Guestblog:
Inspiration comes from a variety of sources, sometimes from the strangest conversations or places or from the smallest things. Big news stories have given me ideas and so have tiny little one-liners that most people might have missed. Snippets of overheard conversation can spark something in my mind and sometimes entire conversations with friends or family lead my mind to wander in new directions.
I don’t watch television, but my husband does. He especially enjoys the SyFy and History channels and will often give me detailed synopses of shows he’s watched. He also reads sci-fi and paranormal/urban fantasy and likes to talk about what he’s read. He enjoys playing the “what if” game with me, where we might say “what if the characters did this…” or “what if that really existed but in this time or that setting…” or “what if the writer took it in this direction…” Then we get into crazy conversations that end with me running for my notebook to jot down ideas.
Mental downtime usually results in me playing the “what if” game with myself. I love long
motorcycle rides because I get to ride on the back and just let my mind wander. I’ve had many ideas while on the back of the bike.
Long walks are the same. I’ve taken walks around my neighborhood and have arrived home asking myself if I skipped a certain street. I’d remember making the turn but my mind apparently had been in other worlds because I couldn’t remember walking that entire block.
Some of my best ideas come in the shower. In fact, it’s standing under the flow of warm water when I’ve had the majority of my ideas. I wish they’d invent a waterproof computer or tablet that I could take in there with me or at least some waterproof paper and ink. But, then again, I may never get out.
Inspiration can come for entire stories but most often it’s for a character or a conversation or a scene. Sometimes it’s a general or basic idea that needs time to germinate into something more useful. Sometimes it’s a teeny thing—a line of dialogue or a cameo character—that instantly explodes or eventually grows into a major scene or a main character. Maybe into the premise for an entire novel or series.
The little seed of angels and demons had been planted in my mind back in 2001 or 2002, but it didn’t germinate and grow into something useful until a few years ago. At about that same time, I had delved back into reading for fun, returning to my favorite genres of contemporary fantasy and paranormal romance. A certain vampire book was huge then and one fan on one internet forum I came across swore the hero was real, which made me think, if he’s real, then the villains would have to be, too. And that one little comment by some stranger in some other part of the country led to the idea of a bestselling author learning that her mythical creatures truly existed and they were none too happy with her writing about them.
Inspiration flooded over me. I wanted to write fiction again (after about 16 years of barely dabbling in it), just for my own entertainment. I had these two concepts—angels and this fantasy author—but little more. But then a scene suddenly blossomed in my mind and I wrote it out. Then I had to find out how the characters came to this point. After many walks, showers and what-if games, I wrote an entire novel. Which eventually became two novels—Promise and Purpose. Which are just the beginning of a series—the Soul Savers Series.
I’d taken such a long break from fiction writing because about the time I became a “practical adult,” I’d decided I just didn’t have a novel in me. Inspiration eluded me. Now that I’ve discovered its hiding places, I don’t need to search for it anymore. It’s all around us in this world we live in. We just have to open our minds to it. And take lots of walks and showers.
Promise
When Alexis Ames is attacked by creatures that can’t be real, she decides it’s time she learns who she really is, with or without the help of her mother, who guards their family’s secrets closely. After meeting the inhumanly attractive, multi-talented Tristan Knight, however, Alexis retreats behind her façade of normalcy…until she discovers he’s not exactly normal either. Then their secrets begin to unravel.
Their union brings hope and promise to her family’s secret society, the Angels’ army, and to the future of mankind. But it also incites a dangerous pursuit by the enemy – Satan’s minions and Tristan’s creators. After all, Alexis and Tristan are a match made in Heaven and in Hell.
Purpose
Lost in despair, Alexis teeters on the edge of an abyss, her lifeline of hope fraying into a thin
thread. If it snaps, she’ll plunge into complete darkness. With the help of her son and her writing, she’s been able to hold on. Until now. Erratic impulses, disturbing delusions and her own demonic blood threaten her sanity. When she’s forced to choose between hanging onto hope or letting go to serve her Amadis purposes, she faces a decision with inconceivable sacrifices.
Alexis runs to the one place she thinks will provide answers, only to find herself at the center of another battle of good versus evil, not only with the Daemoni, not only within herself…but also against the worst opponent imaginable. But even if she wins, what will she lose?
About the Author
Kristie Cook is a lifelong, award-winning writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. She continues to write the Soul Savers Series, with the first two books, Promise and Purpose, available now and the third book, Devotion, coming February 2012. She’s also written a companion novella, Genesis, coming October 2011.
Besides writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three teenage sons, a beagle and a puggle. She can be found at:
Author's Website & Blog: http://www.KristieCook.com
Series Website: http://www.SoulSaversSeries.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristieCook
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/kristiecookauth
Tumbler: http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/kristiecook
Google+: https://plus.google.com/102746226001674797330/posts
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