From the April 7, 2022, issue of the Mystic Beacon

Hi, everyone! I’m Aedan Mason (you can call me Mace — nearly everyone does), and I’m hijacking the Mystic Beacon this week. We haven’t met yet, because Aislinn’s been keeping me all to herself these days. In fact, Aislinn just told someone she won’t “unleash” me until August. She explained she feared for the fate of the world if she let me loose, because I’d charm everyone so thoroughly that I’d end up emperor.

Personally, I think ruling over the actual world is very hard work and a big responsibility, and I'm not quite that ambitious. But I am used to being the one in charge. Leading Telltale Signs, one of the most in-demand bands in the world, means every step I make impacts dozens, sometimes hundreds of people. It’s a lot of responsibility. And while everyone talks about my amazing charisma, I don’t let my guard down for just anyone. But Aislinn’s privy to all my secrets, so when she tells me I can’t literally rule the world, I consider that an attempt at blackmail. And a successful one. Oh, well...

So, I’m hijacking the newsletter this week in a small act of rebellion. A small one, because, truthfully, I’ve got the woman wrapped around my little nger. She’s already given in to my insistence that she write a novella with me as a main character. And then I gave her a little peek beneath the surface, and she started a full novel that’ll let me tell my story. When I’m ready. I’ve been dropping hints here and there, and she’s been making notes.

What do you mean I can’t put my photo in here with my stolen column? You promised the newsletter subscribers sneak peeks!

OK, folks — she says she’ll think about letting me put it in, even though she was going to hold onto that photo for later. If an eye-roll made a sound, she’d have just broken the sound barrier. She does that a lot. Or maybe it’s just me. She keeps calling me her “literary problem-child.” I don’t think that was meant as a compliment. But she says it with affection, so I know it really is. She actually loves these curveballs I keep throwing her. And now she’s doing that Mr. Spock eyebrow thing at me.

OK, fine. I’ll hand control back over to you now. On one condition: You have to run my column. No deleting it before you send the Beacon out.

See — I told you I have her wrapped around my little finger. She can’t resist me! I’ll see you all in the pages of “Once Upon a Dream” on May 13, and then later in the summer in — shh… She’s calling that book “Down to the Sea” because… well, you’ll find out.

She wants me to remind you that “Once” and “Dream Weaver,” the second part of their story, are both available to pre-order now. Something about needing to feed plot bunnies and teenage boys consuming all the food in the house… Honestly, running the empire that is a major rock band sounds easier, so I’m going to go back to that. Enjoy your time with the guys of aMUSEd, and I’ll see you again soon!