Sheila's Guests and Reviews

Today I'm delighted to welcome author E. Chris Garrison to my blog with her zanily scary Road Ghosts... thought actually, she seems to be meeting them at Heath's Brewpub downtown, so maybe you'll just have to leave your coffee on the table and follow me there. Here goes... Heading your way Chrissy... and I'm really looking forward to learning what inspired these amazing characters. Inspiration Intervention   By E. Chris Garrison The blues music matched my mood as I slouched into Heath's Brewpub downtown. It'd been a rough day, none of my characters was speaking to me. I mean, I guess if they put me through what I put them through, I wouldn't be on speaking terms with them, either. The bar was fairly empty, except for one rowdy table over in the bar area. Heath himself came out from behind the bar to greet me, his smile as warm as the fire crackling in the corner. I greeted him with a smile of my own. "Slow night?" He shrugge...

Author T.P. Boje has invited my Flower Child blog tour to her blog http://tpboje.blogspot.com/2011/10/guestpost-by-sheila-deeth.html today where I'm writing about what inspired me to write Flower Child . Back in August, Therese wrote a guest post on this blog ( http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com/2011/08/tp-boje-on-inspiration.html ) about where the inspiration for her book, The Eye of the Crystal Ball , came from. It looks like we're exchanging ideas and inspirations. (Click here for my review of The Eye of the Crystal Ball.)  Meanwhile, Therese's new Y/A paranormal romance, The Academy--book 1 of The Afterlife , has just gone on sale (with book two coming soon!) and she's been getting good reviews. You might like to follow the links and check it out. More inspiration, more great books coming your way... Thank you, Therese, for hosting me on your blog. And good luck with the Afterlife! The Afterlife, by T.P. Boje Have you ever wondered where you go when y...

Click here for my review of T.P. Boje's The Eye of the Crystal Ball , posted yesterday, and today I'm delighted to welcome her to my blog. The Eye of the Crystal Ball is a classic fantasy quest with a young girl crossing a magical world in search of a precious artifact. But where does the author find her inspiration? Over to you Therese... Inspiration:      Inspiration can come from places you would never expect. Like something you read in a newspaper, or hear people talk about at work or from something you remember from your childhood.      The story in my latest book “The Eye of the Crystal Ball” is very new, but the main character - the gypsy-girl Sara – has been with me always. She appeared in my head when I was still a child.Where did she come from? Well, my parents actually. It is kind of strange I admit, but I think it is part of the reason why I have such a great imagination still as an adult. The thing is, my parents (mostly my da...

I tried to take Phillip Margolin’s advice. I wrote a paragraph for each part of the book, and felt like it was really taking shape. But then I tried to expand my paragraphs and found the story dissolving into lists of facts. “This happened. Then that.” I tried to ask all the questions to help it grow. When did this happen? How did it make you feel? But it really wasn’t working. My characters squirmed in the interview chair and looked at me like I was crazy. “Come on. Who cares?” Then the phone rang and I went outside to take my friend’s dog for a walk. My friend is very nice and has a very nice dog; a beagle that stops the smell the flowers, the dandelions, and every blade of grass. Then she runs, and we laugh, and my characters chase after me. “Hey, did I tell you about…” When I came home I started writing chapters again.

The sun's shining. The weeds are growing. And the grass is waving in the breeze. Meanwhile, book two of Hemlock hasn't grown any bigger since last I looked, this time last week. I really need to get writing... ...really need to get weeding and mowing the lawn. Green things grow faster than words, and I guess that's just life. So I'll dream a few more scenes while I mow, with the scent of seed and sneezing in the air. And the weeds I was pulling last week? They're bigger and stronger and wiser now and their roots go deeper under solider ground. But I'm lucky because my stories grow longer roots too when I'm away from writing, so at least I know they'll be waiting for me when some typing time finally comes round.