I'm not a patient person

I want to be done with the new book, but I still have to clear final editor comments. In this same vein, I want it off my plate. Because I'm not a patient person. Because I'd already reviewed it and edited it, and even though I knew that one section didn't really work, I was tired of looking at it. 

Deep breath.

A month later, I have fresh eyes and more patience. I took another look at everything and fixed that section that didn't work. Hopefully. And found some other spots that I'd thrown a band-aid on that didn't stick. In the end, they're easy fixes, but why can't I see all that on the first pass? Or the third pass? Often, those band-aids are on top of band-aids, so they stem the bleeding, but don't help the wounded part heal. To continue with that metaphor (cuz you all know how much I love an analogy), to prevent infection, you have to clean the wound, treat it and wrap it so it stops bleeding. Slapping that quick band-aid is just a quick fix.

Fresh eyes. Recovery time. Time away from the story. They are essential parts of editing. Generally, that time away is the time the editor is looking everything over, so when comments come back, everything I missed the first hundred times is crystal clear. 

And so I wait. It's in my editor's hands now (the "healed" version). Here's hoping I fixed all those rough spots and her comments are few. Fingers crossed.

We're Having a Heat Wave... 🎜🎝

Oppressive heat and humidity make good reasons to hide out inside and/or to think of "ideal" vacation spots.

My critique partner sent me a blog post to read yesterday about a boutique hotel/BnB in Maryland that boasts ghosts, among other things. So, of course, I want to go. I mentioned it to the Big Guy, pitching a visit to his family while we're there. His response? "I don't care about ghosts." Well, of course he doesn't, but Elspeth Barclay does! Inspiration is everywhere if you only look. 

Normally speaking, he indulges me when I say I want to visit something purported to be haunted. When we went to NOLA, we stayed in a haunted hotel (although every hotel in NOLA promises to be haunted). No, we didn't see any ghosts. And you know what else we didn't do? A ghost tour. (Which was TOTALLY on my agenda, but I forgot because... vacation...) He likes sightseeing as much as anyone else, so he overlooks my quirks in favor of everything else there is to do. (This is where I tell you he suggested another trip before I even mentioned the boutique hotel to do something I've always wanted to do... He's a good guy, doncha know.)

In the meantime, my critique partner suggested a writers' retreat to the boutique hotel. She isn't so much interested in the ghost aspects, but the setting should be conducive to the craft, and it's owned by "Nora." IYKYK. My crit partner is a big Nora (or, more accurately, her alter ego) fan. Me, not so much, although I respect the hell out of her. So there may yet be a trip to Maryland in my future! In the meantime, I have another trip coming up that I'm chomping at the bit over. 

I'm grateful for the opportunity to travel, especially after the past several years. It's no longer something I take for granted, and something I consider more carefully as I take into account my carbon footprint -- which contributes to the heat wave that started this ball rolling in the first place!

With the summer coming to a close, do you have any vacation plans? Are you planning ahead for next year?

The Business End

While I wait for my critique group to finish, and then my editor's comments on, THE DEMON FROM THE CRYPT, I'm concentrating on the business end of things. There's so much more to writing a book than writing a book. 

I've been setting up trailers and ads and graphics, oh my. How do I get a reader's attention? I should also add to that question "in an ever-changing environment."

Welp, here's the trailer I put together. Picking the highlights from the book to add is a challenge, especially when my highlights as an author (i.e., those things that inspired me to write) might only have a minor place in the book as a whole. (For instance, the photo - in my cover reveal post - that kicked this whole process off.)

Then there's the process of condensing an entire novel into one or two sentences (also known as an elevator pitch). Sort of leaning toward: Elle would do anything for her sister, even face a demon.

I'm also booking personal appearances in case anyone wants to buy a book from me live and in person (see Karla in the Wild).

You know. The business end of things. 

Oh. And then there's the next book to write. Often, I'll have a start on the next one while I'm waiting for this one to go through the finalizing process. What do you think? Are you guys enjoying Elle Barclay?

Are Ghosts Real?

One of the most common questions I get about my ghost books is, "Do you believe in ghosts?"

That, right there, is a very complicated question. I normally reply with, "I don't NOT believe in ghosts." Have I had "extra" normal experiences? Yes. Do I believe in a psychic connection, even with living people? Yes. Not like you see on television or on those silly ghost hunter shows or even on the scary movies. Call it intuition, if you like (which is how my characters generally have "an overdeveloped sense of intuition"), but when you know someone really well, you often have a sense about them. 

I remember writing a Christmas letter to my godfather years ago when I stopped midsentence. I was overwhelmed with a sense of him, many states away, even after not talking to him in quite some time. I stopped dead in my tracks and called my mother to see if she'd heard from him recently--to see if he was all right. She hadn't heard from him. At the time, he was well, or at least he said he was. I say, "he said he was," because it was a short time later that he passed away. He was on medication that has since been pulled as treatment because the benefits no longer outweigh the risk. I credit that experience to "tuning in to him" while I was writing the letter, which allowed me to feel "something" I might have otherwise ignored. I was relieved to know I was wrong, but was I?

I've had friends that I haven't heard from that I get a sense about. Then, when my phone rings, I'm almost afraid to answer because I almost know what they're going to tell me. Some of it is intuition, or deductive reasoning based on what I already know, but it's still spooky. Sometimes you can anticipate news. That doesn't make it any less eerie when you're right. 

And then there are the ghosts. When I went to New Orleans, I remember going to sleep one night in a "haunted hotel," and telling the ghosts I was too tired and not to bother me if they were really there. There are times when I'm more receptive to a visitation than others, but I have yet to have an encounter with a spirit from beyond the veil. Maybe I should revise that - I've never seen a spirit. I have seen things that indicate there might be one nearby, or one who wants my attention for one reason or another. Seeing a ghost is a choice, both on the part of the spirit and the visited person. Do I want to see them? 

At the end of the day, I'm a coward. I don't WANT to see a spirit. At least, not most days. I choose not to acknowledge certain things, or not to search out certain things, as I'm also certain those things are out there if we look for them. As my Elspeth Barclay character says, I don't want to anchor anyone to this life for any reason. I prefer to think of them as moving on to their ultimate reward. Toward the ends of their lives, my parents frequently talked about their impending deaths. To add some levity to one of those conversations, I jokingly asked if they would come back to be my guardian angel, to which my father immediately responded -- emphatically, I might add -- "No." Alrighty then! But I get it. They've done their time in this realm and are ready to move on. I'm okay with that. I'm willing to let them go, even when it breaks my heart.

I have a friend who has told me she enjoys my books because they make her feel closer to her husband who left us too soon. She often sees signs of him, a way that he lets her know he's still with her, and my books reinforce that feeling. Likewise with another widowed friend. I have no doubt it's true in both cases. Some people might say they're looking for things as a source of comfort, to ease their grieving. While that may be true, to both of those friends I'd just like to say--

I do believe in ghosts.

Cover reveal and backstory

When I was touring around Seville, I did a paranormal tour for ideas. While several things tickled my imagination, including a little stray dog that followed us all around the city, I only had random notes to go by. I found myself enjoying the sights more than tuning into story ideas (as it should be!). Then, on one of our last nights there, we passed a window. We'd walked by this same window dozens of times while we were coming and going, but apparently the lights weren't on previously. This particular night, it stopped me in my tracks. Next to the tapas bar. Next to the Mexican restaurant. Next to the hair salon. Next to the souvenir shop. But what was it? A warehouse? A fix-it shop? It wasn't accessible from the courtyard, but with the lights on, everything in the window sparkled. The clicking of my camera is the sound of my imagination tuning in.

Chandeliers

How to fit it into the story? I SO wanted to make this my cover, but it doesn't scream supernatural in any way shape or form. This picture looks more like a regency romance than a haunted house/ ghost/ demon novel. But I wanted to share it, so I'm sharing it here.

INSTEAD of the glittering chandeliers, I chose another picture. One that more accurately displays the genre you're getting with THE DEMON FROM THE CRYPT. Something dark and mysterious, and yet still representative of Seville. Something like...

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You like? This photo is from the Baths of Maria Padilla at the Real Alcazar (the royal palace). Oh yeah. The book is available for preorder, just in case you want to encourage me to keep writing 😉

Oh, and I should mention, personal appearances are being scheduled. First one will be at the Gail Borden Library in October. Check my "Karla in the Wild" page for updates.