Novelista

If I only had a name Writing has been coming along well.  The only impediment: mandatory research.  Most research, for me, starts with the big G.  I research names, images of places that I have in my head, and, this time, history. Without giving too much away, Dreamweaver (The World In-between 6) is about Berty being stuck in a dream world.  Once he escapes his own dream, he goes from dream to dream, rescuing dreamers.  Dreamers mean new characters.  New characters mean names, which, in turn, means research. I love learning about name meanings, history, famous namesakes, and name origins.  Yes, sometimes, I take all this into account when naming characters.  Other times, I just like the name.  Or this character feels like a so-and-so. Soon, I’m coming up to naming a new Dragon character.  Most of my Dragon names in The World In-between series mean some form of fire something-or-other or ancient or serpent/dragon/etc....

January is a good month to evaluate and re-evaluate.  I don’t know about you, but the cadence of falling snow helps me think.  Not that my mountain rural community has had much … yet.  Snow or no, I’ve never been one to make resolutions.  Deviating from convention, my system of doing things has always been a little different.  Even the process I use to write my books sways away from the norm. As I fill out this year’s calendar, I am finding that not everything I did last year will fit.  The things that I need to accomplish are taking me down a different path than the one on which I currently stand. 2015 Plans Read as much as possible.   I tend to read books that strike my fancy in cover and description.  The majority of the books I pick up are fantasy of some kind, but I like to read most genres.  What keeps me going to the very end are good, solid characters.  Without them, the plot is lost, and so I am. Hav...

The Blue Angels against a blue sky. The roar of engines tearing through the blue. The smell of jet fuel mingling with sunscreen. Fighting against the tidal wave of the hordes. Yesterday, I attended the Air Show. The flying was amazing. What I learned: What people can train their bodies to endure is incredible. 5 Gs? Most of us would have passed out well before. In a large crowd, half will be pushing strollers. The only shade lies under the planes on display. Unless you have a hangar into which to duck. Everyone holds up their phones or tablets to take pictures. No one uses a real camera anymore, including yours truly, unless equipped with a telescopic lens. The only thing that surpasses my not so great picture taking is my attempt at video taking.  (My brother took the pic above.) I should invest in a portable phone charger. Just by watching how the planes do those tricky moves, my mind begins to roll. I am very excited to get my pen gliding a...

There’s a lot of flying in a space opera.   (I know, you’re shocked.)   Where Pirates Go to Die mainly centers around one non-Galaxy-regulated ship, the Tigerlily.   To watch some spectacular flying in person, I’m heading to the Air Show this weekend.   As many of you know, my brother is a pilot.   The aviator’s club to which he belongs gave Air Show VIP passes and is throwing a hangar party all afternoon and into the evening.   And, as a good sister, I get to go, too!   (Yay me!)   There’s a rumor that the Blue Angels will be guests at the hangar party.   Their flying is nothing short of awesome.   (Need to remember to bring earplugs for when those jets pass.)   I hope the rumor is true.   How cool would it be to meet them?   Hopefully, they will be able to give me some of their limited time to ask them plenty of questions about flying those fighter jets.   What I won’t do for research. I’m hoping to pick ...

After launching Secrets of the Sages , I have no time to rest on my laurels.   Not wanting a big celebration or party, I simply pick up my pen and keep writing. Four books are all at different stages of completion.   First, I am writing Whispers , the fourth book of the World In-between series.   It begins a couple of weeks after Secrets of the Sages ends.   Escalating war leads to a high body count and to happy occasions being crashed.   Second, I can see the end of my space opera, Where Pirates Go to Die .   Think of it as kinda like Firefly meets Pirates of the Caribbean .   It includes some interesting characters, cat and mouse chase scenes, robots (including androids), and high tech thievery. Third, I am thoroughly researching a contemporary fantasy.   And by thoroughly, I mean I read and take notes until my eyes pop out and become bloodshot.   Quite fun.   I am getting some great fodder for continuing the scene that ...

When I do research for my books, sure, I turn to internet sources and books for information. I also interview people who have experience with certain things and do or learn things for myself. One of my works in progress is the first book of a mystery series where an injured homicide detective turned PI has to relearn how to shoot. Recently, I went to a local pistol range to take a private lesson on shooting a handgun. It was my first time shooting any kind of gun. The instructor was surprised that I had never even shot a bb gun. I learned on a .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The former Vietnam Marine started with basic gun safety. Although I wore a turtleneck, he warned me about wearing open necked shirts for future shooting. The empty shell casings are hot when they fly out of the gun and if you are wearing a shirt with an open neck, there is a possibility that the casing can hit your skin and burn you. (Always good to know.) At the shooting bay, he went over grip, stanc...