The Launch of Acquainted With Butterflies - and Other Random Musings

On May 1, I released my seventh book.

I've written seven books.

The Key is a story included in Perfectly Unique: The Missing Pieces Anthology, written to support Autism Speaks. Honeymoons, Harpies & House Arrest will be released in late fall of this year.

Sometimes I wonder at the fact that I've done this ... I mean, I have a lot going on during any given day. Up until a year ago, I was a full-time homeschooling mom for two kids, and for the last four years, I've been a freelance editor. I've created and built and maintained my own editing company, carted kids to and from school, run my household and dealt with two major wrist surgeries and the chronic pain I feel now because of them. The fact that I've managed to concentrate long enough on a single project to see it through to publication - let alone seven of them - really is kind of a surprise. The first book did take me almost thirteen years to complete, so there's that, but the other six I wrote and published within six years, so my track record has improved over time. Just goes to show that if something means enough to you, you'll carve out the necessary time it takes to see it through to completion. 

Every project seems different to me, and they are. Just like I read, I write in many genres, and that's a lot of fun. I didn't set out to do that, I just write what comes to me, what fuels me. I have two different series, a stand alone, and now a collection, and they're all unique in their own way. I'm going to include here the letter I wrote at the beginning of Acquainted With Butterflies to explain what kind of book it is and how it came to be.

 Back in 2012, shortly before I published my first novel, I began blogging. I thought it would be a good way for me to advertise my books and to share all the thoughts and feelings I had throughout the writing and publishing process. It was, and I’m glad I started it. My blog was titled J.C. Wing—Author. Short, simple and to the point. I was so overwhelmed at the time by being a newbie in the book world that this was all the extra creativity I could muster.
 About a year later, I changed the name of my blog to J.C. Wing and the Goddess. I didn’t explain the name change, and no one asked. Quite honestly, I didn’t have more than a handful of followers, and if any of them noticed the change, none of them thought to mention it. I was basically using the blog as a brain dump. I wasn’t concerned with traffic, and I continued to post—although sporadically—simply because I enjoyed doing so.
 In July 2016, A.K. Lawrence, a good friend and fellow author, asked me to join her on a thirty-day writing challenge. I’d never posted anything on a daily basis, but it sounded like fun. It was. So much so, in fact, that after that first thirty days was over, we found another challenge to tackle. We even started a Facebook group called Writing Challenge Warriors and had a few other loyal bloggers writing with us. We wrote daily through the end of the year, then weekly as we began 2017. When we decided to take a break, I’d written a total of 143 posts, and J.C. Wing and the Goddess had become much more than just a brain dump for me. (Incidentally, the release of Dead Beat Dates & Deities, the first book in the Goddess of Tornado Alley series cleared up any questions those quiet followers might have had about that name change my blog had undergone years earlier.)
 Many of the prompts for our daily challenges urged me to share incredibly personal stories. Many of those were difficult for me because I chose to let down my guard and write honestly. I’ve included a few of those here in this collection, though most of the articles are works of fiction. I’ve added in a sprinkling of poetry. I don’t write much of that now―unless the limericks I penned for Brides, Beasts & Baklava count―but during my middle school, high school and early adult years, I used this form of expression in abundance. You don’t know how lucky you are that I’ve chosen to be selective about which poems made the final cut. You’re welcome.
 Until I took part in this series of challenges, I hadn’t written many short stories. Within a few months, I had authored quite a few. Those stories are what I wanted to share most in Acquainted with Butterflies. Some of them are funny, some of them hold a bit of mystery, and a few of them are on the romantic side. A Day in Paris is a countdown story, beginning with the number ten and ending at number one, and In the Pursuit of Spring shows just how dramatic and over the top a teenage girl’s imagination can be.  One of the prompts asked us to modernize our favorite fairy tale. I chose The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, written by E.T.A. Hoffmann. My version, The Nutcracker and the Cheeseball, is much lighter and much funnier than the original. A couple of short stories that came from this six months of daily blog writing are absent because they’ve grown into full length novel ideas. Writing is an adventure, and ideas pop up all the time. My stories tend to linger inside my head, and there are a few of them included in the following pages that may also become much longer pieces in the future.
 I hope you enjoy this collection. I invite you to come and hang out with me and the goddess on my blog. You never know what we might come up with next.
 J.C. Wing
www.jcwingandthegoddess@blogspot.com

I'll be honest ... I get nervous before I release every single book. Like every author, I work really hard to write my novels and every one of them means a great deal to me. I still remember how I felt before Dead Beat Dates & Deities launched. I have a sense of humor I didn't really show in the books I'd written before. I wasn't sure how readers were going to react to all the sarcasm, sexual innuendo and Greek mythology. Turns out they were just fine with it ... but then I released Brides, Beasts & Baklava and I was nervous for different reasons. Was it as good as the first one? Was it still funny? Did I do my characters justice? It's different with every book, but I always feel nervous and nauseous before each launch. Acquainted With Butterflies really had me stressed out.

The back cover of Acquainted With Butterflies in paperback.

This one is extremely personal. There are a lot of short stories here, some of which will eventually be expanded and turned into their own novels. Come to find out, readers like it when I write spooky stuff just as much as they like the romantic comedy. I love that. And y'all just wait. I've got some real fun headed your way.

Everything in Acquainted With Butterflies was published right here first - except for the poetry. I think maybe one of those poems saw the light of day on this blog, but the rest of them had never been shared before. I bared my soul with this collection ... but it had been bared before. I have a lot of post views - okay, not as many as I'd like, but a fair amount - so I know these stories and essays had already been read. Still, it felt different seeing it all in book form. The reviews for this book have floored me. I'm so glad I jumped into this. I'm so happy I pushed past my fear of publishing this assortment of writing. The reaction to it has made my heart swell. You readers are the absolute best.

"What a raw, vulnerable, and emotional read! I don't think I've ever connected with an author so intimately as with this mix of poetry, short stories and personal essays. It truly showcases her range and writing abilities as she goes from second-chance love, to humor, to criminal thriller. She is exceptionally gifted and conveys things so beautifully. I felt everything while reading this and would love to see her expand a couple of them into novels in the future. I was already a fan of hers, but this has completely blown me away and I highly recommend it." - Pixel3131

"A startling collection of short stories and musings. J.C. Wing left me protesting, wanting more with each story, sometimes celebrating joy and other times feeling empty. "Some Things Just Are" touched me deeply. A lovely read." - Robin N. 

"Acquainted with Butterflies by J. C. Wing is a wonderful collection of short stories, personal essays and poetry. Stories range from suspenseful and spooky to humorous, all very enjoyable. Some hint at a future full-length novel in their future, at least you hope so. You really want to know what happens next. The essays give you a deeply personal glimpse into events in J.C.’s life. The poems are bright, sparkly visions of life. All in all, Butterflies is a quality collection. I look forward to more from J. C. Wing." - Kelly Green

I keep learning the same lesson when it comes to my writing, with starting my own business, with making difficult decisions ... with everything in life, really; if you don't trust yourself enough to jump in, if you don't believe you'll swim instead of sinking straight to the bottom, you've failed before you've really given yourself a chance to succeed. I hope the nervousness never goes away. That's part of my process. I don't ever want launching a new book to lose its excitement. I want that sick to my stomach feeling, over and over and over again. And having said that, it's time to jump back into Honeymoons, Harpies & House Arrest. This one's a hoot, which means I'll have plenty to feel nervous about.

Author Spotlight - Lark Griffing

I recently had the honor of meeting and working with author Lark Griffing. I became her editor through a friend that we share, and the two of us hit it off immediately. She’s a talented novelist with a quick wit and an incredible sense of humor. The Starfish Talisman is a remarkable thriller set in a gorgeous oceanside locale with a colorful and quirky cast of characters. While this is a YA novel, I believe it will appeal to a wide variety of readers of all ages. Reagan, Griffing’s protagonist, is a confident, intelligent, high spirited seventeen-year-old girl who spends an eventful summer away from home. The tale of her adventure is incredibly well written and thoroughly entertaining.

Lark Griffing is an author who likes to bring her sense of adventure to her writing. The Last Time I Checked, I Was Still Here, a young adult coming of age novel, is Lark’s debut novel. Her most recent publication, The Starfish Talisman, is a young adult, old-fashioned ghost story.

Lark collects hobbies like some people collect friends.  When not writing and teaching, she is hiking, kayaking, SCUBA diving, camping, and enjoying life to the fullest with her family. She is married to an amazing man, and she has two wonderful boys, a precocious golden doodle, named Maggie, and a psychotic tabby cat named Dickens.

New Release: The Starfish Talisman

Available on Amazon 

The secrets of the forbidden fourth floor… 

Seventeen-year-old feisty Reagan James can’t imagine spending a summer on the coast with an eccentric aunt she’s never met. 

But then, how bad could it be?

The second she steps foot into the massive house on the cliffs, one thing is clear: someone—or something—doesn’t want her there. With every new encounter, Reagan realizes that there’s more at stake than she could have imagined. 

Suddenly, the strange happenings and whispers from the forbidden fourth floor cannot be ignored. Now, it’s up to Reagan to sift through all the lies to save herself from the evil that stalks her. But will the jealous vengeance from the past destroy everything for the future?

Author Interview

Tell us about your new release, The Starfish Talisman.

When I was a little girl, my mother used to tell me about the house on Crittenden Ave. where she grew up.  It was a large house with a beautiful curving staircase.   It had a formal dining room with a very large table.  My mom used to tell me about seeing wolves underneath it.  She would talk about their red glowing eyes.  I never got that vision out of my head.  To this day, my mother swears there were wolves under there.

My grandmother used to take in boarders because the house was so large, and it helped with the expenses.  They were older, single people who rented rooms on the upper floors.  Grandma would cook for them, and they became like part of the family.  Eventually, they all died.  Once, when I was very small, and all the boarders were deceased, I spent the night at Grandma’s.  All of the other rooms were filled with family who were spending the weekend, so I had to stay in Miss Mears’ old bedroom.  I had been told that Miss Mears had died in that very bed.  Needless to say, I had a very bad night!

There were other stories my family told, ghost hands that came out of the stairs, chairs that rocked and items that simply vanished.  These things left major impressions on my young mind.

When I started to write The Starfish Talisman, all of the stories my family told me came flooding back.   I just closed my eyes and let the words flow out my fingers.

One of my favorite things about Starfish is the character of Cora Rose and her cooking ability.  I love to cook and bake.  My mother and grandmother both taught me my way around the kitchen.  I like Cora Rose’s crustiness, and I can hear her in my head when she gets going!

The Starfish Talisman is a YA novel. Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?  If you write more than one, how do you balance them?

I love reading all kinds of genres, but I really enjoy YA.  Currently, I teach high school, and I have taught middle school, too, so I enjoy the stories that speak to my students, my kids.  I’m a sucker for Gary Paulsen’s Hachet stories.  I am an adventurer at heart, so my first novel, The Last Time I Checked, I Was Still Here, is a coming of age adventure story.  (Note to self:  Write shorter titles). I had a lot of fun writing that.  I camp and backpack, so I drew from my experiences and my fears when I wrote it. 

I am currently working on a women’s fiction series.  Again, I write about what I know, and the things that touch me. 

Do you have any writing rituals? 

I really don’t.   I know people would rather hear that I light a burgundy wine candle, turn around three times, spit in my left palm, cross myself and start to write, but alas, that just isn’t the case. I am one of those super busy, over-extended people, so I write whenever I get the chance.  My favorite place to write is in the front seat of the Ford truck, my husband at the wheel and my youngest in the back seat.  I am typing away as we are on a road trip heading for another adventure.

What do you think most characterizes your writing? 

I think that I write about people finding their space and their place.  Even though my first book is the coming of age adventure, and my second is an old-fashioned ghost story, they both celebrate a person who figures out just who they are and what they believe.  I am all about journeys for my characters and myself.

Who is your favorite character from any of your books? 

I love Reagan from Starfish. Reagan is sure of herself and strong.  She doesn’t take crap from people.  I probably identify more with Amy from The Last Time because she takes off to the mountains to figure out things.  I tend to do that.  I find that once I am out in the woods hiking or camping, the things that seemed like such a big deal just aren’t anymore.

What is your favorite quote or line from one of your books? 

“What is the point of hiding beauty behind glass? Things are much more beautiful when they are in the sunlight and are loved daily. Don’t you think? Besides, it is better to be broken, scarred, and loved than it is to be perfect, whole, unloved and alone.”

What authors inspire you and your writing? 

See, that’s a problem.  I am like a young Labrador Retriever puppy.  I run from one thing to another with my tail wagging and my tongue hanging out, ears flapping in the breeze.  I like this person, and that person, and oh yeah that, but wait, what’s that wonderful smell, that’s really good… So, um. What was the question?

What is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process? 

I hate marketing. I want to be left alone to just write.  I love being surprised at the words that come out of my fingers.  I’m a pantster.   I don’t always know what is going to happen until it does.  In Starfish, I was writing along and a new character appeared.  I thought to myself, hmmm, I wonder who this guy is? He turned out to be very important.  I think that’s hilarious.

What’s not hilarious is when the book is done, and I have to do something about it.  I tend to pace around the house getting frustrated because I don’t want to do the other stuff. I want to find out who is going to fly out of these fingers next. 

Characters often find themselves in situations they aren't sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do? 

I found myself on the deck of a sailboat in the middle of the night in a terrible storm.  We were anchored out in the Keys, well off-shore.  Long story short, my husband and I had to sleep on deck out in the elements.  The sky opened up with torrential rain, wind, and lightening. What did I do?  I hung on and enjoyed the ride, because it was exhilarating coming out on the other side!

What literary character is most like you? 

Lassie. I am fiercely protective.

Where to find

Lark Griffing online:

website

Amazon

Facebook

Instagram

Read the first four chapters of The Starfish Talisman for free here!