My Inspiration

Writers are often asked who or what inspired them to write. On this very special day for me (Halloween is my birthday), I going to get a bit more personal.

I was inspired by the most important person in my life, my mother. She loved and accepted me, unconditionally, for who I was and who I became. She never judged my decisions in life and supported my endeavours, right or wrong. So, on this day, the day for remembering the dead, it seems most appropriate to honour her.

My mother died on 3 August 1981, but not a day goes by when I don’t think about her, mentally speak to her, and miss her terribly. She inspired me to be the kind of person she was: warm, caring, thoughtful, outgoing, generous, and, most of all, literate.

She worked the graveyard shift at a large hospital as the night nursing supervisor, while attending night school to get a bachelor’s degree. She took care of my sister and me, always made time for her husband, and, in my eyes, could leap tall buildings in a single bound. I often wonder what she would have achieved had she not died at the age of 56 from breast cancer.

She instilled in me a love of words, a desire to learn, a need to create. She made “learning” seem like a game rather than a chore. My favourite memories of her are tied indelibly to this time of year. And, though she was a deeply Christian woman, she celebrated the holiday of Halloween as joyously as any pagan might.

So, I aspire, in my writings, to educate, to entertain, and to instill an abiding love for the written word; it is the greatest gift I can give in honour of her memory.

Why Do We Write

What is it that drives us to take up the profession of writing? Why do we spend long hours alone, stressing over a word, or phrase, to make a work “perfect” in our eyes?

We certainly don’t do it for the money. I have written three books, granted they are for a niche market, but I did not write them expecting to become rich overnight.

So what is it that drives us, we writers, to continue banging away at the keyboard, or filling up notebooks until our fingers cramp up?

The simple answer is: because we can’t help ourselves. I personally love to write, to experiment with new words and ideas, to expand my talents into another genre, to push the limits and boundaries of my own creativity.

Do I hope to make money? Well, of course, but that is really not the driving forces, now is it? If I wanted to be rich, I wouldn’t have chosen writing as my profession. Realistically, many writers never support themselves solely on the money made from their writing. They have “real jobs” and write before work, after work, at lunch time, when the kids are taking a nap, or when the entire family is asleep, and only the writer, alone, is still up, struggling with just that right word.

Those of you aspiring to be a writer, welcome to the glamourous life of writing. It can mean long hours alone, many sleepless nights, endless rewrites, and, depending upon your genre, weeks of research from books that haven’t been touched in fifty years. But, just keep the prize in mind: the electric feel of holding, in your hands for the first time, your completed work, as perfect as it can possibly be.

Changing Times

As a writer, my methods may seem outdated and archaic. I still write the bulk of each book on yellow legal pads. I do my first edit when I transcribe the words into my computer. My second edit is done from a hard copy, not the computer screen.

But times change, as I sit here looking fondly at a fountain pen and bottle of ink next to my 1930’s Remington typewriter, and I must change with them. I still may not use my cell phone to text message, or have a clue how RSS can benefit me, but I do know that words are still the way we communicate our ideas.

Words can fascinate, enthrall, terrify, uplift, and devastate. Words express our hopes, fears, desires, passions, hatreds. I now turn to the medium of social networking and blogs, as a writer, to inform and entertain.

I have contracted my third book, Egyptian Prosperity Magic, with Llewellyn Worldwide. The release date is scheduled for July 2011. I hope to enlighten new and struggling would-be authors about the steps a book goes through from manuscript to finished book.

When things go into production, I will provide weekly posts on the progress of the book, updates on current projects, and reflections on the process of writing. My first three books were non-fiction; the project I have just completed is a historical mystery, giving me the opportunity to plot, build characters, create dialogue, and bring history to life.

Please feel free to post comments and ask questions about writing. My subject matter may not appeal to all, as I am a niche author, but writing is writing. All writers struggle with the same issues and feel the same angst. It is nice to know you are not alone.

My Writings

As a freelance researcher for the past ten years, I have a passion for all things Egyptian and have amassed quite an extensive library on the subject.

And as a pagan, it seemed only natural to write what I knew, which led to my first book, Egyptian Love Spells and Rituals (Foulsham Publishing, 2005). I tried to reconcile Egyptian magic with Wicca and, trust me, it does not work. Although Egyptian magic is similar to Wicca, the ancients followed their own way.

My second book, Egyptian Revenge Spells (Ten Speed Press, 2009), came from my need to explore the darker side of magic, which was not abhorrent to the ancients. Dark magic, designed to curse and overpower an enemy, was just as popular as temple requests for love amulets.

But, while researching my second book, I realised I had more than enough material for several books, each dealing with a different aspect of Egyptian magic. Thus, my third book was born, Egyptian Prosperity Magic (forthcoming from Llewellyn Worldwide, 2011).

So, my genre appeared to be a small, niche market (New Age), but to limit oneself to one type of writing, limits your possibilities to experiment and grow as an author. Why couldn’t I use my knowledge of ancient civilisations to write something else?

I took the challenge and last month completed my first novel, The Wrath of Amun, which I am currently submitting to publishers. Fiction opened up a whole new world to me. Non-fiction was partly research, partly based upon my own magical practises. But fiction, this was something totally foreign. My characters would wake me in the middle of the night, to finish a scene, or grant me snippets of dialogue.

If you are a beginning writer, take my advice. Start in a genre you are comfortable with, but don’t limit yourself. With the right motivation and good ideas, you can write in any genre.

An Introduction

Though I am a published author, experienced researcher, and freelance writer, I have never been very comfortable with self-promotion. In this electronic age, it has become apparent to me that I must change with the times, as well.

Please be gentle with me, this is all quite different for me. I am new to blogging, so I would appreciate hearing from experienced bloggers. I look at this as another challenge to conquer, another medium for expression, another form of writing to master.

I write for a niche market, New Age, and some of you may not agree with my beliefs. But, my blog is not about my beliefs. I became a writer because I love the written word.

I want to keep my blog fairly on point, as a forum for other writers, new or experienced. I make no apologies for the books I write. I am a practicing pagan and am comfortable with who I am. My books reflect my love of ancient Egypt, their magical practices (updated for today’s practitioners), and the gods they worshipped.

As a researcher of ancient civilizations, I have been thoroughly captivated by ancient cultures and strive to learn all I can about their mythologies, politics, and everyday life, as well as their religious practices and beliefs.

I invite questions from other authors, as well as questions about my subject matter. But, I am an author, first and foremost. I have written a historical novel. I am currently researching a true-crime novel, and I occasionally write poetry. My beliefs, and subject matter, do not define me, my writing style and voice define me.

My goal is starting this blog is to inform about the writing process, the revision process, the publishing process, and everything in between. So, I hope you will read and enjoy right along with me.