Lori Drake

Urban Fantasy Author

Urban Fantasy Author

New Release — Witch Hunt

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Witch Hunt is the third book in the Secondhand Magic series, but it’s also a bit of a landmark release for me. It’s my tenth full-length novel! Well, at least my tenth released novel. Regardless, what a long, wild ride this has been.

Witch Hunt picks up a couple of weeks after the bomb dropped about the Circle’s investigation into Emily’s activities. Does she have the right to call herself a witch? The relentless Deputy Archon won’t stop until he has the truth, and that’s a risky proposition for a “null” with highly unusual powers who doesn’t want to be anyone’s lab rat.

And that’s not all Emily’s got on her plate, either. She’s still got a case to solve, a lawsuit to plan, and a friend’s unsettling vision of her future on her mind. Which straw will be the last?

Find out in Witch Hunt, the explosive third book in the Secondhand Magic series!

Buy or borrow today on Amazon.

New Release – Hollow Witch

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Can a witch without magic defeat a legendary boogeyman?

Find out in Hollow Witch, the much-anticipated second installment of my Secondhand Magic series!

Choosing a quote for a promo graphic isn’t easy. I mean, you want something that’ll get reader attention and make them want to pick up the book. But at the same time, you don’t want anything that requires too much context or gives too much away. I thought this time I’d share a few alternatives I considered:

1

“You’re smarter than I give you credit for.”
“That’s kind of a backhanded compliment, but I’ll take it.”

2

“I stood there for a long moment, shaking like a leaf. That was no random encounter. They knew I was a witch, and it’s not like I was wearing a scarlet W on my chest.”

3

“Glad I’d put on sneakers on my way out the door this afternoon, I ran after the guy like he had a batch of fresh, pillowy sopapillas under his arm.”

Decisions, decisions. Anyway, happy book birthday to me! Hollow Witch is available for purchase on Amazon. It’s also available in Kindle Unlimited.

Get your copy today!

Mind Mapping

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A couple of years ago, I took a trip to New Orleans with a few fellow authors, and while I was there I was introduced to the concept of mind mapping by one of my cohorts.

What is a mind map? You’ve probably seen one before, you just didn’t realize what it was. According to mindmapping.com, “A mind map is an easy way to brainstorm thoughts organically without worrying about order and structure. It allows you to visually structure your ideas to help with analysis and recall.”

Here’s an example of a mind map drawn by a friend of mine about… wait for it… mind mapping!

The general theory behind mind mapping is that your brain doesn’t work in a linear/logical fashion. Different parts of the brain are responsible for different activities, and we process the world around us by taking in and categorizing everything we experience. By breaking a big topic down into related sub-topics, you’re actually making it easier for your brain to process. And the more parts of your brain you involve, the better.

Sometimes mind maps are drawn like branches of a tree. Sometimes they’re just clusters of ideas grouped together. Colors link related ideas, which can be a helpful mnemonic device. Yes, mind maps can help you memorize things!

Check out this super cute gingerbread cookie recipe mind map I found. I think it’s in Italian?

Anyway, inspired by my colleague’s colorful mind maps, I immediately set out to make mind maps of my own. I mapped out my writing & publishing goals for the next year. I mapped out character traits and motivations. But, more recently, I started using mind maps as a brainstorming tool for plot & story. (Because in my life, everything I learn tends to turn into ‘how can I use this in/for a book’?)

You see, mind mapping is all about breaking big concepts down into smaller, related concepts. While planning Secondhand Magic #2, I created an Act I map, two Act II maps (I ran out of room), and an Act III map. I was able to create “branches” off of the act for the various plot threads I was keeping track of, and fill them out. It really helped me flesh out Act II and figure out where the investigation part of the plot was going.

I looked through my existing mind maps for various books I’ve written for an example I could share, but they all had massive spoilers. So, instead I created a new one for Early Grave, Chapter One, so you can see my process in action. (Okay, so it’s a little spoilery if you haven’t read it, but everything here is in the free sample on Amazon!)

Early Grave Chapter One Mind Map

As you can see, my mind maps are a little different from the “traditional” ones (I am really not much of an artist), but in the end you have to do what works best for you. Usually my subtopics have more branches, but I was working with fairly limited subject matter.

So, next time you’re mulling over something, I encourage you to grab a pen and paper (or a tablet & stylus, which is what I prefer) and go to town. Whether it’s a personal, professional, or scholastic problem, mapping it out might just help you get your thoughts (or the facts) in order.

Is Secondhand Magic set in the Grant Wolves world?

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Nope! They are completely different worlds.

However… I wrote the first draft of Null Witch one year before Early Grave, and it was rattling around in my mind that Emily and Emma might be the same person while I was writing Early Grave. The worlds quickly diverged, both in my mind and on the page, and the two characters ended up nothing alike.

What’s in a name?

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Naming characters can be hard, even when they’re one-off side characters. This is even more true when you’re writing in a series, because every name you use… you can’t use again. Or, at least, you shouldn’t. Hell, even using the same first letter too often can create confusion for readers.

Ask me sometime about how long it took me to notice the “J” problem in Grant Wolves (Joey, Jon, Justin, Jessica, Jenny, Jack, Julie, and Jim—fortunately better known as Harding).

Okay, don’t ask me. I’ll tell you. It took me four books and a character spreadsheet to truly appreciate the scope of that one.

A lot goes into choosing a name at times. Sometimes, the name reflects a bit about their origins. Colt, for example, is a very southern name. Colt is from Texas. The Grant siblings (Samuel, Jonathan, Benjamin, and Josephine) all have old-timey names because their parents were 100+ years old before they were born. Emily, the witch without magic in my Secondhand Magic series, has a very plain name while her siblings (Daniel, Juliet, and Liam) have somewhat more dignified ones.

And sometimes, you just need a name for a random side character that may not appear again… but you don’t want to give them an awesome name you might want for a more evergreen character, and if you start re-using names, people email you to ask if that was the same Tim from book whatever.

Then there is the real-life connection problem. If you give a character the same name as someone you know, they tend to assume you named the character after them and should have something in common with them. For example, Matt, Emily’s ex-boyfriend and current bff. My husband is also named Matt, and he found it a little strange that I named my protagonist’s gay ex after him—but I didn’t name Matt after him. I named him after another Matt in my life—who is also not gay, but is one of my best friends. (I call him my Platonic Life Partner [PLP].)

Another worry? Using a character name that have become synonymous with an infamous character in another work. For example, I would never name an urban fantasy protagonist (especially a wizard) Harry… which makes me wonder: Which came first, Harry Potter or Harry Dresden? Hmm. Looks like the first Harry Potter book came out in 1997, and the first Dresden Files was in 2000. Interesting. The more you know!

I mentioned my spreadsheet earlier. I have a massive one for Grant Wolves (and a smaller one for Secondhand Magic) that contains the details of every character I’ve introduced, be they recurring or one-offs, so I can avoid future mishaps as much as possible. I didn’t create that spreadsheet until book 3 or 4, and that led to some amusing anecdotes, such as using the same last name for two recurring characters that weren’t related—which shouldn’t be a big deal. I mean, there are probably six million Smiths out there. But when it comes to fiction, when names get reused, readers have questions. I want readers engrossed in the story, so I avoid anything that throws them out of it.

Maybe I’ll make it a running gag in Secondhand Magic that every other Pueblo woman Emily meets is named Maria. That couldn’t possibly go wrong, right?