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Do you get a visual image of the layout of a place when you read about it? I have a very firm impression in my mind of the ashram in the Wynter Wild books, but I’ve never actually drawn a map. Now that I’m writing flashbacks for book 10 (The Beat Goes On), where we spend some time in the ashram (and – spoiler! – there are present scenes set there, too), I decided I needed a clearer idea of where everything is.
Firstly, to set the scene…
Continue reading “The Ashram at Touchstone Pass”
It’s not really a spoiler to say that in the forthcoming and final book of the Wynter Wild series (The Beat Goes On), Xay Morant is going to launch his singing career. He’s a rockstar through and through (or will be, he hopes!) – and I’ve put together this playlist to give you an idea of the kind of music he sings.
Follow me on Spotify to find more playlists for the Wynter Wild books.
If you don’t listen to anthemic rock music (as opposed to the indie rock of Rule212), these songs might be an eyeopener. They’re mostly from current but not particularly huge bands (in some cases, unknown bands) including a couple of covers. In style and lyrical content they represent the spirit of Xay’s music. Cigarette-lighter songs included!
Other playlists for the Wynter Wild series:
Introducing the Wynter Wild Wiki! This project was suggested to me by a friend and reader who is helping write and administrate it, and appeals to my natural inclination to keep things orderly.
Take a look around! This is a community project – anyone can edit or add pages after reading the “Guidelines” – which are the standard rules of fandom.com, with the last couple of points related to spoilers and formatting for the Wynter Wild Wiki. (A few pages are protected so only registered users can make changes – you just need to make an account for that. Most pages are freely editable.) Or add comments on a page if you have suggestions and improvements.
Note that the fan casting images and mood boards I’ve used on Wattpad can’t be uploaded to the wiki. Wattpad’s free pass for “famous people and celebrities” doesn’t apply here. I’m working on some original artwork, and fan art or copyright-free art can be added as well.
As of today, bios for the main characters and most of the minor characters from books 1 to 3 are live, along with some information on pets and bands and a few other things. With your help we can grow the wiki into a useful resource for readers wanting to explore Wynter’s world.
The fifth book in the Wynter Wild series, Distortion, is out now in paperback!
In this book, Wynter puts together her first all-girl (well, not quite) band. While she’d love to be playing just about every song with the amp turned to 11 to maximize distortion, the Mail Order Chicks play mostly 80s and 90s British pop. This story also sees the genesis of the rock band she puts together with her brothers.
“Distortion” refers to how the siblings’ mother, Miriam, has affected her children by her actions years ago. Particularly for Indio, he believes the ongoing absence of maternal love is what has formed him, rather than the abandonment itself:
Continue reading “New Release: Distortion (Wynter Wild Book 5) in paperback”
The eighth book in the Wynter Wild saga, Minor Key, is out now in all ebook formats!
The title for Minor Key was inspired by two events in the story, the first being Xay and Wynter’s long-awaited reunion after 3 years. Things don’t go exactly as either of them planned, and neither knows quite what to do about it.
The second is the tragedy alluded to in the blurb (below).
In addition, Jesse is dealing with a mental health issue that takes him by surprise.
But there are happy times, too.
Continue reading “New Release: Minor Key (Wynter Wild Book 8)”
Little Sister Song on Wattpad has just hit 150,000 reads since I started publishing it in December 2018 – beyond my wildest expectations! I’ll be posting a few blogs to celebrate.
I don’t often listen to music while writing (especially not songs with lyrics) but when I’m plotting, or playing out scenes in my head searching for ideas, I have some favorite songs I keep going back to. These songs don’t necessarily reflect how I imagine my fictional musical family would sound, but for various reasons the music inspired me.
Follow me on Spotify to find more playlists for the Wynter Wild books.
I’ll add to the list if I find more songs.
I’ve updated the digital composite picture I made of Wynter’s home on Tiger Mountain. This one adds the garage and improves the driveway. On the left is the concrete area used as a basketball court. The goat pen, veggie patches, and “Wynter’s garden” with the stone wall are hidden by the main house.
As well as making the Tiger Mountain home in The Sims 3, I also made Caleb’s house in Seattle – the house where Wynter shows up on the doorstep one cold January afternoon. This one was a lot simpler to build, and currently my Sims family is living there.
Continue reading “Caleb’s house in Seattle + Caravan (The Sims 3)”Lego houses are my first love, but my second love is Sims houses! I used to satisfy my house-building fetish with the Sims years ago because all my childhood Lego was at my parents’ place. Recently I purchased The Sims 3, which I was told is more versatile for building than the latest Sims 4, and built the house on Tiger Mountain. But first, here’s Wynter’s family as Sims:
I created them with personalities and approximate appearances to match the books, and if you use Sims 3 you can download the household from the Exchange and use them in your own game.
Note that Jesse’s curly hair is a custom download.
I also downloaded lots of custom content for the house because I don’t have any Expansions and needed things like medieval furniture (for the tower), a drum kit, and some cute knick-knacks to scatter around. Most of the custom stuff comes from modthesims.
Having a non-functional sense of aesthetics when it comes to house decor, I did the best I could…
Continue reading “Wynter Wild is a Sim!”
