I have a cover but no book

I am ten thousand words stuck. They’re great words and one day I may even finish. I can’t seem to get my mojo flowing.

P.S. Making book covers is almost as great as writing the books.

The Queen and Imagination

I love history, jewels, pomp and circumstance and beautiful ball gowns. I don’t know if it is the reason I am utterly fascinated with Her Majesty the Queen of England Elizabeth II but I’m sure it aids it. If I had money I’d move to Great Brittan, become as citizen and be forever more her loyal and faithful subject. I’d move as soon as Prince Charles became King because I am most definitely Team Diana. A place where there is a Queen Camilla is just…wrong.  I’d move back for King William and Queen Catherine’s reign.

I know her life is sometimes, if not always, anything other than the fairytale that I imagine. It still seems so other worldly. And while I watch documentaries on her life or read the latest this or that online about her family I cannot help but place her in the realm of make-believe. Maybe it’s because I’m American. Maybe it’s because I’m a girl. Maybe it doesn’t matter. There is just something about the quiet regal woman that makes me daydream and puts me in the place that I often go when I watch a good movie or read a good book.

My first book has all the things that I love. A Queen who wears long flowing gowns and no shoes. She has knights and a guard. There are angels with large white wings that protect her and are utterly devoted. People bow and curtsey to her and she wears a crown that changes with her mood, it can be  covered in diamonds or become a wreath of spring blossoms around her lovely head.  There is pageantry and fealty, oaths and vows. There are unbreakable bonds. And sappy love. All of which fascinate me.

The ceremonies that take place in the book are based on those I’ve found from all around the world. If you care to dig there is real history and folklore within the book. The color of the wedding dress. The significance of the number 7, the wedding ceremony, the name of the characters; all based on some tidbit of information I came across when I started because sometimes history and fairy-tales are one.

Like the Queen.

 

The List

Inspiration – stimulation to do creative work; somebody or something that inspires; creativeness; good idea; divine influence.

I have always loved books and movies. The world of make-believe is where I belong. This will be short and sweet (the introduction; not the list). Below are the people, books and movies that make life a little brighter for me. Even on the worst of days. Below are the people and things that make me want to write something worthy.

Below are the reasons I still believe in magic.

Actresses

• Meryl Streep: In everything she’s ever been in
• Sally Fields: In Norma Ray and Steele Magnolia. Okay, for everything else too except for, Not Without My Daughter.
• Holly Hunter: In the Piano, even without that amazing voice she moves you completely with the music she played herself in the movie.
• Michelle Phieffer: She’s one of the most beautiful women in the world and she totally rocked in Scarface. And I don’t care what anyone says she was the best cat woman ever!
• Halle Berry: Only in Frankie and Alice
• Oprah Winfrey: Only in The Color Purple
• Cameron Diaz: Because she’s so damned funny

Actors

• Clint Eastwood: Enough said
• Jaime Bell: In Billie Elliot
• Samuel L Jackson: Who don’t like that motherfucker?
• Mel Gibson/Tom Cruise/Will Smith: In any movie where they run
• Ryan Gosling: Because there’s a little bit of Johnny Depp mystery in him
• Johnny Depp: Because I’ve been in love with him since 21 Jump Street and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.
• Brad Pitt: Brad Pitt…

Movies

• Pride and Prejudice/Dangerous Liaisons/The Age of Innocence: Love stories that I have yet to tire of watching.
• Sense and Sensibility: I love the end when Emma Thomas breaks down when she realize that no, Hugh Grant has not married.
• The Sound of Music: Because who doesn’t fall in love with Julie Andrews every time she opens her mouth to sing.
• Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer: Who doesn’t love Kung Fu? And if it’s you then you suck.
•  The Curse of the Golden Flower and House of Flying Daggers: Pretty to look at and has Kung Fu? What more can you ask for?
• Howl’s Moving Castle: Anime at its best and a wonderful love story.
• The Piano: Ada and George love is second only to Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s

Directors

• M. Night Shyamalan: The dialogue keeps me spellbound but I might have to kick his ass him if I ever see him for what he did with The Last Airbender.
• Clint Eastwood: For every movie he’s directed.
• Mel Gibson: For Braveheart. FREEEEEEEDOM!
• Ang Lee: Have you seen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Brokeback Mountain?
• Stephan Chow: For Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer – PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let him make the next Avatar movie. The real one, the one M. Night fucked up, not the one with the big blue aliens.
• Hayao Miyazaki – Love what he does with Anime.

Books

• Song of Solomon – It takes me to a place that is dark and mysterious. Her world is shades of grey and sepia.
• The Blackdagger Brotherhood  Series– The writing style is like an action movie. It’s mindless fun and brilliantly done.
• The Dark Tower Series – Roland. Enough said.
• Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy– It was my first in the genre and I couldn’t get enough of it.
•  The Long Walk / Rage – these are two short stories that are about teenage boys. They are as wonderful as they are terrifying in the things these two unrelated boys do. The stories, when I read them originally were so bizarre. Not so much now.
• The Stand – Because I love a good end of the world book as much as I love an end of the world movie.
• The Rae Wilder Series – Love the bond between Rae and Brennan that has the potential to destroy all if they are separated for too long.

Authors

• Stephen King – Where to I start. The man can tell a story. He is the master of his craft. I don’t know if his own family loves him as much as I do. Yes I said it. And I know how it sounds. Stephen King’s It was the first book that I read that was my own. I spent a great amount of time reading whatever was in the house which was black authors and the occasional harlequin romance novel. At least that’s what I remember. I’m sure I had checked out a few books here and there at the library throughout my schooling but It was loaned to me by my then boyfriend and it was love at first word. He never fails and never lets me down. I am guaranteed to be captivated by each word from the first to the last. These weak meager words do not do justice for how I feel about the many wonderful works of the great man.
• Toni Morrison – Reading Toni Morrison is like watching Japanese horror. There is something dark and spooky and hidden just out of focus. I find myself scared and excited and nervous and anxious when I read her books. Her work makes you have to take a moment. You exhale and close your eyes as you try to readjust your mind to bring you back to reality when you leave the world she has created.
• J.R. Ward – The Samuel L Jackson of writing styles. I don’t know if she’s the first but she’s the first I read and boy do I love it. Written how I would talk myself, reading her books doesn’t so much take you to a different place, but rather show you your alternate life. Her vampires don’t sparkle but they’re also not the traditional blood-drinking, die in the sun, children of the night. The story behind their creation is second only to Anne Rice’s. I’m a romantic and these men love their women like none other.

First two thousand words

Click here to cut to the chase: http://kimberlyodumwells.wordpress.com/guardinas/

Guardians, is part two of the story that I always thought of as a trilogy in my first efforts to write a book. Ambitious, I know. But I love the saying: Go big or go home.

The first book, The Mother’s (title later changed to Found) was redone shortly after its completions when I realized I could do better. I did, in my humble opinion. I immediately started part two. 77,000 words in I was side tracked by the idea of great sci-fi book about an immortal.  I’m completely fascinated with the story of Henrietta Lacks and her miracle Hela cells, so much that I started to read everything I could find on all the advancements of medicine since their discovery as well as cellular genetics. It’s fascinating stuff. Every element of it from, Dr. Otto Gey’s invention of the roller drum used to grow the cells, to Tuskegee University (then Institute) involvement in mass production of the cells, to how scientist were able to map genes because of them.

Okay. I could go on and on, the point being is that I stopped writing part two of Found to start on a book that is currently titled The First Immortal (I am standing firm regardless of my husband’s obvious disapproval).

I read every day and when I’m not reading I try to write at least two thousand words every day. Most of the time I even make it. This is as per Stephen King’s suggestion in his wonderful writing bible: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (that’s the last reference of the great Mr. King; I promise I recognize I have a bit of a problem). Lately I have been drawn to the genre of adult paranormal romance. It took the place of the new love of contemporary romance that took the place of the once loved young adult paranormal romance. So The Blackdagger Brotherhood took the place of Fifty Shades of Grey that took the place of Twilight. I have read more than thirty books in the last four months of this particular genre.

I have also in the last four months almost completely stopped watching television which allows me to read almost constantly, when I’m not doing other mundane daily task such as: cooking, eating, bathing and peeing.

On one fine evening, while sitting on my couch next to my completely ignored husband and equally invisible son, I was reading one of the recently discovered Breed Series books by Lora Leigh. Book seven…or sixteen…maybe it was book three (I read them out of order, they’re stand alone books for the most part), when I had an AH HA!, flashbulb over the head moment. I had an idea for a story.

So at this point I think I can safely assume, without making an ass out of you or me that we all know what time of book Fifty Shades of Grey is. Barnes and Nobel has it under Fiction, Romance but let’s not sugar coat it, its erotica. And if Fifty Shades of Grey is soft core, The Blackdagger Brotherhood is XXX. This is what I have been reading for the last few months and this is the type of book my idea was for.

For five days writing the story consumed my every waking minute. The first day I wrote clean through the night and well into the next day and when I went to sleep, I swear to God, I dreamt about it. I could do nothing else until I finished it and finish it I did. Two weeks it took me. Two weeks to read and then do a first edit before I sent it to two others to read to tell me if it was any good and what changes needed to be made before I post it. My husband calls it my secret book because.

Which brings me back to Guardians, I know, you thought I’d never get to the point.

I had all but given up on part two. I love the story, I just got stuck. I could have become unstuck if my head was not clouded by so many other ideas for stories, better stories. I was resigned to walk away from it indefinitely until… I received a message from a woman who’d read Found and wanted to know when the second book was coming out.

Joy

Pride

Complete and utter SHOCK.

I will never forget the feeling. It was better than my first profit sharing check I received at my last job (and that was HUGE, the feeling and the check, at least for me the money seemed like a lot for someone with no college education and started at 10.00 an hour…different story different time). So I opened the unfinished word document, printed out a copy and sat down to reacquaint myself with the story.

Instructions given by he who will not be named were that when writing it was best not to look back. Unfortunately when the going gets good for me I tend to forget what it was I wrote. So many days I sit down and have no clue what’s next only to find my fingers flying across my keyboard after the first few words are typed. I don’t know if this is common but that’s how it is for me. After reading the first few pages I decided it was…GARBAGE.

To date I have written two full books, two partial books that each are over 70,000 words and a short story. What I discovered, which I read would happen by he who will not be named and confirmed by my husband’s reading of the initial 2,000 words of my book The First Immortal, is that I have gotten better.  Guardians, was my second attempt and as I sat in by bedroom, with pen in hand I could only get through maybe 10,000 words of very bad writing. My very bad writing and so I started over today.

I sat down this morning after dropping my kid off at school, and with page one of the unfinished manuscript next to my computer I started from the beginning. It’s a good story, I spent months researching folklore and religion and history in preparation. I will be finished and it will be good. If not for me than for that one lady who took the time out of her life to not only finish my first book but then like it enough to actually want to read more.

Like I said before, I may not ever be famous. It’s almost guaranteed I will not, but I’ve discovered in the last year that I’m pretty good and spinning my own tale, in addition to telling those of others.

I like the idea of positing the beginning of my stories. I’m always amazed at the first glimmer of an idea that holds so much possibility. The first words that can take you away from the mundane of the everday to place that is…well…magical. The link will take you to the first 2,000+ words of Guardians. ENJOY! http://kimberlyodumwells.wordpress.com/guardinas/

It was worth every single word

Hello Ms. Wells I just finished reading your Found book and couldn’t find when the next book was coming out ?
Found was a fantastic book !!

Words can not express the joy I felt when I opened my email and found the above comment that was not from friend or family member.

I am finishing up with a second book that my husband has named “the secret book” and the comment has made me go back to finish the second book of the Found trilogy. The title; The Guardians. The book cover; a done deal. I am seventy thousand words down in a book that will be about ninety to a hundred when done. I should be finished in a month.

I may not ever be famous, may never be known by more than a handful of people who download these free books. But I will forever be grateful to each and every person who take the time to read my stories.

Thank you.

For the love of writing

 Anyone who knows me also know there’s nothing I love more than a project. My only problem is the lack of completion of said project. Examples include but are not limited to:

Silk ribbon embroidery - Seemed like a beautiful, eloquent and loss art. The original project was going to be a set of linen napkins for my mothers christmas present. This was four years ago. I made one napkin. But I did purchase about 100 spools of ribbon.

Sewing – This was not a total wasted project I did make two gowns for my newborn twin nieces and two dresses for myself. But I also purchased countless patterns (VOGUE no less) that are sitting in a drawer. The sewing machine purchased is covered and hasn’t been touched in a year or two.

I do like to make and complete custom gift boxes. So there’s that.

When I decided to write a book. I did weeks of research (The research is as much fun as the writing in my opinion) on the subject matter. In Found (originally Wila: The Mother’s of War Trilogy) I wanted to incorporate tons of folklore and religious custom and practices from all over the world. For me, a person who loves history, I love it when I come across something in a book that has me stopping to goggle something. Thank goodness for the nook table which allows me to do it right then and there.

In the last several months since Found. I started the second book titled Guardians, I write 2,000 words a day as per instructed by Stephan King. I also got on a reading jag that consumed my ever waking moment from October to December so I got a little sidetracked but I think I kicked the habit at the first of the year.

The problem is. In the middle of writing Guardians (I have about 70,000 words) I got an idea for a sci-fi book. It is based on HeLa Cells. For those of you who don’t know about HeLa Cells let me fill you in.

Scientist took cervical cancer cells from Henrietta Lacks. These cells were the first discovered immortal cells, meaning they can live outside of the human body. This allowed scientist for the first time to work with human cells. They are the reason the polio vaccine was finally made. Since then vaccines and medicines from Cancer to AIDS have been made using these cells.  They are the truly modern medicines miracle. She is without a doubt the most important person in history. I am astonished that I did not know of this woman before stumbling across the story. The injustice.

Any who, The book covers a hundred year time span where a scientist working with the newly discovered immortal cells anciently creates the first immortal human through cloning. Sounds good? I think so. I just hope I can do the story justice. The title of the book is The First Immortal. I have about 10,000 words so far.

But.

I also had an idea for a contemporary romance novel that involves a love triangle were the main character falls in love with two best friends, while having an office affair with her boss who turns out to be an all drug cartel assassin. This book I finished writing in a week, and currently has about 90,000 words.

Three books. Stories. plots. characters. research. All bouncing around in my head. So many things to write, I wish I had that machine from the Tommyknockers. The main character, Bobby, finds a spaceship on her property. Bobby is able to create a contraption that allows her to write while digging out the space ship. It sure would be a handy little sucker instead of digging I need something to write one book while I work on another.

I like reading. I’ve always loved a good story. I love what a good book does for the soul. I also discovered I like writing. Okay, I love writing. I use to tell other people stories and I am delighted to find I have my own to tell. I just hope that my new project doesn’t end up like so many others.

I received my email from a reader on Jan 3rd. I’m ecstatic. As soon as I finish proofing the new romance which I have yet to title. I will go back to Guardians. The First Immortal will have to wait.

 

 

Back to the Basics

I read over 60 books  in 2012 (I read several multiple times bringing grand total to 85).
In October I discovered the series The Blackdagger Brotherhood, written by J.R. Ward. I read all 10 novels in six days and when I finished, I read them again. It took me about two weeks before I got my fill. If you are a fan of adult paranormal romance I can’t say enough READ THIS BOOK.
For three months I read. I ignored my husband and son to read, I hardly ate and never cooked to read, I barely bathed to read. My nook has 320 books on it and hasn’t been turned off in four months. I’m a reader. I could be worst.
In the middle of reading The Breed Series by Lora Leigh (26 books in this series some are short stories), I had an idea for a book. I stopped reading and start writing. I wrote for a week straight. I wrote like I had previously been reading, ignoring all, in order to get the story told. I’m finished and doing first proof reading.
So in between looking for a new job and writing books (I stopped writing a Sci-fi novel about an immortal created from Hela Cells) I read. But the adult paranormal romance novels I have been stuck on for the last three months are not doing it for me any more, neither is the re-reading Fifty Shades of Grey or Bared to You which were among my favorites of 2012. So I’m going back to where my love began.

Stephen King.
No matter what your genre or favorite writer. You can’t go wrong with Stephen King. My love is long and goes deep for Mr. King (I’d be completely start struck if I ever see him. A crying, blubbering, hysterical mess I will be). I have read every one of his novels and the majority of his short stories. His novels I’ve read several times over the twenty-five years since I discovered IT.
I wish I was more like my husband. He likes sci-fi but also reads a lot of non-fiction aka smart books, mainly about science. But I like to be entertained when I read not smarter. I want to escape when I read not think. I want to cheer on good guys, hate bad guys, cry, laugh, mourn when I read. So I will read THE DARK TOWER SERIES.

Not my first, but my favorite. It’s long, which I love and it’s inspiring. I cry at the lost of Eddis beloved brother and stand up and cheer him has he fights naked to escape a drug lord after first meeting Roland. I hold my breath when  Jake and Oy  Roland looks a lot like Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven. He is the man. I don’t love or hate him. I don’t cheer him on. He simple is, a constant, a given. He will not fail. I never doubt it… ever.