Natural inspires supernatural

I do a lot of research for my novels, but one of the things that’s hard to research is how to do spells. To be fair, I have done research on witchcraft as well, but lifting spells from online feels like plagarism in a way that watching YouTube tutorials on how to build an ICF house does not. I don’t want magic that relies on other people’s poems, and because the novel I’m working on is set in Washington State, I don’t want to rely too heavily on the British Isles for inspiration. Also, I gave away my library of books on witchcraft when I moved, and Wikipedia is light on details.

It should go without saying that the spells I describe in my novels are not real and one should not expect that they will work. But I want them to feel plausible. The cool thing about nature is that if you read deeply enough, you find things that are weirder than fiction. Like mushrooms, for example. Mushrooms help trees communicate with each other. Mushrooms are closer to animals than to plants. The part we think of as a “mushroom” is actually just a tiny part of the actual organism, which can be a vast network underground. I’m inspired by how amazing these organisms are, but also by how horrible it would be to see mushrooms sprouting out of your skin. I do love me some creepy stuff. Combining the supernatural with the natural? Bonus.

When I was writing the story which was the first draft of Seeing Things/Witch’s Jewel, I did research on Wicca and other neo-Pagan religions. I got so into my characters that it actually blurred the line between me and them; I forgot that I’m not actually Pagan. That happened to a lesser extent with Vampire’s Pawn, when I was doing research on dog training and would chat with dog owners before remembering that I don’t actually own dogs. But part of the fun of writing is to get so involved in the characters that I feel like I’m right there with them. Some of the original Realm scenes in Dryad’s Blade were inspired in part by looking out the window on endless car trips as a child and by my fantasy of being one of those people for whom running is joy rather than agony. (I’ve heard legends of these folk.)

Kit Melbourne #10 is still in progress. I’m trying not to give too many spoilers for it, but I’m happy with my progress and am having fun with new characters who are going to become part of the series. I thought about not having any vampires in this one, but nah. Vampires are too handy. They’re basically superheroes who don’t get old.

Project Phoenix

As an Arcane Agent for a black ops team, Cora Blake was trained to never get caught. That was before they crossed Lucius, the most powerful dragon in the world. (Kindle Unlimited, Paperback)

Nite Fire

Shapeshifting assassin Dahlia Nite dedicates herself to protecting humans from what truly lives in the shadows. Moving from town to town, she hunts the creatures that threaten an unsuspecting human race; burying the truth that could destroy them all. (Kindle Unlimited, Audible, Paperback)

Into the Magic

All New SF&F

Sci Fi with Mystery or Suspense

Strange & Surreal Stories

Face the Pages

Gratuitous Cat Photo

Zinko: my fuzzy white boy.