Meet the Best Friend Werewolf: Lyra — From "Selkie's Storm!"

Hello everyone!

We're gearing up towards the end of May, and with that I am hoping to do a giveaway for an autographed copy of “Selkie's Storm!” If you're not following me on Instagram, X or Facebook, please do and I'll have instructions available to anyone interested in participating.

This past Monday was Memorial Day. It's a day meant to honor our men and women who have died while serving our country. My family has a pretty long line of people who have served honorably in various branches of the U.S. Military. We have been very blessed to have lost no one during combat, even though every person who has served in our family has served in war. I am grateful for everyone who has put their lives on the line to keep our country free. Thank you for your service, and praying for all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

I also want to mention to everyone that I am currently working on a paranormal book for a Halloween release! I'm pretty excited about this one, but currently I have 3 different directions that I want to go in for it, and all of them are giving me the creeps! I cannot wait to share this one with everyone!

Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to continue to introduce everyone to the characters from my newest book. (Again, “Selkie's Storm.... which you can find in both digital download and paperback at many of your favorite book retail stores, including Barnes and Noble, Amazon and surprisingly, Walmart, as well as Kobo, Fable, etc. https://books2read.com/u/mlvNd9)

Today, we introduce you to Serene's best friend, Lyra. She is sassy, witty, messy, and overprotective, and she just so happens to be a werewolf. She's Serene's roommate and is at Emberheart's Lorekeepers Academy to study werewolf law, hoping to become a lawyer for her pack.

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A Character Reveal & A Weekly Update!

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all having a pleasant week! It's hard to believe that my book has already been out for 2 weeks, already! Time moves incredibly fast, no? I've learned a lot from this last book, from the deep dive on research into selkies in Celtic mythology all the way to the process of self-publishing though I still have a long way to go on that front!

I am already working on my next book. I've been wanting to do some paranormal writing for a while now. My goal is to have this one completely written and ready for print by early October. So far, I've only completed the outline and prologue, but ideas I put in the timeline gave me the heebie-jeebies. If you like ghost stories, I'm your girl! Of course, I still have lots of ideas for more fantasy books, and maybe even some fantasy paranormal crossovers?

But for today, I would like to start with character introductions for my latest book, “Selkie’s Storm,” and a quick reminder that you can download the digital copy for 99¢ and/or paperback for $12.99 at the following locations:

Barne's and Noble

Smashwords

Fable

Amazon 

(side note Amazon has it listed as Selkie's Fire at the moment and I'm trying to get it changed to the actual title. Amazing, right? I'm amazing hah!)  

Anyway, with no further ado, let me introduce you to my main character, Selene Sinclair.

Selene was taken from her familial pod at the tender age of seven by black market fishermen in the quaint Scottish village of Hemlock. They planned to sell her to a dark mage who wants to use her to gain power over magical beings and humans alike. She escapes him with the help of an unlikely ally and a kindly mage family. Who took her in as their own daughter?

Once Selene comes of age to complete her postsecondary education, she nervously enters the hallowed halls of Emberheart's Lorekeepers Academy, it is located off the Ember's Coast, which was once a Grand expansive, yet oppressive kingdom, but now a free and fair Republic. The Academy is well known for its training of mage warriors, but also for its shifter studies program.

Serene's goal for school is not only to learn about her selkie heritage and abilities but also to learn how to become a great healer like her adopted mother, Lydia. Instead, she ends up with a werewolf as her best friend, a love interest who is a dragon kin, and makes an enemy out of a jealous fire mage, a kidnapped dear family friend, and an angry dark mage who has had ten years to stew in his own desires for power and revenge all on the first day!

I really hope my readers enjoy the story. If you've picked up a copy or have questions about the story or characters, I'd love to hear from you!

Until then, see you next week where I'll have a new character waiting for you, and an announcement for an upcoming chance to win your free signed paperback copy of “Selkie's Storm!”

Weekly Update with a Pie Recipe!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I am anxiously awaiting to hear from people what they thought about our anthology, “Beyond The Realms,” in particular, my story, “The Fae Chronicles; Battle for the Underworld”. I’m wondering if others can pick up the early mistake that I made as quickly as I did! HAH. I’ll share the mistake next week, after there has been more time. Hint: it involves Queen Esta!

That said, as anxious as I am about hearing from people who have read the book, I’m excited about the approaching fall! Even though it is still hot as blazes in Texas, and will continue to be, I’m cooking fall meals. Last night I made a nice lasagna with garlic bread and broccoli — not necessarily a fall meal, but a cozy one, and I made Dolly Parton’s (LOVE HER!) Butterscotch pie. I haven’t shared recipes in a while, so today, I’m sharing this one. It’s amazing. <3 If you’re a butterscotch lover like me, it’s fantastic. <3

AND, if you haven't picked up the anthology "Beyond the Realms," today is the last day to get it at 99¢. Click HERE to purchase. 

Anyway, Enjoy!

Check out Dolly Parton's Butterscotch Pie!

For the Crust:

• 1 pre-baked pie crust (9-inch)

For the Butterscotch Filling:

• 1 ½ cups brown sugar

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 ½ cups whole milk

• ½ cup unsalted butter

• 4 egg yolks, beaten

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Meringue:

• 4 egg whites

• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Prepare the butterscotch filling with care. In a saucepan over medium heat, carefully combine brown sugar, flour, and salt. The slow cooking process is crucial for developing rich butterscotch flavor.

2. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Cooking slowly helps develop a smooth, creamy texture that's essential to a perfect pie.

3. Add butter and continue stirring until it melts completely. The butter adds richness and depth to the butterscotch flavor.

4. Temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring a small amount of the hot mixture into them while stirring constantly. This technique prevents the eggs from scrambling and ensures a silky smooth filling.

5. Pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring until the filling thickens to a pudding-like consistency.

6. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. The vanilla adds a beautiful aromatic touch to the butterscotch flavor.

7. Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie crust. Allow it to cool slightly while preparing the meringue.

8. Make the meringue by beating egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean, dry bowl. Start at a low speed and gradually increase.

9. Once soft peaks form, slowly add sugar while continuing to beat. The goal is stiff, glossy peaks that hold their shape.

10. Spread the meringue over the butterscotch filling, making sure it touches the crust edges to prevent shrinking.

11. Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 12-15 minutes. Look for a beautiful golden-brown color on the meringue.

Thursday Update with a Twist

Hello friends!

Yesterday I received several private queries on one of my social media sites. One asked about my writing style and how I come up with my ideas. I thought about how often I am asked that question and it’s not something I’ve written much about. I’ve dropped small hints. There is an interview that exists where I explain it a bit, but that went away once the server changed, I think haha. So, I thought that today, I’d talk a little about how I do what I do.

Let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas of your own. I love learning how others come up with their wonderful ideas, and find it fascinating how so many of our brains work so different from one another! And when I say this, I in no way think I’m the best writer. I think I do alright but I think I’m onto something here, at least for me, so here we go!

Everyday life can often fuel fantastical storytelling; even the most mundane thing can create a thread in your mind and leave you with a string of magical ideas, if you allow yourself to be open to it. One thing I often do with my family is come up with the entire life story of a random person we may see on our commute. They get entire names, family life, job descriptions, what they do for fun, and so on and so forth.

Or maybe you come across an old, discarded, filthy doll with one missing eye and only a few tufts of hair, and while thinking about what its history may have been, you can come up with an entire storyline. Something scary, perhaps? Or maybe something sad and heartfelt. Maybe you’ll end up writing the next “Velveteen Rabbit”? Side note; I think the Velveteen Rabbit is one of the most important children’s books in existence.

Or maybe it’s just a phrase. I remember one time I was talking with a musician friend of mine, who writes beautifully I might add, and I don’t remember what it is I said, but right after I spoke my small sentence, he spun it into a beautiful start to a song on the spot. He did nothing with it, but I was really taken aback at how quickly he did that. When I do it, It’s usually a conversation I have with myself in my head and when I can I try to rush to write it down before I forget it too, maybe, be used in a future story.

If you’re not careful, these fleeting moments, these snapshots in your mind, can vanish as quickly as they had appeared. So, if you’re an aspiring writer, or any type of artist, carry something around where you can record what you’ve seen immediately. Whether it’s a notepad, a recorder, perhaps just the camera on your cell phone.... but do it. Because for me, it is personally the best way to come up with ideas. After all, magic often hides itself in plain sight, just waiting to be discovered.

Checking Back In after a Break of Unexpected Events!

Hello everyone!

I apologize for my absence last week. My computer was out of commission while we were basically trying to reorganize our entire house. At this time we are a family of 9 in a four-bedroom home. A lot, right?! Absolutely. I can explain.

I have four adult children. We live in one of the most expensive and top-rated towns in the country. The way we can afford to do this is by splitting rent with my oldest son and his wife, and my youngest son, who is still in college, pays the electric bill. Without this setup, there is no way that we could afford to live here, and we still barely can. Especially with everything going up right now, I think we’re all feeling the pain in our wallets.

Both my son and daughter-in-law work from home. My son is currently helping build a 2D/3D gaming engine called Godot (If anyone is interested–it’s FREE! And people are loving it so far.) My daughter-in-law is an executive for a well-established advertising company. I write and take care of their little baby boy. My husband works in PC repair and, as previously mentioned, my youngest son is a student at SNHU studying software engineering and works at a fast-food restaurant to help pay the bills. Our house has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths, but it also has this lovely sunroom, which has been turned into my daughter-in-law’s office.

This past year, my youngest daughter and her 2 children came to stay with us because, to be blunt, she was in an abusive situation in another town about 4 hours away from home. My ex-husband, his girlfriend (Who I adore, btw) and I went up there about half a year ago and brought her here. It’s been a stressful situation on many fronts. And not because my daughter is doing anything wrong, or anyone else in our home for that matter, but it’s a combination of space and noise, as there is a little baby who needs a lot of sleep and a LOT of zoom meetings with clients and staff.

We created a makeshift bedroom in one corner of the living room for my oldest grand, who just turned 12. Weirdly, for the time being until I can get something else that works better, I turned a heavy table sideways, stapled some sheets to the table and a high part of the wall to make a high ceiling for him and surrounded it with small dressers to give him privacy. My youngest son has been moved from his room to the dining room, which we also closed off completely so that he, too, can have privacy. It isn’t perfect; we need to buy more soundproof curtains and stuff. And it’s not super beautiful, either lol. But we’re trying our best to make do in a tough situation.

My youngest daughter, however, is being hit left and right with stress. Her ex has been threatening her and hiding from the police, so that they can’t arrest him for DV or serve him with the restraining order or even custody orders. She’s struggling to find a job. She’s had a lot of great interviews that she was sure about, and even a job offer, but they are giving her the runaround about when she can start. On top of that, she is stressed about the noise from her little baby, almost two, who has the vocal range of Maria Callas (famous opera singer), which, causes additional stress, as our house needs to be quiet almost the entire day because of work and sleeping infants.

So, we’re trying to navigate that issue. We have noise-canceling curtains hanging everywhere that are graded for welding, yet my little angel girl’s voice pierces through it like a siren. So, if anyone has any ideas on what we can do about any of that, please reach out, because we are at our wits end. We’re a tight-knit family, and I want to keep it that way! HAHA.

My other daughter and her soon to be husband are doing fantastic, albeit quite tired, as the newest little sleeps all day and likes to stay up partying all night. Her big sister is taking the role seriously and is doing a beautiful job keeping Momma busy as she tries to share all of her food with the new baby! But we have wonderful news, my soon to be son-in-law graduated school and landed a nice AC job right out of the gate. So we’re very excited for him.

Anyway, so there is the tale of why I went MIA for a week. I’ll try to do better, and maybe next time talk about books, characters, authors, writing ideas, or whatever else.

Oh! Before I go, I DID briefly hear from Jenna(best friend and co-author, including for the latest anthology we have out for Ties of Friendship) over a week ago. She is doing all right so far. She’s starting a respite care program; she seemed quite hopeful about it. But she’s still fighting! We don’t call her Stonewall for nothing!

Anyway, I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind everyone that we still have 2 anthologies available to order. Both cost only 99 cents if you get a digital copy, so there’s that! You just cannot beat 5 authors for 99 cents.

Order here!

Beyond the Realms, Ebook, which you can pre-order now and receive on August 12th or Paperback, which can be shipped to you right now: https://books2read.com/u/4XkyqN

Ties of Friendship, Ebook which you can pre-order now, will be delivered October 15th: https://books2read.com/tiesoffriendship

A Sneak Peek to Remember!

Hello friends!

Today I've decided to share a scene from Chapter Seven of the Fae Chronicles; Battle for the Underworld, which can be found in the Beyond the Realms anthology, which is only available for a limited time. (So you should pick up your copy soon! Hint Hint!”

To set this up, Cian has been captured by the Death Fae, who want to offer him a place of importance on their side of the war. While Fae cannot lie, the Death Fae like to dance around the truth, so that they aren't technically lying, and then deliver their version of the truth in a way that manipulates the receiver.

Enjoy!

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“Long ago, way before you were born. All the realms were finally at peace after hundreds of years of violence and distruction amongst us. King Niall had arranged mutually beneficial trade routes across every border, and hand chosen the Lords and Ladies of every realm based on the leadership they each showed in battle as they protected their people. As those Lords and Ladies grew too old, or perhaps even died, their children took over as their successors. The new generations had other ideas, while perhaps noble, were ill-advised. They wanted to open the realms to the humans. And as you have seen with your own eyes, humans are the most destructive creatures. Most are cruel and unkind, they litter their world with trash and violence, but some chose to interact with them. At first, it was fine. But we could see the writing on the wall. Soon, as rumors of the Underworld spread among them, they came looking for us. This led to the deaths and capture of many fae. We helped seek to free the captured fae who had been kept chained up and locked away by the humans, then we avenged them.”, Almu paused, and Cian caught a glimpse of pain across her face, helping him understand her point of view much better than before.

“What happened? Why did the kingdom’s stop working together?”, he asked, wanting to know more.

“Lets just say, the King did not approve of our methods.”, she said with a chuckle

“Your methods? What does that mean?”, he asked

“Why, surely you’ve heard? You seemed so scared when you and your friends crossed our path before, I would have assumed that you knew of our specialty?”, the old woman grinned wickedly through her razor sharp teeth.

This unnerved Cian greatly, and he felt the sudden urge to run, but his entire body felt like lead, forcing him to remain in place.

“Don’t bother trying to move, yet, dear. The affects will wear off soon enough. You have nothing to fear from me. It’s never been my intention to harm you. Lord Kai would have my guts for garters if I did!”

“He would?”, Cian sat confused, “Why?”

“Cian, you’re going to be a very important cog in our machine. You are going to help us restore order to our world.”, Almu studied his confused face, before deciding to move forward, “Cian, you will be the Lord Kai’s right hand, and you will be greatly rewarded. He wants you to help him rule the realms.”

“I have no interest in ruling, Almu.”, Cian answered, “And I still don’t understand what role I would have in all of this. There is nothing you can give me, the only thing I want is to be with my family, but they aren’t here anymore.”

“Oh, but I can give you that. That specialty you asked about? That is it. I can bring them back.”, she smiled. “Cian, I’m a necromancer. That is why King Niall disaproved of our methods. Death Fae can bring back the dead. During the war, we took the strongest fighters and most brilliant minds from the wars, fae creatures and human, alike, and turned them into something greater. This is how the Death Fae came to be. This is how we raised armies to fight for the king, this is how we helped him win, and when the war was over, the King had no more use for us, he banned us to the cold regions, ended our trade agreements and forced a wedge between Lord Kai and his true love, by implementing draconic laws against him, against us. All for the sake of protecting humans. The very same humans that sent your parents to an early grave, sent by the very same kingdom that refused to protect and save them. We could have saved them, they would have died, but we could have brought them back. Your father has been gone too long, bringing him back now, he’d be a mindless drone and not worth more than cannon fodder for the upcoming battle, but your mother? We can still save her. We can bring her back to you, Cian.”

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If you enjoyed this passage, you can preorder your copy of the ”Beyond the Realms” Anthology HERE. 5 authors come together to offer you this box set for 99 cents if you're buying the digital copy, but if you're like me and love the smell that comes with turning the pages, well you can also get in paperback! https://books2read.com/u/4XkyqN

ALSO, available for preorder, another anthology that I'm excited to be a part of, AND only costs 99 cents for your E-Book, you can get your copy of ”Ties of Friendship” as well! Again, 5 authors, 5 unique stories. <3 https://books2read.com/tiesoffriendship

The Daily Life of a Birthday Girl/Author

Hi everyone,

Happy Juneteenth! It was today that the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, marking the end of slavery! So, today is a beautiful day that deserves our reverence. In this political climate we’re in, I feel that it’s more important than ever to reflect on what it truly means to be free, and to remember the pain of our past as we move forward. That is about as political as I will get in a newsletter, but today is too important not to mention.

I was going to put together something special to share with all of you today, in honor of getting another year older, but it didn’t pan out, so boo. Maybe it will be something I continue to work on and share with all of you at a later time. This week, life kept me extra busy and sleep-deprived. Hopefully next time. ;)

Tomorrow is my birthday! I love having my birthday on the solstice. It’s led to some pretty amazing parties. From fun summer pool parties to what I was little, too much wilder concert after parties with my friends’ bands when I was in my late 20s and earlier 30s. These days, I prefer a much more quiet celebration. We usually order a small cake from the bakery, like my mom used to do for me. Unfortunately, my childhood bakery closed years ago, and I have found no other like it, so we just go with whatever is close by. It’s still nice, and it makes me feel closer to her. My husband either takes me out, or cooks me something I love, and he’s a wonderful cook and I spend some time with my kids. I asked for something small. This year I’ve asked for camping supplies because I miss camping and want to go again this fall. Side note: Do NOT camp in Texas in the summer. It’s the worst!

But from all of you lovelies, I ask, if you haven’t already, consider ordering one, or two, of my E-books? Again, it’s part of an anthology so you’re getting 5 stories for only 99 cents, which is fantastic. I hate sounding like a commercial, but it’s my first and second release on my own, though I did co-write one story in the "Ties of Friendship" boxed set, with my best friend, Jenna Morrison, so in that set I technically have 2. =) OR, if you’re like me and prefer books you can hold in your hands, and smell of the pages wafting through the air as you turn them, we have paperbacks available for the, "Beyond the Realms" box set, which you can have delivered through Amazon. To clarify, the E-books are both pre-orders, but the paperback is available now.

You can order them here:

1. Beyond the Realms Box set:  https://books2read.com/u/4XkyqN

2.Ties of Friendship Box set: https://books2read.com/tiesoffriendship

Author Life with a Duck Parade

 Hello friends!

Well, birthday month has begun! I gave it a solid kick off by visiting my doctor, where I got some super fun blood work done, and medication renewal. Whee! And to those who don’t know me, that was sarcasm. I am weird, but not so weird that I enjoy blood work. Hah! Unfortunately, it was scary as the nurse made a bit of a mess, and they described me as “juicy” after. Which is absolutely demented sounding, but they were very sweet about everything, so I let that slide.

I had also been planning a camping trip for this summer, but then I remembered I live in Texas, and summer camping was absolutely miserable here. I might have to wait until Autumn, but that is kind of a crap shoot since our Fall is pretty hot most of the time. Of course, at this rate, if I wish to camp in a tent, and not get a cabin somewhere instead, I’ll probably need to camp in February lol. Sigh.

Anyway, Oh! I did have something really cute happen the other day. My dog, Maple, who rarely barks, though she argues because she is part husky and that is what they do best, started barking early the other morning. I didn’t want her to wake the baby, so I ran across the house and into my room to find her looking out the window. When I looked, there was an entire family of ducks waddling across my front yard! Their “momma and daddy” ducks weren’t very large and had bright orange beaks, and their between them were maybe ten tiny little ducklings, their heads barely popping up over the grass, trucking it across my front yard. I ran to get my phone and take a little video. My 1-year-old granddaughter, Ellie, loves ducks, but alas, they were gone by the time I got outside. Those little things were so fast! They weren’t in any of my neighbor’s yards either. All I found was confused looking little outdoor cat looking like he did not know what just happened. (Thankfully, no signs of kitty involvement in the missing ducks were detected)

Oh, another nice thing from this weekend. The food has been excellent! The other night I made a creamy tomato, basil and garlic chicken which I served over pasta that was delectable. I’ll add the recipe. It’s a crock pot meal, so super easy on busy days. And the other was done by my wonderful husband. He grilled chicken, sausage, onions, red bell peppers. Made some bacon, cut up green onion, roasted garlic, and made two different sauces, and basically set up a fantastic pasta bar for us to enjoy. It was really nice, however, that much pasta has probably added another 10 pounds on me lol.

Anyway, other than that, I’ve had a fairly quiet weekend. Lots of shopping and day dreaming about camping. I think this Savannah dust that has hit us has me under the weather but obviously that isn’t anything serious. Just annoying lol.

Anyway, to all of my lovely readers, the best way to take part in my birthday month would be to order one of our books! If you get a physical copy, leave a review. <3 and E-book pre-orders for both are only 99 cents! That would be amazing! ;)

“Beyond the Realms” box set: https://books2read.com/u/4XkyqN

“Ties of Friendship” box set: https://books2read.com/tiesoffriendship