Ma Tutt’s Secret Spice – Day 1

Yesterday I returned to Sugar Pine Station.

That’s the name of my fictional town on the way to Yosemite. There’s an actual village of Sugar Pine north of Oakhurst off of Highway 41 – a quaint mountain community in the stunning and beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains. I went to camp near there every summer and winter growing up. Worked as a lifeguard and did maintenance the summer between high school and college. Idyllic.

Image by Manfred Richter from Pixabay. Used by permission.

(Sugar pines, by the way, produce pine cones that are very distinct and smell wonderful. They are magnificent natural art pieces, expressions of God’s handiwork.)

Back in 2014, after I wrote Ma Tutt’s Donut Hut, I plowed forward with Secret Spice, just over 18,000 words worth. I remember I sort of painted myself into a corner and got stuck a bit. Then the school year started and I tried to focus all my energies into teaching and maintaining a great classroom environment. Ultimately, I left teaching. Very difficult for me. I commend teachers (good ones without political agendas), but after five years I realized it just wasn’t for me.

So I went back to preaching. A bit easier ministering with adults – depending on the adults! (grin). But for some reason, I didn’t get back to writing! So this story, book 2 in what was going to be my series of Mack the Magical Cat novels, just languished.

Until yesterday.

That’s when I reread what I’d written and skimmed Donut Hut to reacquaint myself with the story, the characters, the setting, the mysterious recipes, and any other little quirks or patterns I’d employed when I first created this fictional world.

I wrote down all the characters’ names and a bit of description. I tried to make sure I had my chronology straight. I even confirmed how old Mack is. (He’s 60, by the way, in 2014. Heh, he’s a magical cat, so why not?) Why I hadn’t done all this before, I’ll never know, but I couldn’t find any files on my computer giving me anything more than some random plot ideas.

Pro tip: Keep notes about the plot, characters, and setting for easy access!

Finishing this book has been on my agenda for the last seven or eight years and I’m excited to be finally tackling the project. I get to paint myself out of that corner at last!

When we sold our house and all our belongings to move to Puerto Rico for this next chapter of our lives (and for me to pursue a writing career), I knew that this was a project I’d get to right away.

My first completed project as a full time writer was A Cauldron of Cats, novella number #2 in my Mister the Magical Cat series. (Written in basically nine days, just over 20,000 words.) Now comes Ma Tutt’s Secret Spice, book #2 in my Mack the Magical Cat series. Should be around 40,000 words when finished.

Mister the Magical Cat Series

And yes, I have two somewhat interrelated series about two different magical cats. I’m that crazy. I’ll explain more about that and how they connect down the road.

As for today’s progress, I reread the first two sections, edited a bit and added 450 words to bring the running total of Secret Spice to 18,500 words. I’m thinking I’m close to half way done.

Now to figure out how to get myself out of that corner!

Today’s Writing Tip...

Keep running notes about your plot, characters, and setting for future reference.

Progress...

Writing: Ma Tutt’s Secret Spice by Lyn Perry 

* Introduction - Tackling a New Project

* Day 1 - 450 words, story is at 18,500 words

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Want to read Ma Tutt's Secret Spice as I write it? I'm posting weekly chapters at my Patreon Page. By becoming a patron of indie fiction, you can read the novel as it unfolds before it hits the virtual bookstores. When it's completed, you'll get the finished e-book, fully edited!

Do you like original fiction with a speculative bent? Indie published sci-fi, fantasy, magical realism, horror and supernatural suspense? As a monthly supporter you'll receive new stories every month, a backlist novel of mine, and a weekly chapter of my current WIP. Give it a try! Details on Patreon.

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Hey, I'm Lyndon Perry, a speculative fiction writer living in Puerto Rico. I'm a former pastor and current husband, father, coffee drinker, and cat-wrangler. You can find me almost anywhere online, so check out my various Linktree Locations and say hello!

The Curious Case of Kevin Klaag

A few years ago, my friend Stoney Setzer and I started a project called Tremble Town.

Those who know me say, “What’s new? Every project of yours, you started years ago!” Okay, that’s true, but just hold your horses a moment. (grin)

Tremble Town is a place where strange happens. The stories in this universe are supernatural thrillers or maybe tales of spiritual suspense. Some feel the genre is an oxymoron, but it’s basically “Christian horror” – storytelling on the darker side but with a moral underpinning.

Anyway, we're developing the universe of Tremble Town, which includes the goings on in the small communities of Ichabod, NC, and Sardis County, TN. Once we write all of the tales (or a substantial number), we plan to publish them either in collections or as interconnected standalones.

Consider these stories episodes that can be enjoyed individually in any order but also slowly reveal the mystery behind the strange events that occur throughout the series. We just need to get crackin’ and add to the oeuvre.

Welp, a few years ago, I wrote a short horror/thriller called The Curious Case of Kevin Klaag. I didn't know it at the time, but it really fits the Tremble Town world. So today, I updated the story which was only about 3800 words. I adjusted some things and added a new, extended ending (about 2300 words) to bring it to just over 6,000 words.

I'm really proud of it. And I want you to read it!

But here’s the deal. We’re not going to release these stories for a while. So I’ve come up with a work around. I’ve redone my PatreonPage and now that I’m a full time writer, I’ll be adding new content every week there – exclusive, first access to patrons. Only one tier - $5 a month. You can quit any time.

Here’s what you’ll get for about the same cost as a foofoo coffee from your favorite barista. Each month you’ll get:

• ·         Exclusive early access to a never-before-published short story.
• ·         An e-book or e-novella from my backlist that is also for sale online.
• ·         Weekly chapters to enjoy from my current Work-in-Progress.
• ·         Interaction via the comments about all things speculative fiction.

Unadulterated entertainment… Wait, that kinda sounds wrong. But you get the idea. I’ll keep you stocked with some interesting reads, and you come away amused and happy. What a bargain!

If you want to read The Curious Case of Kevin Klaag right now, then head on over to my Patreon Pageand subscribe. It’s easy peasy. If you want to read the first story in our Tremble Town series, you can purchase Accidents on Amazon. I look forward to hearing from you and finding out what you think!

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Do you like original fiction with a speculative bent? Sci-fi, fantasy, magical realism, horror and supernatural suspense. Do you like supporting indie writers? You've come to the right place! 

I'd like you to invite you to become a monthly patron at my Patreon Page. As a supporter you'll receive new stories every month and a weekly chapter in my current WIP. Give it a try! Details on Patreon.

~~~~~

Hey, I'm Lyndon Perry, a speculative fiction writer living in Puerto Rico. I'm a former pastor and current husband, father, coffee drinker, and cat-wrangler. You can find me almost anywhere online, so check out my various Linktree Locations and say hello!