Josie Jameson and the Stone Witch

In author Jennifer L. Hotes’ YA thriller novel, Josie Jameson and the Stone Witch, readers meet a teen that’s been struggling since childhood to fill the shoes of her dead mother. Josie is a caregiver to her little brother, a confidante to her grieving dad, and the backbone of her tight-knit group of friends. But always being the strong, responsible one has taken its toll on Josie, now fourteen. After stumbling upon the grave of a witch, she’s been plagued with nightmares, dark visions, and fainting spells that leave her feeling like a freak. And then suddenly her faulty heart gives out and for 5.4 seconds Josie is technically dead. Hoping the life-saving surgery will finally transform her into a regular girl, Josie’s about to discover the witches have other plans. As she struggles to accept the foreign object now regulating her heartbeat, Josie begins to dream the life of a headstrong teen in 1820s England who, along with 11 other girls, is devoted to empowering women in their strict society. The second book in the Stone Witch series takes readers along with Josie who, with the help of her friends and clinging to the final memories of her mother, must face the challenges of her future as the past battles for her soul. Will she be strong enough to face her fate?