Category: Random

Good morning all,

The photo shown was taken last weekend in the North GA mountains, at one of the many vista points.

This is only one of the spots where we spent the day scattering Jester’s ashes, my Shiloh Shepherd who died on Valentine’s morning this year. Odd thing is, he was born on April Fools Day 2000, bookends of laughter and love.

Getting away from the city traffic was a wonderful break, and even inspires the mind to begin thinking of more plots, more characters, more goody stuff. Plus, as I’m sure you can probably imagine, the North GA mountains are filled with interesting folks :)

Always remember to laugh and love – that’s the one positive I got from Jester’s passing this year. Hope everyone has a great week!

Coincidence : A sequence of events that although accidental seems to have been planned or arranged.

I’m not one who believes in coincidences. When certain things happen, I believe it’s the universe’s way of urging us in a certain direction. Call it the muse, the gut, the instinct, call it anything but coincidence. I’ve shared an example below…you be the judge.

In mid-February, hubby and I went to Savannah to do research on my current book-in-progress and celebrate my birthday. Savannah held its annual Irish Festival, and since the book has Irish themes, what better way to have some fun and do research at the same time? We shopped, we walked, we talked to men wearing kilts. (Apparently it’s an Irish thing too? I figured it was only Scottish, but I digress…)

After a few hours (and a clueless bartender who, instead of making me a Black&Tan, made a black and foam – gross!) I was, shall we say, a bit grumpy. We met up with people who wanted to see a later performance by another band, so as much as I longed for the comfy bed back at the B&B, we stayed at the festival. But I was proactive! Knowing that saving seats would be a nightmare, I went into the earlier act’s performance to hear the last 10 minutes of their set, figuring I could easily save seats once they finished.

And this is when coincidence did not happen.

During those 10 minutes, a band I’d never heard of (Roger Drawdy & The Firestarters) ROCKED the house down. Fiddles, guitars, drums, lyrics–all combined with a passion and energy I hadn’t seen before. To watch musicians with so much talent and dedication to their creative art was, for lack of a better word, mesmerizing :)

And that’s when a key character for the book was born. I’d been trying to incorporate some Irish customs into the plot but wasn’t sure how. Up until those 10 minutes, my subconscious had been marinating on ideas, but it was like walking around with blurry vision. Seeing them perform was like having Lasik surgery.

Suddenly, the muse was no longer whispering hints…she was talking non-stop! And she’s continuing to chatter all the time, which is helping this book move along faster than I could have hoped for.

But, coincidence? What if we hadn’t met up with our friends that day and we’d gone back to the inn to relax before dinner? What if we’d gone to Savannah on another weekend? What if that bartender had fixed my drink right and I would have remained nearby to drink another one, thereby missing the performance?

All interesting questions…

There are no coincidences…

I feel like I’ve just done a load of laundry and found $10 which got run in the washer by mistake! In other words, found money where I hadn’t expected!

No, I didn’t really find money…but I did find 4 songs from Roger Drawdy & The Firestarters “Open Seas, Empty Skies” CD which were stored in a different folder on my hard drive. I purchased the MP3 album from Amazon…and I think I accidentally opened Windows Media Player when it was downloading, because 4 songs accidentally wound up in a separate Library folder, and not in the usual download location.

By the way, to answer those of you who emailed, yes, you can purchase their CDs on Amazon. Click here to view their CD list. (If this link does not work, simply do a search and the list will display.)

So even though I’ve had the CD for a month, I listened to those songs yesterday for the first time… and WOW. I especially liked one called “Tatters.” The lyrics are too powerful to describe, but on a high level, the song is about life in Ireland and coming to America seeking opportunity. This one made me cry. It’s beautiful.

Like all things “coincidence” (Friday’s blog will have more info on “coincidence” so be sure to check back!) hearing this song was perfect timing with the book in progress. My protagonist’s parents are from Ireland but moved to the States, and hearing this song helped me envision their background a bit…perfect research for a book’s secondary characters.

Speaking of country/freedom…one of our family friends, 22 years old, is an Army MP and is going to Iraq next week. Between knowing him and others who serve our country, and hearing the song about seeking better opportunities here, I don’t think we (USA) remember enough how fortunate we are. It’s not that we’re ungrateful, because I think many of us are. (And for those who truly aren’t…Karma will deal with you!)

The scandals, daily stress, and corruption schemes flood the media, and in the midst of all the controversial hubub, we forget how much we really have. Whatever political party we may choose, or whatever our feelings about the Iraq war may be, we owe it to ourselves and those men and women who fight for our freedom, to use the gifts we’ve been given. We have the opportunity and freedom to try. And that is the most blessed gift of all.

Hope everyone had a great time on St. Patrick’s Day!

One of the best parts of St. Patty’s is the music and fun, which brings me to this blog post. Music is more than entertainment; it’s a heartbeat for our lives. How many of us hear a song reminding us of a special moment? First kiss? First child? Dancing as if there was no tomorrow? Even first mistakes, which are sometimes fun to remember. The lyrics, the tunes – – they bring us back to a time we once knew, if only for a moment.

I’m a self-proclaimed movie buff, and was astounded to watch several “Behind the Scenes” features that show the movie without background music. It loses so much, but you don’t necessarily know that while you’re watching it! Knowing how important music is to films and events, I think it’s important for books too.

Authors create their own soundtracks to our books, helping us get into the mood, the characters, and the setting. Of course, the type of music depends on the type of book and the author’s preference. Sherrilyn Kenyon, author of the Dark Hunter series, has shared that many of her books were written to Metallica and other hard rock/metal bands. They work for her. Tanya Michna, while writing a Christmas themed book during the hot Atlanta summer, spent a month listening to holiday tunes.

My first manuscript, The Cinderella Haters, had mostly 80s and pop music. My second manuscript, Desperate Stepmoms, featured some sassy Texas gals, so I lived on Reba McEntire and Shania Twain.

So, what am I working on and listening to now, you ask?
A ghost story, set in Savannah. Sorry, no sharing titles yet! I’m holding on to my baby until it’s time to let go. I will say there are Irish themes and characters throughout the book. And I discovered a PHENOMENAL Irish Band at the Savannah Irish Festival: Roger Drawdy and the Firestarters. They’re a combination of Irish rock/folk and have the uncanny ability to excel at slow ballads and fast-paced hoppin’ music. My past experience has seen folks doing one or the other – these guys excel at both, along with being incredibly entertaining, great w/the crowd, and wonderful musicians. Since returning home from Savannah, I’ve bought every CD I could get my hands on…and am eagerly awaiting more. For now, their songs are helping kick the muse up a notch (as Emeril would say) and get these pages written!

What music inspires you?

It’s always a good idea to ask friends, critique partners, and trusted colleagues what they think of your name selections. While not always necessary, hearing feedback from people not as close to your manuscript will give you a fresh perspective.

Perfect example: I’m in the process of choosing a name for a key character in my current work in progress (WIP). I want the name to mean something, and in my mind the name I chose made sense. When I asked 2 writer friends about it, they said it reminded them of an expansive, grandeur “place” with regal surroundings. Sooooo NOT what I intended, so I went back to the drawing board and began playing around some more. I think I’ve decided on what the character’s name will be, but am still marinating on the decision.

Other readers and writers feedback is invaluable, not only for name choices but for feedback on your manuscript!