Yes, it’s been hot, but not like some parts of the country (or world, for that matter), so I can’t complain too much, and for all who are suffering under extreme weather conditions, you have my sympathy and wishes for a speedy return to normalcy.
At least the nights cool down in the high desert so close to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and we get views like this…
One day, I will again have updates from the writer’s chair, but cross stitching is still holding me together through a rough and strange couple of years, so sharing my bright beauties is the best way to spread a little joy. You might find it somewhat quirky that I put so much effort into cataloging my stitchy progress with Canva, but these graphic-packed blogs are for me as much as they are for anyone. I love having this cozy space to visit snapshots of life’s happenings in the midst of living new adventures or undergoing challenges. I do hope you find something here to enjoy as well.
But first…
Bookish things
Since books and crafting bring me so much peace and joy, I have an interview scheduled for October that features both.
Mark your calendars for a visit with me and The Witchy Stitcher. Not only will you go behind the scenes on writing a truly superb and beautiful craft book (I get stars in my eyes every time I page through it) but you will also meet a unique and vital member of the cross-stitching community.
You won’t want to miss August’s guest, either. Jacci Turner is a wonderful writer of YA fiction, teacher of the craft, and an active member of the Sierra Arts Literary Community, right in my own neighborhood. I really enjoyed her class on character development at the Virginia City Writing Retreat this May.
And this month features a fantastic conversation with Morgan Vayle, who writes Paranormal Romantasy inspired by her surroundings in the Pacific Northwest. The two of us are sharing in another exciting #RomanceBookBlast promotion this week. Don’t miss your chance at FREE romance!
Mini Adventure with the New Hip
The highlight this month was very personal, and I’ll leave most of it to reside in my memories, but I do want to share some of it here because I finally experienced an Airbnb (I do need to get out more) after a mini road trip where I drove for the first time with my new hip, installed only a few short weeks ago. The event turned out to be one of those truly special times with my sisters that make lasting memories.
The California landscape is beautiful and diverse. You’ve got your mountains and rolling hills beautiful, your coastal beautiful, your Victorian city beautiful (San Francisco is in the topmost beautiful cities in the world), and lots and lots of cozy pioneer town beautiful. Grass Valley/Nevada City falls into the last category. That’s where I stayed with my stepsister in an adorable 1930’s cottage that turned out to be comfortable, affordable, and well-equipped. The enclosed back porch even provided a vintage game room. I’ll share a few photos in case you’re ever in the vicinity and want a great place to stay. Look for the pet friendly, adorable Quartz Cottage.
A lovely welcome from Sis!This vintage Pachinko game works!What better perch for a Pachinko game than an antique icebox?An old slot machine that didn’t work, dang it.
The vintage Pachinko machine actually works, and it was fun! Brought back memories from my 70s childhood because for some reason, they caught on as a toy in a lot of American households–maybe as a lark to annoy parents with all that clanging noise. See the history of Pachinko, if you’re curious.
I love getting to know fellow writers every quarter during the Romance Book Blast as we help each other promote our books. We’re having a Blast event this month! Hundreds of romance books for free, and I thought you might enjoy meeting one of the amazing participating authors as we dive with her into a writer’s life and learn about her novels of “dark worlds and tender romances.”
Let’s Meet the Author
Morgan lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, son, and two needy cats. She’s been writing since she first learned how to hold a pencil and string words together. When not day dreaming of fantasy worlds, she can be found reading or wandering among the wildflowers.
Let’s Get Started
Thank you so much for visiting my Spotlight, Morgan.
Thanks for including me in this spotlight! I’m excited to participate.
Can you share who or what was your biggest inspiration and how you got started?
This is such a tough question. I’ve loved storytelling as long as I can remember, but I think the first author who inspired me to write fantasy was Gail Carson Levine. I especially adored The Two Princesses of Bamarre. Between her, Lord of the Rings, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Princess Bride, I was doomed (fated?) to write paranormal romance and romantasy.
How did you decide on your genre, and what other genres or subgenres do you want to explore?
Similar to my answer above, I think my genres came naturally to me thanks to the movies, books, and shows I was exposed to as a child. Something about the fantastical always intrigued me. I tend to write pretty dark worlds, and I think someday I’d like to experiment with cozy fantasy as a mental palette cleanser.
Oh, I like how you phrase that. Cozy and dark both work for me when it comes to romance. It’s just a matter of adjusting the atmosphere in my reading nook. As for fantasy, your books are right up my alley, vampires, gods, dark magical forests. Can you tell us a bit aboutThe Dust of the Earth TrilogyandThe Withering Wood?
The Dust of the Earth follows a reluctant born vampire (Nikki) as she navigates her transition from her human to vampiric traits. When she meets a sunshine human at her university, evil voices start whispering to her through the trees. She has to figure out what it is, what it wants, and if there’s any hope of surviving it. I have a new twist on vampires (factoring in a genetic component), and the story is full of mysteries, secrets, and friendships that are just as important as the romantic relationships.
The Withering Wood is my first dive into romantasy. It takes place in a kingdom cursed by the bones of a dead God, which traps the land in eternal winter. Our FMC, Cerise, is a retired warrior who lives in the dying woods with her sister. A mysterious stranger appears at her door, turning her quiet life upside down. She finds herself on a quest to stop the dead God from rising while also resisting the charm of a flirty prince named Oberon.
I do love a good fairytale retelling, and I’m happy the genre has taken off. What inspired you to write one and what do you love most about it?
I love fairytale retellings too! My retelling is part of a collaboration with the Portland Romance Writers, where we’re releasing a different retelling every week for 8 weeks starting August 18th. I wanted to retell a tale less frequently retold and while reading a compilation of 5 minute fairytales to my toddler (who was closer to an infant at the time) I was reminded of the story of Snow White and Rose Red. My retelling sort of spiralled out of my head from there.
I feel like I’m betraying the main characters in Dust of the Earth by saying this, but the FMC and MMC in The Withering Wood are my favorite characters I’ve ever written. Cerise is a cold-hearted warrior archetype and Oberon is ridiculously flirty so writing their banter was too much fun. I also loved creating a new world and leaning heavily into the winter vibes.
I have a writing friend who writes paranormal romance and lives in the Pacific Northwest, a region rife with fantasy vibes–all those dense, mossy forests… She attends so many wonderful markets or fairs where artists and authors can dress up as fantasy characters and share their wares, like theFae Ball EventsorThe Court of Shadow & Starlight Fantasy BallI just saw scheduled for next year. What is your favorite way to connect with readers, and what are your recommendations regarding virtual or physical engagement and why?
We really do have so many wonderful events here in the PNW. From organizers, to authors, to readers, each one I’ve been to has been a blast. These in-person events are my favorite way to connect with readers. Which surprised me at first since I’m terribly introverted. But it fits better with my communication style than over social media, which I struggle with. I see virtual and/or physical engagement work differently for different authors, so my recommendation to new authors is to experiment and see what works best for you. If you don’t vibe with social media like me, find what your boundary is with it. For example, I don’t have a face-forward account, and I tend to post more about updates or reveals. Then my social energy goes into in-person events. But others may not like in-person events and love content creation! What is successful for one person may not work for another, so don’t sweat it too much and do what works best for you. You don’t need to burn yourself out. You will find your readers.
What are your top tips on marketing and publishing?
Join a local author group if you can. Being in the Portland Romance Writers has been an amazing experience. Writing a story is a solitary endeavor, but marketing and publishing doesn’t have to be. Having a support group and people you can workshop blurbs, hooks, graphics with, or even just vent when you’re feeling down about your career can be helpful. They can also give recommendations for editors and cover designers who are effective, affordable, and trustworthy.
I love it! Thanks for that advice. I see that you offer signed copies of your books on your website. I would love to offer that option for my books. How easy is it to set up a store and can you share a few tips?
I am not a tech savvy person and have had a few people help me tweak my store. I’ve had to watch a lot of videos on how to use WordPress and the add-ons to navigate it. I use Square for in-person events and was able to attach it to my website; so, I’d recommend looking into if a platform you already use for sales can be connected to help keep sales in one place.
Awesome, thanks! Besides your website, where are the best place(s) to find you and your books?
My books are available on Amazon and KU: The first book in my trilogy also recently released on audible and the second is coming soon!
Congratulations on the Audible! Your cover art is amazing. Can you tell us about it?
Thank you! I was originally published through a small press and they designed the covers for Dust of the Earth. Each silhouette is a different main character (Nikki, Gwen, and Xander) and each book has the cover character’s POV added. The image within their silhouette represents a key aspect or influence in their journey.
Can you give us a sneak peek at what’s coming next?
I sure can! Speaking of covers, there may be a few special editions on the horizon … besides that I can say there will be more infrequently retold fairytales. While I’ll stay in the romantasy genre, I will be taking a “dive” into a new world.
Fantastic. Now, for more on your writer’s life. Do you write full time? What is your writing schedule like and what are your favorite methods or tools to balance writing with day-to-day life and keep you productive and those creative juices flowing? Do you have a favorite writing spot?
I wish I wrote full time and my goal is to do so someday. I currently have a day job where I work remote from home while also taking care of my toddler. I generally have to get my writing done early in the morning before my kid wakes up and before I start my day job, because once those two things are going all creative juices are sapped. Though there’s a part of me that’s still brainstorming and I jot down notes here and there as I can. It can be really tough to keep the motivation going with so much going on, but reminding myself that writing is the most rejuvenating, fulfilling activity for me helps. I have to take life as it ebbs and flows and remember that someday I’ll be able to be more consistent with writing again.
My favorite writing spot is my office. I love having my own space which is surrounded by my favorite books and bookish art. I just get to soak in the lovely, literary vibes. I also like writing in our backyard when the weather is nice.
Wonderful. I could get into having a home library writing nook for sure and give me any yard with all that greenery in the PNW, and I can see the inspiration flowing. Thanks again for dropping by, Morgan, and good luck with the Romance Book Blast. Any parting advice for aspiring writers?
Thanks so much for inviting me! I hope the RBB goes well for you too. My parting advice for aspiring writers is to not give up. Find your people. Aspiring can be daunting. Debuting can be discouraging. But find your support group and keep plugging along. You’ll get there!
I’m so happy to start my Spotlight off this year with a wonderful author from our #RomanceBookBlast community, where authors support authors and have a “blast” cross-promoting.
Along those lines…
Let’s Meet the Author
When Alanna ran out of horse stories to read at the local library, her father gave her a box set of The Lord of the Rings.
After a couple of weeks, she declared the trilogy a suitable alternative and started working her way through all the fantasy books in the library (though the unicorns she kept sneaking into her own horse stories should have been a clue about where the whole writing thing was going).
Now, Alanna writes cozy and gaslamp fantasy with romance. And there’s usually a horse or two around that are not of the winged variety.
Let’s Get Started
Welcome to my Spotlight, Alanna. Tell us a little more about yourself and how you began your writing journey.
First, thank you for having me! I’m excited to be here.
I actually have a hard time remembering a time I wasn’t writing stories. I have a strong memory of sitting in my second-grade class and writing a story about unicorns. It wasn’t a class assignment–I would sit in class and pretend I was taking notes, but it was actually a story.
I love it! What a great memory. What else sparked your interest in your cozy romantasy genre?
So, early stories about unicorns aside, most of my stories were about girls and their horses (horses being another early obsession). Looking back, I realize I was always drawn to media with some element of magic or the supernatural, but I didn’t know there was such a thing as the fantasy genre until my father gave me a boxset of the Lord of the Rings trilogy when I was twelve.
I read a lot and would read whatever I could get my hands on, which started including my mom’s romance novels and murder mysteries. The romance influenced me more than the murder mysteries, obviously.
As for cozy, I didn’t set out to write a cozy. Most of what I wrote in my teenage and college-age years was epic fantasy, which transitioned to urban fantasy. Then I stopped writing fiction, period. I had multiple jobs and just didn’t have the time. A few years ago, I made it a goal to publish a book. I picked up the manuscript that became Teaching Magicand finished it. As I was learning about self-publishing, I realized that book didn’t fit on the epic fantasy shelf, and it took me a while to realize it belonged in this growing category of cozy fantasy.
Amazon LinkAmazon Link
I love how your reading journey channeled so many elements into the perfect fit for you as a writer. Also, great covers, by the way! Totally giving a cozy plus romantasy vibe. Can you tell us more about what or who inspired you? Perhaps share your favorite books or authors.
I pick up a little bit from everything, I think. My favorite tends to be whatever I’m binging right now. Other books certainly inspire me, but so do movies or song lyrics or even catching a scent that jogs a memory.
Awesome. Do you write full-time? What is your writing schedule like?
I do not write full-time, though I’m hoping to work my way there. I tend to write at night. After I come home, I have to give myself a couple of hours to transition from work brain to writing brain, so I eat dinner, get some chores done, shower. And some nights I have to accept that the words just aren’t coming.
I feel you there. I’ve experimented with all sorts of different schedules and keep going with “when the mood strikes me” for as long as it lasts. Can you share tips on fitting a writing routine into your daily life and what you like to do to spark your creativity?
Fitting a writing routine into my life is a little bit easier for me because I don’t have children. The thing that helped me the most was adding a little bit of outside pressure. For me, that was posting Teaching Magic to Royal Road while I was working on edits. I knew I had to have a chapter ready by a certain day to post, because people were waiting to read it.
What are your top writing resources (applications, services, websites, etc.) and methods you’ve gathered along the way?
The writing resource that probably made the biggest difference for me was discovering Becca Syme’s work on Clifton Strengths. That’s actually where I got the idea to utilize outside pressure to get myself writing. I used to struggle a lot to follow others’ guidance because it didn’t work for me, which made me feel terrible about myself and my writing. Becca’s work taught me how to find advice that actually works for my personality.
For romance writers, I like the book Romancing the Beat and Ines Johnson’s resources (she has something in almost every format, depending on how you like to learn).
I also like resources that aren’t necessarily writing-focused. There are a ton of world-building guides and things on YouTube that are geared toward tabletop role-playing games. I listen to so many history podcasts, which can spark ideas but also help me feel out what life is like for my characters.
Thanks for all these great tips and ways to spark story ideas. I checked out the Romance Write Club found on Ines Johnson’s website. The classes look amazing. Along these lines, what is your advice on publishing and marketing?
Whoo, this is a big question. Probably the biggest thing is to not do all the things. Pick one type of marketing and get that established before you move on to something else. For example, I spent a lot of time this past fall working on my newsletter. I revamped the short story readers can get for free by joining my newsletter. I started doing more promotions to get people onto my newsletter list. I gathered together a bunch of emails from authors I follow, and I read each one, found bits I wanted to include, and built a template for my newsletter. My list still isn’t big, but it is growing steadily.
I really appreciate this advice. It makes sense to focus on one thing, and I’m impressed how you’ve built such an amazing newsletter following–your own community eager for your stories. Can you share what you’ve got in the works and where we can find your books? I believe you sell your books on your website, Alanna Cole Books? Can you talk about how that works in conjunction with other book retailers?
Selling on my website is very new for me, so I haven’t quite figured it out yet. I will be releasing a boxset of Teaching Magic and Trial by Magic next month, and I will offer it on my website first before I upload it to the retailers.
I just released a short novel about a side character from my secondary-world gaslamp fantasy series called An Inquest of Gryphons. All of my books can be found on most ebook retailers and are also available through Kobo Plus and Everand. I can also be found on Instagram at @alannacole.books.
I’m not quite sure what my next book will be, but it will most likely be in the same world as Teaching Magic. I’ve had several fun ideas about characters from that world that I’m exploring.
Amazon LinkAmazon Link
I really need to focus on Kobo. It’s growing huge, and I just saw a YouTube video where a reader shared their new Kobo eReader, which has some really cool features that seem to compete with, maybe even outshine, the Kindle. I’m just starting to research the pros and cons.Thanks for visiting, Alanna. Any parting advice to aspiring writers?
Thank you for having me! Aspiring writers, find a group. I have two: a local group where we do writing meetups and share ideas, and an online group that is more of a professional organization for my genre. It is so important to surround yourself with other writers.
I recently explored the concept of my characters sprouting from alien spoors, seeding my mind with featureless golems that come to life through my fingers and spring over the keyboard. Yes, I live with pods in my head. I really like it in there, and they depend on me.
What I don’t like is having to leave them behind when I come out to do all the mind-bending, endless labor it takes to publish and sell books. Too much time getting headaches when all I want to do is add dimension to my pod family! …And maybe find some time to relax with the hubby. That seems to be a hard-won bonus these days. I mostly get to see him when he comes to visit my pod people. He’s very amenable that way.
But I’m being honest here… I mostly want to run screaming back to the confines of my imagination. There are scenes needing to be written! More characters that lay dormant, waiting for the words to make them whole. Why must I go down a million internet vortexes that lead to galaxies, that lead to universes where it seems I might never find my way back out, just to get them out into the world?
Do they really need to go into print? Maybe my pod people are happier where they are.
The bottom line is, I tell their stories for readers to enjoy.
So, grow pod people, take shape, and fly off the page and into cozy reading nooks everywhere.
Updated Blog, January 2026 – This year is the fifth anniversary of my series launch! Enjoy The Starlight Chronicles... On SALE January 26 – 30!
Artwork above and below by:
Vic DeLeon Art Director, Ark II, Studio Wildcard – ArtStation.com
Enjoy this lively chat packed full of great writing tips and resources on writing short stories with fellow northern Nevada writer, writing coach, and public speaker, Linda K. Hardie.
My writer friend Lucky Noma made me a song. He’s an awesome friend and it’s an awesome song.
Captured By the Hunted is a vampire story set in Central Europe and one of three fantasy threesome romance novellas in Les Romances des Trois. Chapter 10 features a main character, vampire enforcer Gedeon Kadar, recalling his life as a Scythian chieftain before being turned. He gave his human life to save his stolen mate, Taclaema.
Lucky’s song was inspired by Azersarta’s tragedy. Les Romances has been republished on Amazon and is available on Kindle Unlimited and Audible.
Hundreds of amazing romance titles are free April 22 at RomanceBookLovers.com. Enjoy the day filling your e-readers, then find that cozy niche and let romance take you over. ☕💟☕
Week Long Sale!
While I am offering Tigris Vetus for FREE (scroll down for its latest review), I never participate in an exciting #RomanceBookBlast event without offering my other books at special prices. Enjoy shopping Amazon for all five books this week, four of them on sale.
This month marks one year since Tigris Vetus was released into the world, concluding The Starlight Chronicles’ epic paranormal romance.
When I set out to write my first novel, I had no idea Selena’s story would expand into three volumes. Finishing Book Three was a huge accomplishment for me as it took twice as long to write as the previous two books put together. I wanted it to be… well, epic… and romantic, and different from other paranormal romances that I’ve read and loved. I hope you find awesome things to love about this series, too.
To celebrate, I’m giving away a signed copy of Tigris Vetus on Instagram.
Scroll for details on the giveaway and the series, including a character sketch of Aviel Enair, the anti-hero you will hate to love in The Starlight Chronicles.
Tigris Vetus
When destiny gives you three paths, choose the fourth.
I doodle this in my art journal because it seems like the answer to my riddle. Some say having choices is a good thing, but I’ve learned that three possible roads to the future lead to confusion and heartache.
It all started when I shot an alien prince on a highway near Lake Tahoe. Well, to be honest, it began when I met a towering man with chestnut eyes who captured my heart despite his best efforts to keep me out of his dangerous world.
Andras is my mate, but he’s compelled by fate to team up with a rival alpha to support my prophetic mission. Elliott and his pack are family now, and Elliott looks at me the same way Andras does. Both men tug on my heartstrings—and that’s not my biggest problem.
After a battle with said alien prince, we regroup at my brother’s fishing lodge in Ketchikan. I haven’t seen Dylan in years. There’s a reason for that, which makes me sadder than even our separation. Then, my vampire friend enlists my help on a mission. When Andras finds out, I discover what happens when you poke an angry bear.
I’m about to make it worse when my instincts urge me to leave my bear and my dragon to follow the ancient tiger, aka the alien prince, to his lair—my third path in a destiny of choices marked by the moon goddesses of Anurash. ~ Selena Aires
Ursus Borealis, Book One
Why not get started at the beginning with Ursus Borealis? Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited, or grab a beautiful paperback.
Ursus Borealis
Bears are supposed to live in the woods, just not the kind who send you to the moon.
Selena Aires
I promised my friend in his final days that I would find the place I was destined for. Neither of us had a clue what that meant, but searching for it after he’s gone helps me cope with my grief, and I pack up my art supplies and hit the highway. When I stop for gas in Quincy, Thomas is waiting for me—in spirit. So, I stay—and find my dream cottage with a studio and hiking trails out the back door and a quaint old tavern called the Starlight with a cozy booth in the corner. I set out my sketchbook and pencils and get busy drawing faces—my way of getting to know people while I enjoy a beer.
It works. I’m making friends and filling my journal with the kind of diverse characters typical of a crossroads pub. But diversity doesn’t explain why the people coming to life on my pages are the stuff of fairytales. The most fascinating is Andras Johns, and I’m wondering more often whether the towering man who sets me on fire with one look is the prince in the story or the beast lurking in the woods.
Andras Johns
I’ve been the alpha of the North Star Pack long enough to know better. My policy? Never mix it up with a human and risk exposing a vulnerable species to the hazards of my world. But there’s a new face in town. A beautiful, human face. What do I do the first time Selena Aires gives me her smile? I smile back. It’s a mistake—and I know I’m done for, which is a problem because an alpha can’t break his own rules.
And those hazards I mentioned? They just ramped up. The tempting Ms. Aires couldn’t be more off-limits. If only she didn’t have her own ideas about that.
I recently mentioned in an interview how precious readers are.
I’m an avid reader, art lover, and writer who writes because of what I read that readers love. Hmmm. I’m not sure what that means, but maybe you get the idea. Art through storytelling is a powerful thing. So, I can relate to how writers feel about this from all these perspectives.
Feedback from readers is honestly what the reward side of things is all about. Most of us write because we want people to enjoy our stories as much as we enjoy telling them.
I truly wish more readers would leave feedback. Reviews inform authors and readers alike and are invaluable in helping authors deliver better stories. I’ve recently experienced 1-star ratings with no words to back up that interesting viewpoint. I welcome all critical opinions. Tell me why the book deserves the lowest rating. Believe it or not, it helps me grow.
I’ve watched many Kindle Unlimited readers speed through all three of my books in as many days, so to me, that’s got to mean they enjoyed them. However, few leave ratings.
As for taking the time to write a review, those are rare precious gems. I’m sharing one of those Goodreads treasures here.
This is the week for romance, and The Starlight Chronicles is a great place to get some. Tigris Vetus is one year old at the end of the month, and I’ll be posting an Instagram Bookaversary giveaway next week!
Everyone at the Starlight thanks all their amazing visitors, too.
As do those from places a little more exotic…
Want to solve the anti-hero enigma of the swoony, ancient alien prince known as Aviel Enair, his three moons, and his planet, Anurash? Tigris Vetus delivers… while keeping you down to Earth with the roll-up-her-sleeves, no-nonsense Selena Aires as she concludes her journey.
By D. L. Lewellyn 