Ever heard of a familiar or a familiar spirit? It is a witch’s mascot, her supernatural spirit companion that takes the form of an animal, but an animal with its own magical powers. This special creature is a guardian, lending support to its witch when needed and, if she is young, guiding her as she comes into her powers. In witch lore, the creature is usually represented by the oh-so-clever black cat, but the familiar takes a form that best represents the individual nature of the witch and, in my next book, the young witch is going to discover hers, once she discovers she’s a witch that is.    This majestic creature with eyes of blue and feathers the color of freshly fallen snow is Rasool, an Arabic name that means messenger, and I can’t wait for everyone to meet him in my next bewitching novel.