MCD Fall 2018

Posting my fall schedule/upcoming releases, etc so I have it all in one place instead of just occasionally mentioning it whenever I’m asked in various places online. Yes, I’m attempting to be organized!!

If you have any spoiler-free questions, let me know in the comments and I will endeavour to answer them and/or add the answers below.

NOVELS

Current release (August 23): Graveyards, Visions, and Other Things that Byte (Dowser 8.5)

Upcoming release: Dowser 9. Fingers crossed for the end of November, but there are too many editing/proofing/formatting hoops to jump through to set a date yet.

AUDIOBOOKS

I See Me (Oracle 1) is set to drop on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes in a matter of days and it is crazy good!! Hold on to your Audible credit! And remember the whispersync option for those of you who have purchased the kindle version through Amazon USA.

Oracle 2 is currently in production. Expected release is early November.

CURRENTLY WRITING

I’m currently working on the Amplifier Series prequel novella (all new Adept Universe characters). Then I’ll write the short story that will be available as the preorder giveaway for book one. Then I’ll write book one. I intend to make them all available one right after another, releasing in early 2019.

Make sure you are signed up to my new release list or my monthly newsletter (and that you open the emails, otherwise your email provider will start putting them in your junk folders). When you sign up check your spam/promotions/junk folders for the welcome email.

You don’t want to miss the exclusive freebie I’ll be ONLY offering to my new release list when I launch the Amplifier series. As well as the preorder giveaway, of course. 🙂

Sometimes my job is just so hard. 😉 I snapped this shot when I was listening to the final files for the I See Me (Oracle 1) audiobook.

Writer meltdown #3476

I just wrote a very long, very angsty blog post.

Got a bit weepy.

Deleted the post.

Short version: First drafts are hard. And I have a terrible habit of piling every single, nagging concern/fear/issue I have with my writing/career/future into a difficult-to-drag-around massive-bundle-of-angst. As we all do, I suspect.

Michael talked me down.

Again.

Back to writing.

I’m working on the first draft of the Amplifier Series prequel novella. Dowser 9 is due back from the story editor (aka SFG) next Thursday.

 

I’m not really a bad ass. I’m just writing one.

I took a moment this morning to review what I’d written of the Amplifier prequel so far before diving back in, coming up with one overwhelming conclusion:

Emma (aka the Amplifier, aka Socks, aka AMP5) is a real bad ass. It isn’t something that she grows into (a la the Dowser) or something she’s never known was possible (a la the Oracle) or something she’s suppressed (a la the Reconstructionist). It’s the only way she knows how to be, the way she understands her role in the world she has been bred into – a fundamental aspect to her nature.

So it’s a good thing that Emma (eventually) has a thing for gingersnaps and Downton Abbey, and that she falls in love at first sight in book one. Otherwise we wouldn’t have anything in common.

The birth of a bad ass in midnight blue ink.

So yeah, I’m writing.

Just in case you thought I had any sort of other bad-assed craziness going down over here in my tiny office perched on the edge of a tiny island. 😉

Writing is like vomiting

Interior kitchen. White glossy cabinets. Concrete counters. Approx. 10:30am. A Milk Cafe is running, whirling and heating skim milk destined to be a hot chocolate.

Me (measuring out chocolate): I’m just so scattered brained today. Which, for some reason, is always the case the day after a really successful writing session. I mean, obviously, I’ll write today but it’s going to take some effort to focus.

Michael (slathering cashew butter and jam on a toasted English muffin): Writing is like vomiting. You just get it all out, purge the idea onto the page. And after you vomit you need to eat, fuel up again.

Right.

I don’t usually feel the need to eat after I vomit … but I conceded the point because I understood the metaphor Michael was going for. Ha.

So … I am a little scattered today. I got the first draft of the first chapter of the Amplifier Series prequel written yesterday. It came out at 5,700+ words, which is closer to the length of the chapter of a novel, not the novella I thought I was writing. So that is interesting and pretty much ruins the ‘marketing direction’ I’d been planning for the series, because the ‘hero’ (and yes, that does need to be in quotes) doesn’t show up until book one and the main series takes place seven years after the prequel.

The muse apparently thinks I’m getting to comfortable with this writing gig. Thankfully between the story editor, Michael, and me we can usually work around (work through? work with?) the desires of the muse. So I’ll just need to figure out a smooth transition between the prequel and book one. A character changes a lot in seven years!

Presumably I’ll eventually stop calling Emma an alchemist instead of an amplifier …

Time to dig into chapter two! #amwriting

The muse and me, a conversation.

Me (yesterday afternoon): the third draft of Dowser 9 is done!
The muse (late last night): Hmm … what about [insert unresolved minor plot point].
Me: Now is not the time to worry about that. I’m trying to fall asleep. Scott (aka the editor) will flag it if it’s an issue.
The muse: it is totally an issue! One we need to spend the next hour fussing and fretting about until you eventually can’t sleep at all.
Me: well …  I could do [insert mention of plot point], then in the final conversation with [name redacted] she could [action redacted]. Or maybe … Oh! What about …
The muse: my work here is done.
 

So yeah, I didn’t sleep terribly well (though that’s not particularly unusual) and I’ll be doing a bit more fiddling with the third draft of Dowser 9 today. 😂
But then!
Then, the book will be ready for story editing.

Dowser 8.5 is in wild.

Living on the west coast of Canada means that I often wake up to find that a few voracious readers (in other timezones) have already consumed a new release while I slept, and Graveyards, Visions, and Other Things that Byte (Dowser 8.5) hasn’t been an exception. I’m so, so glad that so many of you have enjoyed hearing from Mory, Rochelle, and Jasmine. I very much enjoyed writing their novellas, exploring Mory’s and Jasmine’s voices as well as getting a chance to speak through Rochelle again.

I stumbled upon this picture two days ago, a long-time friend found it among his collection, scanned it, and sent it to me last year. And, after exclaiming for some time about being SO young and SO slim, I filed it among my digital photos without another thought.

I don’t often share personal photos (of myself), but I thought you might find it fun to see a tiny little bit of my life experience bleeding into the character of Mory. Allow me to present Narissa, my inspiration for Mory’s turtle, Ed.

MCD, age 20 (?), with a red earred slider semi-aquatic turtle, aka Narissa.

I also thought that today was an opportune time to mention that writing Dowser 8.5 has spawned numerous ideas for more side stories and that the Misfits of the Adept Universe series, starting with a Mory book, will be coming your way in 2019.

As always, thank you for reading. Without you it would just be me in my tiny writing shed wondering if the words I spend hours a day typing were ever going to be read by anyone else.

Okay. I’m making fudge marshmallow bars now. Then later there will be homemade pizza!!

Sunshine & Lollipops.

Dowser 8.5: Who is Freddie?

“Who is Freddie?” Liam asked, folding his arms and glancing sternly between Jasmine and me.

“A shadow leech.”

“What the hell is a shadow leech?”

“Freddie.”

Liam swore under his breath.

I stifled a smirk.

–Mory, Graveyards, Visions, and Other Things that Byte (Dowser 8.5)

COMING AUGUST 23, 2018

PREORDER NOW

AMAZONiBOOKSKOBOB&NSMASHWORDS

Are you new to the Adept Universe? Book one is Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic (Dowser 1).

Click here for the reading order of the Adept Universe.

A guide to Vancouver, BC according to the Adept Universe

I often get asked for recommendations – based on the Adept Universe novels – for things to do when in Vancouver, BC, Canada. I thought I should start a post so that I could add to it as I remember and/or add individual places mentioned in the various books.

ETA: Covid19 has not been kind to Vancouver (or most of the world) and a number of places mentioned in the book no longer exist! I’ve kept them listed below for posterity (😂).

Caramels from Chocolate Arts, including their dark chocolate salted caramels on the left.

Treats/Restaurants:

Chocolate Arts (CLOSED): specifically mentioned in Dowser 4 as having Jade’s favourite salted caramels.
Mario’s Gelati – mentioned in multiple books – for the Black Forest Cake gelato that tastes like Warner’s magic. The retail location is Amato Gelato, where Jade buys Mory ice cream in Dowser 2.
Notte’s Bon Ton (temp closed as of July 2024) – mentioned for their pastries, including Florentines and Jealousy. Also the location of Warner’s botched marriage proposal in Dowser 6.
Sun Sui Wah – Vancouver location – where Jade and Warner have dim sum in Dowser 6
Connie’s Cookhouse – take-out Chinese food eaten by Jade, Kandy, and Warner in Dowser 4. Great lunch specials!
Xoxolat (CLOSED) – mentioned in multiple books as a place to buy unique chocolate bars from all over the world. Specifically, in Dowser 1, Hudson buys some very expensive bars for a date with Jade that never ends up happening.
Fable – Jade takes Kandy to the restaurant for her birthday in Dowser 4, specifically for the S’mores’ dessert.
Bishop’s Restaurant (CLOSED 😰) – Wisteria (and Kett) dine there in Reconstructionist 1

General places to visit:

Kitsilano – specifically the sea wall highlighted in Dowser 2 and Dowser 7
Stanley Park
Granville Island (and Fisherman’s Wharf for fresh prawns). I recommend wandering around the market, putting together a picnic lunch, and eating it outside on the benches.
Capilano Cemetery, West Vancouver – Reconstructionist 1
Mountain View Cementary – Dowser 7, Dowser 8.5 – where Mory hangs out

Hotels:

Pan Pacific Vancouver – mentioned in Reconstructionist 1, where Wisteria stays.

Okay! I’ll try to add to this completely incomplete list as other locations and recommendations occur to me. If you see any that are mentioned in the books that I missed please let me know in the comments.


By request, I’m here are of my current fav places in Vancouver, as of July 2024, but these are NOT mentioned in the Adept Universe books (yet) (not sponsored, but definitely MCD’s Fav Things™️).

Chocolate related:

Kasama Chocolate – smooth and creamy chocolate (the caramels are also very yummy). My current favourite bars (like, above all other chocolate right now) are the 70% Costa Esmeraldas and the 70% Kisanga. But Michael loves a lot of the limited edition including the whiskey and various white chocolate bars. They’ll make hot chocolate for you from their drinking chocolate as well.

Beta 5 – so many fun things at including gorgeous and ridiculously tasty cream puffs (they change them up seasonally). My fav is the variations of chocolate (of course and always). They have small batches of individual chocolate (flavours constantly changing) and chocolate bars. Michael loves, loves their interesting bars. But on its own, their base chocolate flavour is a little earthy to my palette. With that said their caramals are DIVINE! The hot chocolate is solid as well.

Theirry – everything at Theirry is excellent – tasty pastries, chocolates, and great hot drinks – various hot chocolate and drinking chocolate options. Michael loves their Spanish latte. I haven’t tried their sandwiches but they look fantastic.

Restaurants:

See the above list for some of my long-term favs.

For it’s location (Granville Island) – Sandbar. Solid food but it’s the ambiance that makes this worth the visit. (Quiet) Live music some evenings. If you follow me on social media, this is where I took Hailey when she visited in May 2024.

For amazing (but expensive) Japanese food (the chef invented the California roll) – Tojo’s.

For ridiculously expensive but absolutely delicious Chinese food – iDen & Quanjude Beijing Duck House. Michelin star! The room is pretty. The staff is attentive. We had a fabulous New Year’s Eve. And will definitely return to celebrate other major life events.

Maria’s Taervna – Greek – a go-to for Michael and me. This is NOT a pretty room, but the food is excellent. Lots of garlic. Share a platter (we like Maria’s platter). Michael LOVES their pizza.

Extras (not to be missed):

Bread Affair (Granville Island) – the pastries and the bread (expensive but worth it). Hailey tried their sandwiches and raved about them. The Love at First Bite ($12 a loaf!!) is my fav bread of all time. But I also love the Soul Mate (whole wheat sourdough).

Siegel’s Bagels (either location) – disappointingly they don’t seem to be making their pumpernickel bagels which are freaking stellar. But the bagels and sandwiches are otherwise fantastic.

I’m sure there are many more places I could mention but I have to get back to work!

Dowser 8.5: Mory: “So … there’s no way this is just, you know, a casual thing? Right?”

Misfits, Gemstones, and Other Scattered Magic (Dowser 8) released a week ago! Normally I’d share a some of the lovely early reviews, and I will soon, but I thought it might be more fun (for me) to share a (mostly) spoiler free excerpt of Graveyards, Visions, and Other Things That Byte (Dowser 8.5).

And yes, if you haven’t already noticed the sneak peak of the book cover in the back of Dowser 8, Dowser 8.5 is available for preorder. It is, in fact, almost completely finished. I’m spending my afternoons working through the line/content edit and will then do my final smoothing pass before the book goes off to the proofreader.

I’m adding new scenes to Dowser 9 daily as well. It is currently sitting at about 30K. And, because someone might ask, I haven’t set a release date yet (late-fall is most likely).

🙂

Thank you for joining me on the rollercoaster ride that is the Adept Universe!

– WARNING FOR POSSIBLE SPOILERS –

“Why me? There are two more powerful necromancers in town. Why did Pearl Godfrey send you to me?”

“She didn’t. I just see you here … in this graveyard.”

I shrugged. “I come here often.”

Rochelle hesitated.

I hated it when people hesitated before talking. It usually meant they were considering lying, or telling a half-truth. And then I was usually forced to go along with the lie like it was an actual conversation we were having.

“No. That’s not what I mean.” Rochelle shoved her left hand in her army-green satchel. Her tone was soft, as if she were afraid of frightening me.

Me. The necromancer fueled by death magic, who’d been freaking the oracle out only moments before.

“No. I see you.” She tugged a thick fold of paper from her bag.

I knew what she was handing me even before she held it out.

A sketch.

Of me. Of my future.

I had never seen one of Rochelle’s visions — the final version, rendered on paper — but people talked. All right, Jade Godfrey talked. Everyone else was pretty mum about anything having to do with power around me.

I took the proffered paper, feeling myself hesitating suddenly.

“It’s not bad.” Rochelle fiddled with a ring on her left hand. A gold wedding band crusted with tiny diamonds. Her husband Beau wore a matching one, though his was thicker. And according to the rumor mill, aka Benjamin Garrick, it adjusted in size whenever he transformed. Both rings had been crafted by Jade, the same as my necklace. “It just … is …” she said.

I unfolded the sketch. And there I was, rendered in black, smudged charcoal. I was perched on my favorite gravestone — the one I was presently seated on.

I had developed a habit when I was young, even before my necromancy had manifested. I had demanded to visit the graves and interment places of young children whenever I traveled with my mother while she was working — and would occasionally throw a tantrum if that demand wasn’t indulged. I used to swear that the children would whisper secrets to me, though my mother always insisted that their essence had moved on.

That had been my version of imaginary friends, I had assumed long ago. Though the gravestone I most identified with at Mountain View was different. The sweet soul interred beneath my feet occasionally made an appearance, and I … I was hoping that one day I’d have the ability to help her. To release her from whatever held her in this dimension.

“Your hair is different.” Rochelle stepped up beside me and leaned closer, peering down at the sketch in my hands.

“Yeah,” I mumbled, taking in every stroke and smudge on the paper. I looked … different. Different than I saw myself in the mirror. Fiercer, bolder. Just … more. I wondered if that was how Rochelle saw my magic, as if it added an extra layer to me as a person. “I change my hair a lot.”

“No,” Rochelle said. “It’s different in the sketch … in the vision. Blue and purple, not the purple and red you have now. Were you planning on dyeing it again soon?”

I shook my head, unable to tear my gaze away from the drawing. “I just changed it from blue.”

“Ah …” Rochelle nodded thoughtfully.

“You, um … you see in color but sketch in black and white?”

She hesitated for long enough that I realized I’d overstepped, asking such a personal question. It was one thing to explain in general terms how something like necromancy worked, or to ask for specifics about the sketch I was holding. It was completely another thing to interrogate an Adept about their process. How their magic functioned, or even how it felt for them specifically. Magic was like sex that way. Not that I had much experience with either.

“Yes,” the oracle finally said. “Things … I didn’t know, you know, when the visions started, what was happening.”

“You didn’t have anyone to ask.”

“No, I didn’t. And when I was trying to make sense of it all, black and white felt more … grounded but less … real …” She trailed off, embarrassed.

“I understand. My mother works as a necromancer for the Convocation. And usually that means summoning ghosts to question them. Or, conversely, laying a ghost to rest who’s getting all poltergeisty. But … three times now, she’s had to go … examine, assess other necromancers. Adepts, but outside of any known bloodline, whose magic had manifested and made them think they were …”

“Crazy.”

“Yeah.”

Rochelle nodded, then looked back down at the sketch I was holding. “I get that.”

I spent another moment contemplating the version of me depicted in the drawing. Then I asked the question I had to ask but really didn’t want to. “So … there’s no way this is just, you know, a casual thing? Right?”

“Me having a vision of you? Rather than any of the other epically powerful beings that come and go from Vancouver?”

“Yeah. That’s what I thought.” And that in a nutshell was why hanging out with people way more powerful than me was a bad idea. Except that everyone in Vancouver was more powerful than me, it seemed.

– Mory, Graveyards, Visions, and Other Things That Byte (Dowser 8.5)

Dowser 8: cupcakes and chocolate

 

Since is it a shorter list this time, I thought I would combine the cupcakes and chocolate mentioned in the soon-to-be released Misfits, Gemstones, and Other Shattered Magic (Dowser 8) into one blog post.

So, for those of you who like to be prepared with cupcakes on hand, here are the cupcakes that are featured or mentioned in Dowser 8. Cupcakes marked with an asterisk (*) appear in the Dowser Cookbook. Cupcakes with double asterisks (**) have been released in my monthly newsletter and will be added to the cookbook. I will update the Dowser Cookbook to include the new recipes, and re-release the free PDF ‘aka the fourth edition’ to my new release email list on June 28, 2018.

In order of appearance:

Chill in a Cup** – mint-chocolate cake with mint-chocolate buttercream

Tingle in a Cup** – chocolate-mint cake with mint buttercream

Lust in a Cup* – dark chocolate cake with chocolate cream cheese icing

Sin in a Cup – spiced cake with mocha buttercream

Blitzen in a Cup – mocha cake with eggnog buttercream

And now for the chocolate!

And, yes, I ate this bar while writing Dowser 8 and am eating the final piece pictured here while writing this blog post.

The sole chocolate bar to appear in Dowser 8 is Amedei’s Porcelana Chocolate. This rare and rather pricey bar was a huge indulgence for me (and Jade) (courtesy of a gift certificate from a writer friend – thank you, Liza!). Tasting notes: smooth, balanced cocoa, delicate fruit noise, and a long finish.

I think I’ll bake Lust in a Cup, though Michael is a big fan of the new mint cupcakes. But I absolutely adore the chocolate cream cheese icing. Yummy.

Will you be indulging in any treats and/or cupcakes while reading Dowser 8? If you do, and you enjoying sharing photos, please tag me in your social media posts! I’d love to see what you’ve chosen.

Tags: Facebook/Instagram: @meghancianadoidge Twitter: @mcdoidge

Possible hashtags:  #dowserseries #cakeinacup #[cupcake name]inacup #amreading #dowser8

SIX DAYS AND A FEW HOURS UNTIL RELEASE DAY!!