The Devil May Care: A Supernatural Comedy

The Devil May Care - first runner up in the Wild Card Category,2021 Los Angeles Book FestivalHis boss wants to fire him, the Devil wants his soul…Who would have thought that writing a book about the Devil could cause so much trouble?Ted Granville works in a dead-end job where his boss makes his life miserable. So, looking for a career change, he writes a book on human behavior, one in which he rejects the concept of evil and religion and even denies and disparages the Devil himself. Surprisingly, his book becomes quite popular, landing the unsuspecting author in a dilemma of supernatural proportions!And then there is poor Chester Ambrose, a bumbling, low-level management devil whose boss is the Devil, who finds himself in big trouble because of this book. Chester, not knowing what to do, calls upon a she-devil named Sylvia who has a plan; all Chester has to do is use his powers of corruption to convince “this stupid human” to write a second book, renouncing his first and praising the Devil. She even assigns a beautiful spirit named Annette to assist. Chester’s meeting with Sylvia couldn’t have been better timed for he has been ducking calls from upper management until he is finally brought on the carpet where the big boss gives him an ultimatum; have this second book written… or else!So, Chester puts Sylvia’s plan into action by bringing Ted to his nightclub, The Other Side, where he begins corrupting the author by promising him wealth and fame and all Chester wants in return is the opportunity to help Ted in the writing of his next “bestseller.” But things don’t go quite as a devil would have expected and when complications arise it’s anybody’s guess who will end up burning in Hell!

From the Back Cover

Her arms folded, Sylvia watched as Chester paced the floor. Patiently she explained, "...it is just that he is angry. Very, very angry. It is all over the spirit world.""It is? Is he angry with...me?""Well, darling, he hasn't mentioned you by name, but this is your territory, and someone should have known about this author, this book, this...""How could I have known...how, how, how... how could I have known? Do they think that I can see he future, do they think that I can read minds? Oooh...they think they're sooo smart! Ohhhh they're soooo smart...it's never their fault...""The book, darling, the book. I understand how you feel, but I think that we need to focus," Sylvia softly scolded.

About the Author

I was born in an area of farms and abandoned ore mines in upper New York State; it was an interesting era, a time when the old-timers still passed down tales of yore. I came to know dowsers who could find water with a branch from a tree and a lady who could see auras and read palms and tea leaves with amazing accuracy. And, throughout the years, I'd heard tales of the witch's coven on the old mountain road, hauntings, near-death experiences, and I'd seen the strange spheres and spooky forms that appeared in the backdrop of old family photos. I have always felt that there is more to our reality than that which science would allow, and I enjoy writing about what could be or what could have been. So, after college when I decided to 'put pen to paper' I drew upon those people and stories to write "The Years of Magic," a story which proposed that it was the electricity running through the wires enveloping civilization which drove away those natural horrors of popular legend. After "Years" I wrote other stories such as "The Special Place," about an area that bordered, and often intruded upon, other dimensions, a supernatural comedy named "The Devil May Care," and, more recently, "The Witch's Song." Some of my stories have won awards and received good reviews, and I still reside in that now not-so-rural community with my wife, JoAnn, and my dog, Mr. Biggie. And there are times late at night when I think back and wonder if maybe it is like the old-timers used to say about a certain farm in the area, that "...on those quiet summer nights, if you listen closely, you can still hear the Revolutionary War soldiers marching in formation on the Old Drill Field."

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