Author’s Notes

I can’t describe the mixed emotions that came from finishing the Magic at Myers Beach fantasy series. I’ve lived with Theos, and Alias, and Lily, and Greta, and Julie, and Stefán, and Zsa Zsa, and Györfi, and Christophe day in and day out for well, as long as it took to write four books, and I felt guilty about leaving them behind. I’m bold to say that I’ve already taken up with a new cast, however, and by the time you read these notes, I’ll have finished Book One in my new thriller series, which I hope you’ll check out, too, wherever books are sold.

Let me start my discussion of Book Four, Summer Cyclone, by admitting that pasta puttanesca is one of those dishes that I enjoy at home every couple of weeks. I’m notorious among my friends for not cooking much, and because that particular pasta is one of the few things I can whip up successfully every time, I used the book’s hero, Stefán to share that proud fact by teaching the recipe to his girlfriend, Julie. Fun fact: When I’m in Italy, I eat much more often– daily, though I likely alternate it with my other favorite, ravioli funghi porcini. (Another fun fact: the recipe in the link happens to be from a guy named Stefan…no relation.)

And as long as I’m coming clean, I might as well go one step further and admit that despite my reputation as having highbrow musical tastes, I’m a big Michael Bublé fan. Since Alexa knows this too and has his Swayready to play at all times, I thought his Cha Cha only fitting to be the tune behind Julie and Stefán’s first dance.

I can’t tell you how many characters in a novel are too many; I just know, because I stop reading and set the book aside. And since keeping track of them in other people’s novels annoys me, I put an unspecific but smallish cap on the cast in my own. On the other hand, I have an endless supply of descriptions in my imagination that need to come out somehow, so in Summer Cyclone I created Magda, Eye Patch Man, and Cropped Hair Guy. To avoid being recognized, these three fairies change their looks every time they leave their houses, which gives me the opportunity to let my imagination run wild yet keep my cast at a minimum. 

Speaking of characters, I believe that chief scientist Lydia Anderson is the only one in the entire series, or in any of my books for that matter, with a first and last name. In her case she bears the maiden name of my maternal grandmother, and I trust that revealing it here will not encourage my readers to attempt to use it for one of my password recovery clues. 

My Saudi Arabian prince friend introduced me to the online version of Ludo two years ago. It’s a horribly addictive game that’s popular in the Middle East. I’m well aware that it’s absolutely rigged against me, but the app lets me win just often enough to keep me playing and losing at least once a day to other addicts.

One doesn’t have to be too perceptive to observe that all my male characters have great hair. Once upon a time I did, too. So, there, I said it.

For those of you who’ve read all four books in this series: I really intended to kill off Zsa Zsa. She’d been a most glamorous, wicked, and hilarious villain, and when Györfi took over her body in the middle of the book, I thought that would be the end of her. If you paid attention to the ancestral fairy book that updates itself constantly, though, you would have noticed that she wormed her way out. Whether or not her new incarnation leads to another sequel, I know for certain that I’ll need to look over my shoulder for her on my next trip to Orient Bay in St. Martin.

I hope you’ll let me know your thoughts on Magic at Myers Beach. I always enjoy chatting with my readers, and I hope you won’t be shy in approaching me. I’m on most of the social media platforms, and you can find my contact information somewhere in this book. Reviews are always welcomed, too, of course. Authors live and die by them, so remember not to be too cruel.

Look for my new thriller series, due to debut in January 2024.

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