This weekend, there were two mass shootings in the United States in less than twenty-four hours, leaving dozens dead and injured. These are not even the first this week. Tragically, there will likely be more next week…perhaps tomorrow…or before I even finish writing this. More Americans have died to gun violence in the last forty years or so than in all the wars we have fought in during our nation’s history. Is this who we want to be?

While families are slaughtered in our streets, we tear others apart at our southern border. We detain asylum seekers and US citizens alike in concentration camps, without regard to the morality or legality of doing so. Children are traumatized for life; families are irrevocably destroyed; and innocent lives are lost. Is this who we want to be?

Wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, and record heat waves sweep across our nation, destroying homes, livelihoods, and lives. Climate change is here, and countless more lives will be lost in the coming years. And yet, for decades, we have done nothing to avert disaster, despite the clear warnings of both science and the world around us. Is this who we want to be?

If you are still supporting the Republican Party and their chosen standard bearer, then I ask you to answer these questions. Answer them silently; answer them to yourself. I don’t want to hear your answers. I ask only that you reflect on what they answers are for you, personally.

• Do you want thousands to be murdered every year by gun violence?
• Do you want families to be torn apart and children caged like animals?
• Do you want your children or grandchildren to be faced with famine, fire, or flood?
• Do you want to live in a nation whose laws are written to bolster racism, misogyny, homophobia, and countless other forms of hate?
• Do you want to live in a nation who allows its people to go without healthcare in order to keep its wealthiest citizens and businesses from paying taxes?

These are the things the GOP stands for. They pronounce these values loudly and proudly, through both word and deed. It doesn’t matter what you say your values are; a vote for the GOP is a vote for “yes” on all of the above. Can you live with that?

Who do you want to be?

I’m a California native now living in Pennsylvania for many years, and it is endlessly fascinating (and amusing) to me to observe the linguistic differences between those two regions of the country. Here’s a small sampling for your entertainment.

To Be or Not To Be

“My car needs to be washed,” says the Californian.

“My car needs washed,” says the Pennsylvanian.

“WTF?!” say my ears. It feels like absolute madness to leave “to be” out of that sentence, and yet it is common and widely accepted in Pennsylvania and parts of Ohio.

Sweeping with Sweepers

“Are you going to vacuum the rug with your vacuum cleaner?” asks the Californian.

“No,” answers the Pennsylvanian. “I’m going to sweep it with my sweeper.”

Huh? Vacuums do not sweep. They, uh, vacuum. A sweeper sounds like some sort of space-age mechanical broom used by Rosy on the Jetsons. You could, perhaps, say that you’re going to suck with your sucker, but I think we’re all better off sticking with “vacuum”.

When is a Mac not a Mac?

“I need to withdraw some cash with my ATM card,” says the Californian. (ATM cards may alternatively be referred to as a debit card.)

“I’m going to withdraw some cash with my mac card,” says the Pennsylvanian, apparently not referring to a line of personal computers. In fact, it’s a name that was used for ATMs by a Pennsylvania-based bank in the 1980s that has just stuck. “Mac” was shorthand for “Money Access”. Another regional bank here apparently called their ATM cards “George”. Imagine if we all went around saying that we need to use George to get some cash! 😱

This One or That One?

“Is it this one or that one?” asks the Californian.

“Is it this’n or that’n?” asks the Pennsylvanian.

This one (this’n?) threw me for a loop the first time I heard someone say it. It sounded so alien to my ears that I really grappled with understanding what was being asked.

Prolly

“Perhaps, but probably not,” says the Californian.

“Perhaps, but prolly not,” says the Pennsylvanian.

“Prolly” (rhymes with “trolly) amuses me a great deal when my wife, a native Pennsylvanian, uses it. It’s like saying, “Meh…we don’t need 37.5% of that word. Let’s just throw it out!”

In 2019, we still do not have a spam filter for snail mail. 🤔

Thanks to Turning Another Page for their review of Haven Divided to round out the audiobook tour. The tour was a lot of fun to participate in. 📚

My thanks to Crossroad Reviews for this review of Haven Divided 🎉📚

I created a music playlist available on Apple Music or Spottify. Check out today’s stop. on The Dragon’s Brood Cycle audiobook tour for commentary on each selection. 📚🎵

I was asked to put together a list of my top ten favorite fantasy novels for today’s stop on The Dragon’s Brood Cycle audiobook tour. Spoiler: I cheated. Check it out on Jazzy Book Reviews 📚

My thanks to Valerie Ullmer for hosting week 2 of The Dragon’s Brood Cycle audiobook tour! I enjoyed writing this guest post for her blog about my literary inspirations. 📚

y thanks to Turning Another Page for their review of Haven Lost as part of The Dragon’s Brood Cycle audiobook tour! 📚

Question: How do you manage to write such vivid descriptions in your books as a blind author?

I’ve been asked that question so many times over the last few years that it seemed like I should write a blog post about it to point new inquiries to. It isn’t that I mind answering or find the question offensive or upsetting in any way; it’s only that the places where this question generally comes up (e.g. on Twitter) don’t lend themselves to thorough or satisfying responses. So, for the record, here is the best answer I can give.

First, I didn’t lose my vision until I was six-years-old, giving me a strong foundation of what the visual world is like. I won’t deny this has helped tremendously, but it is not the main or only reason I write the way I do. I think anyone can write compelling visual descriptions; some have more of a knack for it than others. Plenty of bestselling authors can spin great stories without being very good at visual descriptions at all—Robert J. Sawyer comes to mind. Other authors thrive on describing the world they are building in rich detail, like Anne Rice.

Second, you’ll notice that in the paragraph above I was very specific about visual descriptions. The fact is, descriptions should be wholly immersive for your reader. There are at least five senses you can pull from, and all should be used in your writing at appropriate times to “draw” a picture of the setting you’re creating. Many readers won’t even realize that you’re doing this if you’ve snared them with your story. A character noting the smell of a flower might conjure the image of a rose in your reader’s mind; the feel of the steam upon their face will make them “see” the rich dark brown of the coffee. The point is, don’t get hung up worrying about the visuals. They should be there, but play to your strengths when you need to.

I credit a lot of my style of descriptive prose to Anne Rice, who is often praised for her ability to place the reader into preternatural situations and making them feel like they’ve actually lived them. She is the master of exploiting all the senses and drawing pictures, not just with words, but with experiences.

Next, I’ve always been a particularly visual person in general. Everything I touch, hear, smell, or taste acquires a color, texture, or picture in my mind. When i use an app on a computing device, I build a visual map of its interface in my mind. This is something that happens naturally for me, but it’s also a technique that can be learned. Build “pictures” in your mind as you experience the world around you. If those pictures need to be more tactile than visual, that’s fine. Image the sun as a (very hot) basketball, or the moon as a buttery croissant. (Damn, now I’m hungry.)

Looking back at the initial question, I can’t help wondering if I really answered it. I certainly can point to signposts along the road that have led me to where I am as a writer, but, as many writers will tell you, we mostly don’t know how we do what we do. So much of the creative process feels like magic as it’s happening.

If you’re an aspiring author who happens to be visually impaired, the best advice I can give you is to read as much as you can and, most important of all, just keep writing.

If you have a blog or podcast that is book related, or just want to chat about the creative process in general, I’m available for interviews, guest posts, etc. Feel free to reach out here or via my website.

I did an author interview for today’s stop on The Dragon’s Brood Cycle audiobook tour. It was fun! 📚

Today’s stop for The Dragon’s Brood Cycle tour included a review of Haven Lost by the Book Addicts Reviews. I’m so happy that so many readers are enjoying my books! 📚

This was the song for our first dance at the wedding, two years ago:

Song of the Day: I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) — by George Michael & Aretha Franklin 🎵

Wow! I’m so flattered by this review of Haven Lost by Crossroad Reviews! 📚

Today is my wife’s and my second wedding anniversary. We’re celebrating with a chill day and making dinner together this afternoon. ❤️

I’d also like to thank Jazzy Book Reviews and the Book Junkie Reads for hosting the audiobook tour over the weekend! 📚

The audiobook tour for The Dragon’s Brood Cycle continues with another stop which, among othero things, includes character profiles of three of the series’ protagonists! 📚

Day two of the audiobook tour for The Dragon’s Brood Cycle brings a Dream Cast if it was ever made into a TV series/film. This was fun! Who would your choices be? 📚

Here’s a fun little character interview with Emily Haven, hero of The Dragon’s Brood Cycle. It’s also appearing as part of the audiobook blog tour. 📚

I’m so excited! It’s day one of the blog tour for the audiobooks of my fantasy series! First up, a review of Haven Lost 📚

Author: Jeannie Wycherley

Narrator: Kim Bretton

Length: 4 hours and 20 minutes

Series: Wonky Inn, Book 1

Publisher: Jeannie Wycherley

Released: May 3, 2019

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Alfhild Daemonne has inherited an inn.

And a dead body.

Estranged from her witch mother, and having committed to little in her 30 years, Alf surprises herself when she decides to start a new life.

She heads deep into the English countryside, intent on making a success of the once popular inn. However, discovering the murder throws her a curve ball. Especially when she suspects dark magick.

Additionally, a less than warm welcome from several locals persuades her that a variety of folk - of both the mortal and magickal persuasions - have it in for her.

The dilapidated inn presents a huge challenge for Alf. Uncertain who to trust, she considers calling time on the venture.

Should she pack her bags and head back to London?

Don’t be daft.

Alf’s magickal powers may be as wonky as the inn, but she’s dead set on finding the murderer.

Once a witch, always a witch - and this one is fighting back.

A clean and cozy witch mystery.

Take the opportunity to immerse yourself in this fantastic new witch mystery series, from the author of the award-winning novel, Crone.

Genre-hopping introvert and word witch living somewhere between the forest and the sea in East Devon, UK.

Jeannie finds inspiration everywhere: in myths, stories and songs, while people watching, a word here, a look there. However, her main inspiration comes from the landscape. Devon has it all - a rocky coastline, pebble and sandy beaches, narrow winding lanes and picture perfect cottages, steep cliffs and an abundance of forest.

A good day for Jeannie means a blustery wind, racing waves and salty rain. She lives with her husband and two dogs, makes a lot of soup, plays too many computer games and loves watching movies.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram⎮Pinterest

An accomplished and award winning actress with West End and Broadway theatre credits Kim has been doing voice over work for 15 years. She has voiced cartoon characters for the BBC and been a regular vocal impersonator on a popular London radio show. Kim has narrated and produced 15 audiobooks since she joined ACX this year! Her voice over clients include Carnival Cruises, Gucci, Sennheiser, American Express, HRH UK Prisons systems, Doubletree Hotels, Victorian Trading Company and so many more. Quick, reliable and always professional.Kim has a reassuring, kind and expressive style.

Website⎮Twitter

My Review -- 🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Wonkiest Witch is, as the name would seem to indicate, a fun and quirky romp through an imaginative magical world bubbling beneath the surface of modern day England. The story, like its hero (a witch named Alf Daemonne), succeeds in straddling two worlds. In Alf's case, that's her magical and mundane lives; for the book, it's the cozy mystery and fantasy genres.

The book begins with a bang, dropping the reader directly into the magical world for a couple of chapters before stepping away to set up the murder mystery that is the thread that ties the rest of the story together. At first, I was perplexed by this. As Alf explores her new inn and its surroundings in a thoroughly mundane way, I wondered if the backstory about her family's witchy harritage was going to end up being more incidental than pivotal. Fortunately (at least for me), it isn't long before Alf's powers and her life-long rejection of them becomes central to her development and unravelling multiple mysteries, not just the discovery of a body in her back garden.

Jeannie Wycherley draws inspiration from all sorts of places, including mythology, folklore, and pop culture. Nods to J. K. Rowling's wizarding world and Stephen King's The Shining might be easily missed, but help to ground the fantastical in the everyday. Throughout, the novel's quintessential Britishness shines bright.

My only quibble, and it is a minor one, is that I wish the book was a bit longer to give the world building more breathing room. Granted, I'm a sucker for monstrously long novels, so I'm biased.

Kim Bretton's narration is spot on for the material. She seems to portray the quirkiest of characters effortlessly, and her lovely British accent enhances the book's strong narrative tone.

I look forward to checking out the rest of the series when it comes to audio! 🤞

Q&A with the Author

Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?

No! Definitely not. I wasn't even sure The Wonkiest Witch would be finished or published. Halfway through writing it (it was an experiment because at that time I was mainly writing horror and dark fantasy) I abandoned it for a while, unsure it was working. Then I thought, ‘well I might as well try and finish it' so I pushed on. I did a redraft and decided it wasn't too bad, then sent it to my new at that time editor. Not only did she love it, she insisted it become a series.

I had a cover designed. It was pretty poor, so my editor recommended a new designer who told me, “Well if you're writing a series I need all the titles at once so I can design them altogether and get the branding right.” So I had to come up with five more titles there and then! That was it, the Wonky Inn series was born right there.

As they began to sell the feedback I was getting from my US readers was they loved how British it was, but they struggled with some of the terms I used. It was some time while I was writing Book 5 it dawned on me that it would help if my readers could hear what Alf was saying as that would convey the meaning a little more.

It was at that stage I thought, ‘Right! I need an audiobook with a proper English accent.”

To be fair, I write with a strong narrative voice, so I hear what I'm writing. The Wonky Inn books should naturally translate well into a conversational tone. I hope that comes across in the audio.

Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?

I think Alf is a younger me, full of sass and sauce but still rather vulnerable and maybe quite lonely at times. In the follow up to The Wonkiest Witch, called The Ghosts of Wonky Inn, Alf is a little down to begin with, and depression is something I've struggled with in the past.

The relationship between Alf and the ghost of her great-grandmother Gwyn is totally mine and my Nan's! We were very close and always bickering. She passed away nine years ago. I loved her and miss her very much. It's fun to explore that with Alf and Gwyn.

The other aspect of The Wonkiest Witch that is very real is the location. Whittlecombe doesn't exist, but it is based on a few villages near me, and the idea of a general store, a post office, a little cafe and a village hall being all that's there is very real. In sleepy Whittlecombe we have the new inn (The Hay Loft), a village pond and a village green. That's about as busy as most of my neighbouring villages get. Thatched cottages and lots of forest is standard. It's all very quaint and olde-England and I love it.

If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?

This is such a hard question! I've just written The Mysterious Mr Wylie, where Alf has to some time-travelling (she gets travel sick though), and it is something I thought about a lot.

I have a PhD in modern and contemporary history, so I think I'd love to go back to Victorian London and see what it was really like - the squalor and conditions, hear the sounds, smell the smells, see what kind of food they had and so on.

Similarly I'd love to go to the court of Henry VIII, but maybe not stick around too long in case they tried to chop off my head.

Or maybe, just go back and hold my beloved best friend Herbie, my dog who died in 2016. But letting him go again would break my heart all over, so maybe I'm better off here with my memories.

What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?

Stuff and nonsense! I think audio is a wonderful way to capture what was in the author's mind and to breathe life into the characters, particularly where--as happens with Wonky--the characters are British and so the way they speak should add to the humour. That humour can be quite specific to the timing, so hearing the voice helps. Also - seriously - I spent 16 years teaching. I know the inequality that exists in education. At one stage I was teaching grown men how to read. Imagine that. Imagine being an adult unable to access the written word. And what about those with disabilities? Or the people who listen to audio while doing something else? Driving or crafting? Working or cooking? Why shouldn't any of these people have words in their life?

I say let's celebrate the written word in all its formats! Vive le difference as the French say.

How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?

With a massive question mark and a sigh of relief. I just didn't know what people would make of it. It was a story that came from the heart at a time when I was really down and I needed some light and magick in my life. When it was published and people actually liked it, I was gobsmacked and extremely excited.

I drink a lot of tea, so that's what I celebrate with, but I wrote this last summer so I may have had a sneaky gin and tonic in my titchy garden in the sunshine with my husband.

What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump?

The only thing that gets me out of a writing slump is more writing. Breaking through the block for me simply means putting my backside in my seat and writing words. Any words. Rubbish words.

Think about it. If I write 500 words and 450 of them are awful and I delete them, that still means I have 50 usable words. At some stage, something is going to wave at me, and I'll notice it and think, “Hmmmm. That's interesting.” At that stage the muse kicks in and away we go.

I do find I need to plot in advance though. If I leave things to chance it can all unravel very quickly.

In terms of a reading slump. Yes, I've been in one for a while. I tend to go out and buy a few books in charity shops, and read those until I find something I'm mad for. I also read a lot of non-fiction and at the moment I'm reading books written by forensic pathologists. Yes, I do have slightly macabre tastes! LOL

In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series?

Good question. For me, these days, writing a standalone is a bit of a luxury. My standalone novels take a lot of time to write. I craft them in a much different way. The advantage is *possibly* you have a novel that stands up to the big name authors, and you cover some deep themes. The disadvantage is that's it. That's all you have. Once the reader has finished it, there's no revisiting that world.

Writing a series has given me the opportunity to build a world and explore the people who live in it. Of course there's Alf, living it large as we say in the UK, and her important friends such as George, Jed, Millicent and Wizard Shadowmender. But then we have new characters coming in and the stories envelop them too. Ghosts such as Gwyn (great-grandmother), Florence and Zephaniah. New witches and wizards. I'm currently writing Wonky Inn Book 7 (The Great Cakey Witch Off) and a ghost character called Ned finally gets a speaking role. LOL

The series also allows me to tie up loose ends. I envisaged the Wonky Inn Books as a five part series, but a couple of eager eyed readers pointed out a loose end from Book 3 and I already realised I had one in Book 4. Therefore I wrote Book 6, The Mysterious Mr Wylie to explain that character's presence in Book 4, and when I write Book 8, we'll finally answer one of the thorny questions left over from Book 3.

Honestly, I just love writing. Wonky Inn gives me and - more importantly - so many readers a great deal of pleasure. But I'm proud of my standalones too.

Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?

I have some very weird dreams but none of them are as crazy as Wonky Inn! The character of Gwyn the great-grandmother is based on my own Nan, and of course there's a lot of me in Alf, but otherwise no, I haven't met these characters.

However, I did have a dream once, that was so real and so vivid that I had to write it up. That became Keepers of the Flame, which is the only love story I've written. I still marvel at it. It took me five days to write the first draft and I still think it's a really interesting story. You do need tissues though. Tissues, wine and chocolate. It's a weepy.

What's your favorite...

• Food

  My Dad makes a fantastic prawn cocktail. I also like all curries and rice and sundries!

• Song

  The Unforgettable Fire by U2 or Black Magic Woman by Santana. Both are wonderfully witchy.

• Book

  The Outsiders by S E Hinton. An American classic before YA as a category existed. It is a fantastic work of literature. Those characters! You fall in love with them.

• Television show

  At the moment it's Breaking Bad. My husband and I recently subscribed to Netflix and we've been watching Breaking Bad. Total genius.

• Movie

  Star Wars. I'm a massive Star Wars fan. I've watched that first one a gazillion times. I know every line. I adore it. So sad that we've lose Carrie Fisher and Peter Mayhew. I feel like I'm getting old.

• Band

  The Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl seems like a really wonderful human.

• Sports team

  I don't really follow many sports. I like the Olympics and Tennis and things like that. I watch England play Rugby and Football, but otherwise, I'm not very interested.

• City

  I'm not a great fan of cities in general because they are busy, noisy and dirty. I love the forest and the backwaters and the sea. I like peace and quiet. But I did live in Nottingham for 16 years, so that's a favourite, and I do love Exeter and York (medieval cities of note).

What's next for you?

I am currently writing Wonky Inn Book 7: The Great Cakey Witch Off which is due for release on June 29th. I have booked Kim to narrate Wonky Inn Book 2: The Ghosts of Wonky Inn in June, so that should be out by the end of July.

I have been editing a Victorian gothic ghost story for what feels like forever, and I must try and get that to my editor. I just want to make it perfect and at the moment it's not perfect. I won't let it go until it is.

So the next few things I'll be working on are a dark Christmas novella, a Wonky Christmas novella and a witch fantasy. I've also kind-of-sort-of-almost planned a new cozy series, so watch this space!

Disclaimer

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Jeannie Wycherley. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Tomorrow, I’ll be hosting a virtual audiobook blog tour stop and reviewing the title in question. This is my first foray into this world, and it has been a lot of fun to put together. I have my own blog tour coming up soon as well, which should also be fun. 📚

Song of the day – Heal the Pain) by George Michael 🎵

Wow…Sting’s new album looks like it’s going to be fun. His older songs, redone to fit his voice and modern sensabilities. 🎵