One question I hear whenever someone finds out I write is, "What inspires you?" That's a tricky question. It could be anything! A news story. A picture. A song title. My life. A love letter tucked away in my undies drawer for thirty-three years.
In the case of PHOENIX, I set out wanting to write a young adult paranormal romantic suspense. I wanted my hero to be a Phoenix in human form--one with the power of healing and immortality. I wanted a cool setting--just outside of Yosemite in California, and I wanted to combine it with a Native American legend from that area. So, I began my research into Native American folklore and stumbled upon The Lady and the Giant--a Paiute legend. The moment I saw "Giant", my mind immediately went to Genesis 6:4, where Nephelim (offspring of human women and angels) are introduced. I knew I had my nemesis, and PHOENIX: The Gathering was born.
Melding those three legends, I wrote what started off as my prologue, basing my entire novel on this. Eventually, the prologue turned into a large section of my fourth chapter. I'm now nearing 36,000 words and figure I have about another 30,000 to go.
Curious? If you'd like a peek at my original prologue, click HERE .
I'm also curious. If a book has a prologue, do you take the time to read it? The concensus among authors is that people DON'T like prologues. I happen to enjoy reading them. Do you?
Yes I do read prologues.
ReplyDeleteYes I read prologues too. Your book sounds awesome. I like the twist with the legend added in.
ReplyDeleteThanks, HS, and thanks for the follow!
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