Tag Archives: Authors

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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A to Z Challenge – L is for La Fi

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La Fi is the voice of The Thulukan Chronicles. La Fi’s real name is Fiona Bartlett Thulukan and she tells the story of magic returning to Earth. We see her and Thulu’s (her husband) roles change and expand through the course of the series.

La Fi was described by one reviewer as a reluctant heroine and I think this is apt. Throughout the three novelettes, as well as the novels, she prefers to fly under the radar in spite of her special gifts. La Fi is able to see and speak to the dead. She’s also able to understand any language, whether she knows it or not. It’s her connection to those who have not yet passed on that gives her a unique perspective on the world. As the world around her changes, it is her connection to the dead which actually serves as her anchor.

Her sense of humor tends to be dry and she has a paranoia about being locked up and studied in a lab somewhere. Throughout all the changes and turmoil around her, she maintains a very stoic view, showing an inner strength, that has yet to be shaken. However, that may (or may not) change in Book 3.  🙂

 

What will tomorrow’s word be? Come back for the letter “M” 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 – K is for Key

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I love words that have multiple meanings and uses. Key is one of those little words that have such big meanings. It can be the key to a puzzle, key to a door. The key character, the key for a song. It’s a noun, verb and adjective. In honor of the tiny word, here are some of the key elements in my own life. Even though there are more, without these I wouldn’t be me.

My family and friends – My direct and extended family is awesome and a great support. I love that I’ve picked most of them. So says you can’t pick your family? Plus I have this enormous group of friends online that are awesome.

My dogs – The obvious, again. My little loves keep me entertained. Chloe looks out for the house and property. TrĂ©a is my tiny companion. She sometimes helps Chloe bark.

My writing – My newest passion. Who knew it would come to mean so much and become such a large part of my life.

Music – I can’t imagine being without music. It’s part of almost everything I do.

Gaming – This is my hobby. I get to connect with people and live in a fantasy world all at the same time. I have a fabulous guild that I belong to and great friends to play with.

Teaching – While this is only part-time, it’s very fulfilling. Years ago my own mentor tasked me with passing on what I know. I’ve tried to do as he asked.

 

What will Monday’s word be? Come back for the letter “L” 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 Challlenge – I is for Imagination

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Okay, so this was an obvious one, too. But let’s face it, our imaginations are the hearts and souls of our writing. They are what takes an author from some mundane event to an epic novel of suspense and intrigue. How many times have novels been inspired by something simple that an author took to fabulous and outrageous heights? Without that ability to see the possibilities – the could-have-beens and might-bes, we would be pretty boring people. But our imaginations allow us to soar into new and fascinating lives and worlds.

Something I tell my Theatre students is that their only limits are their own imaginations. I firmly believe that. So, don’t be afraid to step into the Light of Imagination. Take that extra step away from the norm and think out of the box. Let your own imagination guide you, whether it’s as simple as making up a nighttime tale to a child or writing that book you always wanted to write or painting that picture you see behind closed lids.

Let your imagination run wild!

 

What will tomorrow’s word be? Come back for the letter “I” 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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