Celia Roman's Blog, page 6

Preorder A Witch and Her Familiar for $.99!

For a limited time only, preorder A Witch and Her Familiar (Vanessa Kinley, Witch PI, Book 2) for just $.99 at Amazon.

The official release date is 27 February 2023. It will be available at most major online retailers by that date.

Here's a little more about it:

A week and a half ago, a vampire walked into my brother's bar and tried to hire me to find my twice missing mother. I said no, naturally, but that was before another magic-wielder targeted me and my brother in an attempt to draw Mom out into the open.

Now, the supernatural community is up in arms over her disappearance, said vampire is salivating for my help, and the alpha of the local pack is trying to make amends for being a naughty werewolf. Not to mention that my brother and I are trying to come to terms with our new status as each other's familiar.

I would love to step back and relax for a while, but I've got bigger fish to fry, namely tracking down evidence to help the District Attorney strengthen the case against a local bigwig.

The problem? The bigwig is also a supernatural. With half the Council on my case already, can I afford to antagonize another powerful supernatural, especially when he may hold the key to finding my mother?

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The Order of the Raven

Over on Facebook, we have a small group for fans of my story worlds called The Order of the Raven.

If you love my stories and want to participate in our discussions, gain access to exclusive group-only giveaways, voice your opinion on worldbuilding issues, and more, feel free to drop by and see what we've been up to.

The post The Order of the Raven appeared first on Celia Roman.

Everybody Needs a Little Sunshine

This week, I started developing Vampire Alley, the sixth Sunshine Walkingstick novel, in earnest. So far, I have a strong beginning and a strong ending, but the middle part is still a bit fuzzy. It will come, eventually, hopefully sooner rather than later as this is one of the books I want to get out to readers in 2023.

Sunny popped into my head fully formed sometime in August or September 2014, when I was still a baby writer figuring out how story worked. I was deep in the middle of two other series at the time, a Contemporary Fantasy Romance series called the Daughters of the People (my first, published under the pen name Lucy Varna) and an Erotic Dark Fantasy series written under a third pen name.

Sunny was a surprise. While both previously named series were set (mostly) in Georgia, as Sunny's stories are, Sunny herself was clearly different: just as strong and independent, yes, but also clearly Southern and backwoods.

At the time, "Southern" had become synonymous with "villain" in Hollywood. If you wanted to show that someone was a bad guy, give them a Southern accent and bad teeth; no other character development was necessary.

That rankled. Southerners are not evil. We're also not the racist misogynists so often portrayed in mainstream culture. On a recent writer's retreat to Alaska, where writers from all over the US gathered, I described my father's charitable work through his church, where he runs the food program. The other writers were shocked. To them, Southerners, and particularly Southerners who are conservative Christians, are small-minded bigots without a thought for their larger community.

This is simply not so. Nowhere else will you witness the kind of support offered to the community than that found in a rural church.

But I digress.

When the choice came to either keep Sunny the way she appeared to me or homogenize her, I chose the former. Sunny therefore speaks through her native Appalachian dialect. (A proper dialect, mind you, not "slang" or an "accent" as critical reviewers have stated.) She serves as an apt counterpoint to the mainstream portrayal of Southerners as wicked, ignorant, and narrow-minded.

At any rate, it turns out that there's a demand for authentic Appalachian characters immersed in authentic Appalachian settings, with a hint of the paranormal thrown in; a good thing, considering that Sunny has grown to five novels (almost six) and more than half a dozen shorter stories.

Sunny's Future

Which brings me to Sunny's future and readers' most frequently asked question: will there be more Sunny stories?

The answer is...complicated.

The series was designed to have natural breaking (i.e. stopping) points after every third book. I could've stopped at Cemetery Hill (Book 3) and been just fine.

Likewise, Vampire Alley, as the sixth novel, could easily stand as an end to the series. Completing it would allow me the freedom to write a few extra short stories and compile them into a short story collection, so readers would have all those lovely extras in one handy book.

Do I want to stop there? I don't know yet. I keep a running list of potential story ideas on hand for Sunny and company, including ideas for two additional novels. Book 7 would return Sunny to her home and the native myths and legends found there. Book 8 would tie back into something that happened in Book 5 (Devil's Branch) and would bring Sunny to an important and potentially devastating decision about her life.

I'm not sure what would happen in a potential Book 9, only that it would involve her taking one final case.

A Different Direction?

The question remains: do I want to write an additional three books? And to that, I have no real answer.

What I do know is that it's time for a change. Sunny has been living in my head for eight and a half years now. She and I are both ready for something new.

To that end, I'm developing a couple of new series, one of which will be set in rural Appalachia. I'm not ready to reveal the exact details yet, as it may take months to go from tiny seed to full-blown story. But I can say that it's a humdinger of an idea, one I've been toying with since this past September.

First, though, I'd like to finish Sunny's sixth novel.

Even if I decide not to write any additional novels, I do have several short stories I'd like to write with her in the lead. She's been such a fun character, and I hope readers will enjoy her stories for years to come.

One Final Thought

There is one more thing I'd like to offer as a nod to Sunny, and that's branded merchandise. I've wanted so badly to have t-shirts, bookmarks, and coffee mugs (at least) to give away to readers, but until Nocturne Art designed the newest cover for the omnibus, I didn't have anything to tie those things to the books.

Now, I do. The key symbol for that cover is a knife set on point, bisecting a magical circle. It would look so good on a black t-shirt! And I even have an idea for a coffee mug that I think readers will enjoy. (The title of this post is a huge clue!)

So that's something I'm working on and hope to have available later this year or possibly the next. I'm honestly very excited about the possibility of a t-shirt in particular, as I would love to have one to mark the time Sunny and I have spent together creating her stories.

Right now, though, I'm developing Vampire Alley, which I'll focus on after completing the next Vanessa Kinley, Witch PI novel.

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New Cover for the Sunny Omnibus!

I'm super excited to present a brand new cover for the Sunshine Walkingstick omnibus containing the first three books in the series.

This is something I've wanted to update since I contracted with Nocturne Art last year to update the covers for the individual books.

Nocturne Art also did this one. We debated about what the cover should look like, whether it should feature Sunny or be a symbol or object cover. I let them decide, and after a few rounds of back-and-forth, this is what we came up with.

I say "we," but my contribution was confined solely to input. Nocturne Art did all the heavy lifting and I'm super pleased with the results. This new cover captures the flavor of the series to a tee. I couldn't be happier to share it with you!

The post New Cover for the Sunny Omnibus! appeared first on Celia Roman.

Now Available: The Witch in the Woods

Last year, I was absolutely captivated by a book cover for a proposed anthology. I loved it so much, in fact, that I applied to participate.

And I knew exactly which story I wanted to write.

Today, that story, "The Witch in the Woods," is available to read as part of Shadow Magic: A Limited Edition Folkloric Romance Anthology.

The witch referred to is Old Mother (Mary Alice), the cunning woman who produces such spectacular visions in the Sunshine Walkingstick Series.

"The Witch in the Woods" takes place between Cemetery Hill and Witch Hollow in that series, as a matter of fact, and features another regular, Sunny's cousin Trey.

I tried to keep the focus on the budding romance between Trey and Mary Alice, around the other central plot, and also tried to flesh out some of Mary Alice's particular brand of magic.

The result is an action-packed novelette that I hope readers will enjoy diving into.

Here's a little more about it:

She brought an old magic to the mountains. He only wanted to thank her.

When Trey Carson thanked her for helping his cousin, Mary Alice had no idea his gifts would lead to a vision. But with the Seeing pressing against her mind, she had no choice but to use those gifts to See what the magic wished to show her.

Now, trouble is on the way, and Trey has to deal with it whether he wants to or not. The problem is, Mary Alice intrigues him like no woman ever has. Can he protect her from the coming trouble, or will her visions of blood and anger haunt them both for the rest of their lives?

Several other authors contributed stories to Shadow Magic, including Kat Parrish, who participated in 2022's Magic & Mystery anthology as Katherine Tomlinson. The collection should be a fun read!

I hope you enjoy Old Mother and Trey's story!

The post Now Available: The Witch in the Woods appeared first on Celia Roman.

Mega sales!

I'm participating in several special Halloween sales right now, to celebrate All Things Spooky.

First up is a multi-author collection of nearly 100 books!

This October Bookpalooza is hosted by BookFunnel and includes stories from C.D. Gorri, Laura Greenwood, Rhonda Hopkins, Lisa Blackwood, C. Gockel, and other top-notch indie authors.

Many of these are mysteries as well, including a few, select paranormal cozies.

My own contribution is Greenwood Cove, the first novel in the Sunshine Walkingstick Series.

And to celebrate National Pumpkin Day (today!) and Halloween, as a separate sale, I also dropped the price on The Deep Wood, the second Sunny novel.

To round things out, the Sunshine Walkingstick omnibus (containing books 1, 2, and 3) is 30% off over at Kobo. To get that discount, use the promo code OCTBOX at checkout.

All of these sales and discounts end on Halloween, so pick up these fabulous stories at great prices while you can!

Happy spooky reading!

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The Speed of Rune Magic

Rune magic in the Vanessa Kinley, Witch PI Series world (Crossville Supernaturals) is, naturally, based on runes used historically by the Germanic cultures of central Europe and Scandinavia.

Runes alone are not enough. The magic is activated by special marks (called incantation lines or marks) drawn in certain key points along the rune. Accuracy is key. A misplaced incantation mark can change the spell's intention completely, rendering it null or wild, or pushing the magic in ways the witch did not intend.

Aside from accuracy and intent (for the witch must focus absolutely on their intention), the next key element for successful rune magic is patience. Rune magic takes time, depending on the spell or ritual being invoked. Nessa's Illumination spell, pictured above right, involves four simple strokes: three straight lines for the lightning bolt-like rune Sowuli (sol, sun) and a circle as the incantation mark. Nessa places her hand over the rune to activate the spell, though other witches with more formal training use different methods to invoke the rune's magic.

Some spells or rituals are so complex, however, that they involve numerous runes as well as other, more traditional trappings of witchcraft, such as herbs, wands, and even blood.

The strength of the spell depends on the focus of the witch as much as on his or her particular latent talent or strength. But the point of speed is immutable: rune magic takes time to work. That's it's biggest drawback.

On the other hand, it tends to be more stable and reliable than other types of magic.

Some incredibly disciplined (and, frankly, cunning) witches have gotten around the speed problem, which will be a factor in Black Witch Rising (Nessa, Book 3).

A Slow Learning Process

Finally, rune magic, like all magic, takes time to learn and master.

While Auntie O and others conspired to hide Nessa and Nick's magical talent from them, Nessa's time funneling what little magic she could access taught her the focus she will later need to perform more difficult spells.

In A Witch and Her Familiar (Book 2), Nessa works toward refining her control over a version of the Healing spell she used near the end of Between a Witch and a Hard Place (Book 1), shown above left and center. The different versions are for different levels of healing.

And remember that incantation lines help differentiate the uses of runes for divination from the uses for spellwork.

Because her magic was hidden from her for so long, and because of Nick's negative reaction to magic, Nessa struggles to work this slightly more complex spell. It's a frustrating process for her, but naturally so. No one runs before they crawl, no matter how talented they are. There's a process to learning. Magic is no exception.

I'm sure Nessa will learn more runes as the series progresses. Nick will likely learn some, too; as a chaos witch, he can draw from multiple sources, including runes, which makes his magic much more dangerous and flexible than Nessa's.

The post The Speed of Rune Magic appeared first on Celia Roman.

Shadow Magic: A Limited Edition Folkloric Romance Anthology

Sometime last year (or possibly the year before), I signed up to contribute a story to a limited edition, multi-author anthology called Shadow Magic, which will be published by Aurelia Leo.

For me, the cover was the draw. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to write an Old Mother story for it.

I don't yet have a title (which is unusual for me; usually the title comes first), but the story is set between Cemetery Hill and Witch Hollow, Books 3 and 4 of the Sunshine Walkingstick Series.

In addition to Old Mother (Mary Alice), the story features Trey, Sunny's cousin and the eldest son of her uncle Fame Carson.

I'll have more for you as the release date approaches at the end of October.

The post Shadow Magic: A Limited Edition Folkloric Romance Anthology appeared first on Celia Roman.

Great Audiobook Narrators

Earlier this month, I finally found a narrator for the Vanessa Kinley, Witch PI Series.

The search started sometime in December, when I offered the job to Rebecca Winder, who narrated the Sunshine Walkingstick Series.  Listeners continually comment on how well she rendered Sunny and her stories. I knew from past experience that a talented narrator can make the difference between a good audiobook and a great one, and can even contribute to an audiobook's dismal sales. Becca merely drove that point home; because of her, audiobook sales for the series have been solid.

Unfortunately, Becca could not narrate the Vanessa Kinley Series, so I extended the call for a narrator via ACX, Amazon's audiobook distribution service.

Auditions flooded in faster than I could evaluate them. I've never had that kind of response before. Literally dozens of auditions came in within the first couple of weeks alone.

None seemed right, however, though many fine narrators submitted auditions. I didn't want to settle, so I started seeking out voice talent rather than waiting on promising narrators to audition.

The flood of auditions eventually dwindled to a trickle, and finally, I began reaching out to the most promising narrators. In May or so, I thought I'd finally found one, but she also had to turn the job down.

Then Karen Diaz, a really amazing voice artist, auditioned, and I felt certain she was the one. Within a few days, we signed a contract and Karen started narrating. Last week she submitted the first fifteen minutes, and wow! She nailed Nessa. Karen's performance is going to blow y'all away.

Our goal is to have the audiobook completed by the end of September. Then there are a few checks to go through, including ACX's independent quality control. Hopefully all of that will go quickly and smoothly, and we'll have a finished product available by the end of October.

I'm really pumped to get the audiobook out, especially if it comes out in October. That's going to be a good month for readers of all my series, but that's news for another day.

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$.99 for Two Days ONLY!

Today and tomorrow ONLY, get the second book in the Sunshine Walkingstick Series for just $.99.

The Deep Wood is an emotionally wrenching journey. Sunny discovers so much about herself and her past. Readers really enjoyed reading this installment and have given it high praise. Here's a brief description:

When her father’s family pops back into her life, Sunny is mired neck deep in old family secrets, including the biggest one of all: What really happened to her son Henry.

You can pick up a copy at Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Kobo, or click here for other retailers.

And don't forget: this deal is only available today and tomorrow!

Happy reading!

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