Release Day for A Magical's Gift

I hadn't planned on writing a book series... It just sort of happened. So, I started thinking... Did my series contain an overall story arc?

I wrote A Vampire's Tale because I shared my protagonist's views on the Hollywood vampire. I'm supportive of an author's prerogative, but I believe, in the case of vampires, there are some hard and fast rules.

Creation:

1. A vampire's bite can transform a human into a vampire under certain circumstances.

2. A vampire doesn't have a soul.

Special Skills:

3. A vampire can possess skills like super speed, the ability to fly, or "Jedi mind tricks" like erasing memories or planting suggestions.

Injuries and Death

4. A vampire can feel pain, cry tears of blood, and experience injury. They will heal faster below ground.

5. A vampire can die by various methods like prolonged exposure to sun.

You can agree or not. It's still just my opinion, determined after much research.

In A Vampire's Tale, the vampire Corgan finds a paranormal romance author Marisa to tell the truth about vampires. Oh, and she's also a paranormal skeptic who doesn't believe in vampires. That makes for a bumpy meet cute.

I hadn't planned on writing A Wizard's Choice, but Kurtis Warde demanded a story of his own. Introduced as a friend of the protagonist in A Vampire's Tale, Kurtis is also a wizard apprentice with the Magical Guardians, AND the son of a wizard and a fairy. Why is this significant, you may ask? For centuries, wizards and fairies were sworn enemies. The wizards had thought they'd annihilated the fairies while, in actuality, the fairies were lying in wait, plotting their revenge. Once a tool of genocide, the wizards now keep the peace in the magical world. The continued existence of fairies would've presented them with a dilemma.

In A Wizard's Choice, Kurtis must choose to become a full-fledged wizard or not. Being a wizard is as much of an honor as it is a sacrifice. You dedicate yourself to peace, but forgo love and marriage. Oh, and, you instantly transform into an old man. The wizards let their apprentices sample the non-magical world before they make their lifelong committment. And, if they don't become wizards, they're not shunned. Kurtis doesn't want to become a wizard, but he doesn't want to disappoint the grandfather Waldor who raised him. Did I mention that neither of his parents are in the picture? It relates to the feud. His maternal grandmother tried to kill his mother Amelie so she left him with his father Niall, not knowing that Niall had fought with his father Waldor and taken off. A tragic misunderstanding makes an excellent plot device.

And, it wouldn't be a romance novel without a love story. I planned for Kurtis to fall in love with his life coach Alina, but he insisted on being with Corgan's maker Dee. It was a surprise turn of events which left Alina heartbroken and alone... until A Fairy's Quest.

Did I mention that Alina is a fairy and part of the royal family? Alas, another fairy family had stolen their crown, and it's Alina's duty to reclaim it. And the story lines are still very connected. The fairies who stole the crown are the same fairies who tried to kill Kurtis' mother. Also, Kurtis' maternal grandmother tried to kill Kurtis and Alina in A Wizard's Choice. Confused yet? I hope not because the story is far from over. 

In A Fairy's Quest, Alina travels to Paris to meet with The Royal Court of Fairies. She's intercepted by an assassin Rylan, but instead of killing her, they fall in love.

Every book in this series ended up containing so many connections that even I didn't see at first. That's what happens when the characters are in charge. I'm looking at you, Kurtis Warde.

Kurtis' mother Amelie escaped her mother's wrath, but she had a little help from Faye, a fairy from The Royal Court of Fairies. Even though both Amelie and Kurtis are safe, Faye feels like she failed Amelie. She starts a company called Fairy Godmothers, Incorporated (FGI) to help grant wishes to atone for her guilt. In A Fairy Godmother's Redemption, the fairy godmothers help a college student Drew who finds himself the guardian of his twin half-sisters and a popular singer Sera who finds herself embroiled in a tabloid scandal. And, of course, Drew and Sera fall in love.

Four books later, my series is still incomplete. I needed to tell Amelie and Niall's story. In A Magical's Gift, RELEASE DAY IS TODAY, BUY NOW FOR $1.49 UNTIL JUNE 12, I concluded my series arc with my final happily-ever-after, Amelie and Niall's reunion.

And, I made another observation just now. The Magicals Series is all connected to Kurtis Warde. Book One is about Kurtis' friend Corgan. Book Two is about Kurtis. Book Three is about Alina, the girl Kurtis didn't choose. Book Four is about the fairy who helped Kurtis' mother Amelie. Book Five is about Kurtis' parents Amelie and Niall. Pretty cool, right?

So, if you haven't read this series, I highly recommend it. [smiling emoji] It truly was an incredible journey. The writing, the re-reading, and the revelations I discovered about the characters and myself. The Magicals Series is a fast-paced, complicated adventure into a magical world. I didn't plan it as a series, yet it evolved into one.

The Magicals Series:

A Vampire's Tale

A Wizard's Choice

A Fairy's Quest

A Fairy Godmother's Redemption

A Magical's Gift

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Have you read my 2022 RONE Award Nominee book, A Fairy Godmother's Redemption?

 

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Excerpt from A Fairy Godmother's Redemption:

The sun woke him up the next morning. Oh… it’s too early. His brain abandoned its sleepy state when he remembered his mother was kicking them out today. He rolled out of bed, wearing yesterday’s wrinkled clothes.

His heart jumped in his chest. He heard the clang of pots and pans coming from the kitchen. Is Mom making breakfast? Maybe she changed her mind? He hopped down the stairs, taking two at a time. A surprising scene greeted him with Madison and Mackenzie making breakfast in the kitchen. There was no sign of his mother. He tried to hide his disappointment.

“We made breakfast.” Madison smiled, pride evident in her eyes. “We aren’t allowed to use the stove.

Mackenzie looked around the room, avoiding eye contact with Drew. “I hope you like cereal.”

“You used a lot of dishes—” He waved his hand around the messy kitchen. “—to make cereal.”

Madison's eyes filled with tears.

Damn. He hated the waterworks. “That's fine. I love cereal.”

Mackenzie grinned. “We made it special.”

Special? He took a bite of cereal, tasting a mix of at least three different kinds. “Mmm.”

Madison beamed while Mackenzie watched him suspiciously.

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Excerpt from A Fairy Godmother's Redemption:

Today is a new day. This will blow over. And everything will go back to normal. Sera squared her shoulders. I can face anything as long as I get to sing. She took a deep breath. I’m not doing myself any favors, wallowing in my hotel room. She needed a change of scenery… and some fresh air wouldn’t hurt either. 

Enjoying the forceful stream from the showerhead pounding the tension from her neck and shoulders, she lingered under the heated spray. Escaping the steamy room, she donned her most inconspicuous outfit—a faded t-shirt and a pair of worn jeans—then tucked her long hair, still wet from the shower, under a ballcap. Finally, she grabbed her sunglasses and purse before slipping out of her room. 

As she passed Krista’s door, she felt a twinge of guilt. It’s not like I’m sneaking around. Even she didn’t believe her defensive statement. She knew she’d been avoiding Krista. After a quick walk, I’ll go see her.

The bright sun on this spring morning promised another sultry day. She tugged her ballcap a little lower and put on her sunglasses before pushing open the heavy revolving door. The rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee filled the air, a sharp contrast with its competing scents—malted barley and Mary Jane. She hit the sidewalk, heading toward the nearest coffee bar. It felt good to be out of her room. She dodged a group of camera-toting tourists, turning her face to the side as she passed. Pausing in front of a café that boasted “fair trade organic coffee” to read their sandwich board menu, she decided on a twelve-ounce cappuccino. Coffee in hand, she detoured toward the marina instead of heading straight back to the hotel. 

It’s a beautiful morning. She took a deep breath, appreciating the salty tang of the ocean. Neat rows of sailboats lined the piers of Mariners Bay. People bustled along the boardwalk, focused on their various places to go, leaving Sera unnoticed among the chaos. She enjoyed the anonymity. In her casual clothes, no one would mistake her for the musical sensation, Seraphina Jacobs. 

Finding an empty bench with a great view of the harbor, she settled down, cradling her coffee in both hands. She embraced the peaceful feeling that something so simple—sitting down with coffee—created within her. In a flash of inspiration, she dug out a notepad and pen from her purse. She scrawled Everything is brighter; I feel lighter on the page. Staring at the words, she realized their truth. Sitting there in the sunshine, things did seem brighter. Far removed from the worries of her reality. She gulped the last sip of coffee, knowing she’d run out of ways to stall her return to the hotel. Her reprieve was over. Time to face the music. She cringed at her unintentional pun, then she grinned as another occurred to her. It’s showtime.

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If only your dreams could come true with a Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo…