Inspiration

Wow, it's been a while since I posted. Things have been a little crazy the last three weeks. Unexpected surgery that required some recovery time. Everything's fine. Nuf said.

I did, however, have plenty of time to read...and think...and plot.

During my forced recuperation, I discovered Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series (first six books anyway-ordering the rest!). I LOVE these characters and plotlines. There's nothing like a fantabulously, well-written story to inspire the hell out of me.When I get sucked into a world and devour page after page, I know I'm reading the work of a master story teller. When a character makes me smile, laugh out loud, or cry, I realize how much of themselves an author has poured into their book. Each emotion, action, and reaction the characters experience are an unguarded peek into the author's psyche. That extention of self, for me, is humbling.

I remind myself of these very things every time I sit before my keyboard and breathe life into my characters. I want to evoke those kinds of responses from the people who read my work. Giving someone a reason to smile lightens the heart. Making someone laugh is a wonderous gift. Sharing another's tears brings each of us, as individual beings, closer to being whole.

And though I'm compelled to write, I will always strive to improve my skills. The characters that speak to me deserve no less. The people that read those characters' stories deserve more.