I got the idea to make shadowbox out of the cover image of our books, and I thought it would be fun for you to have access as well!
Materials:
Paper (or cardstock)
Colour printer
Scissors
Exacto knife
Cutting board
Tape (or glue)
Patience
Instructions:
This story takes place the Christmas after the events of Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests and Winging It.
The story was written by Jen and Éric Desmarais with the help of Dragon Desmarais.
Running over to them, Jason checked the boy’s pulse and it was extremely weak but still present. “It’s not petrification. They’re fine.”
“Wasn’t there a tree in the middle of the dance floor?” Kennedy asked, before shouting, “Duck!”
Over a year of training together and a trust built on saving each other’s lives countless times meant he dropped to the floor without thinking about it. The silvery ball that would have hit him in the shoulders flew past and hit Dr. Amita. She froze on the spot, her face contorted in confusion.
People screamed and would have panicked but Kennedy said, “Everyone please move toward the exit in an orderly fashion.” Westmeath had enough strange things happening that people walked quickly but not fast enough to hurt each other. There were still quite a few people left, all frozen.
“Where did that come from?” he asked as he kicked up from the ground and landed on his feet.
“The tree,” Kennedy said, “But I’m not sure which one.” She joined him near the boys.
The five trees seemed to shiver at the sound of her voice. Jason used his shadow power to stretch his senses out and see if they moved.
“How does a tree that’s in a pot move around?” he wondered aloud. He felt the attack and movement before seeing it. Grabbing Kennedy’s hands, he swung her around to avoid a volley.
“I can’t tell which tree it’s coming from,” she said, annoyed.
“Even my shadow senses aren’t helping with that. It moves too fast. But only one is moving”
“The cake!” Kennedy exclaimed and ran to the buffet, weaving and dodging around attacks. She lifted up the large red Yule log cake and said, “We just need to figure out which one moves and we can use the cake to mark it.”
It was a good idea, but a shift in the lighting and shadows made Jason turn away from her. The room had gotten darker as the moonlight from the wall of windows was blocked.
Surrounding the room from outside were massive pine trees. The christmas trees inside stood just over two and half metres tall, the ones outside were easily ten times that height.
Kennedy gave a small squeak and said, “Well, that’s not good.”
The doors flew inward, followed by a figure in silver full-plate armour. He had a longsword on his left hip and a dagger holstered on the opposite side. His helmet was down but he looked around the room and lifted it before saying, “You need to get out of here. It’s not safe.”
Laughing, still comically holding the cake, Kennedy said, “Jeepers, that was dramatic, and we know.”
“Kennedy?” the man said, looking surprised.
“Albert?” she replied. “For heaven’s sake, is everyone I know from Baker magical?”
The armour was the symbol of the Gatekeepers and organization that was dedicated to protecting the world from Aether incursions. Creatures created from imagination and magic could cause havoc if not controlled. The creatures were returned or hunted, while the people or Aetherborn were educated and placed in communities like Westmeath.
“Not to break up the reunion but—” Jason was cut off by a volley of flying ornaments. It seemed the tree took a little time to reload.
“Right. Sorry. I am Gatekeeper Therien. I tracked a part of a rogue tannen-bomb here.” He looked out the window and replied, “and it looks like the rest of it just arrived.”
“Part? You mean this is all one creature? Like a magical Pando?” Kennedy asked. When the knight didn’t reply, she added, “Pando, the giant organism that’s one root system with tens of thousands of trees?”
“Yes.” He drew his sword and swatted at the ornaments that were flying toward them. “Why are you holding a cake?”
“It’s to throw at the tree so we know which one it is,” she replied sheepishly.
“Ah. Good idea, but it’s the one next to your husband.”
Jason whipped around, not used to being snuck up on. He raised a hand in defence but was struck by a freeze bomb. It didn’t hurt, and he could hear and see everything happening.
A cake flew into his vision and smashed into the tree, covering it in red icing, and some splashing on Jason’s face and hair.
“I just have to grab it and I’ll be able to banish the whole thing,” Albert announced.
Kennedy picked up two covers from the warm Hors d’oeuvre trays and said, “I’ll distract it.” With a few long strides, she made it to Jason and whispered, “Sorry and I’ll save you.” then she pecked him on the cheek. “Yum, strawberry icing.”
“Try to get it to run to me,” Albert said.
Banging her trays at the obviously marked tree, she said, “I was being sappy. Are you ent-ertained? Wood you please move toward the knight? No pining and no barking!”
The tree let out a horrifying shrieking noise and ran toward Kennedy.
“You said distract, not taunt,” Albert said, sounding amused.
“It’s following me, so it’s distracted,” she yelled. “Come on tree, are you that easy to needle?”
Despite Kennedy running as fast as she could, the tree was catching up. “Hold on,” she said. “It’s a tree!” Turning around with her makeshift shields, she braced for impact. Surprised, the tree reversed course right into the Gatekeeper.
Putting his hands on the tree’s branches, he shouted, “Ga Bort!” and the tree disappeared, replaced by an equal mass of clear pine scented goo. It was followed a second later by the rest of the trees outside and a wave of goo that covered the windows.
Everyone started to wake up and as Kennedy was distracted, the knight tried to walk away. “Albert, stay and enjoy the party,” she said, before running to check on Jason and the boys.
“If you insist,” he replied, making a magical gesture that transformed his armour into formal clothes.
The guests who had run away had been trapped in the lobby but now they were moving back to the party. It wasn’t the weirdest thing to happen in Westmeath. Not even this year.
Later, as everyone was enjoying good food and drink, minus a strawberry Yule log cake, Jason said, “The thing that bothers me about the whole situation is that I didn’t get to make a single tree pun.”
Kennedy kissed his now-clean cheek and replied, “Next time, when you’re not frozen. But I always have you covered, just leaf it to me.”
Read more holiday stories:
This story takes place the Christmas after the events of Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests and Winging It.
The story was written by Jen and Éric Desmarais with the help of Dragon Desmarais.
They were halfway down the corridor to the cafeteria before the music reached their ears.
“Maybe that’ll be you in a few years,” Kennedy said to her teenage brother, Tommy.
He cocked his head, listening. “Nah, that’s a string quartet. I don’t plan on changing instruments.”
Jason chuckled. “They don’t get the same band year after year. You have a chance.”
“I think I’d rather spend my time eating that delicious smelling food,” Tommy replied. “And dancing with my boyfriend,” he added, squeezing Carter’s hand.
“I love the variety of decorations,” Carter said. “You’d think the mishmash of cultures would be chaotic, but it works really well.”
“You should tell Amita that,” Kennedy said. “This party is all her doing. She’s been talking about it for weeks.”
“Oh, it’s Amita now?” Jason murmured. “You finally managed to drop the ‘doctor’?”
Kennedy grimaced. “She had me practise. To her face. I still feel awkward about it, though.”
The corridor opened up to the large room, and the teenage boys halted in awe, almost tripping the older couple.
“I forget that you’ve never visited me at work,” Kennedy said. “We’ve had school groups in for field trips. Didn’t you come last year, Carter?”
“Yeah, but there weren’t five ginormous Christmas trees in the building then,” he said, shaking his head.
“We’re supposed to come in early January,” Tommy said absentmindedly, eyes wide as he took in the two full walls of floor-to-ceiling windows.
Through them, even with the lighting creating a mirror effect, they could make out the snowy courtyard and the fields beyond.
Carter recovered first. “They’re making some of the Everdome recipes we brought back with us! Come on!” He grabbed Tommy’s hand and pulled him to the buffet tables.
Kennedy was about to follow them, but Jason tugged her hand, pulling her against him. He pressed his nose to her neck, his fingers trailing down the mostly bare skin of her back as he inhaled deeply.
Her knees went weak. “Jason?” she murmured.
“Have I told you exactly how much I want to tear this dress off you?”
Kennedy bit her lip to hold in her laughter. Her emerald green dress, styled after the iconic Jessica Rabbit dress, never failed to drive him wild. “Many times. But if you tear it, I can’t wear it again.”
“The torture would end,” he teased.
“Excuse me,” said a new voice.
They side-stepped out of the doorway and she pinned him against the wall. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“That waistcoat and your rolled up sleeves are doing things to me.”
He grinned at her. “What kind of things, and can I get involved?”
Kennedy walked her fingers up the buttons on his chest. “Absolutely. When we get home.” She pulled away. “But right now, I want food, and then I want to dance with my handsome husband.”
Jason looked around comedically. “Where is he?”
She laughed and caught his chin in her hand. “Right where he’s supposed to be.” She pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. “Let’s be sociable.”
“If we must,” he groaned dramatically.
“Oh good, I was hoping I would get to say hello before the New Year,” Dr. Amita teased them when they approached the near-groaning buffet tables.
“You outdid yourself,” Jason said. “How will you surpass this next year?”
Amita waved a hand. “Pssh, nobody will remember this one next year.”
“I remember that you only had four trees last year, and this time you’ve got five,” Kennedy pointed out.
“Is it some sort of pardonable offence that you cut down trees to bring inside?” Jason asked.
Amita raised an eyebrow. “I only cut down trees from the side of the family that I don’t like,” she said dryly.
They glared at each other for a moment before Amita chuckled, followed by Jason. “You know they’re replantable trees,” she said.
“And yet I will continue to pretend you murder your family members every year,” he replied.
Kennedy rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I forget that you two go way back. I should’ve known Jason wouldn’t insult someone like that otherwise.”
“Go dance. You haven’t fulfilled the romantic quota for the night yet.” Amita shooed them onto the dance floor.
“We can be romantic and eat cheese!” Kennedy protested half-heartedly.
“You like this song,” Jason said, sweeping her into his arms. “One dance and then we can feed each other bites of cheese.”
“It doesn’t have to be cheese,” she replied. “Oh, look at the boys! They’re so cute.”
They were swaying slowly in place near the big tree in the middle of the dance floor, looking deep into each other’s eyes.
“We can’t let them out-cute us!” Jason teased.
“I don’t think the word ‘cute’ ever crossed my mind when it came to you,” Kennedy said thoughtfully.
“Oh?” He spun her under his arm.
“No. More like hot, handsome, jaw-droppingly gorgeous…” She laughed when he flushed. “Okay, maybe now you’re a little cute.”
“Whoa, watch out—” Jason pulled her against him, away from the couple they almost bumped into.
The other couple didn’t move.
Jason frowned. “Are you two alright?” he asked.
Kennedy circled them. “They’re frozen in place,” she observed before scanning the room. Several other people were not moving either. “Tommy,” she breathed, whipping around to the teenagers. They hadn’t moved since the last time she’d looked over at them. “Oh no, mom’s going to kill me!” she groaned.
Read more holiday stories while you wait for Chapter 2:
Hello Readers!
I’m filled with exclamation marks! (Sounds like a medical issue honestly.)
After a year and a month of writing, we’ve finally finished Fanatics! Inevitable Honeymoon Crashers.
This is the third of four books in The Gates of Westmeath series and honestly my current favourite.
Our characters are happily married and on a chase for all the peices of Kennedy’s magical gem. They’re not the only ones though, aliens and Fay alike are going to try and get there before them. It’s a treasure hunt and race across the world, with stops in Ottawa ON, Montreal QC, Hope BC, Parry Sound ON, Paris France, and the magical archives of the Library of Alexandria.
The next step for us is editing and sending it to beta readers. Once that’s done (hopefully a few months) then we submit to our publisher and if they like it, it should be published, if we’re lucky, in 2027 or 2028.
We’ve only been publishing one book per year and next year will be the thrilling sequel to Crushing It!, and in 2026 we have slated a book called Faymous, which is a fun portal/Fairy book.
If you’re interested in being a beta reader, and you’ve read the first two books, please contact us. We have two spots available.
Good Reading,
Éric
Until you get to read this awesome new book why not read the first two?
Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests by Jen and Éric Desmarais is available now!
Hello Friends, Family, and Fans,
Today is Jason Johnson’s birthday. He’s one of the main characters in The Gates of Westmeath series written by Jen and I. With the books set in the early 2000’s, he’d now be in the second half of his forties. We chose that time period to have the characters fit in what I’d already written in The Copper Tarnish, which almost seems silly since the crossover characters have had so much more development outside that still unpublished book.
We chose today’s date in honour of my Mom who passed away in 2008. She was my biggest supporter and harshest editor. She helped me with some of my earliest stories, before I knew I wanted to write professionally. She never got to see me finish a novel or publish. I’d like to think she’d be proud and love the stories Jen and I have created. I still miss her.
Happy Birthday Mom and Happy Birthday Jason Johnson!
Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests by Jen and Éric Desmarais is available now!
A parody of Netflix, Bookflix is where you can find our books and more like them.
Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests by Jen and Éric Desmarais is available now!
Download the printable Discussion Guide
Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests by Jen and Éric Desmarais is available now!
Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests was sent out for reviews. Here’s the fourth (and last) batch!
Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests by Jen and Éric Desmarais is available now!
Hello Friends, Family, and Fans;
Come hang out Saturday at Coles Carlingwood 1-3pm and get some books signed by Jen and Éric. We’ll have a few goodies for those that show up.
Two signings for the (gas) price of one! Join authors Éric and Jen Desmarais at the Coles in the Carlingwood mall to talk about two excellent YA titles.
About the books:
Crushing It by Jen Desmarais. This is a low-stakes queer YA romance novel taking place in the same universe as the Gates of Westmeath series. This story is a heartwarming tale of sharing first love, music, and a passion for STEM. It also has a sequel releasing in 2025.
The Mystery of the Dancing Lights by Éric Desmarais is a time loop mystery novella and the fourth installment of the Elizabeth Investigates series and focuses on exploring the mysteries of a summer camp built on an old government experimental facility.
Event Information
Hope to see you there!
Éric
Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests was sent out for reviews. Here’s batch number three!
Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests by Jen and Éric Desmarais is available now!
