Seraphina Sapphira Says: Iffy Magic the Audio Adventure!

Introducing my YouTube story show Seraphina Sapphira Says, because every horrendously introverted writer needs a condescending princess persona to share their tales! While my original plan was to make an audiobook, my technical expertise kept falling short of the requisite perfection. But then I decided that Seraphina Sapphira would be a much more fun way to bring the ink-stained misadventures of Iffy Magic to life. And besides, who doesn't want an excuse to gussy up in rhinestone tiaras and bling?! My goal is to improve the voices and audio experience with every chapter so that I can make each character even more delicious for the imagination.

Seraphina Sapphira will be reading aloud episodes of Iffy Magic each week. She will probably share Dragon's Den Orphanage after that. Hope you enjoy!

2020 Surprises

So I feel full-body miserable as I write this, but I am very glad I don't have Covid-19. Just a regular old nasty reaction to double antibiotics for, surprise, SIBO! Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. The combined methane and carbon dioxide gas levels in my guts blew past the expected 15ppm to hit 99ppm. Add a competing Candida invasion on top of that, and I'm all peaches and cream this week. Seriously, 2020, you were supposed to be a lucky year! Sweet serendipity anytime now, thanks.

The world is scary on both a local and global level with the pandemic in full swing. I know the months and year ahead will be full of drastic changes for everyone. I am only starting to understand what that means for me. Frankly, I feel too physically and mentally exhausted already to deal with the full ramifications right now, and am trying to quarantine myself as much as possible to protect my erstwhile immune system. 

I haven't been able to write much lately, and I truly wonder what my stories mean anymore. Their worth both to myself, and to readers. I won't force myself to write just because . . . because I had a grand author's goal . . . or a gossamer daydream. When I feel healthy enough again, I know the stories will be waiting for me to say their names. Right now I have to be patient with my healing body. Oh, and scribble lots of story notes! And listen to the Writing Excuses podcast. And a million and one other sparklestarsome little things that add up to a day, a life, a single crystalline wish that we will find our way through this, together.

True Story

I am in the process of organizing several poetry chapbooks, and while dusting off a file of old poems from my 2013 graduate poetry class, I found this ridiculous little gem! It's a "break up" poem with Iffy Magic . . . you know, the first novel I ever went on to self-publish!

True Story

I try to break it to you gently

Without ellipses

Or time to let the ink splatter.

I can’t be with you anymore

Please don’t linger or make a scene

Like a melodramatic Em dash queen.

Don’t think of me too harshly

Just because I promised you

A prime spot on the book shelf

Behind the glass panes 

Of the oak vanity cabinet.

Honey, get real!

After 3 years of revisions

A pile of rejection letters

Leaning like the Tower of Pisa,

Not even an agent can save

This “thing” between us.

Now, don’t you dare interrobang

I’m not saying what we had

Was nothing, but maybe

It was altogether too much.

You consumed me

Chapter, comma, and semicolon

I just can’t keep cutting and pasting

My soul to flesh your pages.

Did I ever tell you how

I almost scrawled your name

On my bank check once?

I forgot my own signature

True story.

But it’s mine, not yours,

And I’ve got to write it

With somebody else now.

Evening Primrose Goodwing—

Unfollow

Unfriend

Bye . . .

Delete.

*I'm really glad I didn't give up on Prim. Now to finish Regalia's adventures! #2020 goals