Gramps shifted the chest on the table and opened it. Inside were piles of papers.
“What is that?” Maria asked.
“Everything I know about the Arachnids and the Widow. Though I’ve learned much more today. Thank you, Gelbus,” Gramps said.
“No problem—”
“Did you say ‘dragon’?” Joe cut off from behind the table. He was sitting up, and his face was very pale. “And what are Arachnids?”
Claire shrugged as Tabby rubbed the healing wound around her neck from her own run-in with them.
“Eh, they’re just, like, these giant spider-like creatures. Aliens, I guess,” Claire said.
Joe nodded. “Oh, cool. Well—” He fell backward, landing on the sugar bags with a muffled thud. He had passed out again.
Maria stood up, ready to rush over to his side, but Gramps waved her back. “No, Maria, he’ll be all right.” He spread the papers out on the table. They were written in Gramps’s messy handwriting, but in a language Maria couldn’t have read even if she could decipher his scribblings. “For now, we must prepare.”
She stopped and took a deep breath. One hand was on the hilt of her sword as she looked at the music box on the table next to the papers and the chest.
The dragon was right, Maria thought, the battle may be over, but the war is just beginning.
FINIS
Author Notes - Flint Maxwell November 14, 2017
Wuuueeee! Another book finished! I hope you dug this volume of The Midwest Magic Chronicles. I had an absolute blast writing it, which, by the way, was the fastest I've ever written a book. As you can see, I was really into this one, and I like where the story is heading. So thank you so much for reading my work and following me this far in the series. I hope you'll continue to follow along because this journey is only going to get better and better as the characters grow and the stakes get higher.
With each book I finish, I reward myself by building a LEGO set. That's a new reward, but boy, is it working. You may have seen a photo of my most recent completion. It was Han Solo's Millennium Falcon, and it was the biggest set I've completed so far. I hope to get either the Taj Mahal, Big Ben clock tower, or the Tower Bridge set pretty soon and build one of those after I finish book 4 (which as you read this, I will be hard at work on).
The only sets I've finished have been Star Wars sets, but I think it's time to branch out. It's just that I freaking love Star Wars. I've seen every movie (yes, even the critically panned prequels) hundreds of times. In high school, I would always bring a Star Wars Insider magazine with me to study hall to read after I finished whatever homework I had. People poked fun at me for that, sometimes even the teachers, but I didn't care. Star Wars is awesome. The belief of the Jedi and the concept of some of the Force's teachings ("Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering,") are meaningful. I believe we can all learn from those movies, TV shows, and novels how to be better people. It's definitely more than just lightsabers, aliens, and spaceships; it's a way of life.
As always, I'd like to thank you for reading this book, the series, and my other novels (if you haven’t read those, check out the Jack Zombie series on Amazon! ;D). I'd also like to thank Martha Carr and Michael Anderle for the opportunity and guidance they've given me along this epic quest. I'd like to thank my editor Jen for putting up with my crap and telling me when something sucks (which I often need her to do). And a big thanks to Stephen Campbell for doing all the behind the scenes stuff, Andrew Dobell for the beautiful covers, and my family for being so supportive. You're all the best.
Author Notes - Martha Carr November 15, 2017
Lois Lane, wonder dog is running back and forth right now, barking at the neighbor mowing his lawn. She was born deaf so it’s not a noise thing. I think she’d like to go say hello. Lois operates off the idea that she needs to greet everyone and if possible, lean up against you and look up with big green eyes until you rub her back. I admire how she does it so easily without having to process a bunch of crap about independence, or how does this make her look. She asks for what she needs and a lot of the time she gets it. My neighbor, however, is ignoring her at the moment. Not always successful but a pretty good system.
That’s helpful for me to see and Lois is often a good teacher about ‘just do it’, in general. The theme for me lately has been looking for help. The books are doing well, I’m still working full time, there are other authors that I’m collaborating with, like Flint Maxwell with his third big release coming at you, and on top of that I’m planning a move back to Chicago (my old hometown) in April or May. My ‘regular’s live there and it’s time to go home. But it’s a lot to carry on one plate and then have a life. You know, hang out, sit still, read a book, not answer a phone, an email, a text. Time to ask for help. Probably past time.
I’m lucky because right next to me is one of the best marketing people I know – the offspring! Louie Carr came to the convention with me and volunteered his services to do all of the live streaming to Facebook – sat there for hours at a stretch, front and center. I think he saw more of the speakers than anyone else in there! Now, he’s coming up with a plan
