Just Keep Going. Advice for Writing

When I meet aspiring authors, new authors, or authors in a slump, they are looking for help. And the best bit of advice that always seems to release the pressure is: just write. Yes, I know, not overly profound. However, it is true for most things in life.

Writing is a solo adventure. It’s you, the writer, sitting at a laptop or with an open notebook, and… you write. The unfortunate side is that the words don’t always come easily, and there’s a lot of mental clutter that gets in the way. That blank page feels daunting, and internal questions overwhelm inspiration.

  • Will anyone like what I write?
  • Will people buy it?
  • How do I publish?
  • Should I indie publish or go the trad route?
  • This book is boring.
  • I don’t like my characters.

Really, the list is endless and far more varied than this. So perhaps the first real step is to quiet the mental noise. These types of thoughts are distracting and will keep a writer from writing. However, the best step in quieting the thoughts is to turn them off by not giving them real estate in one’s mind. Sure, we might write something that no one likes, not even Mom, but does that matter? No, because we wrote something. We can tuck that attempt away, learn from it, and write something better.

Perhaps this is the second bit of advice: Not everything we write needs to be shared with the world. Sometimes we write just for the sheer enjoyment of it. So if we took the time to pen a thought down and we don’t feel confident about it, let it sit on the shelf. I’ve done this, and sometimes, that idea ends up finding its way into a future work of fiction.

Consider this another way. An athlete trains. They go through drills and practices. They do a lot of repetitive movements to train their body so that when they perform, they are ready. As writers, our time spent drafting isn’t only about the finished product. Sometimes it’s useful to play with ideas or write short stories and scenes just to let our creative juices have some exercise. We can play with dialogue or experiment with writing styles. Or even write from the perspective of other characters in our novels. If every time we sit down to write, our only focus is our next book, then we’re going to dry up pretty quickly. However, just as an athlete grows and develops through rigorous training, experimenting with different kinds of exercises or techniques, writers also need to respect our need for fun, exercising, and experimenting in the drafting room.

But ultimately, a writer needs to write. So some days, when the words aren’t coming, guess what? I write anyway. It doesn’t matter if it’s only a few words. It doesn’t matter if it is horrible. It doesn’t matter if I delete it later. Because guess what? This is the draft, and it can be edited later. So really, when a writer is struggling to get a few words out, it’s important to write anyway. TBH, we can get too caught up with our thoughts, and what we really need to do is write!

So let’s move forward. We’ve written the book, we’ve put it out into the world on Amazon and… nothing. Oh, maybe there are some sales or KU reads, but then there are months with no sales. Yep, it happens. What’s the best thing to do? Ignore it and keep writing. The question to ask is: Am I writing for the book sales or because I love writing? It all comes down to this. Sure, some writers do great on their first book. But that’s not the case with everyone. Some writers, probably most writers, have to put in a lot of work before seeing the payoff. So the truth is, keep writing. Keep building your brand. Keep putting in the time and be consistent in your publishing. And most importantly, adjust expectations. The upside is that we begin to build a backlist, so when readers track our work and love it, they look to our backlist and start reading it, too.

I’ve listened to a lot of self-published authors talk about their writing careers. These are writers who are making a living from their writing, and there is a common theme in the things they say.

  • Treat your writing like a job. Meaning, set a consistent time and show up. Put in the time and effort.
  • Write even when you can’t
  • Be consistent in your publishing. Even if you only publish once a year, keep it consistent so readers know to watch for your next book.
  • Whatever you make, invest it back in your writing.

So the truth is, writing is hard work. There isn’t a lot of instant external gratification, but it is rewarding. For me, a huge reward is getting lost in the story I’m writing. The silent, healthy pride of a ‘job well done’ that comes from reading the first draft. It isn’t perfect, but it usually surprises me because it’s better than I’d originally thought.

Are you interested in writing? Are you in a slump? Or not seeing the sales? My encouragement to you is to just write.

Sneak Peek #3: Book Two in Animal Magic Series

It’s been a minute since my last sneak peek at my upcoming release! But here’s a look at Elodie as she’s introduced to the reader in the first chapter. You get a tiny glimpse of what develops into her character arc. Can you guess what it’ll be? If so, feel free to leave a comment. I’m curious about your ideas.

“There’s something here,” I said, patting the flat, invisible surface. I glanced at the shelving unit next to me and the one I saw just beyond the clear wall. They held different items, so they weren’t mirror images.

Talis joined me and tentatively placed the palm of his hand on the see-through surface. “Do you think maybe the wall isn’t meant to hide something, but to keep people out?”

I shrugged. “Or something in.”

I nudged my boot against the clear wall.

“That’s not at all suspicious.” He stroked his chin and winked.

“Nope, not at all. Nothing here. Nothing suspicious.”

“One would think villains might not be too obvious in their shenanigans.”

“One would agree.” I ran my hand over the smooth, blank surface.

“Think you and Harry can handle it?” Talis flicked the wall. 

I tightened my grip on the book’s spine and ignited my power. “Oh, we can handle it. But don’t you think we should report this first?”

“And lose the opportunity? No.” He shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. He’d never chosen a special hero costume despite the creative outfits the elves made him. Instead, he opted for street wear.

“Talis! Snow doesn’t like it when we go rogue. She was very clear that this is a surveillance mission. We shouldn’t have even entered the building.”

“Yeah, like sitting in my car all night would have revealed something.”

I exhaled and blew a strand of my mahogany brown hair out of my face. It had wiggled free of my ponytail. He was right. We’d sat outside buildings before and gained nothing valuable. The only way to learn something was to go in. I swallowed against the tightness in my throat.

“I hope Snow’s in a forgiving mood,” I muttered, flattening my palm on the wall.

“She always is. And when we free the dogs, she’ll reward us.”

Yeah. No. Snow wouldn’t reward us for going beyond surveillance. Being partnered with Talis was probably why I’d never been given the opportunity to lead an operation like Chase or Pavel. Yet, I supported Talis, so it wasn’t all on him. Saving the dogs would soften Snow’s anger if we screwed up. Ugh.

I blocked out the rest of my thoughts, trying to convince myself that this was a good idea, and focused on the wall. I considered my words. I didn’t want the wall to explode or crumble. Also, this wall might be keeping something contained on the other side. What we needed was an opening or a door.

“Create a door we can see,” I said. The familiar warmth of my magic streamed from my hand in a mist that expanded into a rectangle. A moment later, a doorknob materialized. It was sticking out in the middle of empty space. I gripped it and was about to turn when the door suddenly thrust inward, yanking me along with it.

“What the…” My voice trailed off as I stumbled into the space beyond the door.

My eyes shot up into the faces of two men with thick arms, stocky builds, and pushed-in faces. They resembled bulldogs. The one on the right lifted his lip and snarled. The one on the left ground his meaty fist into the well-padded palm of his right hand.

Meaty-Fist twisted his fist deeper into his palm.

“Be careful, that fist might come out the other side.”

Meaty-Fist blinked and stared at me. I smiled and pointed at his hand. He glanced down, looking a little confused.

I was leaning awkwardly against the door to support my sudden stumble into the room when the door was yanked open. I righted myself. “Uh, hi. I think I’m lost.”

Snarl lowered his unibrow and squinted his eyes.

“Okay, can’t help me then?” I spoke quickly, wondering if a slower speed might help these two understand. “I guess I’ll just go then.”

I started to back out, but my heel pressed into the toe of Talis’s shoe. He hissed and gave me a little shove.

“Come on, El. We can take them.” Talis’s voice was low.

Snarl and Meaty-Fist must have understood, as they both took a step back in synch with each other.

I rolled my eyes. Okay then, we were really doing this. I gripped Harry Potter, but Snarl lunged and swung at me with a heavy fist. Thankfully, his bulk made him a little slow, so I had enough time to duck and speak, “Shield.”

Thanks for reaching! So what do you think of book 2 so far? If you’re interested, it’s already available for pre-order on Amazon.

Book Review -The Spellshop -by Sarah Beth Durst

It’s been a while since my last post. Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to go MIA, but life does take unexpected turns. Nothing bad, thankfully, but busy. Good news to report, though, the second book in The Animal Magic Series is almost finished! If you haven’t had a chance, the second book, Beasts and Books, is available for pre-order on Amazon. I haven’t done a full cover reveal yet, but it’s coming soon!

Okay, on to the book review. Unusual for me, I read a mainstream book! Even more unusual, I read a physical book. But a few weeks ago, I was in a bookstore with a gift card and saw The Spellshop, by Sarah Beth Durst. I confess I’d been curious about this book, and since I had a gift card, I decided to purchase it.

The Spellshop is a cozy fantasy with a sweet, low-spice romance filled with jam. In the author’s note at the end of the book, she said she wanted a book that felt like a warm hug and was filled with things that gave her joy.

It’s a cute story that begins with a librarian and a talking plant. The capital city, where the library is located, is experiencing political unrest. Keira, the MFC, is convinced the library will go untouched, but when it starts to burn, she flees with her talking plant, Caz, and as many books as she can take on a small boat. She manages to find safe harbor on a remote island far from the capital where she was born.

The pacing is steady and a bit slow, but it’s very engaging. The stakes are low, but entertaining, and pull the reader in with curiosity! Keira needs to survive on the island, and she’d prefer to do it alone, but her neighbors, including a handsome merhorse herder, are always knocking on her door trying to help her. You can probably guess where this is going. As Keira decides to make a life for herself on the island, she dabbles in some of the ‘remedies’ (spells) hidden in the books she saved from the fire, and antics ensue. This adds some comedy and light-hearted fun.

The magic system in the book was definitely soft. There were actual wizards, so initially, I got the impression these were people who were gifted with magic. However, Keira cracks open spell books and learns, through a lot of trial and error, how to work spells, which she calls ‘remedies’.

There were also real moments in the book that touched on deeper issues, but they didn’t take away from the overall cozy nature of the read. The characters felt fairly rounded, though some of the personalities could have been slightly more developed to add a bit of separation. I confess that I did get confused a few times because some of the characters were too similar. In deeper reflection, this might have purpose, as part of the cozy nature was ‘small, secluded island with a tiny population’, so it is natural that the inhabitants were close-knit.

There were a few times in the book when things happened that were important to a scene but weren’t followed up on, even though they were mentioned again in the story. I would have loved more development on some of Keila’s ‘experiments’ to see more of what happened and whether the unexpected results changed over time. (For example, the singing apple tree and apple blossom bird.) There was one scene where Keila heard someone say, ‘Beautiful’ when her remedy brought a tree back to life, but we never found out who was spying on her.

Do a few flat characters and contrived scenes spoil the book for me? Not at all. Wanting more is just my reader’s desire. These instances in the book are clearly for world-building purposes. The overall story is well-written and a delight to read. It made an excellent weekend diversion from the real world! The book also fulfilled the author’s goal of giving the reader a hug!

Early on, we learn that Keira was very important to Larran in his early life. We learn his story, but again, I’m left wondering about what she did that was so memorable to him. We get hints of this from some of Keira’s new friends, which, I suppose, is the author’s subtle way of sharing the backstory with the reader. I think I was expecting a more direct reveal between Larran and Keira. Yet again, I admire the author’s clever yet gentle approach to establishing the bond between Keira and Larran. There wasn’t the random toss-out from a friend, ‘you and Larran seem great together,’ but the friends already knew what Keira’s family meant to Larran and understood his natural attraction to her.

There is another note of humor I’d like to add. So often, I hear people complain that self-published books have so many errors. This isn’t something I’ve found to be true. Yes, some self-published books do need more editing. But generally, most self-published works are very polished with few to no noticeable grammatical errors. Since The Spellshop is my first mainstream book from a publishing house in a while, I’d like to note that I did find grammatical and editing errors! I find this absolutely hilarious, given all the criticism self-published authors get. Please don’t let this stop you from a fun read!

Sarah Beth Durst did an excellent job with this book, and I look forward to reading more in her series.

Sneak Peek -Book Two in the Animal Magic Series

This blog is later than usual. Sorry about that. I usually have my blogs put together earllier in the week, but this past week has been busier than usual.

I’m super excited to share more of the first chapter in the second book of the Animal Magic series. This is a continuation of the scene I shared a few weeks ago. In this scene, Talis persuades Elodie to check out the building they’re watching. They head inside and meet a little resistance.

Talis paused at the edge of the parking lot in the shadows of a neighboring building.

“I’ll go right,” he said.

“I’ve got left.” I’d already taken a few steps in the direction.

My hand gripped Harry Potter book, and power pulsed in my fingertips. According to my parents, whenever they read to me as a child, and I touched the book, my power emerged. They had me work with a specialist to learn to channel my ability through the book. As for the book, Harry Potter had been a favorite, and my power didn’t react with other works of fiction or non-fiction. It seemed odd that my power was tied to one book. The cover was worn and dog-eared, as it went everywhere with me, but the familiar weight was a comfort.

I reached the edge of the building and ducked into the shadows, creeping along the side. I couldn’t hear anything, not that it was odd, but if there were dogs inside, why weren’t they barking? Surely, they sensed us.

Maybe Cruella and her minions had somehow shielded the building, keeping the dogs silent. Cruella De’Ville wasn’t the villain’s real identity. Over the past few months, a number of dogs had gone missing and Snow uncovered that the disappearance was linked to one woman who ran the operation. That’s when this villain had been named. Snow was convinced Cruella was linked to the Evil Queen, Snow’s personal villain. The Evil Queen was known for her experiments on humans and animals and was somehow related to Snow.

A scuffling sound drew my focus, and I tightened my hold on Harry Potter. I’d reached the back of the building and carefully peered around the edge. Talis was at the back door.

I made a quick sweep. There were no cars or people, only a smelly garbage bin. I ran over to him, the soles of my boots silent on the pavement.

“What are you doing?” I whispered, flattening my back against the stucco wall.

“Going in.” He yanked on the door. “Do you mind?”

I gripped Harry Potter and placed my other palm on the deadbolt. “Unlock.” Warmth passed through my hand, and a small swirl of white mist surrounded the lock. There was a soft sound of sliding metal.

“Excellent!” Talis held the door and nodded for me to go first.

I tossed my hair as I passed him. “Of course.”

A part of me knew going in wasn’t a good idea. Snow wouldn’t be happy if we blew this operation, especially at such an early stage. If Cruella was aware we were suspicious of her activities, she’d push her operation into further secrecy. However, if Talis and I rescued the dogs, Snow would be less unhappy. Her power was tied to animals, so she naturally had a soft spot for anything furry, feathery, or scaly.

The room was dark, but I could make out the metal shelving lining the walls. The scent of fur and animal waste was prevalent. I scrunched my nose, doubting the animals were being properly cared for.

I took a few more when the toe of my boot bumped against a hard surface. I glanced down but saw nothing. I nudged my foot further along the invisible wall.

Thanks for reading. What do you think Talis and Elodie found? What’s on the other side of the wall? Please feel free to post your thoughts.

Book Review: What Comes of Attending the Commoners Ball by Elisabeth Aimee Brown

So you know how you hear about a book, and you aren’t sure, but decide to try it out? That’s what happened with Elisabeth Aimee Brown’s book, What Comes of Attending the Commoners Ball.

This book is an interesting mashup of Cinderella meets Jane Austen. There are very few fantasy elements to the book. The female main character, Hester, is the daughter of pig farmers. She’s come to the big city from the countryside and works so she can save every bit of coin. Her goal is to bring her parents to the city. Because of this, she barely eats and doesn’t enjoy a lot of pleasures. Throughout the book, she adamantly refuses to accept any kind of help because of her strong belief in The Folk. The Folk are fairy creatures that take on human form and will trick anyone who trusts them. This leads to all kinds of issues for Hester.

The story begins with her wanting to attend the commoners’ ball. It is held at the palace, and Hester mistakenly believes that she’s allowed to attend because she’s as common as they come. Surprisingly, she catches the eye of the younger prince, who claims Hester is his guest. Now she is forced to spend her night dancing instead of feasting, like she had hoped. However, the older prince sees her and does feed her before she’s asked to leave.

And so begins poor Hester’s demise. The younger prince causes all kinds of mischief for Hester. I won’t go into the details as that will spoil the story, but her life consistently got worse.

As a character, Hester is a sweet, honest young woman who is highly superstitious. Because of her superstition, the well-meaning people who offer help her are met with her refusal. So Hester is her own enemy. You can’t help but like and pity the main character’s endearing qualities. Though I confess to being a bit frustrated with her. At one point, I wanted to put the book down because of her continual downfall. (The constant one bad thing after another started to get too much.)

The overall story was fun and light. The antics Hester finds herself in because of the second prince’s interference made me laugh. I wanted to keep reading because I couldn’t wait to find out how the story ended. The ending was predictable. However, what kept me reading was wondering how Hester would get her Happily Ever After.

The writing is clean, and the pacing is moderate. There were lots of sweet moments in the book. The characters were well defined and mostly likable, even the second prince. In a sense, everyone was a bit extra. This only added to the charm of the writing and the overall story.

I would highly recommend this book to someone who likes stories that are exaggerated for fun. The elements will keep you entertained and invested in the characters.

Book Review: Keeper and Kinded by Toni Binns

At the start of January, I posted about Toni Binns’ first book, Contracts and Cats. This was the first book in her series, MEOW: Magical Emporium and Wares. While I enjoyed the book, I found the ending slightly disappointing and had high expectations for book two.

Keeper and Kindred, the second book in the series, came out on February 3rd, and I cracked it open. I am happy to report that the story had satisfying momentum. While not all answers were revealed and a book three is expected, there was good progress.

Sable, the main character, still runs the shop, and she still makes coffee every morning. There was also a repeat of many characters from the first book. Sable, however, grew. The first book hinted that she had magic, but the second book actually showed her having lessons and practicing. There was also growth regarding her connection to the shop and the dynamics between her and the cat.

The story has the same cozy fantasy vibes as the first book. There is also the same pacing and story progression. The shop, Magical Emporium of Wares, still visits different realms everyday to solve different problems.

There were a few fun new elements in the book. Each morning, the cat checks a book for the tasks they need to accomplish. However, the book is less and less specific, which irritates the cat. Also, Sable, because of her developing magic, senses things she should do with various customers. These things aren’t mentioned in the book. This also irritates the cat. After one of these situations, the book shows a knot next to a completed task. While the meaning isn’t specified, it is suggested that a task has been fully completed.

What is revealed between books one and two is that the cat, who was once a high elf, did something against the fates. Since then, he was turned into a cat by the fates and placed in the store until balance is restored. So when the knot was shown next to a completed task, I wondered if the cat’s freedom is near.

At present, I am satisfied with the story’s progression and look forward to the third installment. I hope the series does come to a satisfying conclusion, and it’s not too many books away. While some people love series that go on forever, I am not one of those individuals. (I get bored.) So if you’re looking for a cozy fantasy read to get lost in, I highly recommend checking out this series.

The Hardest Part

As a writer, I get asked a lot of questions. People are curious about the process and curious about how I write. Honestly, the writing process is unique to each person, so we all have to find our own way.

Over the years, and through much trial and error, I’ve learned what works. And while most aspects of writing do come easily, there are some bits that are challenging. The most difficult part is the initial chapters.

When starting a new book, I spend a lot of time brainstorming. Usually an image or an idea is inspiring, so I play around with it for a while. When a clear picture comes into focus, those ideas are placed into a loose outline. Here is where writers who plot shine. They spend quite a bit of time carefully crafting a detailed outline. A pantser is a phrase borrowed from the expression ‘seat of their pants’. This is a writer who sits down and writes. An updated term for pantser is discovery writer. A discovery writer essentially discovers their story as they write it.

I personally think I fall somewhere in the middle and am a bit closer to a discovery writer. I can’t sit down cold and write a complete story without some thought and a loose outline. I need a bit of a beginning, a few ideas for the middle, and an ending. For me, an outline is a few generally worded bullet points at different stages of the story. To give you an idea, here are the points for a chapter I worked on this past week:

  • Talis and Dante go in first and fight. They go right.
  • Finn and Elodie go in after and go left.
  • They find a room. They are discovered and there’s lot of fighting.
  • Scene end: They find information that’s important.

At this point, you might be wondering how I wrote a whole chapter from this very generally worded outline. Sometimes I wonder that myself, but it works because it gives my character steps. As a writer who leans closer to the ‘discovery’ side, I find the first few chapters challenging. I am learning about the world and characters, so there are a lot of starts, rewrites, and low word-count days. It’s frustrating.

Over the years, though, I’ve learned to value this time. For me, creativity flows with the process. In other words, ideas won’t come to me until my character is in a scene. An author’s job is to essentially create trouble for their character, and then help the character out of it. When a character is in trouble, I’m forced to consider their personality, abilities, skills, etc. and determine how they are going to escape. Will they fight? How will they fight?

The fun part is that suddenly, something about the character’s magic will fit perfectly. And if I was still trying to sort out a plot, the solution never would have happened. In other words, I need to be in that difficult and frustrating moment to figure things out. I’ve also learned that my writing is much richer when I allow my creativity this freedom.

So whatever your writing style, when you hit those roadblocks, release your creativity to find a way through.

Sneak Peek: Opening Image: Book 2 in the Animal Magic Series

The second book in my Animal Magic series is underway. It feels a little early to give a sneak peek, so this one is short. However, I’m excited to share the first bite from chapter 1. I hope you enjoy the light start to the novel and mild banter between Elodie and Talis.

“Is this the place?” Talis asked as he maneuvered his car into a parking spot under a streetlamp. The car was some kind of Mustang with racing stripes running through the center. Since the rest of the paint job was yellow, it reminded me of Bumblebee from the Transformers movies.

I re-read the instructions on my phone, keeping it low and shielding it with my childhood copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, so the glow wouldn’t draw attention our way. It’s not like the bright yellow car or overhead street lamp didn’t scream, look at us. This was supposed to be a surveillance mission.

I checked the street address and nodded, “1487 Murray Avenue.” I turned off my phone and tucked it under my book.

The windows of the former convenience store were boarded up, and a huge ‘For Sale’ sign loomed on the empty parking lot.

My fingers twitched on the door’s armrest while my other hand rested flat on my book. I bit my bottom lip, carefully considering my words. The thrum of my power coalesced through my contact with the book, and I whispered, “The car is black and unnoticed to anyone passing by.” A warm sensation melted through me and then flowed out. I could feel a mild residue around me as it dispersed into the car.

“El?” Talis’s brow lowered, and his eyes narrowed.

He was one of the few people who ever called me by the shortened form of my name, Elodie.

I removed my hand from the top of Harry Potter to break the connection with my power. “Bumblebee is a giveaway. I’m improving our stealth.”

Talis scoffed, but his lips perked upward. “Don’t knock the Bee,” he muttered.

I smiled. He didn’t like it when I called his pride and joy Bumblebee, but I think it was growing on him.

The vehicle was not the best for stakeouts or undercover work, but since Talis was driving, I was going with it. Besides, I didn’t have a say in the matter since I didn’t own a vehicle. Snow, the director of the Supernatural Response Team, had a few vans outfitted with tech gear. Most team members used their own vehicles and submitted receipts for reimbursement.

Talis and I were employees with the Supernatural Response Team and partners when on duty. His hero name was Cogsworth, since his power let him control time in short bursts. And my nickname was Belle since my power was channeled through books. One book, actually. I’d tried using other sources, and I never connected with them. There wasn’t anything special about my copy of Harry Potter. My power, for some unknown reason, resonated with the book. For this reason alone, the book was priceless.

Talis’s thumbs drummed on the steering wheel. “We should check it out.”

I side-eyed him. “This is surveillance only. We’re supposed to make sure Cruella is keeping the dogs here.”

Talis’s shoulders lifted. He swung his head in my direction with mischievously wiggling eyebrows and a grin. “Of course.”

I groaned and rested my head on the seat. “You’ll get us in trouble.”

“Come on.” He left the car, and I joined him on the sidewalk. Secretly, I supported Talis. Spending the night cooped up in the car and watching, hoping for something to happen, would be boring.

When the Real World and the Fantasy World Meet

Last week, I took a copy of my newest book, Superheroes and Bakeries, to the office. There’s a volunteer who loves my work, so she always wants to buy the next book. After passing the book off to her, I continued with my work, and she disappeared. She wasn’t volunteering, but had to be on site for a meeting. Anyway, a little while later, she peeks her head back into the office and says, ‘I got to page 37.’ While I had a good idea what she was referring to, I don’t actually know what’s on each page of the book. I responded with, ‘what’s on page 37?’ She said, ‘my name.’ She was quite pleased with the surprise.

This led to a big conversation about how my real world wiggles its way into my writing. And does it? The easy response is, yes. But truthfully, the answer is more complex. Are there other characters in Superheroes and Bakeries who are in my real life? Again, the easy response is, yes.

Names of people I know and experiences I’ve lived through find their way into my writing. However, the actual person is not the character, and the character is not the living individual. What do I mean?

Let’s take a look at The English Teacher’s Magic. This series is highly reflective of my first career in teaching English to international students. A lot of Matea’s, or Tea (TAY-ah), experiences were inspired by my own. While living abroad, I found that most places were not that different from Canada. (Much like Tea doesn’t find a lot of difference with the Fae Realm.) However, the differences I did experience were subtle. A person’s ethnic origin means they are socialized into a different set of behaviors. The things we learn at home are reinforced by society around us and are perceived as natural or ‘right’. As a result, we interpret meanings behind actions based on our socialization. (This is a bit of a deep dive into my undergraduate and graduate studies.)

All this explanation means my main character’s struggles had a lot to do with cultural foundations. Tea didn’t understand Lothair, one of the love interests. She had a hard time understanding her boss, Rose. And the students were another challenge. The idea of, ‘I’m doing right but it’s wrong’ was a common theme. It was also how I felt a lot of the time while living and working with other cultures. The statement means: I’m doing what I know is right based on my culture. What I’m doing is wrong for the adopted or foster culture. During my teaching career, most students resonated with this statement as they navigated their lives in Canada.

In previous blogs, I mentioned how Lothair’s and Tea’s love story was highly inspired by two of my students. (An arranged marriage of two students from Saudi Arabia.) Jacklyn was a character readers have a love-hate relationship with. I admit that too often, I’ve met teachers like Jacklyn. They are good at heart, and amazing teachers. They’ve also had a lot of bad experiences. Through Jacklyn, the book touched on a systemic issue. The issue happens when students and their families manipulate the administration, and a teacher is blamed. That said, there are many good and supportive administrators out there.

The volunteer mentioned earlier, commented on how much working at my present place of employment has impacted my writing. I suppose it’s true. I never would have met Marcy and Luca. Luca Becomes a Therapy Dog is a children’s book that was completely unplanned. As mentioned in a previous blog, Marcy provided real stories of Luca’s puppyhood that are in the book. However, the book itself never would have been written if I hadn’t met Marcy and Luca.

So does the real world seep into writing? The easy answer is, yes! The real world does indeed inspire the fantasy world.

Book Review: Waifs and Strays -Helen Harper

Are you a fan of Urban Fantasy? Do you like cats and werewolves? I came across Helen Harper’s Waifs and Strays at some point last year and added it to my wish list. A few weeks ago, I finally picked it up, and I’m loving it. So much so that I’m already on the third book. The fourth book isn’t available until the end of May, so I’m a bit disappointed about that.

What makes the series so good? It’s entertaining. There is a nice balance of pacing, conflict, and stakes that keeps a reader hooked. The book didn’t get boring. Each book is a mixture of cozy fantasy and cozy mystery. In the first book, there isn’t a death, but a kidnapping that creates the mystery. The second does have a death, and the third book has supernaturals who’ve lost their power.

A second enjoyable element was the characters. They were likable. Kit, the main character, is a Cat Sith. This means she takes a bit of fur from one of her cats. Once swallowed, she transforms into the cat’s double. The interactions between Kit and her felines were fun. As Kit wove through each story, something happened in each scene. This kept me guessing and interested. I wanted to know how she’d solve the problem or get herself out of the situation she was in. Kit is an engaging character. Each character she interacts with in the story world is engaging and interesting. The relationships didn’t feel contrived. While some characters were a bit much, the exaggeration was part of Harper’s writing’s charm.

The third captivating aspect of Harper’s series is the world-building. There is a lot that’s familiar about the supernatural creatures, people, and elements. Harper created unique inhabitants in the magical city of Coldstream, who have become hers.

At times, some of the details were confusing. At one point, I had totally misjudged a character as much older than she really was. In the first book, I had the impression that the character was probably in her seventies. In the second book, however, I learn she’s much younger. This did create some mild confusion. The characters do swear a bit more than I like in books. For me it is distracting and feels overdone or unnecessary. But this is probably more of a personal preference.

Overall, the books are very enjoyable, and I highly recommend delving into them. I’d easily give them a rating of 4 or 5 on Amazon and Goodreads. so if you’re looking for something to read, head over to Amazon and check the series.