Book Two of the Guardian Stories is ready for the last edit before submitting, oh happy day! This story has been up and down on my ladder of attention for most of this year. Now all I need is to work my way through my fabulous editor's suggestions and Vivienne will be ready to continue her adventure across the Kingdoms in search of Devon and her enemies.
Becoming a writer has been a dream come true in many ways. Perhaps the most drastic change has been in my relationships with other people. I have never been the most gregarious one in the group. Now as I find myself writing and promoting, I've made friends with other writers around the country. I admire each of them, not just because they are living their dreams and writing, but they all seem so confident about their abilities.
Big confession time here people: I have always been insecure. There are a variety of reasons, some of which are environmental, others are organic. When in college I found out "Speech Class" meant to give one, not just write one, I dropped the class rather than face my fear of public speaking. Even now, giving speeches or being on a question and answer panel requires days of mental preparation.
I used this crippling sense of unworthiness when formulating Vivienne. Born into a man's world, asked to complete a hero's quest, daunting tasks for anyone, much less a woman whose sense of self-worth is crippled and weak. Only as she grows in experience will confidence begin to mature. Much the way I feel as I navigate the oceans of literature.
Identifying with characters is important. If we don't feel their struggles then we cannot adequately tell the story to others. One of the things I insist in all my personal book choices is a good story line. I call it "The Well Told Tale". The characters I spend the most time listening to are the ones with which I feel the most in common. Such as Vivienne.
What other elements are required for a story to grab your attention? I'd love to know what entices other readers. Leave your thoughts and let's start a discussion on elements. Every story needs them, what happens when they don't meet your expectations?
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Writing, Writing, Writing...
I just wanted to post an update on what's going on both in my world and Vivienne's. Since we are busy working on book three, Vivi wanted everyone to know what's coming in book two. She is so very thoughtful that way.
Book Two, "The Price for Redemption" is almost ready for submission. I was content with how things were progressing, but at Vivienne's insistence, we sent the story out to the fabulous Greta van der Rol, my editor for "Catalyst - Guardian Rising" for a sanity check. She made some excellent suggestions and so another month was spent revamping. After the final sanity read, it will be off to the publisher.
I must confess book two is my favorite of the first trilogy. First and foremost, Vivienne finds she has more power than she imagined. Alone, separated from Devon, bereft of Minnlin and his plans, she must rely on Theirran to help her reach the Valley of the Pinnacle Library. But that poses its own set of problems.
Theirran is no gentleman. A known womanizer, a warrior with the heart of a poet, he exudes sex from every pore. Never married but certainly never alone unless he wishes it, Theirran is the opposite of his loyal and loving younger brother. His actions tend to be reckless, his adventures extreme. Will long miles across the emptiness of the Central Plains guarding Devon's wife teach Theirran responsibility or will the challenge of the unobtainable woman bring out his brash and roguish side?
Vivienne is alone, still weak from pneumonia contracted during the long winter trek from the Citadel to Pitaq in the Northern Territory. Knowing only she must find the Library ahead of Sauk and Sionn, she turns to Der and the other generals of the North and West for aid in defeating their enemies. But something still isn't right; there are too many things that make no sense. Such as how Sauk always knows where to find her, if the information is secret then who is the traitor? Who has betrayed her? How deep does Sauk's treachery run?
Stay tuned for more insights into Book Two!
Book Two, "The Price for Redemption" is almost ready for submission. I was content with how things were progressing, but at Vivienne's insistence, we sent the story out to the fabulous Greta van der Rol, my editor for "Catalyst - Guardian Rising" for a sanity check. She made some excellent suggestions and so another month was spent revamping. After the final sanity read, it will be off to the publisher.
I must confess book two is my favorite of the first trilogy. First and foremost, Vivienne finds she has more power than she imagined. Alone, separated from Devon, bereft of Minnlin and his plans, she must rely on Theirran to help her reach the Valley of the Pinnacle Library. But that poses its own set of problems.
Theirran is no gentleman. A known womanizer, a warrior with the heart of a poet, he exudes sex from every pore. Never married but certainly never alone unless he wishes it, Theirran is the opposite of his loyal and loving younger brother. His actions tend to be reckless, his adventures extreme. Will long miles across the emptiness of the Central Plains guarding Devon's wife teach Theirran responsibility or will the challenge of the unobtainable woman bring out his brash and roguish side?
Vivienne is alone, still weak from pneumonia contracted during the long winter trek from the Citadel to Pitaq in the Northern Territory. Knowing only she must find the Library ahead of Sauk and Sionn, she turns to Der and the other generals of the North and West for aid in defeating their enemies. But something still isn't right; there are too many things that make no sense. Such as how Sauk always knows where to find her, if the information is secret then who is the traitor? Who has betrayed her? How deep does Sauk's treachery run?
Stay tuned for more insights into Book Two!
Friday, September 7, 2012
So, What About the Ghosts?
First of all, let me say I do believe in some form of life after death. The laws of physics tell us energy cannot be created or destroyed only changed. The human brain runs with electric waves of energy. If our bodily energy cannot be destroyed, then upon death it must change. In Catalyst - Guardian Rising the dead return to visit Vivienne in spirit, using their physical forms to identify themselves to her.
Vivienne can see the death easier than others because she can see residual energy in all forms. Attunded to the vibrations of the dead, she speaks with them on a frequent basis. They have provided her with companionship and support since she was sixteen years old. For her, seeing and speaking with ghosts is normal.
Other people can see these assembled ghosts if they possess one of three abilities: 1) if they are master level druids; 2) if they are closely connected to the spirit such as family; or 3) they have the ability to accept that life can exist on more than plane of reality.
Mediums often say they are bombarded by spirits in their everyday activities, wanting them to pass along information to their loved ones. So I removed that barrier, allowing Devon and Vivienne, along with others as needed, to interact with their ghosts as though the dead were still living. They pass along the information Vivienne needs to complete her journey as Guardian.
Ghosts cannot see everything. They can only report on what they have been assigned to watch. Hana and Katarina watch over Devon and Vivienne personally. While forbidden to carry message between the two lovers at first, the women spirits keep our hero and heroine reminded they are not alone with their burdens.
Reave and Minnlin are different. Both were Master Druids, and thereby exposed to more information on the status of the other Kingdoms. Minnlin also had the advantage of being a time walker. In his extensive travels it is not unlikely to say he had run across his own legend more than once. Knowing he would die before Vivienne completed her assignment allowed for him to travel ahead of his personal timeline while still gifted with that ability.
So our ghosts are helpful but they are not infallible. As events continue to move away from expected norms, their vision may or may not be as helpful to Vivienne as in the past. But she will see them as a harbingers of bad news; this opens her eyes to the necessity of depending on the living more than the dead. much to Minnlin's consternation.
William Shakespeare often used the spirits in his works to show a catalyst for action, an
insight into character, and augments the impact of many key scenes. I have attempted to use my ghosts in the same manner.
Vivienne can see the death easier than others because she can see residual energy in all forms. Attunded to the vibrations of the dead, she speaks with them on a frequent basis. They have provided her with companionship and support since she was sixteen years old. For her, seeing and speaking with ghosts is normal.
Other people can see these assembled ghosts if they possess one of three abilities: 1) if they are master level druids; 2) if they are closely connected to the spirit such as family; or 3) they have the ability to accept that life can exist on more than plane of reality.
Mediums often say they are bombarded by spirits in their everyday activities, wanting them to pass along information to their loved ones. So I removed that barrier, allowing Devon and Vivienne, along with others as needed, to interact with their ghosts as though the dead were still living. They pass along the information Vivienne needs to complete her journey as Guardian.
Ghosts cannot see everything. They can only report on what they have been assigned to watch. Hana and Katarina watch over Devon and Vivienne personally. While forbidden to carry message between the two lovers at first, the women spirits keep our hero and heroine reminded they are not alone with their burdens.
Reave and Minnlin are different. Both were Master Druids, and thereby exposed to more information on the status of the other Kingdoms. Minnlin also had the advantage of being a time walker. In his extensive travels it is not unlikely to say he had run across his own legend more than once. Knowing he would die before Vivienne completed her assignment allowed for him to travel ahead of his personal timeline while still gifted with that ability.
So our ghosts are helpful but they are not infallible. As events continue to move away from expected norms, their vision may or may not be as helpful to Vivienne as in the past. But she will see them as a harbingers of bad news; this opens her eyes to the necessity of depending on the living more than the dead. much to Minnlin's consternation.
William Shakespeare often used the spirits in his works to show a catalyst for action, an
insight into character, and augments the impact of many key scenes. I have attempted to use my ghosts in the same manner.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Happy Blog Hop Day!
Today I am guesting blogging at Keith Publications Blog Site.
The topic of the day is:
How I Spent my Summer Vacation!
Follow the link below and I will be back here again on Friday with another update on Vivienne, Devon, and the world in which they exist.
Until then - Happy Labor Day Everyone!
http://keithpublications.com/blog/?p=2552
The topic of the day is:
How I Spent my Summer Vacation!
Follow the link below and I will be back here again on Friday with another update on Vivienne, Devon, and the world in which they exist.
Until then - Happy Labor Day Everyone!
http://keithpublications.com/blog/?p=2552
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
The Kingdoms
The aftermath of the nuclear holocaust on the earth caused many geographic changes to all seven of the continents. Land masses moved, rivers changed their course and mountains arose where previous only hills existed. While the Sanctuaries were mostly immune to these geographic shifts, the land changed in other ways. The mighty river which split the Five Kingdoms into two distinct areas was now a large Inland Sea. This separation caused not only a physical slit in the land, but a split among the people of the Kingdoms as well.
Originally the people housed in the Central Valley Pinnacle were genetically close to Northern and Southerns. All had common ancestors from the old world from the First Families of North American. The major differences would not begin to surface until many generations had already been raised. Differences in physical changes were few, but major differences came through in their philosophy.
For centuries since the rebirth, the four contiguous Kingdoms began to share opinions in the important area of what direction the remnant of humanity should take to rebuild and repopulate the planet. Prior to the desecration there were close to 8 billion humans crawling across the face of the earth. The first estimate placed the Creator's children after the holocaust at around 140,000. That did not count people groups such as the Northerners who had no regard for the Druids or their creations and had not participated in the Sanctuaries, preferring instead to trust their own histories for survival.
Divided from their fifth brother by miles of turbulent water, the Four Kingdoms learn to trade and band together as a four pronged unit. Now the Eastern Kingdom stands alone from the others, unsure of their place in this alliance and highly distrustful of the new young queen of the West and her supposed 'witch' powers. That caution will become fodder for those who seek to destroy the fragile evolution of humanities' regeneration.
Originally the people housed in the Central Valley Pinnacle were genetically close to Northern and Southerns. All had common ancestors from the old world from the First Families of North American. The major differences would not begin to surface until many generations had already been raised. Differences in physical changes were few, but major differences came through in their philosophy.
For centuries since the rebirth, the four contiguous Kingdoms began to share opinions in the important area of what direction the remnant of humanity should take to rebuild and repopulate the planet. Prior to the desecration there were close to 8 billion humans crawling across the face of the earth. The first estimate placed the Creator's children after the holocaust at around 140,000. That did not count people groups such as the Northerners who had no regard for the Druids or their creations and had not participated in the Sanctuaries, preferring instead to trust their own histories for survival.
Divided from their fifth brother by miles of turbulent water, the Four Kingdoms learn to trade and band together as a four pronged unit. Now the Eastern Kingdom stands alone from the others, unsure of their place in this alliance and highly distrustful of the new young queen of the West and her supposed 'witch' powers. That caution will become fodder for those who seek to destroy the fragile evolution of humanities' regeneration.
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