In the Northeast region of the United States, there are a million acres of woodland known as the Pine Barrens. What makes this place so unique is that, while it touches seven counties in Southern New Jersey, and plays neighbor to sprawling cities like Philadelphia and New York, it remains mostly undisturbed. The "Pines" are home to a wide range of plants and countless species of birds and mammals. But for some, it's most noted for a legend dating back to the mid-1700's.It starts with the Leeds Family; the matriarch Mrs. Leeds, in particular. It wasn't rare to hear early settlers of the area speak about Mother Leeds' descent into witchcraft. On a dark and tempestuous night, she labored with her thirteenth child. Bellowing in pain, she cursed the child as it entered our world. His father and twelve siblings watched in awe as the midwives wrapped the baby boy in tattered towels and placed him onto his mother's chest. When the moon ducked behind the clouds, and the wind screamed like a phantom in the night, the cherubic infant began to transform. He stretched and convulsed, wailing in pain as every inch of his tiny body contorted into a hideous creature. Some variations of the legend say that he sprouted huge wings right there in his family's cabin, leaping from his newly grown hooves, up the chimney chute and into the New Jersey sky.Since that fateful night, the tale of the "Leeds Devil" has been passed down from generation to generation; it's become folklore, woven into the fabric of the Garden State. Some people claim to have seen it, while others pass it off as simply a scary story. However, in these parts, it's doubtful that there's ever been a campfire-lit chat, when talk of Mother Leeds' thirteenth child hasn't been whispered through the trees.
About the Author: Mister Leeds is the follow-up to my 2017 novella Jersey Jabberwock, which I wrote through 365 "tweets" the prior year. The "Twitter novel" became the bones of the first story, so when I began work on the novella I already had many of the elements mapped out. This time around it was different in that I started out with a blank canvas. My only goals were to move away from Michael's inner struggle and tell a more traditional story involving heroes and villains. I want to thank all of you for coming along on this journey with me as a writer. I appreciate all of your kind words whether it's in person or on social media. If it wasn't for the support of Jersey Jabberwock on Twitter, I don't know if I would have had the courage to go on after the loss of my father and brother and to continue to see this particular tale through to its conclusion. Peace and much love. Michael Rizzotte January 17, 2018