I was prepping for the next interview when my assistant signaled me.  Jennifer was in rare form today, always the comedienne.  I know she was mouthing the word “witch”.  Not one to stereotype, I ignored her and did my introduction for our guest.

            “Today we have Jessie Anderson from Yachats, Oregon.  She is the star of the new release Magick & Moonlight.”  I waited as a slender yet slightly curvy woman a bit less than 5’5”, my own height, came onto stage.  She was dressed in a long, flowing blue dress with symbols embroidered on it.  She wore dress sandals and her long black, wavy hair shone in the stage lamps.

            I reached out and shook her hand.  “It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Jessie.  Will you sit with me?”

            She nodded and sat on the plush red sofa nearby.  I took a seat next to her.  “I want to thank you for visiting us on the show today.” 

            Jessie smiled.  “It was the least I could do.  Your show is very popular.  Thank you for inviting me here.”

            “You’re welcome.” I took a deep breath and organized my thoughts.  “The term ‘witch’ is flying around the studio this morning.  Is there any truth to that?”

            She winced.  “We don’t exactly like that term.”

            “So, you aren’t a witch?”

            She lifted a shoulder.  “Not in the way you mean.  Pop culture views witches as evil or devil worshippers.  There is also the misconception that they fly around on broomsticks.  That just isn’t the case.  Wicca is a very natural religion where we observe nature in its glory and appreciate the Goddess for the gifts she has given us.”

            I leaned forward.  “Do you deny you have certain talents?”

            Jessie shook her head.  “No.  I was born with gifts.  But, I never abuse them or use them to get something I want.”

            “You do spells though.”

            “Of course.  But, a spell is like a blessing.  You can call it a prayer even.  There are spells for healing or protection, spells to rid yourself of bad habits or to help you sleep better.  It is simply a wish or a prayer to the Goddess and the elements to help us in our daily lives.  It doesn’t have to be supernatural.  Magick is a way to recognize the world around us.”

            “I noticed you mentioned devil worship.  Can you explain the difference between that and Wicca?”

            “Of course.  Wicca is often confused with Satanism because of symbols or rituals.  But, that’s simply not the case.  In fact, it is the complete opposite.  For example, blood rituals are avoided because not only is blood a powerful element, it would be wrong to do it.  Wiccans have laws too.  And we oppose the use of negative or harmful magick.  The Rule of Three must always be taken into consideration.”

            “What is the Rule of Three?”

            “Whenever you wish harm to come to another person, that could come back to you three times over.”

            “I see.”  Sensing I wouldn’t get much from Jessie by pursuing the argument, I switched tactics.  “Tell me about the new man in town.  Ethan, is it?” I had to stifle a giggle as she clearly blushed.

            “Well, Ethan is a cop, a former cop.  He was looking for a change of pace so he came to Yachats.”

            “Yes.  I watched the book trailer.  It seems he found a lot more than peace and quiet.”

            Jessie laughed.  “It got a little out of hand.”

            “Oh?  Tell me more.”

            She shook her head.  “I did what I had to do.”

            Oh, there was a definite story there, but the girl wasn’t going to talk.

            “How long have you been a practicing Wiccan, Jessie?”

            “All my life.”

            “Well, our time is almost up.  At least give me a juicy tidbit about Ethan.  I had the chance to read a couple of pages before you came today.  So, tell me…can the man kiss?”

            She ducked her head.  “Oh, yes.”  Her voice was breathless now. 

            “Well, judging by his looks, he’d make me blush too.  And I don’t blush easily!” I laughed, then turned back to the audience.  “That’s all the time we have for today.  Jessie has certainly made me want to finish reading the story to see what happens.  You can find Magick & Moonlight on Amazon and at Solstice Publishing.”

            I turned back to Jessie and stood.  When she stood too, I shook her hand again.  “It was an honor to meet a Wiccan.  You’ve certainly opened my mind to the religion.  I hope to have you back here on the show.  Or maybe you can convince that hunk Ethan to visit us?”  I laughed as the woman blushed again.

            “Thank you.  I enjoyed the show.”

            I watched her walk off the stage, then turned to the audience.  “It was fun having Jessie on, wasn’t it?  I hope you get a chance to check out Magick & Moonlight.  As always, viewers, stay safe and read to your heart’s content.” 

            When the cameras stopped rolling, I retired to my dressing room to rest.  I picked up my Kindle and flipped to the next page of the story.  The heroine was describing Ethan’s kiss.  I propped my feet up where I sat and got comfortable.  This was going to be good.