Blog

It all began in a Michael's aisle.

My husband asked me what I wanted for Valentine’s Day—probably expecting chocolate, flowers, or at most, a candle that smells like "mystical mountain sage" (you know the one). Instead, I pointed to a watercolor kit with a sunflower on the box and said, “That.”

He blinked. “But… you don’t paint.”

“I can learn,” I said, channeling the chaotic confidence of someone who had just learned to bake sourdough two weeks prior.

What followed was an obsession—YouTube...

Once, I set a goal to write 10,000 words in one weekend. I stocked up on snacks, made a playlist, lit a productivity candle, and declared myself unstoppable. Two hours in, I was deep into alphabetizing my bookshelf, halfway through a bag of trail mix, and had written exactly 147 words—two of which were "help me."

That weekend flopped, but it taught me something: goals don’t work unless they actually work for you.

So, this isn’t about being perfect. It’s about staying focused, staying human, and...

Every journey has a beginning, and for Morwenna Willowheart Brightwood, that beginning is a decommissioned lighthouse on Portland's "Driftwood Coast" in Maine. While her lighthouse home might seem like an unusual choice, it's just the first chapter in a story that will sweep her across the Atlantic to the mist-shrouded shores of Scotland.

Living with her adopted sister Ava and their father Seamus, Morwenna has carved out a comfortable life as a freelance writer in their coastal home. The...

Picture this: May 1st rolls around, and while the world offers up quaint May Day traditions—think Morris dancing, maypoles, and cucumber sandwiches—the Druids toss that whole picnic into a bonfire and crank up the magic.

Beltane is not your polite garden party. It’s a full-throttle, firelit celebration where dancing isn’t so much coordinated as it is cavorting; mead is the beverage of choice; and fashion choices lean heavily toward "feral extra from Braveheart." Bonfires blaze to honor the...

Dear fellow scribbler of strange worlds, snarky heroines, and questionable magical decisions, Let’s set the scene. You’ve finally hit publish. Maybe your book baby has emerged from the dark, coffee-stained womb of Draftlandia and into the wild, gleaming sunlight of Amazon or Goodreads. You’ve toasted it with champagne (or ginger ale in a wine glass—we’re not judging), you’ve posted the proud announcement, and then…

A review appears. And it reads something like:

“This book made me want to train...

Let’s talk about the real glamorous life of an indie author: one part ambition, one part caffeine, and ninety-seven parts Googling “how to fix this weird Canva thing at 2 a.m.”

When I first entered the world of self-publishing, I quickly realized I had two choices: learn the skills myself… or open a direct line between my wallet and the nearest freelance marketplace. Don’t get me wrong—I respect the heck out of hiring professionals. I’ve done it. I still do it. But if there’s a skill I can...

Ah, writer’s block. It’s like the pesky neighbor who pops over uninvited and refuses to leave—even when you drop the biggest hints (like slamming your laptop shut in frustration).

As an author who’s juggled tales of selkies and secrets, I know this struggle well. Picture this: I finally carve out a quiet moment between dog park visits (Violette has a very active social calendar), keeping up with my pilot husband’s travel schedule, and convincing myself I don’t need more watercolor supplies. I...

Let's talk about Inverness, shall we? You know, that charming Scottish city that's been typecast as "Nessie's hometown" since basically forever. But much like how there's more to being a selkie than just looking fabulous in seal form, there's more to Inverness than its camera-shy aquatic celebrity.

Today's Inverness is a peculiar cocktail of ancient and modern - imagine a Viking trying to figure out how to use an iPhone, and you're halfway there. You've got your historic castle brooding over...

Look, we need to talk about magic. Not the "pull a rabbit out of a hat" kind (though if you can do that, props to you for managing it without ending up with angry rabbit scratches). I'm talking about the real deal - the kind that makes insurance companies cry and building inspectors quit their jobs.

Power Source: Where's Your Magic Coming From, Bestie?

Remember that time you tried to charge your phone without a power source? Yeah, magic's kind of like that, except with more dramatic...

Editing: the necessary evil that takes your book from "eh" to "epic." There are three main types—developmental, line, and copy—and knowing which one you need can save your manuscript from public embarrassment. Developmental editing is the big-picture coach, fixing plot holes before they devour your story. Line editing polishes prose so it doesn’t read like you wrote it half-asleep. Copy editing ensures commas don’t start a rebellion and that you don’t accidentally tell Grandma to be dinner...

Ah, the Spring Equinox! That moment when Mother Nature decides she's done hogging all the limelight and shares it equally with Father Sun. It’s like a celestial game of tug-of-war where everyone wins - day and night wrestle for control but end up shaking hands at exactly 12 hours each. Now contrast this to our old friend, Solstice; that show-off who loves extremes. While equinox is busy balancing daylight and darkness on its perfectly poised seesaw, solstice either basks in endless sunshine...

In the left corner, we've got Selkies – those enchanting shape-shifters of Scottish folklore who can transform from seal to human by shedding their magical skin. They're charming, mysterious and have a penchant for brooding on rocky shores under misty skies - talk about drama queens! Now let's not forget that they carry around what is essentially a waterproof onesie all day; practical or fashion faux pas? You decide.

On the right side of this aquatic showdown are Mermaids - half-human,...

Just when one thinks they have heard all there is to know about the ocean's peculiar inhabitants, along come the selkies. These enchanting creatures, part seal and part human, have long captured the imaginations of coastal folklore enthusiasts. Originating mainly from Scottish and Icelandic traditions, selkies glide through the waters, shedding their sleek seal skins to walk on land as beautiful humans—but only when the mood strikes them right.

Now, one might wonder how such a captivating myth...