Spells, Sparks & Screaming Pumpkins

A Low-Stakes Cozy Fantasy Romance

Vegetable distress is just another Tuesday for Magitech botanist Elara Vance—until she meets a patch of screaming pumpkins.

Elara Vance lives life on the road in her converted camper van, The Green Schooner, traveling from town to town to treat magical plant ailments like possessive ivy and colicky mandrakes. But her newest contract in the picturesque village of Oakhaven is a botanical nightmare.

Mrs. Beatrix Higgins’ prize-winning giant pumpkins—led by a massive gourd named Barnaby—have been wailing at a deafening, hysterical volume for three days straight.

With the Oakhaven Harvest Festival only forty-eight hours away, Mrs. Higgins desperately needs to win the Blue Ribbon to repair her roof before winter. Elara quickly discovers this isn't a simple case of pests, curses, or dark magic. The pumpkins are drowning in pure, unfiltered grief. They are mourning the recent loss of Arthur Higgins, who used to serenade them every night, and their emotional feedback loop is driving the entire garden to the brink of destruction.

To save the harvest, Elara realizes standard botany won't cure a haunting. She needs structural help. Enter Silas Thorne, a rugged, pragmatic local carpenter hired to build the festival displays, who initially thinks Elara is just another scamming wizard.

As a gale-force storm descends upon the village, they have to put aside their differences and blend Elara's raw botanical magic with Silas's precise woodworking. Their goal? To build a mechanical wind symphony capable of calming a broken heart.

Will Elara and Silas be able to cure the hysterical harvest in time for the festival? And will the wandering botanist finally discover that putting down roots isn't a trap, but an anchor?

Welcome to the Roots and Ruin Agency.

Readers will love this book if they enjoy:

• Cozy Fantasy Mysteries: Quirky, low-stakes magical problems solved with intellect and empathy.

• Grumpy x Sunshine: A gruff, practical craftsman meets a wandering, brilliant botanist.

• Heartwarming Magic: A unique "Magitech" system focused on healing, nature, and community.

• Slow-Burn Romance: An unlikely partnership that gently blossoms into deep trust and affection.