The first one I know of and remember clearly was from when I was in second grade. It was a story about flying to the moon as an astronaut and discovering green tigers living there and making friends with them. It was illustrated and everything. #writinglifemonthly

#OctoberWorldbuilders Day 25 As mentioned previously, culturally AElit resembles ancient Greece, even down to the temples. Religiously, they do have a trinity of sorts and they pray to some ninatat (angels) for specific needs, which is probably an artifact of my early Catholic upbringing?

#FantasyIndiesSpooktober Day 24 The show I'm in opens the night before Hallowe'en. We're dark on Hallowe'en itself but have shows the next two days after. So I plan to relax and hand out candy but nothing more. Plus, our house will be full of teens watching movies and such, so I'll hide and read.

-citizen, do you know your Gestapo from your Sipo? Your SA from your SD? Your Waffen SS from your..

I haven't put my birthday in any of my books, though my birthday is on Saturnalia, so if there are books out there celebrating that, I'll accept it as my due. 😂 #writinglifemonthly

#OctoberWorldbuilders Day 24 The AElitian story? If you took Lestat and Louis and turned them into fallen angels instead of vampires, set them in ancient, pastoral Greece, and got them into trouble and schemes--that's the vibe. Not so much "grumpy/sunshine" as "sardonic/earnest."

So... Instead of doing anything "productive" today, I wrote a 5k Vampire Chronicles/Highlander crossover fanfic, and I'm not sorry.

I'm working on the sequel to "Manifesting Destiny" (out on Nov 4!), so it's a continuation of that story. YA fantasy set in a world that feels like ours but somewhat retro, yet there are animal shapeshifter clans. Early reviews liken it to Divergent, Hunger Games, etc. #WeeknightWriters

"Friends" is a beloved American sitcom that aired from 1994 to 2004, following six young adults—Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe—living in New York City. The show explores their friendships, romances, careers, and personal growth over ten seasons.

#OctoberWorldbuilders Day 23 Most AElitian houses are small, as life is focused out in the fields (livestock, crops). There is only one major city where the chief temple is situated. Local temples are smaller (as pictured) but often have additional buildings for education.

When I wrote A GAME OF HEARTS, I had Gin Blossoms, Lifehouse, and Neon Trees in heavy rotation... I made a Spotify playlist for THE SWITCHGRASS CROWN only after I'd finished writing, though. These days, "Downfall" by Matchbox Twenty and "I'm ALIVE!" by Becca do the trick. #writinglifemonthly

#OctoberWorldbuilders Day 22 This character art is by Jess Nagel (colorful.and.wild on Insta). It's Amaurodios, a ninata (sort of like an angel) who chose to be exiled from Argyros (Heaven) to accompany the fallen Seladion as he travels through AElit.

@occidentalcollege.bsky.social treated us so poorly after my oldest child got accepted that neither of my other two will even apply to go there. Thank goodness my oldest landed at a great school (if farther from home 😢).

Because I read a lot of historical fiction, I more want to visit different times than places. Ancient Greece and Rome and Egypt, medieval and Regency England... I guess I wouldn't mind seeing Caladan from the Dune books... #writinglifemonthly

#OctoberWorldbuilders Day 21 In AElit, the houses are made from whatever is available: wood, stone, in some places clay or mud (wattle and daub). Temples, however, are made of marble, alabaster, and other fine materials. In D'robe they have a lot of stone, so most structures are made of it.

Feeling so grateful to hear that early readers and reviewers are enjoying "Manifesting Destiny"! You can preorder your copy here: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FP9PRQ2G Out November 4!

I mean, (a) my family IS largely Celtic in origin, and (b) the name is pretty close to "Manda" so... Sure.

I'm so close! Once I finish my re-read of THE ILIAD, I'll be done!

My favorite thing is disparate personalities, commonly referred to as "grumpy/sunshine." But for me, it doesn't have to be that--I just want two (or more!) differing personality types having to work together in some way. I have it in many of my books and I love to read it, too. #writinglifemonthly

The Trump administration just ordered two Gulfstream luxury private jets for Kristi Noem at a cost of over $172 million. This comes as Americans can barely afford groceries.

That year I went as the Vorlon god Booji for Hallowe'en. #Babylon5

My current physical TBR (of books I own; I have three library books lying in wait elsewhere). Some are re-reads, most are not. Not shown is Jasper Fforde's EARLY RISER because one of the kids took it. I'm currently reading the first 薫る花は凛と咲く and CARELESS PEOPLE. #writinglifemonthly

#FantasyIndiesSpooktober Saturday Snippets One from FAEBOURNE and another from "One Night in Wyland High." FAEBOURNE is available in paperback anywhere books are sold, and both are available on Amazon in ebook format.

#OctoberWorldbuilders Day 18 No to all those, at least on the AElitian side of the island. We're talking Ancient Greek pastoral over there. But the D'robean side is more like Medieval/Tudor England. They have a few advancements. Necessity being the mother of invention and all that.

For my current book, I've mostly had to look at geography, which isn't all that surprising. For past books, I've learned things like glove etiquette in Georgian England and ways to treat wounds on battlefields... Such random little things but they matter to the stories. #writinglifemonthly

#OctoberWorldbuilders Day 17 AElit is a pastoral and agrarian society, so they grow and breed their food. They also do a bit of fishing (as they're an island), though D'robe is much more adept at that. D'robe does not have as fertile ground, so it survives mostly by fishing and some livestock.

WIP 1: Annice took an involuntary step back from the window. WIP 2: Hours before my life went sideways for the second time, Muriel Dunthorpe stood beside my table, lunch tray in her hands and a frown on her face. WIP 3: The burst of darkness disoriented him. #writinglifemonthly

#OctoberWorldbuilders Day 15 AElit is an island and the natives have not developed ships equipped for long distances, so all trade and markets are within its borders. A few intrepid explorers may cross the mountains to attempt trade with D'robe (on the western side of the island) but it's iffy.

Both? It's set in a distant future of our world--a future that feels like we've regressed rather than progressed. It has a very "The Giver" by Lois Lowry feel. With some fantasy/magic woven in. #WeeknightWrithers #FirstDraftFall

“Don't join the book burners. Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go in your library and read every book.” Dwight D. Eisenhower, born on this day in 1890

I actually have the book cover, so I'll post it here. (This is the cover for the sequel I'm currently working on; the first book in the series is MANIFESTING DESTINY, which comes out Nov 4.) #writinglifemonthly

#FantasyIndiesSpooktober Day 14 In the Changers series, the villains are those supporting the status quo. Whether that's actively encouraging compliance or turning a blind eye. But Sabine, as leader of the ruling Clan of Magi, is the head of the snake. And the Magi protect her with their powers.

This snippet is from the sequel to MANIFESTING DESTINY, which is out on Nov 4 and can be preordered here: www.amazon.com/Manifesting-... #writinglifemonthly

#FantasyIndiesSpooktober Day 12 Cee and Sabine are fighting for Marcus' future, each believing they know best. Really, each is fighting for Marcus' affection and to keep him with her. So they see each other as rivals. Vivienne wants the power Lucas has eschewed. She thinks he's a fool.

I don't have much by way of "behind the scenes" images of my work, but this pic from 2015 shows the printed manuscript of THE FALL AND RISE OF PETER STOLLER. I always do my first full editing pass on a hard copy. #writinglifemonthly

More and more, the struggle has been on focusing long enough to get much of any writing done. We've had a lot of upheaval at home, and my natural hypervigilance doesn't help. Discipline and focus are the hardest things for me these days. #writinglifemonthly

This is how authoritarianism creeps in — first they invent an enemy, then they promise to “root them out.” The goal isn’t safety. It’s control.

I think THE FALL AND RISE OF PETER STOLLER was definitely inspired by John Le Carré. And BRYNNDE owes its existence to all the old Zebra Regency romances. THE SWITCHGRASS CROWN was actually inspired by BBC's "Merlin" (a show rather than a book). #writinglifemonthly

Here's a reminder that you can grab an ARC of my forthcoming book "Manifesting Destiny" (first in the Changer series) on Book Sirens: booksirens.com/book/TF17LJP...

Stephen Miller said the quiet part out loud. Trump has “plenary authority,” then suddenly went silent. Their plan wasn’t to be public yet. Clearly, someone hit the panic button in his earpiece. It gets weirder: CNN uploaded the interview with the “plenary authority” comment edited out. 1/2

#OctoberWorldbuilders Day 8 Amaurodios can barely walk without tripping over himself, so sports are pretty much out of the question. Hopefully he gets more coordinated over time.

#FantasyIndiesSpooktober Day 8 I can rec a couple of my own books: THE GHOSTS OF MARSHLEY PARK and the Drew & Rayze series (first one is free on most platforms!). Other favorites include classics like "The Haunting of Hill House." Check my video for more: youtu.be/tV-UoFPsdSQ?...