Book anniversary

It was ten years ago that my first book "The Soul Seekers" came out with Wido publishing. I was very lucky to have them take me on--the whole process of writing, editing and publishing was amazing. They made my dream my dream come true! 'The Soul Seekers" came from a childhood of practically living inside a library--my mother ran one in our small town situated on a Main Street a lot like the one in the Andy Griffith Show. The kind of Main Street you sped through too fast and never thought about again. Personally those are my favorite towns, so of course I wanted to write the book in a similar setting in a similar feel of empty space and stories untold. The book was also born of a strange fascination with ghosts and all things spirit. At the time everyone was talking about Twilight, but I wanted to write about a girl who could see ghosts, not vampires.

What I didn't know was that the story would turn into a spyglass of today's current political division. 

The Soul Seekers was comprised of a sect of men who controlled a small town in Indiana called Springvale. These men ruled everything, including a young man with a soul so powerful they tried to steal it. Something went wrong in the ceremony, yet somehow he survived but was left invisible to the rest of the world. A veritable ghost stuck in a library--the only place he felt safe. In their prim suits and black horn-rimmed glasses, The Soul Seekers intended to claim the rest of his soul so they could defeat their own mortality. But they didn't just want his soul--they wanted everyone else's. I wanted to show how easily it was to watch the people of Springvale turn into veritable zombies under the rule of these men, including the main character's own mother, and the only thing which could save her or anyone else from the perversion, the cult, was an inner knowing of what humanity and decency looks and feels like, to understand LOVE and to be rebellious against indoctrination. 

People wondered why I wrote a silly, teenage paranormal romance, but I didn't. I wrote much more than that. 

There were things that happened to me while writing "The Soul Seekers" I still can't explain. Like the time I went to the store and a group of men JUST LIKE THE MEN IN THE BOOK came up to me and then left with no words spoken. Talk about manifestation. It was spooky . . . but also a great confirmation that I was on the right track. The universe was sending me signs to show I was in alignment. 

I'll always love "The Soul Seekers" in that sparkly, teenage Amy part of me that can never fade. If you haven't read it, or the following two books, "The Love Seekers" and "The Time Seekers," please give them a chance. If only for the fun of it. Because that's what reading should be!

Thanks for reading and much love. 

Trump 2020

 

                                    Let’s build 

a wall

Around

everything

Around you

Around me

Around us

Around this

God bless the White House

For Witch Hunt

it stains

Ring around the Rosie

Pocket full of Hate

No gate

Too late.

Wal-mart.

Wallmart.

Wall.

Oh say can you see . . .

pencil-neck, horseface, crazy, lyin, cheatin, Dem-oh-RAT?

I heart Mexico.

But God Bless ‘merica

they

let

me

do

anything

And do it do it do it

Do it

Do it

Do it.

I gotta keep

Them

in

I’m

Scared,

Desperate,

Alone,

Help

me

Win.

Father?

I’m sorry.

Russia,

are you

listening?

No, no . . . not Van Gogh

I'm sure you've all heard of the protestors who threw soup on a Van Gogh. So much controversy and conversation, and I'm no different. My instant reaction was anger, upset, revulsion. Spoiled brats, etc. I didn't think anything of their hair dye or the fact that they had to fly or take a train to get to the museum, no, I just didn't like the idea of people throwing soup on a beautiful piece of art. Then you have supporters who think pro-art people like me are stupid. I said, hey, if I throw soup on a painting right now will it help change your mind? That really made them mad. But here's the thing: I'm not right, and they're not either. None of us are right. And it's not even about the art. I think people want to be heard--the earth most of all. 

I do get why the protestors did it. And I know they had good intentions. The method could be better, but point taken it made us all talk about doing things that are more eco-friendly. Should we all start defacing art and music and anything that is dear and precious and beautiful? No. Certainly not. But we can and should do better. The problem is the people who have the money and power aren't listening. They need to listen. We need to start changing how we do things.

During the pandemic when everyone was stuck at home and the roads and sky were practically void of traffic, Mother Nature did a quick turnaround. It was astounding. So why don't we utilize those methods again where people worked at home and students took on-line classes? I never understood why we forced everyone to go back so soon . . . you have to admit, something was working.

But the thing about the art, sunflowers. That image which Van Gogh painted from the depths of his miserable, depressed, suicidal soul. . . it brought light and hope to himself and others. It makes me think of dear Ukraine. This is why I think I reacted so strongly at first--sunflowers represent their have valiant fight against evil P*tin. 

Yet at the end of the day we can't keep having rash, angry outbursts to make a point. We need to work it out. In the 90s there were tons of those stupid talk shows where people ranted against each other for one issue or the other, but point being, they worked it out. Maybe we should start doing that again and stop with all the crazy online banter. 

Also, if everyone did peaceful things like enjoy the earth, paint sunflowers, visit museums . . . maybe things would be better. 

But you know what bothers me those most? Why didn't they pick a Warhol? That would have made much more sense.