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Neurodivergent author of romantic fantasy & folk horror. Appalachian witch. Writing books about feral women, deadly curses, and wild magic. >> newsletter for updates <<

[ajmccrae]

Happy Independent Bookstore Day! 📚

[ajmccrae]

Did you see the Hugo Award finalists were announced?!

This is the first year I signed up so that I could vote (though I won't be attending in person boooo) and I'm really excited to dive into so many amazing stories. I have a number of the novels already either physically or eBook, but all the new shorter works will be brand new.

Now the next question is… which finalist's work to start first 🤔

[ajmccrae]

How do you feel about fantasy maps? 🗺️ Have you ever tried to make one yourself?

I happen to love them and it's definitely on my author bucket list to have a map drawn by someone with far more skill than me for one of my books 😅

Until that day, I sometimes use them as a sort of creative play or writing exercise to get those juices flowing. A lot of my writing involves intensive worldbuilding where having a map is a helpful tool and creates a great reference for later.

[ajmccrae]

thoughts on using AI as a writer

[ajmccrae]

There's something comforting about horrors you can escape into knowing they exist only between pages that can be closed

[ajmccrae]

That time one trying to write a single sentence turned into a 3-hour research session…

I don't even know if I'm going to keep the sentence 😂

I picked up this book on superstitions on a whim a while back and ended up down the rabbit hole of other beliefs and practices (naturally) and do you think I managed to revise that one line so I could move on?

NOPE 😂

[ajmccrae]

writing desk tour

A little behind the scenes of my writing desk that is really just a dumping ground for all sorts of random stuff.

Honestly a solid reflection of the rest of my house…

I don't always write at my desk. In fact I probably do about half of my writing curled up on the couch with a pile of blankets and my lap desk perched on a stool. But that's far less interesting to look at 😉

[ajmccrae]

Fossil-based magic system?? And with that cover art?!

pterodacytl screech

[ajmccrae]

The weekend is here, the sun is shining, and we are nearly through false spring!

We still haven't had our onion snow and last frost yet (usually that hits toward the end of April) but the flowers are starting to come up and color has returned to the mountains once more.

It's about time for me to start refreshing my indoor plants too for the growing season. Some have outgrown their pots and others are ready for their first go at it solo 🪴

[ajmccrae]

If I have the choice between the pretty sprayed pages version and regular version of a book, you can bet I'm picking the pretty version 😅

(Unless I have others in the series without sprayed edges in which case they must all match!)

Some recent sprayed edge purchases 📚

[ajmccrae]

Sometimes, as a writer, you just need to watch some CGI dinosaurs to get the juices flowing and rekindle that creative spark 🦖

[ajmccrae]

Feeling those rainy day, cozy reading vibes on this gloomy Saturday ✨

[ajmccrae]

We are in the season of MUD but spring is quickly approaching and my plants, I'm sure, are ready for more sun and warmer weather.

I'm a recovering plant killer so when I'm not writing or reading, I'm tending to my plants in the hopes that I can maybe keep them alive for another year.

I'm happy to report that all my plants survived the winter this year, some more so than others but nothing a little TLC and spring weather can't fix! Especially proud of my string of pearls that I not only kept alive (this time…) but is also thriving 🌿

[ajmccrae]

A little round-up of what I'm reading as research for my current novel WIP📚

[ajmccrae]

Currently reading Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic from Appalachia by Jake Richards which I'm thoroughly enjoying and connecting with. I've also started reading select stories from Spooky Appalachia retold by S.E. Schlosser.

[ajmccrae]

Some of my recent favorite romance books 💖

[ajmccrae]

On the rare occasion I wake up early, I read academic journals.

Don't look at me like that, I know it's weird. And I HATE mornings, generally speaking. But these journal articles are interesting!

Much of my writing inspiration stems from these spaces and even when I'm not actively looking for new story ideas, I still enjoy reading about the history of various tales, myths, and lore.