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Jack just gambled her family’s future on seeds. Too bad they only bring her a cursed pumpkin patch full of ghosts.
Jack, a shy and sensitive high schooler, is desperate to do whatever she can to save her family’s farm. Unfortunately for her, the pawn shop cons her into trading her family’s heirlooms for three old pumpkin seeds on the promise they will solve all Jack’s problems. But when the seeds sprout overnight into a haunted pumpkin patch, they bring more problems than they solve—like a hundred-year-old witch’s curse.
Hopeful she will uncover the secrets of the patch, and maybe solve the farm’s financial problems, Jack enlists her best friend Lucy’s help to investigate. But then a malevolent ghost kidnaps Lucy, and Jack learns the dark history of her home, a history steeped in betrayal and revenge. With Lucy’s life on the line, can Jack confront the spirit, break the curse, and save her friend?
Or will the witch kill them both and reign for another hundred years?
The Patch is part of a collection of standalone fairy tale novellas, Seasons of Magic, and is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. If you like spooky stories, autumn magic, and pumpkins, you will love Selina J. Eckert’s bone-chilling tale!
Look for more Seasons of Magic
Magical Summer Heat
Fireflies & Faeries
"Carnival of Curses"
"Of the Clouds"
Crisp Autumn Magic
Pumpkins & Shades
"Pumpkin Spice Pie-Jinks"
"The Patch"
Chill of Winter Magic
Flurries & Phantoms
"Freeze Thaw"
"Cold Snap"
"Glow"
Fresh Spring In the Air
Petals & Sirens
"All That Glimmers"
"Flotsam"
"Beast and Bloom"
Jack, a shy and sensitive high schooler, is desperate to do whatever she can to save her family’s farm. Unfortunately for her, the pawn shop cons her into trading her family’s heirlooms for three old pumpkin seeds on the promise they will solve all Jack’s problems. But when the seeds sprout overnight into a haunted pumpkin patch, they bring more problems than they solve—like a hundred-year-old witch’s curse.
Hopeful she will uncover the secrets of the patch, and maybe solve the farm’s financial problems, Jack enlists her best friend Lucy’s help to investigate. But then a malevolent ghost kidnaps Lucy, and Jack learns the dark history of her home, a history steeped in betrayal and revenge. With Lucy’s life on the line, can Jack confront the spirit, break the curse, and save her friend?
Or will the witch kill them both and reign for another hundred years?
The Patch is part of a collection of standalone fairy tale novellas, Seasons of Magic, and is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. If you like spooky stories, autumn magic, and pumpkins, you will love Selina J. Eckert’s bone-chilling tale!
Look for more Seasons of Magic
Magical Summer Heat
Fireflies & Faeries
"Carnival of Curses"
"Of the Clouds"
Crisp Autumn Magic
Pumpkins & Shades
"Pumpkin Spice Pie-Jinks"
"The Patch"
Chill of Winter Magic
Flurries & Phantoms
"Freeze Thaw"
"Cold Snap"
"Glow"
Fresh Spring In the Air
Petals & Sirens
"All That Glimmers"
"Flotsam"
"Beast and Bloom"
- GenresFantasy
ebook
First published October 17, 2020
33 people want to read
About the author
Selina J. Eckert
31 books59 followersSelina is a biologist-by-day, writer-by-night native of Pennsylvania. She lives with her husband, dog, and two cats and spends her time writing, reading, creating art, and dreaming about fictional worlds. She has written two fairy-tale retelling short stories that were both finalists in Rooglewood Press short story contests and a fantasy short story, “Queen of Mist and Fog,” available through her newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 16, 2021
Overall really enjoyed this. Books need more ghost cats. While overall pretty good, the story didn't really pick up until about the halfway point. Then it got really good really fast and the last half or so was complete non-stop with a lot of interesting ghost stuff.
I would say that the witches involved were not Disney types. There's a little bit of darkness around them, so I'd have some discernment about readers who are used to fluffier magic systems and might not be ready for that, but a 13+ kid with a decent understanding of real vs pretend and good vs evil (the witch doing the stuff is definitely evil) would probably be fine with it.
Minor quibble ... I did not understand the parents' relationship to the best friend like AT ALL. Like I get having your kid have a best friend you like and hope she learns from, sure. But to the point where you first question after your kid has a bad grade on a test is, "well, how did your friend do?" ... maybe there are parents like that, but to me it seemed almost creepy, almost like I expected there to be a supernatural reveal where somehow the parents are tied to this other kid in some way that led to them being a like this. Again, just because that sort of parental relationship isn't in my field of experience doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but it did weird me out a little. Parents in this story were generally a little bit awful.
I would say that the witches involved were not Disney types. There's a little bit of darkness around them, so I'd have some discernment about readers who are used to fluffier magic systems and might not be ready for that, but a 13+ kid with a decent understanding of real vs pretend and good vs evil (the witch doing the stuff is definitely evil) would probably be fine with it.
Minor quibble ... I did not understand the parents' relationship to the best friend like AT ALL. Like I get having your kid have a best friend you like and hope she learns from, sure. But to the point where you first question after your kid has a bad grade on a test is, "well, how did your friend do?" ... maybe there are parents like that, but to me it seemed almost creepy, almost like I expected there to be a supernatural reveal where somehow the parents are tied to this other kid in some way that led to them being a like this. Again, just because that sort of parental relationship isn't in my field of experience doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but it did weird me out a little. Parents in this story were generally a little bit awful.
March 24, 2021
Love love love!!!
Another wonderful tale by this author! I always get happy feelings after reading her work! I cannot wait for more!
Another wonderful tale by this author! I always get happy feelings after reading her work! I cannot wait for more!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews