Category: The Magic Council

• February 5, 2024

  Update: working on front and back matter

  I’m working on front and back matter for book two (“The Magic Council: The Fight for Home”) and I finally figured out who to dedicate it to. My Church family. They’ve given me a home. They support and encourage me in the absolutely most important things. They are my support system in the spiritual battles…
• February 2, 2024

  COVER REVEAL!!!!!!!!

  Here we go, y’all! I’m so excited to reveal the cover of book two of the Herewith trilogy What do you think!? Please let me know. I’m so excited. I’m thrilled. It is PERFECT for the theme, tone, and overall idea of what the story is: a clean YA coming of age love story. But…
• January 5, 2024

  Let your characters face the consequences of their actions (also, my book is on sale!)

  I posed a question to my beta reader for the second edition of book two last year, before I sent the manuscript off to my editor. I asked her if I should soften a particular bad decision one of my younger characters makes in the story. Her response was really gratifying to me. “She’s what,…
• January 1, 2024

  The question to ask before you cut a scene or paragraph

  There are LOTS of times as a writer when you need to cut a paragraph or scene from your WIP. Before you do, there’s a question to ask yourself: DOES THIS PIECE OF WRITING CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT I NEED TO INCORPORATE ELSEWHERE? My editor recently suggested I cut a paragraph from book two of…
• December 15, 2023

  I can’t wait to get book two out!

  In a lot of ways, the hardest part of the journey of “The Magic Council: The Fight for Home” awaits me next January when the manuscript returns from my editor. But I’m excited for next year and to get this book out there. Will have to intentionally enjoy the journey and live the journey each…
• November 24, 2023

  Sending my manuscript to the editor this weekend!

  My editor isn’t scheduled to start working on “The Magic Council: The Fight for Home” until December 1, but I’m so happy to announced that I’m going to be sending the manuscript to her this weekend. It’s as good as I’m going to get it, and I need to get it out of my hands…
• November 21, 2023

  Tuesday Tunes: “You and Me” by Lifehouse, Vane and August, and “The Magic Council: The Fight for Home”

  For some reason, Kora and Lanokas (introduced in book one of my trilogy) have a lot of songs from Matchbox 20/Rob Thomas that remind me of them and their evolving relationship throughout the Herezoth trilogy. But Vane and August, introduced in book two, might just be my favorite of all my couples. (I love how…
• November 20, 2023

  Long or short chapters?

  Do you prefer long or short chapters? One change between the first and second edition of book II of the Herezoth trilogy right now is that I combined chapters to make them about double the length that they were. My beta reader for book two’s second edition didn’t mind it at all. She mentioned that…
• November 17, 2023

  Why I title my chapters

  There are two, pretty quick reasons why I title my chapters. First, I write fantasy, more or less young adult, and for that subgenre of fantasy, lots of writers title their chapters. Secondly, Tolkien and J.K. Rowling titled their chapters. They are responsible for my love of fantasy literature and for showing me how deep,…
• November 15, 2023

  Decisions to make . . .

  I’ve recently been helping out with two programs at my local parish (Catholic Church), one on Mondays and one on Wednesdays. The one on Wednesdays has finished and has a hiatus until January, when a new course begins. The one on Monday has three sessions left. I feel tired and a bit burned out, and…