Inspo ...Comes from many places.

I think most authors from time to time get asked about their inspiration for stories and how they do their research, myself included.
I recently got a question from a reader whose intention may have been the former while she wrote about the latter, asking me where I did my research about: what souls look like and how to alter them ???
    After I stopped chuckling (several minutes later) I started thinking about the nature of inspo. While the description of the soul is fiction in my novels, I did honestly put a lot of thought into it. More than the standard walking around the house mumbling to myself. And yes, I did do some um, ur, research...yes research...corresponding with theologians. Picking their brains for ideas. The general consensus being that the human spirit or soul is not something deemed tangible in as much as it is the presence of life to which the physical body plays host.
     But IF it did exist to the extent that it's visible and therefore describable -- it might have an amorphous form like vapor, liquid or light. With those options in mind, I made a conscious decision to have it resemble pure white light.

Altering it?
    Here I found that I was in virgin territory. There is no expert to consult. A soul is a soul, neither good nor bad. Now a person can change or alter their habits, their appearance, even their beliefs. Does that impact the nature of the soul itself? No one can say for sure.
    I got to thinking about pure white light again or rather the choices available for transforming it. Lighting techs use filters, gels, skims and intensity to change the tone and complexion of light on a movie set.  I couldn't envision a Paragon doing this since some of these devices are cumbersome and wouldn't fit in one's pocket.
    In a sense Paragons are ageless craftsmen and very dedicated to their duty. As many will see in the later volumes, the process of becoming a Paragon is not an easy one. Think molten lava.
    With that in mind, I did examine metallurgy and discovered iron ore is extracted and processed. While interesting it wasn't quite on par with my ideas for a Paragon's skill set.
   The light bulb went off when I was moving a sterling silver tea set that I inherited from my grandmother. Turning the tray over I saw the old hallmarks, well-worn from time and use, as to be almost smooth. I thought about the lost art of the silversmiths and how using hand tools they fashioned such beautiful pieces leaving their signatures with unique symbols and marks. Suddenly I saw in my mind exactly how Wicus would be adjusting a soul. Hence the stardust chisel and mallet of light -- tools of the trade for any Paragon.
    So I have to thank my late grandmother's love of vintage silverplate and hollowware for helping me devise a method for altering souls. Like the second verse of the old nursery rhyme says...that little teapot was clever indeed.
  Happy Reading,

P.S. Meraux

Why A Luminary?

     I get asked that question quite a lot. Some have even asked, "Why would a grown woman want to animate a candelabra for a non-kids book?"

    Well to answer that properly, I have to go back a ways to let you know something about me.  As a little girl, I used to believe that flowers whispered their stories and wishes to the bees, who in turn carried them aloft on the breeze. That was the rationale my six-year-old self had for the bees seemingly endless contact with the roses in our garden. So I guess a part of me has always pondered the possibility that there's more sentient life around us than meets the eye.

     Since I've spoken about the dream that I had involving the immortal, the witch and the candelabra -- most of my readers know about that spark of inspiration. But Waxine represents more than just the dream image. She and the other Luminaries embody an added level of diversity in the confluence of worlds that serve as the settings for these stories. 

     I write about soul mates, Paragons, witches, psychics, shapeshifters, vampires, immortals and werewolves...with such a variety of characters, the question isn't, "Why a Luminary?" To me, it's "Why Not?"

     Readers know that while the Luminary Saga focuses on an extra special human, Emily Wren, plenty of other soul mate matches are made throughout the books.  Call me a hopeful romantic. Embracing the concepts of soul mates in all their rich variation doesn't require much imagination. Every person has a soul mate, no matter their race, creed, color, religion or gender. All people have the right to happiness and love.

    What happens when they find them? 

     I like to think of them as sitting in a romantic bistro, gazing into each other's eyes. It's the kind of place where there's a seat at the table for everyone. All falling in love due to the careful orchestrations of a Paragon and a sarcastic, sentimental, smart-mouthed candelabra -- who lets him think that he's in charge. 

Happy Reading,

P.S. Meraux 

To Kill Or Not To Kill... A Character?

It’s a tricky predicament for a novelist. Having created many characters that readers genuinely seem to like and in some cases adore, I put a lot of thought into when I have to “off” someone.

Is it right for the plot?
Does it help the protagonist in a major way move forward?
Will there be repercussions?
How will I allow the protagonist to deal with it?
Become more vulnerable or less?
Be vengeful and develop new mad skills or go on a downward spiral?

These are just some of the issues that I deal with when contemplating such scholarly homicide.

Each aspect is mentally weighed and measured, to make sure that story is compelling and adds to the overall novel. As these questions and a host of others are eventually sorted through, I am left with the end result.

Somebody has got to go.

I send out the type-set hit squad and that’s it, the end. The fictional population is down by one.

I’ve gotten a few questions, about some of the people that I've given the ax to in my novels, from readers who didn’t want them to die. Requesting a literary resurrection, if you will.

I understand your attachment, perhaps better than you realize. While you have read and gotten to know them in adventure after adventure... some readers identify with the characters like they would a friend -- I gave birth to them, at least artistically speaking. I know what they look like, how they sound and  when they’re happy or horrified. And ultimately, I’m with them, in their heads in many cases writing their thoughts, as they draw their last breath.

Killing a character is never easy.

Fortunately, my characters reside in a magical landscape where anything is possible, and while I don’t guarantee that someone I have killed off will suddenly reappear in the pages of one of my future books -- sometimes characters are too damn stubborn to stay dead and find a way back.

Such is life in a supernatural universe.

Happy Reading,

P.S. Meraux 

The creative process...

     A number of people have been asking me about my 'process' for writing a top young adult fiction book series, as if I have a mysterious or scientific approach for creating a new novel or characters or settings. In truth, I don't rightly think I do.
    When I started out the Luminary Saga book series, I outlined the general actions, goals, problems and circumstances of each book and knew the core characters that would be inhabiting the worlds that I was creating...other than that, I allowed each story to unfold more organically.
     I had a number of plates spinning in the air simultaneously and didn't want to force the appearance of any particular paranormal species. Especially when tackling subject matter that involves finding a soul mate, psychic abilities, witches, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and an odd shapeshifter or two. Not to mention constructing two new races; the super immortal, Paragons, and the Luminaries. Then tying it all together in this epic, coming of age love story.
     I think when anyone is approaching such an endeavor, whether it's to create one of the best young adult paranormal romance novels that you can find online or in print  -- or one of the best science fiction and fantasy novels or ebooks, (I've been told that I'm in the wrong genre) allow yourself some wiggle room. Otherwise the chaffing can be intense.
     That said, I am a chronic note maker. I never know when inspiration is gonna strike. It shows in the files that I keep. I have (or had) a folder chock full of notes for each book.
     Ideas jotted down for this chapter or the next -- on cocktail napkins, envelopes, post-its, notebooks, appointment cards, receipts, even discarded calendar pages (yes, sometimes I get a little ridiculous about it) Case in point, check out the folder that I have for Flare, the seventh book in the Luminary Saga...on the right in the photo.

     Just for visual reference, I placed a book beside it. As you can see, I probably have too many schemes in mind for it to be a short novel. Knowing that has caused me considerable worry as there were other chapters that I culled from earlier volumes, thinking that it would help build suspense if they were added later. None of those chapters are actually in the above folder.
     And to be clear, from the outline that I currently have for Flare... there's no place for them. Rather than chuck the homeless chapters, I decided to reintegrate them into their earlier novels. But even that isn't as simple as it sounds. Other details have to be added here and there in subsequent chapters to make it all flow. Cohesion is a big part of it. Think of it as something to chat about during your next book club.
     Hopefully when I'm done, it will add rather than detract from the stories. Giving you more background into the lives of the characters. Either way, I'm positive that readers will give me their feedback. Which by the way, I honestly do appreciative.
     Of course all of this is driving my editor a little nuts, as it means that Flare's arrival may be pushed back.

Grab a copy of Beacon during this special promotion!!!!!

Now's your opportunity to catch up with the second thrilling installment of the Luminary Saga. My book, Beacon, is currently on promotion on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and Kobo. That means it's FREE!!!
For a limited time you can find out if soul mates can be un-mated and what happens when such a plan is attempted. Believe me, it's not pretty.
Get your digital download of Beacon before this promotion ends on June 24th.

For a free copy of Beacon click here:

For a free copy of Beacon click here:

                                       

For a free copy of Beacon click here:

                       

For a free copy of Beacon click here: 

Beacon Excerpt:

She trudged across campus inwardly beating herself up for her stupidity, as she thought of it. Now she'd have to see him again. She told herself to act like it didn't matter and would be on her best behavior. She wouldn't lose her temper or act jealous or reveal that she'd seen him with his lady friend. She'd concentrate on not allowing Professor Chang's garbled English make her crazy, not lose her patience. Mental pep talk complete, she felt considerably better now with a game plan. 

Emily purchased the new used textbook, stowed it in her backpack and finished her water and crackers as she headed to her next class. Somewhere between the start of it and its conclusion, her resolve faltered. Knowing that she was going to see David in 90 minutes was playing havoc with her fortitude.

Deciding to grab a sandwich in the student center deli to calm the nervous butterflies in her stomach, didn't help much. She went into the restroom and splashed some water on her face. Taking stock of her reflection, she was critical of her appearance.   

Her long curly brown hair hung down like a curtain over her shoulders. She ran her fingers through it, loving the silky feel. The image in the mirror was too pale and her lips were too large. She liked her eyes, people told her that she had nice eyes. Her thick eyebrows were problematic, while they provided natural definition to her eyes, they could get heavy and she had to pluck the center space to ensure that she didn't have a unibrow. 

She was wearing her blue, striped, silk blouse, skinny jeans and her uggs. The blouse's color enhanced the cobalt hue of her eyes, she mused, pleased. She berated herself for not putting more thought into the outfit. In her defense, she'd forgotten about the class and didn't realize that she'd be running into HIM. Usually on the first day of classes, all she wanted was to be comfortable.  

                  * * * * * * * * 

The Wisconsin transplant took her time getting to know people, she was quite gifted at seeing them the way they really were and not taken in by appearance or illusion. Her quick mind allowed her to assess people easily. She could be gullible when it came to their motives however. Emily had a kind and pure heart. She did what was right by others and expected the same in return. Sensible and aware of her strengths and weaknesses, she didn't put on airs. Her own inner candor made her a good writer and helped in the development of characters for her short stories.

Emily assumed that she could use that knowledge during Mr. Chang's class. She'd observe and mentally  record details of her experience to use for a story later one, she mused. Approaching the situation that way enabled her to have a different perspective. Now that she'd decided to turn the un-comfortableness into a learning tool, she didn't dread it as much. She felt better, not a lot, but some. 

The American Lit major waited as long as she dared until she went to the correct classroom in the science and engineering building.

Professor Chang was standing in front of a smart screen talking to his teaching assistant, Frank, when she entered. There were computers on each of the desks, the room was normally used as a lab for the computer science majors. Most of the students sat in the back of the class which left the first two rows almost empty.

She walked to the second row and sat down without looking around. So far so good, she'd thought. Her luck didn't hold out for long. A boy that knew Emily was sitting a few rows back. He called out to her.

"Emily, Hey Emily...I'm surprised that you're here," said her nerd friend, Dylan, in a low tone.

"My adviser wanted me to take it...I need another elective," she said turning around in her seat, then froze as she spotted David. He was sitting a few desks away. He was looking directly at her. Gorgeous as the day he'd come to her rescue. Damn his knight-in-shinning-armor, fairy-tale prince good looks, she thought. 

He'd seen her notice him. 

She couldn't help but meet his eyes with her own. Be on your best behavior, she thought. She smiled in acknowledgment, felt her cheeks grow warm and swiftly turned to face forward.

Frank was handing out the syllabus and collecting email addresses for the professor. She focused her attention on the paper he gave her as she jotted down her information.

Profession Chang started lecturing before Frank had made it halfway round the room. She spent the rest of the class looking at his power-point presentation and talking notes. It was surprisingly easy to ignore the instructor's verbal faux pas, knowing that David was only a few feet away. As long as she did that, it was fine. 

Emily's mind raced ahead. What should she do when class was over? she thought. It would be rude to walk away without saying something. David had helped her after all, she mused. She was torn between wanting to talk to him and not. He has someone in his life, her thoughts warned.

He knew that she'd seen him. Emily was big on doing the right thing. She told herself to stop overthinking the circumstances and decided that if he spoke to her, she'd be polite and  answer him.  There was no need to go looking for trouble.

However, that didn't stop trouble from coming for her. 

New promotion going up soon on iLoveEbooks.com for my novel Luminary, which is now free on Amazon.com.
Check it out.

Why my interview was incomplete.

Really enjoyed the thought-provoking Q & A with Smashwords but I think I left a few things out. Allow me to fix that oversight.
    I'm an expert in house painting, a master at romance and a bit of a pariah in Afghanistan...(if it wouldn't get me in trouble, I'd explain).
    I play the baritone ukulele, was scouted by a certain high-level intelligence agency (can you imagine?) and I'm the subject of many internet searches.
    When I'm not creating new universes, characters or story-lines -- I climb severe mountain trails up into the Himalayas or go hang-gliding off the coast of the mid Atlanta seaboard. I've crashed and floated not burned. Landing in the ocean on more than one occasion. Luckily I used to be a lifeguard (insert your Baywatch joke here).
    Fashionistas far and wide gush over my original interpretations for up-scaling old prom dresses. I have mad skills as an interior decorator, the people who bought my old house loved the decor so much, they included it as part of the deal. Score!
    What inspires me to get out of bed and write each day? Read my Smashwords Interview .

Reviews: Praise for Luminary!

'P.S. Meraux is a wonderful storyteller. Excellent reading for both fun & recreation' - Kindle reviewer 'The multiple options for Emily's soul mates were believable and surprising! I knew exactly how Wicus felt at every surprising twist.' - Kindle reviewer 'Love the characters and the story line; reading the books in order; couldn't put them down.' - Kindle reviewer 'All written well with realistic dialogue' - Kindle reviewer 'She can't crank out this series fast enough to suit me. Keep 'em coming, I wanna know who Emily falls for!' - Kindle reviewer 'Once again you're taking us for a great ride' - Kindle reviewer 'I'd give the whole Luminary Saga novels 5 stars --even though I'm waiting for the final installment' - Kindle reviewer 'I'm desperate to see what happens to Emily, will they all survive?' - Kindle reviewer

Beam is out!

Excited that my sixth book in the Luminary Saga, Beam, is now out. It's available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Smashwords and Kobo.

Here are some handy links:


For Amazon.com

For Barnes and Noble

For Smashwords.com