Sneak Peek WIP Odd Christmas

I am currently working on the short story that happens in between Siren's Song, Book Two of the Odd Stuff Series and Odd Fate, Book Three.

The third book, or short as the case may be, is the actual Christmas at the Odd Stuff store but of course not even Christmas is normal when Janie is involved.

Here is a sneak peek at what is on my desk right now:

Odd Christmas

By Virginia Nelson, 2010

The brass bell lay in the snow and pool of blood looking defeated. The blood had melted the snow. As it cooled, and was freezing, it had left a red sheen on the bells handle. For some reason, I wasn’t able to get past the bell.

I know bell ringers are annoying. The free dose of guilt as you entered just about every shopping center was a sure sign the holidays were underway. It was one of those things like the lights and the music that, by now, just before Christmas, had been jammed down your throat long enough that it was beginning to grate on the nerves.

Not that I thought it made killing off the charity-seeking-Santa’s reasonable. Or that it was a valid motive. But I wasn’t able to take my eyes off that bell.

A hand touched my arm and my eyes lifted to meet those of Shawna Peirson, FBI agent, and my boss for the past few months. Her smooth mahogany face was marred by a line of stress between her eyes.

“I can’t believe someone would do this to Santa.”

My eyes went back to the blood bell. Yup. It was pretty wrong. Someone had been murdering Santa’s. The thing was… the someone had very little feet.

And this last murder had witnesses. Someone had seen Santa attacked by a pack of elves.

Yes, I said elves.

That was when I got called in. My name is Janie Smith and I am the last siren.