Just a little teaser that amused me while writing it today – with a few redacted lines because, you know, spoilers! As always, these are the first words on the page and subject to a lot of tweaking over the next four drafts.
Content of note: mildly explicit language
Rought’s phone vibrates with an incoming call. He swipes the screen to answer it before I can come up with a response to what I’m fairly certain wasn’t actually a question.
“You better not be fucking on the side of the fucking road,” Rath growls through the phone speakers. “I want answers now.”
One of those delicious shivers that apparently only Rath can trigger — while being a complete asshole over the phone — runs up my spine.
Rought side-eyes me, knowingly.
[redated][spoiler!]
Holding Rought’s gaze intently, I lean toward the phone and drawl, “I’m game if you are.”
A choked silence emanates over the speakers.
I tilt my head playfully — for Rought, because Rath can’t see me. “You like to watch, don’t you, dragon?”
Rath groans. “Fuuuck …!”
Then he hangs up.
Spinning the wheel and tapping the gas to get us back on the road, Rought chuckles, both pleased and amused.
“What?” I say like a total brat. “Am I wrong?”
– Snag (Conduit 2), first draft, chapter nine
Are you new to the Conduit World? While it’s not necessary to read all the interconnected series, the ideal reading order is as follows
By reader request (😘) I’ve made Mirth, Part 2 available for preorder direct from me. Because I haven’t spent the time to figure out how to charge in multiple currencies (yet), the book is more expensive for my fellow Canadians (sorry!), as well as Austrailians and New Zealanders. For US and UK-based readers depending on the exchange rate, it might be slightly less expensive for you to preorder through me. Again, I see more of your hard-earned cash if you order through me, but I totally understand purchasing through a fav retailer (or if you already preordered)!!
MIRTH
Not even twenty-four hours after I walked away from my own matchmaking event, I’m sliding out of the converted classic Rolls-Royce Phantom that I absconded with from my father’s collection of cars. With a brief stop for some food and to stretch our legs, Roz and I have driven all the way from Waterfell Castle, my father’s seat of power, to Prague.
And yes, this pampered princess can actually drive. Fleeing kidnapping or assassination attempts would be rather difficult if I couldn’t, according to the head of the royal guard. Though Anne, my father’s chosen mate, had seriously freaked out when Raoul got my brother Armin and me both learning to ride motorcycles even while we were technically too young to have our licenses. Raoul and Anne hadn’t been bonded then, as they are now with each other, my father, and Eleanor — the two of them exchanging bites in the shifter way. And Anne had pretty much lost her mind seeing us grapple with bikes far too big for us.
Speaking of disgruntled protectors, my royal guard, Roz, slams the passenger door shut and crosses around to the front of the car to join me. Even while doing more than her share of the driving, my combat mage has had her lips perpetually pressed together in disapproval the whole trip. Ignoring the fact that I could have wandered off without notifying her at all, as I had done countless times before, trailing in Armin’s wake. Granted, he and I didn’t usually drive partway across Europe without letting anyone know where we were.
It’s midmorning. We’ve arrived earlier than I planned. Though the former estate is set on the edge of the city, the sound of the bustling metropolis is muted by the tall walls and the even taller, ancient-looking trees sporadically growing all across the front of the property.
Roz sweeps a dark-eyed gaze around the mostly empty visitor car park, then scans the ostentatious brick building set back on the property.
The Prague Phrontistery. Well, the main building, at least.
“It’s still spring break,” I say, only slightly exasperated as I retrieve my black designer backpack from the back seat. “They have security.” We had to cross through the wards at the gates.
Roz only grunts in response. Her thumbs are already flying over her phone as she sends out updates, most likely to my other personal royal guard, Greg, as well as their supervisor. The cat shifter is still in London at my request. Getting a phone to the children, Tommy and Kitty, whom I’ve inadvertently — and possibly inappropriately — taken under my protection. I should know the name of Greg and Roz’s royal guard supervisor, but I don’t. Though I have a sense that Roz might report directly to Raoul.
“The guard at the gate didn’t even ask you for ID,” Roz says sourly, not looking up from her phone. “And he’s new since we did our last security checks.”
“Well, that’s probably a good thing,” I say casually. “Since I don’t actually have any ID. In the traditional sense.”
Roz throws me a look. I just grin at her, then deliberately point to my thick-framed black designer sunglasses, indicating the purple-hued eyes hidden behind those vintage shades more than the glasses themselves.
She grimaces, her own dark-brown eyes only partially shaded behind sleek aviators. “Sorry. We’ve never traveled like this before.” She sweeps a hand down her body. She’s not in her royal guard uniform. Her casual outfit — dark jeans, leather jacket over a thin sweater, and kick-ass boots — was what she was wearing when I gave her exactly no notice before I stole the car.
In my defense, I was rather … distracted.
Right after I stole Armin’s ashes from my father’s study.
Right after I realized all the ramifications — or at least all the ones I hadn’t already spelled out for myself — of being my father’s only heir. All the reasons that I needed to accept and bond with a well-established bond group. I would need to help my father hold the intersection point. I would need to be grounded and steady enough to hold that point myself when the time comes. Because an imbalanced intersection point has worldwide ramifications. It’s a massive responsibility. One I was born and bred to undertake.
Honestly, giving Roz any notice at all was rather generous of me. Especially given that I took off from Lake Thun Castle without her, forcing her to race after me to Waterfell.
I sling my backpack over both shoulders. It’s comfortingly heavy. Anchoring. Still, it seems as though carrying a marble urn around in a backpack should be disconcerting.
I’m wearing a black cashmere-and-wool duster that falls to my lower calves and comes with a glorious cowl hood, over perfectly stretchy, straight-legged dark-wash jeans. The duster is more of a coat than a sweater, and I’ve layered it over a cobweb-thin, long-sleeved, tight-fitting sweater, then paired the entire outfit with sleek, square-toe ankle boots with a generous heel. I had found the entire outfit in prettily wrapped boxes in my rooms at Waterfell and thrown it on before I left. Clearly, the clothing was another courting gift from Sully, either sent to the castle before or during the matchmaking event so I wouldn’t be overwhelmed by too many gifts from him all at once.
And yes, despite leaving Sully and all my other suitors behind without a more formal goodbye, I greedily accepted the absolutely perfect outfit.
My heirloom pearl necklace lies warm against my skin. Armin’s emerald ring weighs down my right hand. But I already know I’m no longer the princess to whom both were gifted years ago. I’m also not all shiny and new.
I’m floating in the becoming between my recent past and my near present.
And that is … okay. I can slow down — my mind, my heart. I can take the time to … grieve. Hopefully in a healthier way than I’ve been doing so far. If only for the few days I promised my father.
Adult 18+ While choice vs. duty is a strong theme in the Mirth duology, Mirth doesn’t have to choose between her suitors, and they’re more than happy to lend a helping hand to each other as well.
Love, compatibility, and companionship aren’t a factor in my future. But I just need a moment, a few days, to accept everything else that comes with my blood and my position. Even if it never really was a choice — any of it — I need to embrace my fate as if it is. And that includes finally accepting the deadly power I wield.
The Mirth duology is set in the Conduit World. While it’s not necessary to read all the interconnected series, the ideal reading order is as follows.
Grand Romantic Delusions and the Madness of Mirth, Part 2
Snag (Conduit 2)(coming next!)
Adult 18+. While choice vs. duty is a strong theme in the Mirth duology, Mirth doesn’t have to choose between her suitors, and they’re more than happy to lend a helping hand to each other as well. Content notes and a list of tropes can be found on MCD’s website (on the book detail page).
Tropes/themes: alternate/secondary world, magic, shifters, mages, matchmaking, forced proximity, found family, best friend, first love, love (lust?) at first sight, rejected mate, fated/chosen mates, choice vs. duty, slow and fast burn, multi-POV, why choose, multiple partners, polyamory (MMFMMM).
Note: There is no limited edition for this release (so no direct sales/BookFunnel). Sorry! I haven’t commissioned extra art or written a short for it (yet). I might do a limited edition printing of the duology later in the year (or in 2026). But I’m not supposed to be doing extras in 2025, and I’m already not curtailing myself terribly well.
MASSIVE SPOILERS BELOW! Sorry!! Second books are difficult to tease without spoilers.
“These people …” Coda’s fingers are flying over their keyboards again, likely trying to gain access to whatever tech is beyond the passageway. “They care more about your purple eyes than your rank or, like, the societal standards or whatever normally keep you relatively safe. You don’t have your entourage to protect you, Mirth. Wait for them, then we’ll all look for the boy.”
“I never actually needed anyone to protect me, Coda.” I squeeze Kitty’s hand. “I’m in disguise, you see. The pearls, the perfect smile, the sweet demeanor. The crown. Underneath, slumbering deep, deep down, I’m the one to be truly feared. And there’s only one way to wake me …”
Kitty squeezes my hand back, not the least bit scared of me.
– Mirth, Part Two – fourth draft
Are you new to the Conduit World? Content of note can be found on the individual book pages. The suggested reading order is as follows:
Mirth and I were forged from the same pocket of the universe. Everything my mother did to protect me, to care for me, steered me toward the destiny unfolding before me. My path tweaked and prodded according to my mother sight just enough for me to be standing here and now.
The revelation is overwhelming.
Mirth tugs on the bond between us. Just lightly. But it definitely snaps my attention back where it belongs right now. Had she been blocking that connection? Shutting it down along with the immense, intense power that now pours from her?
It doesn’t matter. Because now I know for certain it’s there. Now I know for certain why the burgeoning friendships with my other bond mates are so … unburdened with expectation. Now I know why other relationships were, are, difficult. Why I never really bothered to look for anything more than the most casual of connections.
Why I held Mirth in the garden at Lake Thun.
Why I gave her the peaches.
I can see all the strands of essence between us now, including the power spilling over the edge of the stage, creeping across the floor toward the nearest audience members. I’ve always had a sight for power — a genetic gift from my awry mother — but it’s never been this intense, or exact, before.
The why of that twists through my chest. As if Mirth herself is reaching within to grab hold of my heart. And lungs, because I’m not certain I’m breathing at all.
We strengthen each other, our gifts, just by being in close proximity.
The bond between us thickens, then grows taut.
“Lord Williams,” Mirth pronounces. It’s an outright claim, thrumming with power. “You’re standing on the wrong side of this all.”
Centuries of seeking the missing sections of our souls stretch between us, but only seconds have actually passed.
– Mirth, Part 2, Chapter Ten – fourth draft
Are you new to the Conduit World? Content of note can be found on the individual book pages. The suggested reading order is as follows:
Post background: in case you missed it, about a month or so ago I realized I was sitting on over a decade of stories (all workshopped, edited, etc) that I will never have the time (or the inclination, really) to rewrite into novel form. I asked my readers if they’d be interested in reading some of these stories in screenplay format and they said “yes!” Hence this primer on How to Read a Screenplay!
Also if you prefer to just skip to it, my ‘first’ screenplay, Deception, is now available! 😘
***
If you haven’t read a screenplay before, the trimmed-down formatting can be a little puzzling – I use this word deliberately because screenplays are definitely presented in ‘pieces’. But once you understand how those sections all work together, the entire story will (should) unfold smoothly.
So! If you read too quickly, it’s easy to get confused about who is talking or if the location or time period has shifted. Reading slowly, as well as pausing to absorb and visualize the descriptions is helpful (Warning, descriptions, etc, are NOT repeated after the initial intro of a character or setting). Let the script unfold in your mind like a movie. Each beat is a different shot, or camera angle, edited together with the dialogue to create the full narrative. The world-building is minimal because the action and dialogue are meant to carry/convey the story.
Location/set/costume design, as well as visual effects, and score (music) are added to turn a screenplay (aka the basic story) into a movie.
Things of note
One (1) page generally equals about one (1) minute of screen time, not including huge action sequences (which are often only a few lines but can be 5-10 minutes on screen).
Screenplays are formatted as PDFs for ease of reading on a computer and printing on regular ‘letter-sized paper. I’m offering my screenplays as PDFs (not ePubs) to preserve formatting. You can read on your eReader or phone, but a larger screen might work better (?). Also, you can print the screenplay out (note the page count though, usually 100-120 pages).
Logline: aka the ‘elevator pitch’. This is a tight one-line summary of the plot. Usually focused on the ‘hook.’ Some writers will include a ‘comp’, such as Hunger Games meets Jaws with a dash of Downton Abbey. I don’t.
Three-act synopsis (aka pitch sheet/one sheet for the producer): I’ve included the pitch sheet or one sheet in the back of each of my screenplays. The one sheet is a full synopsis of all three acts. This is how I would pitch a screenplay to a producer because they want to know the entire story before committing to reading the actual screenplay. Therefore, and warning to not skip ahead, it is rife with spoilers!!
Elements of a screenplay
The first page of the screenplay, Deception, by MCD
After the title page and the synopsis page – which wouldn’t normally be added to a screenplay I was pitching to a producer, but I’m adding for ease of reading for my readers – the first thing you will come across is the:
SCENE HEADING
Also dubbed the slug line. The scene headings are written in all caps and INT or EXT for interior or exterior. This is followed by the name of the location and a designation of day or night.
Under the scene heading, you will find:
ACTION
This section describes action that can be seen or heard. Sounds Effects that are important to the story but are heard off-screen will appear in ALL-CAPS.
CHARACTER NAMES
In the action/description character names are written in ALL caps on first appearance, as well as above their dialogue. A character who is off-screen or speaking in voiceover is designated by O.S. or V.O.
PARENTHETICALS
Often found under the character name to provide context or instruction for the dialogue delivery.
DIALOGUE
Dialogue blocks are centered on the page. Parallel dialogue (overlapping dialogue) is written in side-by-side blocks.
FLASHBACKS
Will be noted in all caps after the scene heading.
INTERCUTS
Two separate scenes are cut together to increase tension and quicken the pacing of the story.
Note: I’m usually not a fan of flashbacks (or intercutting for that matter). And I actually now actively avoid them as a literal device, or try to be clever about how I provide that info to my readers, see Amplifier 4. But flashbacks, etc, are very much used in film to get the most story across to the viewer in the shortest amount of the time. And both flashbacks and intercuts appear in the first screenplay I’m posting, Deception (aka Abigale Awakes).
Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic – Meghan Ciana Doidge (me!!)
And thanks to Laura Greenwood (@authorlauragreenwood ) for organizing! (book: Apprentice Of The Dead)
Caveats and Rules: Three winners (7 paperbacks each!). Open internationally. No purchase is necessary to win. The winners will be contacted by the organizer Laura Greenwood. Entry via KingSumo (see link) with email address. After you enter your email, you’ll be offered steps to achieve additional entries (mostly following the authors).
I’ve moved up my timeline for the release of Mirth, Part 1 by two weeks, so there is going to be a flurry of activity this week, specifically, the ‘official’ cover reveal via my newsletter on Thursday, June 27 and the preorders going live all week.
Release day is July 25, 2024!
For this book release, the preorder includes a limited edition eBook that you can purchase directly through me. Yay!
I’m pricing the LE eBook at $10 CDN (so approx $7.30 USA/$6.80 EURO). The regular eBook is $5.99 (CDN/UK/USA/ETC) on all retailers. Please check out with the email you use for BookFunnel or if you haven’t used BookFunnel before please use the email you want to associate with your account. It is all automated (yay!)
An early draft of the novelette Mirth 0.5*. Approx 10-12k.
All art and illustrations (colour or B&W depending on your eReader display).
Digital signature
Delivered via BookFunnel (but can be transferred to your fav eReader app).
release date: July 25, 2024
NOTES OF INTEREST:
INTERIOR ART includes six character portraits: Mirth, Bolan, Sully, Elias, Rian, and Christoph, from Nicole Deal. An illustration of Waterfell Castle by Kateryna Vitkovska. And page breaks by Eternal Geekery.
*MIRTH 0.5 info: I’m currently writing the first draft of this prequel novelette, and I will include an early draft of it in the limited edition of Mirth, Part 1. BUT I DON’T WANT YOU TO READ IT AHEAD OF TIME. 😜 Please read Mirth 1 first, then Mirth 0.5. This novelette will be edited and published in a collection of shorter Conduit World stories sometime in 2025 or 2026. Ordering the limited edition will be the only way to get it before then.
Let me know if you have any questions! You can find the book page, and the retailer links (as soon as the preorders go live), for Mirth, Part One here. But the page is full of spoilers so please proceed with caution!!
On reader request, I’ve uploaded the tenth-anniversary cupcake/knife design from the exclusive Kickstarter editions of Dowser 1 as T-shirts via Amazon Merch. I think (?) this is just enough time to grab one before Soulmates, Doorways, and Other Unruly Magic (Dowser 9.5) officially releases on June 13.
Caveats (as with all my other T-shirts): these T-shirts only ship to the USA or UK (see specific links below). As with my other designs/logos, I’ve offered a PNG download version for my fellow Canadians or other international readers. FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL PRINTING.
Also! Please, please check the sizing chart, and ignore the gender designations. Especially with the premium T-shirts (USA only). The fit is fantastic but very small.
I’ve ordered mine from a local printer so I have it for release day as well – and don’t have my hands on it yet – so I only have screenshots to share right now:
Here are all the links:
T-shirts, etc via Amazon Merch – ships to the USA:
Also … if you’re interested in a different Dowser Series T-shirt you can find them all listed under T-shirts & Other Deadly Merch (< < link) including Cake in a Cup, Attempted Murder, and more!
I’m sad to announce that Brittany needs to step away from being my author PA due to ongoing health issues. Please join me in sending her wishes of love and healing as she moves forward through this difficult period.
What does this mean?
I’m unfortunately canceling the Baking with MCD we had planned for tomorrow in MCD’s Adepts Discord as this was mostly Britt’s domain. The Discord will continue to be quite quiet until I have the time to devote to sorting out how it all works, specifically live events, etc. But I still plan to ‘launch’ my book club this summer and believe that the MCD’s Adepts Discord will be the best place for more in-depth discussions, etc.
I will still be doing the tenth-anniversary Kickstarter for the Oracle trilogy in October. I will just keep it a bit ‘smaller’ than the Dowser Kickstarter. And make Michael help me with the packing/shipping. 😂
I wish Britt well. I’m actively sending her healing vibes and lots of good thoughts.
