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I hope you enjoy these tidbits shared in this month’s email newsletter.

Part 1 – Researching Magic Systems

Part 2 – Re-Discovering the Dark Ages

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I like to tell people when I’m being dramatic that I was born under the shadow of Mount Shasta. It’s fitting that my writing passion was fueled by a visit to McCloud, California, which sits at the base of this mythical 14,139-foot-high stratovolcano.

I’ve been chatting with Introverted Indies dark fantasy author Lucy A. McLaren who was a guest on my Spotlight in 2023. Our conversation got me remembering the start of my writing journey in 2020 when I met my folks in McCloud, a small mill town on Highway 89 near Interstate 5, one of many historical mill and mining towns in Siskiyou and Shasta counties. A few miles down the highway, you’ll find Burney Falls. another scenic wonder President Theodore Roosevelt called “the Eight Wonder of the World.”

That first story I was typing away on (in photo below) never got past the first few chapters, but what a perfect setting for a paranormal romance! I’m only just now appreciating how much I was affected by the atmosphere, which I believe was the glue that cemented my writing passion.

An article in Big Think aptly describes Mount Shasta as “[a] mountain [is] associated with so many otherworldly, paranormal, and mythical beings—in addition to long-established Native American traditions—that it’s almost like a who’s who of metaphysics.”

I was super glad I booked a bed and breakfast room at the charming McCloud Hotel. I highly recommend a stay.

Check out Where I Live for more beautiful areas and photographs.

Part 1 – Researching Magic Systems

Part 2 – Re-Discovering the Dark Ages