magic

Release Day – 2 Spells!

October 31, 2020 By JB Lynn 1 Comment

It’s here!

2 Spells Too Many the second book of the Cursed Chicks Club series is out!

Sometimes you’ve got to kiss a frog….literally.
To rid herself of being haunted by her witchy mother-in-law for eternity, Ravena Valentina is on another magical quest.
Accompanied by Sol, a secretive, magically deficient (but hot) magician, Marco, a former wizard’s assistant, and Richie, a young boy coming into his powers, Ravena must figure out how to catch and kiss the cursed frog, free a talking goldfish, outsmart merciless treasure hunters, and save the kid’s dying mom.

And, as if she didn’t already have enough problems, there’s a fire-breathing dragon lurking in the shadows.

Imagine my amusement when, in the midst of writing Chapter 33 of 1 Flew Over the Raven’s Nest and specifically the line, “I’m a member of the Froggy Friends Society you know”, my dear friend Laura Green Lageson sent me this shot:

Who wouldn’t want to be his friend???

What amazing timing! We both got a chuckle out of it. I’m lucky to have a talented friend who sends me tons of her nature pictures AND is one of my favorite people to laugh with.

Are you caught up with reading 1 Flew Over the Raven’s Nest? Do you know which character is a Froggy Friend?

You may think your mother-in-law is a witch, but RV’s really was.

And now there’s a very real chance she’ll be haunted by Mildred Bloodworth for eternity.

The only way to free herself from the curse that binds them, is for RV to make amends for Millie’s misdeeds.

Accompanied by a possessed Siamese cat, RV embarks, in her mother-in-law’s pink camper van, on a journey to right wrongs. But plans, like spells, can backfire.

RV drives right into a crime scene and quickly becomes the chief suspect in a mysterious murder.

Determined to prove her innocence, RV investigates with the help of a lucky penny, a wise owl, a reclusive turtle, and a magician whose agenda is unknown.

The Magic Formula?

July 14, 2020 By JB Lynn 1 Comment

I was talking to an acquaintance the the other day who asked me what the magic formula for writing is.

After exerting ALL my self-control to not roll my eyes or scoff at her (in times of pandemic, I’m thinking scoffing is crueler than usual) I managed to tell her that the “magic formula” is work. Usually hard work that no one can even see that you’re doing until your “magical” success when you finish a manuscript, publish a book, or hit a list.

There’s no magical formula, but there IS some writing advice I give to everyone who asks.

Years ago I saw this advice from author Bob Mayer (or I heard him say it at a workshop…either way he gets the credit): I would do anything to succeed at _______, just don’t ask me to _________.

Most people can fill in both blanks pretty easily.

“I would do anything to succeed at skydiving, just don’t ask me to jump out of a plane.”

“I would do anything to be covered in great tattoos, just don’t ask me to face a needle.”

Those might seem like extreme and/or silly examples, but we’re not always the most logical of beings.

For writers they might look like:

I would do anything to succeed at writing a book, just don’t ask me to give up playing video games to make the time to actually write.

I would do anything to succeed at landing my dream agent, just don’t ask to face the rejections that result as part of the querying process.

Right now my personal statement is: I would do anything to finish this latest Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman book, just don’t ask me to be funny in the midst of all this worldwide suffering and turmoil. (If you haven’t read the books, “funny” is a prerequisite and I’ve been struggling mightily with this manuscript.)

What about you? What are you dreaming of? What are your goals?

Take a second to fill in those blanks for yourself.

I would do anything to succeed at ____________, just don’t ask me to _________.

If you can force yourself to actually do whatever the second blank is, you’ve got a decent chance of creating your own magic.

Tour of my writing desk

May 11, 2020 By JB Lynn 2 Comments

I’m always rearranging my desk. Here’s the current view:

Yes, I do have three plants, three light sources (candle, salt lamp, regular lamp) and two drinks (water and coffee). I don’t know if this shows my priorities or my obsessions, lol.

The basket holds my pens, notes, and work tracker book. The salt lamp and palm are pretty self-explanatory and that’s a ginger-peach candle.

A terrarium (more on that in a couple of days) and a fern get the center space to make sure they get enough light.

There’s magic in that there little bowl. Seriously….my inspiration talismans for the Cursed Chicks series are in there. And RV’s a badass so I keep the button on the lamp handy for those moments when I need to hit it.

I’d LOVE to show you what’s in the magic bowl but then I’d have to have Maggie from the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series do you some serious harm, (Have I mentioned that book 23, THE HITWOMAN and the EXORCISM is available for preorder?)

Water and coffee are always on hand. My rule for myself is that every time I want to refill my coffee mug, I have to drink 10 ounces of water (the bottle holds 32).

So that’s the view of my writing desk this week, where I’m currently working on Hitwoman 24, One Flew Over the Raven’s Nest, and a passion project.