The Silent Words

The past few months have passed so quickly, it's hard for me to believe that they even existed. Like the chatter in a busy airport terminal, or the clatter of voices in a mall, the days seemed to mesh together into white noise. I'm not sure what to make of it.

I like busy, I always have; however, tonight I yearn for quiet solitude. Around here, there's not much of that until the kids are in bed. Even then, there's dishwashers, dryers, cars outside, and even the thoughts in my head to keep the noise level high. And there's always something to do.

For me, writing is the escape I seek. As the words form on the screen in front of me, my mind carries itself to that place I'm creating and develops a void where no sound can reach. Only the story may penetrate and the voice of the writer may speak. It's a lonely place, at times, but it serves as my own sanctuary of thought.

While the minutes drift by, the hours turn to days, and years mark the centuries of fantasy and wonder in this place. It's an odd sort of being, but welcome and quiet. Yes, I'm writing again. That's all that matters to me when I feel this way. The rest is edited for print.

Moon Season Revisited



Photo: NASA

It’s a full moon.

I draw my energy from nature, and have always found comfort in the blue rays from our neighbor in the sky. They remind me that there’s something out there, something we cannot touch or completely understand. The moon warms the depths of my creativity and sparks the flames of inspiration. On occasion, late at night, I’ve raised my arms to its glory and accepted its call to the mysterious unknown—shush, don’t tell anyone. Yes, I love the moon, and when it’s full, I’m at my prime.

I was born during a full moon. Since then, the moon and its phases has welcomed and guided me. When dark, I'm allowed to search the stars. When brilliant, I enjoy its magic and grace. Even when it's hidden by clouds, I know when there’s a full moon close; I can feel it.

Why am I sharing this? What could the moon possibly have to do with writing? To me, it’s everything. The people in the books I create worship nature. Every whisper of the wind, every storm, every star, has a place and a memory that is sacred to them. Their struggles revolve around the moon as much as their humanity. For them, the moon takes an entire season to cross the sky.

The original name the book I keep mentioning was Moon Season. A huge part of me still wants to call it that. The main Character in my books is a girl named Rhiannon Phillips. She’s a Faerie. Her struggle during the Moon Season is the premise for the story. In my world, Faeries are chosen; they are sacred representatives of the village and its rites. I now title the book On Fallen Wings because I want to show the conflict Rhiannon faces.

This blog is about my adventure in the publishing process, and as nature speaks to me, I’ll share how it’s influencing my actions and try my best to explain my motivations. We live in a busy world that’s full of chaos and rumblings, and I’m hoping that, through my writing, I can take you away to a fantastic place where I’ve been escaping. I don’t want to give too much away before I can attach “published” to my bio, but I’m hoping you’ll join me for the journey. As Homer said, “the journey is the thing.”

Beginnings

Full disclosure: I'm writing this post under the influence of cough medicine.

2012 will be a lot of fun. That's it, that's my mantra.

I wish there were more words of brilliant wisdom that I could pass along you at this time, but unfortunately, I'm lacking right now. When I set my writing schedule, I always plan on hectic, crazy Decembers, but I had no idea how busy this year would be. In my superb planning for the release of ON FALLEN WINGS, I had a book trailer planned, promotional work, great giveaways, and lots of pure fun stuff to keep the excitement going. So...where is it? I'd like to know, too.

I'm not making the book trailer. No, I haven't lost interest. A major part of my planning for this book trailer was the inclusion of snow. Snow. That stuff that hasn't fallen. My book takes place in winter and the snow is a magical part of that. Alas, there is none, and I haven't had the time/energy to head up into the mountains just to film it. So I'm not doing the book trailer at the moment.

What about the rest? Well, it's coming. I'm keeping my release schedule, but I've had to focus my energy on fighting this blasted sickness over the last few weeks, so I've been silent (who wants to hear the sound of coughing tweets and posts? ew.) Anyway, look for good things in the future. I'll be back to my lively old self sooner than you can say DayQuil.

2012 will be a lot of fun.