Writer Wednesday: J.E. McDonald

Hey fellow readers and writers, here’s another installment in our Writer Wednesday series and today we have Saskatchewan local, J.E. McDonald. She likes to write paranormal romantic comedies and I can’t wait to find out what’s lurking within the pages of her new book. 

 

1. Hi, J.E. so lovely to have you on For Writing Out Loud. Tell us a bit about yourself and the Wickwood Chronicles.

 

Thank you for having me! I’m a mom of three energetic girls ranging in age from three to ten, and I love to write steamy romance, or what my girls like to call “kissing books.” I’m a music and Minecraft addict. In the summer my husband and I love to take our girls camping, which is looking more and more like glamping as we get older.

 

The Wickwood Chronicles is my paranormal romance series set in the fictional town of Wickwood, where strange things happen to ordinary, and not so ordinary, people. The first book in the series, Ghost of a Gamble, is about Zack Liller, a paranormal investigator who likes to keep to himself, and Bree Tisdale, a vivacious skeptic who thinks it would be a great idea to expose him as a scammer. Hilarity ensues, and of course, feelings get in the way.

 

The second book in the series that just came out in January, Ghost of an Enchantment, follows Stella Camfield, a witch who also works for the same paranormal investigation company as Zack. Everything turns topsy turvy for Stella when her best friend accidentally opens a portal to another dimension. And of course, there’s romance!

 

2. Sounds like a whole lotta fun and just enough kissing lol. Paranormal, romance, and comedy are three genres that might seem drastically different, but as a fan of mashups, I love the sound of that. If you had to describe the Wickwood Chronicles in culinary terms, what would be the main dish, sides, what would you pair with it, and what would be for dessert?

 

Well, anyone who knows me knows I love food, so this question is awesome! The main would have to be beef bourguignon, a classic French dish because I can’t seem to stop myself from including a bit of my French heritage into every book I write. It has a bit of everything, just like Wickwood, onions, potatoes, carrots, beef cooked to perfection, and it’s saucy, just how I like my characters. Now, most people might want creamy mashed potatoes as a side, but let’s do something surprising, just how I like my plots. Our side is going to be avocado, grapefruit and fennel salad, a mix of sour and savory. We’ll pair that with something to tickle our taste buds and funny bone, a bubbly red wine like a Rathfinny Blance De Noirs Brut. Such an unexpected and bubbly choice, but the pinot noir base would pair well with the beef.

 

For dessert, let’s remain on the French side of things with classic crème brûlée. This would be the prefect end to the meal because you need to crack that hard surface to get to the decadence underneath. In the third book of the series, Ghost of a Summoning, coming out in the fall of 2021, readers will learn more about what’s hidden beneath Wickwood’s quiet façade.

 

3. Damn…Now, I’m hungry. :) Wonderful descriptions and you’re definitely on my “Let’s share a meal” list of authors lol. Let’s go on, though. It’s odd to me that romance is such a polarizing genre, yet at the end of the day, a well written book exists beyond its genre. What draws you to romance? What are some challenges you’ve faced? And seeing as fans in the genre are pretty rabid, what do some of your biggest fans think of your work?

 

I wasn’t really drawn to reading much as a kid until I discovered romance novels. My mom was always reading them, so she’d have them lying around everywhere. I picked up my first one at age eleven or twelve and fell in love. (Pun intended!) Happy endings are something that I can’t seem to quit.

 

A challenge at first was shedding the stigma about romance novels I inherited without realizing it. Even back then, I didn’t admit to any of my friends how much I loved reading them. Now I absolutely don’t care who knows that I love reading and writing romance. It’s such a diverse and influential genre, empowering, especially for women.

 

I’ve had such great feedback from fans. They love that I tie my paranormal stories to realty. They love that I include humor. It fills me with contentment to know that my books helped someone escape for a little while, that I helped them laugh and feel good.

 

4. If it gets people to read, why not? And the whole snooty attitude many people have probably means they just haven’t read a good romance. Though not my go-to genre, I’ve found a couple of good romance books. Anywho, BACK to the interview because if we branch, we’ll need to send for help lol. Ghosts play a big part of your story, including paranormal investigations and unique abilities. What draws you to the paranormal, when would you say was the first time this clicked with you, and how important is it to your stories?

 

I guess the reason I love paranormal romance is because it’s such a freeing genre. Anything can happen to anyone. Any person from any background can be touched by the extraordinary. I can let my imagination run wild with these stories. I like creating characters who need to balance the normal with the supernatural.

 

I read my first paranormal romance decades ago, right before the big explosion of success for the genre. I think Sherrilyn Kenyon was the first author I picked up, and I loved how she interwove mythology in her stories, which is something I’ve also been drawn to. From the time I read excerpts of Homer’s Odyssey in high school (which everyone else seemed to loathe, but I loved), I’ve enjoyed mythology. Fairy tales, things that go bump in the night, it all appeals to me.

 

5. I love letting imagination run amok so cheers to that. I also enjoyed the Odyssey (the Iliad not so much). And hey, surprise! Your work has inspired a sandwich or pizza at one of your favorite haunts (yay paranormal puns). What’s on/in it, how does it taste, and does it include a free haunting? 

 

Oh! Another food question. Awesome! Let’s go with pizza. Because of the ghosts in my books, we’d need to start with a white pie base: ricotta, mozzarella, and Romano cheese seasoned with oregano and thyme. And because all my love scenes have a heat level of spicy, we’ll top with slices of garlic and chorizo, then sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes as garnish. Ta-da! Wickwood Pie, the perfect accompaniment to a slumber party at a haunted house. The garlic will even keep the vampires away. Ghosts not included.

 

6. What can I say? I love food and this is evident on what I post on social media. And MAN did I pick the right person for food questions. Anyways, you were brought up in Saskatchewan, Canada, which I didn’t know was called the Land of the Living Skies. How does your environment inspire/influence you and your work?

 

Daydreaming and open spaces affected me deeply as a child. We had this big hill in the yard of my elementary school. My favorite thing to do was lie face up on the top of it so the only thing I could see was the sky. It was like floating in the clouds. I made up stories in my head all the time and I think the openness of my surroundings, the prairies and the ever-present domed sky, only helped with that.

 

Topographically speaking, I’ve set Wickwood in a landscape similar to my hometown. There’s a river that cuts the city in two with lots of bridges. There’s farm land and rolling hills instead of mountains or a seaside. What’s unique to Wickwood that my city doesn’t have is two downtowns. There’s an area called new downtown that’s all about skyscrapers and business, then there’s old downtown that’s more about tree-lined boulevards and quaint little shops.

 

7. Ha! I like the idea of a new downtown. Also, it seems that Wickwood is quite the picturesque place…so let’s play off that word. If an artist painted a landscape of Wickwood, what would be in it and would Stella be in the picture? If so, what is she doing?

 

If we include Stella in the picture, she’d be surrounded by trees. She loves connecting with nature in a very tangible way. There’d be the river of course, and an oak or a magnolia tree. She’d be touching the tree to connect with it, and the wind would be whipping through her hair. The finished product would be very dynamic.

 

8. I like those subtle cues and Stella definitely seems super likable. Back to writing though. Like many authors, you have a daytime routine and your superhero writer at night alter ego. What does The McDonald Cave include, what is your super hero vehicle, and how does your family influence your stories?

 

The McDonald Cave is a chaotic vortex of screaming children. (That’s why I need to write while they’re sleeping!) Our thirteen-year-old super hero SUV is held together by optimism and wishful thinking, as well as a bit of spit and polish. My girls are full of imagination and energy, and on my darkest days, they lift me up and give me purpose. I’ve even used some of their inventive ideas in my books, but I draw the line at them picking character names. They’re horrible at it.

 

9. Ha ha ha. Hey, we all have our skills. Zak Bagans from Ghost Adventures calls you up and says, we’re doing a lockdown and you’re in it. Where will he meet up with you, what will you investigate, what’s so important about that place, and what’s on the belt buckle he’s taken specifically for this lockdown?

 

That would have to be at the Gravelbourg School in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan. It used to be a convent, then was converted into a school. The ghosts of a woman, a boy, and a girl have all been reported. My dad went to school there, but insists it isn’t haunted. I’d love to prove him wrong. And with this being a former convent, I bet Zak’s belt buckle would be religious-influenced. I saw one with silver angel wings once and I think that would suit him to a tee.

 

10. Huh…Never noticed. I normally focused on how out there they were. Will have to give a closer look to see what other details I’ve missed. And voila, we have made it to the other side of this sit down. Thank you so much for your time and for swinging by our little nook of the net. Now, how’s about you share some links so people can tag along for the ride. 

 

Thank you so much for having me! It’s been a lot of fun. Readers can connect with me through my website at www.jemcdonald.net and at some of their favorite social media sites:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JEMcdonaldSk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JEMcDonaldAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jemcdonaldsk/

 

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As you can see, beyond a fun story, J.E. is definitely likable and man, if you need food recommendations, I think she’s definitely a go to person. Thanks for reading and feel free to connect with J.E. on her links. Til next time, 

 

Peace, love, and maki rolls.

God doesn't care...

Is your God so shallow that he would judge someone based on their sexuality? I know a lot of people who are devout, go to church every Sunday, and can quote scripture like it’s nobody’s business, yet when it comes to certain topics, it seems as if godliness skipped a beat. Beyond this, I’ve also known people who are quite horrible as humans, but man, can they rock a cross on their necklace. I also know many atheists who are more Christian than many Christians I know. 

If any of the above statements bother you, please read again and identify what triggers you. Is it the defense of sexuality and gender? Is it calling out the hypocrisy of some religious people? Is it saying that some atheists have a better moral compass than some deeply religious people? If a nerve was touched, the first thing you have to identify is what nerve was touched and then try to understand why you had a reaction because that wasn’t an attack, it was an observation.

When it comes to sexuality and gender, these two topics bring a lot of challenges, especially during these times where paradigms are being redefined and people kick off over everything. The tendency to also mutually cancel the other side of the conversation as one of the preferred methods to deal with disagreements doesn't help either. With sexuality, since I have use of knowledge, I’ve seen people judge other people based on their sexuality. I didn’t understand that as a child, I didn’t understand that as a teenager, I don’t understand it in my 40’s. Why does who you like, love, or are attracted to take away from your value as a human for some people? I fail to identify any logic and someone’s value should never be increased or decreased depending on their sexuality.

When it comes to gender, the conversation becomes even more complicated and the reactions I see are even more visceral. Gender identity is coming into a very intense time where opposing sides are clashing over who is right and who is wrong. What I can’t help but feel is that looking for any side to win won’t help matters instead feeding the worldwide addiction to always win, which continues to bring more problems than solutions. I’m a 40-year-old heterosexual Latino male and I don’t feel the need to tell people I prefer to be referenced to with the pronouns he/him. I respect the desire and right of people to want to clarify which pronouns to use in case they feel the need to clarify. If someone wants to use she/her when referring to me, then OK. I think it’d be mainly done to prove a point but I’m comfortable enough with my sexuality that I’d just find it weird from a grammatical perspective, not my gender identity. But that’s me. I’ve had people correct me on how to refer to them and I always apologize and ask them to be patient and help me better understand how to communicate. This includes trans people (male and female), asexual, and agender people as well as gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. I’ve had people ask me to refer to them by their middle name or a nickname and I feel this is similar even if it is to an infinitely lesser degree. They are reclaiming their identity and among the options we have, we can either ignore, or do our best to understand where a person is coming from. My friends and the conversations we have teach me a lot of how things can be for some people and that our heterogeneity is an invitation to grow in understanding every time we practice empathy, which I think is a core Christian/Catholic value.

By the way, this is me now, at 40, having lived what I have lived and having the benefit of conversations that have helped broaden my horizons and understanding. And I still have a TON to learn since life is a constant learning process. The main thing is that when I speak with someone who comes from a background or perspective different from mine, I try to find common ground and it’s a shame I and other people I know aren’t given the same courtesy.

Also, I don’t think cancelling people makes anyone righteous regardless of the side of the conversation you’re on. You want to know what is righteous? A black man befriending people of the KKK in hopes of burying hatchets and promoting peace. Think this is impossible? Then click here to learn about Daryl Davis. I know that’s related to race, but if you want something related to gender and sexuality, look at Pope Francis’s current stance and how his message has evolved in his time as Pope in regards to sexuality and gender. Am I saying all he’s said is positive? No. But a person’s opinion is rarely a box to check and that’s the first step to dialogue, realizing that the correct answer is not A or B but an essay, a discussion, a conversation and that there are no winners or losers in a conversation. Even the Pope has shown an evolution in how he thinks and this is the leader of one of the most conservative institutions in history. Is there room for improvement? Sure and we're ALL capable of this. 

I continue to see conservative states/countries/communities rally against equality and say some pretty horrible things in the name of the Lord. I continue to see devoutly religious people use their time and energy to tear down what they don’t understand or accept rather than building people up. Am I saying conservative people are bad? No. Am I saying deeply religious people are bad? No. I’m saying people who have identified as both, individuals in their own right, occasionally demonstrate questionable behavior that is at odds with what they preach.

When looked at objectively, it seems sexuality and gender should always be an individual’s business. Every person’s pursuit to happiness and love is different and invalidating someone due to their preference or identity seems childish. I know people who identify in a variety of ways and I actually have friends whom I don’t know their preference, and guess what? If they don’t want to tell people and keep that private, they have every right to do so. And for people who do share their preferences, they deserve respect because that has everything to do with them and nothing to do with God or anyone else.

We often hear of people who wish to strike down sinners and heathens. All fine and dandy, except that I see harder punches being thrown to LGBTQA+ people, women who want to have body autonomy, and other sectors than say racists, misogynists, classists, and people who forget that to truly practice what they preach, it has to be the same across the board. If not, then your faith is as superficial as your values and last I checked, God isn’t fooled by appearances.

We often say love is love and I agree with that sentiment. By the same token, hate is hate. You can do it in the name of a religion, of Jesus, Allah, Jehovah, Vishnu, or any god, all you like, it still doesn’t make it right.

300 steps

Have you ever taken a step with your eyes closed? How about two? How about a hundred? For some time, I’ve had the tradition of walking with my eyes closed at my local beach back home. I don’t know what compelled me to try it, but I did. 

 

First it was 100 Steps. 

Then it was 200 Steps. 

I wrote about both experiences almost immediately after doing them. This time I took a little longer.

 

It’s Mom’s two-year anniversary and I’ve walked many steps, though never alone. On my last trip to Puerto Rico, I went to the beach and one day had the beach all alone to myself, pretty ideal since walking with your eyes closed isn’t something that looks cool or remotely normal. 

 

Having a beach to yourself is a very special experience and something I’ve been able to enjoy on a couple of occasions, though never when the surf is too big (safety first). It had been a while since I had taken steps with my eyes closed, though I felt the need to do so. At first, it took like four attempts to get any type of rhythm going and at 30 or 40 steps I’d open my eyes out of instinct, reflex, fear or a combination of these. I could have grumbled and been fidgety, but I was neither. I just gave a chuckle, shook it off, and closed my eyes to try again. 

 

When I began to take steps, I immediately spoke to Mom, wishing her well, sending my love. I told her she’d done wonderfully and I thanked her for letting me be with her on her last day on this plane. The conversation was chess-like in the sense that I took ten steps, spoke, then another ten steps and again I spoke.

 

I apologized for the typos on the short story I read to her on her last day, one I had written earlier that same day. I apologized for not having finished the Human Cycle while she was alive. Then I apologized for apologizing so much and chuckled. I took ten more steps and spoke to her, how much I love her. Love. Not loved, because my love for my Mother is never in the past tense. We have that choice, to love in the present and do it with a smile, even if some tears slip away. Tears are OK. And so is moving forwards with them within. 

 

I choose to do those walks at my local surf spot, because Mom always said she wanted part of her to be there. But instead of sprinkling her ashes, I sprinkle her love ten steps at a time and with words from the heart, to ensure proper coverage of the beach. 

 

When you get past 100 steps, it gets easier...for a while. That's until you have second thoughts. You shake a bit because let’s face it, walking with your eyes closed is rarely recommended. That’s when I took a short pause and a deep breath. I steadied myself the best that I could and took ten more steps. I talked to Mom a bit more, then ten more steps. I talked to God and wished my best as well. No requests, no laundry lists of petitions, just a hello, a thank you, a how are you doing, and ten steps in between. God needs conversation as much as prayer, or so I’d like to believe. 

 

Then I reached 200 steps, the most I had done to that point. I had to stand still again to take another steadying breath. I thought of life and how sometimes you need to catch your breath and steady yourself. People are so often compelled to progress and succeed that they don’t give themselves a moment, a break, some slack, or a breather. They just keep pushing. I can’t help but look at those times I’ve taken a moment to catch my breath to see the renewed energy and determination. Then again, that’s me. Some people need to push through pain to hit that second wind or find their stride. And that’s important too. To know yourself and what you need. What lets you do what you want to do. For me, I need that small moment to gather myself so I can then take ten more steps. 

 

Success has been that way for me, a couple of steps at a time. Healing has also been that way for me. Never a cure-all or a single solution. Both take patience, understanding, and a moment to gather myself.

 

When my steps reached the 250s, you’d think I'd be comfortable with what I was doing, but I wasn't. Sometimes your legs shake because you have no idea where you are standing. Think about it. When is the last time you took any amount of steps with your eyes closed? You think of so many things. That you’ll step on a piece of drift wood, a rock, a sea urchin, a jellyfish, and the temptation to stop and open your eyes is most definitely there. Again, I can’t say I recommend walking with your eyes closed, but maybe it was growing up with a grandmother that had advanced glaucoma, but part of my process of healing, of processing my emotions requires me to do this. That’s because you don’t always need to understand the why as long as you can answer the for what. It’s a phrase Mom always told me: no es el por qué, es el para qué/it’s not the why, but the for what in regards to the things we experience. 

 

As I neared the 300 steps mark, I felt relief because I knew I was reaching my goal. Although still tense from having walked so many steps, there was less of an edge because for this instance, I had the benefit of knowing I was near my goal. Sure, I needed to be careful, but I had taken a long look to where I wanted to walk and even with the 40 something missteps I took at the beginning, I had settled down, started again, and progressed.

 

At 290, I became aware that my face felt cool from all the tears that had flowed without me really realizing it. I was extremely present in the moment, I had goose flesh, and also realized how much tension I’d been carrying in my shoulders. I rolled them and moved my neck as well. (Slowly because when you do that with your eyes closed, balance can definitely be a tricky thing to maintain).

I said I love you to Mom and to God and promised I’d keep doing my best. I took the last ten steps and stood there a moment, giving thanks for having been able to do that without tripping, without falling on my face, without stepping on a jellyfish or a sea urchin, or anything else. I don’t know how long it had taken and I didn’t care. All I cared about was that I had taken 300 steps with my eyes closed. For me. For my healing. For meaning in my life.

 

Then I opened my eyes and the brightness was even more overwhelming than when I had done the 200 steps. Colors take a second to settle and everything is the definition of intense. Like everything though, your surroundings settle, you see how much more beach there is to walk, yet you look back and marvel at your progress. You see how your path strays a bit to the left, a bit to the right, where you stepped deeper, where you possibly stumbled, where you realized you might have been walking straight into the ocean, where you took a pause and shuffled sand in place before you were ready to continue, and it all makes sense in some odd way. 

And that’s life, odd, intense, and weird. Sometimes you feel out of control, sometimes you know exactly where you’re going. Sometimes you need to take a moment to catch your breath, and other times you need to push. But no matter how many steps I take or how many times I do this, I realize that when I open my eyes, even with the challenges, even with the pain, even with the struggles, even with the doubts, life is bright and always inviting you to take the steps you need to get to where a smile is waiting. 

 

My thanks for reading, for sharing, and may your steps always lead you to where you have to go. 

 

Peace, love, and maki rolls.