New Kids in Town

When my new blog was supposed to debut, I planned on adding a new feature, a guest post from other authors, or readers with something to say, or interesting people. But since technical difficulties are frustrating me, I’m introducing the new feature on my current blog. My first guest is…

Chelsey M. Ortega, fellow romance author and lover of magic and fantasy. (Her bio is down below.)

The Goods…

This is her novel, Bondwitch: Hybrid which recently debuted. In her words:

Annamaria Lyons is finally with her grandma, but Libby holds unyielding control of her coven and granddaughters. Betrothed to a male witch, Annamaria’s heart secretly belongs to her vampire boyfriend. When Libby threatens deadly consequences if she refuses the arranged marriage, Annamaria faces an impossible choice: obey or risk everything to follow her heart.

Marianna Lyons is a big disappointment. Stripped of her magic when she was forcefully turned into a vampire, she is now an outcast, desperate for Libby’s approval. When Marianna is tricked into breaking coven rules, she faces a difficult decision: endure brutal rehabilitation, or leave her new home. As Marianna struggles to rediscover herself, will she accept her new identity, or conform to Libby’s impossible demands?

You Don’t Say…

I asked Chelsey to tell us something interesting about writing Bondwitch: Hybrid, rather than answering questions that writers get asked all the time (how did you get the idea for the novel, what was the hardest part…). And this is what she wrote:

Have you ever heard authors joke about being on the FBI’s watch list because of the things they google while writing? Well, I’m the opposite. My Google search history for my writing looks like I’m planning a cross-country trip rather than a crime.

My latest release, Bondwitch: Hybrid, has several “fleeing” scenes where I had to do my travel research.

This goes all the way back to my teenage years reading Twilight. In the chapter where they drive from Forks, Washington to Phoenix, Arizona in one night made me raise my eyebrow. I grew up driving from Provo, Utah to Coulee Dam, Washington every summer. It’s a long drive. However, Stephanie Meyer did emphasize that her vampires drive super-fast, and their supernatural senses allow them to drive safe while going double the speed limit. So, suspension of disbelief works here.

When I sat down to write my own vampire novel, I wanted to make sure that the long-distance trips fit into a believable timeline. My vampires will die in the sun, so travel time is limited to from sunset to sunrise. My witches and shifters also perform their fair share of being the driver. And I have never been to the places my characters are driving to. So, I had a lot of research ahead of me. Anytime my characters go anywhere, I have to research the following:
• Sunset time for the location for the time of year
• Sunrise time for the location for the time of year
• Travel time from point A to point B

The above information helps me plan an accurate travel timeline for my characters. I’ve been doing this since Book 1, which has two cross-country trips in it (from Wyoming to Pennsylvania, then the reverse). Book 2 has two short trips, and a cross-country trip (from North Dakota to South Dakota, from North Dakota to Canada, from North Dakota to Massachusetts).

And now that I’ve done all this travel research for my characters, I’m itching to take the same trips!

Now, About Chelsey…

Here’s her bio, her social media connections, and buy links. Give the gal some book love!

Chelsey M. Ortega is a teacher by day and award-winning author by night. History is her first love, and any story involving magic and romance, her second love. She especially loves witches and is still awaiting her acceptance letter to a well-known school. Chelsey received her Bachelor’s in History Teaching from Brigham Young University. In addition to writing, Chelsey teaches high school U.S. History and ELD. She lives in Utah with her husband, three children, and two cats.

Socials
Website: https://chelseymortega.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086032045677#
X: https://x.com/Chelsey_Ortega
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelsey_mae_o/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chelseym.ortega
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chelseymortega.bsky.social

Buy Links
Bondwitch https://chelseymortega.com/bondwitch-series/?frame-nonce=5e6d4fa89e
Bondwitch: Hybrid https://chelseymortega.com/bondwitch-2/

(And yes, Chelsey, I was one of those authors on an FBI watch list for a while because of my search history for Blonde OPS…)