{"product_id":"familiar-motives-isbn-9780451476593","title":"Familiar Motives","description":"\u003cb\u003eA new witch and her feline familiar get their fifteen minutes of fame in this enchanting mystery in the national bestselling series...\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e After learning that she comes from a family of witches—and adopting a familiar named Alistair—artist Annabelle Britton has made beautiful Portsmouth, New Hampshire, her home. Together with her coven, this good witch is trying to put a stop to magic and murder most foul. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e When Anna takes Alistair to see local veterinarian Ramona Forsythe, they meet the most famous cat in town: Ruby the Attitude Cat, spokes-feline for a pet food brand. But then Ramona turns up dead, and Ruby goes missing. It seems like the murderer used magical means, so it’s up to Anna and Alistair to catch a killer and cat-napper as only a canny cat can.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cb\u003ePraise for the Witch’s Cat Mysteries\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “A special brew of magic, murder, mayhem...and one extraordinary cat.”—Laurie Cass, national bestselling author\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Great story, strong characters, lovely setting, fun familiars as well as a great mystery and a ghost or two...I hope you will love this one as much as I did!”—A Cup of Tea and a Cozy Mystery\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Anna is so genuinely likable, the dialogue so cleverly written, and the plot so compelling, that readers will enthusiastically follow her adventures.”—Kings River Life Magazine\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Much like \u003ci\u003eBewitched\u003c\/i\u003e, the feline in this one is a blast, and Annabelle is perfect when it comes to magical thinking and doing in New Hampshire.”—\u003ci\u003eSuspense Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “This intriguing first installment of a new series is populated with wonderful characters and has a twisty plot that will keep you turning the pages. If forthcoming novels are as tantalizing as this one is, this series should land on everyone’s must-read list!”—ReadertoReader.com\u003cbr\u003e  Born in California and raised in Michigan, \u003cb\u003eDelia James\u003c\/b\u003e writes her tales of magic, cats, and mystery from her hundred-year-old bungalow home in Ann Arbor. She is the author of the Witch’s Cat Mysteries, which include \u003ci\u003eBy Familiar Means\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eA Familiar Tail\u003c\/i\u003e. When not writing, she hikes, swims, gardens, cooks, reads, and raises her rapidly growing son.1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I want to be really clear about a few things. I do not habitually      hide important information from my friends and family. I do not      eavesdrop on other people's conversations, especially from under      tables, and I don't run out on parties to which I have been      invited as the guest of honor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Unless it's really important.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e My name is Annabelle Amelia Blessingsound Britton. That's a lot by      normal standards. When you belong to an old New England family,      though, it's part of the standard package, along with the native      stubbornness and a reluctance to pronounce the letter R.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I'm also an artist. And a witch. That's a little less standard.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In fact, I found out about the witch thing only when I moved to      Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I had always known there was something      . . . different . . . about me. I have a-well, call it an unusual      ability. I pick up on the emotional vibrations associated with      dramatic events that happen inside a house or building. If      something happened in the past, like a death, or something is      coming in the future, like a wedding or a birth, I will know about      it as soon as I walk into a room, whether I want to or not. If the      emotions surrounding the event are intense enough, they will flood      right through me. The stronger they are, in fact, the stronger my      reaction will be. That reaction can include breaking down or      passing out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This doesn't happen all the time, thankfully, or I wouldn't be      able to walk into the Circle K without losing my mind. But, while      I've lived with what I call my \"Vibe\" since I was a kid, it was      only recently that I found out it's rooted in a long, secret      family history of magic and magic workers that includes my sweet      and innocent-looking grandmother.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I was still trying to get used to that.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e My Vibe was not the cause of today's headache, however. Today's      problems were purely the fault of my cat, Alistair, and the fact      that I had to take him to the vet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Alistair was a facet of my Portsmouth life I was still getting      used to. He had been living on his own for months before I arrived      in town, and he was still a part-time outdoor cat. That meant he      really needed a checkup, whether he wanted one or not.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Trips to the vet can be challenging for any cat owner. Many      otherwise loving felines will find creative ways to resist the      simplest medical procedures. But when you're an apprentice witch      and your cat is also your magical familiar, there're some added      levels of complication. Especially when your familiar has the      ability to (literally) vanish into thin air.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Fortunately, I had an ace up my sleeve. Despite the occasional      outbreak of witch-hunting, there are still fair a number of magic      practitioners scattered around New England. Portsmouth, for      example, is home to a witch cop, a witch bookstore owner, a witch      bed-and-breakfast proprietor, and even a witch housekeeper. So I      wasn't entirely surprised to hear we also have a witch      veterinarian.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Ramona Forsythe has been taking care of Max and Leo for years,\"      Julia Parris told me. Julia is the leader of my coven. She's also      my mentor and the human partner to a pair of miniature dachshunds.      \"She knows Alistair very well. She can handle him.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I hoped so. Because here I was, walking out of New Hampshire's      truly impressive November cold into the cheerful      green-and-blue-tiled waiting room of the Piscataqua Small Animal      Clinic with an (entirely empty) kitty carrier in one hand and my      fingers crossed. The carrier was strictly for appearances. I mean,      it would look a little strange to come to a cat appointment      without a cat. But Alistair had vanished the second he saw it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The assistant at the reception counter wore scrubs covered in      rainbow-striped cats and a name tag reading jeannie. I gave her my      name and my cat's name and made sure to set the carrier on the      floor so she wouldn't see someone was missing from this      conversation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She was still registering my arrival when a woman leaned out of a      door labeled room 3.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Anna?\" she asked. \"I'm Dr. Ramona Forsythe. I've been expecting      you and Alistair.\" She held the door open and motioned me inside      the bright, antiseptic-scented examination room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Dr. Forsythe was one of those short, round women whose cheerful      competence tends to mask a steely core. Her chestnut brown hair      was just starting to go gray. She wore a white coat and green      scrubs and certainly didn't look much like a modern-day witch. As      she closed the door, though, I felt a slow prickling begin in my      fingertips. This, I was beginning to learn, was the sign of active      magic happening somewhere close.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Nice to meet you, Dr. Forsythe,\" I said as I set the empty kitty      carrier on the stainless steel exam table.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Please, call me Ramona,\" she said. \"And it's great to finally      meet you. I was so glad when I heard Alistair found a new partner.      We were all worried about him after Dorothy died.\" She squinted      inside the carrier. \"I see he still doesn't like vet visits,      though.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Um, no.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Well, don't worry. This is the room we keep for our special      patients.\" She winked and gestured to the walls. Now I could see      what I'd thought was a wallpaper border was actually a carefully      painted pattern of knots and stars. I might be new to the practice      of the \"true craft,\" but I could recognize a ceremonial circle      when I saw one. Eventually anyway.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ramona adjusted the door so it was open just a crack. \"Go ahead      and call him.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Alistair, being my familiar, cannot be kept away from me, except      by strong, focused magic. He can appear in an attic, a deep      basement or the locked bathroom when I am taking a shower, and he      has done all of these. The flip side of this is he has to come      when I call, something he considers an affront to his feline      dignity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I would be hearing about this for days.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I let out a long, slow breath and reached down inside to gather my      personal energy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Alistair,\" I called to thin air. \"Come on, Alistair.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Nothing happened.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Try these.\" Ramona opened a drawer in the examining table's      pedestal and pulled out a bag of K.T. Nibbles. Clearly, Ramona was      familiar with my cat and his habits.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I took the bright green bag and shook two treats out into my palm.      Attitude Cat, the famous black-and-white spokesfeline, glowered up      at me as if she resented being used for our nefarious plans.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Come on, Anna, focus. \"Alistair!\" I called again. \"Nibbles!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e And just like that, my big gray feline familiar was sitting on the      examination table. I held out the nibbles and he stretched his      neck forward to take one. Ramona slapped the door shut, closing      the room, the circle and the spell contained in the painted      border. A prickle of fresh magic shot up from my fingertips to my      elbows.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Alistair's head snapped up.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Merow!\" Alistair shook himself, but nothing happened. He lashed      his tail and put his ears back. Still nothing. \"Meerr-ooowww!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Sorry, big guy,\" I told him. \"But it's for your own good. Finish      your nibble.\" I held out the remaining treat. Alistair grumbled      deep in his throat, but he did take it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I won't say Alistair exactly cooperated after that, but he didn't      exactly fight either. He just sort of melted onto the table as if      he thought that if he flattened himself out far enough, Dr.      Forsythe wouldn't be able to pick him up. This did not faze Ramona      one bit. Ignoring Alistair's glowers, grumbles and general      bonelessness, she efficiently weighed him (twenty pounds-wow),      took his temperature (normal), checked his ears (clean), and      palpated his tummy (big, soft) and other places (pass, citizen). I      held him down for the shots and winced with him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Well, Alistair here is in very good health.\" Ramona scratched him      behind the ears. He did not look mollified. I put another couple      of nibbles on the examination table. He ate them both, without      taking his eyes off me. Oh, yes. I'd definitely be hearing about      this for a very long time. \"He also seems to have made a full      transition to bonding with his new partner.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Alistair's previous partner had been Dorothy Hawthorne, one of the      founding members of the guardian coven that I now belonged to. In      fact, Dorothy was responsible for a lot of my life in Portsmouth.      Her magic had helped bring me here; her cat had helped keep me      here. Her former cottage had become my home once I really did      decide to stay. I didn't actually own the house. That belonged to      Frank Hawthorne, Dorothy's nephew and the publisher of the local      paper, the Seacoast News.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ramona beamed at me. \"Do you have any questions, Anna?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Actually, I did. It's about his diet. He won't eat cat food.\"      Unless there was nothing else available. In the whole county.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"That's not a surprise. A lot of familiars prefer to eat what      their partners do. But that doesn't mean it's a good idea. In      fact-\" A knock on the door interrupted her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Dr. Forsythe?\" Jeannie, the receptionist, called from the other      side of the door. \"Kristen and Ruby are here.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ramona glanced at her watch. \"Oh . . . shoot, that's right. I'm      sorry, Anna. I'll just be a second.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I gathered up Alistair, and Ramona slipped out into the waiting      room. I swear for a minute I felt him begin to dissolve in my      arms, which was very weird. As soon as the door snicked shut,      though, he was back to being solid, and highly annoyed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Alistair flowed out of my arms and under the visitors' chair.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Fine.\" I sighed. \"Be that way.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Merow,\" he answered. He also flattened down in a clear attempt to      become one with the floor tiles.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Kristen,\" I heard Ramona say out in the lobby. \"Hi. I'm sorry. I      thought you weren't coming until two.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I wasn't,\" answered another woman. \"But, well . . . some stuff      has come up, and I needed to bring Ruby over early.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The exam room door had a narrow glass window above the handle. In      an effort to show my indifference to Alistair's sulks, I drifted      over and looked out into the lobby. Ramona stood with a slender      young woman in a black knitted hat and green parka. She had no      carrier with her. Instead, one mittened hand held a bright red      leash. A black-and-white cat sat beside her on the reception      counter, calmly washing its whiskers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Must be nice. I squinted at the unusually mellow cat. It was a      longhair and had one black ear and one white ear, which, along      with the blotches on its face, gave it a kind of checkerboard      look.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In fact . . . I blinked. I also looked at the bag of K.T. Nibbles      on the counter by the sink. The cat out there, Ruby, was a dead      ringer for the famous K.T. Nibbles spokesfeline, Attitude Cat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Merow?\" Alistair poked his head out from under the chair.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Nah,\" I murmured back. \"Couldn't be.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I've got a meeting with some of the PR people,\" the woman,      Kristen, was telling Ramona. \"You would not believe the stuff      they've got us deciding on. I mean, T-shirts were one thing, and      the toys, but now it's greeting cards, and they want to do an      Attitude Cat coloring book . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I looked at Alistair. I looked at the Nibbles bag. Attitude Cat      looked back. \"Maybe it could.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I told you, you should hire an assistant,\" said Ramona.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Or three,\" agreed Kristen. \"Pam kept insisting she had it      covered, and I believed her.\" She reached across and rubbed her      cat under her black-and-white chin. \"And now here we are.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Merow.\" The cat, Ruby, rolled over on her back and swished her      tail a few times.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Alistair and I blinked at each other. This was Attitude Cat? The      famously aloof and never-to-be-pleased feline who stared with      indifference at every kind of food, toy, or snack that did not      come from the aisles of a Best Petz store?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You're just tired, Kristen,\" said Ramona. \"It's been a      roller-coaster ride for you, and now you've got to go take care of      your mom.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This, I realized, was eavesdropping. It was rude. I should move      away from the door and pay attention to something else. I should      check my e-mail on my phone or read the warning posters about      heartworm and feline leukemia. Really. I should. Right now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Out in the lobby, Kristen shook her head and said something I      couldn't hear. Ramona touched her arm. I thought I saw Kristen      wince.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Can you hang on just a second?\" Ramona asked Kristen. The vet      walked briskly back toward our room. I jumped back from the door      so it wouldn't look quite so much like I'd been listening in.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Anna, I need to ask a favor . . . ,\" Ramona began as she opened      the door.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This time Alistair was ready for both of us. He darted straight      past Ramona like a bolt of fat gray lightning and vaulted up onto      the counter beside the black-and-white cat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Oh, good grief!\" I muttered. \"He's gone fanboy. Sorry,\" I said to      the woman, Kristen, as I scurried over to attempt to retrieve my      familiar. \"He's, uh, friendly.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Fortunately, Kristen just laughed. \"I can tell.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Kristen Summers, this is Anna Britton.\" Ramona performed the      introductions. \"And the ladies' man here is Alistair.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Hi.\" Kristen and I shook hands. Alistair pushed his nose toward      Ruby. Ruby lifted her chin and looked away in cold disdain. Oh,      yeah. This really and truly was Attitude Cat. Even Alistair seemed      taken aback. His hesitation gave Ruby a chance to jump down onto      the floor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Your name sounds familiar,\" Kristen said. She was a few inches      taller than me, and a few years younger, with tawny skin and rich      brown eyes. She wore her dark brown hair in a long braid down her      back. \"Did we meet somewhere? And if we did, I'm sorry I forgot .      . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Don't worry about it,\" I told her. \"We haven't.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Down by our shins, Alistair nosed Ruby, who turned away from him.      He circled around her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Do not be that cat, big guy,\" I muttered. \"Take no for an      answer.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Alistair promptly plumped himself down and started washing his      hind leg.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I really am sorry,\" I told Kristen. \"He just doesn't know when to      quit.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Don't worry about it. Ruby can take care of herself.\" Then      Kristen snapped her fingers. \"I remember now! You're a friend of      Valerie's, right? Valerie McDermott?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"That's right.\" My yard backed up onto the garden of McDermott's      Bed \u0026amp; Breakfast, which Valerie ran with her husband, Roger.","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302894031077,"sku":"NP9780451476593","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780451476593.jpg?v=1767726690","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/familiar-motives-isbn-9780451476593","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}