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Lost and Found

26 Sunday Jan 2020

Posted by mlrover in Uncategorized

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art, Batman, books, faith, friends, friendship, graphic novels, grief, inspiration, movies, nostalgia, religion, sci-fi, space travel, writing

Lately I’d been thinking about a friend I hadn’t heard from in a few years, Allen Etter, artist, teacher, film director, author, and innovative writer of Christian Science Fiction. I don’t know about the genre now, but when Allen wrote Entropy Gate, I’d never read anything like it. As I searched out his website to see if he still taught at the university, I was saddened to learn that he had died, quite young at 52.

Publishers of Christian fiction were not interested when Allen wrote EG. You don’t have to be Christian or interested in science fiction to enjoy Entropy Gate or its sequel, Beyond. He illustrated his own graphic novels with his distinctive graceful/grotesque talent. I always admired his ability to evoke movement in his paintings.

Entropy Gate:

https://www.amazon.com/Entropy-Gate-Journey-Allen-Etter-ebook/dp/B005M6Q7HM/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=allen+Etter&qid=1580064068&s=books&sr=1-2

Beyond:

https://www.amazon.com/Entropy-Gate-Beyond-Allen-Etter-ebook/dp/B005U6ZDE2/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=allen+Etter&qid=1580064068&s=books&sr=1-3

Allen was invested in his faith, his family, and artistry. I admired the way his brain processed art in practical applications. One of his first webpages was of the girl on the cover of Entropy Gate and accessing the site by entering her sparkling green eye.

I remember best the wisdom in Allen’s large, dark eyes, his graceful hands, and his physical presence. At 6’7, he filled up surrounding space but he was never intimidating, more like cuddly. He listened with care and carried with him a quiet, inner burden. I enjoyed talking about fencing, which we both had studied, he being the better fencer.

Allen leaves behind sons and a wife he adored. I am sorry I hadn’t talked to him recently but have his art, books, the appreciation of his encouragement of my beginning efforts. Please check out his works on Amazon and enjoy his many exceptional talents. My glowing reviews were removed when it was discovered that we were friends, but he’s left some of them behind for us to admire. One of my favorites is a rendition of Batman:

KNIVES & NEIGHBORHOOD

03 Tuesday Dec 2019

Posted by mlrover in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

humor, inspiration, Knives Out, movie review, movies, mystery, religion, Tom Hanks

Knives Out

Oh, yeah, let’s go there. Saw this last night with a group of friends from my church and we laughed and laughed. It’s the most fun mystery ever! I was too busy enjoying the people on screen to get invested in figuring out the mystery, which becomes clear about three-quarters through. I’m sure my friend and critique partner, Judy (aka Judi Lynn), who writes mysteries, will figure it out much earlier from some obvious clues.

As usual, I’m fascinated with the subtleties. If you look at any of the promo stills, you’ll notice the makeup, obvious shadows and blush under the cheekbones, to give the Thrombey family the look of thinness, a gaunt desperation. This is in contrast to the plump sweetness of the nurse/companion, Marta, in comparison to the Thrombey family of sharks. Everyone in this movies is having so much fun with their delicious characters—so meaty they could be easily be blown over the top—but all are skillfully contained. Or executed. (Couldn’t resist that.)

The house itself is a character. I can’t wait to slap the CD into the player so it can be paused to savor the gorgeousness of the interiors. (Who has a cannon in their drawing room?)

There are so many delightful twists and turns coming constantly and out of nowhere and yet slotted perfectly into the puzzle. Many tongue-in-cheek remarks and inferences are said so quickly they’re easy to miss. Love the detective’s name, Benoit Blanc, who surprisingly plugs in earbuds and sings a Sondheim show tune.

There is so much going on in this movie on so many levels that it’s a viewing that can be enjoyed over and over and will probably become a cult classic. Keep an eye out for Frank Oz and K Callan; as Stanislavski said, “There are no small roles, only small actors.”

Everybody in this is juicy, and I want to grow up to be Jamie Lee Curtis.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

This is nothing like what I expected. The only way I can think to describe this movie is intimate—almost, but not quite, too intimate. I have yet to read the Esquire article on which this film is based but imagine it will be as unique and unexpected as this work is. I was equal parts impressed, moved, humbled, informed, and encouraged.

Special camera work was used to capture what the original TV program looked like. The “Neighborhood” set and formatting was used throughout the filming as a tool to suck the viewer/audience into the world of Fred Rogers and the bitter, emotionally wretched internal life of a journalist (Vogel), who copes with, but has never resolved childhood traumas. When Vogel is assigned the job of writing about a beloved national icon, his wife begs him not to ruin her childhood with one of his typical exposé pieces.

As Tom Hanks said—explaining his POV in an interview—people thought of Rogers as either a saint or a fraud. Vogel leaned more toward the fraud, and after meeting Rogers, ended up bewildered, confused, then disbelieving to the point where he becomes almost obsessed with the need to understand someone who only sees the good in others and him. And the hurt.

What I liked most about this movie is how respectfully Rogers is depicted, not as a saint, but as a person with flaws and problems, while imbued with substantial grace and so much compassion he could cherish everyone as a unique being. On his TV program Rogers never talked about God, and yet he exemplified all that is good about religious belief. He personified true evangelism by extending compassion and kindness. He brought more goodness and light into the world as no present day evangelism or obnoxious evangelists do. Reverend Fred Rogers saved souls without self-righteous demands to repent or pointing out what is lacking or needs changing. He lived his beliefs, celebrated differences, and accomplished it while battling his own failings and disappointments.

We can’t all be a Fred Rogers, but we can see this movie and get an idea of where and how to start.

M.L Rigdon (aka Julia Donner)

Follow on Twitter @RigdonML

https://www.facebook.com/Julia-Donner-697165363688218/timeline

WHEN ECCENTRICS COLLIDE

03 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by mlrover in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Ali, awards, classical, Dinklage, films, Green Door, inspiration, jazz, Mortensen, movies, Music, review

Now that the end of the year film releases have opened the spigot and flooded theaters, it’s time to hit the cinema. I’m eager to satisfy curiosity and test the offerings—and to make comparisons and observations—so off I trotted to the nearest cinema.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

I waited a long time for this one. I’ve said it before and will most likely be saying it again, if you can do comedy, you can do anything. Melissa McCarthy is brilliant. Her sympathy for the abrasive, abusive, and broken Lee Israel is utterly absorbing. She made accessible a thoroughly unlikable person and will be a strong award contender and should be a frontrunner for the SAG. Richard Grant is also marvelous. He and McCarthy bring to life the strange and desperate friendship between Israel and Hock.

I’m not sure why this film isn’t doing better at the box office. Perhaps it’s some industry-insider thing, which is shameful. The story is entirely character-driven, which makes some Hollywood exec types crazed, much the same way they used to bash Spielberg when he made “serious” films, which reminds me, HBO and Susan Lacy did a fabulous documentary about Spielberg.

Green Book

Already slated for numerous awards, I mainly went to see Viggo. The man has the ability, as does Olivia Spencer, to communicate reams of information in silence. Those eyes. He killed me with them in History of Violence, and this movie has some comparisons when it comes to violence, understanding and forgiveness. It’s a story about how defensive, and ingrained, prejudice can invert itself, remold to become acceptance and admiration, an outcome unbelievable, except that it did happen. Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) and Dr.Don Shirley, (Mahershala Ali) were vastly different men. Tony was raised in a close-knit community that denigrated blacks, and Shirley well-educated and gifted, could barely tolerate Tone’s crassness.

The film title comes from The Negro Motorist Green Book, written by Victor Hugo Green. The screenplay is co-written by Nick Vallelonga, Tony’s son. There has been some backlash from Shirley’s family, who disagree with the eventual relationship between the two men and are of the opinion that Ali does not portray the terror evoked then, and still today, living and traveling in the south for blacks. They have their opinion, but mine is that Shirley, or the storyline, seeks to portray the dignity and courage it took to do that tour. The two men aren’t worlds apart, it’s more like universes. Tony, so violent and gross of manner, is so blessed with love for his family, while Shirley, so gifted and elegant, is estranged from his. Shirley learns to accept and allow himself to see underneath Tony’s persona, a man who accepts who and what he is, adores his family and yet thinks nothing of smashing somebody’s face into a bloody mess. That which horrifies Shirley is just another day on the job for Tony Vallelonga.

Don’t get so involved in the story that you miss the connection made between these two fiercely brilliant actors. It’s the sort of interplay that makes for a SAG award.

I Think We’re Alone Now (DVD)

I’ve adored Peter Dinklage since his portrayal of a scary on-the-edge-of-freaking-out children’s book writer in Elf. And what sort of asshat doesn’t love the wickedly droll Tyrion Lannister?

This dystopian story dissects the emotional fallout of a catastrophic planetary event with none of the disaster/violence theme. Its haunting and quiet until it gets ugly. Character motivation is deep and complex with a few surprising twists. What you think is weird at the beginning is given relevance as the story unfolds. Buy it, rent it, whatever. It’s worth your time and money. I have yet to see My Dinner with Hervé, a story Dinklage wanted told.

Next up, I’m itching to see The Favourite.

M.L Rigdon (aka Julia Donner)

Follow on Twitter @RigdonML

https://www.facebook.com/Julia-Donner-697165363688218/timeline

More Than Friends

06 Monday Aug 2018

Posted by mlrover in Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

blogging, books, critique, editing, essays, fantasy, friendship, horror, inspiration, mystery, opinion, publishing, regency, romance, thriller, writing, YA

Just finished another exquisite blog post by Rachel R. Roberts, author, playwright, educator, and essayist. Poignacy and nostalgia embue every sentence. There is an elegance to her writing stemming from her personality, as lilting and gentle as her voice. I hear her as I read, the syrup-smooth glide of her southern cadence. The prose is so lyric and grammar always perfect. I can see her blushing as she reads this, her head slightly turned away with modesty that is natural and unaffected. I’ve always admired that in certain women, specifically those who are sincere with that response. I have none of that and often feel like a clod when in the company of Rachel, the epitome of the gracious, southern lady. Her writing has the same even grace, while layered with so much left unwritten and yet clearly stated. I feel so lucky to hear her comments when she can attend our writing group. She never fails to find a bit of encouragement, is perceptive and kind when it comes to critiquing. Which brings me to the writing group itself, Summit City Scribes, or as we call ourselves, just plain ole Scribes.

The group ranges from ten to twenty members, fluctuating with each bi-monthly meeting. The rules are simple—fifteen minutes to read, the reader is not allowed to comment until after all the members make their remarks, which goes around the table one by one, starting with something complimentary then the opinion, suggestions, or critique.

Members are an eclectic bunch covering a wide variety of genres in fiction and non. It’s heartening for this reader to hear that the work just read held the attention of those having no interest in the genre but that it did hold their interest. If it’s a romance, that’s a big deal to hear from men who write about hiking, or a jounalist, a former cop, or the guy writing a gritty murder mystery. I remember the terror the first time I read to the group almost twenty years ago. Nowadays, I can’t wait to hear what they have to say and often use everything they suggest.

There are so many wonderful writers in this group, and since joining, I’ve found more than encouragement and instruction. The women are clever, bold and goal-oriented. The men are clear-sighted and true gentlemen, which is a lot to be said in this day and age. When my husband passed, Scribes were there, surrounding me like a bastion, determined to hold me up and see me through. They did and have through so many disappointments and set backs, writing and personal. I also scored with another of my favorite writers, my critique partner, Judy Post aka Judi Lynn. She is the fearless leader for Scribes and takes the role seriously, encouraging and touting us like a fierce mother hen. Uh, no. More like a valkyrie. Even though I dread the work involved in rewrites, I get a shiver of excitement when getting back pages from Judy drenched in red ink. She loves to write mystery, so she finds all the plot defects.

I’m including blog sites to illustrate how we differ as writers. I’ve always loved differences, how much there is to glean from another POV. I’ve learned so much from Scribes, wouldn’t have any of the craft or successes without them. Check out their blogs, you’ll see what I mean about how we differ, and because of that, learn, and more importantly, apply.

Rachel S. Roberts

https://www.rachelsroberts.com/blog/naked-ladies

Judith Post/Judi Lynn

https://writingmusings.com/2018/08/04/just-keep-writing/#comments

Kathy Palm

https://findingfaeries.wordpress.com

I’ve added a former Scribes member, Les Edgerton. (Won’t list his credentials because it goes on for miles.) He has a terrific blog and an amazing new book out.

http://lesedgertononwriting.blogspot.com/2018/08/preordering-available-for-adrenaline.html?spref=tw

So much to learn, so little time.

M.L Rigdon (aka Julia Donner)

Follow on Twitter @RigdonML

https://www.facebook.com/Julia-Donner-697165363688218/timeline

INFLUENCE

06 Monday Nov 2017

Posted by mlrover in Uncategorized

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antiques, civil war, costumes, Galena, history, inspiration, pioneer, research, travel, writing

There are those who long for a fairy godmother. As I’ve mentioned before, I had a fey aunt, Marie Louise Duerrstein, and tagged after her in fascination with how her mind and imagination worked. It wasn’t until a few months before she could no longer speak clearly from a stroke that I realized that whenever she told me her ideas, I saw them exactly as she created them in her mind.

As a girl, it never occurred to me not to do what Aunt Marie said. There were some chores I didn’t like doing, but then there were the times when she told me to audition for a play. The thought of saying no or that I couldn’t do it never entered my head. I was her living mannequin for newspapers, magazines, and in first grade, a documentary I’d forgotten about until my sister, Sarah, saw it in a history class.

Aunt Marie put together parades and pageants, reenactments and Santa Claus Houses. She’d hand me a paint brush and tell me to paint a horse because she wasn’t good at that. She once told me to make an elephant after she erected its frame, which got stuffed with newspaper, covered in burlap, and painted gray. Later, she told me to make a much larger one for a Republican Party event.

She amassed her own museum, The Old General Store, what she called: A Step into the past. And it was, and so convincing Jan Troell used it in his film, The Emigrants. Until becoming a curator, she made a living as a seamstress and selling bits of this and that of her artwork. She got artifacts for the museum with her wily sense of acquiring what she needed for nothing or next to nothing. Her motto was: Never pay for advertising. She didn’t, and yet her museum was known all over the world and in major magazines from National Geographic to Good Housekeeping.

Galena, Illinois was one of the first boomtowns of the West. In the 1820’s, Illinois was considered the edge of the world. By the 1840s, Galena’s Main Street was lined with four and five story brick and stone buildings (still intact) that survived spring floods from the Mississippi backing up the Galena River, filling the first floors with muddy water. Businesses moved merchandise to the top floors. And forgot about a lot of it. Aunt Marie didn’t. She knew the town’s history and went to store owners in the early 1950s. She said she’d clean out their attics if she could keep what she found. The items ended up in her museum, like-new boxes never opened, some from prior to the civil war.

When she opened her museum in 1957, she dressed me in a costume she’d sewn and in high- button shoes seventy years old. I worked in the museum, as did most of my family, after learning local history from Aunt Marie, who learned it directly from old timers. One was a woman in her nineties, who remembered sitting perched on her father’s shoulder to listen to Lincoln speaking from a Desoto Hotel balcony.

To this day, the 1800’s seem more comfortable to me than the present. Nine of my formative years had been spent surrounded by the past. That’s how it became easy to write in the time period. I know how to trim lamp wicks, fill them with kerosene, and clean the chimneys. I still use a coffee mill from that time. My home has antiques from her collection and the maternal side of my family. I know I will never taste anything as exquisite as the crispy lightness of a waffle made on the range with a waffle maker of cast iron. And that’s how I could write a story about a woman moving from Chicago in 1891 to a cabin in Colorado. So maybe there is something to the adage about writing about what you know.

Avenue to Heaven was released 11/01/17. It’s the first book in the Westward Bound series, stories about women who make new lives for themselves on the other side of the Mississippi, women of courage and determination. The ones who actually accomplished this are our past and our heritage.

https://www.amazon.com/Avenue-Heaven-Westward-Bound-Book-ebook/dp/B076HVGS98/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1509530295&sr=1-1&dpID=41zH8uAUeKL&preST=_SX342_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

Below is one of the ”living mannequin” moments. I was twelve at the time and can’t remember what it was for, magazine or newspaper. The background is the museum and mannequins she made to “dress” the store.

me 11-2nd

And Aunt Marie as a stand-in for the movie Gaily, Gaily

Marie Gaily Gaily

M.L Rigdon (aka Julia Donner)

Follow on Twitter @RigdonML

https://partners.bookbub.com/authors/1163516/edit

3 Films in 3 Days

22 Sunday Oct 2017

Posted by mlrover in Uncategorized

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acting, Blade Runner, Brit, film, inspiration, movie review, new releases, pet peeves, spirituality, survival, The Mountain Between Us, Victoria & Abdul

Ok, I admit it. I’m a movie junkie. There’s very little that I don’t like when it comes to films. I wish I could watch horror flicks, but the chicken-factor in me is off the chart in a darkened room. Out in the light or in real life, not so much. In real-time, it takes a lot to shake me up. This means I miss out on a lot of good stuff. Years after Jaws came out, I got up the courage to watch it and loved its humor. But I’ve strayed a bit. Back to the 3 day event.

Monday, The Mountain Between Us. Hadn’t planned to see this flick but went with a group of once-a-week movie buddies, and so glad I did. Some would say it was another bi-racial hook-up thing, but I didn’t get that anywhere in the story. Excellent script and screenplay. Superb and subtle acting. Magnificent scenic views of the remote majesty of winter-clad mountains in contrast to a profoundly intimate struggle for survival. This was a study in interior and exterior battles—two gifted people who are forced to change everything they thought they knew about themselves, to endure in the face of impossible odds. This film was so much more that I expected, and it has a wonderful dog!

Tuesday, Blade Runner 2049. Who hasn’t seen the original? Hold up your hands, I mean, hand. (I loved the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip Dick) There is no way to NOT contrast the former movie from this one. This version is more atmospheric, more artsy and stylish, but there is none of the personal investment in the story. I didn’t connect with anyone, nothing like the first one with its eerie tension and fear for the fate of the original Rachel. This second version has gorgeous art production and lighting but lacks momentum. The slow pacing allows time to enjoy the brilliant artistry but gets a bit too slow in too many spots. The only character I could connect with was the police captain, Joshi, (Robin Wright), who balances her career, professional intentions, and an inappropriate attraction for her Blade Runner. Sykvia Hoeks “Luv” was scary but not as terrifying as Rutger Hauer’s relentless desperation to live. But in this one, the seasoned actor in Ford expressed volumes when he simply and brilliantly said, “Her eyes were green.” The unfortunate sountrack was repetitive, distracting and too loud in spots. Finally, certain aspects of the story were unnecessarily obscure and the ending unsatisfying.

Wednesday, Victoria & Abdul. We automatically expect fine acting in Brit films that are perfectly casted like this one is. No need to go there. Production-wise, the weird contrasts of the austerity and abundance of the Victorian/Edwardian eras are bluntly typified, especially the nasty racial-verses-aristocratic attitudes. Edward, eventual king, was accurately portrayed as the sleaze he was, absolutely no tribute to his amazing parents. Some have labeled this as another Mrs. Brown romance, but I didn’t see that. Victoria uses Abdul to uplift her loneliness, revive her flagging spirits, but she views him as a son. What mother wouldn’t with a schlub like Bertie for a first-born.

Ergo, my first pick would be The Mountain Between Us. Second comes Victoria & Abdul, and third, Blade Runner, which is really kind of sad since I’d had such hopes for it.

Feebies on Kindle:

Prophecy Denied (free 10-22 thru 10-24) Book One of the Seasons of Time fantasy:

https://www.amazon.com/PROPHECY-DENIED-Seasons-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B004S7EQ92/ref=sr_1_3_twi_kin_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1508707823&sr=1-3&keywords=m.l.rigdon

The Rake and the Bishop’s Daughter (free 10-24 thru 10-28) historical regency

https://www.amazon.com/RAKE-BISHOPS-DAUGHTER-Friendship-Book-ebook/dp/B00LWQAY8O/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1508707650&sr=1-4&keywords=julia+donner

Newest Julia Donner release on November 1st, Avenue to Heaven, first book in the Westward Bound series about adventurous women heading west to realize their dreams. On pre-sale now:

https://www.amazon.com/Avenue-Heaven-Westward-Bound-Book-ebook/dp/B076HVGS98/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1508708009&sr=1-1&keywords=avenue+to+heaven

M.L Rigdon (aka Julia Donner)

Follow on Twitter @RigdonML

https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Huntress-Otto-Bell/dp/B01MU34PJC/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1498466724&sr=1-2&keywords=the+eagle+huntress

OF SUBSTANCE AND BEAUTY

26 Monday Jun 2017

Posted by mlrover in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

adventure, cinematography, dvd, feminism, hunting, inspiration, Mongolia, movies, review

High in the Mongolian mountains, a girl name Aisholpan breaks a tradition centuries old. With the help of supportive parents, an especially patient and loving father, this thirteen-year-old girl demonstrates courage, diligence, and a character we can only hope our own children will emulate.

The dynamic cover of THE EAGLE HUNTRESS caught my eye at the library. Took it home, watched it, and was utterly entranced throughout. I next bought it and sent it to my sister, whose background is in political science, American government, and Asian studies. This documentary would appeal to her, due to her understanding of the social challenges Asian girls endure, its unique story, and the spectacular cinematography. The entire film is a masterpiece of filmmaking achieved under difficult environmental and financial circumstances.

Yes, it’s a documentary, (swallow that derisive yawn), but it’s more exciting and spellbinding than any action feature film I’ve seen in years. Today’s action/ adventure movies are overburdened by graphics. Audiences are becoming inured to the mayhem. Millions are spent on saturating/ bombarding the viewer, and yet none of them—and I’ve seen almost all of them—evoked the excitement of this story. There was no big money backing this work. No options for a second take. A drone, a crane and a few cameras and almost all of it done in one-shot filming. The landscape, action, storyline, all of it, is breath-catching in its beauty, simplicity, and most especially the bravery of a girl who would not give up on her dream.

Societies and cultures are crumbling, values such as honesty and integrity negated and ignored. This film soars above all the unpleasantness of our present failings, the vulgarity, apathy and overindulgence, illustrating the substance of honor and the determination to excel in the face of all opposition.

M.L Rigdon (aka Julia Donner)

Follow on Twitter @RigdonML

STRANGER THAN FICTION

13 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by mlrover in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Atlantis, Cayce, fantasy, giants, inspiration, romance

It’s been too long for me to remember where or when my curiosity about Atlantis began. My clearest recollection of reading about it was when I attended a cast party forty years ago, and my first exposure was a cheesy, worse than B-grade movie from the early sixties.

I had made some comment about Atlantis to the party host, who to this day has a gi-normous book collection. He handed me a book about Edgar Cayce and his readings regarding Atlantis. I hadn’t known anything about the “Sleeping Prophet” until that book. My interest was in Atlantis. From the moment I opened the book, I was lost, sat down, and read throughout the duration of the party.

Cayce is now something of a cult figure, and were he alive today, I would think it would cause him more than a little discomfort. A devoutly religious man, he must have struggled on many levels with his naps when instructors from beyond replied to petitioner questions. Cayce must have found some comfort in helping so many with health issues and that his readings, although often far from conservative Christian doctrines, spoke reverently about God, Christ, and the Bible. The library of his dictated readings is boggling in scope, most of his predictions have happened, and his future predictions are becoming closer to fruition as every day passes.

Since my next WIP will be a return to the YA fantasy series Songs of Atlantis, I keep the Atlantis portions of his readings handy. The plot for the next book is laid out in my head, but scanning his works helps me transfer or articulate those ideas to the page. It used to freak me out when I’d write something I thought was way out there and find out it was being scientifically corroborated.

In the romantic action/adventure The Atlantis Crystal, Phil Hafeldt believes Native Americans are the descendants of Atlantis. DNA studies are starting to point to this as being probable and provable. When I write spooky stuff like that it gives me the willies. Same with this YA fantasy WIP, where red-headed giants play a role. I did research recently—written about in a previous blog post—about giants, but these beings were in my head long before I read about Cayce or went digging around on the web. That’s the fun-freaky thing about being a writer. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Of course, I could have been influenced by the Old Testament’s talk of there being giants in the land. Who knows? I just go where my bean leads me.

I have many writer friends who read fiction to learn from the writing processes of others and activate their creativity. The opposite works for me. When I feel like what I’m putting on the page is getting flat, I pick up a history book, and presto-chango, the creativity section of my brain is energized. The only thing that works better is a movie, an action flick is like a mental fire accelerant.

Another reason for a genre change up is that a character for the next book in the regency series remains elusive. This is really odd for me. My characters come to me whole, born in their completeness—plot is my struggle—but this guy, Lord Carnall, is a mystery. My critique partner, Judith Post, gave me a deserved scolding and told me to move on to something else. So I had to leap over him and move to different characters and story.

No matter what I’m writing, the underlying theme and end result is always the same, the finding of that one person in the world, whether we see them from across the musically proverbial crowded room (this happened to me) or connect with them by accident, and come together to make a hole into a whole. No matter what genre, for most of us, the lifelong search for that one person or thing has no genre.

M.L Rigdon (aka Julia Donner)

Follow on Twitter @RigdonML