Her mom's a witch. Her dad's a demon. And she just wants to be ordinary. Sydlynn Hayle's life couldn't be more complicated. Trying to please her coven, starting over in a new town, and fending off a bully cheerleader who hates her are just the beginning of her troubles. What to do when delicious football hero Brad Peters—boyfriend of her cheer nemesis—shows interest? If only the darkly yummy witch, Quaid Moromond, didn't make it so difficult for her to focus on fitting in with the normal kids. Add to that her crazy grandmother's constant escapes driving her family to the brink and Syd's between a rock and a coven site. Forced to take on power she doesn't want to protect a coven who blames her for everything, only she can save her family's magic. If her family's distrust doesn't destroy her first. "A great, inventive plot, a deeply flawed, self-deprecating, heroine . . . What more could you want?" — Amazon reviewer Hobbitual. Don't miss the exciting sequels in the Hayle Coven Novels: Witch Hunt Demon Child The Wild The Long Lost Gatekeeper Flesh and Blood Full Circle Divided Heart First Plane Light and Shadow Queen of Darkness Dark Promise Unseelie Ties Ancient Ways The Undying Shifting Loyalties Enforcer Coven Leader The Last Call"

Teen witch Sydlynn Hayle finally did it. Despite the fact she's a social outcast, Syd finally made friends. Even the captain of the football team wants to be her boyfriend. When an ancient power is freed to ravage her new town, Syd does her best to help her family fight. Too bad the mysterious Chosen of the Light don't see things her way. Their interference could lead to her family's destruction.

Syd has only ever wanted to be normal. And now that the rift between her and her demon is growing wider, that future is finally a real possibility. But Syd is having second thoughts, especially when a vampire kidnaps her little sister, Meira. And her normal life at school is falling apart around her, thanks to the new kid, Benjamin, who seems to be an expert at turning her new friends against her. Syd finally understands the value of what she has, but may be too late. The demon inside her has her own agenda and will no longer be ignored.

Syd has what she’s always wanted. Thanks to her demon’s sacrifice, she is finally normal. Why then does she want her magic back so badly? It really sucks to find out Brad was only into her because of her power. And even Quaid is keeping his distance. Her loss couldn’t have come at a worse time. A storm is brewing, one that could devour the entire world. Syd refuses to accept she will never be a witch again, doing everything she can to track down the Chosen of the Light and rescue her demon. If only the ordinary life she’s been building didn’t interfere.

A Dumont Witch “That talk you promised me?” I hated myself for throwing it in Quaid’s face, but I couldn’t help myself, couldn’t. I’d waited for this moment, for him, we’d been through so much together it just wasn’t fair. Wasn’t. “Things are complicated now.” Quaid looked away from me, hands clenching. “I just wanted to let you know I was okay. That I found my family. And to tell you I’m happy.” Syd’s worst fear has come true. Quaid found his family, the Dumont coven, and has chosen them over her. Not to be outdone, her friends are all going their separate ways, her solid normal foundation falling out from beneath her. When the Dumonts come for a visit, Syd’s family history unfolds, leading her to discover things that shake her beliefs about herself and those she loves while struggling to accept she’s lost her one true love.

The Call of the Sidhe The Gate awaits me, shining splendor glowing in the pale light. I look up, see the moon hanging over me, full and bloated, speaking a promise of freedom. The otherworld portal begins to hum a welcome as I move closer, calling me. But as I draw near, a great tension takes me over, a suffocating terror that grows, fed by the call of the Gate and the moon, until I cry out for it to end. Syd had been hoping grade twelve would go smoothly. But it’s not even the first day of class and she’s dreaming about some Sidhe gate and an approaching threat. Before she can enlist her mother’s help, her grandmother Ethpeal disappears, presumably gone after the Dumonts. Miriam pursues her mother, leaving Syd in charge of the coven. All fine and good, except no one trusts or believes in her. Add to that her new friend, Liam, seems somehow tied to the dreams she’s having, threats from Celeste and the fact Meira is suddenly acting like a little brat and Syd has her hands full. Maybe too full. Someone is knocking at the Gate and she has no way of answering.

Demon Boy The smoke began to clear, the bubble of family magic collapsing to let it out. I choked on the taint of it, terror rising as I understood why it tasted so foul, felt like death. Blood magic. Dad lay across the pentagram, one outstretched hand marked with a thick line of red, a pool of it spreading around his flesh. No. Way. My brain would not process though my heart died a little at the sight. A flicker of motion caught my eye, distracted me. A stranger stood there, a guy about my age, amber gaze glowing, black hair shaggy around his cheeks. “Syd,” he whispered, looking at his hands, touching his face, the demon fire fading from his eyes. “Sassafras?” When Syd’s father chooses to use blood magic in an attempt to return to Demonicon, he not only seals his own fate, a death sentence, he somehow transfers all of his remaining power into the demon cat, Sassafras. Transformed by Harry’s magic, Sassafras is suddenly back to his human form. Faced with a sullen and angry teen demon who refuses to help, Syd must somehow find a way to reach the other plane before Harry’s depleted body destroys itself or he is burned at the stake for his crime.

Full Circle The Enforcers Cometh The moment my hand touched the handle, I felt Quaid enter the back yard, just like always. But if it wasn’t him on the other side of the kitchen door, who was? I pulled it open on reflex, still smiling, to find three black robed Enforcers looming in the darkness. They didn’t wait for me to stand aside but muscled their way in. The leader, a woman with familiar features if not a face I knew personally, took a stand in the middle of the kitchen, body shimmering with blue power as the wards of the house tried to repel her. “We’ve come for Miriam Hayle,” she said. “Your leader is under arrest.” Syd’s life is finally settled. She’s even going on her first date with Quaid. That calm is shattered when a group of High Council Enforcers arrive and arrest her mother on countless charges. Desperate to defend Miriam, Syd calls on all of her family’s allies, even seeking out those she should probably leave in peace. Certain the Dumonts are behind the whole thing, Syd is shocked to discover there is much more to this attack on her coven, an attack led by an old enemy who holds Miriam’s life in her hands.

College Bound I grunted from the weight of the suitcase as I heaved it out of the back of the van. What had I packed again? I didn't remember it being this heavy when I loaded it into the twin's car only seven hours ago. Seven long and painful hours. I forced a smile as Esther and Estelle stepped up onto the curb, matching prim skirts and twin sets as much their uniform as their very comfortable looking shoes. They didn't smile back, but through my connection to them from the family magic, I was sure their flat expressions had nothing to do with how they felt about me. Well. Pretty sure. Summer is over, and Syd is finally off to Harvard to take her witch training, leaving things back in Wilding Springs in her grandmother’s crazy but capable hands. The rush of excitement about her new beginning is quickly doused when Syd stumbles on a secret club taking advantage of normal students, including her friend Simon. An unhappy roommate, troubles with Quaid and his Enforcer friends and Liam’s sudden protectiveness makes it hard for Syd to fit in, let alone get to the bottom of what’s happening on campus. If only her Council Leader mother would listen…

Welcome to Demonicon “I am Pagomaris, first aide to Ruler. I’m thrilled to have you both here. It’s my responsibility to ensure you are presentable for the parade.” Presentable? Parade? “Everyone is so excited to meet you.” She turned and clapped, a pair of young female demons dressed more simply than her scurrying forward with armloads of what appeared to be cosmetics, jewelry and the most elaborate clothing I’d ever seen. “Shall we begin?” Something about the woman’s attitude ramped me up to dig in my heels so hard I expected the stone floor to split under me. “No,” I said. Syd is home for a well-deserved Christmas break and the whole family has gathered for a happy holiday. But when Harry shows up to tell his daughters their paternal grandmother wants to meet them, Syd and Meira eagerly leave for the demon plane with a mix of excitement and nerves. Their long-delayed family reunion is really a disguise for political games that put both of their lives at risk, forcing the Hayle sisters to fight for the status they’ve been granted by the woman who Rules everything, and wants what she can’t have—Syd.

Come the Brotherhood You must be careful. I turn toward the voice, see a shape floating next to me in the dark, glowing softly iridescent, all the colors of the rainbow and others for which I have no names. Of what? The sound and feel of the shape is feminine. She lifts her arm and points. I see them then, below and before me, two vast armies stretching out over an empty gray plane, facing each other. But they've not yet begun to fight. I recognize witches and vampires, Sidhe and demons, other creatures I've never laid eyes on, crowding one side. On the other side are humans, feeling empty and cold, though their power crackles around them like electric fire. You must be ready. My companion's voice is very sad, makes tears rise in my eyes. The war is coming and you only have a little time left to prepare. When Syd dreams of a terrible battle between sorcerers and all other magical races, she is tasked by a mysterious maji with protecting the Light and the Shadow, a pair of teenagers she rescues from the veil. Forced to track down the Chosen of the Light for assistance against this new threat, Syd teams with an unlikely foe turned ally in a stand against the rise of the sorcerer’s Brotherhood.

Queen of Darkness Trial by Vampire “We are within our rights to bring you here without your permission.” The vampire Queen finally spoke, tearing my gaze from the others. I focused on her as she went on, motionless, voice velvet over jagged ice. “You've stolen our power, and we want it back.” Um, what? Me, Sydlynn, the vampire essence inside me sent. They want me. Oh, hell no. Syd’s pre-Harvard California vacation is supposed to leave her relaxed and ready for another year of study. And the family shower she’s hosting for Sunny’s upcoming wedding to Frank should be a milestone of happiness. Trouble is, an uninvited guest has other ideas. Kidnapped by the Wilhelm vampire clan, Syd is forced to face the ruling Queens who claim possession of the undead essence Syd carries, with the intent of having her give it up or, if she resists, removing it from her by any means necessary.

Syd is the prime suspect when her demon grandmother is murdered. But Ahbi Sanghamitra’s last act was to geas Syd with the task of finding the real killer—even if it means allying with the rebels who threaten to tear Demonicon apart.

Second year of witch college has been a little boring for Syd so far. She suddenly wishes she could go back to her boredom when the Unseelie Lord Venemeth appears, a guest lecturer at Harvard. Despite all her warnings to her mother and the board of governors about him, Venner is given free rein. But what his handlers don’t understand is he’s not working alone—and his partner has her own plans for the Sidhe realm that have nothing to do with him going home... Excerpt from Unseelie Ties An Unwelcome Guest This had to be very bad or Mom wouldn't be soft shoeing her way around me. “Mom,” I said. “I'm sorry, Syd,” she said. “I'm under a great deal of pressure to accept him.” Her eyes pleaded with me. “Don't freak out. Promise me.” “No promises,” I said, whole body tense, Charlotte's too, from the grip I still had on her hand. Mom turned and headed for her office, gesturing for me to join her. “It's a complicated and delicate situation,” she said, lowering her voice as her hand settled on the doorknob. “Do you understand?” I sighed, forcing myself to relax before nodding. “Okay fine,” I whispered as I crowded behind her, not sure I wanted to uncover her mystery guest or not. “No freaking out. But I might swear.”

Second year is finally over and Syd is happily back at home in Wilding Springs. Her new love with Liam has yet to be explored very far, thanks to his meddling and over-protective mother, and Syd is beginning to lose patience with the whole thing. But when a desperate call for help comes from an unlikely place, Syd finds herself once again charging into danger, a danger that puts every single witch at risk.

Storm Rising Syd! Liam's mental voice lurched against mine, his touch so strong I saw him standing in the dark basement of town hall, eyes wide, whole body shaking. The Sidhe. He let me feel his fear. Something is wrong. —Decay. Crumbling death. Loss. Crushing me, pulling at my breath, my strength, the very earth beneath me weak and failing as Shaylee cried out in pain—Syd has enough on her plate, being leader of her coven and becoming maji while trying to keep the world safe from evil sorcerers. Finding out she has to get married by her twenty-first birthday just adds to the pressure on her shoulders. That pressure doubles when the Sidhe contact her, their realm under attack by the Brotherhood. And the only way to save them is to find her own balance between the Light and the Shadow. A balance she needs her nemesis Ameline to achieve.

Weregirl Unbound I have news about Charlotte, Sunny sent. Instant perk. Is she okay? Where is she? The feeling from the vampire queen wasn’t positive. I don’t know, she sent. Not in detail. But what I’ve found out worries me. I was on my feet, already reaching for my coat. I’ll be right there. Because, no matter my boy troubles, my crazy life, I would drop everything in a heartbeat. This was Charlotte we were talking about. Syd struggles with her feelings for Liam, still at odds with the choice she must make before her twenty-first birthday. A message about Charlotte pushes marriage from her mind as she runs to Europe to save her friend from an evil sect of sorcerers. But her introduction to a handsome Steam Union member makes Syd’s decision all the harder, even as she agonizes over two options: save her werefriend and start a war between witch territories or leave Charlotte to her fate.

Difficult Choices Erica Plower’s eyes widened as she set her cup aside, glancing sideways at Mom. The former second of my coven, now my representative on Council, wasn’t exactly on my side. “The law is clear, Syd,” she said, blonde hair, once a cute bob, now grown out to rival my mother’s long, black locks. “And you’ve broken it. We’ve pushed our willingness to accept a little leeway, but with the approach of conclave…” She sat back as the others—minus Mom—murmured their agreement. “You must get married.” So that’s what this was about. They’re worried about saving face? I sent the tight mental question to Mom. Witches are always worried about appearances, she sent with a heavy dose of laughter in her voice. Nice to see someone found my imminent doom amusing. Conclave approaches, a full two months after Syd’s twenty-first birthday. With no husband decision in sight, she instead focuses on the gathering of witches come from the four corners of the globe to debate and create law. Her plan to scour all of witchdom for Brotherhood influence encourages Miriam to open the proceedings to every magical race. But, in doing so, she leaves the door gaping for the enemy to come knocking...

Warrior Bride I felt Liam reach for me, turned again, train of worry broken, beaming, full of joy. And for a long, seemingly endless moment, it was he and I and the magic singing between us. Congratulations, Ameline's mental voice broke through my happiness and slapped my temper so hard my demon howled in fury. For saddling yourself with further baggage. She laughed coldly. Well done. I cut her off, Liam's power thrumming with concern as I shook my head, wedding night mood ruined. The bitch. Syd’s made her choice, marrying Liam, much to the pleasure of the High Council and her family. But her honeymoon is cut short when Fate comes calling at last. Syd’s final confrontation with the Brotherhood leads her into more danger than she’s ever faced—and throws her headlong into a last battle even her power might not be enough to overcome…

Mommy Dearest My stomach churned, turned over. Settled. Damn it, everything made me feel nauseated these days. I was lucky not to have had a pukey pregnancy at the outset, but I was more than making up for it the last month or so. You’re eating too much meat, Shaylee sent. No, my demon growled, she’s not eating enough. You need to drink more water, sent my vampire. Water. Nice of her to remind me. I’d just gone to the bathroom before Lula arrived. And, wouldn’t you know it? Had to go again. Syd is ready to have the freedom to pursue Ameline and avenge Liam’s loss. But being a mother is far more pacifying than she expected, and she finds it easy to get lost in her new baby. It turns out, Ameline is the least of her worries. How much pain can one heart take? Syd is about to find out...

Sydlynn Hayle just wants to be ordinary. But with a witch for a mother and a demon for a father, her dream of being normal and like everyone else has its difficulties. When Syd lands a job in a hair salon, she finally feels like her wish to be just folks could be coming true. That is, until the ghost haunting her house wakes to ask her a favor...