Following the Heart and Bravery

There's been something on my mind for a long time. Well, you know that there's always something constantly running through the neurons up in my noggin, haunting, but this one thing has been persistent and comes back frequently no matter how many times I try to clamp it shut. I feel you should know. In fact, I stopped this morning's run short to come home and write to you.

Back in 2008, I was inspired to start and finish my first full-length novel. My main inspiration? To write a book I thought would sell based on what was selling in the market then. One I thought you'd be interested in, instead of a story I could put my soul into. Okay, okay, you can stop laughing now. My point in telling you that dark secret is so you can understand why I'm pulling the Lords of Shifters series.

That first book I wrote is titled Loramendi's Story, A Lords of Shifters Novel--it had several titles as it was morphed into what it is now. It's actually my best selling novel, though not in any way a best seller as far as best sellers lists are concerned. After I wrote it and moved on toward the next books in the series, I wrote them to shift into what I felt were more important themes that also entertain. Originally though, my intention was to mimic what readers were buying at the time. Loramendi's Story wasn't about anything I'd ever be interested in reading then until I was able to shift the series a bit like I did.

The second and third books (Spider Wars and Dark Horse) head more toward what I would enjoy writing and, in fact, the rest of the books will end up exactly where I would want them to be, with a message and a story I'd be interested in sharing. I'm not sure if I intentionally knew they were going that way or if it was my conscious making its way out through my fingertips subconsciously.

Since 2008, I published three other stories outside of the Lords of Shifters series. I feel good about sharing these three, Dream Smashers, Jenny's Blue Velvet, and Still Nights, with you. They may not be about subjects I'm heading toward in my writing at present, but they have important messages and/or observations that will make some think and wonder and, perhaps, inspire.

The Lords of Shifters series will be unavailable after September 7th until further notice. While I contemplate on how I can turn the series into stories I believe contribute to the world instead of taking, I'm moving forward on some other projects that have that potential.

Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your support. I will do my best to get back to the Lords of Shifters as soon as it is right, and I hope the stories will then have the ability to move you and be worthy of your time as I put more of my heart into them.

 Music:

Some Blog Love

It's been nearly six months since my last story came out: Dark Horse, A Lords of Shifters Novella. So, what's up with that? Why the lapse in time? I don't know.

The plan was to have Blood Pyre out by March and then the next book out this summer. That didn't work out so well, obviously.

And why haven't I been keeping up with the blog? I don't know.

A blog a week shouldn't be so bad, I suppose. But that hasn't happened in a very long while.

Life happens. Boys become teenagers in a blink of an eye. Work becomes constant. New interests develop. Trips to Hawaii happen. And everything else gets put on the back burner. Well, it's time to get back to work.

Today is my first day writing again. It's been so long that I think I forgot how. My goal was to hit 5K words today. Saturday is my only writing day, so the more words the better. Far from 5K, I reached 1,500. What happened? I don't know. But don't worry because I'm getting 'er done this time.

I'd like to take a few minutes once in a while to keep you posted on the progress of Blood Pyre and other rad stuff I feel important, like vegan cookies and running events. I appreciate your patience with me and can't wait to finally bring you the books you've been waiting for!

Until then, if you haven't already liked my Facebook page, go there now. There will be ebooks given away when the page hits 200 "Likes" Yay for FREE EBOOKS!  ----> http://Facebook.com/AngelaCarlieBooks

 Here's a picture of my sweet boy and I at the coast this past weekend. It was a beautiful weekend. Look how tall he's getting!

And here is one of the pieces of music I've been listening to while writing Blood Pyre.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

LOS Update and Cloud Atlas

My last blog post related to the Lords of Shifters series stated there will be one final novel after Dark Horse. Well, that was written before Dark Horse was complete. It turns out that there may be up to three novellas left in the Lords of Shifters Series. Stay tuned for the release of Dark Horse in the next couple weeks along with the reveal of the cover for the next book in the series. (I'm so excited to share it with you!)

I went to see Cloud Atlas tonight. I was nervous because the reviews I read prior revealed that this was a confusing movie and not many understood it. One of my clients this morning told me she enjoyed it, but was completely lost. She didn't "get it." If she didn't get it, how would I?

Since I have no one to have a conversation with tonight about this film who doesn't try to crack a joke or who rips a humongous fart right in the middle of my sentence (true stories), I'll discuss it with my blog. ;)

Cloud Atlas may be the most brilliant movie I've ever watched, and I think it's up for interpretation by the viewer as to what it's about. To me, it was about so much: karma, love, compassion, pain, fear, freedom, and has three main themes.

1. Throughout the ages, no matter how distant in the future or how far in the past, human nature is the same. There's no escaping it. We have two ways of thought. There are people who believe they and their kind are entitled over others and in an "order" or "hierarchy" usually fueled by greed and selfishness or maybe just a complete lack of regard for anyone other than themselves, and there are those who believe and fight for equality or just the simple right to live. This is shown in each of the stories told in Cloud Atlas. My favorite example is the one of the future and the slaughter house of the fabricated ones. Shocking. But truly, all the stories were brilliantly woven.

2. We are all from the same source. We live for each other or are bound to each other. What you do impacts me and everybody else. It's like the lines in the movie where one character says, "You are nothing but a tiny drop in a vast ocean." And the character other states, "What is an ocean but a multitude of drops?" (In real life, this frustrates me the most. I try very hard not to get upset at people, but it's difficult when they are so full of entitlement-- so, maybe this one can be classified as number 1 also).

3. Karma. Every kindness or cruelty you do today will come back to you in the future.

But it's also about so much more than just those three themes.

In sum, I'm going to be thinking about this movie for days. It was long, but so worth it. Don't go into this movie thinking it's a mindless three hours of entertainment. It is everything but mindless. Obviously, it's not for everyone. For example, some older gentleman walked out behind us and stated that it was the worst movie he had ever seen. I wanted to turn around and say, "Really?" My husband said on the way home, "That guy must not have ever watched Water World." haha ;)

Have you watched Cloud Atlas yet? What did you think?