Another book! (and update)

I apologize for the lack of blogs.  I was stuck in an blah/not happy-type rut, that seemed impossible to get out of.  It's times like those that I can't find anything to say.  However, after several days of forcing myself to not let my mood control me, I am re-energized!   Now onto wonderful news. 

I am excited to announce that my next book Heart of the Emperor will be out June 21st!  It's about time, right? 

I have also finished The Shadow Dragon book 3.  I still need to add a few more details because of the new information that unfolded as I finished fixing the revisions.  I am happy that I was handed story 13 and told to read through it again to fix the large amount of stupid errors because more things came to light both in this book and for its sequel.   I have also started to play with a book that I am trying to write in third person.  I have started typing it, I'm still trying to see it through different eyes - as opposed to only the female protagonist.  This is turning out to be a bigger challenge than I had expected.  I read books written in third person and try to take notes, but I get sucked into the story and see it as first person.  So don't hold your breath yet, since I may not be able to do this.  Plus, I have started to work on Story 14 (the one that I hand wrote),  I am impatiently waiting to work on book 4 for The Shadow Dragon (my son laughed at me when I told him I was still working on book three, but really wanted to be working on book four), Story 3 is sitting on my desk patiently waiting for me to have time for it (but with story 14 and 15 demanding attention I probably won't get to that anytime soon). 

So this song is not what I normally listen to, but I heard it on the radio and I couldn't change the station. First I was like this is a strange song. However, as I continued to listen to it, images that I see while I'm writing moved through my mind - sort of like a trailer to my books. There is definitely something about this song that reaches into me and evokes the desire that my writing comes from. I'm kinda addicted to the song now.  ( I posted this among my friends on FB.  However the more I listen to this song the more mind has dwelled in the story Solace.  (Could be the words made their way into my brain.)

As usual the video doesn't move me at all, but I wanted to share this song with you.  It actually could be the overlay song to Solace.  While I'm listening to the song, I can visualize (in book 1) when Jack and Karissa first meet and they know that the other is dangerous, and cannot be left to live - but they do not get to make that decision.  I see them as they battle against one another.  Which then moves into the moment Jack realizes that Karissa is not the awful woman he had thought.  He sees her in the Kasstah and is taken aback by the brief moments of her kindness - even as she continues to call him Creature and act as though that is all he is (a creature).  As the clues begin to piece together (seeing her scars, sees her reaction to touch), he looks beyond himself and strives to be kind to her.  I see the brief moment whenhe realizes that maybe, just maybe, she could be a brighter light than the darkness that she has brought to so may others and he knows that he "needs to love..."   Throughout the song the second book makes itself shown as Karissa struggles with what to do with this man that she thinks is crazy for wanting to stay with her, when she knows she must keep him safe which means that he needs to be far away from her.   A glimpse of her tears as she understands that he is someone that she can trust, but knows that he will die if he continues to stay with her. Which is shown  when she injures him, but he still will not allow her to be what Omatha has forced her to be.  She watches Jack fall as the deadly woman in the lake assesses the situation.   Tears fill her eyes and she closes them, but when she opens them she is no longer afraid.  She looks upon Jack's face as she entwines her fingers with his, forcing their palms together.  It is "madness" but she understands that here in the end she needs it to not be too late. 

 The music pulls the emotion of the characters: their frustration, their anger, and yes, their love.  While at the same time (the music) strews together the different images of how the characters change throughout their journey, leaving no doubt in the mind that the characters feel very strongly for each other.  

That summary doesn't do justice to what I see, but it gives you a glimpse I hope.   Sometimes I think how cool would it be if there was a device that would allow me to show exactly what it is that I see and feel during these moments.