It’s my blogoversary!

How cute WordPress gave me a notification about today, with a symbol of what looked like a champagne glass. I started this blog two years ago today. It’s undergone quite a transformation since that first post, in both design and content. So let me say thank you to everyone who’s followed me along this journey since the beginning (and to all those who joined up along the way!).

Two years. It feels so short and yet so long. Two years ago I started this blog because I’d just published my first novel, and well, that was the “thing to do”. On the exact same day that first book came out, I graduated from my interpreting training program. (Apparently I’m an overachiever; just ask my former classmates about my homework.) I’ve been immersed in both worlds since, and have loved every minute of it. You see, this anniversary doesn’t just mark a life change for me, or the beginning of a new chapter. It marks the moment I jumped into the world with both feet saying, “I’m ready. This is what I want.”

There have been some rough patches, as all roads have. There have been moments of great success, and times where that little voice inside suggested I give up. But I pressed on. Because being here, more than just a career choice, has given me something I’ve longed for my entire life—a place where I belong. The kinship I have found and developed with so many wonderful people since that graduation/book birthday have made this journey more than a road, more than an experiment. It’s my life. And I’m in love with it.

Stay tuned, I will have another, regular post for you later, a nice little parody I hope you find amusing.

My First Love

Happy Valentine’s Day early! I hope all the couples out there have some good plans for celebrating your special someones. And if you’re currently single, be proud and enjoy the positives that come with that. This week I’m celebrating a first love—Phoenix Feather.

Phoenix Feather contained many firsts for me. It was the first book I wrote set in our world. Before that, I’d always written straight fantasy: dragons, sword fights, magic. But then I was thinking about superheroes and this thought struck me—”What if there was a supernatural character who *wasn’t* the hero?” Aidan Quinn was born, a woman who in every way was just like any other except for the dormant power inside that manifested at her death and brought her back to life from the ashes.
When I started writing Phoenix Feather, I just thought it would be a fun experiment; I didn’t expect it to actually go anywhere. But then the process of writing it took off, making it, not the first book I ever finished, but the first book I finished that wasn’t terrible.

Phoenix Feather was also the first book I ever published. It’s hard to imagine how far I’ve come in the past two years (even harder to imagine it’s only been two years!). I knew next to nothing when I published it, not to mention I had no social media presence. I hit that heart-palpitation-inducing “Publish” button  and then read up on good marketing tips, which stated I needed to start a blog and get on Twitter. So that’s what I did. It’s a good thing I fell into the #mywana hashtag group, because I met a handful of amazing people who I’ve been good friends with since.

Lastly, if you’ve read my books, you might find this a little surprising—Phoenix Feather was the first book where I gave my characters a happily ever after. That’s right, before that, I had an unfortunate habit of not letting the guy and girl get together. It’s not like I killed everyone off (though in one case I did kill the guy), but romance just wasn’t in the cards for my characters. Aidan and Trent changed that, and I’m so glad they did. Plus, Trent is a guy I could totally fall for. He’s sweet and solid, with old fashioned values. Half of the writing of this story was me living vicariously through Aidan and falling in love with the guy too.

Phoenix Feather was my first love, not just because it was my first published book or my first romance, but it awakened in me a love for writing urban fantasy, which led me down the path to writing Elemental Magic. Some people have asked if I will write a sequel for Aidan and Trent, but though I love the characters and each one holds a special place in my heart, their story feels complete. For now. The muse may very well change her mind later down the road.

Have you read Phoenix Feather? Tell us about your favorite romantic moment in the book. Hey, even tell us about your first love (doesn’t have to be human ).

Snuggle up this Valentine’s Day with a sweet romantic suspense. Phoenix Feather on Amazon!

Aidan Quinn is a centuries-old phoenix living as a human. Weary of the repetitious life cycles, she’s not sure she has it in her to love again, though dashing fireman Trent McCain is going to do his best to convince her otherwise. But the clock is ticking—a serial killer is on the loose, and he’s on the hunt for a phoenix.

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Should Your Pet Go Gluten Free?

I want to start by saying that I am not trying to advocate an answer to this question. I am not an expert and there’s a lot of research one should do before making a decision about whether to put your pet on a gluten free diet. I just want to share my experience because if I had known some of these things beforehand, I would have gone about this process differently.

I’ve been celiac for ten years. For the first eight, I was in denial. Sure, I had cut out all wheat foods from my personal kitchen, but that didn’t stop me from eating gluten infested food from restaurants every week. After a health scare back in 2011, I finally got my act together and went 100% gluten free. Then I got to thinking: I know what consuming gluten does to the human body. Not everyone is severely allergic to it, but cases have skyrocketed in the past decade. Genetic manipulation of wheat in order to increase production has resulted in gluten toxicity; we weren’t meant to ingest the concentration we have been, compared to sixty years ago.

So, knowing what gluten does to me, why was I content to feed it to my cat? I decided to switch her food, and read the labels of several different “grain free” brands before settling on one. I thought I was taking care of my beloved cat. Two months after being on this gluten free dry food, my cat gained two whole pounds. She was already on the border of her recommended weight because of her build, and now she was overweight. More research revealed that most gluten free pet food brands substitute the gluten with potatoes, peas, and other starchy foods. Those high carb ingredients lead to pet obesity.

I was crushed. Here I thought I was doing the best for my cat, and I had put her health at even more risk. Was there no healthy course? Was I doomed to pick the lesser of two evils? (I read up on homecooking your pet’s food, but that’s a very complicated matter that I just didn’t have the time to learn.) Thankfully, after more research, I found a cat food brand that did not use gluten or the high starch ingredients. Right now I’m feeding my cat Nature’s Variety, Instinct. It has 78% protein (compare to 30% of most well-known brands). (Disclaimer, I’m not saying it’s the best; it’s the only one I could find in my local pet store, but it was ranked highly by experts.)

Buying grain-free pet foods is more expensive than the other brands. On the other hand, the better quality of food, the less quantity your pet needs to get sufficient nutrients. My cat eats much less than she used to and even though it’s taken two months, she’s lost one pound. I’m strongly hoping that in another two she will be back to a healthy weight.

I love my little girl and want her to live a long and healthy life. I’m not a fan of gluten, but I’m not preaching we should throw it all out. (Though if we did, restaurants might carry more options for me.) Not everyone gets sick from it, but we can’t predict who will and who won’t. The decision is yours. I only hope sharing my experience will give you something to think about, and help you avoid some of the mistakes I made should you choose to go this road with your pets.

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2012: A Year in Review

When the calendar year turns another slot, people look ahead to making a new start. They set resolutions or goals, planning to make the coming year even better than the last. I’ve got some major career goals for 2013, in both publishing and interpreting, but right now I want to take a moment to reflect. For me, it’s not just another year down, but also another year older (although I keep waiting for the birthday when I suddenly feel like an adult, lol). I don’t believe in wiping the slate clean for a new year and forgetting about whatever disappointments and failures bogged you down the last time. I believe we can learn from those let-downs and be better for it.

That isn’t to say 2012 was a bad year for me; on the contrary, it was a good one. And I can’t believe it’s over. It seems like not that long ago I was looking back on the accomplishments of 2011 and making plans for 2012, and yet it also seems like forever ago the things I did.

I published three books this past year: Dry Spell, Dreamwalker, and Earth Tones. With each one I’ve grown in my craft and I hope to continue growing, bringing you better and better stuff. One of the major ways I’ve grown is by having honest feedback. I’ll admit to you all that when I pulled Dreamwalker out of the dusty file folder to publish, I thought I’d cast this seven-year-old piece of writing to the world. Several people previewed the book beforehand, but only one person took the time to point out to me how it was so far from ready. I yanked the book and reworked it, working my butt off. If that meant embarrassing myself by not making my publishing date, so be it, because in the end everyone benefited from a better story. Honest feedback is hard to take, and equally, if not more, hard to give. But I will be forever grateful to that person.

I also attempted to write a book that failed. Some of you might remember when I talked about writing a character with all the same health problems as me. It seemed like a good idea, but after 41,000 words and coming to the edge of the climax, it flopped, or rather I did. But you know what, I don’t have to publish each and every word that I pen. Maybe someday I’ll go back to that story, when I have some emotional distance from that character’s pain and heartache I know all too well.

The experience did lead me to my current work in progress, the sequel to Dreamwalker. I’ve mostly published urban fantasy, even though I started my writing passion years ago as a straight fantasy writer, and I find my love for that angle rekindled. I’m not abandoning the Elemental Magic series, but you’re going to start seeing a little more variety from me in 2013.

Speaking of which, if you haven’t signed up for the newsletter yet, you might want to. I’ll be bringing in the new year with an exclusive sneak peek of my next book, Dreamstealer. Don’t miss it!

And you have to check this out: Dreamwalker is being featured in a Mad Libs style game over on Jen Kirchner’s blog. Go give your word suggestions and come back Friday to see how the scene plays out!

Happy New Year!

Riding Into the Sunrise

Yes, I said into the sunrise, not the sunset. Sunset is so final, the end of a tale, a sad farewell. Sunrise is full of new adventure, new sights, new promises. How about going out before dawn and racing the sun to see who will crest the hill first?

That’s what I did, though I was driving a car, not a horse. Hey, faster speeds, baby. A week ago I picked up my bag, got in my trusty vehicle, and headed to San Diego. That’s an eight-hour drive one-way. Was I crazy? Well, yeah. Crazy from life, chaos, frustration, health issues. I felt like my rib cage had turned into a pressure cooker. One by one, all the activities in my daily routine fell away until all that was left was work. I’d come home and ignore email, Facebook, blogs, writing, and even books. I made a fairly good imitation of a vegetable. The how I got there isn’t important, but the how I got out.

When I found out some WANA gals were getting together in San Diego, I really wanted to be a part of it. In addition to meeting some awesome friends in person, I figured getting away from my routine of wallowing would be a good thing. Get away from whatever kept dragging me down. Breathe some different air space. Going on a long road trip is good for cleaning out your car’s engine when it’s been subjected to in-town commutes for a while, so I figured the same goes for our mental and emotional gears. (Not our physical ones, though, as I painfully found out.)

And I started my trip with racing the sunrise. That was the best part of the drive—first starting out, watching the dark sky bleed into lighter hues, whipping past familiar scenery and into new ones. And the time away did do me good. Though, I left on Friday and came back Sunday, only to begin a twelve-hour work day the following morning. I’m writing this post on a Wednesday and it’s the first time I’ve had to actually sit down with the time for it. But that’s okay, because I am writing this, rather than curling up with a depressing playlist on my ipod and turning the volume all the way up, lol. (I’m not knocking that, because music is also very therapeutic.)

The weekend away was great, full of good company, laughter, and fellowship. But I can’t drive to San Diego every time life starts pushing critical mass. But getting up before dawn and racing the sunrise to the top of the mountains…yeah, I could go for that.

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Enter to win a copy of Earth Tones on Goodreads!

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Writing the Pain I Know

Based on my social media persona, you all probably know me as a writer whose imagination is way more interesting than her everyday life, a person who loves cats and books, and can be funny (on occasion).

What you probably don’t know is behind this computer screen, every single day is a battle with my health. I’m a Type 1 diabetic, but my cells have stopped processing insulin properly. This leads to high blood sugars and stress on the organs. So three months ago I reduced my diet to protein and produce. I was already celiac and couldn’t have wheat gluten, but now all grains, including rice and corn are off the list. I have allergies 24/7, 365 days a year, and the only reason I drink coffee is to keep the migraines at bay—which works most days.

Recently I found out I’ve got heavy metal toxins preventing any form of true healing from happening. That means detox, but if you’ve ever quit giving your body something it’s used to, you’ve probably experienced that things get worse before they get better. Your body doesn’t function very well holding all those toxins tightly in its cells, but when you detox, the floodgates open and all those nasty things are allowed to wreak havoc on your entire system. The plan my doctor lined up will take months, and I must confess that seeing the other side of this path is like looking down a road covered in blinding thick fog—with rattlesnakes in the bushes; I can’t see how far away the end is—or if there is one.

Last October (wow, almost a year ago!) I posted about outliving my expiration date. I’ve made a lot of lifestyle changes since then. I’ve been gluten free for over a year now, something I never thought I could do (or would). I’ve eliminated 99% of sugar, including artificial sweeteners, from my diet—no more cookies, candy, or ice cream. I say 99% because lots of grocery items have some form of sugar, like some canned beans!

The process of making these changes has been brutal, and the most discouraging thing of all is they haven’t made me feel better. With my doctor’s current plan, he hopes I’ll start feeling better in a month. And then we’ll keep going with the regimen for as long as it takes. Can you imagine thinking of recovery time in months or over a year? It’s daunting.

People have asked if I would ever write a character with diabetes or similar health issues, and the answer in the past has always been ‘no.’ When I write, I’d rather spend time with someone who isn’t held back by such weaknesses and inconveniences. One of the reasons I write is to pretend, just for a little, that I can go and do and be someone else.

However, with my current struggles and the frustration, that’s changed. I started a new book and this time my character has just as many health problems as me. Of course, I’m throwing in supernatural stuff as well. This character will face weakness and learn to find different kinds of strength. Because even though the days are hard and sometimes I feel so discouraged as to cry (or say “screw it all, I want the cookie!”), I keep going. I keep living and doing what I love. Writing this book started out as a therapeutic venture, but I hope the final product will be something worth sharing with you all.

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In the meantime, watch for the release of Earth Tones, Elemental Magic 3 coming October 20th! Check out the book trailer and stay tuned for the cover reveal next Wednesday!

I’m putting together a blog tour for the release with dates in November, and if anyone would like to participate, let me know! You can check out the tour schedule’s page on the right.

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Whispers of Magic

My eyelids fluttered open.  In the blackness of my room, the clock digits glowed a dull green of three o’clock.  I crawled out of bed and stepped into the hall.  The nightlight from the bathroom cast a soft hue across the floor as I crept past my parents’ bedroom toward the living room.  The sliding glass door didn’t make a sound as I eased it open and slipped outside into the backyard.  What could have compelled a seven-year-old to steal away in the dead of night?  What but the faintest stirrings in my soul whispering, “Come.”

I walked into the grass, bare feet brushing against the cool carpet.  I stopped and leaned my head back to look straight up.  The moon was a bright gleaming orb right above my head, the sky a brilliant shade of ocean blue in the waves of its illumination.  And around the moon was a perfect ring of light with the moon dead center.  It looked like a circle of white mist, though no other clouds graced the night sky.

I’d never seen anything like it, and haven’t since that night.  I’ve never forgotten it though, nor the feeling that I had been woken for a reason, drawn outside to share a secret wonder with the One who held my heart.  “Come, see what I made for you.”

Photo by Jesse757 on Flickr CC license, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jesse757/

Photo by Jesse757 on Flickr CC license, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jesse757/

Have you ever seen a sunset paint the clouds in the shape of a blazing eagle?  Or a vertical rainbow in the middle of the sky, with all the colors tinged in ruby red?  Or columns of golden sundust in a haze of thunderstorm dark rain?  I have.  Each time I stopped and marveled.  And a subtle stirring in my heart whispered, “Come see what I made, just for you.”

There is magic and enchantment in the world, if we are only willing and eager to see it.  Turn off the computer, the TV, the iPhone.  When was the last time you felt something stir deep within your soul, a quiet prompting that said, “This way, off the beaten path,” or “Look up,”?  When was the last time you listened?  There are whispers of magic waiting to share their secrets with an open, searching soul, waiting to take your breath away.

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Do You Sparkle?

Last week on Debra Kristi’s blog I was introduced to Lindsey Stirling, a dubstep violinist.  Debra wrote a lovely post about the places that call to us, whether for beauty, memories, or energy.  The location in the music video she shared sure was gorgeous, and I can’t help but to share it again here.  But what struck me most about the video was the artist herself.  When Lindsey plays that violin, you can see she loses herself in the music.  The genuine passion, love, and life in her expression is probably what touched me the most.

After I self-published my second book, was writing my third, and had just made the overall decision that this was what I would do with my life, my doctor and friend made this observation: “Your eyes sparkle.”  It didn’t matter if there were still health problems, or if I was in pain; in fact, it didn’t seem to hurt as bad as it used to.  Because I was in love with my life and my pursuits.

I love the story playing out in Lindsey’s music videos.  This sense of awe, delight, and pure joy.  It’s breathtakingly beautiful.  I hope you fall in love with it just as I did.  And even more so, I hope you live with the same unadulterated passion that makes your eyes sparkle to everyone you meet.

Where’s the Fire?

As a native of California, I’m quite familiar with disaster preparedness.  If the “Big One” hits, and half our apartment caves in and we’re sleeping under the stars for a while, we’ve got it covered.  Those of you in other areas with your own unique natural disasters probably also have an idea of what you would do in the case of those emergencies.

Here’s the thing…having a vague concept isn’t enough.  You know what to do in theory, but when you’re in the moment, it’s amazing how all rational thought can go out the window.

Two weeks ago, I was sitting at home, working on my novel, when I saw smoke start spewing from the house across from my apartment.  I didn’t have a clear view with the tall fence between us, but it pinged my internal warning system.  Still, I didn’t see any flames; surely there were lots of reasons for there to be random smoke, right?  Well, I’ve seen enough TV shows to know that a lot of people don’t call 911, whether because they’re in a haze of denial/disbelief, or they assume someone else already did.  I didn’t want to be that kind of person, so I called.  Turns out, I wasn’t the first; the operator knew the address already and that it was a fire.

So I stood there in my bedroom, watching out my window while I waited for the sound of sirens.  Then the flames broke loose.  One minute it’s just smoke, the next the entire roof is engulfed in huge flames.  I could feel the heat through the glass.  And, I’m ashamed to say, I just stood there, watching.  Perhaps it was shock.  Perhaps it was due to a firm belief that the fire department would arrive and save the day.  But the winds were already going 30+mph and I still couldn’t hear any sirens.  Finally, it’s like, maybe I should get the hell out of there.

We’ve probably all thought about what we would grab in the case of an emergency, but I’m going to tell you that it won’t mean anything unless you make a list and tack it to your refrigerator or somewhere else you’ll be able to see it.  I scrambled about for a couple pairs of clothes (though somehow missed the shirts), medical supplies, and of course, the cat.  Now, we already have her carrier plus a go-bag with leash, body harness, and blanket ready for an earthquake, but it was just as well for this situation.  Thankfully, I got her in before the police started banging on the door ordering an evacuation, because that’s when she freaked.

Though I had the presence of mind to grab some important things, I missed some other crucial stuff.

* Credit cards  (I don’t happen to carry these on me, and you can’t get a hotel without one.)

* Phone charger  (If your house is gone, that phone is your only connection to the world to get things done.)

* All your medication  (I remembered to grab my diabetic supplies, but forgot other important pills.)

I know it sounds like a lot to grab, but in my case, I had time.  I just didn’t use it.  Trust me, it’s less of a hassle to unpack everything for a false alarm than it is to be without important items and barred from your place.

All in all, my apartment was safe and we were allowed back several hours later.  The house in the back was destroyed.  I am so thankful because it could have been so much worse.  I’m making a list for next time.  Will you?

Do you have a go-bag for your pets?  For yourself?  Do you know what you’d grab, and is it within easy reach?

On a side note, ever since that day, my stress level has been steadily increasing.  Some of you may have noticed I haven’t been as present lately, on other blogs or my own.  With working full time and getting my next book released, I’m starting to feel like a puddle of mush.  I’m thinking of taking a vacation, unplugging and focusing on recharging myself before my head explodes.  That would be messy, and I’m sure cleaning it up would cause me more stress. 

Author Spotlight: Alica McKenna Johnson

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Alica McKenna Johnson to the blog.  She just released her first YA fantasy.  Congrats!  Here’s a little about the book.

Sara’s dream is to find her family but she doesn’t count on discovering magical creatures or catching on fire. On her fourteenth birthday a surprise inheritance changes her appearance, abilities, and identity. Welcomed into the family of the Phoenix she is taught to use her new powers. Will Sara embrace being a Child of Fire or will the evil that killed her parents destroy her as well?

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I personally love the phoenix myth.  What made you choose it as the focus for your book?

Phoenixes have a lot of different gifts and there are myths about them all over the world, which made them more dynamic to work with. They also had myths about shifting into humans, which made it easier for them to mate with humans.

Will this be a series?

Yes, my editor is making me plot it out right now, which as a pantser is a challenge. So far to get all the elements I want I’ll need to write eight or nine books.

Wow!  You’ve got a lot ahead of you.  If your book was turned into a movie, who would play your top characters?

Wow- such a fun question. Wait a second I must confer with hubby. Okay because my main characters are so young- Sara is fourteen at the start of the book, I’d love to have some new actors. One thing I would insist on is they are the correct race, it makes me mad when they cast actors of different ethnic backgrounds for roles.  But for some of my older characters let’s see. I would adore it if Nathan Fillion or Huge Laurie played Philip, Karl Yun for Shin, Kareena Kapoor for Anali, and for Gavin, James Marsden.

But to be honest, I’m much more interested in watching or hand picking who will be preforming all the circus stunts.

Lol, sounds like you’ll need your own Cirque Du Soleil.  Which authors have influenced you the most?  Not necessarily in writing style, but in any form of inspiration.

There are so many amazing authors out there with great stories of trials, struggles, and success. But in all honesty a wonderful group of fan fiction authors was a huge influence. Not only did all the differences in their stories teach me so much about writing but the support I got from that community as a newbie author was amazing.

As an author, what’s your biggest fear?

Of course I am scared of the first negative review and I know I’ll get one, I won’t be able to make everyone happy. But my real fear is being slammed for grammar and spelling mistakes. I suck at grammar and spelling, it is my greatest weakness as an author and why I am so grateful to Kilian Metcalf for all of her time and patience in helping me edit my book.

I think a lot of people assume that being a good storyteller means automatic grammar skills.  Gotta love our editors!  What aspect of writing are you currently working on improving in your own craft?

My pacing and balancing my description whore tendencies.

Haha, I’m working on adding more description!  You went the self-publishing route—want to tell us a little about your decision?

Mainly I’m a control freak, and didn’t want someone messing with my book to meet ‘current industry standards’, especially since even after trimming my book is 98,000 words. Also because of how much work even traditionally published authors have to do on their own to promote themselves I decided to try and do it on my own.

I can definitely relate.  What activities do you enjoy when you’re not writing?

I love watching movies, especially foreign films. I go for hikes with my family. Hit the gym with a friend several times a week. And of course reading.

Your book is YA Fantasy—is there another genre you’d like to write in the future?

To give myself a break between book 2 and 3, and honestly because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for book 3, I’m working on a contemporary paranormal romance. I’m calling it Poltergeist meets Ghost Adventures.

I also have story ideas for other contemporary and gay romance stories all with paranormal/ metaphysical themes.

Ooh, sounds fun!  I love the cover—who designed it?

Thank you, I’m thrilled with it. My hubby designed and painted it for me. After years of listening to me talk about my story and characters he had a clear idea of what he wanted it to look like and it’s perfect.

That is so neat!  Will he be designing subsequent covers? 

Yes, he’s working on a back cover for the print version, and he has ideas for book 2- eventually I guess I’ll have to think of a title.

(I’m stealing this last question from my interview with Alica.  )  What mad-ass survival skill do you have?

Does marrying someone with mad-ass survival skills count? And my son has done survival training so I know how to surround myself with bad ass-ness LOL! Um let’s see, I have more helping-rebuild-society skills. I can knit and know how to help a woman give birth- if there aren’t major problems.

Lol, yeah, that counts.  Thanks for hanging out over here today!

Angela thank you so much for having me- these have been great questions and super fun to try and figure out!

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You can find Alica on her Blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

Her book can be found at Smashwords and Amazon.

Got a question for Alica?  Do you love phoenix stories?  I love hearing from you!