It should come as no surprise that as a writer, I believe in the importance of reading and of books. I was an avid reader as a kid and read everything and anything. History books. Science Fiction. Historical fiction. Non-Fiction. Romance, of course. I’d read and read and read, including the cereal box! LOL! We learn from books and for me, I’ve learned the importance of the past and what it teaches us for the future. It worries me that there are those intent on rewriting the past in order to control the present and the future. It’s why it’s so important to read, read.
#ManCandayMonday – Matt Lanter
Like many, I am waiting to see if NBC renews TIMELESS! I love this show because I’m a history buff and because it nicely blends history, action, science, and of course, romance. The main male lead is Matt Lanter and he is soooo cute! If I had to cast Jonathan Pierce from WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER, Matt would definitely be up there as a possible actor for the role. That smile and those baby blues are so sexy!
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#FunFriday Anastasia the Musical is finally here!
If there was something we were waiting for more than the live action Beauty and the Beast, it was one of our absolute favorite movies finally making to Broadway: Anastasia!
My daughter and I loved the songs, the history and of course, the romance. It was such an awesome animated movie. When we heard there was talk of a Broadway show, we waited and waited and tomorrow, the big day is finally here! We are going to see Anastasia on Broadway! Yeah!
Here is one of the amazing songs from this movie. Click here if you cannot see the Anastasia video below or use this link: https://youtu.be/RkmYWdz75JY
#WriteWed A Paranormal with the Terracotta Army?
Right now I’m in Contemporary Romance mode with the At the Shore series. In fact, I am finishing #2 and just got back the copyedits on #1 – One Summer Night (Oct 2017).
But I like to dabble in the paranormal from time to time and have often thought about what interesting things could be used as a basis for a new story. The Knights Templar and the Holy Grail? Sure. Even researched that one when I was lucky enough to go to London. It’s still a work-to-be-developed.
Another concept that I thought would be fun is a story revolving around the amazing Terracotta Army. Imagine over 8000 soldiers, chariots, and horses made of terra cotta that could somehow come back to life to serve their emperor.
That’s exactly what one farmer found as he was digging a well. Archaeologists evenutally did additional investigations and discovered the immense city of the dead which is estimated to cover over 38 square miles. I would love to visit the museum there one day and see the terra cotta army and structures for myself!
What do you think? Inspiration for a story?
#ThrowbackThursday A visit to a Mexican Pyramid
Years ago I was lucky enough to be at a legal conference where they took us to visit the archaeological site of Teotihuacan which is just north of Mexico City. This site was the location for one of the largest pre-Columbian cities in the Americas. It is thought to have been destroyed in either 5 or 6 A.D., possibly from internal strife or climate change due to meteor strikes and/or a volcanic eruption.
Now, for the regulars, you know how I hate heights, but I refused to let that fear keep me from getting to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun. Here are some photos from my trek. You can see how far up it really is! The first photo is of the Avenue of the Dead which is actually a series of multi-family dwellings.
This is me on my way up the pyramid. Going down was a lot harder due to the steepness of the grade.
I recently got to visit Mexico City again and go to the Anthropological Museum where I saw lots of artifacts and this recreation of what Teotihuacan may have looked like at one time. It was awesome to see all this history up close and personal because I had included a lot of it in AZTEC GOLD and THE FIFTH KINGDOM, my two novels with Aztec themes.
I hope you enjoyed this Throwback Thursday look at my visits to Mexico.
Prizes for Readers Contest
Please don’t forget that I’m participating in a fabulous contest with some of my author friends at Prizes for Readers.com (https://www.prizesforreaders.com/)
Enter for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate from Amazon or Barnes & Noble (your choice) and take a moment to vote for best blurb and cover. It’s a super easy one-click entry, no Rafflecopter or anything complicated. Winner will be announced on Aug 17th or Aug 18th.
No matter what, you are a winner! Even if your name is not selected for the gift certificate, you will be receiving free book download links from us for your reading pleasure.
You must be 18 or older. US, Canada, UK, Germany, Australia only. Void where prohibited.
#ThrowbackThursday My Mom – Best friend and Mentor
My mom was my best friend and mentor and I know my daughter feels the same way about me. My daughter is my best friend and I am blessed to have her in my life.
This is another picture of my mom as a toddler. She’s wearing the traditional Galician dress and I’ve even got a little doll at home with this outfit. I’ll have to snap a picture of that for you to see it. The dolls were sent from our family in Spain for my sister and me. My doll has green eyes like me and my sister’s doll has blue eyes, like her.
Anyway, my mom. She was so cute as a kid and my sister looked just like her then and now as an adult.
#WriteWed Inspiration for the Sin Hunters Series
Wow! I can’t believe that it’s been five years since the first release in the SIN HUNTER series and now I’ve re-released both SINS OF THE FLESH and STRONGER THAN SIN.
Not to mention that THE LOST will be part of the fabulous ALPHA IMMORTALS box set which will be available in early October.
So what inspired the series? For starters, my love of science. I was, and still am, a science nerd. I love watching all those shows on the Discovery Channel and reading about what’s happening, especially with genetics. It’s what led me to use genetic engineering gone wrong as the basis for the first two books.
My love of history combined with my love of science inspired the next two books, THE LOST and THE CLAIMED.
As a kid I avidly read all kinds of history books, especially ones dealing with the history of the Americas. It’s how I got the idea to incorporate Mayan practices and the Quechan language to create the otherwordly Hunters like Adam and Christopher.
What’s going to inspire the next one, THE SHATTERED? Yes, I do plan on writing another one. So many of you have been writing to ask about what happens to Sammie and Ryan and they will get their story. Plus, you’ll get to see more of the Carrera clan and find out how they are all doing.
Back to what will inspire it: I don’t know. It’ll definitely be a meld of the first two in the series with the last two. Genetic engineering meets Hunters with special powers. I’ve just got to figure out how who is going to be the ultimate villain and what they want with the Carreras and the Hunters!