Tag: writer

How Myths Shape My Worlds

Published on by Leigh

I was that kid in elementary school who couldn’t wait for the Mythology Unit to come around. In fact, Apollo was perhaps my first crush, or maybe it was Justin from The Secret of N.I.M.H. It was a long time ago.

But just because I’m a bit fuzzy on the timeline doesn’t mean those two things didn’t leave an enormous impact on my life. My fascination with mythology has always been present, carrying me from Mount Olympus to Joseph Campbell and the archetypes of Carl Jung. These days, I usually begin a book with a specific geographic region in mind. Then I’m off on a hunt for myths and legends that might make for an interesting adventure for my main character in the Relic Hunter Series.

When I first started writing, I set my story in familiar territory to me: the Jersey Pines. Being a Jersey girl made the location feel personal, but I still needed a reason to send a disgruntled archaeologist desperate for a fresh start wandering through the Pines. I had a vague notion about healing trees, so I went searching for more information, knowing I wanted to ground my stories in legends. I often say that I use the setting and the mythology as the structure to hang my characters on, and that’s as true today as it was the first time I flipped open my laptop.

I don’t always stay true to the legends. That’s one of the benefits of being a fantasy writer. I want the stories to feel familiar enough to make readers feel at home, but I twist most of the myths just enough to give my characters better angles to grow from. The Pines and the Native American tribes who lived there gave rise to the inclusion of Coyote in my first book. And I have to admit, I’ve let him drive the narrative as much as Arienne has. He’s mythical, legendary, and just human enough to make reviewers keep mentioning him. Coyote was the structure from which Kai blossomed.

The Relic Hunter Series travels the world now, but honestly, I could have stayed in New Jersey forever. Every country’s mythology is rich and varied, overflowing with transformative stories deeply rooted in culture, geography, and worldview. There’s no shortage of inspiration for anyone willing to dig – and I just happen to love the digging.

At the heart of it all, myths give me a place to start. They’re the skeleton of the story that I can bend, shape, and sometimes completely twist to fit the characters who show up demanding space on the page. They’re ancient, familiar, and endlessly surprising, and they let me explore the world one legend at a time. And those legends have led me to dig deeper, and what I’ve found is a vast common ground that so many cultures share. But that’s a discovery for a future post.

A Deep Dive into Liminal Spaces

Published on by Leigh

Truthfully, I wanted to blow something up, metaphorically speaking. I wanted a big, magical explosion, and then I wanted to see what my characters did with it. I could have chosen any location, but I picked one with the power to transport you anywhere: from the depths of the sea to the far reaches of space, and everywhere in between:  a library.

Okay, so a magical library where the possibilities for great adventures are increased a million-fold. But rather than destroying it, I wanted to trap people. People I care about. People I enjoy writing into existence. But I wanted to write them out of existence and send them NOWHERE.

That’s how Shattered Magic began. It was my opening scene from day one: a library. A catastrophe. Chaos. And poof! my trapped characters were lost.

And then… I was equally lost. The book stopped cold. It simmered in the back of my brain for months. I tried to dissuade myself, tried to pick a new opener, but it didn’t feel right. I loved it, my folded library too much to give up. So I let the story sit, as I usually do. And the answer to my literary dilemma came from a WhyFiles YouTube video on liminal spaces.

And we were off.

I didn’t invent the concept, but when I discovered it, it was like the universe was smacking me over the head, begging me to use it. So I did a deep dive into liminal spaces – airports, train stations, doorways, even elevators – and discovered that between here and there lies a place that’s both and neither. A place where you’re waiting to move on.  Where possibilities are everywhere. These spaces aren’t meant to be inhabited long-term; they’re transitional, designed for waiting until you move on to your next destination.

There’s a long history of lore about liminal spaces, too. In ancient times, people buried small protective figures beneath doorways to keep evil spirits from slipping through, because they believed all liminal spaces had the potential to let anything through, and it’s better to guard against trouble than try to get rid of it.

And yes, there’s a disorienting feeling to being in one of these places for too long. Time seems suspended because, rather than being present where you are, you’re anticipating moving on. Think of a snowed-in airport – nobody’s supposed to be sleeping on the floor, and I’m pretty sure nobody gets quality rest when they have to do that – but all of those people are trapped between where they came from and where they’re going. And airports, train stations, and other liminal spaces aren’t designed for long-term occupation.

Psychologists describe liminal spaces as places of transformation, uncertainty, and possibility. Perfect for fantasy, right?  So that library explosion turned into a journey through liminal spaces that forced my characters to grow. By trapping them in a place that’s neither here nor there, I could explore who they are when the world goes sideways. Chaos became possibility, fear became personal, and a simple “what/when” question – what happens to people when they’re trapped nowhere for too long? – turned into a story about choices, courage, and the quirks of the people I love to put on the page. 

Here’s another honest fact that didn’t occur to me until I was writing this post:  I was in my own liminal space while I finished that book.  Caught between the career I left and the one I was starting.  Sometimes, the in-between is exactly where you want to be, and sometimes serendipity sneaks up on you.

Snarky Markety

Published on by Leigh

I know I need to market. But marketing for indie authors like me is a life of keywords, spreadsheets, and acronyms like CTR and CCP – and that just makes my brain hurt. I try. Really.

But I spend a day analyzing, creating, posting – and PAYING – and then all I’ve done is create MORE work for myself because the following week, I get to “look at the data” and do it all over again. A day of marketing is not only unpleasant for me, but it sucks time out of my writing. Let me tell you about my marketing journey and why I’m choosing NOT to market at this point (much to the detriment of my bottom line).

When I started this full-time writing career, I had visions of working for myself, publishing on a regular basis – and once Shattered Magic was out in the world, I turned my attention to my biggest failure – marketing.

I’m terrible at it. I’ve tried TikTok and Pinterest, I run ads, and I’m pretty reliable at posting on Instagram – but all that time is a swing and a miss in terms of moving books. When I sit down to look at the data, I feel like a total failure—and that mindset affects my productivity as a writer.

So when I made the switch to authorhood, I found someone whose work in book marketing I respect and admire – someone I love to watch and whose advice I trust – and I signed up for a course. I worked that course to the best of my ability – but as much as I loved the creator, I just couldn’t get excited – so I plodded through lessons and homework and webinars for a full 30 days and guess what happened to my next book?

Nothing.

And by nothing I mean I didn’t write a single sentence in 30 days. I just couldn’t. I was so frazzled and beat down by the marketing stuff that I had zero left to give my books.

That 30 days cost me 90 days of writing because I was so discouraged and defeated I had zero joy left for my craft.

Zero, people!

But the stress-quotient was off the charts! My writing space became a place I actively avoided, rather than a place I ran to for refuge.

I could tell because my desk was obsessively clean. Things were filed. Things were labeled. My fancy gold binder clips sparkled while keeping my marketing plan, task lists, and keyword notes all neatly contained. And my computer folders were labeled with spreadsheets, comp authors, and data, data, data.

The clean desk was a sign I was in deep trouble.

It was not the course creator’s fault. That person is amazing. It is a matter of temperament – MY temperament.

A temperament that was cultivated over years of doing exactly that sort of data-driven, spreadsheet-based work in an entirely different profession. A profession I left to write books.

So, I dropped the course. Then I did 60 days of “marketing detox” and realized something: I can spend days writing ad copy and get ZERO joy, or I can spend days writing new adventures. If they sell – great – but I’m not going to sell anything if I can’t write – and if marketing kills writing then I need to banish marketing.

Maybe this will change, but for now, my goal is words on a page. Not ads in a folder – and my binder clips? Safely stored in my desk where they can’t trigger me.

About the Fortunes Series

Published on by Leigh

It’s good to change things up every once in a while – as much as I love writing fantasy adventures, sometimes it’s nice to write a character-driven tale. That’s where Caly comes in for me. She’s all about fixing some bad karma from her shady past as a con artist – but she’s not sunshine and roses. While Ari might usually believe in the best possible outcome, Caly’s more inclined to hedge her bets.

The Fortunes series takes place in one of my favorite places in the world, Salem, Massachusetts. As a North Shore girl, I wanted to pay homage to the fun and quirky vibe of that town. I love going there, no matter the time of year! I do admit that I tend to steer clear during October, though – crowds aren’t really my thing.

This series allowed me to combine several things I’m interested in. In addition to the location, I centered the first two stories around art. I’ll confess, the third one will touch on that as well – but after that, Caly might have some new clients to help.

I’m also impressed by good tarot card readers. Growing up, my mom had a friend who read cards – and she was scary accurate at times. Intuition is something that I always listen to; if I have a feeling about something, it’s hard to get me to change my mind. I think we listen to our intuition more than we’d care to admit – so Caly owns it for all of us!

These are light, fun mysteries along the lines of the TV show Leverage. Caly’s a con artist using her shady skills to help people who need a way out that doesn’t involve the police. Her supporting characters are ordinary people, but every once in a while, Ari walks by her on the street, or Caly stands in line to get coffee behind Gray. I think the fantastic and the mundane exist side by side – both in real life and fiction. That’s the only connection between the two series (except for a walk-on by another character which I can’t mention because it might be a spoiler). This is a fast-talking, heist crime sort of series, and I love crafting the adventures of yet another smart, strong heroine who’s not a young adult.

For subscribers to my email list, you might see a survey asking if you want to beta read for one series or the other (or both!). The beauty of multiple series means there are choices – and some days it’s nice to escape into magic, and others, it’s nice to get snarky just because I can.

Side Journeys

Published on by Leigh

Writing the series and having my characters interact while working on a novel is one thing, but sometimes other things need clarification. For example, every once in a while, I need to create an artifact that Ari has received from Kai – but I don’t want to go into the story in the current novel. Enter the side journey – a nifty little way that I can flesh out the item’s acquisition while also creating content for my VIP readers.

It’s almost like a bonus for me! I love to write, but I don’t want to craft novels whenever an idea pops into my head. Using these side journeys to flesh out a character or “find” a relic is a fun way for me to develop a back story – and keep developing the relationships between the characters without a 90,000-word count staring me down.


For the Polestar (the relic from Resistant Magic), I send Kai and Ari on a little working vacation to the desert southwest. They managed to find a relic, and I had fun playing with two other Native American spirits – Iketome and Raven. It was a fun project, and let me write a little Paranormal Romance angle for Ari and Kai.

I don’t mind the rabbit holes, but I don’t have time for such frivolity when I’m working on a novel. It’s nose to the grindstone and research aplenty to get one of the Relic Hunter books done. That’s not saying I don’t make notes about the side journeys I intend to create. I write myself a brief reminder and return to it when I’m between books – which isn’t often enough! So as I work on Ancient Magic, subscribers to my VIP list can anticipate a new side journey after the release.


While I’m on the subject, I plan to spin two books off the Relic Hunter novels. In the first, Princess Tyballa Nessinger will be trying to solve the mystery of Dr. Ezra Froelich’s memory problems. I alluded to this in Jealous Magic, but I’m interested to see where Ty goes, and I’d also like to get to know her better.

The second is Sidaffri’s turn to go home and find what happened to the Sand Fire Jinn. This one will take some time because I’ll spin this off from Ancient Magic (the next book’s working title). There’s more to learn about Sidaffri and her history, and I’m passionate about getting the character’s backstory right.

The one character I probably won’t write a back story for is Kai, though. I’m not sure I want to know what he was up to before appearing in Elementary Magic. If you read the legends about Coyote, they’re rather naughty.

I wonder if Dan Brown goes through this.

Published on by Leigh

I’m deep into research for the next book in the Relic Hunter series and wanted to take a moment to talk about what that looks like for an Urban Fantasy author. Since I write a contemporary story using historical objects and myths, getting my characters from point A to point B involves a lot of – well, magic.

I start with a region – or a myth – and then I follow all of the online rabbit holes I fall into until it all comes together. And it does come together, like a little miracle the universe created just for me.

Okay, maybe it isn’t really created just for me – but it sure feels like that today!

I’ve been hot on the trail of my main villain in the series since the last book, but I didn’t know how I was going to get Ari and the gang to hook up with my mystery villain – until today – during my seventh marathon tumble down some pretty amazing rabbit-holes that all lead to the same place – or at least I can make them lead there by taking a few short, logical leaps.

I wonder if this is what Dan Brown goes through. I wonder if he has an idea for his protagonist and then the story just plays itself out in the research. Maybe someday I can ask him. But since today isn’t that day, let me tell you about my process for this book.

You probably remember I’ve used the concept of syncretism several times in my books. Simply put, syncretism is combining different beliefs and merging or assimilating them into one theology or mythology. Think of Ancient Rome – when they conquered a new region, they incorporated the gods and beliefs of that religion into the greater system of Roman religion. It made the conquered feel like their old ways were valued and available, so that was a win for Rome – the downside for us modern writers is it’s hard to figure out what originated where because the more recent (Roman) versions are an amalgamation of everything that came before from every region they conquered.

This time, I’ve left my comfort zone of Rome and traveled back to the Achaemenid Empire (Persia) and guess what? The Romans didn’t invent syncretism. The ancient world is a mish-mash of legends and myths that traveled from Hellenistic Greece, through the Persian Empire, the Empire of Alexander the Great, and ancient Egypt. The threads are thin and knotted – but they’re there.

So let me take a moment to give a huge shout-out to all of the archaeologists and scholars who followed those knotted threads to find the origins of the stories that are about to get woven into the relic hunter universe.

I have a layout – but this trail is at least two books until the arc can be closed – so get ready for another wild ride – this time through the desert sands of Persia!

A day at the Bazaar

Published on by Leigh

This is one of the things I love most about being a writer: I get to have adventures from the warm comfort of my office, and Theo gets to go everywhere with me. Today is a little cold (there’s a good amount of frost on the leaves) and I have a billion things that I should be doing as a productive adult. Instead, I’m heading off to scout locations for Ari’s next adventure.

After I’m done scouting the Bazaars of Turkey and Iran, I might swing by a party that Caly should be attending in the Southie neighborhood of Boston. I had dinner last night with Darius, the great Persian King, and I visited with a few art forgers in my living room. It’s amazing what I can find out on my smart TV.

As I look out over my backyard this morning, I know that forsaking my weekly chores for research is the right decision. I’m back at my day job in this post-covid world (it’s not really post-covid, yet…but I’m an optimist) and I just want to escape from that pressure cooker on the weekend and do something enjoyable. Not that my job doesn’t have enjoyable moments, but there’s very little magic happening, and witty banter is kept to a minimum because my colleagues and I are all so busy.

I have a sense of time pressure, though. Construction on Theo’s fence began this week and my mind is starting to drift to garden plans and plant propagation. When the impending snow melts and the first flush of spring arrives, I’ll be outside creating my oasis. It’s been a twenty-year dream of mine, and I’m finally going to make it happen. I’ll even have a blog about it in case you’re interested (after all, I am a writer and artist…so blogging is just second nature and it keeps my writing muscles flexed).

So I must get back to the bazaar! Time is ticking and I need to tell you all about what’s happening for Ari and Caly before it’s time to start working in the garden!

Coming Soon!

Published on by Leigh

I’ve been super busy writing and I wanted to let you know what’s coming up in the near future.

New Content for my VIP list! I have a new short that’s coming out soon. In Resistant Magic, Kai mentions a character you haven’t heard of: Simon Jampa. My VIP list members will get to read all about him in Simon’s Lake.

Since my VIP list has already received two short stories from me, I’m bundling them with a third short into a little box set of stories that take place outside of the series timeline. In the new box set, I’ve included Hedgehog Tea – a short story that I wrote several years ago for the “A Cup of Christmas” Collection. It’s a cute little story about Salem, MA and some of the interesting characters in that town. Oh, and Calypso Mendelsohn has a walk-on scene.

Speaking of Calypso (Caly) – her new adventure is coming out this fall. This time she’s in over her head because she’s settling into her new life. Trouble finds Caly – usually by walking into her booth at Foretold and presenting her with an opportunity to use those less savory skills! It’s still just too much to resist for my favorite psychic (outside of Nan, that is).

For Ari’s fans – don’t worry – the next adventure is in the works. A few of you have mentioned wondering how the new characters will adjust to the modern world so I’ve given you the answer (and a whole new mystery) in Ancient Magic. This is EXACTLY why those reviews and comments are so important to me as an Indie Author.

UPDATE: The new short story my VIP list just got is actually about the Gnomes because Simon’s story is developing into a novella!

Maybe the universe appreciates my new process.

Published on by Leigh

It doesn’t usually happen this fast for me – and perhaps I’m crowing about a fleeting moment of success – but it’s a big deal for me, especially this week.

I’ve been unmotivated, stressed, and generally frustrated by my inability to get into my office and produce something good – something that would make me keep writing the next installment in the Relic Hunter series so I can publish it sooner rather than later. All week I’ve struggled because the last paragraph I wrote last weekend just didn’t seem to have a direction. I spent the rest of the week obsessing over the fact that I had no plan, no vision, and I began to worry that perhaps I’d never write another book as good as the last one!

So today (out of desperation) I went searching for the relic that would become part of the basis for the new book. Within an hour I could see the whole book unfolding. The threads were clear – I had a relic, and I had a plan. The minute it all slid into place, I sat back and realized the angst of this past week was due to a lack of trust in my process as a writer. Part of that process is NOT WRITING.

Yes, that is what I meant. Writing daily and powering through scenes that are going nowhere might work for some authors but it does not work for me – EVER. When I get stuck I need to walk away, completely abandon the project and do other things for a while until I have a moment when clarity descends as if from heaven and I’m back at the computer again, writing furiously to get all of the ideas out before they evaporate again – because that’s a different part of the process, aparently.

When I’m not writing I’m creating the covers for stories I intend to write someday. I’m creating blog images, facebook posts, instagram puzzles – anything that’s NOT writing – but a million things related to my writing. That’s how I work. Abandonment isn’t ever total with me, it’s just that I move on to another aspect of being an author. And it’s okay that my method isn’t everyone else’s method for getting the next book done. The point is, that’s what works for me, and I need to trust that if I give it enough time I will have the epiphany that will make it all come together.

I think the rest of life needs the same philosophy. How many times have you struggled and worried to make something happen only to walk away and have it land in your lap? I’m not saying give up the struggle – I’m saying give up trying to force it to happen on your timeline. Act intentionally, lay the groundwork, and situation will develop when it’s right – without all of the angst and suffering you usually endure.

So go sit on the couch, crack open a new book (preferably one of mine), and breathe. The answers are coming, but the universe, the muses, and miracles don’t work on your schedule but when it’s time for them to arrive, they do.

Stay sane, stay safe, and go binge watch the Indiana Jones movies.

Best,

Leigh

My return to writing…

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I know, it’s been a loooong time, but I have a really good excuse…honest.

In 2014 – right as I was publishing Legendary Magic, my husband had a medical crisis that hit us completely out of the blue.  One day we were wandering the art galleries in Vermont, the next we were in the Emergency Room.  Thus began the hardest time in my life.  Three years of worry, stress, and eventually savoring every moment until the inevitable happened.

I should mention that half way through my husband’s illness, my mother’s heart condition worsened…so I learned how to be a two-location caregiver.  I should also mention they died four months apart.

Four months.  Yup.

My two biggest supports were both gone and I had to learn how to stand completely on my own and recover from repeated trauma and stress.  Fortunately, I have those skills (and a whole bunch of other ones I was surprised to learn were within me).

But it’s time to put my life back together and that means balancing my writing with my art, but first there’s something I absolutely have to do:  start my own resource blog for caregivers.  It’s not an easy lot in life, but (if you can keep your sanity) it is rewarding.

Needless to say, there wasn’t a whole lot of time to write.  There wasn’t a whole lot of time for anything, really.  But I have mental notes and all sorts of new angles running around my head and now that my powers of concentration are back, I’m diving right in.  I’m drafting the blog posts right now, and I’ll put up a link as soon as I title it (I might need a bit of help on that one) and figure out if I want the entire thing to go live at once or to space out the posts.  Decisions, decisions…

So as soon as the blog is ready, I’ll let you know.  Then it’s back to Arienne and the gang, as well as Cally, Cleo, and a few new characters I want you all to meet.

So here we go.  Back to a whole different life.

Best,

R. Leonia Shea
2018