I finally took my own challenge to write a hook for a novel I’m outlining, just to give myself practice and maybe get it ready for a Miss Snark-style hook critique.

Gift of the Magpie

Urban Fantasy

Raven is being stalked by a man who’s decided that she’s his ex-wife.

It all started when her cousin went home from their Grandmother’s funeral with the collection of ancient artifacts that should have gone to Raven. She was the only grandchild who ever believed Grandmother’s stories of hidden magic, and as a graduate student in anthropology she’s also in the best position to appreciate their Grandmother’s collection.

Raven negotiates a trade with her cousin, but he insists that she help him in return by playing the part of a witness in his upcoming mock trial case.

She plays the part, gets the artifacts, and heads home only to find herself stalked by the man who played the part of her ex-husband.

As Raven tries to cope with her increasing fear of the stalker she approaches her graduate professor and asks for his help researching the origins of her artifacts. Her professor flatly refuses, and insists that the collection is junk. But Raven is willing to risk her professional future to prove that the artifacts are genuine. She has even come to suspect that something about the artifacts may be triggering her stalker’s obsessive and dangerous behavior.

But Raven must figure out which artifact is the culprit and how she can use it to stop him before the stalker takes the final step and attacks.

It’s not there yet, but it’s a start.