Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Beginnings Blogfest and Solomon's Compass

L.G. Keltner at Writing Off The Edge is hosting the Beginnings Blogfest today about the beginning of our writing.

I was always an avid reader. I won any reading contests at school. By the time I entered Jr. High, I was reading at the college level. I was also in all of the advanced classes, although I wouldn’t say I really excelled at English. I wrote for school and that was about it.

And then when I was 13 years old, I picked up a book by an author unknown to me. I loved the cover (a framed print of Whelon’s artwork hangs in our media room today) and I hoped that the book really was about dragons. I mean, don’t you hate it when the cover has nothing to do with the story? Fortunately, The White Dragon was really about a white dragon named Ruth.

And it sparked my imagination.

I began writing short stories. Hundreds of them. I tried my hand at song lyrics. (I refused to call it poetry. It didn’t fit a style of poetry anyway.) Wrote hundreds of those as well. And by the time I hit high school, I was journaling every day, too.

And it was at that time I set the goal of author. (Along with professional photographer, something I achieved much sooner.)

All because of that book.

What sparked your writing?


Monday was the big reveal for Carol Kilgore’s upcoming book, Solomon’s Compass, which I completely missed. (I blame the fact I bleached my hair blonde for so many years.) Here it is now though:

Taylor is in Rock Harbor, Texas, on a quest to unearth her uncle’s treasure—a journey far outside the realm of her real life. There’s one glitch. Taylor's certain the buried treasure was all in Uncle Randy's dementia-riddled mind. Now he’s dead.

Former SEAL Jake Solomon is in Rock Harbor under false pretenses to protect Taylor from the fate that befell her uncle and the other members of a tight circle of Coast Guardsmen called the Compass Points who served together on Point boats in Vietnam.

Jake is definitely not supposed to become involved with Taylor. That was his first mistake. Taylor is attracted to Jake as well, but she refuses to wait for him to locate the killer when she knows her plan will force her uncle’s murderer into action.

But the killer's actions are just what Jake is afraid of.


And thanks to those who signed up to announce my next book the first week of February. I’m giving away three copies of How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now, so if you’d like to participate, go HERE.

46 comments:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Haven't read White Dragon, but it sounds like an amazing book. I think I've read something else by the author. Did I read that she'd passed away last year/recently?

Know you're getting excited about your upcoming release!

Laura Eno said...

I adore Anne McCaffrey's dragons of Pern series! Have re-read them many times.

What prompted me to write? Jewelry/metalsmithing business was too expensive to maintain in a bad economy and I became depressed, sitting down one day to write it out. I haven't looked up from my desk since. ;)

Timothy S. Brannan said...

I have enjoyed the heck out of your blog for a while now. Even if I don't reply to your posts much I always have to smile when I see your posts in my Reader. My son claims "everything is better on a stick" so I have to extend his "Connor-logic" to your blog!

The White Dragon is not a bad place to start. I loved that cover too at 13!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Elizabeth, she passed away a little over a year ago.

Laura, once we start, we can't stop.

Timothy, oh my God that made me laugh! Yes, that's how I got the nickname. My husband claims everything is better on a stick, too.

Stina said...

It was The Famous Five series (MG) by Edith Blyton that made me want to be a writer. I was a reluctant reader until then.

Love Carol's new cover!

Jolie du Pre said...

Here from Beginning Blogfest. Happy 2013, and good luck this year!

Anonymous said...

Amazing what can trigger our creative spark. I can still remember devouring Black Beauty and Nancy Drew books and getting lost in their stories. Later, in junior high, non-fiction books caught my attention. Fun to hear what caught yours!

Ciara said...

Love Carol's new cover!! Happy 2013.

Tara Tyler said...

oh, the white dragon! an all time fave! i need to read that again! sparked my dragon collection!

great beginnings!
and carol's cover & story are a perfect match!

kjmckendry said...

I never found that one but looks like a great one to spark the imagination.

Solomon's Compass sounds great!

Southpaw said...

Oh fun. I love finding out what book started the sparks of creativity.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Love how Mccaffrey inspired your writing journey. I had a friend in high school who started with her too . . .and I remember the song lyrics and stories she wrote. I started my journey in elementary school . . .but took many stops along the way.

Carol Kilgore said...

LOL! I was blonde as a kid, so I always say I have blonde roots. Thanks for sharing :)

Johanna Garth said...

It's very cool that you can narrow it down to one book that sparked you. I don't think I can, although I was a hungry, hungry reader kid who was always being told to go outside and get some fresh air!

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Congrats to Carol, I love her cover!

L.G. Keltner said...

A also wrote song lyrics when I was younger. Sometimes I wonder if I could try my hand at it again, but I love writing fiction and definitely know I want to do that. I also read at an advanced level all through school. In fifth grade I toted thick adult novels to school.

Thanks for participating in my blogfest!

randi lee said...

Scarily enough.... "IT" by Stephen King when I was just a wee pup. And I don't even write horror stories!

Thanks for the thoughts, by the way :)

Al Diaz said...

Yes, I am one who hates when the cover has nothing to do with the story.

I started writing because I realized I'm good a building worlds. :) Nice to meet you.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Julie, I loved Nancy Drew.

Tara, I have a lot of dragons, too.

Tyrean, she knew how to fire up the imagination.

Carol, sorry I was so late!

Johanna, I think my mom liked me reading because I was quiet.

Nice to meet you, Al.

Sherry Ellis said...

I used to write when I was a kid, too. Your new book looks great. I'm sure a lot of writers (including myself) would be interested in it!

LD Masterson said...

I started writing as a teen but I can't remember any one book as my inspiration. My love for Anne McCaffrey came along later.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

One image sparked my writing!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I think The Hobbit made me want to be a writer though I set my sights a little lower than such timeless fame.

Tammy Theriault said...

hmmm...that's fishy, i've seen carol's stuff at my stuff, you stealing my stuff?? :D

she is so awesome! i don't recall one book changing my world...ok, maybe the babysitter's club. did i just say that? delete, delete, delete.

Jemi Fraser said...

Love Carol's cover!!!

I'm another huge fan of McCaffrey although I wish I'd found her stuff when I was a kid too!

Trisha said...

I've seen Carol's cover all over, and it's beautiful!

Love your getting started story. A great story about a book that changed a person's life - and destiny!

I think I may have read one McCaffrey book but I really need to get on the wagon with her stuff. I'm missing out for sure!

Tamara said...

It sounds like we were neck and neck with the reading thing. It was the one subject I was always advanced in.

I wrote from a very young age, journaled, did the poetry thing and a lot of short stories.

Then I got married and had a bunch of kids and got away from it for many years. But I'm SO glad I picked it back up.

And i'm glad the white dragon inspired you to start this amazing journey!!

DL Hammons said...

I believe that Anne McCaffrey sparked the imagination...and the desire...of many an aspiring writer! :)

Azara said...

Love Anne McCaffrey - I have nearly all of her books. Definitely an inspiration!

Visiting from L.G.'s blogfest. Nice to meet you.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Susan, that's a difficult book to live up to.

Tammy, no stuff stealing!

Tamara, I call it life just getting in the way.

Unknown said...

Carol's book sounds so exciting!

I was about the same age (13) when I really fell in love with reading. I'd borrowed my oldest brother's copy of Stephen King's Eyes of the Dragon (by borrow I mean swiped). It was the first story that REALLY excited me. (Probably because I shouldn't have been reading it...)

Reading had always been associated with school, not fun, up to that point I think. And now here I am! :-D

Hannah said...

I love when that happens! You read something and it's like drugs for your imagination. Everything starts shooting off and sparking stories. I love it.

Karen Lange said...

It's nice to hear about your writing beginnings, Diane. Good to get to know you better. Thanks too, for the info on Carol's book.

Happy almost weekend!

Mina Lobo said...

I've written a bunch of songs as well, and I dig song lyrics, but not poetry. Weird, huh? :-)

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

You were destined to be an author. That cover is enchanting.

I love writing song lyrics, but haven't done that nearly as much as you have.

Be well, Spunk.
xoRobyn

Bish Denham said...

I think I may shame myself here by saying I haven't read any of Anne McGaffey's books... (must rectify that.) The Call of the Wild is the book that first taught me the power of words because it was the first book that made me cry. I was about 12 when I read the first time.

klahanie said...

Help me! Not another blogfest! :)

Oh well, cause I'm such a nice guy, I'll go and check that out. Can never have enough blogfests. Still, a good idea to think back to what inspired us to write. In my case, folks have begged me to stop writing on my not worth reading site.

And nice to note the lovely Carol's latest book and book cover are mentioned on your terrific site.

And yes, for what it's worth, I have your good self stored in one of my drafts and because I'm so lovable, I will feature you.

Right then, I 'follow' you! :) Time to "drive-by" another site and maybe leave a comment that has absolutely nothing to do with the posting.

Your starstruck fan,

Gary

M Pax said...

I'm signed up, aren't I? I hope so...

I loved that story. Wasn't it #4 in the dragons of Pern? Husband Unit and listened to them on tape when driving back and forth from DC to Western NY.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

E.J., I remember reading that book while stuck in the Denver Airport for 9 hours.

Robyn, I just wish I could do something with them, but no musical talent whatsoever.

Bish, I think I was 10 when I read that one.

Gary, thank you very much.

M. Pax, it was the third.

Jennifer Shirk said...

Oh, that's so cool that's the book that had your imagination take flight!

I think my book was Susan Elizabeth Phillip's NObody's Baby but Mine--obviously late in life for me. I thought it was a laugh-out-loud kind of book that I wanted to inspire emotion too.

Michelle Wallace said...

Such interesting beginnings L. Diane.
And I love Carol's cover!

Jai Joshi said...

That's amazing. I was also 13 when I decided to become a writer! I'd always read and written and drowned myself in books but one day when I was 13 I looked up from a book I was reading and decided this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. And that was that.

Jai

Melissa Sugar said...

I love reading stories about the sparks that created the author. Congratulations on your next book. I am a sucker for how to books. I buy so many of them and most of the time I am not disappointed. I am looking forward to reading yours.

Okay, on a completely different subject and I will probably sound like a weirdo, but here goes. Has anyone ever told you that you look like the actress who plays Van Pelt on The Mentalist? Well my husband is head over heels for her. Her name is Amanda something and she really is quite beautiful. So, no, I am not a mad crazed stalker or anything. I was just looking at your blogger pic and my husband is home from the hospital, resting and watching reruns of The Mentalist. He gazed over while I was reading your blog post and asked me if I was reading about that actress. Amanda Righetti, is her name (he just informed me). Anyway, long story-kind of short, my husband mistook your photo for the actress on The Mentalist. After taking another look I agree. I am writing this as a compliment . Remember the part about me, not being a weirdo stalker, okay., Lol

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Jai, it must be that becoming a teen age.

LOL - Melissa, I don't think you are a stalker. We watch that show, and I guess I look a little like her with my red hair. (Which is even longer than hers.)

Sandra Cox said...

Sounds like a fun read.

Misha Gerrick said...

There really wasn't a point where I wasn't creating stories, so the moment my author grandmother said it's okay for me (who could barely write at the time) to write stories and poems, I was away. :-D

Saw it as a serious occupation when I was thirteen, though.