Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts

Monday, October 31, 2016

NaNoWriMo! Ready....Set....WRITE!

Starting on my NaNoWriMo Today!  whoo hooo!   Writing a novel in 30 days!  Haven't done this in a couple of years--kinda rusty.  So here goes NOTHING!  *LOL*






A witch killer has come to Louisville.  The first kill.  A coven of four young women,  all in their early twenties, along with their animal familiars are found dead on the banks of the Ohio.  Their throats slit in a manner of a skilled surgeon.  The second kill.  Twelve hours later, a coven devoted to the cat Goddess Bast, and all their familiars, are  found dead.  Their bodies carefully laid out around a statue of Bast the Cat Goddess in the clearing on the Anderson farm on the east side of town.

There had been no trace evidence.  The victims had all been killed in another location, cleaned, dressed and then carefully laid out  specifically where they had been found.   It wasn't until the second kill the authorities was provided with motive.  But still no witnesses.  At least none they were aware of.   None that they even noticed.  Patricia Wells,  the pretty little blonde who hiked the trails of the Anderson farm daily,   was completely unaware there was a witness.   Even after discovering the bodies, Patricia still had no idea.   Jon Downs, the lead homicide detective,  with all his years of experience and skills was unaware there was a witness.  Jackie Harper the forensic technician who meticulously combed through the crime scene was unaware there was a witness.  Unbeknownst to them all the sole witness was there.  Right in front of them.

But how could they know?  They were unbelievers.  They would not--could not accept the miracle of what had occurred just hours after the witch hunter had finished laying out the lifeless bodies.  How would they have been able to accept the fact that just before the sun broke over the horizon, as she lay dying the High Priestess of the second coven managed to cast a spell  that sent her spirit into her dead Siamese cat?    They were all too sensible,  too logical,  for any of that hocus pocus.

Unnoticed, the witness sat high atop the statue watching with detached interest the crime scene specialists moving about below.   She knew the clues they so desperately were seeking would not be found.  Only the witness knew where the clues were hidden.   More importantly,  the witness knew she had a little over  twelve hours before the next coven would be killed.  The witch hunter had explained it all before ending her previous life.  

The sadness that overwhelmed her was now replaced with sheer determination.  Mourning her beloved coven would have to wait.  Rising to her feet, the witness tilted her head to one side as the man in a blue jumpsuit pulled the zipper of the black  bag over the body of Terri Rhodes.   In that moment, the last shred of loss for her former self began to fade.   

Leaping to the ground, the witness knew what she had to do now.  She didn't know how or even where to look.   The witness only knew that one way or the other, she had to find the one person who could stop the witch hunter...Teddy Mitchell.


About The Author

An avid writer,  Julia's blogs are filled with a wide assortment of articles.  Spirituality, religious, political, everyday living tips you name it, Julia writes and posts about it!

Julia’s very first published book Children of the Luminaries Book I:  The Coming Storm was released in the summer of 2014 and can be purchased on Amazon. The last two installments of this trilogy is set  to be released in 2017 and 2018.

Julia is also one of the contributors to Real Zombies, The Living Dead, and Creatures of the Apocalypse by Brad Steiger; Chinese Sexual Astrology by Shelly Wu , Destiny vs. Choice by Marie D. Jones and Julia's poem You Kept Your Promise can be found in Stars in Our Hearts-- a compilation of stories and poems dedicated to psychic medium Sylvia Brown.


Friday, September 19, 2014

Living The Dream


In my humble opinion, I believe everybody should write at least one book and publish it!   No, it may never be a number one best seller.  But at least it was written and it was put out there for all to see and enjoy.  And that's an accomplishment you can live with!

I was talking to a co-worker the other day about Children of the Luminaries.  She mentioned how she always wanted to publish a book herself.  Naturally, I told her to do it!   Sadly, she said she could never do it because no one would ever read it.  I then gave her the advice that was given me many years ago. 


Never write for others.  Always write for yourself.  Write what you would like to read.  Write about the things you enjoy!  And if others read your work and discover they like it and enjoy it, then you have doubled your blessings!
 
Wise words from the one and only, Ray Bradbury!

Of course then she told me how she had been working on one particular novel since she was a teenager.  She griped about how it was just taking too long to write. I laughed and informed  her when I had actually started writing Children of the Luminaries.  She was a little shocked and relieved all at the same time.

You see, the very first time I sat down to draft out Children of the Luminaries was written 25 years ago.  We're talking 1990 here.    On an electric typewriter no less!  The second draft didn't happen until 8 years after that.  I had gotten a used word processor and keyed in the first draft, making changes along the way.   I put it away and didn't pick it back up until late 2003.  In 2011, I shared the story with an online acquaintance who had a publishing business.  Unfortunately, she and I had different ideas on how the story should go, so we parted ways. 

It wasn't until late 2013 that my best friend told me that we are going to publish it ourselves.  And we did.  It took us a year and a half to get everything set up.  But once that proverbial ball got moving...it MOVED!


On July 25, 2014, the first book of the Children of the Luminaries trilogy became a physical manifestation. 

Now my journey isn't unique and it's far from over.  Did you know there are quite a few people out there who got started late in life and succeeded in fulfilling their dreams of being a writer?  Yep!  It's True!  And you can too!

My sharing my personal story is to remind you that your dreams will always be with you.  But only YOU can live them out.  Only YOU can fulfill them.  Don't let the passages of time be a deterrent. Just DO IT!  I mean...what do you have to lose?


​ Don't wait until you have the time...MAKE the time!  Write about the things you know, the things you enjoy, the things that excite you.  Just DO IT!

One of my favorite yearly exercises is writing a novel in thirty days.  It's actually a national contest held yearly online.  Lots of fun!  And oh quite so liberating!

But you don't have to join any contest to put forth the effort of letting your fingers fly on the keyboard.  Just take an hour a day every single day for the next 30 days and write your story.  Don't look at what you wrote.  Don't try to correct yourself.  Just DO IT! 

I will leave you with this last piece of sage advice that was given to me years ago by my mentor Joseph "CASAC" Casis.

"For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these:  "It might have been."  John Greenleaf Wittier