L. MacNaughton's Blog, page 13

Until we get lightsabers, here’s the next best thing.

In my book, Dru fights demons and creatures using magical crystals. Here’s what’s cool: all of the crystals she uses are magically charged versions of actual, real-life crystals: quartz, amethyst, galena, pyrite, etc. Being a writer who writes about crystals, I’ve naturally built up a modest collection of crystals over the years. The towns in the Rocky […]

The #1 Weirdest Thing about Writing a Book Series (and It’s Not What You Think)

In my Dru Jasper urban fantasy series, one of my lead characters is Greyson, a half-demon mechanic with a possessed muscle car. He’s your archetypal tough guy. He always wears a black leather jacket and aviator sunglasses. Which is cool. Right up until the moment the leather jacket gets destroyed. Torched by magic. Slashed by […]

New audiobooks: get your fiction fix on the radio

Cool news! A brand-new Colorado radio station (JBCM Radio) is now featuring audiobook clips of It Happened One Doomsday, read by Yours Truly. Recording your own audiobook clips, I discovered, is a wee bit more challenging than it initially appears. But it is fun. All you need is a good microphone, recording software (and a […]

3 weird (but true!) facts about It Happened One Doomsday

While this book is fiction, it was inspired by some very strange facts. It all started with crystals. Here in the Rocky Mountains, you’re never far from abandoned gold mines, ghost towns, or rock shops. In It Happened One Doomsday, the main character gets her magical powers from real-life crystals such as galena, amethyst, pyrite, ulexite, […]

“Really enjoyed this easy read.” –Speculative Herald

I love it when a book review gets into the specifics of what makes a book different. Because let’s be honest. It doesn’t help anyone when a review just says “This book is awesome!” or “This book is stupid!” We need to know why. What makes it awesome? What makes it stupid? (And just for […]

“Nail-biting action and dry humor.” –Cover2Cover

I love it when a reviewer picks up on the cool little “Easter eggs” in It Happened One Doomsday. Things like all of the different crystals Dru uses in her magic, and how they interact. Or the blink-and-you-miss it muscle car details. I love putting those telling specifics into my books. And when the reviewers notice, […]

Last Chance: Win a Crystal!

Today is your last chance to win a genuine galena crystal like the one Dru uses to battle demons in IT HAPPENED ONE DOOMSDAY. These precious-metal crystals (containing up to 2% silver) are reputed to ward off supernatural forces, and have been prized for thousands of years. They were even used to line the eyes […]

How to Create the Perfect Writing Soundtrack

Before I became a full-time writer, I thought music was too distracting to play while I was writing. I thought I needed absolute silence. Then I got a job as a staff writer, and suddenly I couldn’t hear myself think. Stuck in the middle of a bustling open-plan office, I quickly discovered that if I […]

“This book has everything.” –Book Riot

Some book review websites have a definite attitude, and you can either like it or get out of the way. I love that. Book Riot is one of those. Here’s what they said about It Happened One Doomsday: “A reluctant sorceress. Her Kesha-esque shapeshifting warrior BFF. Her wisecracking employee. A hunky mechanic who is being […]

“This book totally sucked me in.” –Gooding

Holy guacamole! I’m just stunned by this amazing book review from science fiction writer Michael Edward Gooding: “This book totally sucked me in. It cost me some sleep because I couldn’t stop reading it… Good story, interesting characters, a satisfying ending that begs a sequel… The author walks on water in his spare time. Seriously though, the book […]