Wake up with Determination

Fantasy gives us permission to stretch beyond the edges of what we know. It insists that wonder is not childish but courageous. When we let our hearts believe, our minds discover enrichment that inspires our progress in this life.

Deb Cushman's Chronicles of Nadavir
Frigg's Journey to Anasgar
Ping's Mystery in Pixiandria
https://debcushman.com

Stages of Writing a Newsletter

 

One of the unexpected joys of being an author is getting to pop into your readers’ inboxes each month like a friendly little book fairy. It’s delightful…right up until you sit down to write the thing and realize you now have to conjure up something your readers will actually want to read. Suddenly the “fun” part starts sweating.

The Stages of Writing a Newsletter

(A Totally Serious, Extremely Scientific Breakdown)

1. The “I Have Nothing to Say” Denial

You open a blank document and immediately forget every interesting thought you’ve ever had. You briefly consider writing about your breakfast, then decide your subscribers deserve better. Probably.

2. The Sudden Flood of Ideas

Out of nowhere, your brain delivers seventeen topics at once. You jot them all down, feeling like a creative powerhouse, then realize none of them actually connect to each other in any logical way.

3. The Overly Ambitious Draft

You start writing one section, then another, then another. Before you know it, you’ve accidentally written a manifesto, three mini‑essays, and a rant about something that nobody cares about.

4. The Ruthless Cutting Phase

You delete a paragraph. Then another paragraph. Then you wonder if you should delete the whole thing and start over. You resist. Barely.

5. The Formatting Meltdown

You spend an unreasonable amount of time adjusting headers, spacing, bullet points, and that one paragraph that refuses to align like the others.

6. The “Is This Funny or Just Unhinged?” Read‑Through

You reread your draft and can’t tell if it’s charmingly quirky or the written equivalent of a raccoon on espresso. You decide to trust the chaos.

7. The Proofreading Spiral

You fix a typo. Then another. Then you find a sentence that makes no sense. Then you rewrite the entire intro. Then you find another typo. Time becomes a spiraling circle.

8. The Terrifying Send Button

You hover over “Send” like it’s a self‑destruct switch. You finally click it, then immediately consider hiding under the bed.

9. The Refresh Frenzy

You check your open rate. Then your click rate. Then your unsubscribe count. Then you check again. And again. And again. You pretend you’re not emotionally invested, but you absolutely are.

10. The “Next Time Will Be Easier” Lie

You promise yourself you’ll start the next issue early, plan ahead, and be organized. You won’t. But it’s cute that you think that.

 

Deb Cushman's Chronicles of Nadavir
Frigg's Journey to Anasgar
Ping's Mystery in Pixiandria
https://debcushman.com

 

Leprechauns Love Fantasy!

 

Leprechauns Love Fantasy!

And why wouldn't they? They are faeries, and you can't get much more fantastical than that!

I didn't write about any leprechauns in Frigg's Journey to Anasgar, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Nadavir is devoid of them! Leprechauns are sneaky little guys who are experts at hiding. Nadavir caves have lots of nooks and crannies where leprechaun trickery and guile could provide some mighty nice camouflage. Although there aren't any rainbows inside a dwarf colony, if leprechauns want to stash their gold coins behind the Nadavir waterfall, I'm sure Frigg would be fine with that.

Have you had any unusual experiences with leprechauns? 

• Maybe you found a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. (If you did, I want to hear about it!)
• Maybe you ate Lucky Charms cereal as a child (Or possibly last week!)
• Maybe you found a lucky four-leaf clover. (Leprechauns are responsible for hiding them in clover patches, you know!)

Leprechauns are magical, and they bring a sense of wonder and excitement into our world. Every person should feel magic and wonder from time to time. I hope you have found some joy in your life today! If so, that is your pot of gold, and you can thank a leprechaun. He might be hiding just out of sight.

Deb Cushman's Chronicles of Nadavir
Frigg's Journey to Anasgar
Ping's Mystery in Pixiandria

https://debcushman.com

Character Spin Wheel Craft Activity for Kids

New FREE Kids Activity Alert!
If your kids or students love crafty, hands‑on fun, the Nadavir Kids Club just dropped something delightful: a Character Spin Wheel they can color, cut, and spin to spark imaginative storytelling.

And that’s only the beginning. Inside the Nadavir Kids Club you’ll find 58+ FREE activities including:
puzzles
coloring pages
mini books
secret codes
jokes
stick puppets
drawing prompts
stories
…plus so much more to keep curious minds busy and creative.

To access these FREE activities + updates on the Chronicles of Nadavir books, just head to debcushman.com and sign up for the newsletter.
Your inbox = instant access to the entire magical collection

Deb Cushman's Chronicles of Nadavir
Frigg's Journey to Anasgar
Ping's Mystery in Pixiandria

https://debcushman.com

Welcome to Nadavir: Where Magic Hides, Trolls Grumble, and Adventures Begin

 

Imagine a world where humans are spreading across the land like spilled porridge. As they build and explore and stomp around, magical folk find themselves squeezed out of their homes. Do the humans realize they’re doing this? That’s a mystery we’ll unravel as the Chronicles of Nadavir unfold.

With nowhere else to go, the magical folk discover a hidden sanctuary deep inside the mountain colony of Nadavir. It’s a bustling, stone-carved haven inhabited by dwarves. And let me tell you, the dwarves are nothing if not hospitable. Soon their halls overflow with elves, sprites, goblins, unicorns, and exactly one faery who is very hard to miss.

But not everyone is thrilled about this sudden population boom. The trolls who occupy the other half of the mountain are watching, grumbling, and sharpening their opinions. What will they do about Nadavir’s generosity? Oh, they have plans.

Meet the Fearless Fab Four

At the heart of Frigg’s Journey to Anasgar, the first book in the series, are four unlikely friends whose bond becomes the heartbeat of the entire saga.

Frigg, a young dwarf with a spark in her heart and adventure in her bones. Unfortunately, her society has very firm ideas about what dwarf girls should and shouldn’t do. Spoiler: Frigg has no interest in those rules.

Ping, a spunky pixie faery and Frigg’s best friend. Remember that I mentioned there is only one faery in Nadavir? Well, here she is! Her past is wrapped in more mystery than a troll’s lunchbox. Her secrets take center stage in Book 2, Ping’s Mystery in Pixiandria.

Tip, a confident (some might say cocky) young elf who arrived in Nadavir as a refugee. He’s quick with a smirk, quicker with a plan, and absolutely certain he’s the cleverest one in the room.

Cricall, a unicorn with boundless enthusiasm, a flair for dramatic commentary, and healing magic that proves essential again and again. He’s the kind of friend who will cheer you on, talk your ear off, and save your life.

A Series Built on Friendship, Courage, and Big Questions

Each book in the Chronicles of Nadavir follows one of these four friends on their own personal journey. But no matter whose story takes the spotlight, their friendship remains the glue that holds everything together and keeps all four of our heroes involved.

Where will their adventures lead? Why are they chosen for these quests? And will they succeed when the stakes rise higher than the mountain they call home?

There’s only one way to find out. Come join them on the journey.

For a limited time, the first book in the Chronicles of Nadavir series, Frigg's Journey to Anasgar is available for 99 cents! Check it out at online vendors HERE!

Deb Cushman's Chronicles of Nadavir
Frigg's Journey to Anasgar
Ping's Mystery in Pixiandria

https://debcushman.com

 

The 10 Stages of Marketing Your Book

(A Totally Serious, Extremely Scientific Breakdown) 

1. The “I’ll Just Post Once” Delusion

You tell yourself you’ll make one simple announcement and the world will magically discover your book. You believe this for all of six minutes.

2. The Social Media Spiral

You’ve established your brand. You start posting. Then you post more. And more. You’re making reels, carousels, behind‑the‑scenes videos, and debating whether your cat counts as “brand‑relevant content.”

3. The “I Need a Newsletter” Panic

You decide you need a newsletter because “all real authors have one.” You spend three hours choosing a font and five minutes writing the actual email.

4. The Hashtag Identity Crisis

You try to pick hashtags that make you look professional but not desperate. You wonder if #amwriting is still cool or if it’s the literary equivalent of wearing skinny jeans.

5. The “Maybe I Should Run Ads” Temptation

You consider running ads. You watch three tutorials. You still have no idea what you’re doing. You close your laptop and eat a snack.

6. The Review Refresh Marathon

You check for new reviews. Then again. And again. You pretend you’re not emotionally dependent on strangers’ opinions, but your browser history says otherwise.

7. The “I Should Do an Event” Ambition

You decide to host a launch party, livestream, Q&A, or bookstore signing. When you realize this requires talking to humans, you reconsider everything in your life.

8. The Merch Madness

You think about bookmarks, stickers, mugs, tote bags, enamel pins, and possibly a life‑size cardboard cutout of your protagonist. You do not have the budget for this.

9. The Existential Sales Check

You check your sales dashboard. You celebrate one sale like you won a national award. You refresh again. Still one sale. Then, miraculously, two sales. You’re on your way to stardom!

10. The “I’m Doing My Best” Acceptance

You realize marketing is basically shouting lovingly into the void and hoping the void buys your book. You keep going anyway because you believe in your story, and because you’re already too far in to stop now.

 

The 8 Stages of Writing & Publishing a Book

(A Totally Serious, Extremely Scientific Breakdown) 

1. The Lightning Bolt of Inspiration
   That magical moment when an idea hits you so hard you’re convinced you’re a literary genius. You immediately tell three friends, two pets, and one unsuspecting barista that you’re “working on a book.”
2. The Overconfident Outline Phase
   You create a color‑coded outline so detailed it could guide a NASA launch. You feel unstoppable. You are unstoppable. Until you actually start writing.
3. The “Why Did I Think I Could Do This” Draft
   You write 10,000 words in a burst of passion, reread them, and briefly consider faking your own disappearance. You keep going anyway because quitting would require effort.
4. The Editing Spiral of Doom
   You fix one sentence. Then another. You rewrite the entire chapter. You delete the chapter. You undelete it because actually it wasn’t that bad. You delete it again. The concept of time becomes a myth.
5. Beta Reader Panic
   You send your manuscript to trusted readers and immediately regret every life choice that led to this moment. You spend the next week refreshing your messages like you’re waiting for medical test results. Their feedback is helpful, but also shocking, because how dare they be right.
6. The Querying/Publishing Gauntlet
   You craft a perfect query letter, send it out, and instantly lose the ability to breathe. Rejections arrive. You develop a thick skin and emotional calluses. Or at least a leathery emotional callus. Eventually, someone says yes, or you decide to self‑publish and become your own marketing department, graphic designer, publicist, and emotional support animal.
7. Launch Day Euphoria (and Terror)
   Your book is out in the world. People are reading it. People are reviewing it. People are misunderstanding metaphors you thought were obvious. You celebrate anyway because you did the impossible. You wrote and published a book!
8. The “I’m Never Doing This Again” Lie
   You swear you’ll never write another book. Not ever. Absolutely not. Until the next idea taps you on the shoulder like, “Hey. So. What if…?”