Tag: ya lit

The Descent Playlist

The Descent Playlist

Music plays a big role in my stories. It can fuel ideas, alter them, and bolster me to get on with things when I’m dragging my heels. But going back and listening to songs associated with different books can also be a bit enlightening. Especially when it comes to the mood of that book. The third book in The Birthright series, Descent, is a good example of that. Reviewing the songs that played a role in developing that book, it’s clear the mood is more hopeful in comparison to Marked (book two), where Rosamund was really struggling. In Descent, she’s […]

New Release: Descent (The Birthright Book 3)

New Release: Descent (The Birthright Book 3)

Book series go by fast. It’s hard for me to believe we’re already into book three of The Birthright series. On some level, I feel like I just started working on it. (I know I said this already about book five of The Belinda & Bennett Mysteries, but it is true.)     But I’m excited to bring you book three as Rosamund’s story ramps up. What can you expect in the pages of this installment? Three things jump out at me that I think readers will enjoy. (Minor spoilers!) More Trent! (That’s hard not to like. 😉 ) More […]

The Marked Playlist

The Marked Playlist

Music is integral to cultures around the world. And, as many authors will attest, it can be equally important to writing. For me, it’s almost necessary to developing my stories and even characters. When I listen to a song, scenes, character moments, and background info unfurl in my head. Sometimes, certain songs become so entwined with one of my books that once I’m finished writing it, I can’t stand to listen to the song anymore. I’ve moved on with the story in my mind by then, and certain songs only take the story backwards for me. (I know, it’s bizarre.) That […]

14 Fun Short Stories

14 Fun Short Stories

Sometimes when I’m working on one of my books, I’ll get ideas that are cute or fun or interesting, but they don’t fit in the context of a book. And almost every week, my sister and I do a writing exercise together. These regular practice sessions keep my writing gears nimble, and sometimes produce ideas I can use in a book, but a lot of the time it’s just for fun. So partly for those reasons, I started taking some of those snippets and character moments and fleshed them out into short stories. It was something fun to post on my blog for readers and for me! The number […]

Impact (A Birthright Short Story)

Impact (A Birthright Short Story)

  This story features characters from The Birthright, a young adult science fiction series.   Lachlan and I pulled into our driveway and I just hoped the house was visitor safe. And I don’t mean clean. I mean free of anything that screamed “alien.” Granted, most everything was locked away in the secret basement. But stuff happened occasionally. Lachlan lingered outside, turning in a circle in the driveway. “Wow,” he said. “This is where you live?” I nodded, feeling sheepish for some reason. He smiled and wandered toward the lake, rocking the canoe on the bank, and looking inside it. […]

Struck (A Birthright Short Story)

Struck (A Birthright Short Story)

This story features characters from The Birthright, a young adult science fiction book series.   I directed Bryce toward where we’d found the dead trees, or tried to. Getting in the general vicinity wasn’t too hard, but identifying the side street we took was more difficult than I expected. We cruised around a curve, and I thought I spotted the road. “Here!” I said, pointing. Bryce careened left and I held onto the door for dear life. I laughed when we made it across alive. Bryce grinned. “I’ve trained for lightning fast evasive maneuvers.” That’s when we almost hit a […]