Serve Up Shoreline Sour Cream Pork Chops this Labour Day…

Autumn in Canadian cottage country can be a beautiful, yet sad time of the year, and our Labour Day Weekend reminds us that the season is about to change over soon. Many cottagers or campers start to shut down their vacation properties in anticipation for those cold, winter months. However, some hearty souls keep their cottages or trailers open to make the most out of their investments, and have come to rely on nearby towns for their services and supplies. In my book series, Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, I created the world of a small, tourist town named Fairy Falls to accommodate the flow of cottagers and travelers all-year-round. Then, I added an uprooted teen with a psychic ability, an attitude, and mystery to solve into the mix and you can well imagine the upheaval it brings to that peaceful, tiny town.

 The following recipe boasts the most tender and succulent pork chops you’ll ever taste, whether you’re sitting on the shoreline or huddled in a warm, cozy cabin ready to chow down on dinner. With a prep time of 15 minutes, and cook time of 8 hours and 30 minutes in the crock pot, this meal gives you plenty of time to relax with your family or friends, and enjoy those last days of summer until fall kicks in at the cottage or campground.

What You Need:

6 pork chops

Salt and pepper to taste

Garlic powder to taste

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 large onion, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 cubes chicken bouillon

2 cups boiling water

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Slow cooker

What You Do:

SEASON pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then dredge in ½ cup flour. In a skillet
over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil.

PLACE chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and pour over chips. Cover, and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours.

PREHEAT oven to 200° F (95° C).

AFTER the chops have cooked, transfer chips to the oven to keep warm. BE CAREFUL, the chops are so tender they will fall apart. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons flour with the sour cream; mix into meat juices. Turn slow cooker on HIGH for 15 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve sauce over pork chops.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with noodles or rice. *We actually used home fries, and it tasted like scallop potatoes with the sauce.

Seeing as you’ve got a long wait for those pork chops to cook, why not relax on the dock or sit by the shore, and visit the small, tourist town of Fairy Falls? You can start with Lost and Found, Book #1 of Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.

A Behind the Scenes Look at Creating Sharon Ledwith's Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Book Series...

Did you ever wonder what goes through an author’s mind when trying to create a book series? Doesn’t matter the genre, there’s still so much planning around building a series’ premise, creating the main (and secondary) characters, doing all the needed research, plotting the stories, and finally sitting down to write the books. Actually, it’s exhausting just thinking about all those steps, but truly worth it if you want to leave behind a piece of your soul to the world.

I thought I’d give you a peek at the process of writing a series, so I decided to compile a list of questions I was asked by different interviewers about my teen psychic mystery series, Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls. I follow up each answer with a ‘behind the scenes tip’ to drive home the messages I want to convey, and to help writers get a sense of what I went through to develop this particular book series.

What inspired you to write Lost and Found?

During my year-long stint as an animal care attendant, I learned so much about the procedures and daily routines of working in an animal shelter. Then, one day, I found myself wondering what the animals would say if they could talk? How they would act and sound? What did they really think of humans? So, chasing down the animal voices frolicking in my head, I decided to write their story. The result is, Lost and Found, the first book in my teen psychic mystery series, Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls.

All the shelter animals in Lost and Found are based on an animal I cared for in some capacity at the shelter. Now, trying to come up with each animal’s unique voice wasn’t that hard for me, since I went by the personality of the cat or dog. I observed certain quirks, how each animal behaved, what were they afraid of, what they liked, and so on. What I found was that every animal (even kittens born in the same litter) was different. Just. Like. People.

When I was ready to sit down and write their story, I compiled a list of shelter animals that readers would emotionally relate to and connect with. Many came to me as a surprise, while others were firmly planted in my imagination from the very beginning.

Behind the Scenes Tip: Write what you know. Yes, you’ve heard that old song before, but I knew the ins-and-outs of how an animal shelter operated, so I applied that knowledge when it came time to plot the story and create the setting.

On Blackflies and Blueberries, how did you decide to bring blueberries and blackflies into the story?

We lived in Ontario’s cottage country for almost twelve years, and each May we had to deal with those pesky blackflies. In fact, I owe the experience of living in a small, tourist town environment to creating the Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls teen psychic mystery series. The second book in the series, Blackflies and Blueberries, came about while I volunteered to be a tutor at the local literacy council. I’ve always be drawn to the occult, paranormal, and supernatural, so I got the idea of a teen psychometrist (the psychic ability to discover facts about an event or person by touching inanimate objects associated with them) who could ‘read’ objects, but was essentially illiterate and couldn’t read most words.

I wanted the book to span through a summer season in the fictional tourist town of Fairy Falls, so I started with blackfly season (May) and ended with blueberry season (August). The title fit in so well with the theme of blackflies pollinating blueberry bushes to yield fruit, so I went with my intuition. Plus, I absolutely love blueberries!

Behind the Scenes Tip: Setting is important. Build your series world from the ground up using what you’ve experienced in real life. Use your interests and opportunities as background information for your characters. Being a volunteer for a charity or cause can give your story great bones and authenticity.

What was the biggest mental/writing challenge you faced along the way while writing Lost and Found?

I’ll give you three:

First—could I pull this book off, and make the animals sound authentic?

Second—did I do enough research on what it was like to be an animal communicator (the psychic ability featured in this book) to make my main character (Meagan Walsh) believable to readers? Then, I realized that after doing the needed research on animal behaviors and finding enough facts on animal communication, I was well on my way to writing what my heart so desperately wanted me to share with the world. I learned that animals are so empathic. They feel our energy. And sometimes, they know us better than ourselves.

Third—to create the small, tourist town of Fairy Falls—the setting that would glue this entire teen psychic mystery series together. I didn’t have to stretch my imagination that hard since I wrote what I knew based on where I was living at the time—in the heart of cottage country. So I took in the sights, smells, sounds, tastes, emotions, and feelings of this beautiful place, and added the challenges and obstacles of what it would be like for an uprooted teenager possessing a psychic ability to adjust to the day-to-day living in Fairy Falls.

Behind the Scenes Tip:  Self-doubt will always creep in from time-to-time. It’s normal. Feel it, let it go, then imagine what it would be like to walk in other people’s shoes. You’ll create some awesome characters if you can do that.

Aunt Gertie is such a colorful character in Blackflies and Blueberries. Will we see more of her in Fairy Falls? 

Definitely! She’s such a unique character, and is loosely-based on my mother-in-law. Since each book is set in Fairy Falls, but with a different cast of characters dealing with a psychic ability, I write in cameos for the characters of my previous book. After all, it takes many characters to create the essence and environment of a small, tourist town like Fairy Falls, so I want readers to expect the unexpected every time they pick up one of my books.

Behind the Scenes Tip: Become an observer of people. Aunt Gertie’s character was based on my deceased mother-in-law (with a few quirks added), and if you do it right, readers will want to continue seeing them throughout the series.

How did writing Lost and Found change you as a person?

Realizing that we (including animals) are all here to serve in some capacity. Whether that’s through our experiences, creative expressions, careers, professions, being parents or caregivers, we’ve all got something to contribute to this world while we’re alive. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a big or small way, we all matter, we all have voices, and we need to be brave enough to use them.

Behind the Scenes Tip: Writing and publishing a book is a humbling and exhaustive experience. Every book you write will change you in some manner. That’s the beauty of creating something from nothing, of becoming a butterfly from a caterpillar.

Diana MacGregor's little sister Nancy is a perfect sidekick in Blackflies and Blueberries. Her addition was truly brilliant. Were you as curious as Nancy when you were a child?

Yes. I always wondered what went on beneath the surface. Once a guidance counsellor suggested that a career as a detective might be a good fit. Can you imagine? LOL! I guess I was always an intuitive child, but didn’t realize this as an adult. It took me a long time to uncover this ability again, and thankfully I found it when I started writing in my mid-thirties.

Behind the Scenes Tip: Never underestimate the power of your intuition. It will lead you to create amazing characters that readers will relate to.

What have you found has been the most effective marketing technique for Lost and Found so far?

I reached out to couple with two animal rescue organizations at a few of their events when Lost and Found came out, and gave a portion of my book sales to help with the care and needs of the dogs and cats they had rescued. In a way, I felt by writing this book, I was being a ‘voice’ for the underdogs/cats in shelters everywhere, bringing awareness to the plight of animal shelters, and the continual need for fundraising, adoption, and spay and neuter programs.

I’ve also managed to get my book into a pet food store chain, and attended a literary event to promote Lost and Found, while sharing the spotlight with the manager of our local Humane Society. Of course, never underestimate the power of social media, and all those animal lovers out there!

Behind the Scenes: There’s always a way you can promote your book series through your community, especially at fund raisers or charities that your characters are invested in. Go deep, and pull out those promotional golden nuggets.  

What advice would you give other writers now that you’ve been through this process?

Trust that inner voice of yours that’s telling you to write her/his/their/your story. Write what’s important to you, what you want to say, in whatever genre you’re compelled to write in. Don’t follow trends, they change. Know that you’ll be in it for the long haul if you want to make it as career writer, so don’t give up on your dreams. And the most important: please, please, please don’t compare yourself to other writers. They’re on their own journey, and you’re on yours, so put your blinders on and follow your heart.

Behind the Scenes Tip: Be authentic in every story you pen, and remember that patience is truly a virtue. You’ll get there, word by word.

Is there one thing you'd like readers to know about you? 

I love to uplift people, even if I just get a smile out of a person. I use humor in all my books as a way of connection, and to hopefully make a reader’s day better and brighter. I guess it’s the way I can serve authentically and just be myself! 

Behind the Scenes Tip: Always add value to others. After all, we’re built to serve. 

I hope you’ve gleaned some value from this Q&A, and if you have any further questions about developing a book series, please leave them in the comments section, and I’ll answer them in a timely fashion. Cheers and thank you for reading my post!

Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mystery Series:

Lost & Found, Book One Buy Links:

PANDAMONIUM PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

Blackflies & Blueberries, Book Two Buy Links:

PANDAMONIUM PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

A Divine Dessert and Two Young Adult Book Series to Ease You into Your Summer...

Cherry season is in full bloom, and this dessert is a real crowd pleaser at small gatherings such as patio parties, book clubs or intimate bridal and baby showers. This chocolatey, sweet treat will tempt even the most disciplined of us. If cherry is your go-to fruit that makes your mouth think you’ve swallowed a piece of heaven, then read on if you dare to concoct this sinful chunk of bliss.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CHUNK LOAF

A bit of butter for greasing the loaf pan 

1¼ cups + 1 tsp. all-purpose flour 

¼ cup cocoa 

2 tsp. baking powder 

¼ tsp. salt 

¾ cup granulated or caster sugar 

1 cup cherry yogurt 3 large eggs lightly beaten 

1 tsp. vanilla ½ cup mild vegetable oil 

1 cup cherries 

¼ cup sweet chocolate chips 

1 cup walnuts, chopped, use less if you prefer

Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C or 165° for fan ovens, Gas Mark 4).

Grease a 2 lb. (8 ½ x 4 ¼ x 2 ½ inch) loaf pan.

Remove the pits from the cherries and cut each one in half. Place cherries in a small bowl, sprinkle the 1 teaspoon flour over top and toss gently.

Sift 1¼ cups flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.

Stir in sugar, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Set dry ingredients aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and oil.

Add yogurt mixture to dry ingredients. Beat with a wooden spoon until all the flour is mixed in and the batter is smooth.

Gently fold in the flour-coated cherries.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 20 minutes, then remove cake and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.

 THE GLAZE

1 cup icing sugar, confectioner’s sugar 

2 tbsp. maraschino cherry juice 

1 tbsp. water 

Drop of pink food coloring, optional

Pour icing sugar into a bowl. Whisk in maraschino cherry juice.

Gradually whisk in water, a drop or two at a time, until a smooth, drizzle-able consistency is reached.

Whisk in food coloring, if using.

 Here’s a glimpse of the premises of both my young adult series:

      The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures 

         Children are the key to our future. And now, they are the only hope for our past. 

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers-legendary time travelers sworn to keep history from the evil Belial-five classmates are sent into the past to restore balance, and bring order back into the world, one mission at a time. 

Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mysteries

                                      Welcome to Fairy Falls. Expect the unexpected. 

In the small, quiet tourist town of Fairy Falls, a new-to-town teen, an unlikely hero who possesses an unusual psychic ability, is drawn into a mystery and is tasked with uncovering corrupt truths that threaten the town’s future. 

Buy Links: 

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series: 

The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book 3 

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE 

The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book 2 

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE 

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book 1 

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE 

Legend of the Timekeepers, Prequel 

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE 

Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mystery Series:

 

Lost & Found, Book One 

PANDAMONIUM PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE 

Blackflies & Blueberries, Book Two 

PANDAMONIUM PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE

Welcome to Fairy Falls! Don't Forget to Pack the Bug Spray...

In book two of Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, Blackflies and Blueberries, I wrote about Hart Stewart—a teenage psychometrist who has no problem ‘reading’ the absorbed energy from an object like a ring or watch but struggles with the most basic reading skills. He finds a ring that pulls him into the past to witness a woman’s murder that has gone unsolved for over a year. That woman was Diana MacGregor’s mother, and when Diana discovers that Hart is in possession of the ring and shares the intimate details of her mother’s murder through his psychic ability, Diana strikes a deal with him. She’ll teach Hart how to read and write if he helps find her mother’s killer.

Blackflies & Blueberries, Book 2; Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls

The only witness left to testify against an unsolved crime in Fairy Falls isn’t a person…

City born and bred, Hart Stewart possesses the gift of psychometry—the psychic ability to discover facts about an event or person by touching inanimate objects associated with them. Since his mother’s death, seventeen-year-old Hart has endured homelessness, and has learned ways to keep his illiteracy under wraps. He eventually learns of a great-aunt living in Fairy Falls, and decides to leave the only life he’s ever known for an uncertain future.

Diana MacGregor lives in Fairy Falls. Her mother was a victim of a senseless murder. Only Diana’s unanswered questions and her grief keeps her going, until Hart finds her mother’s lost ring and becomes a witness to her murder.

Through Hart’s psychic power, Diana gains hope for justice. Their investigation leads them into the corrupt world threatening Fairy Falls. To secure the town’s future, Hart and Diana must join forces to uncover the shocking truth, or they risk losing the true essence of Fairy Falls forever.

Excerpt: 

For over a year now, Diana had wondered, prayed, and longed for any information regarding her mother’s murder. And now this guy shows up, who claims he has these psychic powers that can communicate with objects. Objects like mom’s ring. Diana pressed her lips together. An object that had been there, at the scene of the crime, a viable witness to a heinous act. It all seemed so far-fetched, so out there. Yet what did Hart have to gain from all this? This wasn’t a fortune telling session, this was real. So was Hart for real?

“Who are you, anyway?” Brook asked. “The sorcerer’s apprentice?”

Hart threw her a strange look. “No. My name’s Hart Stewart. I’m Gertie Ellis’s great-nephew.”

Diana snapped out of her self-induced trance. Gertie Ellis? Not the same Gertie Ellis who was Dan Boone’s only alibi? No. This is all too much. It was information overload to the power of ten. Diana thought she heard Donovan mumble ‘Uh-oh’ as he took a step back. He swung the golf club behind his back, as if anticipating her next move, but Donovan would have never have guessed what was about to happen next, because what came out of her mouth shocked even Diana. “Name your price, I’ll pay you whatever you ask. You can even have my car, if you want it.”

Donovan dropped the golf club.

Brook gasped.

Hart snapped his head back. “Pay me? Pay me for what?”

“To find my mother’s killer,” Diana replied. “Let’s face facts. You’re the only person who has these special psychic connections and no one else has been able to solve her murder. Look, I’ve got all the information on my mother’s murder, I’ve kept impeccable files, know the suspects, and can help you get anything you’d need. What do you say?”

“Your...your car?” Donovan muttered.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Brook asked, concerned.

Diana held her hand out toward Hart. “Do we have a deal?”

Dumbfounded, Hart looked at Diana’s offered hand, then glanced back to her face, searching for a hint of sincerity. He nodded. “I’ll help you, if you help me.”

Startled, Diana arched her thin, fair brows. “Help you? How?”

Hart took a deep breath. “My mother was murdered too. In Toronto, just over a year ago, in our apartment. Nothing was taken. She had no enemies to speak of and we weren’t rich. All I have is a letter my great-aunt kept from when mom was my age. Maybe it will help answer some questions, maybe it won’t.”

Diana nodded. “So what does it say?”

Hart cast his eyes to the ground. His face reddened, his hands balled at his sides. He took another deep breath. “I...I don’t know,” he replied, his voice cracking. “I can’t—”

Diana inclined her head. “Can’t what?”

Hart’s eyes locked with Diana’s. His chin trembled as he whispered, “Read.”

Silence, except for the sudden, chilly gust of wind coming off of the lake.

Donovan broke it. “Dude, did you just that say you can’t—”

“Donovan!” Brook elbowed him in the ribs. “Don’t be so insensitive!”

Donovan rubbed his side, and nodded. “Dude, you’re illiterate?”

Brook rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I meant, you bonehead.”

Diana ignored her friends and got straight to the heart of the matter. “Then I’ll teach you to read. We’ll help each other. That way, I’ll get what I want, and you’ll get what you want.”

Blackflies & Blueberries, Book Two Buy Links:

PANDAMONIUM PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

What If Shelter Animals Could Talk?

If you had the ability to talk to your pet, would you? Most people would probably jump on board and say YES! Some maybe not so on board. It all depends on the person and their relationship with animals. In Lost and Found, the first book of my teen psychic mystery series, Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, I introduce Meagan Walsh, a fifteen-year-old rebel without a cause. She has the ability to communicate with animals telepathically. However, she’d buried this psychic gift after her mother died tragically in an auto accident and was only stirred to use it when confronted with a crusty shelter cat named Whiskey.

Fairy Falls was bores-ville from the get-go. Then the animals started talking.

The Fairy Falls Animal Shelter is in trouble. Money trouble. It’s up to an old calico cat named Whiskey—a shelter cat who has mastered the skill of observation—to find a new human pack leader so that their home will be saved. With the help of Nobel, the leader of the shelter dogs, the animals set out to use the ancient skill of telepathy to contact any human who bothers to listen to them. Unfortunately for fifteen-year-old Meagan Walsh, she hears them, loud and clear.

Forced to live with her Aunt Izzy in the safe and quiet town of Fairy Falls, Meagan is caught stealing and is sentenced to do community hours at the animal shelter where her aunt works. Realizing Meagan can hear her, Whiskey realizes that Meagan just might have the pack leader qualities necessary to save the animals. Avoiding Whiskey and the rest of shelter animals becomes impossible for Meagan, so she finally gives in and promises to help them. Meagan, along with her newfound friends, Reid Robertson and Natalie Knight, discover that someone in Fairy Falls is not only out to destroy the shelter, but the animals as well. Can Meagan convince her aunt and co-workers that the animals are in danger? If she fails, then all the animals’ voices will be silenced forever.

Excerpt:

Beep, beep, the front door sounded again. Sighing, Whiskey lifted a back leg in the middle of the hallway and proceeded to groom herself. She heard a familiar voice. The Kind One is here. Good. I’ll get my litter box done first. She stopped grooming and instantly regretted the extra mess she’d made. Then Whiskey heard another voice. This one belonged to a human who was younger and female, yet there was a rough edge to her voice, like she had just swallowed a handful of litter. Curious, Whiskey sauntered over to the reception area, jumped on the grey chair that waited there for her, and proceeded to do what she did best—observe.

“Stop whining about it, Meagan, or suck it up, as you would say. You’re doing these hours and there’s no getting out of it.”

“Isn’t there a child labour law on this?” the younger human asked.

“You’re not being paid.”

“Okay, isn’t this considered some kind of abuse, then?”

The Kind One smiled. “Only if I feed you to Mary Jane.”

“Mary…who?”

Whiskey snorted in laughter, but to a human, it would sound more like a strangled meow. The Kind One jumped and turned around. She giggled, and then moved to scratch Whiskey under the chin. “Good morning, Whiskey-girl. I hope you didn’t leave too much of a mess for me this morning.”

The girl’s face twitched. “That cat is named after booze? Nice.”

“She was found near the liquor store,” the Kind One said, smiling. “It seemed appropriate.”

Whiskey sneezed, causing her collar bells to jingle, and purred to appease the Kind One. She was Whiskey’s favourite human and she didn’t like it when the felines of the shelter made more of a mess than usual for her to clean up. However, last night, a full moon had graced the skies. Tempers were higher at this time of the month, so it wasn’t unusual to find upturned litter boxes, vomit in the cages, or clumps of fur all over the floor. The pull and power the moon had over animals was out of their control, so when it waned, things got calmer, and their home was kept cleaner.

“Mary Jane is our pit bull,” the Kind One was saying. “She’s the last one left in the shelter since the government banned the breed. I wish we could find her a suitable home. I think she’s going a bit bonkers being in the shelter twenty-four seven.”

The girl’s mouth fell open. “I don’t do dogs.”

The Kind One shrugged. “Fine. There are over seventy cats that need attention and care. I’m sure you won’t be bored.”

The girl frowned. “I don’t do cats, either. I’m...I’m allergic.”

“Oh, haven’t you heard, my dear? There are pills for that,” the Kind One said, laughing. “Go into my car’s glove compartment and grab a couple of allergy pills, and then get your lily-white butt back here so you can help me start cleaning.”

The girl moaned. She pulled at the oversized pink scrub top she wore as if protesting the Kind One’s orders, and then opened the door to go outside. Beep, beep.

“Well, Whiskey, shall we get this party started?”

Whiskey meowed, and then stretched before getting down off the chair. She ran straight to the door and let out a long-winded meow. She wanted out so she could roll on the driveway to loosen any fur the Loud One had not purged from her. Two beeps accompanied her departure. Whiskey heard a car door slam and looked across the lot. The young girl had a white stick stuck in her mouth and was heading for the side of the building, near to the dog runs. Whiskey watched as she snuck behind the lone shed and sat down.

Interesting, she thought. I wonder if the Kind One trusts her?

Whiskey decided to observe this young human. Carefully, she skulked over to the tall grass that was never cut and pushed her way through it. Closer, closer, closer she got, until she was about a stone’s throw away. The dogs were barking like the lunatics they were. Louis was in the run closest to the forest that backed onto the building, while a new dog, a Lab mix, she guessed, was in the middle. The run next to the driveway had always been reserved for Mary Jane. Whiskey glanced back at the girl who was sucking on her white glowing stick. Whiskey sniffed, and then sneezed. Her bells tinkled. Poison, she thought, pawing her face to dissipate the stench.

“Who’s that?” the girl asked, quickly removing the white stick from her mouth.

Whiskey sneezed again, sounding off her bells as she jumped out of the long grass. She gave the young human a long look of disdain, like one a cat might make while having the squirts in a litter box.

“Oh, it’s just you,” the girl mumbled, and then resumed sucking on her white glowing stick.

Silly, stupid human, Whiskey thought. She turned to saunter away.

“I’m not silly, and I’m certainly not stupid,” the girl responded nastily.

Whiskey froze and then sat down. She turned her head around to watch the girl blow smoke out of her mouth. Her long legs were stretched out in front of her and she seemed relatively relaxed. Whiskey shook her head. Had she imagined it? Did this girl really pick up her thoughts? This was a real conundrum. No human had ever come as close as this one to understanding her; to actually communicating with her. The exception, of course, had been the Kind One’s instinct to know when a cat was ill and take care of the matter, but instinct was instinct and this was something more.

“What’s the matter, Whiskey?” the girl asked, sucking on the white stick once more before rubbing it into the ground. She blew out ringlets of smoke. “Cat got your tongue?”

Lost & Found, Book One Buy Links:

PANDAMONIUM PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

Creating a Marketing Campaign for a Book Series…

In January of 2026, just before my knee replacement surgery, my publisher at Pandamonium Publishing House and I had a meeting to ‘plant seeds’ as she put it, for the spring and summer book marketing seasons. My chin trembled. “Umm. Wait. You know that I’ll be out of service for 6 to 8 weeks, right?” I asked her with the calmest voice I could muster. Honestly, I could sense her grinning back at me through my cell phone. She casually went on to explain that I’d only had to post twice a week, and they would supply the images I’d need to pull off this Fairy Falls Narrative Campaign, as I dubbed it. “Fine,” I moaned. “What does this campaign entail?”

The goal was simple. To position Lost & Found and Blackflies & Blueberries—the two books I have published so far in Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls teen psychic mystery series—as dark, perceptive, outsider-driven stories set in a town with secrets. Not cozy. Not gentle. Not seasonal fluff. I was instantly engaged. My publisher went on to say that these books are not: cute animal stories, cozy small-town tales, or gentle mysteries. They are: animals as witnesses, psychic intrusion into hidden crime, corrupt systems inside “safe” spaces, and outsiders seeing what insiders refuse to. “Basically,” she explained, “It’s perception vs. reality.” It was my turn to grin. This marketing idea sounded fresh and out of the box. Better yet, it was doable while I recovered from surgery.

So, how did we go about creating this framework? By choosing the appropriate campaign style. This was narrative marketing, not polite promotion. The tone is unsettling, observant, and atmospheric. We are creating intrigue, not asking for attention. Then the fun began for me with just under two weeks before surgery, as I had to create the content needed to commence this campaign. My publisher gave me a template to follow with examples of what was to be expected, and I worked diligently on these six key strategies until I had enough narratives to run. To give you an idea, these are the content types I had to follow:

·         Fairy Falls Incident Posts, that had to look like town notices, alerts, or reports.

·         Anonymous POV Drops, in an animal’s POV, a townsperson’s POV, an observer’s POV, or a killer’s POV.

·         If You Lived Here Series, where I’d post a narrative stating something like, ‘If you lived in Fairy Falls, you’d trust the wrong people.’

·         Watcher Imagery and Cryptic Lines, using normal, peaceful photos, then overlay narrative like ‘Fairy Falls sees everything’. That’s it. No sales language. No calls of action. Just atmosphere.

·         Urban Legend and Myth Framing, using Fairy Falls legends, things people say but can’t prove, or stories no one wants to repeat.

·         Outsider Perspective Content, where outsiders would always see the cracks, or it takes someone who doesn’t belong to notice, or no one inside Fairy Falls wanted to see this.  

All these narratives I had to create must align with teen identity, alienation, and distrust of authority.
Easy-peasy, right? Well, it was a challenge, but I managed to conjure exactly what my publisher was looking for. Yay, me! I also had fun learning how to add type to an image and pick that atmospheric music to go along with it on Instagram, and then share on my social media accounts. I know from past experience that when doing a campaign like this, you must show up consistently, however choosing to take a week and a half off to recover from my surgery was a no-brainer for my health and well-being. Once rested, I jumped back on the book marketing bandwagon with a renewed sense of excitement, knowing that I am indeed planting seeds that will hopefully sprout into connections with future readers. And in the grand scheme of things for authors, it is all about connecting with readers. That, and have a supportive publisher who pushes you out of your comfort zone. Wink.

If you’re an author, have you run any interesting book marketing campaigns? If you’re a reader, what kind of campaigns draw you in and get you excited enough to read the featured book? I’d love to read your comments. As always, thank you for spending your time reading my blog, and I hope that I’ve added value to your day! Cheers!

Lost & Found, Book One Buy Links:

PANDAMONIUM PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

Blackflies & Blueberries, Book Two Buy Links:

PANDAMONIUM PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀