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.