New Short Story!

Every week, Reedsy posts a few short story prompts and anyone interested in writing is welcome to submit a story or write it for fun! A few weeks ago, they posted the contest: #292: Colour Your World with Kobo Writing Life. And the prompt that inspired me was: Center your story around an artist whose creations have enchanted qualities. I did not enter the contest, but the prompt did inspire this story. You can read the story using this link, A Perfect Non-Magical Performance, and through the ‘Short Stories‘ tab from the Home Page of this website.

A Bit About the Inspiration

Initially, when I thought of ‘artist’ and ‘enchanting qualities’, I imagined a painter and a painting. I love the idea of paintings coming to life, but that felt done. As a result, I mentally scrolled through various artistic expressions and considered pottery (imagine a chunk of clay trying to mold itself against the potter’s intentions). That felt a little like the Disney movie Fantasia. There is the standby of a writer (imagine the characters coming to life or the author being sucked into the story). This, too, felt too obvious.

And then I settled on a musician, who is a siren, attempting to get through an audition for a human school of music while trying to control her magic. The ideas started to percolate and they were fun. I imagined the character playing or singing and despite her anxiety over the audition, she’s more worried about her magic breaking out. There were lots of opportunities for conflict and tension, so the brainstorming began.

Now that the story was set, I just needed a song for her to play. I wanted something inspiring and personal to the artist, but also hopefully relatable to the reader. I considered

  • Never Enough (The Greatest Showman)
  • This is Me (The Greatest Showman)
  • It’s Okay (Nightbirde)
  • And the BGT (Britain’s Got Talent) 2024: Sydney Christmas’s
    • Tomorrow (Movie/Musical Annie and written by Charles Strouse),
    • Over the Rainbow (Movie/Musical Wizard of Oz. A ballad by Harold Arlen and the lyrics by Yip Harburg)
    • My Way (song written in French–Comme d’habitude–by Jacques Revaux, Gilles Thibaut, and Claude François and adapted into English by Paul Anka.)

Each song was equally inspiring, but ultimately Over the Rainbow and my main character’s journey to this moment in her life (auditioning for entrance into a school of music) was the best fit. The imagery captured in the song’s lyrics resonated with the character’s desire to leave the magical community behind and learn music from humans. As a siren, her magic works in symbiotic harmony with music, but she feels that sirens place too much focus on the magic and their music is monotonous. Her dream to cross from the magical community to the human world was easy to work with the song’s lyrics.

As a writer who brainstorms, creates a loose outline, and then discovery writes, the ending surprised even me. Spoiler Alert: she doesn’t get through the audition without her magic busting out. (Which is what I expected.) But what happens, felt true to the character’s journey. I obviously won’t tell you as I want you to enjoy the story. So if your interest is piqued, then head over to the Short Stories tab on the home page and check it out. Alternatively, you can use this link: A Perfect Non-Magical Performance.

Book Review: Blood and Buttercups -A Vampire’s Guide to Gardening by Shari Tapscott

I’m not sure how I stumbled across this book, but I’m so thankful I did. It is urban fantasy, the romance is clean, and the story line is interesting. I do confess there is a slight cliff hanger at the end that has nothing to do with the main story, but left me with my mouth hanging open and irritated to learn that book was two months away. (I read this book in January.) So I didn’t want to do the same thing to you and waited to leave a review since book 2 is coming out Friday, March 14.

The story starts with the female main character, Piper. She lives in a huge old house and cultivates the expansive yard with various kinds of flowers which she sells at a market or as a distributor. The book has a cozy feel with good supportive friends and family who are always nearby.

Unfortunately for Piper, she has a cheating boyfriend who she breaks up with right at the start of the book. She then makes some rebound choices which stimulate the majority of the story. And yes, I won’t tell you what these are as I have no desire to destroy your reading fun.

The book has a few twists and turns. I thought the plot was leading me one way and then it did a 90 degree turn and it’s, ‘oh, we’re going this way now’. Honestly, I liked the twists even if they felt a little abrupt. They kept me reading and gave the plot surprising qualities. (Like the unexpected ending.)

The main character was very likable even if you did think she was a little stupid at the beginning. You kind of wanted to say, ‘even I knew that was a dumb idea.’ But then when we’re on the rebound, who hasn’t done something stupid and questionable? So her choices make Piper relatable.

For the future books, there are a few areas I hope are explored. As the book blurb mentions, Piper is pre-vampiric, and there is a vampire governing organization she becomes a part of, but the details feel a bit lacking. There are hints that this organization is corrupt. The lack of details and corrupt governing body isn’t necessary a bad thing as this is a series, so I’m hoping with book two the author delves deeper. Also, the governing body isn’t the main point of the plot for book one, so not a huge disappointment, just curiosity on my part.

Blood and Buttercups by Shari Tapscott is a fast-paced read. So if you’re looking for something to get lost in, check out the first book. I’m sure you’ll be picking up book two the moment you finish! You can check out the book on Amazon.

A Sneak Peek: Excerpt from Chapter 1

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time working on a new series. If you read my newsletter, then you’ve heard hints. I don’t want to give too much away just yet, but thought I’d share an excerpt from the first chapter. It’s a moment between the main character, Keira, and her grandma. Keira has a dream of opening her own bakery but calls it a ‘one day’ dream. In this scene, Grandma challenges Keira to start taking action.

If you’re wondering if I genre jumped, the answer is no. This book is set on Vancouver Island, B.C. and is Urban Fantasy. I’m hoping to release it later this year.

That’s all for now. Enjoy the small bite into this new Work in Progress.

The elevator door slid open, and I walked down the brightly lit hallway. Grandma’s apartment was at the end. The door was already cracked open.

“Hi Grandma!” I called and kicked off my shoes.

“Keira, good to see you.” Grandma leaned in for a hug which I readily returned. She was a petite woman, but strong and active.

I held up a bag of baked treats. “These are for you. Fresh this morning.”

Grandma patted my arm. “You shouldn’t be baking on your day off but thank you.”

I followed Grandma into the kitchen and grabbed tea mugs from the cupboard. Technically, they were coffee mugs, but Grandma and I drank tea, so we’d re-named them tea mugs.

Grandma removed the tea cozy from the tea pot. “It’s a specialty tea from that tea shop down the street. It’s supposed to go good with sweets.”

I breathed in a spicy scent as Grandma filled the mugs. She then hid the teapot under the tea cozy and placed the cinnamon rolls on a plate.

“How’s work going?” Grandma asked.

I shrugged. “It’s okay, I suppose.” I started for the living room but stopped at the dining table. There was a large puzzle spread over the tabletop. “Since when did you start putting together puzzles?”

Grandma came up behind me with the plate of rolls, napkins, and small plates. “My neighbor, Alice, gave it to me. She thinks I need a hobby.”

I set the mugs down and fingered a few pieces then the box top. It was a street scene with row shops and right in the middle was a bakery. I stared at it for a moment then looked at Grandma. The elderly woman’s eyes twinkled.

“Want to work on it together?”

I pulled out a chair. “Why not.”

The pieces were scattered over the table like Grandma had just opened the box and spilled out the pieces.

“I like to start with the borders.” Grandma threw a few middle pieces in the cardboard box bottom. She pushed a few straight edge pieces to the side.

I added to the two piles.

“So work’s just okay?” Grandma fit a few pieces together.

“Yea, okay.”

“When are you going to open your bakery?”

I scowled. The gray pieces in my hand looked like the street at the bottom of the picture. They fit together nicely. “You know the answer.”

Grandma tossed a few more pieces in the box bottom. “You know, one day never comes.”

“What do you mean?”

“You say one day and in your mind you even picture that one day, but it never comes.”

There was a touch of defeat to Grandma’s voice. I squinted at the elderly woman and grabbed a few more gray border pieces and fit them together.

“Did you ever have a one day dream?” I asked.

Grandma chuckled. “We all do, dear.”

“What was yours?”

“I wanted to open my own dress shop and become a fashion designer.”

My eyebrow perked up. Grandma was talented. She had made me many outfits growing up. Despite this, it was hard to imagine her showcasing her work during fashion week. But that was probably because I knew her as Grandma not fashion designer.

Grandma slid another piece into place. “I once had a spot to showcase my work at a fashion show in Toronto. Can you believe it?”

I nodded. “Yes and no. I could see you doing it, but picturing you at fashion week with all the other designers… You’re very talented. Why didn’t you pursue it?”

“It was my one day dream. And now age makes it impossible.” Grandma held up her fingers twisted with arthritis.

“That’s sad.” I fit another piece into the street edging.

“I’m talking about you dear, not me.”

“Me? I’m working on my dream and it will happen one day.” I tested the tea. It was cool enough for a mouthful.

Grandma chuckled softly and shook her head. She fitted a few blue pieces together edging out the sky. “That’s what I thought.”

“Well, I’m not you.” I glanced up at the clock and noticed the time. “I need to go. I told Jana I’d meet her at the gym today for a workout.”

Grandma stood slowly and patted my arm as we headed to the door. “Think about what I said.”

I zipped up the front of my red hoodie. “I will, Grandma,” I said this more to please the elderly woman than with any conviction.

“Thanks for the visit. See you tomorrow?” Grandma’s brow perked up in a question.

“I’m at work tomorrow, so after my shift. I’ll text you and let you know when I’m coming.”

Grandma nodded and watched me as I headed to the elevator. The day was still warm as it was only early afternoon. I entered the urban forest and a quick gust of wind temporarily stole the warmth. I pulled up my hood.

Book Review: Blood Bound and Unbound -by Trinity Cunningham

Trinity Cunningham is a new author with two books to her name. Blood Bound is the first book in the series that came out in the fall of 2023. Unbound, the second book, came out in the fall of 2024.

Both books are high fantasy and set in a fantasy world filled with humans and an elf-like race. In this world, only a select family line has the ability to practice magic. This blood-line is known as The Guardians of the Weldafire Stone. The Weldafire Stone gives the user the ability to practice magic through a blood letting ceremony. The an elf-like race, who is long-lived, also possesses magic.

The first book, Blood Bound, follows two brother, Raiden and Dimitri. Dimitri tricks Raiden into activating the magic in their bloodline. This sets off a domino effect of magic being released throughout Kartha. In the process, Raiden is separated from his wife and son. His goal is to return to them while trying to stop a tyrant king and learn magic.

Unbound picks up the story two generations later with Raiden’s grandson Mick. He grew up away from Kartha and is a chef. Through a series of events, he ends up in Kartha searching for his grandparents and answers.

Cunningham is a great writer with promise. Her books are well crafted with clear story lines. Her greatest strength is her world building. The reader will find they can easily picture the places described in her detailed writing. The pacing of her books is moderate. When not reading these books, I found myself wondering what would happen next in the novel. Curiosity about the characters and their struggles drew me back.

At the end of Unbound, I was left curious about Mick’s love interest. There were two women who played minor roles in Mick’s life. Both women gave the impression of being a love interest for Mick. At the start of the story, there’s one woman Mick seems smitten with. He easily walks away from her to pursue a quest. This leaves the impression that there actually isn’t something between the two characters. During the quest, another woman joins him briefly and Mick seems drawn to her, but she quickly disappears. At the end of the book, Mick and the first woman are having a conversation. She is unable to pursue a relationship at this time. Mick understand but there’s a hint of a promise that he’ll wait for her. Then he meets up with woman number two and it feels like a relationship is about to start. If Cunningham writes a sequel to this series, I hope to find out who Mick ends up with in this love triangle.

Trinity Cunningham has taken her time to write well-crafted books. We can expect more great novels from her as she grows in her writing craft.

Overall, both books are worthy of being read and are available on Amazon.

This Meet That: Genre Blending in Modern Fiction

Consider a recent book you’ve read. Did it feel like a mix of genres? Perhaps there was a romance story mixed in with an adventure. Or maybe a sci-fi with a touch of western (think Firefly).

Genre blending or genre mixing is a term used a lot with fiction. It’s pretty common to see blurbs with, ‘sci-fi meets thriller’ or ‘mystery meets fantasy’. Is this a good thing or does it make fiction more confusing? As a reader, do you like the clear cut lines of crime fiction with nothing added?

There are always multiple arguments to to everything. And sure, there’s something pure about a legal drama that is only a legal drama. Or an adventure piece of fiction that is about finding the treasure. It makes the story entertaining. As a reader, you know what’s going to happen, but the fun becomes how will it happen. How will the characters get themselves out of this mess? How will the main character stay one step ahead of the villainous treasure hunters?

There’s also something to a mystery that is set in a bucolic town full of supernaturals. This might be called, ‘cozy mystery meets urban fantasy’. Or a love story mixed in with an action adventure.

So why do authors do this? Why do is it seen on movie and T.V. screens? There are many reasons, but one simple reason is, It creates a larger audience base. When genres are mixed, more people are attracted to the story. A story that is full of action will appeal to one audience group. When an author adds in romance as part of the plot, however, romance readers will suddenly show an interest. There is now a product that can target two groups in advertising. For the adventure group, the ad will focus on the action. There would also be ads showcasing the steps to finding the treasure and the challenges the character faces. There will also be ads that focus on the romance in the story for the second ad group.

Consider this from a numbers perspective. Let’s say (for ease of number) the first ad group (adventure genre) is around 100, 000. And the second group (romance genre) is around 100, 000. By blending the two genres, the book, movie, T.V. show, etc. can now focus on an audience of 200, 000.

As a writer, genre blending is a fun way of taking multiple genres and giving fans even more. It adds creativity to the writing process and adds new ideas, bends, and twists that would otherwise go undiscovered. When I wrote The English Teacher’s Magic series, I blended urban fantasy with romantic comedy. Twilight’s Princess is high fantasy with a regency romance.

Another aspect of genre blending is the ability to add new twists to the story. Readers who love a certain genre come to know and recognize the story beats. This is what the reader wants, but it can also become predictable. The result is the story or genre doesn’t feel fresh anymore. Authors want to entertain readers. Readers want to be entertained with the unexpected. Readers love the feeling of, ‘I didn’t expect that’. And authors love crafting a novels with hidden gems to delight readers. By blending genres, the story beats and plots twists will have new avenues that can freshen up a predictable story.

When I attend craft markets to sell my books, I do get the fantasy lovers. But other readers love mystery or crime or horror. This inspires me to consider a paranormal cozy mystery. Think Hallmark Murder and Mysteries meets Urban Fantasy? Does that sound like something you would be interested in reading? Think about your favorite genres. Is there a combination you’d like to see?

Charming Superhero Romance: A Review of H.L. Burke’s Latest Book

https://www.amazon.com/Rescuing-Supervillain-Superhero-Romance-Project-ebook/dp/B0DLZ4FZ8Q

Amazon

H.L. Burke will be releasing another book in her Superhero themed books. This one will be coming out on December 23rd. The author provided an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) for an honest review. I enjoyed the book so much, I decided to include it in my blog.

The story begins with the two main characters. The female, Bea, is a cat shifter. She’s had a hard life and ended up enslaved to a gang of thieves. In their most recent heist, Bea manages to escapes and finds refuge in a cat shelter. It’s a perfect place for her as she can double as both a cat and a volunteer. The male main character, Sam, is a superhero. Unfortunately, he’s dealing with work related trauma and finds solace in a cat shelter during his leave.

While Bea is a spicy cat and human, Sam is a lovable giant. Through his gentle nature he easily wins over the cats in shelter. Alternatively, Bea and a certain calico prove to be more of a challenge. It is a super cute and sweet love story, and it was delightful to experience.

This story has a nice but small cast of characters who are well developed with their unique quirks. I think my favorite scene was Bea and Sam taking care of a neonate kitten. I foster cats and kittens and believe the author did her homework in representing proper care of kittens. (The youngest kittens I’ve fostered were two days old.)

With a story like this, there were a lot of secrets the characters held from each other. The author did a great job of creating moments of confession or reveal for the characters. These secrets added to the tension and pacing of the story. The story was moderately paced but the conflict kept me reading as I found the book hard to put down.

If you’re a fan of superheroes, sweet-clean romance, and love cats, then I strongly recommend heading over to Amazon. You can check this book out on December 23rd or pre-order it today!

Naming Characters: Building Worlds with Meaningful Names

It seems like an obvious enough title. And it’s true, each character in a book does have a name that connects them to something.

In a previous post, I spoke about how I like to choose names for characters. One of biggest things I do is pick a name that has a meaning that matches how I see the character. This isn’t something I do 100% of the time, but the majority of the time. Sometimes a character comes to me with a name and I know that’s who they are.

While finding the appropriate name for characters is important, it is equally important that the names help with world building.

Think of a handful of names you know: friends, family, co-workers, classmates, etc. Now stop and consider the origin of their names. It is natural and normal that certain names do connect with languages and ethnic origins.

Consider the name John. It’s a common name for English speakers. It is common for Christians as it is a Biblical name. It also has roots in the following languages: Arabic, Celtic, Germanic, Romance, Slavic, Georgian, Lithuanian, Albanian, Maori, Armenian, and probably more. It is important to note that the way the name is spelled in these languages does vary, so John is the Anglicized (English) version. Yahya is the Arabic version while Hans is Germanic and Ivan is the Slavic from of the name.

How does this connect to naming characters in world building for novels? If the characters are from a specific region or area in the book, then their names need to hold some kind of ethnic connection. There are many approaches to this that authors take.

I write fantasy, so I’m speaking for a fantasy perspective, but the ideas can apply to other genres. If all the characters in the book are from the same region, then the easiest method would be to choose names that have the same ethnic origin.

If I’m choosing Slavic names for my characters, I would probably go with the spelling of Ivan rather than the Anglicized ‘John’ for a character in my book. Variations can be made of the name to make them unique to the fantasy world. So maybe I won’t stick with Ivan, but change a letter or add a letter. Whatever rule I apply, I do have to keep it consistent for all the characters that represent that region. For example, maybe Ivan becomes Ivaleth. For another character, the name Andrej is chosen, so the change might be Aldrej or Andrejeth or Aldrejeth. Remember to keep the name readable and easy to pronounce. Some readers might give up if there are too many unreadable and unpronounceable names in a book.

Another method for choosing names for world building, is to use words from another language. In one of my manuscripts, the names of the characters weren’t actual names but words that described the character. This made the names unique and they matched the character.

Choosing names is fun and having creativity with names adds to the enjoyment. Are you naming characters? What kind of world do you see your characters in? Is there a connection to a country or ethnic origin? Now has some fun and google some names with meaning from that language and see what you come up with.

Twilight Realm Series Finale: A Satisfying Conclusion

The last book in The Twilight Realm series was released earlier this year. It brings the series to a satisfying conclusion and brings all the characters together. While it is an easy conclusion to assume that the story was about everyone being strong. The theme was a bit more complex. A big part of the theme was the main characters learning to be vulnerable with those closest to them. This looked different for each character. However, this lesson gave them strength and unity needed to defeat the evil threatening the Twilight and Night Realms.

The Twilight Realm series started with an image of a girl with dagger tattoos on her forearms. These daggers would drop into her hands and she’d fight with them. If you’ve read any of my blogs, social media postings, or newsletter, you’ve heard this before. The Twilight Realm series was initially Zoe’s story. But more characters entered.

Since book one focused on Zoe and Nix. Book 1.5 focused on Yarissa. And book two focused on Zyanna and Daniel. Book three had to bring everyone together. But how? There were so many story threads that needed closure. The biggest question became: Will the four heroes unite to take down Nosh Dem who’s threatens the two realms. Will they find the familial bonds they long for?

It was a bit of challenge having to write from four points of view: Zyanna, Zoe, Nix, and Daniel. Each character needed their moments and full character arcs. Each character had their own area of conflict they brought to the story and something they had to work out. What was also interesting was the time gap between books one and three. Book two and three had no time gap.

Daniel begins the story. He’s fearful of his father, the king of the Night Realm, and fearful for Zyanna’s life. His father wants Zyanna as a bargaining chip in his schemes with the Twilight Realm. When Zyanna’s hurt, Daniel is forced to ask his brother-in-law, the Twilight Realm king, for help. Will he face his father and prove to Nix that he’s worthy of Zyanna?

For Zoe, she was conflicted about her feelings for Nix. She also felt an unrest about taking care of the orphans. She was hesitant to become a warrior because that was what her parents wanted for her. Her moment of decision comes when Nix asks her to join him in saving his sister in the Night Realm. Will she go? Will she stay? Will she fight?

Nix has spent his life hiding his identity and now as king, he has learned to put on a veneer. When the call comes to help his sister, he responds. But things aren’t as he expected or as easy as he’d hoped. To win the war, he needs to get along with Daniel. To restore his family, he needs to build a relationship with his sister. To avoid a life of solitude, he must win the heart of Zoe. Can he drop the practiced veneer and achieve his goals?

This series has always had strong female leads, so Zyanna had to come into her strength in the final book. One of the key elements of the final story was her magic. It had to play an important role in saving the Night Realm. But as she grows stronger, Daniel becomes more protective. The arrival of her brother, King Nix of the Twilight Realm, is no better. Zoe, who is everything Zyanna wants to be, offers Zyanna an opportunity to prove herself. Can Zyanna find her worth and value outside of her husband’s or brother’s approval?

In the end, I’m quite satisfied with the ending of the series. Twilight’s Curse introduced the conflict. Twilight’s Strength ended the conflict with starting to restore the evil that crept through the Night and Twilight Realm. Will there be more in this series? No. the series is complete, but I do have a few ideas for other stories in the neighboring realms. I’m curious to explore the Day Realm.

If you haven’t delighted in The Twilight Realm series, head on over to Amazon to check it out.

Review of The Water Spinner, by Jessie Chang

I recently just finished reading, The Water Spinner, by Jessie Chang. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read that had been sitting on my TBR list for far too long.

The story begins with Elmira, a slave and a water spinner. She comes from one of the four elemental tribes and has the ability to spin or summon water. Because of this, she is a sought after commodity.

The world building in this book was rich and it felt real, like the places, people, and magic exist. There were many cultures developed in the novel. Each was unique and complex but easy to understand throughout the course of the novel.

The pacing was moderate but there were enough bits of conflict that kept me returning to the story. The novel was had to put down. When I had to close the cover for things like sleep and work, I found myself thinking about the story. I was wondering what would happen next.

There was also a sweet romance that developed throughout the story. And while most of the plot was fairly predictable, there was a curiosity about how it would happen. These questions along with the desire for Elmira to win and use her power to bring balance was captivating.

The story finishes well with a hint of a potential sequel. I hope the author finds time in her busy schedule to let readers know how Elmira finds the lost tribe.

Until then, I hope you head on over to Amazon and get your copy.

Book Review: Federal Bureau of Magic

I’m not sure how I found this series, but it is a super fun read. I do remember looking for cozy mystery-fantasy mixed genre, so it probably popped up in the search.

The basic overall plot is the main character, Eden Fury, returning to her home town of Chipping Cheddar to be an FBM (Federal Bureau of Magic) agent with her faithful hell hound Princess Buttercup. The only thing is she wants to be an FBI agent and she wants to stay as far away from her home as possible. She want to be human and leave her fury powers in Chipping Cheddar. But once home, the quiet cozy town that celebrates all things cheese doesn’t remain quiet for very long.

I fully enjoyed this series and am currently reading it for the second time. The main character is very likeable. There is a lot of subtle humor in the book centered around town’s dairy farming/cheese making history. The content is light and it is easy to get caught up in the story. And the romance is clean/sweet and slow-burn.

These cozy mysteries aren’t the typical someone is murdered and the main character, who is an amateur sleuth, figures it out with her friends and family. The unique twist is that the mysteries are always something related to magic or magical creatures and Eden who is very reluctant to ask her family for help or use her magical fury powers must do just that. She falls in love with a human and this mortifies her magical family who try to sabotage their romance.

The only downside to the series is I did find Eden’s family squabbles to be a bit much at times. The characters were very well developed and stayed true to who they were intended to be -evil witches. Eden, her mom, and her grandmother had a complicated relationship that on the one hand was very believable and poked at Eden’s character arc -her pride and righteous attitude. I can fully appreciate their place in the story, but wished some of the conflict had been toned down a little.

There are a lot of things in this book to keep the reader’s interest. And the series is complete with fourteen books! I don’t usually read such long series, but this one held my attention to the end. These books are available on Amazon, so check out the series and see if it’s right for you.