Ouachita Witch: A Romantic Novelette

by Terri Reid

The vast Ouachita (pronounced Wash-uh-taw) National Forest is home to majestic bluffs, rolling hills, rushing rivers, pristine lakes, and at least one White Mountain Witch. Elspeth Chisholm has lived in the cabin in the hidden hollow of the mountains her entire life, just as her mother did before her. She practiced the ancient art of healing, both with herbs and the gift she inherited from her ancestors. Her companion and best friend, Percival, was raised alongside her since he was orphaned as a child. Together, they guarded their secrets and led a hidden, idyllic life until fate intervened.
Forest Ranger Hudson McCauley was sure he was going to die. Ambushed by two cartel members in the deep confines of the forest, he was sure his time had come, until fate, once again, intervened. He woke up to find himself in a cabin and under the tender care of the most beautiful woman he'd seen in his life. He was drawn to her in a way that had never happened to him before. But he had secrets too.
Will the world Hudson brought with him not only threaten Elspeth's peace of mind, but her very existence? Will their secrets keep them from acting on the attraction they both feel? What does fate have in store for the Ouachita Witch?

51 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2025

About the author

Terri Reid is the author of the Mary O’Reilly Paranormal Mysteries. An indie author, Reid uploaded her first book “Loose Ends” in August 2010. By the end of 2012, “Loose Ends” had sold over 82,000 copies and, as of the writing of this bio, was the number one bestselling book in Amazon’s ranking of Ghost Stories in the Book/Literature & Fiction/Genre Fiction/Horror/Ghosts section and the number two in the same area in the Kindle eBooks section. She has eight other books in the Mary O’Reilly Series and has enjoyed Top Rated and Hot New Release status for many of them in the Women Sleuths category through Amazon US. Her books have been translated into Spanish and Portuguese and are also now available through CreateSpace and Amazon in print versions. She is also working on an audiobook for “Loose Ends.”
Reid has been quoted in several books about the self-publishing industry, including “Let’s Get Digital” by David Gaughran and “Interviews with Indie Authors: Top Tips from Successful Self-Published Authors” by Claire and Tim Ridgway. She was also honored to have some of her works included in A. J. Abbiati’s book “The NORTAV Method for Writers—The Secrets to Constructing Prose Like the Pros.” She has also had the distinct privilege of guest blogging for Joe Konrath.
Reid is from Northwest Illinois, near the town of Freeport, the home of her fictional characters. Her background is in marketing and public relations. She is married, the mother of seven children, and the grandmother of twenty-three.
She has her grandchildren convinced that she talks to fairies and animals - and they talk back.

Reviews

[Thompson615 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read!

I loved this novella! A mountain witch and her brother find an injured man. As they try to help him they also need to be careful that he doesn’t discover their secrets.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am loving the new characters in this story and I look forward to the next one. I can highly recommend.

[Krista Messer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a little hard to follow for me, but in general enjoyable. Having a Sasquatch is an automatic win for me 😂 I didn’t really care for the romance, but Elsbeth was a pretty cool character!

[Linda Vermillion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great novella

Always liked Ms Reid's books. I love the supernatural and her books never disappoint. Knew it was going to be short but I was disappointed when it ended.

[Teresa Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet short story

This is a fun new direction for Terri Reid with quite a few surprises packed into a short story. Sweet