Samhain Publishing

I asked myself today, what to write a blog on? I was watching Bones, and episode where Cindi Lauper is a psychic. So I figured, there’s my inspiration. I’ve read cards for well over 20 years, and use them for inspiration, so why not pick a topic that way. I went to www.facade.com, selected a deck, the three card spread, and go with it. So, eight of pentacles, King of Swords, and The Sun, for me translated into working physically and mentally to effect a change and manifest a skill or talent at a higher level. The King, the pivot point, asks us, what are we willing to lay in to get where we want to go, because the King of Swords is a disciplined character who will go to the boards and give up whatever is necessary to achieve an end. So this is really a message of more than simple growth – this is the universe saying give it your all and all if it will come back your way, ten thousand fold.

I like writing heroes with that particular make up. Guys who will pull out all the stops. I don’t like books or shows where the hero is too angst ridden over decision making. He may take pause, but he does what he needs to do because someone has to do it, because it’s necessary, because it’s hard but it’s right. And I think that’s what allows them to come to the end of the road, reborn, as the Sun indicates, but in a higher and more evolved form – you know, the kind of form that can have a happily ever after with the heroine.

I think in our own lives, particularly the creative realm, we sometimes must emulate these hard core boys. So often, success is just five seconds more of struggle, the fifth idea as opposed to ideas one through four. Maybe it’s junking chapters 1 – 3 and restarting with a cleaner idea, a more scaled back approach to get to the essence. It’s hard to get rid of what you create, but the eight tells us we must perfect, and sometimes that means getting rid of practice models in favor of the evolved product. Other times, it’s writing when you don’t feel like writing and would rather day dream, or vacuum or change the little box: Gods – do anything other than face another blank page.

In Immortal Protector, Gideon started out as two people. Seth started out as a heel, but redeemed himself. Left as the heel, the book wasn’t working, so I had to hit the boards again and rework to evolve.

In Immortal Illusions, scene after ass kicking scene was cut prior to submission to an editor because as cool as they were, they had zero impact on the story. Once again, I had a major heel, who turned heroic at the last possible moment. The story called for it, so I had to cowboy up and get it done.

In my latest work in progress, I had to take what was essentially two stories wrapped up in about forty thousand words, and split them into two books. The hero was made harder, the heroine sharper.

And writing when you can come up with a million excuses to do otherwise? Writers, I want you to picture that King of Swords, blade poised, ruthless in pursuit of what he desires. I want you to remember what you desire – to bring peace to the voices in your head, to get the story to page, to make your reader sigh in delight as she is transported to a world of happily ever after. Anything worth the price, is worth the fight. That is my message to whomever chances to read this post, the message the universe wanted to put out there: Give yourself permission to be hardcore and get it done. Give yourself over to your inner hard core hero/heroine, and it will take you as far as you allow.