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Hi everyone. Ususally I'm the one asking the questions but today I thought I'd share with you the questions and my answers while sitting on a Paranormal/Fantasy panel at the Passaic Book Festival this past weekend. I'd love to know how you would answer the questions or what you think of my answers in the comments. Moderator "Paranormal” is a pretty broad topic and can apply to anything from high fantasy worlds with complex magical rules and ancient histories, to contemporary settings that include ghosts, cryptid monsters, vampires, witches, or even just a touch of the supernatural, like unexplained interventions from unseen powers. Can you tell us a bit about the paranormal elements in your writing and what inspired you to write in this genre?
Books and authors who made a lasting impression on me are CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. Books that take me away to a magical place or time and real-world worries are my form of therapy. I love the theme of good overcoming evil. I adore epic battles and magic wands. And ghost stories. Who remembers The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by Josephine Leslie, an Irish writer who wrote under the name R. A. Dick. Moderator I understand that your Lake Unami Stories involve guardian angels and other serendipitous elements. Are there recurring themes or messages you aim to convey through your paranormal fiction? How do you use paranormal elements to explore deeper human emotions and societal issues? DV I’ve always thought of the rainbow as a promise. I also believe heavenly intervention is active. I’m a Christian, though I don’t write Christian novels. But the themes of love, family, and hope run through all my books. I don’t think love dies after a person leaves this world. I believe it lives on in us, and we pass that on to others. While my books seem light-hearted, they do deal with loss, grieving, divorce, and single parenting. In an upcoming novel, A Christmas Storm, my main character, Lacey, deals with being a military wife with an overseas husband. She struggles with accepting help and believes she has to do everything on her own. To the second part of your question I’m going to talk about my Shield-Mates series. The shifter characters carry a shield representing who they are. The nature of their inner beast can be volatile, so Shield-Mates exchange shields and open pathways to their mates, who can also help them control the animal nature in them. Felice is an emotionally damaged panther shifter who, due to circumstances, marries a human. Ayer does not have a shield. The balance of power is off. They both have to learn about trust and control without a crutch and despite circumstances. How they both overcome the pain of past losses and realize with the love of family and friends, there is a better way than by going it alone. As far as societal views, both humans and shifters have prejudices, and by learning instead of fighting, they can change the world and work together. Moderator How do you see the paranormal fiction genre evolving in the next few years? DV I have no idea. It’s constantly evolving, and I’m excited to see where it goes. Moderator What trends or changes would you like to see in the genre? DV There are so many sub-genres. Readers can find books that matter to them, their life, experience, and worldview. So I guess it would be live and let live and not slam others because of their choice of reading. I have a dear friend who writes monster romance. Is it my cup of tea? Nope. But I cheer her on. She has a big following of folks who like that. Moderator Can you tell us about your creative process? How you come up with ideas, what inspires you, how you like to do the actual writing portion, your schedule as an author, etc. DV I’m all over the place these days. Ideas come from all over, and I keep notes on whatever interests me. I also do a lot of research. If possible, I travel to locations. Somedays, I write a sentence or two. Other days pages. I used to be very regimented, but these days, I’m more flexible. Retirement will do that to some people. Comments are closed.
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Your Host D.V. StoneAward winning multi-genre author and blogger. Fantasy, romance, mid-grade. Nothing better than a campfire, book, and glass of wine. Okay maybe there is.📚 Follow Me!
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January 2025
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