False Memories

One of my favorite pastimes is re-reading a favorite book. Usually, I choose a romance novel (just to keep my romantic juices flowing). However, I often re-read one of Dean Koontz's novel (just because he is my writing hero).

I recently finished re-reading his novel, False Memory. The book explores the  theme of brain-washing, the ability to manipulate and reprogram the mind--for good or evil. With just the use of a code word (and a Haiku poem), the hero and heroine are plunged into a nightmare world, where they lose hours of real time, and begin to think (and do) inexplicable things. They are literally caught between two worlds--the physical and the mental.

Their plight made me think of my hero, Psychic/Magician, Adrian Magus, in my novel, The Kindred,  At the start of the story, he is at a turning point in his life, struggling with his real world and the world of illusions he creates nightly for audiences on a Las Vegas stage. Which is the real and which is the illusion?

That question had me wondering what you all think. Are you living the life you were born to live, or are you living the life you've been "programmed" to live--a life created by your parents, your friends, the world at large?  Let me know. Leave a comment. 

For myself, I know that as I got older, I began to live the life I wanted to live, rather than the one everyone else wanted me to live. That knowledge was so freeing (and addictive), that I've never wavered from the task. What about you? 

Book Marketing Challenge--a Haunting Tale of Discovered Ghosts

Thirty days ago, I was a Book Marketing newbie. I was literally a ghost without a house to haunt. I had all the right "stuff"--the  rattling chains, the appropriate moans and "boos"--but I was floundering in the sea of "What to do", "Where to do it", and "How to do it" Luckily, immersing myself in D'vorah's Book Marketing Challenge supplied all the answers I needed.

What did I learn in 30 days? Sooooo much, but here are some of the highlights.  The challenge helped me to understand that marketing is a grand scale thing, and that the only way to "master" it, is to divide it in small goals, and then perform one or two action steps every day to reach that goal. (Literally, The Ghost finding the Right House to Haunt).

Secondly, I learned who I am as a paranormal romance writer (my brand), and I learned what my message is, and where to go to deliver that message (my target audience for The Haunted House). I also learned many "entertaining tricks of the trade" to make the audience fans of my Haunted House, and thus, inclined to visit it on a regular basis (my website/blogs).  Lastly, I realized Beth Barany was right when she said, "It's never to late to re-discover our dream" or "revive it". Over the last 30 days, I know I've revitalized mine.

Just like the ghosts in my first novel, The Kindred, I've discovered that communication with an intended target is the key to releasing an imprisoned soul (there's that ghost-haunting thing again).  So, if you like, entertaining stories that ride the edge of two worlds--the human and spiritual--I hope you'll think of reading The Kindred or The Sacred Circle. But more importantly, if you need some one to read and review your novel, I'm only a short E-Mail away. 

Now, on to Blog Hop and the finish line...P.S. Thanks to D'vorah and all the bloggers, who so graciously gave of their talent and time. You rock!

Paranormal Book Covers

As part of a Book Marketing Challenge I'm doing, I've been perusing book covers that relate to my genre (paranormal romance). I have to say that 80% of these covers are dark, gritty and sometimes extremely graphic, especially when it comes to the romantic part (read that to mean, sex).

After exploring at least thirty of these covers, I realize that my perception of paranormal and the young generation now writing this genre of stories, is as far apart as the Earth is to the Moon.  Don't get me wrong. I have no objection to werewolves, vampires or shapeshifters doing their "thing". Even if that "thing" is killing or blood-letting. After all, the stories come from a creative muse that isn't real (or shouldn't be, anyway). And I have no objection to explicit sex scenes. It's the violence that dominates these scenes that makes me feel really old (and really sad).

I've been reading romance novels since I was a kid, and I have seen the change in storylines mirror the change in the world as it grows and evolves (or devolves in some cases). Both Film and TV are riddled with violent crimes and sex scenes that push the boundaries of our moral center into the stratosphere. And lately, when I turn on the nightly news, another teen has lashed out at his teachers, classmates, or his parents in an extremely violent manner. 

Where will it all end? I wish I knew. I only know that dark, gritty and sexually explicit book covers don't fit the paranormal world I know and love to write about.  Call me old-fashioned. Call me a prude. I probably deserve it.  But, as my Dad used to say when we were playing poker. "If you show all the cards in your hand too soon, you've nothing to bluff with. Leave a little mystery. It adds spice to the game and makes you a much more interesting player".  Ah, yes. Dad was certainly wise.   


     

Hello, Mama....Happy Birthday.....

Today is my mother's birthday.  If her soul was still on the earth plane, she would be 101 years of age.  101! A full century! Though she passed from the human world when she was 95, I can still feel her "presence" all around me.  She's pops in on me from time to time, to frighten, scold, or give me comfort.  It doesn't matter that she has no human body anymore.  Her spirit is still going strong, and she's still doing what she always did--"mothering" me.

Sometimes, but not as often, I can feel my Dad's presence. He pops in to give me pointers on the mechanical things of life.  My car, problems around the house that need fixing, lawn mowing and landscaping, etc.  Sometimes, I can tell Mom's right beside him--just like she was when they were living their human life together. Other times, he comes alone, but doesn't stay long. I think he's anxious to get back to Mother's side.

I know that birthdays come and go, and most of them are unspectacular, but when I think of Mom passing her time on the other side, she looks young again to me, like the photos in our family photo albums.  That thought makes me think she is putting that vision in my head to remind me that time is a "human" word--not a spiritual one. I think she wants me to remember that our human, physical bodies are only temporary, but that our time in the spirit world is everlasting. Without an aging body, our soul is able to be any age in the spirit world--young, middle-aged, elderly--you name it, we can be it.

So on what would be my Mom's 101st Earth birthday, I say...Happy Birthday, Mom.  I miss and love you, and I'll see you again down the road.  (Not  quite yet, though. I still have some lessons to learn here in the human world. As soon as they're finished, I'll let you know to come pick me up!)

PubSmart Conference in Charleston, SC

I just got back from the PubSmart Conference in Charleston, and I couldn't wait to blog about the experience.  Why?  Because I came away inspired (and invigorated) by what I heard in the master classes, and by the writers I met while there. Some writers were in my genre, some not; but we all found we share a common theme--a passion for writing and getting our stories out into the hands of readers.

In retrospect, I know I went to the conference to get a better handle on how (and where) I fit in the scheme of the writing world; however I came away with so much more. I found out that I am ahead of some writers, but behind others. I found out that after the writing is done, a writer takes off the "creative" hat and dons the "business" one.  Marketing, PR, Strategic Planning--all become necessary to get the word out on your book. 

Am I comfortable with the "business" hat?  Not at all, but I'm smart. After all, if I can use my imagination to think up characters and wild stories, I can certainly use it to re-think how I can find a loyal fan base of readers. Will it be easy? Nope.  It will be a struggle, and defintely a challenge, but it's one I'm willing to take. In fact, I've already started my "to-do" list--which is growing longer by the minute, dammit!

So now that I'm home and back in "Rachel" mode, what's next? A lot of thinking. I realize the conference was named PubSmart for a reason. It was a chance to get smart about my writing and the publishing world as it exists today. Emerging Authors. Emerging Avenues. Those were the specific sub-headings of the conference, and it lived up to every bit of the hype as the two worlds collided for two days. Am I an emerging author? You bet! Are there emerging avenues out there for me?  Again, you bet! Am I going to merge the two worlds from here on out? Damn straight!

TV as a Writing Muse

We are at the end of March, and regretfully at the end of the TV season (at least for me). Why regretfully? Because watching TV has made me a much better writer this year. How so? I know it sounds corny but watching TV programs this season (news shows excluded) has made me pay attention to the sound of words. The dialogue TV writers have used this season to get across the drama, or comedy, of their shows has filtered to my ears, as well as my eyes.

Now, as we approach the final weeks of some TV shows--from the big wedding on "How I met Your Mother" to "The Walking Dead" on AMC--the cliff-hangers are building.  And as a writer, I appreciate those cliff-hangers, because they mimic my writing world. Like the finale of a well-crafted sitcom or drama, I'm always trying to write a book that will take my readers to a precipice with the characters, and then plunge them over the edge with the outcome uncertain (and scary) as they fall. 

Building up to the cliff-hanger at the end of the season has always been a major part of the TV writing world, but in a novel writer's world, keeping the suspense alive throughout a book, is a must. It insures the reader will keep turning the pages, and keep coming back for the author's next book, and the next--the same way TV viewers come back the next season and the next. Staying tuned, they watch the new adventures of their beloved characters, and it puts a lift in their day, or touches an emotional cord of understanding in their hearts. Either way, words, (and the use of them), feeds us with the knowledge that we are all masters of our own stories.

This week, we are saying goodbye to old friends--some for the very last time. Will we ever see the likes of Barney, Ted or Robin again? Or Rick, Daryl, and Carol who are battling zombies in an apocalytic world? The answer is of course we will, in re-runs on TNT, TBS, and numerous other cable stations. Will there be new characters for us to fall in love with in the new season? Absolutely. Will we find a new book that mirrors something deep within us that we can't define, let alone articulate?  Again, absolutely.

So, as of today, I'm going to go with the flow, and enjoy the TV finales currently going on on around me.  But I'm also going to remember that everything has its season and, though I don't always like it, endings must occur.  It's the rhythm of life. So good bye, March Madness, and hello, April Fool's Day. Without you, there would be no promise of new beginnings, and certainly no new paranormal romance story for my fans to look forward to.

 

"Bitten" SyFy Series

When I bought my first E-Reader, I decided to purchase some free books first--just to get acquainted with how this whole E-reader revolution works.  The first book I downloaded was "Bitten" by author Kelley Armstrong.  I fell in love with the book so much that I immediately downloaded the other books in the series.

Armstrong's stories revolve around shapeshifters--wolves, ito be exact.  But we're not talking werewolves here. No blood-letting or violent attacks on humans. These shifters live human lives, away from cities, and have very human jobs--teachers, artists, etc. They live in packs with a head Alpha male, and they change forms only for the freedom of running--the way humans jog in parks across the country every day to stay in shape.

Imagine my delight, when SyFy introduced "Bitten" to audiences a few months ago.  At first, I was afraid that the Hollywood version of the books would take the stories to places the author never intended. (And as a fellow author, I would hate that).  However, after seeing Kelley Armstrong's name as one of the Executive Producers, I knew she had found the Holy Grail. She was one of the lucky authors, blessed to get the chance to bring her book to life on the TV screen in the way she intended it to be viewed in the first place. 

As most of you know, I grew up in the world of acting, so it's been a double delight to see "who" Armstrong chose to bring her characters to life on the TV screen. The male wolves are all hunks, of course; you gotta make the ladies salivate over their buff bodies, don't ya?  And the lead female is a gutsy beauty that would make any red-blooded male want to take her to bed for hours.

The series has been good at showing the CGI effects of the transformation from human to wolf as well. And thank goodness, the CGI effects never overpower the story-telling. So far, six weeks into the series, the script is staying true to Armstrong's books. There have been little tweaks here and there, but when you change mediums--written to visual--changes must occur to keep the story cohesive and interesting.

So, if you enjoy stories of forbidden romance, shapeshifters, all things paranormal, like I do, go to www.kelleyarmstong.com and read one of her books.  Better yet, tune in to SyFy Monday nights at 8 PM and enjoy a sexy escape into the world of pack wolves and the mutts (rogue wolves) who are trying to annihilate them.  Hopefully, you'll become as obsessed with the series as I am.