With Vampire Alley, the final Sunshine Walkingstick novel, almost here and the Vanessa Kinley, Witch PI Series completed, I know readers are wondering what’s next in the queue. The answer is…complicated. Elsewhere, I’ve discussed my long-time ambition of writing non-romantic Science Fiction and Fantasy, most notably on my personal blog, and that is still my…Continue reading Where to next?
Category: Behind the Scenes
Perspectives
Sunshine Walkingstick’s continuing story has been on my mind these past few months as I prepare to write Book 6, Vampire Alley. Much of Sunny’s tale involves loops upon loops of family misfortunes and secrets. In the first novel (Greenwood Cove), Sunny’s description of her family revolves around the dual tragedies of her son’s and…Continue reading Perspectives
Online dating is the pits
I’ve been single since about 2015, and let me tell you: dating over 40 is not an experience I would wish on anyone. Over time, I’ve noticed a steady decline in the, shall we say, quality of single men posting profiles on dating sites. Not that the average single male over 40 is a bad…Continue reading Online dating is the pits
Intentionality and World Building
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been pondering what stories I may want to write when the Sunshine Walkingstick and Vanessa Kinley, Witch PI Series are completed. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, it takes a while to build a solid story world; if I want to pick up a new series when these two are finished,…Continue reading Intentionality and World Building
Everybody Needs a Little Sunshine
This week, I started developing Vampire Alley, the sixth Sunshine Walkingstick novel, in earnest. So far, I have a strong beginning and a strong ending, but the middle part is still a bit fuzzy. It will come, eventually, hopefully sooner rather than later as this is one of the books I want to get out…Continue reading Everybody Needs a Little Sunshine
The Speed of Rune Magic
Rune magic in the Vanessa Kinley, Witch PI Series world (Crossville Supernaturals) is, naturally, based on runes used historically by the Germanic cultures of central Europe and Scandinavia. Runes alone are not enough. The magic is activated by special marks (called incantation lines or marks) drawn in certain key points along the rune. Accuracy is…Continue reading The Speed of Rune Magic
Great Audiobook Narrators
Earlier this month, I finally found a narrator for the Vanessa Kinley, Witch PI Series. The search started sometime in December, when I offered the job to Rebecca Winder, who narrated the Sunshine Walkingstick Series. Listeners continually comment on how well she rendered Sunny and her stories. I knew from past experience that a talented…Continue reading Great Audiobook Narrators
Yes, Readers Influence These Stories
My newest series kicks off in nine days with the release of Hunter, the story of how Sunshine Walkingstick became a monster hunter slash paranormal investigator. Sunny and I have been discussing this story for a while, but it wasn’t until I ran it by readers of the Facebook group that I decided to buckle…Continue reading Yes, Readers Influence These Stories
Preorder Devil’s Branch, Plus News on Its Release
Devil’s Branch, the fifth novel in the Sunshine Walkingstick Series, is now available for preorder. The official release date is 27 November 2020, which is Black Friday here in the US. I thought readers might need a good story after fighting through crowds (online or off) during early Christmas shopping. This was an interesting story…Continue reading Preorder Devil’s Branch, Plus News on Its Release
Evolving Plots: Sunny and Riley’s Relationship
Over on my personal blog, I just posted a winding overview of a plot thread related to the growing romantic relationship between Sunshine Walkingstick and her boyfriend, Riley Treadwell. As originally conceived, two related scenes in Witch Hollow (Book 4) were supposed to happen in a slightly different way. Go here to discover how those…Continue reading Evolving Plots: Sunny and Riley’s Relationship