The school year is over, and we ritually burned the math worksheets last weekend! Then we set to work converting the homeschool classroom into my very own writing room. I’ve never really had a room that was all my own (at least not since high school). It’s not quite finished yet – I still need to paint the walls – but it’s real. And I plan on spending a lot of time here in the next several months. Test readers are starting to send me feedback on Daughter of Oreveille, and I start working with the cover artist later this week. If all goes well, it will be available on Amazon early this summer, with Defender of Oreveille coming out this fall. But just for today, I’m enjoying my new writing room, and wanted to share it with you:

Before – our homeschool classroom:

Desks with art supplies in th...

I know, I’ve been pretty MIA over the last few weeks – what can I say, I’ve been busy writing! These stories don’t write themselves, you know In the meantime, I wanted to introduce you to Beth Ann Masarik – a fellow author at Hydra Publications. She’s written a series of short stories introducing her novel, The World Among Us, and has agreed to join me today to introduce her latest short story, Hell Bound.

About Hell Bound

After impressing her boss with her interview with werewolf, Leon Greene, Elise is Hell Bound to an interview with the Lord of the Underworld himself.  Mr. Murphy wants her to find the dirty scoop on Hades himself, and foil his plot to take over the world.  Will she survive the clutches of Hell?

Hell Bound is the second short story to be released in The World Among U...

It’s been a while since I posted an update to The King is Called Home – I guess the ADD kicked in. I started writing another “quick” one-off short story at the beginning of February, and as of this morning, it’s at about 60 pages. I guess you never know how much story there is until you start to write it. I’ll continue to update this one periodically, but I’m just dying to finish the first draft of Daughter of Oreveille so I can share it with you! So – thank you for your patience. Here’s part 6, where life shifts once again for Megan and Brian. (Want to go back and refresh your memory on the rest of the story? Here’s the archive.)

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Megan slowly sipped her coffee, looking around the suburban house that was so different from the tiny city apartment she and Brian shared a decade ago...

This week, Megan begins to realize the reality of her situation, and proves herself a up to the task.

(Want to catch up on the story? You can find it here.)

The King is Called Home, Part 5

When Megan opened her eyes the next morning, the tiny apartment was full of shadows that moved as cars rushed past the building. She was alone. Shivering, she pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, and resolved to buy a warmer wardrobe immediately. Chicago was certainly colder than Scardaugh!

The inky black shadows faded to a muted grey as her eyes adjusted to the early morning light. She sat up in bed, reaching for her morning coffee and mail. At home, this routine was well established, and these things were always waiting for her on the nightstand when she awoke, as if by magic...

This week’s installment was inspired by a reader comment back in part 2. It’s all part of the fun of a serial story – it’s evolving week by week, and even I don’t know what’s going to happen until I start writing! Today, Megan and Brian get a first taste of their new life.

(Want to catch up on the story? You can find it here.)

The King is Called Home, Part 4

Megan woke, startled, at the change in cabin pressure and roar of the engines as the plane began its descent.

“Welcome to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Local time is 9:45pm, and the low tonight is 23 degrees. Enjoy your stay in Chicago, and thank you for flying with us today.” The pilot’s voice left no question in Megan’s mind – this was all too real.

Brian brought her hand to his lips...

Castle Scardaugh, site of the annual Gathering.

The King is Called Home is a serialized flash fiction piece I’ve been working on for the past several weeks. However, I realize some people prefer to read the whole thing at once, so I’ve collected it all here. Enjoy!

• Part 1 - Brian, Crown Prince of Corlaund, refuses to leave without his betrothed.
• Part 2 - Megan and Brian flee Castle Scardaugh.
• Part 3 - Megan sees a new side to Brian.
• Part 4 – The young couple gets their first look at their new life.
  
• Part 5 – Megan faces reality for the first time, and proves herself up to the challenge
  
• Part 6 - Fast forward a decade, and life shifts once again.

The Scream by Edvard Munch. A portrait of me on most days.

Every year for two decades, my husband and I have made the same goal: “No major life events.” We’ve even limited “major life event” to the Big Three: a new baby, a move, or a job change. Things that inevitably turn life upside down and shake it for a bit. The one year that we managed to avoid the Big Three, one of our sons spent the entire summer in Intensive Care while the other kids traveled from relative to relative. That counts.

This year is different though. This year, instead of hoping for stability that never comes – although we’ve always been better off for the changes – I’m embracing the upheaval, and actively going after it.

This year, I’ll finally do something I’ve dreamed of since I was old enough to read chapter bo...

Happy Friday!

I just had to share – because if MY reading list is never ending, yours should be too! Hydra Publications is hosting a huge New Year’s eBook giveaway with a ton of great fantasy, sci-fi, and alternative histories. And just between you and me, your odds of winning are pretty darn good right now! Fill in the Rafflecopter form below and good luck

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The holidays – at least for me – are all about the food. The decorations, gifts, and visiting family and friends are wonderful of course, but really - really if we’re being honest, the holidays happen in the kitchen. Planning holiday meals is one of those things I love doing every year – except this year, I’m totally stuck!

Some of my favorite books

I remember, when I was in junior high, my mother started taking the month of December off work. I loved that time – even though I was still in school, I knew when I got home we would dig through cookbooks and plan wonderfully elaborate menus and bake prodigious amounts of cookies. By the time I reached high school, I started pushing the boundaries, making those cookies and candies more and more elaborate and complicated and wonderful...

This week’s installment in the modern fairy tale The King is Called Home gives Megan a hint that there is more to her betrothed than meets the eye. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

The King is Called Home – Part 3

As Brian and Megan hurried across the parking lot toward the waiting airport shuttle, Megan glanced back. The nondescript grey sedan sped out of the parking lot, followed by a dirty white SUV. She looked at Brian. He had noticed MacDuff’s uncharacteristic exit as well. As they approached the shuttle, Brian looked closely at another passenger waiting to get on. He put an arm around Megan’s back and gently guided her back toward the parking lot.

“It’s going to be a long flight – let’s stretch our legs while we can...