The Fae Queen's Court has pirates and knights

Writers’ Chat: Light the Grill!

Your characters are having a backyard barbecue (or outside cooking-themed get-together equivalent.) Who’s cooking? Who’s ready to eat? Who’s waving away smoke and swatting bugs, wishing they could be inside?

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Kit and Alice have decided to bug Cook despite his threats to withhold food and affection. They've got lovers' privileges, they can do what they want.

Edward has come prepared with citronella candles and runes to drive the bugs away and had to be threatened to leave his notebook behind during the party. It's not that he doesn't enjoy these things, but it's shockingly difficult to find time to research on a flying ship.

Writers’ Chat: Road Trip!

Your characters are going on a road trip! Who’s excited to hit the road? Who just wants to be there already? Who navigates, who packs the snacks, who makes the playlist (or who’s banned from doing so?)

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Professor Clarkfowler wanted to pack the snacks, but considering she regularly consumes things like Belladona, Deadly Nightshade, and Foxglove(like a perfectly normal human being) her snack choices were vetoed. Siobhan packs them instead and chooses a lovely variety of fresh and dried fruits and vegetables, jerky, and nuts.

The professor was allowed to navigate(mostly because the wagon only listens to her) and she lords it over the others. She does insist they stop at any and all bookstores along the way AND give proper time to inspect any interesting looking rocks/sticks they find.

Siobhan has settled in on the wagon bench with one of the plethora of books she packed. It's a nice break from her day-to-day of running the research and development department and wrangling the junior librarians, so she's happy to just enjoy the trip.

Share an excerpt that includes the word "want".

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Knots fit to stymie the saltiest of sailor had my stomach in such turmoil that even the few spoonfuls of soup and sips of water that I’d been able to slip past my lips regularly attempted to resurface. Visions of what was the come, of the disappointment and derision that waited for me after all this, alongside the oily whispers of the Bottled Truth turned sleep into a distant dream.

So it was that I faced the servant and her load of fine clothing on an empty stomach and a handful of catnaps over the course of the past day and a half.

“Those aren’t mine,” I said hoarsely, eying the finely embroidered green coat and fashionably cut breeches currently lying on my bed. A silk shirt, as soft as warm butter, lay folded neatly next to them with a pair of court shoes on top. A matching vest and frilly cravat sat off to the side, an extravagance I didn’t usually waste my time with in the shop. They were too rich for someone of my purse. This was something that nobles or their pet magicians wore.

Apparently, Annika Van der Berg didn’t want to wait to stake her claim on me, to prove that she could buy anyone.

The servant shrugged. “They’ll all fit. Your benefactor made certain of it.”

Writers’ Chat: You're Hired!

What do your characters do for a living? How do they feel about their jobs? If you write younger characters, what kinds of jobs would they like to do?

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Edward from Fortitude’s Prize is an alchemist and surgeon on board a pirate ship. He learned his trade from his mother and loves what he does, but wishes he had more time for research.

Owen from the Fae Queen’s Court is a carpenter by trade, a SAHD by preference, and a ruler by necessity.

Share an excerpt where two characters have a conversation.

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“It’s unconscionable,” Mel grumbled, biting harshly into a blueberry crumpet. Hardly bothering to swallow, they continued, “To be kicked out of my own greenhouse simply because Konstantyn’s guest wanted to speak privately. The nerve.”

Having been subjected to this rant several times already since Mel had burst into the lab and thrown themselves into the desk chair a half hour ago, I shrugged without looking up from my work. They were lucky none of my projects had reached explosive stages yet because I’d nearly knocked my cauldron across the room when the lab door crashed open. “He’s fully within his rights. The greenhouse belongs to him, after all. He just lets you borrow it.”

Thank God the hatchlings weren’t with me this afternoon, otherwise they’d have to listen to Mel’s complaints too and I already had enough problems without Mel encouraging the hatchlings to play pranks on Konstantyn. With how thick the storms had been today, they’d have been climbing the walls, desperate for something to do, and I had little patience to deal with that today.

The relationship between Mel and Konstantyn—the curse checker who lived in the back rooms of the Swoop—was an eternal source of consternation and confusion to me. Depending on the day, time, and weather, they had described their relationship to me as being everything from close friends to mortal enemies to mutual pests to business partners. Several years ago, Konstantyn had, through methods unknown to myself and anyone else I asked, come into part ownership of the Swoop. Specifically, the greenhouse, three feet of counter space in the kitchen, and the watercloset on the third floor.

For a man of few words and fewer public opinions, Konstantyn quickly leveraged his property to his advantage. The sitting area in the greenhouse became his place of business and Mel his partner, shuttling clients back and forth between each other’s working areas as necessary. From what I gathered, the only things Mel got out of the deal was a boom in the enchanting side of their business, ready access to cursed items clients wanted to dispose of, and a housemate they seemed fully prepared to throw off the edge of Fortitude most days.

Mel snorted. “Hah! He holds that over me as if I don’t bring him most of his clients. If it weren’t for me, he’d be back to peddling his craft in the back of taverns and swindling drunkards at cards.”

Deliliah, the calico cat who made her home in the Swoop when she wasn’t lazing about the market, let out a plaintive mew. Her chatter continued as she stretched and glared at Mel.

“Deliliah has a point,” I said gently, paging through my notebook for where I left off with my last experiment. “Konstantyn is terrible at cards.” This would mark my twenty-third attempt to strengthen a healing potion with St. Alban’s Blood and I had a good feeling about this mixture. Afterall, last time I managed to keep things from catching fire for a whole fifteen seconds and without the hatchlings here to distract me, I might be able to make it a whole twenty.

Writers’ Chat: Status Update

Time for a status update! What are you currently working on? How is it going? Do you have a timeline for when you want to finish, or are you just letting the writing go where it goes?

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Writers’ Chat: Love is in the Air

What role does love play in your stories? Do you write romances or stories with romantic subplots? Do your stories focus on love between family members or friends? Share the love by explaining how love factors into your writing!

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The Fae Queen’s Court focused on the relationship between family members, on a father trying to rebuild relationships shattered by change and loss. Owen is shaped by his desire the protect the ones he loves and is willing to put his own body, mind, and soul at risk to do so.

Yes, Owen is married and loves his wife, but that relationship isn't the focus of the series. That being said, it is changed irrevocably by the events of the series. The husband and wife that end the story in Hiraeth are not the same people that started Haven.

Fortitude's Prize also has a family/crew focus. There are a lot more romantic relationships(two married MF couples, a MFM trouble, and hinted romantic leanings) but Edward's focus is on how the plot will impact his family rather the leanings. He's trying to earn enough money to send his sister to a good school without needing to take on debt and the pirates chasing them are not helping.

Leon’s relationships in Fallen Knight are probably the most extensive in my blacklist. Besides his friends in the band, he's also got their collective adopted daughter, his ex-lover(and boss), and an adopted father and aunt. Despite the yearnings in his heart, he doesn't feel like he can have a romantic relationship while he's got the guillotine of being a Knight Vigilant hanging over his head.

(pro tip: name some ocs in the tags when you reblog this so newcomers can ask with ease, and be sure to send an ask to the person you reblog it from!)

Has your character's worst trauma already happened, or is the worst yet to come?

How would/does your character feel about being picked up?

Does your character like candy?

Describe your character's favorite cup/glass/mug. If they don't have a specific one, make one up.

Your character has had a supremely lousy day. What do they do to cope?

Does your character get sick often?

What is/was your character's best subject in school?

Think about something traumatic that's happened to your character. How has it affected them?

Describe your character's teeth.

Are there any colors your character really isn't a fan of?

Describe a piece of clothing you have that your character would like to wear.

Describe a piece of clothing you have that your character would never wear.

What's an easy way to ruin your character's mood?

What's an easy way to cheer your character up?

Your character just woke up. What do they want right now?

Who is the most likely person to irritate your character?

What's your character like when they're nervous?

You know in cartoons when somebody has a little angel and devil on their shoulders telling them what to do? Would your character be the angel or the devil?

Is your character a picky eater?

Does your character like to argue?

What colors are most common in your character's wardrobe?

Does your character ever wear revealing clothing?

Describe your character in an unkind way, then describe them in a loving way.

Who is your character proud of?

Do people generally see your character as smart?

What's something about your character that nobody would guess by looking at them?

How much does your character talk?

Are/would your character's parents be proud of them?

How did your character's peers treat them when they were kids?

It’s finally HERE!

I’m so pleased to announce that my new horror novel, A Colder Home, is up for preorder! Amazon and Ingram are both being a bit fussy at the moment, so the ebook and paperback are linked separately, and the paperback isn’t showing the cover yet 😅 I’m working to get that sorted, but for the time being both are listed on my website. You can also sign up to receive an ARC if you’d like to support but are short on funds at the moment!

This book had a very long journey to get to you all. I’m so pleased that it’s almost there.

Amateur cinematographer Cleo Moss hasn’t tried to make a film since her father’s death three years ago. Her cousin Noah, a director, is convinced that her latest script is the perfect opportunity to try again, but Cleo is less sure. Those reservations grow when a blizzard nearly runs them off the road on their way to the shoot, and again when they discover that the house they’re filming in has a tragic past to rival Cleo’s own horror-filled writing. By the time she starts seeing ghostly shadows out of the corner of her eye, she’s convinced that the production is doomed. At first, filming moves forward in spite of an unreliable camera battery and Noah’s surprise casting of Isobel, Cleo’s not-so-former crush. But as the worsening snow traps cast and crew in the house overnight, the strange shadows escalate into horrifying, dangerous specters. While the rest of her friends fight to find a way out of this nightmare, Cleo can’t help but be drawn to the ghosts she captures in her viewfinder—just as she can’t help noticing how similar their story is to her own past…

Writers’ Chat: Snow Day!

A massive blizzard hits! How do your characters react? Who’s eager to play in the snow? Who’s stuck shoveling? Who’s hiding inside, drinking cocoa under a blanket until everything melts? Share how your characters feel about snow.

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Edward is a non-practicing "plays in the snow" person. Alas, he always has work so it's rare that he can actually do that. When he does, it's snowballs all around. None are safe from his mighty arm.

Additionally, here are some interesting comments from a Mozilla employee who's been working on these features:

Writers’ Chat: New Year's Resolutions

Do your characters make New Year's Resolutions? For those who do, share what they hope to accomplish this year. For those who don't, why not?

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Adrian doesn't do resolutions. He doesn't like the idea of waiting for a specific time to set a goal, and it annoys him that it's normal for most resolutions to be quickly abandoned. (What's the POINT if you're not going to try!)

Elliott doesn't do resolutions either, mainly because they don't think to make any. If asked, they might come up with something on the fly. What's their resolution? Uh. Clean their shower?

Time Loop cast:

Gabriel likes the idea of resolutions! He likes the chance to reflect on something he can do to make his life better, even if it's something small. His resolution would be something like "replace all the shirts I don't like" or "learn how to caramelize onions."