits to her name according to the book bio. It shows in her flare for dialog. The snappy back and forth between Mara and Gus shines.
While the suspense and tension really ratchet up around the climax, I felt the books beginning went too long. The story can be divided into pre-move--LA and post-move--Wisconsin. The main action takes place in Wisconsin but it takes us too long to get there. I think the beginning could have been tightened and shortened. Also, while I enjoyed the paranormal encounters and Gus' role in the end, I felt a bit conflicted with how things resolve for Mara. It's not clear to me if this is a one-off story or if we can expect to see future adventures with Mara, Gus and Aunt Tillie. I'll be watching to see.
April 30, 2019
2.5 stars
Cute and different, but it's a bit too drawn out.
Mara is a likeable character who is having a pretty cursed month and existence in general. Her humor and attitude help the story move along, but it takes about 40% to get to the cottage where the main story takes place. Suddenly so much happens that it seems a bit conflicted/long for the conflict.
Gus is a fun friend who adds needed humor, but he's shockingly unsympathetic in other ways. He is also a gay character who uses insulting terminology that doesn't settle well with me. Aunt Tillie the ghost provides some frustration, some amusement, but she can be hit or miss. What's the most amusing if the ridiculous woman who controls the landlord - this woman is in for a good slapping - and I loved the frog.
The main emphasis on humor gets overdone at times, and sometimes it's hard to know when to take things seriously or be frustrated. The writing style is fine and the dialogue quirky, and liking the main character helps keep my interest afloat enough to finish it.
The magic is interesting but kind of all over the place. I do wish the world building was a bit more sketched out too. If the pacing were corrected, the story would be improved, but as it stands it's worth a read for mystery fans who like ghosts and witches.
Cute and different, but it's a bit too drawn out.
Mara is a likeable character who is having a pretty cursed month and existence in general. Her humor and attitude help the story move along, but it takes about 40% to get to the cottage where the main story takes place. Suddenly so much happens that it seems a bit conflicted/long for the conflict.
Gus is a fun friend who adds needed humor, but he's shockingly unsympathetic in other ways. He is also a gay character who uses insulting terminology that doesn't settle well with me. Aunt Tillie the ghost provides some frustration, some amusement, but she can be hit or miss. What's the most amusing if the ridiculous woman who controls the landlord - this woman is in for a good slapping - and I loved the frog.
The main emphasis on humor gets overdone at times, and sometimes it's hard to know when to take things seriously or be frustrated. The writing style is fine and the dialogue quirky, and liking the main character helps keep my interest afloat enough to finish it.
The magic is interesting but kind of all over the place. I do wish the world building was a bit more sketched out too. If the pacing were corrected, the story would be improved, but as it stands it's worth a read for mystery fans who like ghosts and witches.
November 21, 2016
Recommended by a friend - glad I decided to try it, but it felt too familiar. I haven't decided if I will continue the series. Well worth reading for a Kindle freebie.
January 19, 2018
First in the Toad Witch paranormal fantasy series and revolving around the witchy Mara Stephens and her two sidekicks.
My Take
This was so cute with the good versus the bad, light versus dark, with the circle of life taking on a whole new meaning. In a scary way! Although, that twist with Aunt Tillie took awhile for me to get my head around. Miller did a nice job on the backstory — yay! — without any info dumps! Mara did have a unique childhood, and I suspect there could be a story there as well.
That Gus is a mover and a shaker, lol, constantly trying to help Mara. Only, his ideas are a bit on the dicey side. He does crack me up. And he certainly makes Mara’s life a lot more fun! Lenny, however, what a jerk! After all these years, and he’s tossing Mara aside!??
It was annoying that Aunt Tillie keeps referring to the curse but never does provide any explanation. How can you expect someone to run if all you do is tell them to?
As for the guests at the birthday party...jesus. Some childhood they're having.
I do wish Miller would learn the difference between possessive and plural punctuation.
In spite of that, I definitely want to read more about “Aunt Tillie”!
The Story
A witch who abides the rules, it hasn’t done Mara much good financially. Broke, unemployed, and handed an eviction notice from her overly religious building manager, Mara is desperate for some good news.
Only, it’s bad dreams that bring what could be good news. Even if there is a ghost or three trying to kill her.
The Characters
Mara Stephens is an actual witch who abides by the rules. Her dad is dead, which inspired Mara to stop the search. Katherine, her mom, is also dead, and both try to warn her. Tillie McDougal is a great-aunt Mara never met. Owen had been Tillie's husband. Lady Lisette McDougal is Mara’s great-great-great-great-grandmother. Lucien Odega is her ever-present bodyguard, companion, and lover.
The eccentric Greek-American Celtophile Gus is her best friend, a witch, a freelance reader (I want that job!), and flaunting his gayness. Lord Gundleshanks is his otherly toad. With his own mind. Zed is Gus’ Ford Escape Hybrid that he trades for Mustang Sally.
Devil’s Point, Wisconsin, is…
…where Aunt Tillie’s cottage is located. Jarvis IV, a.k.a., Little J or J.J., mans the trading post. His great-great-great-great-granddaddy Jack got turned into a tree. Auntie Mae runs a B&B. Doc takes care of the swelling. Mrs. Anderson is the librarian. Sam has a bad habit of sleep-driving. Michelle is a teller at the bank. Del Angels is the mortuary who laid Aunt Tillie out.
Paul Raines is the new teacher at the high school and a writer. Daniel Roake, his great-great-grandfather, wrote a book about the old houses in Devil’s Point.
Over in Oldfield, Roy runs a chopper service.
Los Angeles
Gloria Lasio is the new building manager who is obsessively obsessed with religion. Lupe is her youngest daughter. Manuel is her gay brother. Lenny has been a friend from way back, a neighbor and now the owner as he bought the building.
Mama Lua is a witch doctor who knows the dark side and runs the Crooked Pantry with “groceries only a witch could love”. Ellen Reese owns a gift shop. Pagan Pride is a market fair.
Mr. Lyra, a movie producer, is giving his daughter, Kimmy, a birthday party. Tommy McGregor taught Mara a lesson in karmic payback.
1600s in Devil’s Point
Ten-year-old Bobby Wheeler was paid off. Matthew Gilardi is a gay witch and Witchfinder General to King James of Scotland.
Cromm is an old sacrificial god. Gwyn ap Nudd leads the Wild Hunt on Samhain. Lady Rhiannon is a Queen of the Underworld.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a cartoon of midnight with a crescent moon and bats flying about a lit-up house on a hill with tombstones in the yard below it. A curly-haired Mara in an off-the-shoulder mauve T and bright blue pants sits on top of a light wood coffin, one leg crossed over her knee while Grundleshanks sits at her feet wearing a peaked witch’s hat with a red hatband. The title spreads across the top in a combination of light and pale blue and gold in a curly font while the author’s name is in white block letters on the bottom left just above a skull with glowing eyes.
The title is confusing, ‘cause Aunt Tillie already knows. So why it needs be that Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead has me clueless.
My Take
This was so cute with the good versus the bad, light versus dark, with the circle of life taking on a whole new meaning. In a scary way! Although, that twist with Aunt Tillie took awhile for me to get my head around. Miller did a nice job on the backstory — yay! — without any info dumps! Mara did have a unique childhood, and I suspect there could be a story there as well.
That Gus is a mover and a shaker, lol, constantly trying to help Mara. Only, his ideas are a bit on the dicey side. He does crack me up. And he certainly makes Mara’s life a lot more fun! Lenny, however, what a jerk! After all these years, and he’s tossing Mara aside!??
It was annoying that Aunt Tillie keeps referring to the curse but never does provide any explanation. How can you expect someone to run if all you do is tell them to?
”…if I have to kill you to keep you out of harm’s way, so be it.”We know everything Mara is thinking, as Miller is using first person protagonist point-of-view from her perspective. I gotta confess Mara's thoughts were somewhat annoying. Sure, she's a good person and probably too realistic with all her worries and concerns.
As for the guests at the birthday party...jesus. Some childhood they're having.
I do wish Miller would learn the difference between possessive and plural punctuation.
In spite of that, I definitely want to read more about “Aunt Tillie”!
The Story
A witch who abides the rules, it hasn’t done Mara much good financially. Broke, unemployed, and handed an eviction notice from her overly religious building manager, Mara is desperate for some good news.
Only, it’s bad dreams that bring what could be good news. Even if there is a ghost or three trying to kill her.
The Characters
Mara Stephens is an actual witch who abides by the rules. Her dad is dead, which inspired Mara to stop the search. Katherine, her mom, is also dead, and both try to warn her. Tillie McDougal is a great-aunt Mara never met. Owen had been Tillie's husband. Lady Lisette McDougal is Mara’s great-great-great-great-grandmother. Lucien Odega is her ever-present bodyguard, companion, and lover.
The eccentric Greek-American Celtophile Gus is her best friend, a witch, a freelance reader (I want that job!), and flaunting his gayness. Lord Gundleshanks is his otherly toad. With his own mind. Zed is Gus’ Ford Escape Hybrid that he trades for Mustang Sally.
Devil’s Point, Wisconsin, is…
…where Aunt Tillie’s cottage is located. Jarvis IV, a.k.a., Little J or J.J., mans the trading post. His great-great-great-great-granddaddy Jack got turned into a tree. Auntie Mae runs a B&B. Doc takes care of the swelling. Mrs. Anderson is the librarian. Sam has a bad habit of sleep-driving. Michelle is a teller at the bank. Del Angels is the mortuary who laid Aunt Tillie out.
Paul Raines is the new teacher at the high school and a writer. Daniel Roake, his great-great-grandfather, wrote a book about the old houses in Devil’s Point.
Over in Oldfield, Roy runs a chopper service.
Los Angeles
Gloria Lasio is the new building manager who is obsessively obsessed with religion. Lupe is her youngest daughter. Manuel is her gay brother. Lenny has been a friend from way back, a neighbor and now the owner as he bought the building.
Mama Lua is a witch doctor who knows the dark side and runs the Crooked Pantry with “groceries only a witch could love”. Ellen Reese owns a gift shop. Pagan Pride is a market fair.
Mr. Lyra, a movie producer, is giving his daughter, Kimmy, a birthday party. Tommy McGregor taught Mara a lesson in karmic payback.
1600s in Devil’s Point
Ten-year-old Bobby Wheeler was paid off. Matthew Gilardi is a gay witch and Witchfinder General to King James of Scotland.
Cromm is an old sacrificial god. Gwyn ap Nudd leads the Wild Hunt on Samhain. Lady Rhiannon is a Queen of the Underworld.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a cartoon of midnight with a crescent moon and bats flying about a lit-up house on a hill with tombstones in the yard below it. A curly-haired Mara in an off-the-shoulder mauve T and bright blue pants sits on top of a light wood coffin, one leg crossed over her knee while Grundleshanks sits at her feet wearing a peaked witch’s hat with a red hatband. The title spreads across the top in a combination of light and pale blue and gold in a curly font while the author’s name is in white block letters on the bottom left just above a skull with glowing eyes.
The title is confusing, ‘cause Aunt Tillie already knows. So why it needs be that Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead has me clueless.
September 6, 2011
Reviewed for Wickedly Bookish
http://wickedlybookish.blogspot.com/
Mara just can't seem to catch a break. Her witchy ways are getting her into trouble left and right and just when things start to look up, she realizes the cozy country cottage she inherited from her Aunt Tillie has a few dark passengers. Will Mara be able to survive her legacy with the help of her own power, a tricky toad, and a flamboyantly fearless best friend?
This was so much fun to read I didn't want it to end! Christiana Miller weaves a captivating spell with a whole lot of humor, a generous portion of thrill, and just a dash of heat.
By no means would I call this a paranormal romance, however I feel it fits into the urban fantasy category nicely with its magical and chilling elements.Right from the start I knew I was going to love this book. The humor, sometimes quirky, sometimes dry, is non-stop and often offers relief from some of the scarier moments of the story. I had to stop reading this at night because Mara's dreams and her interactions with the cottage's other inhabitants were seriously creeping me out.
Miller's grasp of creating memorable and nearly palpable characters is incredible. As much as I love Mara, I'd have to say Gus was my favorite character. He is honestly just so funny and crazy you never know what he's going to do next. Gus is also a great friend to Mara. I teared up when they had to part ways for our girl to go live in Aunt Tillie's house. I missed Gus right along with Mara and felt her joy whenever he popped back into the story.
If you are looking for a paranormal story that has it all, this is it! You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll probably pee your pants at some point whether it be from laughter or fear or both. I just can't begin to emphasize how well this book integrates humor and drama in just the right amounts. Whatever emotions, or bodily functions, this book evokes in you, there is no doubt you will have a great time.
http://wickedlybookish.blogspot.com/
Mara just can't seem to catch a break. Her witchy ways are getting her into trouble left and right and just when things start to look up, she realizes the cozy country cottage she inherited from her Aunt Tillie has a few dark passengers. Will Mara be able to survive her legacy with the help of her own power, a tricky toad, and a flamboyantly fearless best friend?
This was so much fun to read I didn't want it to end! Christiana Miller weaves a captivating spell with a whole lot of humor, a generous portion of thrill, and just a dash of heat.
By no means would I call this a paranormal romance, however I feel it fits into the urban fantasy category nicely with its magical and chilling elements.Right from the start I knew I was going to love this book. The humor, sometimes quirky, sometimes dry, is non-stop and often offers relief from some of the scarier moments of the story. I had to stop reading this at night because Mara's dreams and her interactions with the cottage's other inhabitants were seriously creeping me out.
Miller's grasp of creating memorable and nearly palpable characters is incredible. As much as I love Mara, I'd have to say Gus was my favorite character. He is honestly just so funny and crazy you never know what he's going to do next. Gus is also a great friend to Mara. I teared up when they had to part ways for our girl to go live in Aunt Tillie's house. I missed Gus right along with Mara and felt her joy whenever he popped back into the story.
If you are looking for a paranormal story that has it all, this is it! You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll probably pee your pants at some point whether it be from laughter or fear or both. I just can't begin to emphasize how well this book integrates humor and drama in just the right amounts. Whatever emotions, or bodily functions, this book evokes in you, there is no doubt you will have a great time.
January 2, 2012
From Lilac Wolf and Stuff
The cover is cartoonish and eye catching. In fact it was the cover that caught my eye on one of those free-ebook pages on Facebook. So yes, I downloaded this for the Kindle. I don't have a Kindle so I read this on my phone. I actually couldn't put it down, my phone went with me everywhere for a few days. My oldest asked me last night, "Why are you reading on your phone???" Because Mommy has to finish this book and it's not on the Nook. Nope, but I did just request it.
The characters are a hoot and a half. Mara and Gus are the only two that get really in-depth treatment. Mara being the main character, and it's all from her perspective in the first-person. And of course Gus is her best friend, he is a gay witch. So he's perfect in all ways but that one. He's also very aggressive and pro-active, which is the opposite of Mara. If it weren't for him she never would have made any movement in the story. It works really well, is all.
She moves from L.A. when her overly-Christian apartment manager evicts her and her Aunt Tillie dies. It's a tiny town on the northern end of Wisconsin. I think it was called Devil's Point. She finds the cottage gorgeous but slightly haunted. Against all her instincts, she decides to move in.
She finds a love interest and lots of fun and creepy things happen. I won't give any more away but I was shocked more than once. This book was not at all predictable. The paperback is a few bucks, but the Kindle version is only $3.49. If you have a Nook like me, you can request it be made available in Nook format as I just did today.
Seriously fun paranormal read. Romance is in here a little but it's not anywhere near the main story line. I would call it quirky paranormal...mystery? Maybe...anyway, it was a really good read.
The cover is cartoonish and eye catching. In fact it was the cover that caught my eye on one of those free-ebook pages on Facebook. So yes, I downloaded this for the Kindle. I don't have a Kindle so I read this on my phone. I actually couldn't put it down, my phone went with me everywhere for a few days. My oldest asked me last night, "Why are you reading on your phone???" Because Mommy has to finish this book and it's not on the Nook. Nope, but I did just request it.
The characters are a hoot and a half. Mara and Gus are the only two that get really in-depth treatment. Mara being the main character, and it's all from her perspective in the first-person. And of course Gus is her best friend, he is a gay witch. So he's perfect in all ways but that one. He's also very aggressive and pro-active, which is the opposite of Mara. If it weren't for him she never would have made any movement in the story. It works really well, is all.
She moves from L.A. when her overly-Christian apartment manager evicts her and her Aunt Tillie dies. It's a tiny town on the northern end of Wisconsin. I think it was called Devil's Point. She finds the cottage gorgeous but slightly haunted. Against all her instincts, she decides to move in.
She finds a love interest and lots of fun and creepy things happen. I won't give any more away but I was shocked more than once. This book was not at all predictable. The paperback is a few bucks, but the Kindle version is only $3.49. If you have a Nook like me, you can request it be made available in Nook format as I just did today.
Seriously fun paranormal read. Romance is in here a little but it's not anywhere near the main story line. I would call it quirky paranormal...mystery? Maybe...anyway, it was a really good read.
March 21, 2012
Today's review is on Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead by Christiana Miller
While looking for a book to read between author requests, I came across this quirky, snarky, cute tale full of ghosts, love, and friendship. And though I loved it, and had difficulty putting it down, it was chock full of editing mistakes.
Mara is an untrained witch trying to make ends meet just like every other person living in LA. While waiting at a red light she pulls out her trusty tarot deck and pulls three cards to see what is going to happen in the coming year. She pulls Death, Three of Swords, and The Tower. The Fates have transformation, sorrow, and change through destruction in store for her. What a wonderful thing to learn on of all days, her birthday.
Mara then looses her job, is black listed in Beverly Hills, and is evicted from her apartment. Good thing she still has her best friend Gus who keeps reminding her that she is in fact a witch and should use some of her power to help herself out. After all, he never seems to suffer any negative effects. So she crafts a spell for herself.
After having strange dreams that seem all to real, Mara finds that her aunt Tillie has died in a tragic car accident and she is the only heir.
But things are rarely what they seem, and Mara is thrown into a journey she will never forget.
A great first book in this series even though it is full of mistakes. I will be looking for the next installment.
3 of 5 stars
Available @ Amazon
While looking for a book to read between author requests, I came across this quirky, snarky, cute tale full of ghosts, love, and friendship. And though I loved it, and had difficulty putting it down, it was chock full of editing mistakes.
Mara is an untrained witch trying to make ends meet just like every other person living in LA. While waiting at a red light she pulls out her trusty tarot deck and pulls three cards to see what is going to happen in the coming year. She pulls Death, Three of Swords, and The Tower. The Fates have transformation, sorrow, and change through destruction in store for her. What a wonderful thing to learn on of all days, her birthday.
Mara then looses her job, is black listed in Beverly Hills, and is evicted from her apartment. Good thing she still has her best friend Gus who keeps reminding her that she is in fact a witch and should use some of her power to help herself out. After all, he never seems to suffer any negative effects. So she crafts a spell for herself.
After having strange dreams that seem all to real, Mara finds that her aunt Tillie has died in a tragic car accident and she is the only heir.
But things are rarely what they seem, and Mara is thrown into a journey she will never forget.
A great first book in this series even though it is full of mistakes. I will be looking for the next installment.
3 of 5 stars
Available @ Amazon
October 28, 2022
2.5-I picked this book because I thought it would be perfect to read at the end of October. It had some good moments but it was free for a reason. It felt a little disjointed at times and the occult stuff was a little much at times. I liked the idea of her inheriting a haunted cottage but some of the events in the book were just a little over the top. It wasn't a bad book but I don't know if I really want to read the second book in the series.
August 20, 2017
It's Mara's birthday and according to her tarot card reading things aren't going to go well for her. Proving that Mara's skills are top notch, it's not long before Mara finds herself banned from Beverly Hills, unemployed and facing homelessness after being evicted from her LA apartment. Luckily for Mara, she inherits a home when her Aunt Tilly dies. Unfortunately for Mara, this house is haunted by a very pissed off Aunt Tilly, who's certain that Mara doesn't have the sense God gave cabbage and not at all pleased that Mara is responsible for her death. Is anything going to go right for Mara this year?
As you might have guessed from the cover, Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead is paranormal chick lit. It's not meant to be serious whatsoever and in fact never takes itself seriously. Miller tries to infuse her book with humour, through awkward situations and back and for conversations between Mara, our protagonist and her GBFF Gus. Unfortunately, most of it is problematic as hell, thereby sucking out whatever humor was possible.
For all of Mara's string of bad luck, she's actually had a pretty good life. Mara lived in an apartment in LA with a pool for well below market value thanks to the kindness of her gay landlord. Normally I wouldn't mention the sexuality of someone's landlord but Miller goes to great lengths to establish that Lenny is gay and is only kicking Mara out of her apartment in order to get laid by Manuel. Apparently, Manuel's family has a problem with Mara's witchcraft but no problem with his sexuality. Yeah, these kind of bigots tend to hate everyone who doesn't conform to their belief system, not just pagans. Of course, Mara feels betrayed by Lenny because he chose a hot young lover over her. Lenny is not only gay he's flamboyantly so. Lenny even blames Mara for her eviction because of her unwillingness to hide her religious practice.
"Honey, we live in a Moral Majority word. Flaunt your religious beliefs and sexual preferences at your own peril. It's something we boys have known for centuries. Done is one."
Given than Lenny is only a minor character, his homophobic representation is bad but could potentially have been overlooked; however Miller doubles down with her portrayal of Gus. Gus is downright sassy and seems to spend a good portion of life listening to Mara whine and pretty much being at her beck and call. Every damn thing about Gus is fabulous, including of course his attire. Apparently, "Gus is more fond of skirts than any woman" Mara has ever known. Mara of course is largely celibate but not Gus who always seems to be fucking someone, which mystifies Mara.
"How the hell do you find dates so fast? It takes me months."
"My secret club. It's a whole, incestuous, underground network that we don't let you fag hags in on. A place for us who shine like a veritable sun to share our boy toys . And our Viagara".
Do you see what happened there? Mara, as well as the other straight characters don't engage in promiscuous sex whereas, the gay characters are either constantly having sex or allowing sex to take over so much of their lives that they make major decision based on whether or not they are getting laid.
Along with being Mara's personal cheerleader and general support, Gus is also super bitchy. Yes, yet another trope. When one of Gus's numerous lovers decided to cheat, Gus curses him to have hives.
"Maybe I did mix a little pennyroyal in the massage lotion. He deserved it, I caught him in a hot clinch with that curvy tranny singer over at the Queen Mary, when he thought I was in the john."
I have to pause now to talk about the slur "tranny". Putting that word into the mouth of a gay character does not suddenly make it not a slur. Throughout Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead, Miller uses the words "faghag, as well as queer". All of these terms are clearly problematic because they're homophobic and putting these words into the mouth of gay characters doesn't suddenly make it okay. It further doesn't help that Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's dead, is written by a straight woman.
The other two LGBT characters in this story are James I and his lover Matthew Gilardi. For the most part, James's greatest sin is being a lecher. Yep, another gay man who sleeps around. Matthew however is power hungry to the point where he has no problem murdering his own daughter because she is pregnant with the King's bastard. So in short, we have evil gay, lecherous gay, catty and flamboyant gay and it's all celebrated with slurs. Yeah for inclusion everyone.
Even when there are no LGBT characters in a scene, Miller still manages to mess things up. When Mara ends up moving to Wiconsin she meets a local teacher named Paul. Because Paul is handsome and works out, Mara immediately assumes that he's gay and comes up with the weakest reasoning for this leap.
“Sorry. It’s just… when you said that you were a weight lifter … I just thought… I mean, with the gym addiction and it being so far and all…”
“Only gay guys are interested in staying in shape?”
“Well, yes. I mean, no. It’s just… I’m from Los Angeles. Most men out there are gay. So I’m used to gyms being a place for sexy, sweaty guys to hook up with other sexy, sweaty guys.”
“Welcome to the Heartland. Our stats are a little different here."
People of colour don't fare much better in this story. There are only three characters of colour. The first is Mrs. Lasio, "a heavyset, older Latina woman." Mrs. Lasio is deeply religious and therefore takes issue with Mara's practice of witchcraft. We are meant to see Mrs. Lasio as someone who is ridiculously superstitious who actively oppresses Mara. Mrs. Lasio is responsible for Mara's eviction. Of course, Mrs. Lasio gets hers in the end when she is also evicted.
We also have Mama Lua, who is a large Jamaican woman. We are told repeatedly how powerful Mama Lua is. It's Mama Lua who performs a cleansing ceremony on Mara. However Mama Lua is never allowed to develop into a real character and remains a magical servant at best.
I know that I've talked so much about the problematic elements of this story that I haven't really gotten to the plot. Unfortunately, I'm not done with the problematic elements. Mara is yet another example of an isolated woman. Mara's parents are both dead, though both make a ghostly visitation to warn her away from her stupidity. Mara doesn't seem to have a relationship with any women with the exception of course of her dead Aunt Tillie. Mara bemoans being a so-called "fag hag" but makes no attempt to befriend women. So let's see: dead parents (check), no female friends (check) women appear largely as adversaries or minor characters (check). Ding Ding Ding, I do believe we have found yet another trope.
Look, I don't go into chick lit expecting much. Generally speaking, I hope for a few good laughs and a satisfying end to the story but what I got was one bigoted trope after another, making the story itself almost irrelevant. I couldn't invest in Gus's friendship with Mara because he is such a homophobic trope. I wasn't pleased when Gus dropped everything once again to help Mara out and even decided to leave LA and move to freaking Wisconsin to be with Mara.
Read More
As you might have guessed from the cover, Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead is paranormal chick lit. It's not meant to be serious whatsoever and in fact never takes itself seriously. Miller tries to infuse her book with humour, through awkward situations and back and for conversations between Mara, our protagonist and her GBFF Gus. Unfortunately, most of it is problematic as hell, thereby sucking out whatever humor was possible.
For all of Mara's string of bad luck, she's actually had a pretty good life. Mara lived in an apartment in LA with a pool for well below market value thanks to the kindness of her gay landlord. Normally I wouldn't mention the sexuality of someone's landlord but Miller goes to great lengths to establish that Lenny is gay and is only kicking Mara out of her apartment in order to get laid by Manuel. Apparently, Manuel's family has a problem with Mara's witchcraft but no problem with his sexuality. Yeah, these kind of bigots tend to hate everyone who doesn't conform to their belief system, not just pagans. Of course, Mara feels betrayed by Lenny because he chose a hot young lover over her. Lenny is not only gay he's flamboyantly so. Lenny even blames Mara for her eviction because of her unwillingness to hide her religious practice.
"Honey, we live in a Moral Majority word. Flaunt your religious beliefs and sexual preferences at your own peril. It's something we boys have known for centuries. Done is one."
Given than Lenny is only a minor character, his homophobic representation is bad but could potentially have been overlooked; however Miller doubles down with her portrayal of Gus. Gus is downright sassy and seems to spend a good portion of life listening to Mara whine and pretty much being at her beck and call. Every damn thing about Gus is fabulous, including of course his attire. Apparently, "Gus is more fond of skirts than any woman" Mara has ever known. Mara of course is largely celibate but not Gus who always seems to be fucking someone, which mystifies Mara.
"How the hell do you find dates so fast? It takes me months."
"My secret club. It's a whole, incestuous, underground network that we don't let you fag hags in on. A place for us who shine like a veritable sun to share our boy toys . And our Viagara".
Do you see what happened there? Mara, as well as the other straight characters don't engage in promiscuous sex whereas, the gay characters are either constantly having sex or allowing sex to take over so much of their lives that they make major decision based on whether or not they are getting laid.
Along with being Mara's personal cheerleader and general support, Gus is also super bitchy. Yes, yet another trope. When one of Gus's numerous lovers decided to cheat, Gus curses him to have hives.
"Maybe I did mix a little pennyroyal in the massage lotion. He deserved it, I caught him in a hot clinch with that curvy tranny singer over at the Queen Mary, when he thought I was in the john."
I have to pause now to talk about the slur "tranny". Putting that word into the mouth of a gay character does not suddenly make it not a slur. Throughout Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead, Miller uses the words "faghag, as well as queer". All of these terms are clearly problematic because they're homophobic and putting these words into the mouth of gay characters doesn't suddenly make it okay. It further doesn't help that Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's dead, is written by a straight woman.
The other two LGBT characters in this story are James I and his lover Matthew Gilardi. For the most part, James's greatest sin is being a lecher. Yep, another gay man who sleeps around. Matthew however is power hungry to the point where he has no problem murdering his own daughter because she is pregnant with the King's bastard. So in short, we have evil gay, lecherous gay, catty and flamboyant gay and it's all celebrated with slurs. Yeah for inclusion everyone.
Even when there are no LGBT characters in a scene, Miller still manages to mess things up. When Mara ends up moving to Wiconsin she meets a local teacher named Paul. Because Paul is handsome and works out, Mara immediately assumes that he's gay and comes up with the weakest reasoning for this leap.
“Sorry. It’s just… when you said that you were a weight lifter … I just thought… I mean, with the gym addiction and it being so far and all…”
“Only gay guys are interested in staying in shape?”
“Well, yes. I mean, no. It’s just… I’m from Los Angeles. Most men out there are gay. So I’m used to gyms being a place for sexy, sweaty guys to hook up with other sexy, sweaty guys.”
“Welcome to the Heartland. Our stats are a little different here."
People of colour don't fare much better in this story. There are only three characters of colour. The first is Mrs. Lasio, "a heavyset, older Latina woman." Mrs. Lasio is deeply religious and therefore takes issue with Mara's practice of witchcraft. We are meant to see Mrs. Lasio as someone who is ridiculously superstitious who actively oppresses Mara. Mrs. Lasio is responsible for Mara's eviction. Of course, Mrs. Lasio gets hers in the end when she is also evicted.
We also have Mama Lua, who is a large Jamaican woman. We are told repeatedly how powerful Mama Lua is. It's Mama Lua who performs a cleansing ceremony on Mara. However Mama Lua is never allowed to develop into a real character and remains a magical servant at best.
I know that I've talked so much about the problematic elements of this story that I haven't really gotten to the plot. Unfortunately, I'm not done with the problematic elements. Mara is yet another example of an isolated woman. Mara's parents are both dead, though both make a ghostly visitation to warn her away from her stupidity. Mara doesn't seem to have a relationship with any women with the exception of course of her dead Aunt Tillie. Mara bemoans being a so-called "fag hag" but makes no attempt to befriend women. So let's see: dead parents (check), no female friends (check) women appear largely as adversaries or minor characters (check). Ding Ding Ding, I do believe we have found yet another trope.
Look, I don't go into chick lit expecting much. Generally speaking, I hope for a few good laughs and a satisfying end to the story but what I got was one bigoted trope after another, making the story itself almost irrelevant. I couldn't invest in Gus's friendship with Mara because he is such a homophobic trope. I wasn't pleased when Gus dropped everything once again to help Mara out and even decided to leave LA and move to freaking Wisconsin to be with Mara.
Read More
February 26, 2017
My Review: 3-Stars
First response - Needs some work, but I liked it. Great spell casting! Full review on my blog.
First of all, the title is off the mark. Aunt Tillie knows very well that she's dead, and she's not happy about it at all. In fact, she blames Mara for her death! Poor Mara, just one in a whole pile of problems.
The cover art caught my eye with all the color, but it was because it was so bright. I like a lot of the elements on it. However, the house in the book sounded so wonderful and cozy. The one on the cover just doesn't do it for me. But I love the toad picture! A great element!
This book was fun and scary and tense. It had great spell-casting. The best I've ever seen in a book! Between Gus and Mara, those spells were awesome! Then there was Mara's card reading. She was really good, too good. That's what kept getting her in trouble.
The book is basically divided into three parts, before the move, the trip, and after the move. The first part was way too long. The relationship between Mara and Gus is wonderful and it is important to establish it. But it goes on too long. The trip was funny with her conversations with the toad and what she did and didn't eat or do.
The second half of the story, with the house, Paul, the whole scary stuff, is really the story. Paul is too flat; he needs to be more developed. I would have liked more family history in the second part, too, to support some of what was going on. It felt more like a play at times than a novel. Since this is the first of a series, I am really hoping that things get better in the second or third book, when and if I get there. For those of you who like witchy books, this might be one to try. Like I said, the spell-casting was really awesome. And you have to meet the toad!
This was a BookBub acquisition. My honest review is done for no compensation of any sort. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
First response - Needs some work, but I liked it. Great spell casting! Full review on my blog.
First of all, the title is off the mark. Aunt Tillie knows very well that she's dead, and she's not happy about it at all. In fact, she blames Mara for her death! Poor Mara, just one in a whole pile of problems.
The cover art caught my eye with all the color, but it was because it was so bright. I like a lot of the elements on it. However, the house in the book sounded so wonderful and cozy. The one on the cover just doesn't do it for me. But I love the toad picture! A great element!
This book was fun and scary and tense. It had great spell-casting. The best I've ever seen in a book! Between Gus and Mara, those spells were awesome! Then there was Mara's card reading. She was really good, too good. That's what kept getting her in trouble.
The book is basically divided into three parts, before the move, the trip, and after the move. The first part was way too long. The relationship between Mara and Gus is wonderful and it is important to establish it. But it goes on too long. The trip was funny with her conversations with the toad and what she did and didn't eat or do.
The second half of the story, with the house, Paul, the whole scary stuff, is really the story. Paul is too flat; he needs to be more developed. I would have liked more family history in the second part, too, to support some of what was going on. It felt more like a play at times than a novel. Since this is the first of a series, I am really hoping that things get better in the second or third book, when and if I get there. For those of you who like witchy books, this might be one to try. Like I said, the spell-casting was really awesome. And you have to meet the toad!
This was a BookBub acquisition. My honest review is done for no compensation of any sort. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
October 3, 2014
I was not really sure what to expect for this book. It was more a paranormal read with twists and turns, than a romance or mystery. It was entertaining and engaging throughout.
The characters are immensely likeable, Mara and Gus have a terrific dynamic. They have an awesome friendship and I really wish there were more of that and less of the underlying drama. The main plot with the doom and gloom could have more show and less tell. I found myself really wanting to know more of the build and ebb of the curse.
There is a slight romance, but really not in depth courting and certainly not a HEA. The steamy scenes are mostly closed door, you have hints of detail but never any of the good naughty bits.
It is all from Mara's POV, which limits things. The glimpses into peoples thoughts and dreams helps, but I would have liked a little more perspective from the supporting cast.
I loved the banter throughout and found myself wishing for more dialogue. I am definitely interested in more from this author and would love to see this book have a sequel. There is so much more story left to tell. I loved the tarot reading and the witchy festivals, would love more of that.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by the delightful Marie Rose. I love her voice, she has a great little raspy that sells the snark. Her pace is perfect and she has terrific energy in the read. I also have to give kudos on the accents, just the right touch, not to heavy at all. Very smooth transitions from Mara to Lissette. Definitely a narrator I will look for again.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book, even though it was not what I expected. I went into it thinking it was a paranormal romance or a cozy mystery, it is neither of those things, but still a great read.
Disclosure - I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, ratings and opinions are my own.
The characters are immensely likeable, Mara and Gus have a terrific dynamic. They have an awesome friendship and I really wish there were more of that and less of the underlying drama. The main plot with the doom and gloom could have more show and less tell. I found myself really wanting to know more of the build and ebb of the curse.
There is a slight romance, but really not in depth courting and certainly not a HEA. The steamy scenes are mostly closed door, you have hints of detail but never any of the good naughty bits.
It is all from Mara's POV, which limits things. The glimpses into peoples thoughts and dreams helps, but I would have liked a little more perspective from the supporting cast.
I loved the banter throughout and found myself wishing for more dialogue. I am definitely interested in more from this author and would love to see this book have a sequel. There is so much more story left to tell. I loved the tarot reading and the witchy festivals, would love more of that.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by the delightful Marie Rose. I love her voice, she has a great little raspy that sells the snark. Her pace is perfect and she has terrific energy in the read. I also have to give kudos on the accents, just the right touch, not to heavy at all. Very smooth transitions from Mara to Lissette. Definitely a narrator I will look for again.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book, even though it was not what I expected. I went into it thinking it was a paranormal romance or a cozy mystery, it is neither of those things, but still a great read.
Disclosure - I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, ratings and opinions are my own.
October 31, 2011
This is such a great fun read. It has a little of it all. It has magic and mystery. Mayhem and humor. A little bit of dark magic, a little bit of light magic. Ghosts and demons. Big city, small town. Witty best friend, death and destruction. Love interests and did I mention magical toads?
Okay, so you sort of get the idea, this book will appeal to just about everyone and has just about everything you could ask for in a great paranormal read.
A great heroine, Mara, who is no push over and knows how to take charge and get the job done and while she isn't perfect and is still learning about who she is and what she can do, she didn't run away from her troubles. Instead she faced them on head first and did what needed to be done.
I loved the humor and just the all around witchiness (totally made up that word) of it all.
And then we have Gus. Ah Gus. How to describe thee. Actually, I can't describe him other than to say he is the kind of friend that you would want in a crisis. The kind that is loyal, funny and always has your back.
I really hope that there will be a second book out soon because I definitely plan on reading it. I want more adventures with Mara and Gus and I want to know more about what becomes of them and the new life they took on and what more is in store for them.
So in short, if you want a great indie paranormal adult read that will keep you turning the pages and guessing what will happen next, then pick up this book and give it a read.
Okay, so you sort of get the idea, this book will appeal to just about everyone and has just about everything you could ask for in a great paranormal read.
A great heroine, Mara, who is no push over and knows how to take charge and get the job done and while she isn't perfect and is still learning about who she is and what she can do, she didn't run away from her troubles. Instead she faced them on head first and did what needed to be done.
I loved the humor and just the all around witchiness (totally made up that word) of it all.
And then we have Gus. Ah Gus. How to describe thee. Actually, I can't describe him other than to say he is the kind of friend that you would want in a crisis. The kind that is loyal, funny and always has your back.
I really hope that there will be a second book out soon because I definitely plan on reading it. I want more adventures with Mara and Gus and I want to know more about what becomes of them and the new life they took on and what more is in store for them.
So in short, if you want a great indie paranormal adult read that will keep you turning the pages and guessing what will happen next, then pick up this book and give it a read.
January 30, 2012
I found this one to be pretty much a hot mess. The pacing was uneven, the characters - while relatively amusing - seemed to have strange little quirks that would come and go and quite a bit of the first part of the book was unnecessary. The second half of the book, if one entire scene and its follow ups were removed, would be the better part of the book as this is where the ghost of Aunt Tilly comes in as well as the toad and the house with attitude.
Then there were so many plot points tossed out there on their own with no real explanation that they felt tacked on. There were also many that didn't make logical sense because the reader is never given the background needed to understand them.
All of that aside, the worst part of the book was the book is R rated. It started out as a cozy paranormal mystery with humor and fun characters and some strange goings-on. But, there comes a point where for some reason the author decided to indulge in some adult fantasies that were not only unnecessary for the story itself but derailed what little was going on because it was so out of the blue.
Anyone who reads my reviews should know already that I don't have an issue with on-screen sex in the books I read. However, it is usually within the paramaters of the story and fits with the characters, pacing and atmosphere of the tale. This most definitely did not.
Then there were so many plot points tossed out there on their own with no real explanation that they felt tacked on. There were also many that didn't make logical sense because the reader is never given the background needed to understand them.
All of that aside, the worst part of the book was the book is R rated. It started out as a cozy paranormal mystery with humor and fun characters and some strange goings-on. But, there comes a point where for some reason the author decided to indulge in some adult fantasies that were not only unnecessary for the story itself but derailed what little was going on because it was so out of the blue.
Anyone who reads my reviews should know already that I don't have an issue with on-screen sex in the books I read. However, it is usually within the paramaters of the story and fits with the characters, pacing and atmosphere of the tale. This most definitely did not.
September 22, 2012
I've given this likeable book 2.5 stars.
THE STORY:
'Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead' is a fun, quick read, with interesting details of witchy rituals and beliefs. I learnt quite a few tidbits of info that sparked my interest. I think this is my favourite aspect of the book. Clearly the author took the time time to research witchery thoroughly.
THE CHARACTERS:
Mara's best friend Guy was definitely the best developed character. Warm, humorous and loyal, without becoming too second fiddle.
Grundleshanks is certainly the most interesting toad I have ever read about! (I was very disappointed with where we found him at the end of the tale!)
THE BOTTOM LINE:
As some other readers have suggested, there are far more questions created than there are answers to be found. I think there's a fine line between being mysterious and coming across as a little unfinished. For me, this book teeters back and forth it a tad.
THE STORY:
'Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead' is a fun, quick read, with interesting details of witchy rituals and beliefs. I learnt quite a few tidbits of info that sparked my interest. I think this is my favourite aspect of the book. Clearly the author took the time time to research witchery thoroughly.
THE CHARACTERS:
Mara's best friend Guy was definitely the best developed character. Warm, humorous and loyal, without becoming too second fiddle.
Grundleshanks is certainly the most interesting toad I have ever read about! (I was very disappointed with where we found him at the end of the tale!)
THE BOTTOM LINE:
As some other readers have suggested, there are far more questions created than there are answers to be found. I think there's a fine line between being mysterious and coming across as a little unfinished. For me, this book teeters back and forth it a tad.
September 29, 2014
I must say, I enjoyed this book far more than I expected too. Mara is a bit of a whiny little witch. She seems to wait to be saved by everybody until it becomes clear that she is not going to be saved if she does not save herself. But....she has a friend. Gus. I adore Gus. He is fun, flamboyant. And totally outrageously addictively gay.
The start of the book is very slow, the middle is well....the middle and the end goes at a break neck speed full of sex, hexing and ghosts and most of the time, especially at the start the book had me in stitches. Gus is truly a riot and I absolutely adore him.
I cannot really tell you guys why I enjoyed it as much as I did. It might have a lot to do with Marie Rose, the narrator who did a brilliant job with this book. It might be Gus. It might be that it was far better than I expected. Who knows.
In the end I cannot wait to listen to more in this series and more books narrated by Marie Rose
WaAr
October 18, 2016
This had the makings of being a great book, but it fell short. Way short. It took 15 chapters to get to the main story, and then the end seemed rushed. I literally did not know who Aunt Tillie was until the book was half over. Since the title suggests the book is about Aunt Tillie and she is a integral part of the story she should have been introduced earlier on in the book. The author spent WAY too much time harping on the fact that Mara was getting evicted. What she said in 15 chapters could have been said in two or three, which would of left room to go into more details about other characters and not have left the ending feel so rushed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2016
Not bad for a self-published independent author. Ms. Miller aspires to the quirkiness of Janet Evanovich. She doesn't make it there, but Ms. Evanovich relies too heavily on formula, so maybe that's not so bad to fall short of that goal. I didn't love this protagonist outright. She was a little too new age-y and a bit cliched for my taste. I did grow to like the story by the end, though. This series has some promise if it sticks more to the paranormal elements and less to the obnoxious banter with her gay BFF. That banter just wasn't funny - it was depressing (because their lives were really rather depressing.)
August 17, 2017
Mara is a modern urban witch struggling to make ends meet and coping with violent, disturbing dreams. Her charming gay sidekick, Gus, tries helping her through voodoo spell clearing and pep talks. Mara inherits a cottage in the Wisconsin woods, which seems to solve her problems but is filled with magic and wards created by her witch ancestors and inhabited by the ghost of her Aunt Tillie, who left it to her. As Mara strives to make the cottage her home, put Aunt Tillie's ghost in its place, handle her romance with a local teacher, and unravel the source of her frightening dreams, she plunges deeply into family history. Disregarding Aunt Tillie's warnings, Mara opens the cellar and reawakens her look-alike ancestor along with her paramour who enact body-snatching, taking over Mara and her boyfriend. Mara needs Gus and his witchy magic to get out of this dilemma with the help of a poisonous toad. It makes for fun, spicy, and outrageous escapades with clever dialogue and ludicrous situations. An entertaining read for a spot of diversion. First in a series that promises more witchy amusement.
June 7, 2012
"At the beginning of this whole, surreal journey, I had no idea you could be evicted from your body as easily as you could be booted out of your apartment."
&
“One of the problems with being a witch is when you ask the universe a question, it generally gives you an answer. Or at least enough of one to ruin a perfectly good week.”
And thus with not one but with two killer opening lines, Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She’s Dead begins.
Writing a line like that – let alone two lines – takes skill and craftsmanship. With much anticipation, I began reading.
Mara is a witch living in Los Angeles. She’s a witch, but she’s very leery of magic for many a reason, and she tries to keep it to the smaller stuff that can’t come back to bite her.
Around her 27th birthday, she’s about to get kicked out of her apartment by her fundamentalist Christian landlady.
So she worries over it and talks smarty-pants with her gay best friend and fellow magic user,Gus.
And then Gus talks her doing some magic against her will.
And then something bad happens, and she has bad dreams and bad feelings about what is about to come, especially since *dum dum dum* her mother died at the age of 27.
And then she frets and talks smarty-pants with Gus.
Then the landlady comes back to reiterate witches are evil and she’s still evicted.
And then Gus reassures her, and talks her into doing magic against her will.
And keep going like that through the first half of the book.
Let me stop here for a bit. This is not going to be the most complimentary review, so I’d like to say right now what I liked and give the story it’s due. The author has a fantastic voice with dialogue, especially that “you are a pain but I love you” dialogue that occurs between long-time friends. The book has that everyone-is-crazy humor, sort of reminiscent of the early Stephanie Plum books, and the author does it well. And as shown by those opening lines, the author knows how to string together a sentence in a clever way.
Now to the problems. The biggest one is the story has horrific pacing. The above back-and-forth takes almost half of the book (and this is novel-length, so that’s a lot of between friends bickering). The first few rounds between Gus and Mara were fun and had me smiling, but when we got to a third of the way through the book and that was all that had happened so far, I was getting frustrated. Bickering does not a story make.
Once we got to around the 40% mark and still no story forward momentum, I put the book down… and ended up forgetting about it.
Not long ago I came across the title and went, “Oh yeah, I’m in the middle of that, aren’t I?” I actually debated with myself if I wanted to restart it again. But I remembered what I liked about the story and the fact that sometimes the second half of the book might be better than the first, I decided to go forward and finish the book.
About the halfway point we get to the heart of the story: Mara inherits her Aunt Tillie’s cottage far, far away from LA. Once there, Mara deals with colorful locals, the ghost of her Aunt (who may/may not have her best interests at heart) a love interest, and the possibility the house itself wants to kill her… or worse.
I wish I could say the second half makes up for the first, but that’s not the case. Because of the over long set-up, this part of the story is rushed. There is so much tossed into it that the story is superficial – we’re never really given a chance to absorb anything, so we don’t have any deep feelings for what’s happening.
Also, Mara goes from being a character in her own right into taking specific actions because she needs to do them or else the story won’t work. Multiple instances I thought to myself, “Would the character I saw in the beginning do this?” From my point of view, the answer was usually no. Again, because of the rushed nature of the second half of the book, the author wasn’t able to convince me of these changes. Also, in this part of the book Mara deals with her issues surrounding her Mother, but once again, everything is so rushed that what should have been poignant and added some depth to the story was barely a blip on my screen.
The humor that served so well through the first half of the book becomes a detriment in the second half. Humor can be used to increase tension and dread, but in this case, the author was not able to pull that off. Instead, the humor turned what should have been high tension instances into shoulder shrugs.
The small-town residents are barely more than cut-outs, and the love interest isn’t. It felt like the author needed a male body (I can’t say more without going into major spoilers but anyone reading the book knows what I mean) and threw him in there. The only love story in this book was the love between a woman and her Gay Best Friend Forever.
And the ending – what was that? In all honesty, by that time, I just wanted it over and was like, “Fine. Good luck everyone.”
Bottom line – This author creates wonderful dialogue and fun supporting characters, and her humor speaks to me. On the other hand, she has no idea how to pace a story, she spends too much time on things that she shouldn’t and way too little time on areas that need more in-depth exploration, her characters tend to be a little superficial, and she hasn’t learned how to use her humor to amplify the tension – instead, the humor dilutes it. Will I read her again? Yes, but I would want to know who her editor is first.
My final grade? D+
&
“One of the problems with being a witch is when you ask the universe a question, it generally gives you an answer. Or at least enough of one to ruin a perfectly good week.”
And thus with not one but with two killer opening lines, Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She’s Dead begins.
Writing a line like that – let alone two lines – takes skill and craftsmanship. With much anticipation, I began reading.
Mara is a witch living in Los Angeles. She’s a witch, but she’s very leery of magic for many a reason, and she tries to keep it to the smaller stuff that can’t come back to bite her.
Around her 27th birthday, she’s about to get kicked out of her apartment by her fundamentalist Christian landlady.
So she worries over it and talks smarty-pants with her gay best friend and fellow magic user,Gus.
And then Gus talks her doing some magic against her will.
And then something bad happens, and she has bad dreams and bad feelings about what is about to come, especially since *dum dum dum* her mother died at the age of 27.
And then she frets and talks smarty-pants with Gus.
Then the landlady comes back to reiterate witches are evil and she’s still evicted.
And then Gus reassures her, and talks her into doing magic against her will.
And keep going like that through the first half of the book.
Let me stop here for a bit. This is not going to be the most complimentary review, so I’d like to say right now what I liked and give the story it’s due. The author has a fantastic voice with dialogue, especially that “you are a pain but I love you” dialogue that occurs between long-time friends. The book has that everyone-is-crazy humor, sort of reminiscent of the early Stephanie Plum books, and the author does it well. And as shown by those opening lines, the author knows how to string together a sentence in a clever way.
Now to the problems. The biggest one is the story has horrific pacing. The above back-and-forth takes almost half of the book (and this is novel-length, so that’s a lot of between friends bickering). The first few rounds between Gus and Mara were fun and had me smiling, but when we got to a third of the way through the book and that was all that had happened so far, I was getting frustrated. Bickering does not a story make.
Once we got to around the 40% mark and still no story forward momentum, I put the book down… and ended up forgetting about it.
Not long ago I came across the title and went, “Oh yeah, I’m in the middle of that, aren’t I?” I actually debated with myself if I wanted to restart it again. But I remembered what I liked about the story and the fact that sometimes the second half of the book might be better than the first, I decided to go forward and finish the book.
About the halfway point we get to the heart of the story: Mara inherits her Aunt Tillie’s cottage far, far away from LA. Once there, Mara deals with colorful locals, the ghost of her Aunt (who may/may not have her best interests at heart) a love interest, and the possibility the house itself wants to kill her… or worse.
I wish I could say the second half makes up for the first, but that’s not the case. Because of the over long set-up, this part of the story is rushed. There is so much tossed into it that the story is superficial – we’re never really given a chance to absorb anything, so we don’t have any deep feelings for what’s happening.
Also, Mara goes from being a character in her own right into taking specific actions because she needs to do them or else the story won’t work. Multiple instances I thought to myself, “Would the character I saw in the beginning do this?” From my point of view, the answer was usually no. Again, because of the rushed nature of the second half of the book, the author wasn’t able to convince me of these changes. Also, in this part of the book Mara deals with her issues surrounding her Mother, but once again, everything is so rushed that what should have been poignant and added some depth to the story was barely a blip on my screen.
The humor that served so well through the first half of the book becomes a detriment in the second half. Humor can be used to increase tension and dread, but in this case, the author was not able to pull that off. Instead, the humor turned what should have been high tension instances into shoulder shrugs.
The small-town residents are barely more than cut-outs, and the love interest isn’t. It felt like the author needed a male body (I can’t say more without going into major spoilers but anyone reading the book knows what I mean) and threw him in there. The only love story in this book was the love between a woman and her Gay Best Friend Forever.
And the ending – what was that? In all honesty, by that time, I just wanted it over and was like, “Fine. Good luck everyone.”
Bottom line – This author creates wonderful dialogue and fun supporting characters, and her humor speaks to me. On the other hand, she has no idea how to pace a story, she spends too much time on things that she shouldn’t and way too little time on areas that need more in-depth exploration, her characters tend to be a little superficial, and she hasn’t learned how to use her humor to amplify the tension – instead, the humor dilutes it. Will I read her again? Yes, but I would want to know who her editor is first.
My final grade? D+
March 31, 2017
I chose this book because I thought it would be more on the funny side, it was not.
I chose this book because I thought it would be more on the funny side, it was not. It got tedious to read so I would put it down and then come back to it. Not sure if I'll read anymore.
I chose this book because I thought it would be more on the funny side, it was not. It got tedious to read so I would put it down and then come back to it. Not sure if I'll read anymore.
April 7, 2015
I have to say, I felt a bit misled by the cover of this book, which suggests a light, humorous read.
Well it isn't. Not in my opinion. That's not to say it wasn't a fine read, but it wasn't what I was expecting.
Mara is having the month from hell. She's lost her job, is being evicted from her apartment because she's practicing witchcraft, and her tarot cards give her nothing but death, sorrow and destruction. She even dreams the ghastly death of a woman who turns out to be her Aunt Tillie. Mara's pretty sure she's responsible for the fatal accident that kills Tillie, and Tillie's inclined to agree.
When all Mara's problems seem to be answered by her unexpected inheritance, she discovers that running in the opposite direction might actually have been the smarter idea.
Yes, this is lightweight chick-lit, but for me, too grim for most of the book to be funny. The outstanding character is Mara's best friend, Gus, who reminds me strongly of Lafayette from True Blood, although this gay witch is in perfect control of his powers, and revels in them. He is outrageous, has the best lines, and is a staunch friend to the damsel in distress.
The character I felt was least used, leaving me somewhat disappointed, was Grundleshanks, the toad. I kept expecting him to DO something, other than excrete hallucinogenic slime onto his skin. Ah well...
So in summary, this is a well written book, with great dialogue. The plot is a little slow to get going, although the interaction between the lead characters carries you along. I was just expecting more humour than I got, based on the cartoonish cover.
Perhaps my British sense of humour is letting me down. If you like a light paranormal read, you might find it funnier than me.
I enjoyed it enough that I will read the next one, so recommended if comic(?) horror is your type of genre.
Well it isn't. Not in my opinion. That's not to say it wasn't a fine read, but it wasn't what I was expecting.
Mara is having the month from hell. She's lost her job, is being evicted from her apartment because she's practicing witchcraft, and her tarot cards give her nothing but death, sorrow and destruction. She even dreams the ghastly death of a woman who turns out to be her Aunt Tillie. Mara's pretty sure she's responsible for the fatal accident that kills Tillie, and Tillie's inclined to agree.
When all Mara's problems seem to be answered by her unexpected inheritance, she discovers that running in the opposite direction might actually have been the smarter idea.
Yes, this is lightweight chick-lit, but for me, too grim for most of the book to be funny. The outstanding character is Mara's best friend, Gus, who reminds me strongly of Lafayette from True Blood, although this gay witch is in perfect control of his powers, and revels in them. He is outrageous, has the best lines, and is a staunch friend to the damsel in distress.
The character I felt was least used, leaving me somewhat disappointed, was Grundleshanks, the toad. I kept expecting him to DO something, other than excrete hallucinogenic slime onto his skin. Ah well...
So in summary, this is a well written book, with great dialogue. The plot is a little slow to get going, although the interaction between the lead characters carries you along. I was just expecting more humour than I got, based on the cartoonish cover.
Perhaps my British sense of humour is letting me down. If you like a light paranormal read, you might find it funnier than me.
I enjoyed it enough that I will read the next one, so recommended if comic(?) horror is your type of genre.
July 22, 2011
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead
Christiana Miller, Hekarose Publishing
April 23,2011
Get ready for a psychic roller coaster ride. This book is a tour de force novel of magic, spellcraft and over all chills. I bought this book and read it in two days. Once you get started you will not be able to put this one down.
The story starts of in Los Angeles, more notedly in the San Fernando Valley. Mara a heridetery witch is down on her luck. She has no job and subsists on unemployment. Her land lord who is usually more generous has given her extra time in the past to make the rent. This time things are different. Thanks to a new apartment manager who is a devout Christians and very anti-wiccan, Mara finds herself about to be evicted. Her best friend Gus helps her out by finding her jobs and helping her with magic. Mara creates a fetch in the shape of a crow.
Meanwhile in Wisconsin her aunt Tillie crashes the her car. A crow smashed through the windshield. Mara inherits the old cottage, which is rumored to be haunted. Problems arise as soon as Mara arrives. Her and Aunt Tillie start bumping heads. Mara employs a range of magical techniques in order to subdue her dead Aunt Tillie. Is this really a wise choice? IS Aunt Tillie really all that bad? She may have real good intentions. The family has a haunted past and not all spirits which to remain as spirits. Some want to live in physcial bodies again. Definitely a must read read if you enjoy magic and out of body experiences. This book gets five stars out of five stars.
Christiana Miller, Hekarose Publishing
April 23,2011
Get ready for a psychic roller coaster ride. This book is a tour de force novel of magic, spellcraft and over all chills. I bought this book and read it in two days. Once you get started you will not be able to put this one down.
The story starts of in Los Angeles, more notedly in the San Fernando Valley. Mara a heridetery witch is down on her luck. She has no job and subsists on unemployment. Her land lord who is usually more generous has given her extra time in the past to make the rent. This time things are different. Thanks to a new apartment manager who is a devout Christians and very anti-wiccan, Mara finds herself about to be evicted. Her best friend Gus helps her out by finding her jobs and helping her with magic. Mara creates a fetch in the shape of a crow.
Meanwhile in Wisconsin her aunt Tillie crashes the her car. A crow smashed through the windshield. Mara inherits the old cottage, which is rumored to be haunted. Problems arise as soon as Mara arrives. Her and Aunt Tillie start bumping heads. Mara employs a range of magical techniques in order to subdue her dead Aunt Tillie. Is this really a wise choice? IS Aunt Tillie really all that bad? She may have real good intentions. The family has a haunted past and not all spirits which to remain as spirits. Some want to live in physcial bodies again. Definitely a must read read if you enjoy magic and out of body experiences. This book gets five stars out of five stars.
August 29, 2011
With a title like Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead, the book ought to be an fun read. Turns out, this book was much more than just fun. It is a funny, entertaining, magical and scary tale about witches and a haunted cottage.
Mara's a witch with bad luck. She's unemployed and she's about to lose her apartment thanks to an anti-Wiccan landlord. With the help of magic and her best friend Gus, Mara tries to get her life on tracks. That's when she learns her Aunt Tillie died and left her all of her belongings including a cottage. Mara soon learns that her aunt still lurks around and she's not a happy camper! Using her magical skills, Mara calms down her dead aunt. Once the spirit of a very powerful witch is awaken and the family's haunted past is uncovered, Mara might wish she would've listened to her Aunt Tillie.
With all her struggles, Mara needs the help of her gay best friend Gus to cheer her up. When the author first introduced Gus I knew I was going to like him. He is really funny. At times I found him a bit strange but he's still a lovable character. He's very loyal to Mara and will do anything to help her. He's the guy every girl wants to be best friends with.
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead is the type of book you can read in one sitting. It's one of those hard-to-out-down books. With every page, the story gets better and better.
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead is a must-read for paranormal lovers. Christiana Miller is an author to keep an eye on!
Mara's a witch with bad luck. She's unemployed and she's about to lose her apartment thanks to an anti-Wiccan landlord. With the help of magic and her best friend Gus, Mara tries to get her life on tracks. That's when she learns her Aunt Tillie died and left her all of her belongings including a cottage. Mara soon learns that her aunt still lurks around and she's not a happy camper! Using her magical skills, Mara calms down her dead aunt. Once the spirit of a very powerful witch is awaken and the family's haunted past is uncovered, Mara might wish she would've listened to her Aunt Tillie.
With all her struggles, Mara needs the help of her gay best friend Gus to cheer her up. When the author first introduced Gus I knew I was going to like him. He is really funny. At times I found him a bit strange but he's still a lovable character. He's very loyal to Mara and will do anything to help her. He's the guy every girl wants to be best friends with.
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead is the type of book you can read in one sitting. It's one of those hard-to-out-down books. With every page, the story gets better and better.
Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead is a must-read for paranormal lovers. Christiana Miller is an author to keep an eye on!
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