.jpg)
Cooking Up Magick
Gruncheys
Sep 15, 2023 by HL Bernabe
Today is National Cheese Toast Day. My family called them grilled cheese sandwiches when I was growing up, and I always loved them. But my kiddo and I call them gruncheys.
World Letter Writing Day
Sep 01, 2023 by HL Bernabe
World Letter Writing Day is September 1st.
In honor of World Letter Writing Day, I thought I would include a letter from Paisley Dell to her Aunt Higgie back home. It’s funny how when we write to our loved ones, we don’t want them to worry about us, so we send sanitized versions of our lives, putting the best possible light and spin on our activities. Paisley is no different here.
January Ramping Up
Jan 27, 2023 by HL Bernabe
So many cogs and wheels make writing and publishing possible.
January and February are starting my year off with lots of stuff to do. By Her Grace: A Dell Chronicles Novella is going to be moved onto the Amazon platform at the beginning of February. As soon as it is available there, I will let you all know. I would be deeply grateful if those of you who have read my novella would write a review on the Amazon site when it is up. Oh, and on Goodreads, too!
If you haven’t read By Her Grace: A Dell Chronicles Novella, you can still get it free through Book Funnel. You also have access to a bunch of other free books on a...
January and February are starting my year off with lots of stuff to do. By Her Grace: A Dell Chronicles Novella is going to be moved onto the Amazon platform at the beginning of February. As soon as it is available there, I will let you all know. I would be deeply grateful if those of you who have read my novella would write a review on the Amazon site when it is up. Oh, and on Goodreads, too!
If you haven’t read By Her Grace: A Dell Chronicles Novella, you can still get it free through Book Funnel. You also have access to a bunch of other free books on a...
HAPPY NEW YEAR! GET FREE BOOKS!
Dec 30, 2022 by HL Bernabe
Wow. This year is done already. It's hard to believe. It swept away like the seeds of a dandelion in a wind gust.
I've been working on my epic fantasy series since 2020. It feels simultaneously like I've been working on them forever, and yet also like I'm just getting started. This year has been a year of learning for me. I feel like I've been in grad school, learning the publishing and writing business. I have learned so much, sometimes I think my brain won't be able to hold it all.This year is also the year I started to get some things done. I wrote the prequel to my series, a novella called By Her Grace. It's published and...
Finishing Novella
Oct 14, 2022 by HL Bernabe
Work on my novella continues. I'm thinking about changing the title to Grace. I like it better, but it doesn't give much of a fantasy vibe. By Her Grace is only marginally better in that regard. We'll see. Having a picture of a cast-iron skillet on the cover will give it even more of a fantasy appeal. Not. But... this is a prequel to Cooking Up Magick, an epic fantasy about a young halfling woman who goes on a quest to learn the world's cuisines, so... it seems appropriate. And this novella is all about how Paisley Dell gets the courage to go on that quest, and how she gives her favorite pan a name.
I got some great feedback from...
BY HER GRACE
Sep 30, 2022 by HL Bernabe
I wrote a novella! It's called By Her Grace. It ties into Cooking Up Magick, the book I have set to launch next year, and the novella is a prequel.Halfling chef Paisley Dell lives in Aspenwood, a small town at the confluence of two major trade roads. The Dells own the Rosebud Inn and are pillars of the halfling community.
Paisley is happy, but... something is missing. She feels unfulfilled and restless. On her Becoming Day, she gets sucked into the intrigue of a mysterious young human, pregnant and on the run, and through her Paisley glimpses a world she desperately wishes she could know. A world of spice, elves, and exotic, faraway places.
As their friendship grows with every...
Forward Progress
Aug 19, 2022 by HL Bernabe
I received my developmental edits back for my epic fantasy book, Cooking Up Magick. Overall, my editor had very positive things to say, so that was a relief. Of course, every manuscript has things to work on, though. So, I let it percolate in my brain for a couple of weeks, and then my kiddo was gracious enough to brainstorm with me about my editor's notes to come up with solutions and ways to improve the book.
(I swear my kid is my muse. In the ideas department, they are amazing. I'm so blessed to have such an amazingly creative kiddo. I love you, sweetie! You have my undying gratitude!)
I have been plugging away at them ever since. I'm about...
Rayleon Whipclaw
Jul 22, 2022 by HL Bernabe
A Legend Is Born
Thanks to David Selbert and Pexels for the image.
I hadn't played DnD in years, since my hubby and I usually played the White Wolf system. After he passed away, I missed gaming, and I checked into the local DnD meetup group. I went to a few of those and joined a campaign shortly before the pandemic started.
I played Rayleon Whipclaw, an Aäriadri Tabaxi (a house-cat sized cat-person). She had to be a rogue, of course, and she was a ton of fun to play. Think Puss-n-Boots, with a ginormous cavalier hat, and short cloak. Through my lucky rolls, she constantly dodged death, and saved her teammate's asses repeatedly. Her head got pretty darn big as a...
Thanks to David Selbert and Pexels for the image.
I hadn't played DnD in years, since my hubby and I usually played the White Wolf system. After he passed away, I missed gaming, and I checked into the local DnD meetup group. I went to a few of those and joined a campaign shortly before the pandemic started.
I played Rayleon Whipclaw, an Aäriadri Tabaxi (a house-cat sized cat-person). She had to be a rogue, of course, and she was a ton of fun to play. Think Puss-n-Boots, with a ginormous cavalier hat, and short cloak. Through my lucky rolls, she constantly dodged death, and saved her teammate's asses repeatedly. Her head got pretty darn big as a...
Cooking Up Magick
Jun 19, 2022 by HL Bernabe
After many beta readers and about a billion pass-throughs, my book, Cooking Up Magick, is in developmental editing. I eagerly await the feedback, so I can wrangle it into its final form.
Thanks to Pexels and Matheus Bertelli for this image.
What's it about? Well, think Rachel Ray meets The Lord of the Rings. Here's a blurb:
Paisley Dell dreams of traveling the world, meeting new people, and learning how to cook their food. When two friendly dwarfs offer to escort her through orc territory to the dwarven city of Garastrade, the bubbly halfling chef jumps at the chance.
During her travels, she makes new friends, including a mysterious elven ranger, a magickal cat that only talks to her, and a handsome half-orc....
Thanks to Pexels and Matheus Bertelli for this image.
What's it about? Well, think Rachel Ray meets The Lord of the Rings. Here's a blurb:
Paisley Dell dreams of traveling the world, meeting new people, and learning how to cook their food. When two friendly dwarfs offer to escort her through orc territory to the dwarven city of Garastrade, the bubbly halfling chef jumps at the chance.
During her travels, she makes new friends, including a mysterious elven ranger, a magickal cat that only talks to her, and a handsome half-orc....