Author Ann Ornie has cracked the code to developing a honed, balanced urban fantasy that’s got touches of magical realism and whodunnit mysterious overtones.  In her first feature-length tale, Summoning Spruce, readers will soon learn that the author has a tremendous talent with her attention to detail and descriptions.  Ornie makes you feel like you’re a part of the journey just by immersing you into the world.  The characters and the places that she writes about feel fully-realized, almost as if they existed before the author committed them to page.  Their lives seem full and established, and you get a sense that they’ve got their own unwritten backstories, secrets, wants and desires, and it helps to breathe so much life into the tale.

In SUMMONING SPRUCE, Josephine Swell lives in a magical community pinched between forests healing from clear-cuts and a logging town gone-bust. Freshly dumped and back living with her brother and pot-smoking grandmother, Swell has accepted a job with The Row’s Council. It’s now her job to follow up on all illegal magics practiced within council territory. But when the body of a young woman is found inside the boundary of the Mayback Woods, the fragile treaty between those who protect the forest’s magic and loggers is tested. Swell must follow the trail of dark magic, to find the killer before the home she loves is cut to the ground.

While there’s certainly some darkness amidst the mystery surrounding the events of the story, it’s the beauty that shines through more often than not.  Summoning Spruce goes beyond just the pages of the book as well, showing readers that there is a possibility to see the magic all around them as well.  The book will have readers excitedly flipping through pages until the very end, and then hungry for more from Ornie once everything is wrapped up. Time will tell whether or not Ornie has more in store for Josephine, but you can thoroughly enjoy this tale on its own again and again.   Check out Summoning Spruce on Amazon today!

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Tellest: Hello Sarah!  First, I’d like to congratulate you for bringing your book into the world.  I know that you’ve been working on it for a long time, so to see it on shelves both virtual and physical must be incredibly exciting.  I’d also like to thank you for taking some time to talk to me about the worlds you’re building.  You’re already putting together sequels and a separate series, so being able to get even a few minutes to talk to you feels like a wonderful opportunity.

Sarah Chayer: Thank you for having me! Yes, getting my novel self-published has been a long road, but finally having it done and out there after nearly two decades of work and passion is incredible!

T: It’s one of the first things I ask, but I find it helps readers learn just what kind of storyteller they may be starting to enjoy.  When it comes to inspirations, what were yours?  What led you to begin telling stories, to spend years creating and refining a story that you could be proud of.  Did you have a favorite author growing up, or perhaps another talespinner in the family or community?

SC:  While I’ve never been a big reader myself, I have always enjoyed story-telling. I used to write a lot of supernatural short stories as a kid as a fun form of self-expression while also indulging my desire for fantasy. For this particular book, I did take some inspiration from Marvel’s X-men and the “Twitches” book series by H.B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld, but I tend to pull a lot from music. When I’m on a long car ride, I put on some of my favorite artists and just lose myself in it, thinking “which of my characters might experience what this song is about?” For example, William Ryan Key’s EP “Thirteen” inspired major changes in one of my main characters during my final drafts.

T: Not all of the characters we write have experienced life the way that we do.  Have you ever pursued wildly different genres than you’re used to in order to get into the head of a character?

SC:  I’ve dabbled in a lot of different styles of writing, everything from prose, to songwriting, to screenplays. That said, I’ve written short stories for several “Incandescent” characters that I have no intention of ever publishing, but I used as exercises to delve deeper into a character’s mind and backstory. It makes it easier for me to insert the character into the main story with their own unique personality, habits, communication style, etc. When characters have backgrounds so completely different from my own, I definitely invest a lot of time and energy researching to make sure I make them feel as real and authentic as possible.

T: Which of your characters was the one that surprised you the most, and how did that writing session turn out for you?

SC:  Truthfully, all of my main characters, including the antagonist, changed after writing my short “backstories.” But the one that came most organically and surprised me the most was Larsen. One day while driving and thinking about my book, something just clicked. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll be vague and just say I realized something about Larsen I should have known all along. It just fit so perfectly I didn’t even need to alter much about him, but discovering it allowed me to flesh him out as a more well-rounded character rather than just a one-dimensional supporting cast member.

T: I mentioned it a little bit earlier in this interview, but what leaves you feeling like a markedly different kind of author is just how long you kept at it when it comes to your first book.  It pays off, as well, because you can see how refining it has led it to come out feeling like the work of a professional with a large catalog of books—not just a debut author.  How did your experience taking the time to make sure your story was released right affect you?

SC:  I wrote the very first draft of this story when I was maybe ten years old. Honestly, I only started writing it because my sister and I shared a computer at the time, and I was tired of her hogging it, so I needed an excuse to use it more. That first draft was rubbish, but I enjoyed it enough to write two other stories in that series. And when those were done, I realized I wasn’t finished with it. There was some good that I could rework and make better. So during a summer abroad in Europe when I was about twelve, I wrote out by hand my second draft from scratch. And when it was done, I reread it and thought, nope, I can make this better. Third draft. There was always something else I could fix. A scene. A character. A subplot. It was frustrating but also exciting. I could see myself improving as a writer with each revision. I felt proud of how much I had grown, but I could also see that there was still room to grow, and I’m grateful for that. It means I will never tire of writing.

T: Do you fully expect to turn around a decade from now and realize that you could have made this change, or added this character or that sort of thing?  I feel as though most writers always maintain a sort of self-loathing.  And that’s not to say that our work is bad, just that we find new standards to hold ourselves to.

SC:  Even in the month or so since I published, I’ve already thought of a few changes I wish I had made in my book to better set up the sequel, and I’m sure in the years to come there will be more details I will wish I had done differently, but I am proud of my work. And I look forward to the many changes I will make, and will wish I had made, to my future publications.

T: I don’t know anything about your sister, but I imagine this is something you can lord over her.  All that time on the computer when you were young actually amounted to something pretty big!

SC:  My sister is my hero. She’s been with me through the entire process of creating this book. She was there fighting me for the computer way back in the day. She was there in Europe when I was hand-writing my second draft in a notebook with the pages falling out. She read through my final draft before anyone else, and spent well over an hour with me on the phone talking through vital plot points and scenes to ensure I sent my editor the best version possible. She even offered to take a stab at creating the cover art as she is an incredibly talented artist. [see attached concept art painting]

Words can’t express how much I love my sister. She’s the one that made all of this possible.

T: Then in that case your sister must be incredibly proud of you.  Writing and publishing a book is a huge accomplishment.  Have you had any other friends or family lend a big part of themselves to the story’s creation in some way?

SC:  At the time I was finally ready to commit and push forward to start the publishing process, I was struggling quite a bit financially and with confidence. I launched a GoFundMe in hopes that a couple friends might donate to help, but I had no idea the amount of support I would receive. Of course, my sister donated. As did my parents and my husband. And then my online community of friends just poured in. It was incredible. They had me literally ugly crying, overwhelmed with disbelief and joy. I included a thank you to everyone who donated at the start of my book, but I still don’t think I can ever thank them enough for believing in me and encouraging me to achieve my life-long dream.

T: There are plenty of people out there who want to write a book, or tell a story in some way or another, and they get in their own way and never find the means to do what you did.  What advice could you give them to help them start their own storytelling journey?

SC:  Stop researching, and just write. Throw some words on the page. It doesn’t have to be perfect, heck you don’t even have to keep what you write, but often I’ve seen people spend so long plotting and planning that they never start. You can always go back and do more research, or change things, but just start. You’d be amazed what you can create without over-thinking.

Having someone to discuss your story with and bounce ideas off of is also a great help.

T: You mentioned having someone to share your story with.  Do you recommend a set of super fans, a writing group, or something else altogether?

SC:  I have recently assembled a small group of friends who love and want to pursue their passion for writing in an effort to set goals, keep each other motivated, and bounce ideas off of each other. Given the busy schedule of adults these days, that has proven a bit challenging, but I also have my sister to help with advice. And now that the book is out, I have a few friends who are enthusiastic about the story whose brains I can pick regarding the future sequels. Sometimes I don’t even need feedback. I just need someone to talk “at” until I reach my own solution.

T: Your Incandescent series doesn’t just end with the first book.  What did you have in mind for the follow-ups, and how long have you been imagining where things go next?

SC: “Incandescent: Magic Unknown” was originally only supposed to be a one-off book. I didn’t plan on making a sequel. But while writing my final first draft last year, I realized I could do better for my characters. I wanted more for them, and I knew there was more I could do with the world I had built. I had often imagined scenarios in my head of what would come next just for my own head-cannon, so I decided to change my ending and leave it open to the possibility of a sequel or two, while still not fully committed to the idea. My sister read the draft before I sent it to my editor, and she responded, “What the heck is wrong with you?! Ending a book like that and not doing a sequel?!” So, I decided, alright, I guess I will get to know these characters a little better because I’m doing the sequel.

Without giving anything away, the first book focuses a lot on building this strong, surrogate family, and in the sequels, I want to continue building on those relationships and let the characters grow individually, both in positive and negative ways. And of course, we will be exploring new types of magic as well.

T: Especially with a series, you’re likely to end up with fans who don’t ever want to see an end.  Can you see yourself wrapping back around to this world you’ve built to explore other corners of the setting?

SC:  I have solid plans for three works in the Incandescent series, but I’m open to giving some characters a spin-off novella to provide some of the extra insight I’ve got in my head canon that doesn’t fit into the main story. With my second series though, I envision doing at least four books with the possibility of adding more.

T: With so many stories taking shape in your head, this isn’t likely a problem you’re likely to see, but what is your process for tackling something like writer’s block?

SC:  I definitely hit walls sometimes, as everyone does. I let writer’s block consume a fair chunk of time while I was struggling a few years ago, but the most important thing I could do was keep working. Even if I couldn’t get past the point I was stuck at, I would reread past chapters and make edits. I have also just changed gears and switched back to the second series sometimes. It kept me motivated, and then I would eventually return to “Incandescent” with fresh eyes.

T: Incandescent isn’t the only story you’re working on either.  Are you able to give any hints about the second series you’re working on?  Is that also an urban fantasy?

SC:  The second series I am working on is actually a revised version of a comic book series I started when I was a kid. It is also an urban fantasy story about two parallel dimensions, one is our normal world and the other contains magic, and they are both connected by a portal. The series will revolve around a group of teenage girls from the modern world who each receive their own unique, elemental powers after encountering the portal to the magical world. There is still a lot of work to do on that series, but like Incandescent’s first book, this story has been through several rewrites and revisions over the years. I’m excited to see how it shakes out.

T: When you’re working on multiple projects within the same genre, is there ever any bleed-through, either consciously or unconsciously?  How do you decide what to keep in one world, and what to keep in another?

SC:  I toyed with the idea of trying to connect the two universes I am currently creating, and there were some ways I could have achieved that, but I ultimately decided to keep them both separate as to not limit myself with what is possible in either series. I have unwittingly taken some traits I had planned for other characters, which will require some modifying in future books, but it worked out so well, I’m not upset. It just means I get to know a character all over again.

Regarding the fantasy elements though, I do face a challenge of ensuring the magic in the separate series is unique and they don’t feel derivative. It will be interesting to see if readers prefer one to the other.

T: When you’re working on your stories, do you ever imagine them in another medium, like the comic book series you mentioned earlier, or perhaps like a movie, imagining your characters running around in your head?

SC:  I do love the graphic novel medium as I think it is an interesting way to visually tell a story, but not something I envision for this series. I have, however, often thought “if this is ever made into a movie, I would want…” In fact, I already have a verbal agreement with one of my friends to write the music score should the day ever come when my book gets a film adaptation. I’m not holding my breath, nor is that something I am pursuing, but it would be cool.

T: You majored in Communication with an emphasis on Journalism.  I’m curious about how you feel about journalism, the pursuit of truth, alongside your fictional work, where sometimes it feels like it’s much easier to be enthusiastic about the made-up and make-believe.

SC:  While I definitely favor a bit of fantasy in my writing, I do also like to indulge the analytical side of my brain. I opted for journalism as my major as a means to incorporate my passion for writing into a more stable career, and I have always found academic writing comes very naturally to me. But I do enjoy research. I can’t tell you how much research I’ve done on even minute details for Incandescent, like meanings behind different gem stones, types of trees by region, or various mental health disorders. I like learning new things, so being able to take that and apply it to my fictional work is actually super fun.

T: Do you try to just remember that information, or have you found a way to catalog it for easy access if you need to bring it up in other projects in the future?

SC: I do keep several Pinterest boards full of articles and websites with information I can see useful for future works, and I have referred back to some of these already. Some boards are very broad, containing writing tips, while some are for specific books or specific characters.

T: Besides your prose stories, you also write poetry.  Which do you find more challenging?  Have you found a way to make both work in tandem with one another?

SC:  I love poetry. I won’t claim to be the best at it, but I love how poetry has a rhythm to it and how keeping something short forces me to make every decision more meaningful. You have to say more with fewer words, so every word, every punctuation mark, is a deliberate choice. Writing poetry is definitely more challenging for me as I sometimes struggle with keeping my writing short and sweet, but it’s a challenge I adore, nevertheless.

I sometimes apply my poetic style when writing my fictional work. I play with sentence structure a lot to create these rhythms to express the mood of a scene. Sometimes short fragments. Sometimes long, flowing sentences. It can help give a passage a little extra punch.

T: If someone wanted to learn more about you and your stories, where could they go?

SC:  I do have a website, which is still relatively bare right now as I am still getting my footing as a published author, but if anyone wanted to learn more about me or my future works, they can go to www.sarahchayer.com, it contains links to all my social media as well as my Amazon listing for “Incandescent: Magic Unknown.”

T: Sarah, I wanted to thank you for the taking the time to illuminate some of the things about you that fans will no doubt be dying to know.  There’s a good chance that you’re going to be someone’s favorite fantasy author, and it’s been an honor to draw back the curtain a little bit and see who is at the heart of this writing.

SC:  Thank you again for having me. It’s been wonderful talking with you. I hope we get to chat again when I release the sequel!

Once more, I want to thank Sarah for her time.  As you can tell from reading the interview, she does a lot with her time, so using some of it to chat with us felt like a very nice opportunity.  If you’re interested in what you’ve heard about Chayer and her work, you can head to her website, or check out Incandescent: Magic Unknown on Amazon!

The post Interview with Sarah Chayer appeared first on Tellest.

Authors Terance L. Shipman and Prudence William have set out to create a fantastic story that weaves and meanders, keeping readers on their toes throughout the adventure.  In The Adventures of Mahalia and Malcolm: The Robinsons, readers are introduced to the titular heroes, members of a loving family who are easy to cheer on, because their intelligent, crafty, and wholesome.  The book is captivating because readers want to spend time with Mahalia and Malcolm as they set off on their important journey.  With great writing, and beautiful illustrations by Yvonne Abuda, it’s hard to close the book, and exceedingly easy to convince yourself to read just one more page.

Every now and then a book comes along that is just so purely delightful that you can’t help but grin while you read it. The Adventures of Mahalia and Malcolm: The Robinsons, by Terance Shipman and Prudence Williams, is 100% one of those books. The book follows two middle-grader siblings, Mahalia and Malcolm, and their large, loving and wonderful African-American superhero family. Just when the Robinson family is united to celebrate the homecoming of Uncle Junior, the night takes a turn that changes Malcolm and Mahalia’s lives forever. The family is attacked by strangers with drugged bullet darts. An evil guy dressed in a red hoodie orders his goons to injure their grandmother Olivia and her two sons. They kidnap their grandfather Marshall and take him away to an unknown location. Malcolm and Mahalia must use their superpowers to help protect their family. Along with their grandmother Olivia, they are set off on a daring quest to bring back Grandpa Marshal. The characters in this book are smart and naturally witty, the story is full of great twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

In the world of fantasy where animals speak and magic is real, it can sometimes be hard to find main characters that aren’t white. Luckily, there are middle-grade books like The Adventures of Mahalia and Malcolm: The Robinsons coming out that both feature characters of color and are written by people of color.

Filled with adventure, joy, and wonder, The Adventures of Mahalia and Malcolm: The Robinsons is the perfect beginning to a fun middle-grade book about the bonds of love and family. Anyone looking for a little magic in their lives will find it here.

The Adventures of Mahalia and Malcolm is the sort of superhero story that younger fans of the genre, and older readers alike will be grateful for.  It’s a story that is a breath of fresh air in a lot of ways.  Readers will see representation here that isn’t often available to fans who wish to see diversity in their fantasy.  Shipman and Williams deliver, crafting a delightful story that might just become a modern classic.  Fans of this tale, of which there are bound to be many, can rejoice in the knowledge that there are more to come for the kid heroes of the story and their family.  Check out The Adventures of Mahalia and Malcolm: The Robinsons on Amazon today!

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Across both of Amanda April Walsh’s books, she has over twenty five-star ratings, nailing down two flawless scores across both her books.  Learning Balance (The Balancer Series Book 2) picks up right where the first one, Finding Balance, left off, and this new one takes off running.  Walsh knows how to write twists and turns that still surprise in her sophomore title, and they keep readers interested and invested throughout.  At the same time, this sequel answers lingering questions from its predecessor, while still letting new mysteries bubble to the surface.  Throughout it all, Walsh keeps readers immersed, and close to Devika.  It’s easy to care for the character and to worry about what new challenges she’ll face.

The post Urban Fantasy Promo – Learning Balance (The Balance Series Book 2) appeared first on Tellest.

Author Claire Theriot Mestepey has set out to tell a heartfelt story in ways that you’ve never seen before in Pillars (Madeline’s Magic Book 1).  Mestepey tells her story through the lens of someone with similar experiences as her protagonist, and it’s one that we don’t often see.  Madeline’s journey begins like any other orphaned hero with the potential for magic, but with an interesting twist.  She’s been paralyzed from the waist down since birth.  It’s refreshing to see a twist on conventions, and a reminder that magic can come from anyone.  It’s balanced well, also; Madeline isn’t defined by her wheelchair.  It’s just a part of who she is.  The author’s focus is on her main character, interesting as she is, but she takes time to explain all about the magic that permeates her vision of our world as well.

Madeline Jourdain is starting a new life in New Orleans, Louisiana. Despite being paralyzed from the waist down, she has always been popular and smart, recently graduating from college. She has been blessed with adoring parents and friends who saw Madeline’s true self, beyond her disability. But deep down, Madeline longed for something she never knew she missed. With a touch of a welcoming hand, Madeline’s heart opens to find true love. With an opening of a book, Madeline discovers the magic lying dormant in her, as magic is reintroduced throughout the world. This fills Madeline’s heart with more possibilities but also more danger than she could ever have imagined. With help from witches, storm giants, and a Pixie named Charlie, Madeline learns about true love, magic, and even dragons.

Interesting, catching characters and world-beyond-our-own-building aren’t the only things that the author excels at either.  Mestepey’s prose reads like poetry in all the right places, moving things along from one string of interesting events to the next.  Pillars is a considerable story that readers will still enjoy at a brisk pace.  And even when it’s over, they’ll still be hungry for more from Mestepey.  With her talents on full display here, it’s easy to hope that readers won’t be left waiting long for more from Madeline and her friends.  Check out Pillars (Madeline’s Magic Book 1) on Amazon today!

The post Urban Fantasy Promo – Pillars (Madeline’s Magic Book 1) appeared first on Tellest.

If you’re on the lookout for an urban fantasy filled with catching magic that’s wrapped up in mystery and intrigue, you need look no further than The Devil’s Trill, by N.B. Saltsman.  The author also knows how to create a feeling from her writing, sending chills up your spine or giving you goosebumps at just the right times.  Saltsman has done her research, and as such, the world she’s built behind the veil of our own feels deep and rich.  And is bolstered by characters that begin to feel more like your friends than tour guides showing you the scenery, as they’re multidimensional and dynamic throughout the run of the story.

She devoted her life to studying demons. She never knew one of them was studying her.

As a child, Kayla’s sister tried to scare her by showing her a horror movie about demons. Instead, it grew into a fascination, and then a career. Kayla now travels around the globe studying demonology and possession beliefs from every culture imaginable. Though enriching, her career has convinced her beyond a shadow of a doubt that demons aren’t real. Until she meets Elisa Watkins.

Elisa’s possession is like nothing Kayla has ever seen before…and she’s seen everything. Kayla tries to believe that Elisa is simply faking for attention, a bid for her fifteen minutes of fame, but Kayla’s convictions start to waver the more time she spends in Elisa’s presence. Elisa knows things about Kayla’s past that she couldn’t possibly be able to know. And then there’s that haunting violin song…

Shaken to her core, Kayla is desperate to find answers. But this demon, if he is real, might not be the deadliest threat that Kayla is facing…

If you’re a fan of contemporary fantasy who is looking to be not just entertained, but impressed, The Devil’s Trill is the book for you.  It’s energetic in all the right places, and enigmatic when it is laying out its mysteries.  Though the book ends with great satisfaction, there are still more secrets left to unravel.  With luck, Saltsman will have more from her captivating world soon, but you shouldn’t wait to dive into her incredible debut.  Check out The Devil’s Trill on Amazon today!

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Authors Terance L. Shipman and Prudence William have amassed a wonderful catalog of books for middle-grade children, but with their latest, the pair have brought to life their best story yet.  In The Adventures of Mahalia and Malcolm: The Robinsons, readers are treated to a family-centric superhero story with wonderful emotional payoff which is all wrapped up in some fantastic magic.  With catching prose by the talented authors, and gorgeous illustrations by Yvonne Abuda, the tale is sure to get its hooks into readers of all ages.  It’s a family that readers can root for, and they’ll want to see what happens next.

Mahalia, an eighth grader, and her brother, Malcolm, a fifth grader are just beginning to learn to use their unique superpowers. Now their family has been attached, and they must use those powers to save their Grandfather from Titus. Titus is evil and seems determined to kill their family. Not knowing why such mayhem has fallen on their family, the siblings must quickly learn to harness their superpowers and rush to help their Grandmother save their family.  

They know that they are not the typical African American family, but that doesn’t stop them from being kids, and as Mahalia and Malcolm set off on a brave and daring adventure to rescue their family, they struggle with the normal fears and anxieties that all kids experience. During their journey, they discover the enormous range of their superpowers, incredible secrets about their family, like Douglass: the family’s robot, and RedTail1: the family’s aircraft, and the courage that it take to keep a superhero family together. Filled with excitement and riveting escapades, The Adventures of Mahalia and Malcolm the Robinsons is the perfect book to show young readers that superheroes come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages!

The Adventures of Mahalia and Malcolm is the sort of superhero story that younger fans of the genre will be grateful for.  But no matter the reader’s age, they will be hungry for more, as a middle-grade reader, or an adult eager to share the magic with their child.  The action within the story isn’t sewn together for thrills, although you certainly get them here regardless.  Instead, it’s built on heart, courage, and wide-eyed wonder.  Fans of this tale, of which there are bound to be many, can rejoice in the knowledge that there are more to come for the kid heroes of the story and their family.  Check out The Adventures of Mahalia and Malcolm: The Robinsons on Amazon today!

The post Urban Fantasy Promo – The Adventures of Mahalia and Malcolm: The Robinsons appeared first on Tellest.

Tellest: Hello Bettina!  Just looking at your catalog, I can see that an absolute ton of your time goes into writing and publishing your many books.  I appreciate you sneaking some of that time away to talk to me about just what kind of things are important in your day-to-day life, and what it means to you to get your stories out into the world.  I’m excited to help more people learn more about you and find their new favorite author!

Bettina M. Johnson: Thank you, Mike. Yes…I write full time and do so quickly. It’s not unheard of for me to write 10K in two days.

T: Whoa!  Speaking as someone who is knee-deep in NaNoWriMo this year, I can say that I sometimes have difficulty breaking sixteen hundred words in a day, and there’s at least one day I slipped up this month already.  What kind of magic coffee do you end up drinking to give you that kind of mental energy?  I jest, but maybe there are some sorts of tips you could send my way that I could apply to reaching a decent word count each day.

BMJ:  I treat it as my full-time job and discipline myself to start early and keep writing until I’m done for the day.  One of my novellas…. A Djinn and Tonic, I wrote in three days.  30K.  I don’t suggest it be done all the time, but as a mental task and training to see if it can be done? Yeah.  Then I give myself plenty of time to recuperate from such a grueling schedule. When you break it down, I make those days my 8 hour days.  If I shoot for 2000 an hour I’m ahead of the game. But if I plan on writing for 8 hours, I find it easy.

T: I know that you’ve enjoyed storytelling since you were quite young, creating tales in your mind to pass the time and stave off boredom whenever it came creeping in.  What do you think inspired those moments of inspiration?  Were there any storytellers in your family that you believe you may have inherited the skill from?  Did you have any favorite authors who were setting off sparks in your mind?

BMJ:  My mom was a voracious reader, and she would often read to us and leave off at the “good part.” I am rather impatient, so I learned to read by four just to be able to finish the story. By the time I was six, I pretty much read all the classics, Black Beauty, Little Women, A Christmas Carol, Charlotte’s Web…I was up to four books a month before I hit my teen years! Sometimes I didn’t like the way a story ended, so my mind would create alternative endings…I didn’t realize I was “writing” back then, but that’s exactly what my mind was doing. I would have to say, as a child, the authors who sparked my creativity had to be Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe. Seriously. I read all their works while in middle school.

T: You’ve got children of your own.  Has the process kind of come full circle?  Did you end up reading to your kids as they were growing up, and are they as insatiable as you and your mother were with stories?  Are you bringing up new scribes in your family?

BMJ:  My husband did the reading duties. It was something he was passionate about because he was out at work all day and wanted that ritual at night for our children. But I did from time to time since I homeschooled all three.

T: With such a huge catalog of books you’ve written, there are plenty of things we could talk about.  Your newest book is Siren Rise, the first book in your Secret Sirens series.  You’ve already written witchy mysteries about many other magical beings.  How did sirens become your newest fascination?  Were these stories always in your head and you just needed the opportunity to bring them to life around all your other releases?

BMJ:  It’s a light departure for me, Siren Rise. I went from paranormal mystery to paranormal romance…a bit steamy…but still would consider the tale a mystery, as the plot is unfolding with answers that won’t come out until books two, three and beyond.

This tale has been ruminating around my mind for years. I didn’t want to tackle it or let the characters come out to play until I had a few cozy mysteries under my belt. I felt it was time when I couldn’t sleep well due to the storyline writing itself while I was drifting off to sleep—it’s very difficult to enter the Land of Nod when you have to get up to pen those few lines before they are lost forever!

Click to see all the books Johnson has written, or is working on.

T: With Siren Rise, you’ve moved on from witches to sirens, as the name suggests.  Are there any other obscure paranormal or mythological creatures that you’re toying with in the future?

BMJ:  Crossroad demons… I have a character named Pandora who is one. My Fortune-Telling Twins series has a bunch of different paranormal beings in it: vampires, demons, shifters, etc.  I’m dabbling with the idea of a revenant for the series I have in development.

T: Your catalog is huge.  But even more impressive than that, you’ve written all of them within only the last eighteen months or so.  You’re a quick writer, your books are not slim, and they’re all very well-received.  What do you think are the secrets to your success?

BMJ:  I came late to this career. I do many things in life this way. It took me thirty years to get my BA in History! Life experience. I chalk off my success to life experience. Every one of my books has a grain of truth or a bit of me and things I’ve seen, done or heard about with people I’ve bumped into or decided to turn into fictional characters.  My husband’s cousin is convinced she’s one of my characters…but I’ll never tell!

I’ve always written ridiculously fast and now it’s nothing for me to write a novel in a week. That is not to say it is an easy process, because sometimes my characters refuse to speak to me, and I flounder. I never promise a book early, even though I can write them so rapidly, just in case the “voices” stop, and I need to wait for inspiration to hit.

My books ARE well received, and for that I am grateful! I think my readers can relate to my characters, even though I write the paranormal, because they ARE based on that grain of truth…so they become authentic. Plus, I love what I do. I love my tales and the characters. I anticipate each and every new book and have to remind myself to come out of my cave once and a while and give the writing a break! Perhaps it shows in my work.

T: When you began work on your earlier series, were they always intended to be the longer sets that they are?  Or did you write, say, a trilogy, and then determine there was more to tell, and keep things going.  To put it another way, you’ve got three books currently planned in the Secret Sirens series, but is there a possibility of getting more out of the stories?  Is it in the nature of mystery books that there’s always room to find more to explore?

BMJ:  I know my endings before I start writing. I know where I want them to go and how I want them to conclude. The Lily Sweet Mysteries and Fortune-Telling Twins series will go on until my fans shout, “enough!” Secret Sirens is slated for three for Tarni’s story. If they are well received, I may do stories based on the other sisters, specifically Kimberly…or do more on Tarni…but away from this timeline or story set. Siren Rise, Siren Star and Siren Fall are definitely a trilogy.  That’s the only one I planned this way. The rest I always intended to be series.  I have two more series in the works…one about a ghost-hunter names Samantha Geist, another paranormal mystery…and one that might fall into fantasy romance. It certainly has all the elements of high fantasy but remains firmly in the romance category.

T: This is just a curiosity from me, but have you ever had even more obscure characters who you’ve considered promoting into more of a starring role?  The guy at the coffee shop humming to himself while he reads the paper, or the girl going for a job in the morning while the main character exits their house?

BMJ:  As mentioned above…Pandora. She is a riot. A crossroads demon with a heart but gets into all manner of situations and usually drags my poor, long-suffering MC along for the ride. She will become a permanent fixture in the Fortune-Telling Twins series crossing over from the Lily Sweet series.

T: You’ve currently got eight books in the Lily Sweet Mysteries series, with the ninth on the way.  How does it feel going from someone who once had difficulties getting their first book finished to having this empire of fantasy that has found a huge following of dedicated fans?

BMJ:  I pinch myself constantly! There are mornings I get up and all I do is stare at my website…look at my Amazon Author Page…stare at my computer screen whose background is all my books lined up in rows…and just gawk!  That’s me! Those are my babies! It’s surreal. What is even more rewarding is getting emails from my readers and hearing about how much they enjoy my tales. That has to be akin to what rock stars and actors feel when fans are screaming at them up on stage…at least it is to ME! I just had a reader reach out to me with a few vegetable-based recipes because I mentioned in my newsletter I wanted to switch it up a bit and make meat the side dish…eat healthier. She sent me an email with recipes. How awesome is she? And how neat is that? I spent the rest of the day acting like a celebrity with peeps! Imagine me…with readers who would take the time out of their day to thank me, send me recipes, send words of encouragement, etc. Seriously heady stuff there!

T: Do your stories all exist within the same world?  Could the Fortune sisters in theory run into Lily Sweet out in the wild?

BMJ:  Indeed. It all started with Lily Sweet. Her cousins Maggie and Ellie Fortune came to visit…and bam! Fortune-Telling Twins. Tarni Vanderzee is the siren who showed up in Lily’s tale but now has her own series. Samantha Geist just made an appearance in both the Lily Sweet Mysteries and the Fortune-Telling Twins Mysteries. I have a character called Pandora. She is a wacky and wonderful crossroads demon and is in Lily Sweet…but crossed to Fortune-Telling Twins and I think will become a permanent character there (unless I give her a series of her own!) So yes. They are all connected. I don’t know if this will continue in the future…but it just might.

T: You mentioned Pandora, and that gives us the opportunity to talk about another new series of sorts for you.  Recently, Amazon started allowing authors to use the Kindle Vella platform, and essentially write serialized short-form content that readers would be able to digest in episodic bites.  Pandora is one of those stories.  Now, you’re already writing so incredibly fast that it may not feel as though much has changed.  But what kinds of things have you noticed that are different on that platform?

BMJ:  I’m actually not very impressed with KindleVella. It appears to me to be major authors pushing ahead of the little guys, as usual, and Amazon’s algorithm rewards them…and the rest of us go unnoticed. Maybe it’s because I haven’t pushed it per se.

T: What are some tips you could offer for storytellers who want to try to follow in your footsteps?  What made writing more accessible for you, or gave you the kick that you needed to really put yourself in gear to write to the great lengths that you have?

BMJ:  That one is going to be difficult. You see, the catalyst for me entering the world of writing happened because I lost my mother. She died in 2019 after a nasty bought of pneumonia. She was my muse as a child, the one—as mentioned—who sparked my love of reading. We often shared cozy mysteries and would lament over story plots or characters we loved. I always told her I’d write someday, and she responded with, “even if no one reads them, I will. But I think you will have no end of readership!” Yet, still, I put it off. Then she died. I picked my pen up (actually dusted off my computer keys) eight months after she died when it dawned on me she wouldn’t be here to read them now…and what the heck was I waiting for? I hope she is cheering me on, however, and write each book FOR her.

T: That is a lovely sentiment, and I’m sure she is ecstatic about what you’ve written not only for her, but for other people as well.  Your stories are probably changing hundreds, if not thousands, of lives at this point.  And as you mentioned earlier, in some ways, it’s coming back around—you’re learning new recipes, after all!

BMJ:  I certainly try to write something I know she’d enjoy reading…but also update them for today’s market. One of my inspirations is the late author Joan Hess. That woman could write humorous cozy mysteries like nobody’s business. If I can be half as good as her, I am ahead of the game. Mom hooked me onto her books.

T: Marketing is its own special challenge among writers.  What successes have you found along the way.  Were there any promoters or websites that seemed to help more than others?  Did you find that “boxed sets” helped to drive sales or brought in a new audience?

BMJ:  Marketing is a weird animal. Certainly, doing interviews, such as yours, does wonders for getting the word out. The BEST marketing, however, has to be word of mouth from readers. They make or break an author and that is why I am so very grateful to mine and celebrate with every new positive review or 5-stars I see. I’m finding social media to be less so. They are flooded with authors all trying to do the same thing. I am hoping something is coming up the pike that will put authors in front of insatiable readers, almost like what Goodreads tried (and failed) to be, but more interactive. I know there are readers out there that want interaction with authors, because I am one of them! I would love a platform to discover books, authors and other readers and it be a thriving place where people go to “hang” out and discuss and discover together!

T: What kinds of things do you find inspiration in these days?  With as much story content as you’ve put out into the world, are you inspiring yourself more than outside events could?

BMJ:  With outside events the way they are at the moment, I have become a happy little hermit crab and remain on my farm, writing. That said, I get my inspiration from the weirdest sources. Relatives, friends, and acquaintances…things that happened to me or people I knew in the past, etc. But mostly my mind just starts weaving these tales and I’m not quite sure where it’s all coming from! (Other than I have quite a lot of weird things running amok in my head!)

T: If a reader wanted to learn more about you, where could they find you on the internet?

BMJ:  My website:  www.bettinamjohnson.net and I’m on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter. I’d have to say, out of all of them, I really enjoy TikTok because I can see and hear from people who reach out. Although Facebook has that ability. I have a Team Wicked group on Facebook where some of my readers hang out and get exclusive content form me:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/616854662258298

T: Bettina, I wanted to thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me while I know you could be cranking out another book in the time that we’ve been chatting.  I’m hopeful that more people can learn more about you from this interview and see the passion that you have for your stories.

BMJ:  Thanks Mike. I come up for air every once in a while, and enjoyed taking the time to answer your questions!

T: For good measure, I’d like to thank Bettina M. Johnson for the opportunity to conduct this interview with her.  She was as enthusiastic throughout the process as she is in her writing.  I’m excited to see where her devotion to her stories take her, and I’m we’re barely scratching the surface of what she’s capable of.  We here at Tellest will keep an eye on Johnson’s stories and announce whenever new projects are released.  In the meantime, be sure to check out Siren Rise: A Secret Sirens Paranormal Romance – Book 1 on Amazon today!

The post Interview with Bettina M. Johnson appeared first on Tellest.

Author Bettina M. Johnson is at the top of her game.  She’s a very prolific series writer with two successful series under her belt which have amassed a number of fans and positive reviews.  Johnson is ready to enchant again with the release of a new debut series.  In Siren Rise: A Secret Sirens Paranormal Romance – Book 1, the author brings a new character to the forefront, with all the captivating charm and magic that her readers have come to expect.  Siren Rise might even be Johnson’s most gripping work to date, as it’s also full of steamy scenes and darker intrigues.

A mystical siren with lofty goals. A rock star with dark secrets who always gets his way. When Fate throws them together, will powerful magic destroy their forever? Or will their souls sing in harmony for eternity?

Tarni Vanderzee shuns conformity. Refusing her family’s demands she have her vocal chords magically altered, the young siren instead flees to Las Vegas and its dark clubs. But her search for enough power to take down her father’s ugly dynasty takes an unplanned detour when she runs headlong into a wild rockstar’s arms…

Logan MacDuff lives and breathes sex, drugs, and Rock ’n’ Roll. With his rocket-like ascent to celebrity status bringing him the hedonistic lifestyle he craves, he refuses to bow to anyone else’s moral code. But when a striking woman blindsides him, the high-flying musician would exchange every drop of adulation for a future with the stunning seductress.

Reunited in Los Angeles, as Tarni succumbs to her charismatic lover’s charms, she’s determined not to reveal the truth behind her long-lived existence. But Logan has skeletons of his own, ones that put him in the direct path to Tarni’s happiness, and he fears as the only person he longs to share them with she is the one who could destroy him…

Will their souls sing in harmony for eternity, or will they explode in a blaze of fleeting glory?

Siren Rise is the smoking-hot first book in the captivating Secret Sirens steamy paranormal romantic mystery series. If you like powerful magic, strong heroines, and brooding heroes, then you’ll adore Bettina M. Johnson’s plunge into sensual danger.

Buy Siren Rise to surrender to desire’s call today!

If you love spending time with new favorite characters, you’ll definitely want to follow Bettina M. Johnson.  She’s already built out two large mystery series, and she knows how to build into more exciting events and revelations with each release.  Siren Rise takes all the talent and imagination she’s honed thus far and pulls it in a thrilling new direction.  And with two other books in this series on the horizon, there’s no better time than now to pick up the first book in what is bound to be an incredible series.  Check out Siren Rise: A Secret Sirens Paranormal Romance – Book 1 on Amazon today!

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Author Andreas Adam has a fun, colorful, and charming story lined up for coming-of-age fantasy lovers.  The Land at the End of the Rainbow is a delightful portal fantasy that is quirky in all the right places.  It fully embraces the magic of imagination, and its characters are entertaining to follow.  Adam manages to include a bit of charm and whimsy into every facet of the story, and its energy carries the story forward at a lovely pace that young readers will enjoy.

An eleven-year-old Swedish girl, Lara, is home alone for the first time. Her family had travelled to southern Germany for her grandmother’s birthday, as her swimming competition was in a few days, she could not go with them. But then, she accidentally meets a colorful parrot in the garden of her house who surprisingly talks like a human and asks her for help to save a world she had never heard of before.

Something is wrong in Pinky’s home, the land at the end of the rainbow. The rainbow clocks that are so important for the rainbow parrots have disappeared and, with them, the chief of the colorful tribe. Lara embarks on an adventurous and exciting journey with the clumsy Pinky that takes them to the magical land at the end of the rainbow and centuries through time. From monks to witches, a stately castle, and enchanted gardens. Will the two save the rainbow world?

The Land at the End of the Rainbow has a sort of addictive quality to it.  It’s broken down into sections, and the stories within feel like three charming parts that work well together.  The end of the book wraps up three wonderful stories, but weaves a narrative through all of them.  While the first three stories might be wrapped up in this magical land, Adam leaves enough room to explore that more could be seen here.  But until that time, this is a great little set of stories, and it will provide lasting appeal to those who enjoy coming-of-age fantasy.  Check out The Land at the End of the Rainbow on Amazon today!

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