Freedom and Independence to Follow My Dreams

by Diana McCollum

(This first appeared as a blog on Windtree Press)

I live in a country the, USA, where I can enjoy the freedom and independence to follow my dreams.

My dream is to write and publish stories that I love for others to enjoy.

The job of writing is an independent job. I don’t have a ‘boss’ or a time clock or a paycheck! Once I sell a book to a publisher, I will have a boss, a deadline for revisions and a paycheck!

For now I am my own boss, which is fine with me. Except for the fact my boss is sometimes lax in cracking the whip and getting my butt in the chair and fingers on the keyboard.

My beginning art class

As an independent writer I can pursue writing courses, business courses and learning as much as I can about publicity from sites such as Canva. I can enjoy my other artistic pursuits which includes, but is not limited to, acrylic painting on canvas.

I am immensely thankful that I worked for a company who took care of their employees. Not only in the present day, but thinking ahead to the employee’s retirement. Because of the retirement investments of 22 years being employed by the same company, I am in a comfortable spot in life. Not wealthy, but not worried about finances. Comfortable.

When I retired from MCM Construction my husband and I were able to move to OR and take care of my mom. I started following  my dream of publishing books. I took classes. POV Author Services offers beginning and advanced writing classes, also classes on the business side of writing. I met with writer friends and went to conferences.

Then the pandemic hit and everything moved to online, Zoom ,or Facetime. I learned a whole other way of learning and visiting. Of course, no more meeting at the tea or coffee house with friends. Instead, once in a while we met in smaller groups on front porches or backyards.

Along the way I’ve found out a lot about myself. Writing does that for you. I encourage one and all to write in a journal. Every day, once a week, you choose. Believe me you will find out things about yourself you never knew.

Maybe you will find you have a story in you that is waiting to be put to paper, or typed into the computer. Ideas for stories can come from anywhere. Newspaper and magazine articles are a good source for ideas. Special events which happened in your own life or the life of someone you know. Or an interest in a certain subject. Or a picture of my old chair could surely stimulate the imagination.

With me it was paranormal, witches and magic.  My Pennsylvania grandmothers both had superstitions they lived by. Having lived their whole lives in PA, sometimes in PA Dutch country, and the superstitions abound in Dutch country.

One grandma believed to cure warts you only had to find a tree stump with rain water in it. On a full moon collect some of the stump water to douse your wart and it would kill it.

Both grandmothers and my mom believed things came in threes: death, accidents, good fortune, found money, etc.

There were lots of sayings about brooms. Jumping over a broom stick with your intended seals the marriage, a broom stick across the doorway keeps evil and bad luck out, a broom in the corner is for sweeping away bad juju. And on and on it goes.

My mother’s grandfather and her uncles made brooms. My mom and her sister had to take the straw to the creek and tie it in bundles and walk on it in the water to soften it for processing.

Listening to my mom and aunt talk about broom making got me thinking. Where do witches get their brooms? And so my first idea for a story was born. That specific story is yet to be written, although it is outlined. H-m-m? Maybe I’ll start that one next!

In the meantime, I do have a few books and short stories for you to enjoy.  For more information check out my website.

Passion = Project

Say the word passionate and it brings to mind a whole slew of terms: Fervent, Ardent, Zealous, Obsessive, Hot-blooded, Adoring, loving, and Enthusiastic-- Just to mention a few.

I have been passionate about a lot of different things in my life’s journey. In the 60’s and 70’s it was equal rights for people of color and for women in the work place. During college I was on my way to Alabama to march in the big protest movement, unfortunately I didn’t’ have the funds to go. This was my “hot-blooded passion” showing up.

Then I picketed against Vietnam, and got yelled at. On the other hand, I sent our soldiers packages filled with toiletries and cookies. Talk about an oxymoron! I justified being involved with the soldiers at the USO on Guam and sending cookies to the troops, because most of them were drafted. Those boys didn’t have a choice to join up or not.

The other half of the 70’s and the 80’s I was passionate about raising my children and being the best mom I could. PTA, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and 4-H; I car pooled kids and volunteered. I was lucky enough to stay home and raise my children at least till my youngest was in seventh grade. This would be my “loving phase of Passion”. Family, hearth and home, and I finished college during this period.

Kids are grown with children of their own now. My husband, whom I am passionate with, and I moved to Oregon last summer.

Now my husband claims I’m most passionate when I have a project. I guess that comes from working since my youngest was thirteen years old, and now I don’t have a job to go to. Some days are a bit funky for me as I am adjusting to not having a job outside the home.

I’m currently in a phase of “creative Passion"

I am writing most mornings during the week to finish my novel (extremely enthusiastic about that) .

I am working on getting my husband’s and my web site up, (taking a class for that which I am enjoying!), getting our Etsy site up and learning all the ins and outs of Etsy, PayPal, and Pinterest etc.

I took on the project of making rustic looking tags for my husband’s crafts. It took all of one day. My husband said I smiled more that day than any other day since moving.

So give me a project or a cause I can get involved with and I’m a passionate, happy camper!

How have your passions changed over the years?

(This is a re-post from a previous year.)

Even Paranormal Authors Do Research!

by Diana McCollum

I write mostly paranormal stories. You might wonder how much 'research' goes into a book for a paranormal author. Well, not near as much as a historical author. Still, I do have to do a certain amount of research.

Some of the details I garner from reading other paranormals. I keep notes on books I read, word choices and other details.

Word choice in any genre is to me what paints the picture of the story. For instance, in my book "The Witch with the Trident Tattoo" I had to do some science research, some mythology research, and commercial fishing research to come up with an interesting and believable (as far as one can believe a paranormal story) book.

My heroine, Ella, is a scientist and a sea witch. Poseidon, Ruler of the sea, is who she reports too. Her familiar is an Octopus named James. So a little more research here on Octopus habits and what grows in the ocean etc.

Here is an excerpt as James gives Ella a ride to see Poseidon, who has requested a meeting with Ella.

"James wrapped one long tentacle gently but firmly around her waist. She linked her arms around two of his. On a whoosh of water, he propelled them to Poseidon's waiting submersible.

       One of her favorite things to do was ride along with James Her hair streamed behind her and they virtually flew over the bottom. Starfish dotted rocks close to the island, seahorses darted in and out of kelp, and her favorite, sea ferns, swayed with the current.

    They dove to ninety feet where the devastation brought a heaviness to her chest."

    As a scientist Ella has been studying the dying ocean off the coast of MA. This is why Poseidon has requested her to report to him. Not only is she studying the ocean as part of her job, but also at the request of Poseidon.
 
    When the reader meets Poseidon, I'll give you the generic sentence first, bare minimum.
    "Poseidon sat on a chair. On top of his head of black hair sat a gold crown. He was naked from the waist up except for two gold bands on each arm." Does that paint a picture of this man? Not a very interesting one!

This is what the reader reads as Poseidon is introduced. "Poseidon reclined on blue silk and green satin pillows set inside an enormous clam shell. On top of his black dreadlocks sat a golden crown encrusted with sparkling gems. Naked from the waist up except for two gold bands around each massive forearm." The reader gets a better picture of Poseidon with this description.

     The hero, Noah, is the captain of a fishing boat. When he takes Ella out for a ride a storm kicks up.
 So I researched nautical terms, and weather terms etc.

     "The radio crackled before he could form a response. "Mayday! Mayday! This is the Red Moon, Oscar Aldrich...taking on water. . .' The radio continued to crackle.

    Noah grabbed the microphone from his Marine Radio 'Oscar! Noah Drago here, what's your position, over?'

   Noah wrote down Oscar's coordinates. 'He must have run into the squall we came through. I'm heading back---I won't let this sea claim another friend.' He steered his boat back the way they had come, chasing after the storm.

    Gray clouds were leaden, almost black, and towered above the horizon. The hull slapped against waves, the sea churned beneath them."

   On this same boat trip, Noah witnesses Ella doing Magick for the first time.

   "Ella come back inside!" The sea tried to wrench the wheel from his hands. He struggled to control the helm.

   He looked again and she had raised her hands toward the sky. Clouds parted, the sun broke through encircling the boat. The seas calmed, flattened, identical to a lake on a summer day. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The squall continued to rage around their circle of calm."

   Then there is the fun of creating spells! Here's an example.

       "Green leaves of Hemlock,
         And mighty twigs of Hemlock,
         I know you hold Magick.
         Release your power to save the sea,
         For this you've been handpicked,
         So mote it be!

     Ella set her grinder down and picked up a stirring rod. Gently she stirred her Magick portion, a foundation to start with.

        'Round, round and round the sea you'll go,
         to bind your Magick three drops of wax from this enchanted candlestick,
         So mote it be!'

   She held a binding candle over the beaker, continuing to stir whilst three drop of wax dropped into the bubbling mixture. A ball of magical energy began to form."
 
   Well, I had fun going back through "The Witch with the Trident Tattoo", to find these examples.
Now you know that there is research involved for Paranormal and Fantasy stories too!

Have you ever read a book that had too much researched info in it?

Ecletic Reading by Paty Jager

I write in several genres and that makes me a reader of several genres. While I have written mostly romance, it isn't my favorite genre. My favorite is mystery. Not thriller. If the writer goes to deep into the killer's mind it scares me and I can't read anymore or sleep!

But I have found a mystery writer I really like. J.L. Simpson's Daisy Dunlop series is a bit like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Only it's set in England with Daisy being married to a hunky man. Daisy is trying to find herself as her one and only son is getting older and will soon be off to the university.  Her ineptitude has made finding jobs a problem. That is why her hunky husband calls in a favor from his hunky best friend to give Daisy a job. His friend is an ex-spy and does P.I. work. This is a fun series with believable secondary characters and wonderful main characters. The best news is you can start following Daisy's escapades in her first book, Lost Cause for free! http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Cause-Daisy-Dunlop-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00NK5OPLC

Not only do I like mystery but I have a fascination of good witches. I'm not sure if it came from watching "Bewitched" as a child or reading the Witch of Blackbird Pond in Junior High. I've become a believer and follower of the Coastal Coven series by Diana McCollum. Her book The Witch with a Trident Tattoo has a good witch trying to find out who or what is killing life in the ocean. The witches are all unique and "enchanting". The story line is believable and James her "familiar" is over the top and perfect for the story. Pick up your copy and enjoy hanging out with the Coastal Coven witches. http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Trident-Tattoo-Coastal-Coven-ebook/dp/B018N7F2DQ

Besides my love of a good mystery book, I have a fascination for American Indian lore. Another mystery series that I enjoy and am sorry to hear Shannon Baker isn't writing any more are the Nora Abbot Mysteries. Book one Tainted Mountain starts the series with Nora Abbot and her husband trying to keep a ski resort in Northern Arizona afloat. Many things happen and not only is her husband killed but many other lives are at stake. I met Shannon at the Left Coast Crime conference this past February and completely understand why she's ended the series. She picked an American Indian tribe who are very closed off to the world. Trying to gather information for her books was like pulling teeth.http://www.amazon.com/Tainted-Mountain-Nora-Abbott-Mystery/dp/0738734225

I've also recently finished a Young Adult novel written by Carmen Peone. It is a coming of age story set in 1870. This story follows three teen-aged boys as they head off on a three day adventure. Only things go from bad to worse and the main character must draw on things he's learned from an Indian friend to help the three survive their trip. The author of Delbert's Weir lives on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington state and has incorporated many of the Native American survival skills into the story.  http://www.amazon.com/Delberts-Weir-Gardner-Sibling-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0199AAR6I

I don't get a lot of time to read for pleasure as it seems I am always reading reference books for the current or next book I'm writing.  I hope if you pick one or all of these books up to read that you enjoy them as much as I did.

Happy Reading!

http://www.patyjager.net
Writing into the Sunset 

Keep Calm and Read On by Sarah Raplee

Hi! I'm Sarah Raplee. I write romantic paranormal and steampunk short stories as well as paranormal romantic suspense novels. The books I'm recommending are books that I would love to take to a cabin hideaway and read all over again.

The first is a contemporary romance novella by Tammy J. Palmer, her debut, COUSIN Q: OFF LIMITS. This book had me at the first line! Ms. Palmer surprised me, made me laugh, and touched my heart deeply. I can't wait to read her next book.

My next recommendation is a cozy mystery by Paty Jager. It's the first of her Shandra Higheagle Mysteries, DOUBLE DUPLICITY, set in a small Idaho mountain town full of interesting characters. Shandra, raised by her white mother, is a young artist who struggles to come to terms with her Native American heritage and the ghost of her grandmother who haunts her dreams. 

When an art dealer is murdered, Shandra finds the body and meets a cop who becomes her love interest. Her dreams help them solve the murder. I thoroughly enjoyed this fresh cozy mystery and am about to read the second book in the series.

For those of you who enjoy Women's Fiction (can you tell I'm an eclectic reader?), I highly recommend Judith Ashley's Sacred Women's Circle Series. Each book recounts the story of one of the seven women who, with the love and support of her Circle Sisters, finds her way to fulfillment and romantic love. 

The first book, LILY-THE DRAGON AND THE GREAT HORNED OWL, finds a distrustful formerly-abused divorcee, now a dedicated social worker, facing an empty nest when her son decides to spend his senior year living with his father. Now she must face her loneliness, find a way to overcome past trauma and learn to trust and love again. This is a lovely, gentle, thoughtful story that illustrates the spiritual connection the women have to the Goddess, the earth, nature and each other.

My final recommendation is Diana McCollum's debut novella, THE WITCH WITH THE TRIDENT TATTOO. I read this fun paranormal romance as Diana's critique partner, and I plan to read the story again when she releases it in June. It's the first in her Coastal Coven Series. The young sea witch who is Guardian of the East Coast of North America must solve the mystery of what is killing off sea life in her domain. Known to the town as a marine biologist, she recruits a surly sea captain and an enchanted talking octopus to help her in her quest.

I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I will (the second time around!)

I write because I can't help it, and it's more fun than most of the alternatives. I have short stories in two anthologies, LOVE & MAGICK and GIFTS FROM THE HEART  from Windtree Press, available in print and ebook from all major online retailers. My Paranormal Romantic Suspense novel, BLINDSIGHT, will be released this summer. Here's a sneak peek at the cover!

Near Death Experience, Maybe?

By Diana McCollum

Years ago while living in Michigan, out of town in the country side, one of our friends was the local Sheriff. My husband at the time was doing some remodeling for a fellow who had moved to our small town.

This new fellow, I’ll call him Sam, spent money like crazy, and paid for everything in cash, including the $30,000 dollar remodel my husband did for him.

Sam took us for a celebration dinner after the project was completed. He told us he wanted my husband to build him a safe room in his basement, a room no one would know was there. Of course we were excited at the prospect of more work in a slow economy.

Our Sheriff friend calls us both into his office. He tells us about our “New” friend Sam. Sheriff holds up a rap sheet of previous crimes Sam had been convicted of, including Armed Robbery, Rape, Automobile Theft, you name it, it was probably on the list. His life of crime started at fourteen and he was around forty when we met him. Sam was under surveillance for recent unsolved store robberies in the county. Sam and his wife had moved from another state to our tiny town of four hundred people, right before the armed robberies started.

So we were told to report anything we heard from him or his wife such as if they were going out of town, if they bought something big and new, etc. Sam’s number was on my wall list of phone numbers next to the Sheriff’s. My husband called to say Sam was going to buy a new car in the next town over.

I dialed the Sheriff and Sam answered!! Oddly enough the numbers were one digit off. I said wrong number and hung up. Called the right number and told the Sheriff the mistake I had made. He told me to leave the house in case Sam was coming over. The Sheriff and Deputies had received evidence linking Sam to the local crime wave and were on their way to arrest him.

There’s a knock at the door, I see it is Sam, (this was before cell phones) I hid in the bedroom and called 911. Luckily for me, he left after knocking for five minutes.

Sam was arrested down the road from our house.

Have you ever been duped by a friend who turned out to be not at all who you thought he/she was?

Here's a blurb and the cover of my November 25th release, "The Witch with the Trident Tattoo".

Blurb: 

Gifted witch Ella Stone, born with an inherited affinity for water and the ability to talk to sea creatures, is on a mission. Ocean life is disappearing off the Atlantic Coast, and Poseidon needs her to find out why. She’ll do anything she can to find answers, even if that means hiring handsome, brooding sea captain Noah Drago to help.

Ella leads an isolated existence, keeping her secrets close. To the world at large she’s a scientist, but deep down she’s a lonely witch, wanting a deeper connection but afraid of reaching out. When Noah accidentally learns of her magic, she’ll have to trust him.

Noah has been a commercial fisherman all his life, except for five years as a Navy Seal. He’s seen and done things that scarred him, so he keeps to himself. But when Ella hires him, his life changes as quickly as a storm at sea. The sexy scientist’s kisses turn Noah’s world upside-down. Soon, he’s plunging into a world of myth, magic and passion.

But will their growing connection—their love—be enough to save them from an encroaching evil bent on destroying all life as they know it?