What follows is offered as a glimpse into my creative process as an author. It may or may not be typical of others, but for me at least, this is roughly how my ideas begin the tedious, yet wonderful path into publication.
As writers, I believe we will all agree that a muse, any muse, is worth their weight in gold, and frankly, many of my books have seemed to come from someone or something foreign to me. Inspiration is as mysterious to me now as it was when my first manuscript was completed and the eventual novel, SEVEN FISH TREE, was published.
I recognize and appreciate that this incredible journey in words was and thankfully, continues to be, a gift from above.
Please pardon the use of a weary and worn cliche, but in fact, variety is the spice of life. This is also true for those of us who spend endless, mostly joyful, hours of writing stories and publishing books.
At times, the tales that draw us in are as unfamiliar as the tardy rabbit’s hole that Alice tumbles into. As writers and authors, we may well know the hole is there, but sometimes, the stories possess a life and clock of their own. Their entrance honors no particular genre, time, or date. Such were the genesis and evolution of my latest book, a novelette, entitled CHRISTMAS PAST: AN ANGEL’S STORY.
It was a difficult task to listen to this Christmas muse, so out of season, but apparently, an angel flooded my thoughts with memories of my family’s past. Once again, like during SEVEN FISH TREE, I was compelled to write a story that came from beyond or above me. I chose the adamant source to be the narrator of this tale. In essence, the angel pushed me down this abyss without me knowing it was one step ahead.
The overwhelming majority of what is presented in this novelette is true. Wrestling with the idea of changing everyone’s name within it became a solitary process. The muse was silent on this one, as she was initially for this work’s cover concept.
To some people, or possibly most, out there, this may sound a tad insane or as mad as the Hatter, but to those who write, it’ll make perfect sense. If my statements ring sane to you, you’ll also agree that our muses rarely appreciate the troubles they have caused.
A year or so ago I had toyed around wth the idea of using a marvelous image from the Hubble Telescope for a book cover. The necessary contacts were made with the folks who control such greatness. That’s right, they wrote me back, and they, STScl, are amazingly friendly and accommodating.
My angel muse stepped into the decision process and what better place to find a heavenly influence than through the wide, powerful eye of Hubble. Once again, I bugged the Hubble gang, and with their blessings, they approved my book’s cover concept.
Angels and God do move in mysterious ways.
Despite the timing, the evolution of a story, cover, book, or muse can be fascinating tales within themselves.
It’s never too early or late for a heart-rending, yet tender and inspirational, Christmas story shown by an angel named Percy.
I hope you will visit and enjoy my Christmas story that gushed forth in May, arriving like a forgotten present from a CHRISTMAS PAST: AN ANGEL’S STORY.
