Do you know how to be bored?

It's the first week of Summer break for my kids. In the past, I tried to have some sort of “schedule” and list of chores, etc that started that first week, but I've learned it's always chaotic trying to get into a groove so I let go of that this year.

We'll start that next week… maybe.

Because of the lack of anything structure this week, I've had lots of “I'm bored!” complaints. Even on day one!! So, I've decided I'm teaching my kids how to “be bored." 

We will have chores, we will have Summer reading and things that they'll need to do each day, but my kids are at the age that they can find ways to entertain themselves. 

I'll still take them to the pool, we will go camping, and on other family trips, but there will be a lot of downtime too.

A few days ago, we went fishing with some friends--which isn't a pastime that our family has really done until meeting these friends. I was in heaven sitting on the bank of the lake, reading some books, but we hadn't even been there five minutes before my kids didn't know what to do with themselves. It was too cold to swim and all they wanted to do was snack.

It took an hour or more, but they finally settled and found ways to have fun. It turned out to be a fantastic day with family and friends.

Do you know how to be bored?

Writing, Reading, and Life Updates!

Life update

My kids are out of school and while a lot of parents might dread this, I'm excited for some time without schedules. I'm excited for time at the pool, trips with the family, sleeping in, and sun!

I'm also in the middle of a kitchen remodel and have been without a kitchen for more than four weeks. We live in a small townhouse and needed a kitchen that was more functional for our family of five. So at the moment, our kitchen is in our garage with our table, a few appliances (like the air fryer and a smoothie blender), and paper/plastic everything. Fortunately, we have neighbors who graciously let us use their kitchens so we aren't eating cold cereal or fast food every night. 

Writing Update

If you're following Courting Fae Thieves and Crowns on Kindle Vella or Patreon, you know that book 2 is almost complete. Which means… I'll be hopefully announcing the release of book 2 (Cover Reveal fun, etc.) very soon!

Becoming a Fae Queen (Raven Court #4, the final book) is coming! It's had a lot of hiccups, but I'm making good progress and I'm aiming for a release later this Summer. I'm so excited for the completion of the Raven Court series!

Reading Update

My goal this year was to read 23 books in 2023 and I thought I was doing SO well… but I just looked and I've only read five books and we're already into May! It looks like I'll have to do lots of reading by the pool this Summer to catch up!

I just finished reading A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess and I'm almost finished listening to Scythe by Neil Shusterman on audio (which will be book six). I highly recommend them both! 

Are you familiar with Kickstarter?

Are you familiar with Kickstarter? Basically, it's a preorder platform for creative projects. Authors use it as a way to offer special editions of their books, hardcovers, physical omnibuses and more. 

Each campaign has a time limit to fund (typically 20-30 days) and backers pledge different dollar amounts for different tiers that have scaling perks.

For instance, a lower tier might offer an ebook or a book mark, while a higher tier might offer signed hardcover copies with sprayed edges of an entire series (plus all the swag and goodies offered in the lower tiers).

Once the timeline ends, if the Kickstarter is not funded, no one is charged and no rewards are delivered. If the Kickstarted is funded, the backer is then charged their pledge amount and the creator sends out all the goodies!

I have been thinking of doing a Kickstarter sometime in the near future, so I wanted to educate you about them.

Click this link to browse some of the projects —> Kickstarter (If you look under the Publishing tab, you’ll see all the bookish projects)

Then tell me in the comments what you'd like to see if I offered a Kickstarter!

Another Quote!

Okay, so this one isn’t from a book, but I found it today to share on my Instagram and it sums up just how amazing fantasy is and how it takes us out of reality.

“The best fantasy is written in the language of dreams. It is alive as dreams are alive, more real than real ... for a moment at least ... that long magic moment before we wake.⁣

Fantasy is silver and scarlet, indigo and azure, obsidian veined with gold and lapis lazuli. Reality is plywood and plastic, done up in mud brown and olive drab. Fantasy tastes of habaneros and honey, cinnamon and cloves, rare red meat and wines as sweet as summer. Reality is beans and tofu, and ashes at the end. Reality is the strip malls of Burbank, the smokestacks of Cleveland, a parking garage in Newark. Fantasy is the towers of Minas Tirith, the ancient stones of Gormenghast, the halls of Camelot. Fantasy flies on the wings of Icarus, reality on Southwest Airlines. Why do our dreams become so much smaller when they finally come true?⁣

We read fantasy to find the colors again, I think. To taste strong spices and hear the songs the sirens sang. There is something old and true in fantasy that speaks to something deep within us, to the child who dreamt that one day he would hunt the forests of the night, and feast beneath the hollow hills, and find a love to last forever somewhere south of Oz and north of Shangri-La.⁣

They can keep their heaven. When I die, I'd sooner go to middle Earth.”⁣

--George R. R. Martin

Book Quotes

It's May, the sun is FINALLY shining, it feels like Summer, and I've crawled out of the Winter funk I've been in for too long! 

Do you love book quotes? I was going through my edits from my editor recently and she highlighted a passage with the note to save it for later to use in promotion. Meaning, she loved it as a ‘book quote’ to get readers excited for the book!

It got me thinking about how much I love book quotes. So I'm going to share some with you! One from someone else and… the one my editor highlighted from Book two of Fae Thieves and Crowns.

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”

-Neil Gaiman

“His smirk is enough to fill every dark corner of my thieving, deceiving soul with light.”

-Fae Thieves and Crowns, Book 2

More Shifter Books!

OTHER SHIFTER ACADEMY BOOKS

Since the Shifter Academy universe has more than 20 books, many of them were not written by me so I wanted to share a few with you! (Click the title for the link)

MORE SHIFTER BOOKS

There are so many books that aren't in the Shifter Academy universe. I wanted to share a couple of those with you too!

Characters/Shifters in Shifter Academy

Did you know that I’ve written/co-written THREE trilogies in the Shifter Academy universe?

Siren Prophecy (Shifted, Scorched, Summoned)

The first one was the Siren Prophecy with four other authors (Angel Leya, Jesse Booth, Tricia Barr, and Alessandra Jay).

We each wrote a point of view character (Jesse wrote two), so each of the characters had their own tone/voice since each of them were written by a different author.

  • Myreen Fairchild is the main character (written by Tricia Barr and some scenes by Angel Leya). She’s a mermaid shifter but doesn’t know it. At the beginning of the story, she learns about her nature and is taken to the Shifter Academy school to learn with other shifters, ala Harry Potter.

  • Kol Dracul, the love interest (and written by yours truly) is a dragon shifter with scales that can change color in order to camouflage himself into his surroundings. He’s from a long line of royal dragons.

  • Oberon is the headmaster of the school (written by Jesse Booth). He’s a gryphon with a tragic backstory. He lost his wife and his child years in the past. He’s the one who finds Myreen and brings her to the school.

  • Leif Villers is a vampire (also written by Jesse Booth). He’s an unlikely friend of Oberon and becomes entwined with the events at Shifter Academy.

  • Kenzie Maclugh is a selkie (written by Angel Leya) who can perform magic–sort of like a witch. She’s Myreen’s best friend and eventually ends up at the school with her.

  • Juliet Quinn is a phoenix (written by Alessandra Jay). Her dad is one of the teachers and she struggles with her powers, but also becomes a good friend of Myreen.

Frost Boarding House (Frigid, Frost, Frozen)

I wrote Frost Boarding House in tandem while writing the Siren Prophecy with the others, but the trilogy was published the summer after, in 2019.Frost Boarding House takes place one hundred years before the Siren Prophecy with a new cast of characters, but many have a connection to characters in the main series (you’ll notice many of them have the same last names. It’s about how a school for shifters first begins.

  • Camilla Frost lives at the boarding house with her family. She’s a ‘human’ who hates shifters.

  • Aline Dracul is a dragon princess who comes to stay at the boarding house.

  • Evandrus Quinn is a phoenix and Aline’s bodyguard who travels with her to the boarding house.

  • Leif Villers works at the boarding house in the orchard. He’s like a brother to Camilla and is also a ‘human’

  • Gemma MacLugh is a selkie and Leif’s sweetheart. She’s been staying at the boarding house for a few months and is a dear friend to Camilla.

Reclaim (Reflect, Relinquish, Reclaim)

The Reclaim trilogy was a passion project for Jesse Booth and I. Leif didn’t get his happy ending in the Siren Prophecy, so it was a love letter to Leif and Gemma. We wrote dual point of view (Jesse wrote Leif and I wrote Gemma). 

The story begins before Frost Boarding House and ends after the Siren Prophecy. A lot of the same characters in the Siren Prophecy are in the Reclaim series.

Which shifter are you?

Back when the Shifter Academy main series–the Siren Prophecy–launched, we had a super fun quiz where you could find out what type of shifter you were based on a series of questions. Unfortunately, that quiz is no longer available, but below I have something similar.


So… according to my list, which shifter are you? Which one do you most identify with?

Which Shifter Are You?

Kitsune:

  • Mischievous

  • Playful

  • Cunning

  • Clever

  • Tech Savvy

Dragon:

  • Ambitious

  • Fierce

  • Fiery personality

  • Strategic

  • Insightful

Mermaid:

  • Graceful

  • Empathetic

  • Intuitive

  • Emotional maturity

  • Connect with others on deep level

Phoenix:

  • Resilient

  • Strong-willed

  • Character growth

  • Artistic/imaginative

  • Adaptable

Naga:

  • Patient

  • Mysterious

  • Calm and serene demeanor

  • Spiritual

  • Charismatic

Hounds (werewolves):

  • Strong sense of justice

  • Instinctual/strong common sense

  • Able to navigate difficult situations

  • Fierce

  • Loyal

Harpy:

  • Strong-willed

  • Bold

  • Independent

  • Free-spirited

  • Adventurous

Ursa (werebear):

  • Gentle

  • Protective

  • Strong

  • Endurance

  • Strong connection to nature

Mao (werecat):

  • Independent

  • Cunning

  • Adaptable

  • Quick-witted

  • Agile/athletic

Gryphon:

  • Courageous

  • Loyal

  • Protective

  • Stoic

  • Leader

Selkie:

  • Playful

  • Patient

  • Introverted

  • Can see a situation from different perspectives

  • Kind

Alicorn (Unicorn with wings)

  • Pure-hearted

  • Wise

  • Mystical

  • Healing

  • Inspire and uplift

Not Your Typical Shifters...

I’ve talked a lot about Faerie and the different types of creatures since that is the world I’m currently writing in, but I’ve also written a lot of books about shifters (6 to be exact)! It’s time I gave them some love too!

You’re probably familiar with the typical shifters: werewolves, dragons, bears, maybe even mermaids, but there are so many more! Namely, phoenixes, Maos, nagas, harpies, gryphons, kitsunes, alicorns and more!

Let me tell you about a few. First, what they’re described as in lore, then their attributes in the Shifter Academy universe.

Kitsunes

Kitsunes are Japanese fox spirits that can take on human form. They are known for their shapeshifting abilities, as well as their mischievous nature. They have multiple tails, with each additional tail indicating greater power and wisdom.

Shifter Academy: Naturally pretty humans of Asian ethnicity that can transform into anthropomorphic foxes with tails made of electricity. They can manipulate and channel electricity and frequencies and at top skill can become so entwined with electricity that they can phase through solid matter. Their electrical abilities can be manipulated to make them very tech savvy/proficient.

Nagas

Shifter Academy: Average looking humans with a pension for righteous and vengeful behavior that can morph into beautiful and terrifying anthropomorphic lizards with iridescent scales. They have paralytic venom from the sting of their tale, and at top skill can hypnotize people with their mesmerizing snake-like eyes. Their venom is particularly hazardous to vampires, who die within minutes of being stung.

Nagas are mythological creatures from Hindu and Buddhist traditions, often depicted as half-human, half-serpent beings. In some stories, nagas have the ability to shapeshift into human form or into other animals.

Phoenixes

Phoenixes are legendary birds from Greek and Egyptian mythology that are said to be able to rise from the ashes of their own death. They are often associated with fire and are known for their regenerative abilities. (this one is my favorite!! There’s a phoenix on my logo!)

Shifter Academy: Phoenixes can shift into birds literally made of fire. They too can manipulate fire and can teleport in a burst of flames.

gryphons

Shifter Academy: These powerful (and endangered) beings are known for their stoicism and leadership skills. They’re incredibly strong and large, and can manipulate weather. The more skilled they are, the more they can focus and prolong their weather attacks. In some instances, gryphons have been known to take their young, newly shifted children high into the sky and drop them to teach them to fly (of course, being ready to catch them if--and when--they fail). Gryphons rarely produce more than one child, which is part of the reason they’re on the brink of extinction. And they mate for life, so if they lose a partner, they have no hope of finding another.

Gryphons are mythical creatures that have the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. They are often associated with strength and wisdom, and are said to be fierce guardians of treasure. They are sometimes depicted as having the ability to transform into other animals or even humans.

Click HERE to learn more about the Shifter Academy books!

Five Years

Five years ago on March 22, 2018 was the day In Her Dreams published. If you're newer, you might not recognize this original cover, but this was a pivotal moment for me. (I had forgotten this day was coming, but I plan to do something at the five year anniversary of when this series completed later this year).

It caused me to reflect on the past five years. Where I was, how far I've come, and the plans and goals I have for the future. I made some pretty graphics for Instagram, but I wanted to share my reflection with you too. 

Five Years

On March 22, 2018…

  • After decades of learning and hard work, my debut novel was finally published.

  • It wasn't only the end of a journey, it was the beginning of a greater one.

 

In five years…

  • I've written and published 20+ books all while improving my craft...

  • I've met life-long friends and made some amazing connections with incredible people.

  • I've stepped out of my comfort zone again and again and never regretted a second of it.

It’s been five years… but I’m just getting started