Seriously, a Series

I've always enjoyed reading series. Some of my favorites are Cynthia Eden's Deadly series and Allison Brennan's Lucy Kincaid series. I've never ventured into writing my own romantic suspense series before, but I decided to give it a try about a year ago. And damn, it wasn't easy!

First, you have to come up with a world to build, some characters with a common thread or one character with a whole lot to him or her. I decided to add a little paranormal flare to my series by setting in a spiritualist community and making my heroines witches. Not point-and-shoot witches, like Samantha Stevens, but real live, modern day witches. They are members of the same coven, and each has her own special talent. And her own suspenseful plot to meander through.

So I worked, I researched, and I even attended a few witch circles. And finally, I've released book one and two of The Witches of Freedom Moon—Hidden Magic and Killer Magic. But I wonder how the reading public will take to my modern version of witches. They do spells, but they can't wiggle their nose to make things happen. They are spiritual—not demonic. They worship nature and embody all that contemporary pagans do. I hope that realism isn't off-putting for anyone expecting Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

But I digress. The series has been challenging for me, mostly because I have ADD! One book captures my attention, and then one day, another spark of an idea steals it away! Although I've planned the series as three books, I don't know when I will get to book 3. Unless of course, a gazillion people read the first two books and beg me to write the third;-)

I seriously admire anyone who can write series well, particularly those with more than three books in them. Many of those very talented series writers are right here at NYUS! Hats off to you if you can capture not only your own attention for multiple books, but that of your fans. I sure hope I can follow in your footsteps. 

Researching the Occult

When I was a kid, we took a family vacation to Salem, Massachusetts. We visited all the usual sites, did the tourist thing. But when we got to the old cemetery, something strange happened. The sky darkened and the wind started howling. It was as if someone turned on the special effects to make our visit creepy and atmospheric. Since that time, I've always been fascinated with witches, psychics and anything supernatural. Only I didn't feel informed enough about any occult subject to use it in any of my books. 

About a year ago the bug bit me again. I started wondering what if (don't all our story ideas begin there?) a psychic wanted to get out of the business after a bad experience. Only someone—or something—wouldn't let her. To be authentic, I decided to do some research. I started with my local occult store and learned they offered classes. After purchasing several books on psychic powers, I signed up for the next available class series, which happened to be on witchcraft. In the meanwhile, I wrote Spirit of Seduction, my first paranormal romantic suspense story. 

My husband, who works at a jail, voiced his interest since he is tasked with documenting and investigating occult-type findings at the jail—as in the discovery of satanic contraband items or Santeria altars found in cells, for example. So he took the class with me. 

One class led to another, and another. We're now fairly well versed in everything witchcraft, but we still have a long way to go. What we discovered has impacted our lives in many ways, from making new friends to taking up the practice of meditation to shifting our views on life, death and the universe. 

We learned that witchcraft was not at all what we thought. Real witchcraft, that is. It's not the Hollywood version of green-faced women flying on broomsticks. It's actually a pagan spiritual path, one that includes magic, divination and responsible stewardship of the earth. 

My point is that as writers, we often find ourselves having to deeply research many different topics. And we never know where that path will take us. Have you ever started learning about a subject only to find it wasn't at all what you thought?