Let the Adventure Begin

 Hello everyone and happy May Ray Day!

What is May Ray Day??? It's a day to celebrate all the rays of sunshine. When spring starts to whisper about summer, and the sunshine shatters the darkest shadows.

And that thought lead me and my crew on our latest adventure... It seems that we have a 'haunted' swamp close by. A woman in the early 20's killed her husband, his father, and possibly a few other people.....

So I packed up a few key things... camera, extra shoes, my you inspire the serial killer in me hoodie, you know the basics

No road trip is complete without at least one doughnut stop. And these were amazing! I could see myself driving the forty-five minutes to just get another one :-) 

Once we arrived at the 'haunted' swamp, we began our missions ...

Charlie's was to track animals and walk across ALL the fallen trees. He also hoped to find Big Foot...

I however, was there on a writing mission. Writing has been difficult for me since I broke all the things in my right leg/foot/ankle. But when I watched about this swamp on Haunted America on Prime and learned it was only about an hour and half away and story idea hit me!

The idea came when they were exploring the seasonal road that runs through the swamp and found a salt circle. 

Now we didn't find a salt circle...but here's a peak...

Now this may seem like a 'nice' place but don't let the pictures fool you! We did actually had some really weird things while we were roaming around. Charlie firmly believes it was Big Foot. 

Me???

It was a character in my book! And from the pictures I took I've written over 6k of a story about evil spirits contained in a circle of salt. A story of disperation. A story of learning about oneself. And a story of making peace with the demon's of your past. A story of shining light on the shadows. Of a May Ray Day.

Here's a little snippet.. 

Lorna struggled down the rutted dirt road. Her frail arms shook from the weight of the salt bucket. How many times had she made this trip? Well over five hundred she figured. She’d started as a child skipping along with her grandmother too young and native to understand what they were doing.

A lump formed in her throat as the thought of her failure. She was too old to make this trip but there was no one else to do it. Who keep the circle sealed when she gone? She glanced up at the sky. A thick blanket of clouds covered any stars that could have provided her light on this dark moon night. Not that she needed any. She knew the path.

She sat the bucket down and took a deep breath before stepping off the road into the woods. The air carried the chill of the early spring and the restless moans of the spirits. The ones circling through the still leafless branches were the neutral spirits who for whatever reason had chosen to remain unlike those trapped in the circle. If they were to break free, they would have the same effect as turning a plague loose.

One key thing to remember... no one sees anything the same way.

I walked through swamp seeing my characters, hearing my characters whisper to me, and writing notes. Charlie walked through the swamp and saw cougar tracks (NO cougars in our area), heard Big Foot, and caught three frogs!

Sometimes I think we as writers forget that we are inspired by different things. That there is no one thing to do to be inspired. 

So for this month's theme of 'in case you missed it', I just want to say - you didn't. You saw exactly what you were meant to!

See everyone next month!

Lyncee

Note: Milo didn't go on this adventure with us. Because honestly, I wasn't brave enought to roam a haunted swamp with Charlie and a 216 pound dog. 

What's Cooking?

 Hi everyone :-)

This month, I'm going to talk about something I love - food! We are foodie family...

We make all the things - even Milo's treats

And as such food always finds it way into my books (sort of like murder - people are going to die, eat, and have steamy sex in my books). I often use food as a way to reveal character traits. 

Leigh in Taking a Risk loves peanut M&M's. S he's slightly OCD... and a health nut so she buys a share size bag of M&M's every week and divides them out by color. Monday she eats all the red. Tuesday is blue and so one. When she's in really stressful situation she buys another package east extra of that day's color - just that day's color because that's part of her character.

Kelsey in my upcoming release Bayou Viper (Book 1 - Follow the Numbers series) eats BBQ chips dipped into jalapeno flavored cream cheese when she's thinking about a case. And will not eat food with the letter 'k' in it (a character reveal you need to read the book to find out).

Not only do I enjoy using food as way to add deepth to my characters but I use it add to the story overall. 

Cajun Stuff Shells is a meal Nic makes for her but before she'll eat it she needs to know all the ingredients (can't have things with the letter 'k'). The scene adds to Nic and Kelsey's relationship. A reminder they are in the south. 

Bayou Viper will be up for pre-order April 20th and released June 1st. BUT the cooking book - that includes Cajun Stuffed Shells will be a free download :-)

Interesting fact - while my love for doughnuts is well known, none of my characters share this love :-)

I guess I don't like to share ... even with fictional characters. 

Thanks for stopping by and see you next month.

 

Everything Scary

 Hello everyone!   

I love love October. For me it's the final month before the seriously cold sets in.  And since I do most of my writing while the snow piles up over the next several months. I spend October out exploring with Charlie and our new 'puppy' (Milo is 4 months and 75 pounds). 

So while October can have lumpy rain, a couple of inches of snow, it also have days that like this...

I found a perfect lair for a serial killer...

We go and visit some local haunted sites...

A local graveyard that is said to have over 30 sightings a month

Hell's Bridge - an urban myth 

And because of the Covid-19 the local amusement park was closed. What a perfect sitting for romance suspense! 

I find carnivals creepy...
even when they are swarming with people

From my current WIP - 

She was so perfect. How long had it been since?

“Put her on the table and leave,” Edgar demanded. He wasn’t going to share her with anyone. Her screams were for his ears alone. 

Mya sat in her dark living room of her penthouse. The west wall was floor to ceiling windows show casing the Las Vegas’ glowing skyline. In nine short years, she’d gone from a nobody living in doorways performing sleight of hand tricks on street corners to headlining at one of the top venues in Las Vegas. And it had only cost her soul. Something the street had taken from her long before she made the deal with the devil.

From my steamy Halloween romance suspense - Murder and Treats

Thanks for stopping by and see you next month, when I'm sure I'll have pictures of snow to share!

It's a Reading thing...

Hey hey everyone! So this month we all are talking about books... and as writer this is a topic that is not only near and dear to my heart but it's major part of being a writer.

I can't remember my favorite book as a child and it's really hard to say which one is my favorite as an adult. I think all books have merit, they can either present a challenge to my writing - I want to write like this. Or they can provide an example of what is not for me as writer (this is no way saying that I think the writer is lacking in talent, it's sort of like yoga - it's great that you can put your big toe in your ear but I never want to do that).

Beach reading :-)

I'm also 'weird' in that I'm not genre specific and I read more than one book at a time... I know what the heck!

I also encourage Charlie to read in different genre (sometimes really strongly because let's be honest you can only listen to sooooo many sharks books - just being real).

I do read non-fiction 'self-help' books or writing style books. Not in the volume of fiction.

My latest...I loved it

Tiny Habits

So because my reading style is allllll over the place, let's talk about favorite reading places.  I love to read out doors...
Even in the chilly winter, with my doughnut slippers, lined leggings wrapped in a thick fuzzy blanket with a cup of coffee.

What are some of your favorite reading places???

Talking about reading - do you know I have a new book - The Prank - coming out June 22th (you can preorder at https://books2read.com/u/m2ZLBd)


When Emilee Sawyer learns that the reclusive Ted McGraft is going to an Alaska animal reserve, she see it as her break. An interview of a lifetime. Only she arrives to learn it was a prank set up by her cousin. But instead of it being funny, it turns deadly when Emilee becomes the target of a serial killer.

Jeremy Hanks had a bad feeling about Emilee Sawyer but the reserve could use the exposure. When he sees her, he knows the smart thing would be to load her back up and return her. But instead, he lets the sexy reporter stay. A mistake that may cost them both their lives.

Wishing everyone a month of great reading!

Let's vacation with a killer...

While I’m not a fan of the snow and endless cold, Michigan has some amazing places to vacation or staycation. 

A staycation for me - less than a 1/2 a mile away... the beach….

Miles and miles of forest….(these are from a forest path about 5 miles from my house - another staycation)

And some mountains…

I went on a hiking trip several – okay a lot – of years ago.  It was amazing!  One of my favorite family outings. And because this was such a great trip, I wrote a book using the Porcupine Mountains as a setting.  I mean what better to honor a great family vacation then turn it into the playground of a serial killer????

Hiking with a Killer

  

 

For their second wedding anniversary, Heather and Max plan on spending a weekend hiking in the Porcupine Mountains. 

It's early May so they plan sharing the park only with the squirrels, deer, and maybe a bear. But they soon learn a much larger and more dangerous predator is hunting. And they are the prey.

In order to celebrate another anniversary, they have to survive this one.







Blurb:

Heather Ultisk shifted her shoulders, so she could ease out of the backpack. The beauty of it almost made her forget her aching muscles and the blister on her left big toe. The late spring afternoon sun sparkled off the tumbling water creating hundreds of mini rainbows. She stood holding her camera but knew any picture she took wouldn't do the waterfall justice.

"Breath taking." She began clicking her camera. Moving slightly trying to capture the beauty with her lens.

"It's nothing compared to you," Max Ultisk said from behind her as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “For the last two years, I've been lucky enough to be married to the most beautiful woman in the world."

She giggled at her husband's corny line. "Really Max, it's a good thing you’re a computer gaming geek because you would have failed completely in the card writing business."

He nuzzled her neck. The roughness of his six o'clock shadow against her soft skin fanned the flickering flames of her desire. "I'm serious, Heather. I love you and I'm truly a lucky man. These last two years have been amazing. How many other women would want to hike the Porcupine Mountains for their second wedding anniversary?"

Available July 1, 2018

Have a great month! And enjoy your vacation or staycation...

Welcome to Shadow!

I love creating worlds. It’s my favorite part of writing.

Welcome to Shadow!

Population: Unknown – due to the nature of our residents it’s impossible to take a census.

It’s April Fools and things just aren’t going good for the top level witch Estella…

Here’s a peek ;-)

Estella looked inside the blood soaked box. “Shit. This is bad.”

When the doorbell had chimed at two minutes after midnight on April Fools, she’d assumed it was the jester’s first prank before leaving Shadow for the human world for a day of pranks and chaos making.

She never thought she’d be staring into Sam’s dead eyes. Looking up, she scanned into the dark. Of course, she saw glowing eyes and shifting darkness, she lived in Shadow. Minutes past midnight meant every nocturnal creature was prowling...and hunting.

Slamming the door, she leaned against the wood and muttered a protective spell. Who killed Sam? And why leave his head for her?

She mentally went through the list of Shadow residents. None of them stood out as likely candidates in Sam’s murder

Heading upstairs to her bedroom, she picked up the telecom. She pressed Zek’s number and after a dozen buzzes, he answered.

“Whhhhaattt,” he slurred. She tried to decide if it was a drunken or I’m-still-asleep lisp but it was too hard to tell from one word.

“I have trouble.”

After a long stretch of silence she pressed the disconnect button and threw the telecom on the bed. As she pulled on her clothes, her mind raced. Why had she called Zek? He’d proven he couldn’t be trusted. Yet, she’d called. 

Shaking her head, she started toward the bedroom door when a shadow formed. Her heart slammed into her ribs with enough force, she half expected to see it laying on the floor in front of her. Someone had broken through her ward.

…. And so starts April Fool’s day. Only this year the pranks won’t be funny in Shadow or the human world, they will be deadly.

In less than twenty-four hours, Estella is going to have to figure out a way to stop the pranks before Shadow and the human world slips into an everlasting darkness.
The problem is the only one who can help is her demon ex-lover, Zek, if the human world or Shadow is to survive this April Fool’s day, she will have to somehow forgive him and convince him to partner up again.

April Fool’s will be available in 2017.