Behind the Scenes: The English Teacher’s Magic

I started my professional teaching career in 1999. That seems like a hundred years ago now and so much has happened over those 24 years!

Teaching English was never my plan, but life’s journey took me to Busan, South Korea after completing my undergraduate degree. Unlike most people at the time, however, I wasn’t there to pay off a student loan. I went for the experience since all my other plans fell through. Initially, I thought I’d spend a year and then come back to Canada or go somewhere else, but I enjoyed teaching and ended staying in Korea for seven years.

During that time, I worked on my Master’s Degree and the initial inspiration for, The English Teacher’s Magic, drifted through my spare thoughts. At the time, I wrote journal entries and had originally called the series, The English Teacher’s Diary.

Fast forward, a few decades (2019) where I decided on the basic organization of the book: The series would be separated by months. Each month has four weeks and each week would have four chapters making sixteen chapters in total for each book. And I would write one book each month. (Can you hear my laughter!?) Well, I did manage to write the first draft of the first book in January of 2020! February started and I worked on book two but then life shifted. It took a little longer than expected to complete the second and third books.

When I initially thought of the series, I knew the main character would be an English teacher, and some of the story would take place in the classroom. A teacher’s job has many challenges, which I knew would end up in the stories. I didn’t want to offend any ethnic group since I wasn’t actually focusing on a specific culture, but all aspects of the job -good, bad, ugly, beautiful. So… since I love writing fantasy, I set the book in the Fae Realm.

I had so much fun writing Tea’s story from one issue to another. Her challenges and her love triangle. Throw in a touch of magic and things got even more interesting.

So are all the experiences of Tea my own? Of course not! Here are some examples:

Tea’s friend Hannah is completely fictional, but based off of stories told to me by friends who are ethnically Korean but were born and raised in Canada.

I never came across any teacher or human as vile as Jacklyn, but I wanted someone who had bitter experiences and was hopeless. She kind of represents the bad or ugly side of the profession. (NOTE: every profession has a bad and ugly side. Idealistic perfection only ever exists in our imaginations.)

Truthfully, I am incredibly thankful for my diverse career as an English teacher. I have had the privileges to meet many amazing people and have some incredible opportunities. So in a sense, The English Teacher’s Magic, is a bit of a tribute to my former career.

While the book falls under, Urban Fantasy, there is a definite romance thread with some laugh out loud, silent giggles, and soft chuckle moments. And with all my writing, the world building is strong with a wide variety of characters you’ll love, identify with, hate, love to hate, and cheer for.

If you’d like to check out this series use the following buttons:

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Behind the Scenes: Twilight’s Princess

Recently (November), Twilight’s Princess was released on Amazon. It is Zyanna’s story and takes place in the Night Realm.

A bit of background:

I wrote all three books in the Twilight Realm Trilogy before publishing Twilight’s Curse, but after completing the series, I noticed a gap between book 1 and 2 (Twilight’s Princess), so book 1.5 (Twilight’s Spy) was written.

(SPOILER ALERT!!! READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION)

When I first thought of Zyanna’s story, I actually started with her child’s story. When mapping out the initial brainstorm of the three books, I imagined a child who struggled with unknown parentage and consequently, her identity. I saw her going on a journey to a different realm to figure out who she was. Then I wondered where she came from and who her parents were and knew Zyanna and Daniel were the perfect parents.

When I wrote Zyanna’s story, I wrestled with her pregnancy wondering if it was something that should be in the novel, but the child is so integral to the evil of the Night Realm king and tension in the book that I couldn’t remove the unborn child. Plus (as you’ll read book three), there’s a lot of humor and tension connected to the pregnancy.

Will I write the daughter’s story one day? Maybe. And that’s all I’m saying about that. (There are ideas for more books in this world, but reader response is always a huge motivation to write more. So your reviews, comments, and word of mouth matter!)

Back to Zyanna. I loved writing the start to Zyanna’s story. Has anyone had a worse day? She finds out she’s pregnant, her boyfriend is cheating on her, her mom is not her mom, she’s really a princess from another realm, her parents were killed when she was an infant, the king wants to arrange a marriage between his son and her, and the prince loves someone else. I don’t think I missed anything. Oh, she ends up trapped in the Night Realm.

I loved Zyanna’s courage and spirit not to mention grace at how well she handled her troubles. It was also a lot of fun to write the emerging love story between Daniel and Zyanna. They are such a perfect pairing.

I can’t wait for you to read the rest of her story in the final book because she comes into the fullness of her magic and position. The plan for book three is February 2024.

If you’d like to check out the Twilight Realm Series or more of my work, use this button:

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Amazon.UK

October News!

Welcome Community!

Personal Anecdotes:
Welcome to October! The weather the last few days has been very nice and perfect for getting out for some fall yard clean-up and walks. I confess I haven’t done much on the yard clean-up (yet), but I’ve been loving the nature walks. Do you enjoy fall weather? What’s your favorite part? I think I love the colors and the cooler temperatures.

About two weeks ago, I came across a beautiful new walking path in my city and came across this:

(And yes, I was standing that close.) It is actually pretty common to see a lot of deer in the city forested areas. People don’t feed them so they are wild, but I guess because people are respectful, the deer are pretty calm and don’t mind us walking by.

For those who’ve been loving my adventures in kitten fostering, I returned the three shades about a week ago, and got a mama and her six kittens. “Wait! What? Did you say SIX???” (you ask). Yes, six and it gets even better. The kittens were only six days old when I got them. They are absolutely adorable and in the, almost, week that I’ve had them, they’ve doubled in size and most of their eyes are fully open. It is so fun taking care of them and the mama is an absolute sweetheart. Since the mama’s name is Esther, which means star, I decided to go with star themes for the kittens’ names. One kitten, who is a little escape artist and squiggled out of the nesting box on day seven of her life, I’ve named Bellatrix (part of the Orion constellation) which means ‘female warrior’.

Introducing: Patreon!!!
For the last few months, I’ve been busy building up my Patreon platform. I haven’t said anything about it, but it is ready for a reveal. I know a bunch of you love the short stories I post monthly on my webpage, but I won’t be posting one there this month as my focus is on Patreon! There are videos, look behind-the-scenes posts for my published works, games, a new survey (more to come), and more great content is coming in October (like a novella). Plus I’ll be uploading chapters for one of my not yet published novels. So for those who love reading, you’ll find a growing treasure trove to satisfy your interests.

Cover Reveal:
Check out a new release coming this November:

It’s a super cute story and perfect for fans of Hallmark-type stories with a touch of superhero. The author has a few series dedicated to these superhero stories, so check out her Amazon author page: H. L. Burke

Thanks for reading and being a part of the community. My next newsletter will be out in November.

As always, stay connected by sending an email. It’s always great to hear from you. And check out my Patreon page. I’d love to hear your thoughts or engage with you there.

Wishing you the very best!
K. M. Wray

Amazon | Facebook | Website | Goodreads | Instagram | TikTok | Patreon

September News!

Welcome Community!

Personal Anecdotes:
August has been a very interesting month. First, foster updates. It was so much fun taking care of the cute little family and watching them grow. The mama, who went from ‘vampire-diva’, turned into more of a cuddle-bug, and on the morning I had to return her and her brood, she was sprawled across my bed completely at rest! It took six weeks, but it was so much fun. Now they are ready to find their forever homes. I did go and visit her (the mama) at the Humane Society and she’s doing great. The director of foster and adoptions saw me there and talked me into taking in another bunch of kittens, so now I have three more and I’m having so much fun with them. They are a color ombre effect as one is black, the second is dark grey and the third is lighter grey with white feet. Absolutely adorable. I confess that part of my fun is that both my cats are shades of grey as well. At present, I’m calling the five of them my Shades! As a side note, I have an idea for a series that is still in the outline stage where animals will play a big part in those books. I think all this fostering will be some inspiration.

On the job hunting side, I’ve been attending quite a few interviews, and boy is it interesting. Some places are really intense about the people they hire. I’ve had to do presentations, write out a response to scenarios, complete personality tests, and then there’s the regular Q&A period. My one big takeaway is learning about different companies. Today, I had my third interview with one company and honestly, I think they are really serious about making sure their hires are the right fit, but also that the candidate believes they are the right fit too. This really impresses me. I’m hoping for the position, but either way, I’ll have confidence that I am either the right person for the job or not.

Have any of you gone through a job change in the last few years? I know there’s been a huge shift in the workforce with Covid, etc. I’d love to hear your stories and your journeys through a career change.

Short Stories:
For a long time, I had a story idea I sat on that connected to my profession as an English teacher, and then in January of 2020, I wrote the first draft of the first manuscript: The English Teacher’s Diary -January. I’ve been working on the series over the years along with other writing projects. Book three is about half finished. Anyway, earlier this month I saw a prompt from Reedsy about a world where currency was not money. And what better place than The English Teacher’s Diary!!! So this month’s story is inspired by that writing prompt. You can check it out here: A New Chapter. It is told from Jacklyn’s point of view. She is a minor character in TETD -January, February, and March. Feel free to leave a comment, like it, or send an email. I’d love your thoughts.

Survey Fun:
Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey last month. It was great to see some of your creative ideas. You truly are inspiring!

Freebies:
Check out this month’s freebies and find another favorite author!
The REAL Magic is Within

Thanks for reading and being a part of the community. My next newsletter will be out in October.

As always, stay connected by sending an email. It’s always great to hear from you.

Wishing you the very best!
K. M. Wray

Land Acknowledge: I was born on Treaty 1 Territory and in a province that is the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewek, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline, and Nehothowik nations. Manitoba is the homeland of the Red River Metis. I acknowledge the past. There were horrors committed against the Indigenous nations of Canada. I accept that I have a responsibility to Truth and Reconciliation for this land. I have a responsibility to help heal the wounds of the past and move forward in a spirit of unity and peace.

August News!

Welcome Community!

Personal Anecdotes:
Wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day. It’s a long weekend here in Canada, so if you’re Canadian, I hope you’re spending Terry Fox Day well. For those who may not know who Terry Fox is, he was an athlete who lost his leg to cancer. However, he refused to let the disease stop him and decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He never made it from coast to coast, but his dream lives on and we yearly have a Terry Fox run in Canada (in September) to raise money for cancer.

For those celebrating summer, what kinds of vacations or travels are you enjoying? Or are you someone who likes staycations? And for members of the community on the other side of the world and experiencing winter, is it a nice winter?

Some recent excitement! The local humane society has been overwhelmed with puppy and kitten season, so I offered to foster and ended up with a mama and her three absolutely adorable babies. I’d share a picture of the active family, but it is against the policy agreement. So you’ll have to trust me that they are adorable.

The mama I named, Sylvia. I was reading a cozy mystery book that had vampires as part of the minor characters. The Sylvia in the book was an absolute diva but when something or someone she cared about was threatened, the fangs and claws came out. The cat mom Sylvia is kind of like this. She is very protective of her kitties and if one of my cats gets too close, she lets them know it. So the fosters and my cats remain separated for now. I do use a baby gate so they can watch each other.

For the kittens, I went with superhero themes. Anyone a fan of The Flash (TV show)? The boy kitten I’ve named Flash and one of the females I’ve named XS (Flash’s daughter). Both these kittens are total speedsters and constantly on the go. The third kitten is also a superhero and totally mysterious so I named her Mystique. Anyone a fan of X-Men? Has anyone ever fostered before? I’d love to hear your stories if you have.

Short Stories:
It’s baaaack! Thank you everyone for understanding that I wasn’t able to post short stories the last two months. I have an extra long one for you to enjoy, so head over to my webpage and check it out! The story is called, A Royal Pardon and it’s the story of how the Twilight Realm was taken over by the regents. It’s a bit of a behind-the-scenes look and told from Nate’s point of view. I hope you like it!

Some Fun:
Check out this survey. Only four questions about some novels I’m working on. I thought it’d be fun to include a small idea from you in the novels. This is something really minor like a small detail that’s part of the world-building. (Example: you name a kind of coffee served in the coffee shop the main character frequents.) Also, if I include your idea, then you’ll get a mention in the acknowledgments. Sound fun? I hope so and I can’t wait to see your ideas.

Freebies and Sales:
For those who didn’t get my mid-month letter, check out the freebies and sales:
Freebies (newsletter sign-ups):
Books to Read Fantasy Giveaway
Other Places, Other Times Fantasy and Sci-Fi

Sales:
Clean and Christian Romance in KU
Age of Fantasy

Thanks for reading and being a part of the community. My next newsletter will be out in September.

As always, stay connected by sending an email. It’s always great to hear from you.

Wishing you the very best!
K. M. Wray

Land Acknowledge: I was born on Treaty 1 Territory and in a province that is the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewek, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline, and Nehothowik nations. Manitoba is the homeland of the Red River Metis. I acknowledge the past. There were horrors committed against the Indigenous nations of Canada. I accept that I have a responsibility to Truth and Reconciliation for this land. I have a responsibility to help heal the wounds of the past and move forward in a spirit of unity and peace.

Mid-Month News

Personal Anecdotes:
Usually April brings warmer temperatures and the start of spring. However, winter decided to return for another visit. And then another visit. When I lived in South Korea, they’d say, ‘winter is fighting with spring.’ Honestly, I don’t think winter is fighting. It’s down right acting like the house guest who refuses to leave.

Twilight’s Spy:
And I am please to announce that Twilight’s Spy, book 1.5 in the Twilight Realm Series is in the final editing stages. I plan for that book to go live at the end of June. So pre-order your copy of Twilight’s Spy today! Pre-order

And here’s a little sneak peek at the awesome cover:

A Free Gift:
As promised, this email has a free gift: Just. For. You. Over the last few months, I’ve shared short stories on my webpage and they have been well enjoyed, which is always a huge gift to writers. So as a Thank You, here is a downloadable version of the short stories. Please follow the link below. You will have to leave your email address, but don’t worry about it. You’ve already signed up for my newsletter, so it won’t make a difference. (It’s just easier in setting up the gifting option.)

YES FREE BOOK
(If you have any issues, let me know.)

Thanks for reading and being a part of the community. Enjoy the gift and we’ll chat again soon in June.

As always, stay connected by sending an email. It’s always great to hear from you.

Wishing you the very best!
K. M. Wray

Mid-Month News!

Welcome! Adventure Seekers

News:
Hey Community! I hope your April is going well. How is spring (for us in the northern hemisphere)? And fall (for those in the southern hemisphere)?

Alright, here’s the news: The Original will be on sale for .99cents on Amazon until the end of the month, so grab your copy now! And pass this amazing news along to fans of urban fantasy, shifters and vampires.

The second exciting bit of news is a compilation of the short stories I’ve posted on my webpage. Right now they are with my editor, but soon you will receive a FREE copy. More news on this with my May newsletter, but I want you to be a part of this process.

So keep reading!

Survey:
A survey! Like them? Love them? Hate them?

No worries. Hopefully this one’s a bit of fun. The survey is six questions and will take you about two minutes to complete. In this survey, you’ll help select the best cover for the collection of short stories. I’ve decided to call the collection: Trouble with Magic.

You can check out the survey here: Survey. Thanks for your participation, and I look forward to seeing the results

Giveaways:
And since we missed out with the April newsletter, here are the books on sale and free books (for newsletter signups).

Sales:
Epic Fantasy
Urban Fantasy (Available April 22nd – 27th)

Free (newsletter signups):
Touch of Magic

Thanks for reading and being a part of the community. My next letter will be out in May. Stay connected by sending an email. It’s always great to hear from you.

Wishing you the very best!
K. M. Wray

Facebook | Website | Goodreads | Instagram

April News!

Welcome! Adventure Seekers

Personal Anecdotes:
Well March was interesting! It was bitterly cold since the ground hog (February second) predicted six additional weeks of winter. And then the melting started. Remember the mounds of snow in my previous newsletter? It’s been a bit of a sloppy mess, but oh the warmer weather is so welcome. (Love watching the kids in their splash-able onesies.)

There were a few other unexpected occurrences this month: my mom’s husband was rushed to the hospital with a heart attack, so she needed extra help. Thankfully, Peter is home and well into recovery. There also doesn’t seem to be any long-term damage. We are thankful. And my car has been making some strange noises for a while. I mentioned it to my mechanic (a while ago) but nothing was done. Well, it appears that the top part of the engine wasn’t getting any oil, so guess what?! It needed to be re-built. Thankfully, the parts came in and and everything was covered by insurance.

This past month has felt like a bit of a roller coaster with bad news then good news then bad news then good news. Perhaps the biggest take-away is staying positive and finding the good in everything. My family has been so supportive and all the extra home time has given me more writing time.

Writing Stuff:
Last month, I also contacted a number of you for feedback. You are the community members who opted for, The English Teacher’s Diaries, when signing up for my newsletter. Thanks for the feedback! It sounds like the book was a hit except that the English teacher forgot to check all her grammar errors. (LOL) No worries. The grammar is the last step before publishing. Anyway, the book did get a clean-up and I entered it in a contest, so a few exciting ideas are percolating regarding release of this series, but more on that in future newsletters.

Team Building:
Alright community of amazing individuals! This past month I’ve been planning on making some changes and you are needed and invited to join in. This is completely voluntary and only interested individuals need apply. If you’re content being a less active member of the community, no worries, you are still most welcome.

However, every author needs a few more involved members on their team, so I’m looking for Beta readers and ARC readers. Each of these roles are completely voluntary and require you to help within a specified timeframe. Keep reading to find out:

Beta Team:
For Beta readers, you would be given a book and then required to respond with suggestions for improvement and edits needed to the manuscript. (Not the same as professional editing, but some people do have the magical ability to catch everything.) NOTE, the early edition of the book you receive will have errors. If you love to pick out the grammar and technical issues, or point out where the plot has problems, then this role welcomes you. You can also provide a review for Amazon and / or Goodreads regarding the final version. (Preferably positive and honest =3 stars or higher) (If you have absolutely nothing good to say about the book, send me an email and let me know that you won’t post a review. There are others who will like it.)

ARC Team:
For ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) readers, you would receive a copy of a book one month before the release date. This will most likely be the almost final version of the book (depending on editing). On release day (or within a few days after release), you would need to write and leave a review on Amazon and / or Goodreads (preferably positive and honest =3 stars or higher). (If you have absolutely nothing good to say about the book, send me an email and let me know that you won’t post a review. There are others who will like it.)

Now, please know that I do respect that life happens, so if you are unable to provide feedback (Beta readers) or an immediate review (Beta and ARC), then I do understand. In these circumstances, please send me a quick email so I’m aware.

Community:
One other thing about our amazing community is there are members who’d love to buy my books but are unable to because I’m exclusive to Amazon. I’m hoping to expand but KU is very helpful for new authors and Amazon requires exclusivity if using KU. Therefore, I will create a Patreon account. Patreon is essentially becoming a patron of my work. There are different levels and amounts of support you can give for different purposes. Patrons can provide regular financial support or support for each book release. The support cost will be similar to the price of the book. The benefits: you receive all my books before release date in the format you like. For me: I get 95% of the sales (Amazon is 35% or 70% depending on book price). Please note that I’m not asking anyone to become a patron, I’m only offering it as an alternative means of purchase. I will let you know when the account is set up and running.

Please send an email to me if you’d like to join one of these teams and regarding your preference of involvement (Beta Team, ARC Team, or Patreon), so I can email you and your team directly. If you’re curious and would like more information, then please send an email and let’s chat. Thank you so much for your consideration and involvement!

Short Stories:
Head on over to my webpage and check out this month’s story:

Magic Lessons This story is part of The Original and takes place in September when Brie returns home. The elders have talked her into working with the teens and their magic. As a doctor, teaching doesn’t come naturally to her. New teacher. Teens with magic. What could possibly go wrong?

By the way, are you enjoying these companion short stories? Send an email and let me know. OR leave a like and a comment on my webpage. I won’t post the comments, but knowing your preferences is helpful. Especially if you’d like more.

Thanks for reading and being a part of the community. My next letter will be out in May. Stay connected by sending an email. It’s always great to hear from you.

Wishing you the very best!
K. M. Wray

Psst! You’ll be hearing from me again later this month (around April 20th). You won’t want to miss this post!

March Newsletter

Welcome! Adventure Seeker

I’ve given up! Sort of…. not really, but the snow fall records in the city where I live are leaning towards ridiculous. There’s just nowhere else to put the white fluff. The four steps leading to my front door are surpassed by the mounds. The snow lining my sidewalk and parking pad are taller than me! (I’m 5 feet 2 inches or 157 centimeters). And so this past week when shoveling, I had to jump to throw the snow over the frozen hills on my property. Good times!

But I haven’t really given up. I’m having fun because all this reminds me of my childhood and the joy winter brought. Fun Fact: the children of this winter can one day truthfully say, ‘I walked to school in 6 feet / 2 meters of snow in -40 degrees during a pandemic!” when their kids complain about winter or having to walk through snow.

On the writing front, Twilight’s Spy (book 1.5) and Twilight’s Princess (book 2) in the Twilight Realm series are moving along nicely towards the expected spring release dates. The third book in the series, should be ready by the fall. The first draft is written but needs a lot of re-working before sending it to the editor. I’m also working on more books in The Original series and am planning to start writing them soon though they most likely won’t be released until 2023. But one never knows, schedules are always being interrupted and changed. The exciting news is more of what you love is coming soon!

Short Stories:
Check out this month’s story:

Sparks Fly This story is part of Hidden though it takes place after the book is finished with the shy and sweet niece of Declan. All Riley wants to do is bake a cake but something unexpected destroys her kitchen.

Book Sales and Freebies:
Here are this month’s Sales and Freebies (for newsletter sign-ups). Check them out, come back for more and feel free to share the links. The participating authors and I will love you even more for spreading our books around!

Sales:
Too Good to Miss
Fae Fantasy Romance
Portal to Fantasy Presents

Freebies (Newsletter sign-ups):
Portal to Fantasy Presents
Free Sci-Fi and Fantasy

I hope you find some great reads and some amazing new authors to connect with!

Check Them Out:
(ALL available on KU)

Hidden A story of discovery filled with a complex cast of friends and family who support Tully on her journey. The plot and world-building are expertly woven together. The world itself has multiple cultures and traditions that are intricate and well thought-out yet flow seamlessly with the narrative.

Twilight’s Curse Book one in the Twilight Realm trilogy. A spell binding young adult fantasy adventure novel filled with elves, dragons, magic, action, drama, and battle scenes. It embraces the meaning of power and magic held in an enchanting elven realm. The well-written story is uniquely captivating with strong world building, and characters that come to life.

The Original A new adult urban fantasy. A fast-paced read full of vampires, unicorn shifters and magic.