Tale of the Witche is a little different from my other books. It actually began as a series of short stories. Each story was self-contained, and the overarching tale was a mystery, only faintly hinted at in each story. I don't normally write mystery, and I seldom read any books that can be categorized as mystery, so this was one struggle (among many) when tying this book together. You can read more about my writing and background info on my works on the Tidbits & Trivia pag

Since I'm nearly finished with Tale of the Witche (it's coming. Soon. I hope.) I decided to work on something else. After all, there's more to releasing a book than just the manuscript. But when I started to create the cover, I couldn't find the font I used with Tale of the Moone. To make sure I wasn't simply overlooking it, I went through every single font. Nope. Not there. Thanks to the nice people over on the What the Font forums, https://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/

Someone approached me the other day, and asked if I had written a book. It startled me, and several thoughts went through my head. Was this a fan? Someone who would want an autograph? Someone wanting to know why my next book wasn't out yet? But it just turned out to be my accountant. 😄 #writing

The good news is that I've decided on the short story that will be released this year, right after Tale of the Witche. I was having trouble deciding on which one to publish, and I initially decided on a different one. But when I went back and actually looked at the original story, I realized it was simply too short, even though I was planning to pair it with another similar themed short story. Even together they were both too short, barely a few pages long. I always seem to r

I love this scene from Little Women, where Friedrich remarks about Jo's ink stained hands, and think about it often: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iBITurpiX8 I've only mentioned this briefly before, but I write nearly everything by hand. And one of the most important things is having a good pen. I'm always on the search for pens that flow easily without having to press too hard on the paper. Gel pens are no good, for they run at the slightest hint of water. My current favo

Last Saturday, I was gifted with a very vivid dream. It was so intriguing and interesting that I couldn't get it out of my mind. It seemed to be too long for a short story, and I toyed with the idea of making a video game out of it, but many times I lose the impetus of a project if I put it off for too long. And I have a very long list of unwritten stories. So on Monday afternoon, I decided to try and write it, thinking maybe I could get it done as a novella. And I didn't s

Hi everyone, just wanted to check in. I'm still plugging away on Tale of the Witche, but it's slow-going, although I have made some steady progress this month. As I've said before, it was a problem book from the beginning and it's still a problem book now, but I'm also guilty of taking the time to write some short stories I've had in mind for awhile. #taleofthewitche #writing

Yes, I know it's February, but I was sick for nearly the entire month of January. Sorry the update is late! I have a few things planned for this year. First, of course, will be the release of my third book, Tale of the Witche. Although it is a prequel of sorts to Tale of the Moone, both stories are stand-alone and can be read in any order. They do take place in the same world and there are some returning characters. I've fallen a little behind on this (as usua...l). I'm curre

As I was walking out of work today, I thought how lucky I was to be going home to write about griffins, unicorns, and witches. (In order, from the book I'm writing, the short story I'm writing, and the book I'm editing.) #writing

Today is the one year anniversary of The Eightfold Lairs of Xillenthia! The ebook will now be available for the lower price of $4.99, and will also be offered for the Nook. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-eightfold-lairs-of-xillenthia-melinda-odonnell/1126679198?ean=2940158873775 In other news, I'm still working away on Tale of the Witche, and am so far pleased with the results. I'm trying for a delicate balance by toning down the humor while fleshing out the story, so