Tag Archives: A to Z Blog Challenge

A to Z Challenge – S is for Savor

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When I used to read, I’d tear through books, turning pages as fast as I could to get to the next bit. I’d often re-read books I loved with that second read much slower, savoring each and every word. One year my brother gave me a hard copy of an Anne Rice novel,  Taltos, for Christmas. A couple of weeks later he asked me how I was enjoying my book. I told him I’d read the book the day after he gave it to me.

He was in disbelief. “The whole thing? You read the whole thing already?”

I was pragmatic, “Well, of course, I did. I read it the day after you gave it to me.”

He was quite put out, letting me know that hard copy books were not cheap, and he expected me to have not finished it for a couple weeks.

I just shook my head. “Sweetie, I read 5-7 books a week, depending on how long they are. I’ve probably read 10 books since then. But I loved it. I really did!”

I felt bad, but I think he felt worse. “I’m never buying you another book. I wanted to give you something special.”

“But you did!”

And I meant that with all my heart. I really did enjoy my present. I even re-read it at some point. But I did tend to read quickly.

These days I rarely get to re-read a book so I tend to read slower the first time. I try to savor each book because I’m pretty sure I won’t be getting back to it any time soon, if ever.

I love being able to get into the story and into the characters’ minds to figure out what makes them tick. I take a lot more breaks, and think about what I’ve read more so than in days past, letting the words sink into my subconscious. Scenes and phrases stay with me longer and seem to be more vibrant than those days when I raced through. And those days when I’m tempted to just tear through a book, I remind myself that I need to slow down and savor each and every bit. Savor…such a lovely word.

 

What will tomorrow’s word be? Come back for the letter “T” in the challenge.

Be sure to check out the rest of the cool blogs in the challenge!  A to Z Challenge.

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A to Z Challenge – R is for Reo

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One of my fave characters to write is Reo Malone, aka Brandy Malone. Reo is an empath, telepath and psychic whose abilities make for an impressive track record. Hiding in plain sight with a show at a 5 star hotel in San Francisco, Reo masquerades as the delightful chanteuse, Brandy Malone. The wildly popular show covers magic and singing, with Brandy weaving her way through the audience and those who come for help.

But one of the things I love most about Reo is that when the show is over his work just begins. Shedding his alter ego, he wanders through the seamier sides of San Francisco helping those he can. Using his abilities and his dynamic personality to help those who need it most, he makes a difference where he can.

Reo is one of the most popular characters form The Thulukan Chronicles, and I hope to one day tell more of his stories.

 

What will Monday’s word be? Come back for the letter “s” in the challenge.

Be sure to check out the rest of the cool blogs in the challenge!  A to Z Challenge.

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A to Z Challenge – Q is for Quest

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I like quests. I do a lot of them when I play MMOs (online games with other people). In fact, those gaming quests probably influenced my writing. Each book and story I’ve written has quests/mysteries to solve. But there are other influences as well.

I particularly love reading books that have group quest story lines. The Lord of the Rings hooked me on those when I was back in college. There’s just something about a bunch of diverse people banding together to accomplish a goal that appeals to me. Judging by the popularity of group quest books, I’m not alone in my love affair with them. To name every one of those books/series that I’ve read and loved would take forever. Suffice it to say there have been hundreds.

One of the more recent ones that caught my attention is Robin Hobb’s Rain Wilds Chronicles. That has the added attraction of dragons, so it’s a double win for me.

So whether I’m reading about them or actually doing them in a game, quests have a special place in my heart.

 

What will Monday’s word be? Come back for the letter “R” in the challenge.

Be sure to check out the rest of the cool blogs in the challenge!  A to Z Challenge.

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A to Z Challenge – P is for Portals

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Yes, yes, I know you saw that one coming. 🙂 But hey! It fits! In Relics, Thulu, La Fi, Reo and Jones need to find the ancient relics to close a dangerous portal. Meanwhile other portals start opening all over the world and the magical Elder Races come back to Earth on TV!

In the second book of The Thulukan Chronicles, appropriately name Portals, our heroes go off-world for the first time…using portals of course. Once again portals begin to arbitrarily open all over Earth, making our heroes rethink their previous theories.

In Magics, the third book, portals are again used to get around, but that’s all I’m saying about that. Spoilers and all, you know?

So portals are an integral part of the series and not just as modes of transportation. They figure into the story in ways I never expected when I first began the series. I love the idea of portals and wish I ahd Jones’s ability to create them. It’s one of his handier talents for sure.

 

What will tomorrow’s word be? Come back for the letter “Q” in the challenge.

Be sure to check out the rest of the cool blogs in the challenge!  A to Z Challenge.

 

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A to Z Challenge – O is for Options

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Having options in art is as important to me as having options in life. Those options take many forms. They can include which way my characters will react to whatever situation they are in or how I choose those situations to put them in.

How do I choose who they are? That one is easy. They tell me. 🙂

But what about the events will happen to them? Ah, now this one is a little more conscious. You see, when I write I don’t always have a conscious decision-making process. For me the characters are usually reacting as they should react given who they are. However, I often will get a shiny new idea of what situations to put them in and then see what they do.

Other options involve how I choose to present a story. First person? Third? What kind of story? I usually stick to Fantasy, Sci Fi, Horror. However, I also have a Biography I’m working on.

All these options, every time I sit down to write. They are part of the creative process and what make it so much fun.

 

What will tomorrow’s word be? Come back for the letter “P” in the challenge.

Be sure to check out the rest of the cool blogs in the challenge!  A to Z Challenge.

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A to Z Challenge – N is for Names

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Finding the right names for my characters is very important. In The Thulukan Chronicles each name has some sort of significance, some more than others. Thulu and La Fi were names actually inspired by nicknames I thought up for some gaming friends who shared similar names. Just as I was ready to tell these friends their new nicknames, I realized that these names instead belonged to characters. At that point, I simply had to write about them. So I did. 🙂 From there I had to create where these nicknames came from, so La Fi was Fiona, with the story of her hamburgers which she named Burgers a la Fi. That in turn caused the other kids to start calling her La Fi and the name stuck to her.

Thulu is actually Erik Thulukan, III. As a small child he began referring to himself as Thulu. Again the name stuck.

Nana Fae came about because I liked the name Fae for its ethereal meaning, tying it to Nan Fae’s empath abilities.

Brandon Arreo Malone, aka Reo Malone, was named by his eccentric parents. The name also gave me the obvious choice for his stage name and alter ego, Brandy Malone.

Tyler Jones’s real name, Dhavenbahtek, came about with me just playing around with sounds. I also wanted a name that began with “D” and had a slightly Egyptian feel to it.

Parker came about simply because I liked the name.

For the elves and fairies, I went to Celtic influences and names, using them as a basis to use ancient names and sometimes to create new names: Aela, Keiron, Aurelia, Belus and Sloane are the major players.

This is just a few of the names from this very large cast of characters. By now, many of them feel like family, and their names reflect the way their personalities feel to me.

 

What will tomorrow’s word be? Come back for the letter “O” in the challenge.

Be sure to check out the rest of the cool blogs in the challenge!  A to Z Challenge.

 

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A to Z Challenge – M is for Magic

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Magic is seductive, electric and ultimately, unattainable. At least on this world, in this time. But what if it weren’t? What if, for some reason, magic was possible on Earth? What if you woke up tomorrow and turned on the TV to see unicorns, elves, fairies and every other creature from our mythical past?

It was my fascination with that question that produced The Thulukan Chronicles. I wanted magic to be different. Not just for a privileged few to know about, but for everyone to see. That idea took my series places I hadn’t even thought about when I first started writing it. The farther I got into the story, the clearer it became that I wasn’t just writing about paranormal detectives – the kind who actually work for the supernatural. Nope, I was creating a world where magic returns and everyone knows about it. And not just the creatures of magic, but magic itself was making itself known. I’m almost done revising Book 3 of the series, titled appropriately, Magics. It will release this summer. I think I took the premise to its logical conclusion, but of course, the readers will be the judge of that.

I’ve lived with this fun series for only four years, but it has been an intense part of my life. While Magics ties up all sorts of loose ends, the door is left open to continue. So for now I’m not saying goodbye to the series. Not yet. Maybe only “See you later.” We shall see.

 

What will tomorrow’s word be? Come back for the letter “N” in the challenge.

Be sure to check out the rest of the cool blogs in the challenge!  A to Z Challenge.

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