Magic in the Air

Tis the season of sleigh rides, caroling in the snow, and presents under the Christmas tree.  In every way, and every day, magic spills out of doorways and fills the air, touching our hearts and infusing us with feelings of love, especially for family. Is it any wonder that I'm thrilled that my new novel, The Sacred Circle, is slated for release on December 23rd?  After all, my book is all about love and magic--but, the modern-day witches's kind. It's also about redemption, of coming home, and re-igniting the passion for life again. And of course, finding true love along the way. And isn't that what Christmas is really all about? The magical birth of a baby with the power to alter our lives forever?

What makes magic so special at this time of year, or any time of year? That's easy.  It's all about the recipe used to make the magic. In the case of The Sacred Circle, you conjure up two very interesting ingredients, namely Brianna and Devlin (star-crossed lovers and bitter enemies). Then you stir the pot by adding in some magical talent and skills for them both--of the Wicca kind.  You then add a lot of conflict (and I do mean lots--banishment, an unexpected marriage, un-Sacred Circles, bitter rivalries, revenge, etc.). And then you put the ingredients in the oven (or in this case, the Coven) to simmer. Ah, heck, put them in and let them burn; by the time the ingredients have been cooked to perfection, you've produced something delicious to eat (or in the case of paranormal romance novels, something delicious for the reader to enjoy again and again).

Where does the joy of magic live in your heart? To a hopeless romantic, such as me, it's found in the arms of two star-crossed lovers seeking redemption, the power of forgiveness, and of course, a love to last a lifetime. Again, is it any wonder I'm thrilled that The Sacred Circle is being released during the holiday season?  What better Christmas present to be left under the tree than a book filled with the magic of love and romance and happily ever after?

So do yourself a favor this Christmas. Conjure up a magic spell in your heart and then share it with someone in desperate need of healing magic. You won't regret it.  After all, when we help, we elevate our life to that of a true High Priestess and Magician.

Romance on the High Seas

I just returned from the first ever 5 day Celtic Thunder Cruise (to the Caribbean). It was fabulous to say the least. Besides, what's not to like?  Five days on board with six of the most handsome lads to ever grace the Irish heritage. Now that's true romance. And even more interesting was seeing the ages of the passengers--from three to ninety-three. All of us were there to see the lads perform--singly or as a group--and lest you think, the ship held only cooing females, think again.  Many men were sailing--alone, with their wives, or significant others. And in talking with them, they solidified what we all knew. Music is the language of love and romance--whether you're male or female.

Sitting up in the balcony, watching the hand holding going on, it was not hard to see how much music is ingrained in our souls, and in the connections we make with each other while in the human world.  Combining words and music is nothing short of miraculous to a songwriter bent on sharing a message, and it's the same with a paranormal romance writer.  Words, and the rhythm of them, spark the imagination and, because it does, a writer is able to share a message to the reader--one that, hopefully, connects to their soul. 

What is the message for our souls?  I think it's, that no matter where we find ourselves in our daily life, whether listening to an awe-inspiring piece of music, or reading an entertaining romance novel, love is our constant companion.  There is a haunting beauty in connecting words to our lives.  Our hearts are opened and we take on more love, and then even more love.  Miraculously, we forgive those who have treated us badly, and begin to understand the phrase "I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet".  Does that phrase resonate with your soul?  I hope so, 'cause I know it resonates with mine.

The Magic of Paranormal Romance

I've been away for awhile, caught up in a furious rewriting of my second novel, The Sacred Circle. I've learned alot about magic while away. Why magic? First, "Sacred" is about  modern-day witches with the ability to conjure magic, so there should be plenty of spells and shit in it, right?  And secondly, it's a story of romance, so there should be a lot of that too, right? So, what happens when your editor E-mails that the manuscript you've sent doesn't have enough of either?

You do two things. First, you cry with disappointment and silently threaten to put a curse on the Editor's head for not seeing how wonderful the manuscript truly is, and then, second, you sit your butt down in the chair and hit the "rewrite" mode of your creative Muse and get to work.

And that's when the magic begins to happen. You let your head and heart start working simultaneously--to tell the story you meant to tell in the first place. You take the Editor's critical notes, and you pare them down to what's possible and what isn't. And then you begin to write--from Page 1 to The End--all of it new. And the magic of writing begins to weave its way into your story. The charcters begin "living" the words, and the story shifts dramatically.  Soon, the Magic finds its way into the characters' lives and romance is suddenly part of the conjuring. Out of nowhere, the story takes a new shape, but a shape that is exhilarating, because you've touched that chord of magical music where a new symphony resides.  You stir and you summon, weaving a spell with the words. And then the magic builds to a high level of energy when the spirit guides answer the call.

By the time you've finished and sent the rewrite back to the Editor, you're exhausted and in need of a week's sleep, but you've also found that the magic hasn't left your life at all.  It's still there, in the corners of your mind, simmering like a bubbling cauldron, ready for the next big story idea.  What will that be? I don't know yet. But I know it will be laced with magic, love and romance. Why? Cause everybody knows I'm the biggest sucker for love and romance that ever walked the Earth.       

Star-seeded Beings

I'm in the middle of a telesummit confernce devoted to Tarot.  And while the "journey" has been uplifting most of the time, it's also been disappointing.  Some of the speakers are terrific, with the ability to connect the card to a listening audience. Some, though, seem unprepared, or worse, uncomfortable in speaking to a listening audience. 

Don't get me wrong.  Even the poor speakers have said something profound during their hour-long presentation, proving that spirit works in different ways with different people.  Just because they don't articulate the material well, doesn't mean they don't know it backwards and forwards.  Or live its truths.

At the very least, the meditation portions of the presentation have afforded me a calmness I haven't felt in months.  I rush around in my mundane world, doing mundane things, like solving money, health, or relationship issues, but I don't take the time to look inward and see that my spiritual self is in need of some TLC, too.  This summit has given me permission to look at my spirutal self and bask in its glory.  It's made me look at who I am, how far my spirit has come in the human body its using, and, of course, how much I've grown, both spiritually and personally, since I first incarnated on this earth. 

Does that make the telesummit conference a spiritual success rather than a physical one? Yes, I think so. Because those of us listening, though we live worlds apart literally and will never meet, are kindred spirits. Each of us craves the knowledge of what it really means to be a powerful, spiritual/star-seeded being traveling the earth plane in human form. The astral world vs the human world.  This summit has shown me they are not two separate worlds, but one and the same.  

Happy Anniversary!

It's been a year since my novel, The Kindred, came out and the journey has been nothing short of a thrill ride. It's made me new friends, introduced new readers to the spiritual world, and showed me that I know nothing at all about marketing books.  It's been hit and miss and a lot of angst! But looking back, I wouldn't trade the experience for the world.  Along the way, I learned so much about writing, myself, and the power of spirit to send the book to the other side of the world to be read.

When it comes to friends, I learned that I have a lot more of them than I thought.  They bought my book, even though I know that many of them don't like to read paranormal romance books  They did it for me, and for that, I'll be eternally grateful.  As to those readers who read it on a whim, (or out of curiosity), I'll always be grateful to you for E-Mailing me your comments about the book.  I'm glad to say that no one who read it, disliked it.  I can only hope that you'll be as appreciative of my next book.

As to writing, I've learned that I have what it takes to pursue a writing career.  I can sit down and write anything, and I can re-write it when asked to.  (I don't even grouse or whine when asked to do it anymore--glory be, hallelujah).  I've also found that keeping in touch with other writers makes my writing better.  We've become kindred spirits when it comes to putting words on paper, and we share the same publishing concerns, story blocks, and angst over the end results. 

As to the spiritual world, you know my thoughts.  I believe that spirit always guides us where we need to go (if we let it) and spirit always arranges the right person, at the right time, in the right place--to help us get where we're supposed to go.  It goes without saying, I'm in awe of spirit and its power to move people, places, and things, so that I can attain my dreams.  It's been a fabulous year, all in all, and I have spirit to thank for it.  Sooooo...thank you, spirit.  You are the truest, bestest friend.

Earth Magic and Dreamtimes

For the Aborigines of Australia, the Dreamtime is a place before time and outside of time in which ancestral spirit beings came to Earth and gave all of Life its form. Once the work was done, these spirits remained in the very forms they created--including the animals, hills, stars, and other features of the land--and continue to be present today.

Since I like to explore the connection between the human world and the spiritual one in this blog, a recent reading of an article on "Earth Magic" captured my attention.  In the article, it noted that the Dreamtime was a group's spiritual template, laviously littered with songs and stories that have been handed down for at least 60,000 years--although the Aborigines would argue that the template has been around since the beginning of time. We are born, we die, and we are reborn again. 

This Dreamtime theme is prevalent in most spiritual studies, I have found. The world of Astrology charts our current "mission" here on Earth, and how to have the happiest life available while traveling the human path. If that's not a spiritual template, I don't what is. It also contains a reaffirming "template"  that our souls undergo many incarnations here on Earth, each with its own "story" and "song".  Astrology's sister, ,Numerology, reveals that each soul has a "master plan" for its run here on Earth.  And like the Dreamtime, that template takes many forms, with no end in sight.  Again, we are born, we die, and we are reborn again.

It seems to me, that no matter how hard I try to prove that there is NO  connection between the spirit world and the human one, I simply can't do it.  The template works.  Period.  I don't know why it does, or how it does, but it does. Having said that, it also seems to me that if your "song" is sung correctly, and your "story" is told honestly, your spirit can never die.  It passes on to a new generation, and for just a moment, the human spirit obtains a little piece of heaven here on earth.  Wow!  Is that a Dream to die for?  It makes little ol' me wonder.

Are Romance Writers Kindred Spirits?

Are Romance Writers kindred spirits?  Yes, I think so.  Each of us in our own way strives to tell a story so compelling that it will live in the minds and hearts of our readers forever.  It doesn’t matter if we fling our characters back two thousand years, or hurl them forward two thousand. What matters is that we transport the reader to a world where love, romance and happily ever-after isn’t just a possibility, but a guaranteed thing. 

Having said that, I think romance writers are really Soul connectors—like the group of psychics portrayed in my novel, The Kindred. Oh, sure, we can toss our characters into life and death situations, and then ask them to tap in to the hero lurking within them to win the day, but ultimately that’s on the printed page. What we are really doing with our stories, I think, is asking our readers to connect with their own hero inside, so that when a horrendous day comes, like the recent tragedies sweeping our country, we have the courage to shore up that heroism and act, no matter the danger to ourselves. 

People helping people. Strangers helping strangers. That’s the true definition of a soul connection.  And, when you get right down to it, isn’t that what romance novels should be about? People connecting with each other under the most extraordinary circumstances and winning the day?  Yes, I think so, absolutely, positively, no doubt about it.  Leaving the soapbox now.

 

Proof of Heaven

I have just finished reading Dr. Eben Alexander's book entitled "Proof of Heaven".  This book is mesmerizing--a can't-put-it-down book.  It tells the incredible story of Dr. Alexander's brush with a Near Death Experience (NDE), or the "afterlife", if you want to be more politically correct.  Dr. Alexander is a brain surgeon, a man of science, who had little belief in the "afterlife" or anything spiritual.  And then the unthinkable happened.  He came down with E.Coli Bacterial Meningitis (out of nowhere) and fell into a coma which lasted seven days. As he explains, this disease is fatal, one that you don't bounce back from. Yet, he did.

His book takes the reader through two journeys: one spiritual, one human.  From the moment he entered the coma, he crossed the barrier of the human world into the astral world, and what he found there is spell-binding.  (No, I won't say more.  You need to read his account for yourself).  The reader also travels a second journey--the human one, where the doctors are struggling to combat the infection and save his life.  All the while, his family is dealing with a "no hope" scenario and praying for a miracle. (Their faith in miracles is a testament to the human soul's capacity to love on a grand scale).

Dr. Alexander's journey to the "Other Side" is awe-inspiring, especially if you doubt the existence of the astral world.  His book proves that Spirit (the God-force) does indeed send us down strange paths, some of them totally mind-blowing.  What happened to Dr. Alexander while in heaven?  Read the book and judge for yourself.  What happened to him when he sat up after seven days and greeted his family?  You will cry at the beauty of it all. 

A final note: this story would be remarkable no matter who it happened to.  That it happened to a a man of science, makes it revolutionary and thought-provoking.  I think reading it will change your life. Visit Dr. Alexanders website at: www.lifebeyonddeath.net.

A Capitol 4th Romance

While watching the Capitol 4th Celebration on PBS last week, I had an epiphany about why I write romance novels.  Watching Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond perform some of the most romantic pieces of music from the 70's, I remembered what it was like to be young and in love.  The best part, though, was watchng the camera cut away to the crowd.  Sometimes the camera would catch a young, hip, sexy couple kissing  and I thought: Ah, young love! I remember you!

But my favorite cut-aways were to the Senior couples. Now, mind you, I have no aversion to young couples kissing unabashedly (except of course when it's on Big Brother).  It's wonderful to see love and romance in its early stages--when love is new and everything feels so right (stars in your eyes, I think they call it).

However, watching the Senior couples holding hands quietly and enjoying the music (and each other) in ways the young couple has yet to experience, made me realize how important romance novels are in the writing world.  Senior romance (I'm not going to call it old love), is quiet with lots of unspoken, interwoven threads between the partners. A look that conveys "I love you deeply, though I don't always say it aloud".  It takes a long time of being together to create those kinds of threads.  And it's those "threads" that galvanize readers into reading a romance book they can't put down.

Is Senior love better than Young love?  Not at all. They're different, that's all.  What makes the difference?  Time.  You learn so much about love and romance the longer you stay alive on this earth. When you're young, everything is fresh and new and exciting (as it should be).  But by the time you reach your senior years, you've come to fully understand the true meaning of unconditional love in all its forms--love of country, love of family, love of your fellowman.  No wonder so many seniors in their 90's are ready to leave this world behind and move on to the astral world.  After all, they're taking all the love they've experienced with them when they go.  And if that isn't the most romantic thing about love, I don't know what is.

The World of Writing Conferences

A writer once said during an interview that he always went to a writing conference at least once a year.  When the reporter asked him why, he answered because a writer should never stop learning his craft. He then stated that just because his dream had come to pass (a published novel), it didn't mean he was supposed to stay in "that" place and be content.  He had to keep learning and keep growing. It made his writing stronger and richer.

That interview stayed with me for quite awhile, forcing me to ask myself: "As a writer, are you in the same place you were last year?  How many conferences (and schmoozing) have you done?"  The answer was nada, zip.  Imagine my surprise when an old writing buddy E-mailed me about a one-day writing conference she (and some other writing buddies) were going to attend.  She asked if I wanted to join them and, you know of course, I said yes.  After all, hadn't spirit been eavesdropping on my question and sent me a learning opportunity immediately?  Damn right!

The conference was spectacular, to say the least.  A true meeting of writing minds.  But the thing I remember most was author Randall Coleman's statement that "no writing is wasted writing.  You may never use the words in a story, but they aren't wasted."

When I returned home, I sat down and looked at the last draft of my new novel again.  How many rewrites had I done on it?  A gazillion. Were any of them wasted?  Nope, nada, nary a one.  Every single word had been important at the time and, though I had cut scenes and whole chapters, I was a better writer than I was the day before.  And that's all you can ask of any writer, isn't it?  To be a better writer today than you were yesterday? I think so, and thanks to a writer (whose name escapes me now), I'm not in the same place I was yesterday.  I have grown into an extremely grateful writer, who is no longer intimidated by a blank page.  In fact, I now relish the gazillion choices that spirit sends to my mind each day.  Seat of the pants, to the seat of the chair.  It's an old writing adage that  comforts me daily as I attempt to find the right words that will make me a better writer tomorrow than I am today.

The Kindred

It's been six months since my novel "The Kindred" moved into paperback form and out into the world.  Looking back on its journey, I realize that the title I chose for the novel, came from the spiritual world, rather than my amazing imagination (wink, wink).  Its journey has humbled me, especially when a reader on the other side of the planet, takes the time to E-Mail me how much they enjoyed the book.  In fact, I've been overwhelmed by the compliments directed my way since the book came out. 

What do the compliments entail?  Surprise, mostly.  Many readers wrote to say they never read paranormal books, but since they knew me (or knew me through a friend), they had taken the chance and read the book.  It pleases me to no end how surprised they are by the novel.  It means I did my job.  I entertained them AND introduced them to a part of the spiritual world they may never have thought (or known) about. 

As you know, I built this blog as a homage to the connection between two worlds--the spiritual and the human.  It's nice to know that spirit blessed me with a title that connects strangers and makes them friends.  It proves that we are all kindreds in one way or another and that the words we  put down on paper can and do develop a life of their own.  They travel great distances too, even if those distances are mostly in the mind.

As the learned scientists are always telling us, the mind is so vast, that we humans only use 10% of it.  What is the other 85% doing?  I wish I  knew.  Perhaps, that's why I keep writing and pushing my mind to create new worlds that offer up more questions than answers for the reader.  Perhaps, that's what being a true Kindred really means.  Writing, Sharing, Connecting.  Ah, the beauty of spirit!

Young Paranormal Writers

After a recent book signing, a young writer stayed behind to pick my brain.  (Yes, there's more than sawdust in there).  Talking with her was delightful because her enthusiasm was catchy.  She reminded me of my early days of writing--when I couldn't wait to get the words on paper and see the world I created come alive.  She was the same.  She had all these words and ideas rushing out and her love of the paranormal ran along the lines of my own stories. We shared thoughts and ideas and laughed alot.  Before she left, we exchanged E-Mails, though I think we both realized that our huge age difference insured that we had nothing in common (outside of writing) and probably would chalk this up as a nice interlude between writers.

Imagine my surprise when a couple of weeks later, she E-mailed me, thanking me for taking the time to sit and discuss her writing with her.  An unlikely friendship has developed since then.  A mutual admiration society, between the old and the young.  She wants to write more than anything in the world and I remember that feeling as if it was yesterday--because it was.  I still have the passion for putting words onto the paper and creating worlds that defy imagination, even though it's been fifty years since my first awful attempt at writing a short story.  She's young and her writing is young, but she has the guts, determination and courage to keep at it.  That courage and passion binds her and I in ways that transcends the human concept of time. 

We are part of the sisterhood of writers who love the magical and the mystical.  If there is a werewolf, a witch, a vampire, or a modern day psychic, we're there writing it. And of course, if the characters defy all the odds and fall in love with each other along the way, we are doubly blessed by the writing Gods.

Yes, I'm old compared to her, but her E-mails comfort me.  They assure me that no matter how many generations pass, young people will still be drawn to writing.  And in this day and age of instant gratification, that assurance pleasses me to no end.

A Night of Hope

Our world is crazy.  The Boston Marathon Bombings prove that.  However, our world is also heroic.  The aftermath of the Bombings prove that as well.  Having said that, I don't know which is more heart-breaking.  The victims whose destinies have been so altered they face a future they could never have imagined living, or the suspects who felt such hatred for our country, they felt compelled to wield that hatred in a most heinous way. Either way, my heart is broken.

That's why attending Pastor Joel Osteen's "A Night of Hope" in the Miami Marlins Stadium this past weekend served as a good starting point to heal my heart.  The stadium was "souled" out, and the crowd, singing God's praises as one voice, was amazing.  There was no talk of bombs, hatred, or shattered lives.  There was only love and forgiveness and the realization that we must keep our faith, even when this crazy world of ours seems to be spinning out of control.

As I have said in another post, Pastor Osteen is a hero of mine.  He never dwells on the negative, only the positive, and of course, how to obtain peace deep in your soul.  He never lays blame, only speaks the truth of forgiveness.  Why forgiveness?  So that we can move forward with our lives.  So we can find our own destiny and never look back or lay blame.  So we can be all that we dreamed we could be, and then some.  And lastly, so that when we leave this crazy, chaotic, human world behind us, and return back to the astral one, we will know deep in our souls that we have come home.   The light of God's face will be so overpowering that we will chose to stay and bask in that joy for the rest of eternity, rather than incarnating into another human lifetime filled with a world gone crazy with hatred.

The World through Joel Osteen's Eyes

Like millions of others, I am an avid fan of Joel Osteen.  I'm not of the Baptist Faith, nor do I live in Texas, but come every Thursday evening at 8:30 PM, I'm glued to the television set to listen to his sermon.  Why?  Three reasons.  First, his sermons are always upbeat and positive, never preachy; Second, his sermons are often filled with a great deal of humor; and third, his sermons connect the spiritual world to the human world.  That astral/human connection is so why I continue to write this blog week after week.

Clearly, Pastor Osteen has mastered the art of the communication between the spiritual world and the human world--both in his speaking prowess and his gazillion books sold in hardback.  I can't speak for others, but after each sermon, I feel inspired to live a better life here on Earth, trusting that God has my back at every juncture of every day.  I turn off the TV refreshed and energized.  I'm nicer to people the next day, too, I've found.  I'm able to see that it's good to root for someone else's dreams as well as my own.  I see that we are all in this thing called "life" together and that when things happen to us, it's wise to lay no blame on another person for that happening.  Instead, it's wise to reach out and help each other through whatever is befalling us. That's the spiritual way of doing things.

In the coming months, Pastor Osteen will be hosting his Night of Worship in my area of the country. I've got my tickets bought, my bags packed, and am currently counting down the days until the event arrives.  And that's the human way of doing things, isn't it? Finding mentors who can inspire us to be more than we ever thought we could be?  I think so.  'nuff said.

Between Two Worlds

A friend once asked me why I write Paranormal Romance Novels.  To my surprise, I didn't have to think very long to give her an answer.  First, I write Paranormal because I am totally fascinated with the connection between the astral world and the human world.  And there IS a connection.  How do I know this? I have spent the last 50 years studying the connection.  Astrology, Numerology, Tarot, Reiki, Eastern religions, Western religions, werewolves, shapeshifters, vampires, ghosts, goblins, psychics, mediums, trance channeler, elves, sprites, gnomes...if it's spiritual or supernatural, I've studied about it. 

As for Romance, I write it because I'm totally heartbroken about the breakdown that has occurred in the family structure today.  I'm heartbroken that disrespect has become an integral part of our family life and that we feel it's okay to be mean and ugly to our siblings, our parents and any of our other relatives or friends.  But most importanly, I'm heartbroken that people no longer expect to have a "happily ever after" when they get married.  Most of the young people I meet these days go into marriage with the attitude of "Well, if it doesn't work out, I'll just get a divorce".  That's such a sad statement and it makes my heart heavy.  So I write romance--the kind where "happily ever after" is a guaranteed thing. Where boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and then boy gets girl back again.  Where heros and heroines meet, clash, and then overcome their trials and tribulations by story's end (to live happily ever after).   Love isn't easy. It's hard and it takes a lot of work.  But in the end, the pay off is worth all the trauma and strife.

So,you see, as a writer, I live between two worlds--the human and the astral.  Both exist together, and I hope when a reader has finished one of my stories, they have been greatly entertained and maybe, just maybe, I've also helped them to understand the spiritual world better.