Character Illness
Have you created a character who sickens and/or dies? Or maybe a character—for plot’s sake—just has TO GO! Make it awesome by having their illness be SYMBOLIC or IRONIC or DIVINE . Writers often use illness to reveal a character’s: flaws or...Character Descriptions
YOU see the characters in your mind…more importantly, does the reader? And is it necessary they see your vision? Although physical descriptions and a thorough biographical summary of each major character is found in older fiction, the current trend is to reveal...Character Names
You have a great idea for a story! Now you just have to give those characters names! Name them with purpose! Names are important! Why? A name can: identify 1) personality; 2) temperament; 3) a physical trait; or 4) a character flaw or strength. be...Authorveillance
Yep! I made that word up. Writers can do that! Authorveillance: noun: Observing human interaction and/or individuals for the express purpose of using their mannerisms, speech patterns, physique, appearance, personality, problems, or quirks in your next novel....Body Art
Piercings. Tattoos. Body Adornments. Body art goes waaaaay back. Otzi, a 5300 yr-old mummy found in the Alps, had 59 tattoos! And stretched earlobes! And don’t forget those Easter Island Heads! They have stretched lobes too! I wouldn’t be surprised if...Sumerian Magic & Sorcery
The perfect day for MAGIC! We love it! And remain enthralled by its mystery, mysticism, and supernatural power! You know you believe—or you really, really want to–because everyone wants a little magic in their lives! Ancient Mesopotamians were no...Ranch Weddings
I attended a wedding at a ranch in the middle of almost nowhere. (Nowhere: suburbanite’s definition for “this town has no Starbucks”) This wedding was different from all the others I attended because—aside from the bride’s family...4 Elementals
They are supernaturally natural! The Elementals: aka: Sylphs. Gnomes. Salamanders. Undines. All created by God to protect the world from negligent wasteful humans. Maybe you’ve heard of them? Elementals look like humans but do not possess immortal souls. They...Devilish Details
Heaven. Hell. Angels. Demons. A world of difference? Or a difference of worlds? The devil’s in the details! Folks often use the names “Lucifer” and “Satan” as though they were interchangeable and one in the same. They’re not. Isaiah...Leadership & Authorship
I’m helping students analyze Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage. The book chronicles the amazing survival and struggles of 28 men stranded on the Antarctic ice floes for almost 2 years during a 1914 expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackleton....Merkabah Facts
The most frequent question I’m asked is “What’s a Merkabah?” The short answer: The Merkabah is an ancient geometry and spiritual tool found in many religions. Pronounce it as though each syllable was its own word: Mer …..kah….bah. The word comes from ancient Egyptian...Chakra Quick Guide
For those of you who are not exactly sure what chakras are, here’s a quick definition. A chakra is the wheel of light spinning around you, and the spinning energy created by the vortex of magnetic earth energies and electric cosmos energies. The convergence of...Didn’t
Didn’t wake up early, kept pressing snooze can’t find nothin’ to wear, didn’t have the right shoes didn’t remember to defrost dinner for tonight didn’t remember to turn off the back porch light. Didn’t eat a good...Homey Grown
WARNING: Hubby kidnapped my computer so he could “write” a blog. Hubby’s writing is limited to emails, specs, payroll checks, and signing birthday cards, so I was very suspicious. Here’s a censored version of our ever-so-friendly conversation....
Review excerpt from SHADE TREE BOOK REVIEWS: recommend Merkabah as a must read, especially for the para-normal, ancient history, thriller seeker, audience, and anyone who wants a novel that seems to turn the pages for you as you dive between the covers and into the thick of the story with Daphne and S.J.
Review excerpt from SHADE TREE BOOK REVIEWS: As with any great first novel in a series, it left me panting and begging for more. The second novel in the series, The Merkabah Deception utilized The Recruit as a diving platform to send me deep into the muck and mire of the ancient gods and demons ongoing battle of the spiritual world.
Review excerpt from SHADE TREE BOOK REVIEWS: The story between Daphne, the introverted doctoral candidate/college professor, and S. J., the demi-god/Nephilim heats to a boil as the “Watchers” seem to become more involved in the love affair between a human and a Watcher. This is only the sideline to the action-filled storyline as Daphne’s powers as a Merkabah continue to increase and she continues to fight the demons that are co-habiting earth with us mere earthlings.
