Holiday Stories 2022

Writing holiday-themed stories for Caffrey Conversation is an annual tradition for Penna and me. I've included winter holiday celebrations in many of my longer stories, and for the past several years, Penna has written a special story to post in December. This year, my story Breakaway is a warm-up act for her story Movie Night which is set during the 2006 winter holiday. Breakaway is already published. Movie Movie will be posted later this month. A list of Caffrey Conversation stories for the winter holidays is in our blog post: Holidays with the Caffrey Conversation crew.

Backdrop to Fretwork

On December 9, I posted the latest addition to my Six-Crossed Knot series: Fretwork. The story spans fifteen years in the mid-eighteenth century. In England, this is the Georgian era. The arts were flourishing and private clubs proliferated throughout London. In Fretwork, I mention two clubs—Scriblerus and the Rose and Crown. Both are historical. The Rose and Crown Club was for artists and art connoisseurs. It was formed in 1704 and continued till 1745. The Scriblerus Club was much more famous. The group of writers included such notables as Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, and John Gay.

Ring Out the Old

Over the past few years, Penna and I have linked each year of writing to an animal. 2022 has been the Year of the Duck where our plot bunnies are all ducklings. Soon we will honor a new animal, but before 2023 arrives, we still have a few ducklings who are quacking to be presented.

Feeling Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! Our characters have enjoyed Thanksgiving in many of our series, including Caffrey Conversation, Arkham Files, and Crossed Lines. Today I added a new story to the list: A Drexford Thanksgiving. This is the second story in the Ghostnet series—a world where witches, vampires, and werewolves live harmoniously with humans by hiding in plain sight. This story like the first one in the series is a one-chapter short take. New traditions blend with old as a young witch adjusts to her life in Drexford, and it wouldn't be Ghostnet without a generous dose of magic.

Short Takes

Recently I've been stretching my wings by writing short takes—my term for one-chapter standalone stories. For years, Penna has written delicious treats for the Chocolate Box exchange. This summer she also participated in Wattpad contests. I've seen how much she enjoys it and I've loved reading her works. I was curious—and nervous—about what the experience would be like for me.

Returning to my novel

I'm pleased to announce that after a two-and-half-year hiatus, I'm back to working on my science-fiction novel. To help me get back into the right mindset, I've posted two short stories in the world of novel: Mentors and Seven Flights.

Trick or Treat!

When Tess finds a basket of large pumpkin-colored eggs at her doorstep on Halloween's Eve, she doesn't realize what she's in for. That's the premise of my latest story, Unintended Consequences. It was written for Wattpad's Halloween Vault 2022.

On Ice: Peter's 40th Birthday Celebration

It's time for another birthday celebration story! Having written vignettes about Peter's 38th and 39th birthdays, of course I had to do something for his 40th. This time the story is titled On Ice.

Writing Retreat: 2022

This year for our annual retreat, Silbrith and I met virtually again rather than traveling. Here are some of the highlights:

A Brighter Future

A reader recently asked if it was necessary to read my Crossed Lines and Arkham Files series in order to follow the plots in my Caffrey Conversation stories. The short answer is no. Any key events in the other series are always summarized in the Caffrey Conversation stories so you won't feel like you're missing out.

Chocolate Box 2022: 8 new stories!

The AO3 Chocolate Box authors were revealed today, and now I can finally describe the stories I wrote. This time around I leaned into Original Works, and had a blast inventing new worlds and new characters. In previous years I posted descriptions that included how the stories measured up in terms of diversity, and I'm continuing that tradition again this year.

Here we go, eight new stories!

Bonus Content for the Caffrey Conversation series

Last year I started updating my older stories in the Caffrey Conversation AU, applying edits and adding bonus content. Most recently I've posted bonus chapters for "By the Book" and "Caffrey Envoy," and now I'm adding "Written in the Stars" to the mix, updating what was a stand-alone story to become part of the series. Here are a few insights into what's changing and what I'm adding.