Blog Archives
Her Crushing Addiction
Chrysalis follows a drug dealer/addict as she discovers she has special abilities and discovers a secret society where people with abilities jockey for power. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
It’s a story that was brewing in my mind for years. I myself used to be a drug addict (I’ve been clean now for two years), and by being one, I knew plenty of others as well. Nearly all of them were “normal” people who could be described as “high-functioning” addicts. They’d hold down jobs, pay taxes, try their best with their family life, had hobbies and other interests, and so on. I felt that all mediums of entertainment damn near always showed an addict as some cretin in a filthy back alley. An instant villain. For me, this would completely shatter my immersion, because that’s simply not how most of “us” operated. Most addicts are trying to escape pain. Pain from life’s traumas, as well as literal physical pain. To immediately consider someone less than human because they have an addiction is the complete opposite of how we should be approaching the matter.
I wanted to write a story where the concept of addiction is portrayed accurately. I thought it would be a cool idea to take a “troubled” individual and then grant them supernatural power. As you can see in Chrysalis, Juniper’s powers are practically an afterthought for her when contrasted with her crushing addiction to heroin and other opiates. It was important to me to show that she is a fully realized human being. Meaning, human beings are creatures full of nuance and drives, and it’s important to keep a sense of humor, even when going through hard times and life’s challenges.
-Juniper is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
That’s a great question. I felt it was important to relay the idea that these “Enlightened” are normal people who just happen to be capable of exceptional things. Just because you can conjure a fireball from thin air doesn’t mean that gives you a license to be an asshole. As far as Juniper’s ideals go, I’d summarize her like this: At her core, Juniper is a good human being. She has a quicksilver mind and sharp wit. She’s damaged, quick to laugh & smile, HATES authority, bucks at traditional establishments, and has zero patience for bigotry, racism, and xenophobia. Although she tries her best to stay as a lone wolf, whenever she is in a situation that calls for leadership; somehow, someway, people insist on throwing her into that role.
Leadership to her is something she balks at, because she recognizes the enormous responsibility of being in that role. She feels that if she’s the one other people are looking to for guidance, then everyone must be in a terrible position (Hah!). But she’s good at it. She radiates a natural charisma that people around her are drawn to. She IS leadership material, but the role of leader is one that makes her quite uncomfortable.
-What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Embrace the role of the outsider. Don’t be afraid to be the one to speak up differently from the rest of the crowd. Sometimes, that is an extremely difficult thing to do, but in doing so, you’ll attract others that think like yourself, and before you know it, you’ll have a special group of your own. Your own crowd. The loyalty that comes from alienated people who finally find their “tribe” is on a whole other level.
Here, I’ll finish this part up with this. Technically, I wrote this dialogue thinking it was going to go in book one, but it’s slated for two. So, a tiny sneak-peek, if you will.
“It’s not how deep you were buried, Juniper. It’s how far you have risen that truly matters. It’s not the goals that you set, but the challenges you faced. It’s not the hardship you endured, it’s the pain you overcame. You are more important now than ever. You have the ability to change the world. You, and you alone get to decide how to live. You are a woman, not just a being. Not just a Primeval. Don’t ever forget that.” – Dr. Tuppence Buckingham
-What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m currently hard at work on Book Two of “A Perfect Order.” It’s called “Almagest.” It’ll be out this summer!
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In a matter of days, Juniper discovers that demons, spirits, and witches are all very real, and a 187-year-old French man tells her she is supposed to be mankind’s latest budding savior. Even though her powers develop faster than anyone else who has come before, Juniper is more concerned with getting her next fix.
She’ll have to bring together clashing lifestyles if she has any hope at tackling her first supernatural threat. A local Arkansan Cherokee tribe has a wendigo problem, and she’s the only one who can stop it.
There Was Much More To Tell
Seeds in the Desert Wind is the final book in the trilogy of The Life and Stories of Jaime Cruz. Did Jamie’s story end the way you had imagined when you first started writing the trilogy or did it change while writing?
As I wrote chapter one of “Tumbleweed and Dreams” (book one), I knew that Jaime would by logical extension of the region have interactions with the ranching community. I had no notion that he would be taken in by the ranching family that “adopts” him. In fact, I recall early in the book after the Cardona’s explain who the rancher is that Jaime sees in the grocery store, Jaime writes that little did he know how intertwined their lives would become. When I wrote those words, the author also had no idea how the lives would be intertwined. Somehow, I just knew they would.
It wasn’t until near the end of book one that I knew I wanted to keep the story going—that there was much more to tell.
What were some things you learned as a writer after completing this trilogy?
I learned just how hard it is to work with a dialogue heavy story and keep it from being tedious as you work to keep track of who is speaking to whom. While I could have let Jaime tell more of the story, I felt to do so only robbed the characters of what made them endearing to me (and I hope my readers).
If you had to cast characters for a movie version of your novel, who would play the leads?
None come to mind though I can see Jane Lynch (coach on Glee) making a pretty convincing Sallie. I would hope for a very strong casting director who really “got” the book to find relative unknowns well-suited to the peculiarities of each character. Particularly, in the case of Sallie, Billy and Ernesto, the match of physique and personality is integral to defining their character as well as the musical talents needed for Jaime, Billy and Ernesto.
Do you have plans to continue this story in a different book or will you start a new book?
If I write more based on these characters, I’d like to do so from the perspective of Sallie’s memoirs where she takes us back to the early days of the ranch and how her parents shaped her life as well as bring the readers along up to the present.
If I live long enough, I’d love pick up the story with Noah as the narrator and lead us through his grandparents and great aunt’s death as well as putting up with the two old men, Billy and Jaime, that share the ranch life with him.
Regarding possible other works in other locales, I shall have to wait and see if inspiration comes.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Jaime’s life has taught him how the invasive seeds of estrangement slowly choke our lives. He reminds us that sowing seeds of compassion and forgiveness remains the work of us all. His story is a story of lives made whole. It is also one of stewardship and care.
In this final book in the trilogy of The Life and Stories of Jaime Cruz, we continue the journey with Jaime and with all those who are now so much a part of his life, as they take each day as it comes with gifts of humor, grace and dignity. If the heart is open, love finds a way in.
Life On Her Own Terms
Sweet Dreams at The Palace Hotel follows a woman who leaves her dreams behind to run a historic hotel and finds the live-in ghost a welcome presence in her life. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The women in my family have embraced reinventing themselves when life knocked them down. Knowing their stories helped me regroup and reinvent myself when I felt beaten. In creating Nikki, who needed a fresh start, I wanted to give her a model, Victoria Wyatt, of someone who started over, created a life on her own terms and loved without restriction. Making Victoria a resident ghost “reliving” life’s important moments was inspired by my interest in ghost stories from Arizona towns.
Nikki is an interesting and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind her character’s development?
Nikki holds herself accountable for her own happiness. She accepts responsibility for choosing a life that will make her happy and investing herself in making it happen. She invites others into her world, celebrates their success and commiserates with their grief. Nikki is the friend or relative we all wish for, the one who provides emotional support without providing unasked for advice. She’s imperfect enough to be approachable and she believes in the power of friendship and love to change the world.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The everlasting quality of love. The value of friendship. The quality of family, either by blood or choice.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The third book in the Creekside Dreams series was just submitted to my publisher. Promise in a Dream, the second book in the series was released November 2020.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
The World Is As We Are
Perfect: A Path to Love, Forgiveness and Transformation illustrates the ways in which the Universe orchestrates our lives toward a state of healing, wholeness, and love. Why was this an important book for you to write?
For most of my life, I was plagued by feelings of being different, unworthy and not enough. On this journey, I learned that the stories we create around the events of our lives are not always true – the mind does not always tell the truth! Our stories, labels and judgements act as a giant filter that paints the way we see the world. The world is as we are. Our fears and doubts are manifested into reality in the people and circumstances of our lives. The imperfections we see in others is often a reflection of the burdens we carry within ourselves. By learning to let go of the stories and labels that no longer served me, I was able to experience each moment through the eyes of love where there is no judgement. I am now able to experience greater levels of freedom, joy and happiness. When I look out into the world, I see so many people struggling with the same feelings and fears that I did. I know that we no longer need to live that way!
When we let go of our stories, labels and judgements, we see everything through the eyes of love – where there is no separation.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone that is struggling to forgive?
There are so many different definitions of forgiveness. For me, it is really simple. Forgiveness means to forgo or to let go of. Painful and unwanted events are going to happen to all of us. We can either experience the event once or we can play it over and over again in our minds until it becomes stuck – it becomes our identities and then we become too afraid to let it go. I believe the most dangerous part of an unwanted event is not the event itself but the stories we create about the events.
When we forgive, we are not condoning the actions that might have hurt us. Forgiveness is a gift we give to ourselves. It is an act of self-love. It allows us to release negative, contracted energy that we are holding in our bodies and allows us to move forward. It also allows us to move beyond the stories we may have created. It frees us so we can experience true freedom and happiness.
Also, what if we stepped back and saw our lives from a grander, larger perspective? If we looked at our lives from that 1,000-foot view, what would we see? How would all the events of our lives weave together to tell a much larger, richer story? Can we see how the events of our lives might actually be serving us?
It is often difficult to see how traumatic events are serving us. However, it is in the contrasts of life that we gain clarity on what it is we want and don’t want – and in that clarity we create.
On earth, we experience everything – the good and the bad; the light and the dark; and the ups and the downs. In our most difficult moments, we often gain clarity on what we do not want. The contrast creates the clarity and from that clarity we create the laws to protect us, the inventions to make our lives easier or the life that we desire.
What if the contrast creates the clarity that then creates the expansion or change that we desire?
What were some ideas that were important for you to explore in this book?
Life is meant to be experienced in our bodies as feelings without labels, rather than through the stories created in the mind.
The essence of who we are is love. As love, our purpose is to expand and to create, for we are the creator of our lives. The reason we are here, alive, is to experience who we are and to learn to choose love in every moment.
Forgiveness is letting go of the contracted negative stories and energies that no longer serve us so we can move forward and experience true joy and happiness. It is a gift that we give ourselves. It is an act of self-love.
As humans, we have over 60,000 thoughts a day and 85% of them are quite negative. We are hardwired to notice the negative aspects of life as it was critical for our survival thousands of years ago. We no longer need to operate on autopilot. We need to become aware of our thoughts and disrupt the ones that are no longer serving us. We need to scratch that record so it can no longer play! One of the most precious gifts we have as humans is our ability to be aware.
The mind creates stories that are not always true. The body tells the truth. After an event occurs, it only takes us 90 seconds to process that event through our body as sensations and then let it go. After those 90 seconds are up, it’s up to us. We can either let it go or begin to create a story.
Our bodies are infinitely intelligent and often hold the trauma that we’ve experienced. Whenever I feel a contraction in my body, I say thank you. It’s our bodies way of saying that there is something to heal and be released. It is the same in the world today – the contraction and division that we are experiencing is the Universe’s way of telling us that there is an opportunity to heal.
The science of epigenetics has shown that not only do we inherit physical traits from our parents through our DNA – we can also inherit the pain and trauma that our ancestors experienced. Many indigenous cultures believe that when we heal, we heal seven generations back and seven generations forward. When we heal, we are not just doing it for ourselves – we are doing it for all who go before and after us.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?
Our greatest superpower is the power to choose. In every moment, we decide. It is in these momentary decisions that we create our lives.
In that space between stimulus and response, we decide how we respond. We choose our reaction and the stories that we create. We also have the power to not create a story at all or to learn to let them go. We are that powerful!
In every moment, we can choose love or we can choose fear. When we choose fear, we are living in the past, hoping to change what has already been. When we choose fear, we are focusing on what we don’t want in the future. So why not focus on the present and appreciate the moment.
We are more powerful than we can imagine because we have the power to choose how our lives will unfold in every moment!
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
This life-changing book illustrates the amazing way the Universe orchestrates our lives toward a state of healing, wholeness, and love—whether we are aware of it or not!
Perfect is a true recounting of the transformational journey that Judi Miller was guided to take that brought the exact right people together, in the exact right order, to right a wrong committed decades ago; before her birth and which left its shadow on her soul.
All her life, Judi was plagued by feelings of fear, of not fitting in, and of not being enough. Facing a crisis of purpose, she embarks on a transformational journey of self-discovery and uncovers a shocking ancestral connection to the very person she trusted to heal her. She learns to open her heart, release her stories, and understand forgiveness in a whole new way.
This compelling and relatable narrative includes reflections and exercises to help you open your own heart and access forgiveness, even for the most painful acts. You’ll come away with a profound understanding that despite—or perhaps because of—our perceived flaws and mistakes, we can all heal.
Beautifully written and woven together with deep emotion and honesty—with a foreword by Marci Shimoff, author of the international bestseller Happy for No Reason—Perfect reads like a novel. It chronicles Judi’s journey, orchestrated by unseen hands, that erased her fears, healed three generations, guided her to her purpose in life, and opened her heart to love.
Order your copy of Perfect today. Available in Kindle, paperback and hardcover.
The Awesome, Fantastic Greatness of God
A God-Centered View of Salvation helps readers understand why their motivation for salvation is essential to receiving forgiveness for their sins. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Protestant Christianity stresses the steps to salvation — what a person must believe in order to be saved. Our motivation for salvation is basically ignored as we witness to others. But since the Holy Bible teaches that God seeks out our motivation and desires correct motivation, which aligns with His will, then seekers must be warned of this and taught about this as they approach God for the forgiveness of their sins. In fact, since God is Holy and cannot condone sin, a selfish motivation for salvation such as seeking to be saved in order to avoid eternal suffering in Hell for our sins leads to God rejecting that person and their remaining unsaved.
What do you feel is a common misconception people have about their relationship with God?
I believe that since we are the ones being saved most people look upon salvation as being for our sake. But God is primary and mankind is of lesser importance than our Creator. Therefore, everything must be first and foremost for His benefit — not ours. At the most basic level our Salvation is primarily for God’s sake so He can defeat Satan in spiritual warfare.
What were some ideas that were important for you to explore in this book?
The awesome, fantastic greatness of God (His preeminence).
The insignificance of mankind who is a created being that belongs to his Creator.
What God expects of us is willing submission to His will even in the act of our salvation. Selfish motivation is idolatry with “self” as the idol. We must humble ourselves before the awesome, almighty God.
That since there are many benefits for God in mankind’s salvation, just as there are benefits for us in our salvation — God’s are primary! We should seek salvation so God gets His rightful due and just trust that He, being a loving God, will bless us with our lesser, secondary benefits in our salvation.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
That God is sovereign, supreme, and preeminent! To be correctly understood, everything must be theocentric (have God at the core) including our motivation for our salvation. God is primary and everything exists for His sake! Even our salvation is primarily for God’s sake and only secondarily for us to receive our benefits.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Express Themselves Without Fear
Crystal’s House of Queers is an emotionally-charged romance novel that explores real world issues that young people face when discovering and unveiling their sexual identity. Why was this an important book for you to write?
All of my books are centered around important issues affecting girls and women. It has become very clear to me that despite all the progress we have made during the last several decades, we still live in a patriarchal world. According to polls, more than half of our youngest Generation Z do not define themselves as strictly heterosexual. More and more sources of entertainment reflect this change. This generation is more tolerant and accepting of all differences. However, hate crimes against the LGBTQ community are on the rise. Many of the same hate groups (primarily men) that decry the rise of non-white individuals in our country also hate gays. As the younger generation embraces a variety of sexual lifestyles, there will inevitably be more confrontation. I have known too many people who have been persecuted for their differences. We don’t need more hate in the world.
I appreciated the authenticity of your characters. What were some sources that inspired your character development?
I have known many teens like Crystal and JD, who despite their traditional academic challenges, discovered and shared other talents, including in art, music, dance, and athletics. Their needs are no more special than mine or yours. Real people are complex. Most have experienced some level of trauma in their lives. Many have difficulty coping, but most discover some resilience. I want my characters to reflect these truths.
What were some ideas that were important for you to convey in this book?
One common theme in all my books is the need for open, frank discussion of difficult topics. So much pain is caused by secrecy. Too frequently, teens and younger are forced to deal with guilt and fears and desires by themselves because adults won’t create comfortable environments where anything, anything, can be discussed. I have had readers of my latest book complain about two women kissing in front of their teenage girls. Why? Because tradition says sexuality must be private. Which has caused and continues to cause all kinds of problems for both the kids and the parents.
Another big idea in my books is the need for forgiveness, especially between parents and their children. Another is fighting for yourself and others when it is necessary. The girls in this book don’t put up with abuse or threats.
And the biggest idea in this book is the need to provide a safe place for LGBTQ individuals, where they can express themselves without fear.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book is about a teenage girl in 1968 who rebels against the feminine role she is expected to play by her parents, her school, and her society. So many of the problems during this year—The Vietnam War, assassinations, student rebellions, etc—were caused by toxic masculinity. The main character, Tracy, cannot force herself to date boys. At times, she thinks she should have been a boy. She escapes her conservative parents and constant arguments about the war, civil rights, and her brother, Spencer—who wonders if he is gay—disguised as a boy for a two-week period at a wilderness camp just outside Denali Park, Alaska, where she meets other strong women, including Jackie, who chops wood and plays guitar.
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The two girls renew a love started years ago that had to stay hidden until now. But with Crystal’s grandparents in the hospital with Covid and the possibility of her drug addict parents returning from a 14-year absence, Crystal needs Haley as much as she needs Crystal.
They connect with Payton Reed, a gun-toting artist who helps them feel proud to be gay and willing to stand up to anyone. Together they struggle to make Crystal’s house safe for those who are hated for their love.
Would They Be Considered Human?
The Matilda follows a ragtag space crew that must fight off a government and an alien invasion in a dangerous galaxy set against them. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
For as long as I can remember, I have been enthralled by the worlds created for science fiction. From the beginnings with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, into the dark corners of H.P. Lovecraft’s mind, twisting through the philosophical questions of Phillip K. Dick, and into the cultural phenomena of Star Wars and Star Trek. Peppered throughout is my love of the crazy genre films from the 1980s, the cyberpunk cities of the 1990s, humans struggling to survive space travel in the aughts through to the colorful Marvel movies of the new millennium.
The Matilda is more like a love letter from me to science fiction in general. In fact, so is the whole Matilda Series and it is sprinkled with concepts that kept me attracted to the genre. I had the initial idea for the story locked in my head for close to a decade and it was going to be a television show. But it kept getting shoved to the side by other projects. Jacquie and the crew kept riding me to tell their story. Now, here we are and there is still more story to tell!
I enjoyed the creativity and depth with which you created your characters. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
One of the aspects of storytelling that has always appealed to me is the group dynamic of the ensemble. I am fascinated with how individuals work separately from their group but rely on it at the same time. I wanted my characters to be very human with all the merits and flaws that we carry around. I mean, the crew of the Matilda doesn’t always get along. But seeing the great lengths Jacquie goes to keep her people together and getting to connect with them as they worked together was amazing.
I wanted to show that they can learn from their mistakes and that colors how they handle future situations. But I also wanted to understand how those coping mechanisms can cause problems when they decide to not take those lessons to heart.
To be honest, behind the setting of an unjust universe, alien invasion, and all that, the heart of the story is more about the family we stumble into and the pasts that follow us in. Is that connection enough to keep people together when everything wants to tear them apart?
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I have always been fascinated by the people who exist on the fringes of society, the ones who do the work that isn’t entirely legal. I wanted to touch on the power of the individual or group of individuals versus the society that governs them. How does that color their perception of the world they live in?
I wanted to explore the power of love through friendship and how those bonds can form, bend, and break. Along with that is the capacity for perseverance and having the courage to carry on against all odds. Also, how vulnerability plays in that field but doesn’t necessarily make a person weak. I believe that it can prepare a person to be stronger in the face of adversity.
Lastly, I wanted to touch on the idea of what makes a person human. Is it the environment that raises us? Is it because we’re just born that way? What if an entity is made not born? What if a being has been technologically altered so much that they ‘resemble’ a human? Would they be considered human?
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
It’s been a crazy ride and I’ve been going full tilt for a while now. Twistin’ Matilda and Black Matilda, the second and third books in the series, are currently out and about on Amazon.
I recently finished my latest draft of the fourth one. It is currently in the hands of my editors. I’m sitting on the sidelines with bated breath as I await their corrections so I can get it done. Secret Matilda is set to be released in late 2021.
On top of that, the fifth and final book in the series is halfway through its first draft. The plan is for it to be released in 2022. Once that is completed, I have a compilation of short stories that take place in The Matilda Series universe set to be written. The future looks busy and bright!
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Far off into the future in a distant part of the galaxy, the Consortium controls the human colonies held together by the jump gates. Where the Consortium doesn’t hold sway, crime flourishes. Through the use of a hellish engine that goes where no one should, the crew of the Matilda slips its way between the two. But nothing has gone smoothly after they broke out one of their own off of a prison ship.
Fighting their way past shadowy government agencies and a dangerous crime lord; monstrosities from an unknown layer of the universe seem dead set to break through into ours.
When their pasts come back to haunt them, can Jacquotte Delahaye and her crew of misfits come together as they are attacked from all sides? Will the galaxy work hand in hand with them to survive the alien onslaught?
Strap yourself in for a bumpy ride in the first book of the series, the Matilda.
The Genesis For This Novel
The Cause of Darkness follows a young man during the last year of the American Civil war as his actions to save his father bring about dire consequences. What were some sources that informed this novels development?
How many times have you heard someone say, ‘I would do anything for you/him/her/them’? I have often wondered if it is possible to do too much, to cross some moral or ethical boundary of the person or group you are trying to help. That was the genesis for this novel. As the title hints, one can question whether the fault lies with the sinner or with the person/events that caused the darkness in which the sins were committed. Clearly, Teddy takes full personal responsibility and the guilt nearly cripples him.
Teddy felt like an authentic character. How did you set about capturing the voice of a 19th century teen?
If you read enough Civil War letters and 19th Century literature, you develop a pretty good ear for what conversations sounded like in those days: a more formal cadence and the lack of use of contractions, among other things. As for a teen speaking, I can still remember much of my teenage angst. Except for the exacerbation by social media, I doubt that angst has changed much in millenia.
Your writing style in this novel was very engaging. Did you plan your story before writing or did things develop organically while writing?
Thank you! I know everyone has their own way of writing a novel. I have to admit that I find it hard work and I would be terribly bored if I had already worked out every detail before I began. I start by creating a character whom I like (bad or good) and place them in a situation. Then I ask, ‘What would my character do?’
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I left the ending of ‘The Cause of Darkness’ ambiguous because that is how life is. Things are rarely wrapped up in a neat little package. But people fell in love with Teddy and requested that I write a second book which answers the basic question, ‘What happens to Teddy?’ It is called, ‘The Light from Darkness’ and can be found on amazon. Both books are stand-alone and can be read in any order.
I am presently working on a darker novel set in the years following the Civil War. It is about revenge and retribution, with many of the characters people have met before. I hope to have it completed by the end of this summer.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
LITERARY TITAN 