CHANGE IS IN THE AIR

You may have noticed I have been away from my blog life for a while. I’ve been busy working on two novels at the same time. My writing buddies call me insane, but, like the trees that are in the state of changing their leaves, I find it exhilarating to live in two worlds at the same time.

When my Creative Muse runs dry on one story, I hop on over to the other, and “wham, bam, thank you m’aam”, I’m off and running again. Of course, if I don’t pay strict attention to the change, the name in one story might stroll on over to the other, and take up residence there. That’s when I’m able to cackle gleefully: “They’re right. I am insane.”

But then the little button called “find and replace” comes galloping in, and I’m redeemed.  And of course, then I’m off again, finding love, romance, and spiritual intrigue wherever I can find it. And isn't that what writing paranormal romance stories should be? The magical journey of two souls—writer and reader—sharing an exhilarating experience with two heroic characters, and like them, being changed by the experience?
                                         
What makes writing multiple stories so engrossing? For me, it’s because I’m a hopeless romantic who loves manipulating words.  I love finding the magic of writing in the arms of two star-crossed lovers seeking forgiveness, or redemption, or a love to last a lifetime—or maybe, a love to last through many lifetimes. I love how with each book I write, I’m changing, and growing, and discovering new and wonderful things about myself.   

Yep, the key words here are: I’m changing, and just like Sonny Blake, the heroine in my new novel, “The Empath”, I can “see, touch, and feel” a life devoted to love and magic, with some healing properties thrown in for good measure.  After all, when we effect change in the outer world, it’s a proven fact that our inner world will mirror that change. Our thinking is literally transformed from “not doing”, to “doing.” Ah, the beauty of words.

Summer Blues equals Creative Muse

Here it is the first of August and the summertime blues have caught up with me. It's blistering hot where I live, and the humidity is off the charts. Is it any wonder that my brain is frazzled and unable to make heads or tails of the new novel I'm writing? It's just too damn hot to concentrate--or is it?

As usual, my Creative Muse enjoys making a fool out of me. Just when I think, I'll never write my way out of the story/plot dilemma I've put myself in, the characters solve the problem for me. For weeks, I've been wondering how to get my characters from A to B, and using psycho-babble to get them there (the dialogue really sucks, folks). And then, they take over and begin writing where THEY know I should go. They literally hi-jack the novel, and begin writing the story for me.

Suddenly, the Creative Muse is hot--as hot as the blazing sun outside my windows. I find the spine of the story at last, thanking the characters for their love and support (and putting up with all my fervered "damns" and "hells"). If nothing else, it's clear, they want their story told, NEED to have it  told.  And isn't what we paranormal romance writers live for? A chance to let our readers experience the lives of ordinary people, struggling through extraordinary circumstances? As my mother used to say instead of a simple yes: "You bet your sweet bippy".

  

Strangers

I just finished reading a sci-fi book called "Strangers", and it left me pondering the question: Is there really such a thing as a stranger? Long story, short. The story revolved around a group of travelers who stayed at a motel in the desert the same night. "Something" transpired during their stay (unknown to them), and when they returned home, their lives suddenly shifted. For some, the altering was positive; for others, the altering lead to self-destruction. But for all, they knew "something" had happened to them and they felt compelled to learn what that "something" was.

Again, long story, short. The "strangers" soon began to remember something called the "moon", and eventually they began to remember each other. AND they were all compelled to find each other and return to the motel, or lose their sanity. Needless to say, their journey back to the motel is fraught with suspense, as they try to stay alive long enough to piece together their fragmented memories.

After reading this book, I thought of my novel, The Kindred. In it, the five lead characters are psychics who are strangers meeting for the first time, and thanks to a 300 year old murder, they are thrown into a life-and-death situation that changes their lives forever.

Now, here's the point and the interesting part, I hope. I never read "Strangers" before, yet the theme of the book is similar to The Kindred, leaving me to wonder about the unconscious connections we writers share with each other. Are writers really strangers? I don't think so. Do our creative muses (and juices) ride along the same strands of thought? Yes, I believe so. Is the union of writer and their creative imagination an undefinable "something" that is meant to change our lives forever? I sure hope so. I pray so. What do you think?
   

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!)