For a limited time only:

Just another Hallowe'en in the Young Wizards universe...

Ronan burst out laughing as the tatty dark shapes came lurching and staggering closer and closer to the wizards in the darkness, bits and pieces occasionally falling off them as they came. The laughter had a slightly panicky edge to it, though, and after a moment Ronan got his control back as he reached inside his costume’s tunic. “Sorry, sorry,” he said as he pulled out something hard to see, “honestly. I just keep expecting them to start dancing. By any chance, are you guys carrying?” 

Nita ripped her wand out of its sheath and shook the safety spell off her charm bracelet. Kit threw his plastic sword away and pulled his wand out too. “Time to make a stand,” Nita said. “We let It mess up Hallowe’en, it’ll be coming after Hanukkah or Christmas next!” She whispered a couple of words in the Speech, and the rowan wand blazed with ready power.

“You hear me?” Nita yelled, not just at the shambling undead but at the amused Power responsible for them and doubtless watching this whole thing. “I am taking Hallowe’en back, and you are not getting away with this! Not on my patch!”

In this 14,000-word novelette, written for UNICEF's 60th annual "Trick or Treat for UNICEF" campaign, we tag along with Nita Callahan, Kit Rodriguez, Ronan Nolan, and Dairine Callahan as they do a little overage Trick or Treating in their own neighborhood, and find themselves going up against an old adversary with a peculiar new ally...

This story has never appeared anywhere, either in print or online, prior to late October 2011. It will be the "October" entry in the upcoming Young Wizards short fiction anthology, The Wizards' Year, to be published by Badfort Press late in 2012. 

"Not On My Patch" was offered exclusively to UNICEF donors over Halloween weekend of 2011, for donations of USD $5.00 or more to the UNICEF 2011 "Trick or Treat for UNICEF" campaign. (And our awesome donors raised more than $1100!) Now that Hallowe'en weekend is over, we're offering the story here at the Ebooks Direct store.

All profits from "Not On My Patch" go to UNICEF. The story is only available here for a limited time. After November 30, 2011, it will be withdrawn and will not be available again until the publication of The Wizards' Year in late 2012.