Revelations is here!

At long, long last, Revelations has arrived! Tech issues resolved! The birth process of this book was more challenging than either of the other two books, but in some ways, it is also more of a celebration for me, since the journey toward the release of the book was so much more challenging than I expected. Now, I can rest and celebrate its arrival.

For those of you who have been following the course of Tamara’s life, this book represents a continuation of the other two—the story is Tamara’s continuing journey—but it also represents a depth that I have never gone to in my other two stories. These people whose lives I’ve had the privilege to write about have experiences that I don’t always share, or even really understand, at times. I feel their frustration, fear, love and joys, but their experiences don’t always resonate with me personally. This book, which was difficult for me to write, resonated with me very deeply as Tamara experiences some of the most intense experiences of her life. I was forced to experience one of the most pivotal—and powerful—experiences in my life as I wrote. It wasn’t easy, but it brought me levels of understanding and freedom I did not expect when I began the journey. I don’t know what it will bring those of you who read it, but I hope it touches you as it did me.

I begin again at the start of the writing process: the creative phase, where I write lots and lots of book starts with an eye to finding out where the next steps in the continuing story of Azelle go. I don’t know yet exactly where Book Four is going to take us. We may follow Tamara directly, or see her at a remove as we follow one of the other people who populate this world—even despite the November writing month, the creative process is so very fluid right now. I’ve got more possibilities about what might happen, but no firm path to follow yet. Divine timing at play once again, and this time, I’d like to believe I can be patient as I enjoy these beginning stages of the creative process. We’ll see how that goes.

In the meantime, enjoy the new installation in the story of Azelle and the continuation of Tamara’s journey in Revelations: Book Three of the Azellian Affairs! You can access the Amazon version of the book on the book page of my website or in the link below:

Welcome to Azelle

Azelle. What is it? Where is it? Why are we here? Okay, the last question is probably more existential than we need to get in a simple newsletter/blog post. Besides, I can offer suggestions and ideas all day long, but in the end, only you can answer that question for yourself, haha.  

If you've read my Azellian Affairs series: Alawahea, Triangle and the recently released Revelations, you already know something about Azelle. This blog post is a bit of a departure: more sci-fi than romance, but for those of you who know the series, you know that there is a balance between the science fiction and the romance. I’m playing a little more on the science fiction side of the equation in this blog post to feed the curiosity of those science fiction readers in the crowd.

No worries, there are no direct spoilers in this description, although you may find helpful explanations for those of you who have always wondered what the planet—which we haven’t seen in any depth yet, catching only glimpses—looks like.

Azelle is a desert planet located many lightyears away from Earth. It is older than Earth, somewhat smaller in diameter and closer to its aging, somewhat dimmer sun, but still well within the habitable zone of that star. It's a rocky planet with slightly lighter gravity and a little more oxygen content in its atmosphere than Earth has, which can create some level of euphoria in humans when landing on the planet. Despite its appearance as a sand-covered desert, it does have free flowing water, although that water is primarily underground. Azelle boasts three moons that create somewhat complicated weather systems and planet wide winter sandstorms that make living there sometimes a bit challenging, but it can also be stunningly beautiful. 

Azelle has a native population of non-human non-corporeal beings, and it also has a race of sentient physical beings who look like--and can interbreed with--humans quite easily. There is a reason for that, which we will be exploring in my new novel, Revelations, but for now, I will only say that there is a reason Azellians look like humans and are virtually indistinguishable from them, except for some psychic talents they go to some lengths to hide from humans. 

We have run into a few technical difficulties with the Amazon portion of the celebration. Revelations is available on Amazon, but only in print. We’re working hard to get the Kindle version sorted out but for now, check out the print version of Revelations: Book Three of the Azellian Affairs:

As our Release Date Approaches …

We are counting down to release date! Since I’m one of those odd people that love lists, and sometimes obsessively create them, as our release date approaches, I’ve put together a quick list of the main people who populate the world of The Azellian Affairs. As a refresher, and a sneak peek all in one, here it is in no particular order, so you can see if your favorite people might be making an appearance. No spoilers are below, it is a simple list of who appears where in the series. Enjoy!

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Merran Corina: Where he appeared: Alawahea, Triangle, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

Tamara Carrington: Where she appeared: Alawahea, Triangle, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

Alarin Raderth: Where he appeared: Alawahea, Triangle, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

Justern Memaxthal: Where he appeared: Alawahea, Triangle, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

Jasmian Memaxthal: Where she appeared: Alawahea

Greg Tenricth: Where he appeared: Alawahea, Triangle, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

Rory Memaxthal: Where he appeared: Triangle, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

Mellis Mennak: Where she appeared: Alawahea

Ketiana Dorvath: Where she appeared: Triangle, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

Peter Carrington: Where he appeared: Alawahea, Triangle, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

Sadie Carrington: Where she appeared: Alawahea, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

Andreya Carrington: Where she appeared: Alawahea, Triangle, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

Jeanine Carrington: Where she appeared: Alawahea

Rashella Raderth (Corina): Where she appeared: Triangle, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

Galadrian Raderth: Where he appeared: Triangle, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

Kyla Raderth: Where she appeared: Triangle, Revelations (as of 9/30/22, not yet released)

And while we wait ...

It’s almost here! Revelations: Book Three of the Azellian Affairs is scheduled to release at the end of the month!

In the meantime, I’ve gotten lots of questions from readers about why relationships played out the way they did in the first two books: Alawahea and Triangle. Here’s a sneak peek (and Spoiler Alert if you have never read either Alawahea or Triangle). If you have never read either book, please be sure to read those two books first! If spoilers don’t bother you, or if you have already read the books, then feel free to read on:

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Why was Alarin and Tamara's relationship so uneasy? They had a bond, right? Didn’t that mitigate the tension between them?

Among Azellians, and particularly those from the High Council families, Awakening is an overwhelming, intense and sometimes even traumatic experience. It can sometimes lead to very intense relationships, but by their very nature, the intensity burns out and often goes cold fairly quickly unless constantly re-ignited. Based almost entirely on hormones and very little on actual compatibility, once that intensity flares and fades, there is little left to raise if one does not have a genuine connection to the other such as shared interests or common ground on which to build something long term. To Azellians, bonds such as those between Alarin and Tamara—and even Merran and Tamara—are constricting, frustrating and to be avoided at all cost. Once a bond is formed, both partners will often chip away at it until it disappears. The deeper the bond, the more the instinctive response is to get away from it, or damage it until it is destroyed. Azellians will take on sexual partners, sometimes as life mates, but they do not believe that one’s self should ever be subsumed into another.

Why did Tamara and Merran’s relationship fall apart? They seemed so good together!

Tamara and Merran’s relationship is deeply unbalanced. To Tamara, Merran is a mentor more than a lover. Her Awakening freed so many suppressed and confused emotions about love, sex and being out of control, that many of her feelings for Merran are more like gratitude and a crush. What was between them was never meant to last. Their personalities do not truly mesh and they are in very different places in their lives. Tamara knows this and though she doesn’t consciously break it off, she draws closer to Alarin as Merran withdraws from her, and the relationship between herself and Merran falls apart. To Merran, Tamara is not a lover, partner or confidante. For a time, he does entertain the idea of being her lover, and he does care deeply about her—more deeply than he knows—but their relationship is not meant to last in that form. Instead, the birth of Rashella allowed the child to be their bridge so they can forge a friendship built over shared responsibilities for their daughter.

Why did Alarin, Tamara and Merran never function well as a unit?

While polyamory and open relationships are common on Azelle, with many people living in multiple combinations of many types, for Tamara it is so far outside her comfort zone that she subconsciously sabotages it. Alarin comes from a family who does not accept same sex pairings, and Merran is not particularly drawn to men, so the relationship between the three of them functions less as a partnership and more as a competition. That combination does not make for a long lasting relationship.

Will Merran ever find a lover?

I ask the same question over and over myself. I don’t know yet. I think so—I would like to think so—but we’ll have to find out together.

Will there ever be justice for Justern?

Justern’s experience leads to some very powerful growth for him. Does he heal? Yes. And he finds a new, deeper and very loving relationship that perfectly fits him. If that is what you mean by justice, then yes, he does find justice. If you mean does he get revenge? If the best revenge is to live well, far beyond any hurt the other can do to him, then, yes, he gets revenge. His story may even one day end up in a book or books of his very own.

Why did Tamara end up with Alarin instead of Merran?

Their relationship was much more equal and they each have something to learn from each other. There is a very deep soul contract that is going to play out between them. Book 3, Revelations, explores that in more depth.

Do you have a burning question? Either jump in on the comments below and ask, or submit a question through the site! Enjoy!

Review: The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu

For the past couple of weeks, I have been watching The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu. My reaction to it is interesting: despite some strong mixed feelings about whether or not I like the story, there is something very powerful about the storyline, a deeply resonant thread that keeps me coming back despite an often unpleasant visceral response and yes, sometimes a sarcastic “Really?!? Seriously?!” thrown at the screen when certain things happen. For the past two weeks, as I’ve watched the show, I observed and listened and finally have realized just what I am perceiving: the storyline is so very timely in this era of #MeToo and the lashing out of the shadow that lurks in all of us. It is giving voice to a powerful, terrifying rage that haunts our psyche. The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu is an unabashed exploration of that shadow, an unapologetic imaging of the suppressed feminine rage that whispers (or screams) in all of our heads. How we react to that rage varies depending on our upbringing, gender and level of energetic awareness, but we all know the fundamental rage quite well—and The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu unashamedly illustrates it. 

Hope lingers that there will be some happiness to be found along the way in the story—and there sort of is—but the question becomes how much of ourselves will we allow to be consumed by the shadow? To heal something, one must fully feel it, and one of the ways we do that is to witness with compassion even the strongest and lethal shadows there are. But how far is too far? Will seeking to claim vengeance in an effort to lance the pain ease the rage? And if it does, how deeply does one dive into the storm? Will it take over and fundamentally change us for the worst? These are all deeper questions posed by the television show. 

Interestingly, The Handmaid’s Tale, as written by Margaret Atwood, is very different, a warning of what lurks in the shadows, not a full-on wading or swimming in the darkness. The show doesn't even pretend that it is speaking about anything but vengeance: we watch the question get asked again and again through multiple characters on the show. 

Why such a difference between the two? Here is my perception in this moment: this television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel on Hulu has a very different timing than the book Margaret Atwood wrote: the #MeToo movement is very much here, reminding us that though we have come a distance compared to the 80’s when the book was published, there remains yet quite a distance to go. When Margaret Atwood wrote the story, the rage was very much there, but the changing times had not yet started to bring the pain, the violations and the rage to the surface yet. This iteration of the timeless classic is giving voice to something that has been bubbling to the surface for a very long time, and although violent vengeance is not something I personally choose as a response most of the time, I have very definitely felt that rage on occasion. It lurks in all of us, waiting to be seen, to be acknowledged. Not forgiven or ignored, just witnessed.

Although the show is fictional, the themes in the show are very real and very relevant. It speaks to everyone—men and women alike, albeit in different ways—and it leaves a mark. People may hate or love it, but very much like the shadow it is expressing, the show wants to be seen. The shadow that the show reflects simply wants to be known. This show does a beautiful job of stripping all the “glory” of that shadow away. Vengeance is ugly. The acts that created the pain that lead to it are visceral and ugly. However, humanity is capable of great evil AND great good. In the end, no hero is uni-dimensional. No villain appears out of thin air without facets. And no one has the answers—there are only different paths, some of which are more or less painful than others, but they all have the right to be heard. The long domination of the toxic masculine is coming to an end, and healing arrives—but to heal the hurt one has to feel the hurt. This show is brutal, agonizing and may never heal. It poses the question: what if we never heal? Is that okay? That’s yet another question without an answer, and we can only face it with compassion for ourselves and those of us who are lost in the darkness.  

There is at least one more season coming. Will I watch it? Maybe. I am a sucker for a series, and there are some bright gems sprinkled through the show that have me curious to see if they will germinate (and yes, I personally want to see redemption for the characters, the story and the world), but at the same time, the show is as it is. It is dark, but it gives a brilliant voice to our own torments through characters who are struggling with the same questions we are. Can we heal and release that pain that has dominated our lives for generations? Is that darkness all there is, or does there remain light in our lives? Is it only about revenge? What toll does revenge take on who we are and those we love? How are we going to live our lives in the future once that revenge has played out? Do we take responsibility, or continue to spread blame? What is the difference? 

After all, the light is real, but so is the darkness. There is no hiding from it, no pretending that it doesn’t exist any more. And maybe just maybe, that’s okay. As my favorite Rumi poem says, 

This being human is a guest house. 

Every morning a new arrival.  

A joy, a depression, a meanness

Some momentary awareness comes

As an unexpected visitor

Welcome and entertain them all! 

Even if they are a crowd of sorrows

Who violently sweep your house 

Empty of its furniture.

Still, treat each guest honorably. 

They may be clearing you out 

For some new delight. 

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

Meet them at the door laughing,

And invite them in. 

Be grateful for whoever comes,

Because each has been sent,

As a guide from beyond.

The world in which we find ourselves today seems to be wreathed by shadow. I invite the shadow in, I see it, respect it and acknowledge it while knowing that we are, at the core, still beautiful, still light and still loved. I see the fear, the rage and the deep despair that The Handmaids Tale does so well at illuminating and I embrace all those parts of me that resonate with it. We are here to witness a fundamental shift in the human psyche and if it hurts in the healing, I know from personal experience that fully accepting the hurt for what it is and allowing it to be present within me to the fullest, changes the pain into something else. What that pain becomes, is unique to each of us, but for me, the other side of pain feels so peaceful, so restful, so flowing. It feels like being cradled by water, floating weightless in space. In those quiet spaces between the raging waves of pain and violence, I have seen glimpses of other possibilities so truly beautiful, they take my breath away. Those possibilities represent a freedom and expansion that lead to true nirvana. 

Am I willing to step out of the darkness, to love the parts of me that resonate with it? YES. I’m willing to love with such ferocity that even those parts of me mired in darkness feel it. Am I willing to shift perspective so deeply that I can feel both heaven and hell and remain rooted in the divine NOW? Yes. And so I can watch The Handmaid’s Tale with a sense of deep compassion for not just the characters who are in so much pain, but myself and the world around me as well.

Alawahea—it is as it was, is and will be and Kyanalira—divine love be with us all. And so it is. 

I asked a friend from Azelle to share his perspectives: to read that interview join as a Visiting Rover or Fellow Voyager:

Shifting Dimensions

As we get closer to the release date of Revelations, Book Three of the Azellian Affairs and the world continues to be a very odd place where things are changing so fast no one can keep up, I’ve pondering the question: can we shift dimensions? Or is that just science fiction fantasizing?

Considering that some of the things that our science fiction authors like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C Clarke used to write about HAVE come true (cell phones and pocket computers anyone?), it’s hard to dismiss the notion out of hand. After all, the concept of a wheeled vehicle that can go a hundred miles an hour plus would have seemed like the most insane science fiction to a society dependent on a horses and buggies. Yet science got us there—and there are vehicles that go WAY faster than that. Although there are some REALLY tantalizing possibilities in the realm of quantum physics where alternate dimensions are theorized and even likely, science has not quite yet gotten us to the place that we can hop in our teleporter machine and go to another dimension.

In my own explorations of the highly-unlikely-and-on-the-surface-impossible, I have discovered that it is indeed possible to shift dimensions. It’s simpler than it sounds. And at the same time, much harder. Because it requires us to fully embrace our own selves, fully and completely and to wake up to what is possible. Not always easy. The key is choice. There is a statement I heard somewhere that changed my life once I fully embraced it: we can’t control what happens to us, but we are always free to choose how we experience what happens.

That is the key to shifting dimensions: choice. Do we see those who hurt us as evil jerks who deserve to have their heads chopped off for daring to damage us? Or do we see those who hurt us as struggling beings who are simply echoing the deep damage they experienced in their lives? It’s much easier to find compassion for someone else in pain when we ourselves are able to forgive the pain we’ve caused ourselves and others.

Pain exists. Anyone who says pain is an illusion is desperately hiding from it, hoping it will go away. Pain however, is NOT just that wrenching, ripping, tearing sensation that sears us to the bone. It is—something else. Our relationship with pain evolves and changes as we do, until we relate to it differently. Once that happens, pain becomes an opportunity, a message and a possibility. Even as we hurt, we are no longer afraid of it, and once we are no longer afraid of it … we are free. Free to choose, free to not choose. Free to be, free to not be. Free to do anything at all. We’re even free to hide, although once our relationship with pain changes, hiding becomes rather irrelevant.

The world we each live in is deeply colored by our perspective. To change our perspective, we have to be able to choose. To choose, we have to be willing to change our relationship with pain. Once we do that, freedom is ours.

Having said that, when do I shift to the dimension that I’m living in Italy on the coast enjoying the Mediterranean easy life?!

In my most recent Patreon post, I explore more about shifting dimensions and some of the ways I’ve done so. To find out more, check it (and my other Patreon posts) out below:

Adagio

I recently wrote a post on my Patreon platform that comes from a very deep place inside of me, and is something that is very important to me, so I am sharing it here on my website as well:

It has been difficult to write this past month. Beyond the personal situations that have played a part in my life this month, there have been some large changes in our laws that have rippled through our country. Shortly before the 246th celebration of our country's birthday and formal declaration of liberation from what was then considered the tyranny of British rule, we have experienced what feels like a huge setback in women's autonomy and freedom. That this change occurred so close to our July 4th holiday only adds to the irony inherent in the change. 

One thing to make clear: I am not interested in the polarity of politics. Each political party is made up of people, who have motivations and priorities and those priorities often clash, sometimes splitting the group into polarized pieces. There are no easy answers to anything. I no more have the answers than our leaders do, and all the upheaval means that people are deeply passionate about what is happening.  

In the midst of the chaos, the shock and the pain that is currently gripping our country, it is time to borrow a concept from classical music: adagio, a moment when we slow everything down and take a breather. As one of my friends and colleagues, Kelly Forsyth, says, "Stop. Breathe. Perceive." Or, as Matt Kahn, one of the teachers that I like to listen to, instructs: "We all deserve more love, not less." This past weekend in a Denver in-person workshop, he also said in another context: "Ask: what is it you are trying to accomplish right now?"   

That question resonates on a deep level, making me ask the question of us as a sentient species: What are we trying to accomplish? Right now, all of the upheaval and chaos and differing opinions can be boiled down to one word: safety. We are all looking for a sense of safety and security. The world is changing. Deeply. Irrevocably. Nothing feels safe and the changes are only accelerating. Not all of us are dealing with it in the same way, and some of the ways that it is being handled can seem painful, scary and hurtful. This past month, I watched (and felt) my elderly father step outside his comfort zone. My empathy gave me a first hand view of his discomfort even as I faced my own training and attempted to do nothing but hold space as he experienced his experiences. How successful was I? Well, considering we absolutely CANNOT fail at living our lives, no matter how we live them, it was a brilliant success. Did I accomplish anything? I have no idea. Did I stop feeling the pain? Not right away. I did, however, successfully disengage myself from his experience so that I was aware of it without being drawn into it. With that, the pain left, giving me the deepest sense of compassion for both of us: each of us physical, spiritual beings who are each on our own paths, connected, but separate. 

There are those of us who are here to hold space. Our deepest divine purpose is to experience and witness as the human race grows into its next stage of evolution. Healing is only possible by facing the pain and coming through it to the other side. From the #MeToo movement to the horrific images of the George Floyd beating to the awful spate of shootings all across the country to the heart wrenching images of war, we are seeing all the places that domination and abuse has been allowed to run rampant through the thousands of years of our collective experience, damaging not just those people who are currently considered political minorities, but every living being in its wake. 

We have an opportunity. We can hold space, knowing that no one is lost, that no one is truly sacrificed, that we are doing this together, that some of us have a different path to walk than others. We can recognize that those who are "doing evil" are deeply afraid, living out a hell of their own making and spreading it to as many people as possible as they go, giving each and everyone of us a chance to decide how we want to live our lives: to engage or not to engage with their pain. It is an interesting quirk of humanity that an evolutionary leap is often predicated by pain. Because it is in the darkest dark that humanity shines, its inborn divinity unquenched and even revealed (by, through, despite?) the horrors that live deep in our psyche. In every darkness is a light, a light that does not harm, but illuminates, bringing sometimes painful healing. But healing, nonetheless.   

My own journey has shown me that every "dark" or "heavy" energy has something that lives on the other side. On the other side of anger is laughter. On the other side of sorrow is peace. On the other side of pain is compassion. A deep compassion that leads to one truth: everyone is a whole, complete, autonomous being. Once we have embraced the light and dark in ourselves, and completely and totally accepted ourselves, even those dark shadows that lurk in our own psyche, that is when we are truly safe. 

Until then, I observe those who are frantically lashing out in an effort to hold onto power in order to feel safe and I say, "I acknowledge the fear, the rage and the hurt and I see the eons of pain and abuse that are being revealed by these actions." We are in this together. Not even those who are angry and hurting deserve to be cut off: there is a deeply hurting human being behind every hurtful action. That also does not mean we need to stay in a situation in which we or anyone else are being abused: we have every right and every responsibility to stand up and be what we want to see in the world. May we all recognize the human soul in each other and recognize our own basic right to make our own choices. As I have learned through my time on Azelle, the will of the patient is paramount. And right now, humanity is the patient. 

How will it play out? I don't know. But I do know I will stand in my perception that this upheaval is a deep healing of very old, collective injuries. The divine feminine comes back to this world and with it, healing of a depth that this world has never seen before. I know to the core of me that we will come out of this stronger, more compassionate and nothing at all like we once were. 

Alawahea. Kyanalira. It is as it was, is and will be. Divine love to us all.   

For more information about my Patreon page, please check out the tiers here:

Keeping the Creativity Alive

As every artist knows, there is an ebb and flow to creativity. Sometimes the words come easily and sometimes it’s like trying to climb a mountain blindfolded and hands tied: it is rough and even scary. The worst thing in the world to the part of us that desperately wants to create is a blank page or blank canvas. I know that feeling well—feeling like I’m staring into an abyss, with the abyss staring back. Are there more ideas? What if I’ve run out? Will the story flow, or bog down? Will I get stuck somewhere and be left starting over?

Except that it’s not really like that, not to the part of us that is effortlessly creative. Instead, it’s about what we might call into being, and to our minds, that’s terrifying. The key is to relax. How do I relax to recapture the effortless ease of being “in the zone”? Curious to know more? Join as a Fellow Voyager or a Visiting Rover to check out my techniques in my new Patreon post:

Revelations Update

Today I reviewed the layout design of Revelations and started to get excited. It is coming together! We have some stylistic changes to make, but it’s really starting to take shape. And perhaps the funniest part: I got utterly sucked into the story. I was SUPPOSED to be looking at the overall design (no editing allowed) but then I just read a sentence. Then another one, then another one, then suddenly I’m reading the story. Again. Considering I wrote it, you’d think that I wouldn’t get sucked in. But yet … I did. I have no idea if that means anything about the story, but it sure was fun. I’m falling in love with yet another Azellian.

In the meantime, if you want to learn more about my favorite people from Azelle, and a bit more about their history and what books they appear in, join as a Fellow Voyager level and check out my Patreon post called Exploring Azelle: People here:

Book 3 is coming!

At long, long last, book 3, which is titled Revelations: Book Three of the Azellian Affairs is in production. We are just about ready to begin to get the first test copies made, get reviews, then we’ll be in the home stretch to release!

I have gotten numerous questions about when the next book will be out, so I have put up a special post on my Patreon Page with Frequently Asked Questions from the previous two books to tide people over until the next book comes out in a few months. My Patreon Page also has exclusive backstory content to help take the edge off, including some older stories I wrote when I was a child, raw and unedited. They are good for a laugh and a peek into the evolution of a budding new author before the world (or she) knew she was an author. Join at the Fellow Voyager level for more detail on my Patreon page here:

And now, for a special reveal, here is a sneek peak at the cover of my newest soon-to-be-released book, Revelations: Book Three of the Azellian Affairs! Stay tuned for more peeks, and updates including a full cover reveal, once we get to the point of having it ready.

We're back!

Welcome to the explorations of Sara L Daigle!

After what has to be the oddest two years in the history of the world (well, my world, anyway, and, I daresay, most of the rest of the world’s, too), my next book is FINALLY done! Revelations: Book Three of the Azellian Affairs is at long, long last finished editing and is now moving into production. Of course, there remain quite a few moving parts, so I still don’t have a solid release date yet, BUT it will be this year.

As I’ve shared in previous posts, the journey to publication with this book has been long, bumpy and reached deep into places in me that I have never experienced before. It is a labor indeed—a labor of love, a labor of growth, and one of the most intense stories I have ever written so far. This story and the people in it took me to very deep places in myself and I am very excited to share it with the world.

And I know, loyal readers, that it has been torture to keep you waiting.

So in the interim, I have exciting news: I am launching myself and the Azellian Affairs on a new platform, in which you can learn more about the story behind the story, where I will be posting appendices, backstory and more of my creative endeavors to help you through the in-between-book-times. Here is your opportunity to Travel with Sara L Daigle and the Azellian Affairs!

Click here to learn more and become a Patron:

Triangle is here! From Vision to Reality: Achieving a Dream

Triangle is here! From Vision to Reality: Achieving a Dream

When I first moved to Colorado in the 90’s, a fresh faced young woman without a clue, I walked into a Denver landmark—the Tattered Cover in LoDo (lower Downtown for anyone not familiar with Denver, an area of Denver that has seen quite a bit of change over the past fifty years, but has recently become quite trendy). As I walked into the store, I had a flash of an impression that I had no way of understanding or interpreting: my book, in the store, on the shelves. 

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Book Two Release Date: Nothing Worth Having is Easy

Book Two Release Date: Nothing Worth Having is Easy

It’s been a while since my last update. A lot has been happening personally and professionally, which has made blog updates challenging—but in this case, no news is good news!! I am thrilled to say that Triangle: Book Two of the Azellian Affairs now has a release date! We will be learning more about the continuing adventures of Tamara, Merran, Alarin and the rest of the Azellians and their supporters in the late summer of 2018 (very likely September). A sneak preview of the new cover is attached to this blog post, and I will be updating my website to reflect the new book (plus release date) in the next few weeks, as we start to finalize everything.   

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What if I’m Not Good Enough: Challenges of Writing

What if I’m Not Good Enough: Challenges of Writing

As I take a break from the production piece of Triangle: Book Two of the Azellian Affairs, I find myself reflecting a bit on writing. One aspiring writer I met recently worried that she couldn’t write stories as good as the ones she was reading. I, too, still face this concern. With every new book it pokes at me—I’ve just gotten better at facing it, because fear doesn’t change my behavior any more. 

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The Other Side of the Rainbow: Book 2 Update!

It’s been a while since my last post—but the good news is, editing is finally done on book 2! It officially has a title, too, and is going to be called Triangle: Book Two of the Azellian Affairs. Within the next month or so, we will be moving from editing to production, which means we should see a finalized book in the next few months—maybe even before summer! 

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Climbing Another Mountain: The Journey of Writing a Sequel

It’s been months since my last blog post, as I have been completely and totally buried in editing my second novel. When I began this journey to publication years ago, I had thought the biggest mountain to climb was getting published in the first place. While, yes, that was a challenge requiring courage and support, little did I know that the process of editing a sequel was going to be quite so vigorous. 

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A Thank You To Merry Dissonance Press

Although I am not technically self-published (I am working with an indie publisher), there is a certain power to publishing through the indie circuit that reminds me of the edgy, remarkable, very powerful movies that get made through the indie industry. My publisher, Merry Dissonance Press, has been a blessing and a huge help as I wandered into a brand new world, sometimes quite literally. I had to learn a new language, a new set of rules, an entirely new paradigm from which to function, and Donna Mazzitelli helped me do that. Step by step, as my book went from edited manuscript through to final product, Donna helped me navigate the steps to actually holding a copy of my book in my hand.

So much goes into the production of a book: cover art design, layout design, putting the book up into various e-book outlets (from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, all the way to Smashwords), making sure it looks good and is professional at every step of the way, and even registering it with the Library of Congress and getting an IBSN number. Even help with the book launch party and making sure I had all the supplies for that….I had no idea you even needed any of that to launch a book. No idea of the sheer work that goes into the background of getting a book out there. I have quite a bit more sympathy for the publishers of the world, and for the authors who self-publish. Diving into the world of publication, while it is very different than it used to be, can still be a bit bewildering to the novice. Merry Dissonance Press helped me face that challenge and really navigate it. I’m very excited for book 2 and where it will take us!

Merging Sci-Fi and Romance

I just had my first experience with being on a radio show being interviewed by someone. I really loved the experience! The interviewer, Briar Lee Mitchell, was supportive and helped me bring up some really neat information I never put into words before: how do you merge the romance and sci-fi genres? The answer gave me a sneak peek into my own psyche, which I love. I read quite a bit of classic science fiction and fantasy. When I was in my teens and early 20’s, I also had time to read novels that required you to learn a huge amount about another world before you could even begin to enjoy the story. That ability ended for me in my mid 20’s, after I graduated from college and entered the working world. Work and family slowly ate at my free time, and I no longer had the energy after a long work day to focus on a complex book for hours on end.

But as I continued to read and write, my stories evolved and my tastes slowly shifted. Growing up between two cultures myself (French and English), I witnessed the confusion and heart break that can come from cultural assumptions, and perhaps not surprisingly, that theme crept into the stories I was writing. Yet it was very important to me to keep a story simple, easy to read and enjoyable. While I did at one point adore complex stories that built incredible worlds, my brain filled up with the complexities of life and I stopped wanting to read about the complexities of other worlds.

How to balance the two? Bringing to life a culture, yet keeping it simple, believable and interesting as I spun a story? Enter romance, which I also read quite a bit of during my formative years. I didn’t need a complex plot, as I already had a complex situation playing out in the conflict and character interactions. Most romance novels are pretty simple: man meets woman, they fall in love and after some problems which they invariably resolve, they end up living happily ever after. How did that impact my writing? Move the story to Earth, pair the aliens with human characters people could relate to…and voila, I had a story that bridged the two genres.

Do my characters end up living happily ever after? Spoilers are never fun: I can say, though, while I do enjoy HEA’s (happily ever afters) and usually end up there, who said a book needs to end on it EVERY time? I’m playing between genres, after all, and science fiction encourages lots of series. Romance encourages HEA’s….merge the two and you get six more books currently written and just waiting for publication. Stay tuned and we’ll all learn more together!

 

10 Thing Readers Would be Surprised to Know About Me

  1. I avoided admitting I was a writer for a very long time. Everyone else in my life knew it except for me.

  2. I was an Anthropology and French major in college. No English degree for me

  3. I could never write short stories until about a year ago. Now I write them all the time.

  4. I did accounting and tax prep for seventeen years before deciding that I was going to follow my passion, which is writing. Some of you who already know me know this, because they met me when I had my accounting hat on, but there will come a day that this will be news, because I have left all that behind.

  5. Before taking up accounting and tax prep, I worked as a financial aid counselor for my alma mater for five years.

  6. I spent 5 months in France in college. I was nearly fluent, but let it go to focus on writing English. I’d love to pick it up again, though. Immersion is the way to go!

  7. I’ve read more French literature books than I have English literature. While my high school peers were reading English lit classics, I was taking creative writing.

  8. I have never read or seen Game of Thrones. Okay, that’s a lie. I saw one episode. As popular as it is, it requires too much effort to get into the storyline. Yes, I am a lazy reader/TV watcher.

  9. I don’t like cold winters. Which made growing up in a place that has worse winters than coastal Alaska problematic.

  10. I love hiking. I love the outdoors and spending time in it. Especially after I moved to Colorado, where it is sunny most of the time and amazingly biting-bug free. Sshhh, that’s a secret we who live in Colorado don’t want to get out. Unfortunately, I think it’s already too late as Denver has quadrupled in size since I first moved here.

Exploring the Desert

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I recently had the occasion to spend nine glorious, beautiful days in the desert. First, I sojourned in Phoenix (which is only recommended if you have a liking for overly oppressive heat and friendly biting bugs known as fire ants) and then in Sedona. Phoenix was just that, a beautiful, fiery glorious bird-being, flying high above the world on glittery wings of gold. Heat, yes, giant bugs, yes, but still stately, and alluring. I never understood why I always saw my beautiful planet, Azelle, as a desert until I spent five days in the heat of a Phoenix summer and realized the beauty of it. Well, five days in a Phoenix end-of-summer-cooling trend, but considering I spend my summers in Colorado, it was probably a good thing I didn’t brave the 120 degree heat out of the starting gates. 106 is quite daunting enough. Despite the heat, despite my wilting flower tendencies, I love the desert. The stark beauty. The majestic rocks. Even the heat that plays tricks on your perception of distance and vision. There is something about a desert that strips down everything and reveals the sheer beauty of being. There is nothing to distract. No green, no living things (except those tough plants that thrive on harsh heat and little water), no gentle blue of water. It is the bones of the earth, showing through the lush carpet of life that covers its surface.

I fell in love with the desert.  The energy of Colorado is light, lissome, teasing. Coy. The energy of Phoenix is clear, expansive and joyous. Sometimes unforgiving, raw and honest, but never hiding. There is no pretending in the desert. You are a part of something much larger than yourself. If you have the courage, you can embrace it. Or you can let it overwhelm you. The choice is yours. The desert welcomes either.

Then I made my way to Sedona. There are no words for the power of that place. A place of healing, of love. Nurturing. Beautiful, of course. Hiking on one of its myriad trails, I found myself moving quite unconsciously in tune with the Tai Chi I am learning. Embracing my body was easy, effortless. Nothing seemed out of place or upsetting. Everything just flowed.  Spontaneous healing, emotional barriers collapsing, openness where none was available before…Sedona is a mysterious, beautiful place that is the universe’s gift to us. A marriage between Earth and cosmos, where stars beyond counting and the bones of the earth meet in glorious harmony.  I could spend all of my existences through all time and space there, in that glittering place.

It is Alawahea, the title of my book and a word I created to explain that beautiful concept of embracing and celebrating everything exactly as it is, without needing to change anything at all. It is an acceptance and a rejoicing, a throwing open of the heart and knowing that everything is…just as it is. Not good, not bad, just what it is. It feels like home….and perhaps it is.