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Brad’s
dated a number of unsavory women whom he dumps when they
press him for a ring or marriage. Why continue the charade?
Because he likes sex, that's why. When his bonsai tree
starts talking back to him one Halloween night after a
particular vicious break-up, he realizes he maybe the one
with the problem.
Deidre is
a man-hating, angry soul who’s been trapped in Brad’s bonsai
tree for sixteen years. Until the tree dies, she cannot
escape, and even then, only to the next seed, the next tree,
and so on and so forth. It’s her punishment for trying to
kill off her competition centuries ago. Unfortunately, Brad
takes excellent care of her tree. Since she's been cursed,
she’s never been able to speak with anyone, but for the
first time and for the next five years, she and Brad
converse, only for twenty-four hours, on Halloween.
Brad isn’t
idle during those six years. He searches the Internet for a
way to break Deidre’s spell, talking to shamans and witches,
and those versed in the occult. Every year, he fails, until
this Halloween, when a vengeful ex-girlfriend decides to
hurt the one thing Brad holds dear - Deidre’s tree.
The Sixth Cursed Halloween reminds me a lot of
Shakespeare’s A Taming of the Shrew. This is a
well-characterized, thoroughly developed tale that won’t
disappoint its reader. Sharp-tongued Deidre isn't the most
sympathetic character, and Brad walks a fine line between
being metrosexually gay and brutish, but hey, opposites
attract and judging by Brad’s wet dreams and the couple’s
eventual sexual escapades, it works for this pair. I’m just
glad my houseplants can’t talk -they’d curse me. Perfect for
a snowy afternoon, this slow-paced novella builds to a
happily-ever-after climax. Enjoy! |
