Friday, November 16, 2012

Why I Live Paranormal…



For me, paranormal embodies the immensity of the inexplicable, the unseen, the unquantifiable. Science fiction, fantasy, supernatural and horror all blend together in a realm of pure creation where boundaries don’t exist. It boils down quite simply, where do I want to live?

Writing paranormal allows me to invent mind-boggling worlds full of characters with limitless potential and a bit of love story thrown in. Any story, any character quirk, any scenario flipped into a paranormal venue means my writing can go into the past, the future, the nether world, outer and inner space. No boundaries… as an artist, I love that freedom of expression. So with Smitten Image, I jumped into the future and immersed myself in painting, which I know, and magic, which no one knows! How much fun can a writer have?

 (Excerpt) She had pulled her paint smock off over her head, skimmed out of her T-shirt and unzipped her jeans when she heard a loud sucking sound behind her. Turning, Lily watched in horror as the figure in the painting moved. Just a twitch of a hand at first, a stretch of an arm. Then in one violent lunge, the man tore himself free of the canvas and stepped onto the floor, real, animated, looking around her apartment with every naked inch of his skin gleaming in fresh oil.

In Smitten Image, Lily drinks a love potion that torques her inherent magic into an omnipotent power, volatile and unpredictable. Magic can be as simple or complex as the story needs. As a writer, I chose language and imagery to illustrate the paranormal phenomenon I wanted the characters to feel, sense, fear.

(Excerpt) It took no great leap of imagination to see that this sudden green house explosion came from magic. Lily’s own damned magic! Somehow her lovely houseplants were feeding off her powers as if she’d offered up bloody fingers like the clerk in Little Shop of Horrors!
 She hauled a ladder up from the basement and was cutting free the ceiling when she heard a tinny voice near her ear. “Half a league, half a league, half a league onward!”
On the string of lights dangling amongst the leaves, a pink flamingo grinned at her. Lily’s jaw dropped, and so did the shears, and she hugged the ladder in sudden, disconcerted vertigo.
Another voice spoke, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” God’s Afire, the plastic flamingos were quoting poetry! Shakespeare and Tennyson, no less.

I absolutely love writing dialogue and in a paranormal context dialogues just aren’t normal! I can have as much fun and go as far with humor as I need a mood to take the reader. That doesn’t always mean keeping it light. Sometimes, contrast and conflict make for terrorizing rides into the deep dark.

(Excerpt) Half afraid a complete body sketch might jump to life out of her sketchbook, Lily focused on drawing only the model’s hands in different positions, the angle of his arm meeting the shoulder, or a foot curving into an ankle. Tonight she felt wound tight as a hair trigger, waiting ... waiting for the articulated body parts to animate themselves like zombie limbs in a B horror flick! Long before the session ended, she’d slapped her sketchbook closed and splurged on a taxi cab ride home. That night she dreamed of headless torsos walking the streets and woke screaming, clutching the geode to her chest like a talisman.
The idea that an incomprehensible power she couldn’t control lived like a freakish thing inside of her became a kind of suspended panic in her mind. She painted like a mad fiend, slapping tumultuous emotions onto every canvas along with the paint. Loneliness consumed her…

So leap into 2039 New Chicago with Smitten Image, Lily Barnett, her best friend Daniel, magic, love, fear… and me. You’ll have fun, I promise.
















































































































































































































































































36 comments:

  1. I am so glad to have found you on this blog hop. I can't wait to read some of your works!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Kimberly! Thanks for finding me, I'm going to look for you now! Did you sign up here to win a free book? I'm giving one ebook and one paperback of Smitten Image away. It's a Christmas deal!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What I love about your writing is your ability to put words together to create an image or a scene. I find myself copying phrases into my notebook, just to savor them and reflect on the sensations, visual and emotional, that they bring to me, the reader. I hope you write more books!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks Jackie! What awesome words, you just made my day! And I have a paperback copy with your name already on it. So let's do lunch soon, before we're snowed in!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am so glad to have found you on this blog hop. I can't wait to read some of your works!

    ReplyDelete
  6. That's why I love reading paranormal, there are no boundaries. I like thinking what if vampires, and such exist.

    vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love blog hopping because it adds new books to my to read list! The library is my fav escape location! LOL!

    grapeapril75(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Laurie! I'm glad you found my blog too. I have a blast writing these often silly ditties! Come back anytime, I'll keep my eye out for ya!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi BLHmistress! You could be in my head, or I could be in yours! Isn't paranormal just trippy fun way cooler than real life? Thanks for stopping by, come anytime.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello K. April Holgate! I'm so glad you stopped by, hope you found some new authors to explore. As an ex-librarian, I couldn't agree with you more about the best place to escape to!! Thanks for commenting and come back anytime.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Enjoyed reading your post! Thanks for doing the blog hop and a chance to win! I love reading as a form of escape, love reading YA and Adult romance and paranormal! My favorite place to read is curled up in my chair in my little 'library'!

    kacidesigns AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for being a part of the hop and sharing the excerpts :)

    BeckeyWhiteATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  13. I too am an artist and if that happen to me, man I would always be drawing or painting hot sex men.! LOL Sounds like a great read! Thanks for the hop!!

    kp_kazamei(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love paranormal!!

    Definitely going to sign up for the free book giveaway!!

    booksconsidered[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you, Kaci. I'm with you all the way!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Beckey, and thank you for stopping by for a read! I'm liking this hoppin' stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi, Kipha. Wouldn't it just be fun if this really happened? A one night stand whenever the mood strikes!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank Eva, for stopping by. And yes sign up! I love giving way my stuff, ask anyone!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hey, Pam! First time I've read these excerpts from your book and it sounds great! Hope you enjoy the rest of the hop!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hey, M.J., So glad you stopped by and read the excerpts. I haven't put any other there except for on a small blog tour I did. So it was fun to share! I'll do it more often now! Hope you signed up for a free book!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Pam,

    Paranormal writing does take a creative mind that suspends reality but make it seem possible. If I’m not transported in the story, it’s a disappointment. I treat each book as if I’m a bystander watching the scenes as they unfold. I like to see in my mind’s eye the people, surroundings, and emotions. I know I’m engaged when I can’t put the book down until I’m done. The story has to have all the elements of a good story to hook me. If not, I feel cheated. I love some but not all of the different offerings. You are a new author to me. I will be check you out for future reads.

    Thanks for the opportunity to meet you, explore your site and share.

    Belinda G
    belgre@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
  22. Fun excerpts...world-building must be complex but satisfying!

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love world building, I've decided. Fantasy is where it's at!!

      Delete
  23. Blending your art what a wonderful effect! Great to meet you through this, my very first, blog hop!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you stopped by, Carole-Ann, and thanks. Seeing the world as an artist helps make me a better writer, I think. This is my first blog hop too, I've had so much fun getting to know other authors.

      Delete
  24. Great excerpts! I have always loved paranormal books!
    sqwalker2@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad you stopped by, Liese. The diversity of paranormal books always amazes me. They are no longer about just vampires. I love it!

      Delete
  25. Thank you Belinda! I know exactly what you mean about having to be completely sucked in by a story, the characters, everything. It's why I read all kinds of books, so fun to live in other places. I hope you signed up to win a free copy of Smitten Image. I love discriminating readers!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. My fiction of choice is paranormal romance.
    bituin76 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I concur! So much in the "paranormal" genre to pick from!! Thanks for stopping by, Jan, appreciate it!

      Delete
  27. Yay!! Just stopping by on my way around the hop! This is so much fun!

    Rionna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I tried to write a new blog for the last two days, it was ready, I copied it and poof, the whole thing disappeared! Couldn't restore it or anything so figured I wasn't meant to post a new blog! Hope Corinn had a marvelous birthday!!

      Delete
  28. I like all kinds of fiction. AS long as the story is good, the characters are believable, the plot makes sense, and there is a happy ending I am fine with almost any genre.
    mel
    bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So great of you to participate, Melissa. I hope you found as many ideas and authors to fill the winter reading. The diversity and creativity of this group is astounding. I love my Crimson sisters and know we all appreciate everyone who helped us celebrate our first joint party! Thanks for being a part of us!

      Delete
  29. Thanks for participating in the blog hop!

    bme722 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had a blast, read so many new authors' blogs and met so many of the newer authors. How awesome yo be part of an author's groups so amazing!

      Delete