She's Calling Me...

I hear her calling me like a siren, my beautiful protagonist, Leah, from my upcoming novel. Well... she is, after all, part mermaid...

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It is a joy to be obsessed within the process of writing a new novel, but it is time-consuming and can drain you of energy. Don't get me wrong, when I am inspired and in the thick of writing a novel, I'm in my joyful bliss, but when I put the draft down, or end a section or chapter, I can feel some exhaustion mingled in with the overwhelming joy of creativity and accomplishment. You would think one cancels out the other, and for the most part, it does, but most of us still have a life, and/or family and responsibilities and so we might need to take the time to rebalance and reset for a time.

I usually do not stop when I am in the thick of writing a book, somehow it interrupts the flow and creativity if I put it down for too long, even for a day or two. Details and characters must remain fresh in my mind as I write my story. A lengthy interruption can set me back.

I like to complete the whole story, get my first complete draft done, before I step back to let my story simmer a bit. When I first write it, and when I am creating, I delve in fully, live within my characters and in their story, so I know when it is time, usually when the first draft (though sometimes after the second look-see) is done. It is then when I put the manuscript down, and step back. This allows me some time to refresh, contemplate and analyze my work from the outside, rather than inside during the all-consuming creation of the first draft.

I will admit I have left one or two stories sitting in draft for years, because I was living a very busy, younger adult life. Now that I am older, with more "me-time", I have the luxury to keep going on projects. In many ways, this time of my life has allowed me to reach my dreams of being a published writer, whereas in my younger days, I just didn't have the time, the energy or the drive to fully realize my dream on top of everything else. Now, at this point in my life, I can, and I'm delighted to have finally arrived.

Tropical Transformation, my current project in draft, is another novel I am quite proud of, I love the story, and I hope you will, too, dear readers. If you are familiar with my previous posts you will know that it is an adult romantic fantasy, involving a woman's later in life self-discovery, all set in a place I love...Hawaii. I will reveal that my main character, Leah, finds out that she is a hybrid, that is, a woman who can become a mermaid, under certain conditions. Her exciting self-discovery sets in motion a whirlwind of events, with new people in her life, and (obviously) much to learn about and to explore within her new reality.

As a personal fan of mermaids, having previously written and published a young adult fantasy novel, Love, Magic & Mermaids, (available as an eBook on Amazon), I have continued my love for the mythical creatures (or are they?) in this new adult romance novel. I am very happy with this new mermaid tale, and I am delighted to be bringing it to you soon.

This past several months have been quite busy, and so I put my novel down and stepped back for longer than I had originally planned. I am pretty much having to read it all over again, from the beginning, and go over all my companion writing notes and details, before I can properly get settled into another edit to complete my project. Stepping away from it for so long has left me not up to date, nor fresh, with all the fine details of the story, and so my plan is to delve back into it shortly. I can feel that overwhelming call these days from Leah to come back and experience more of her world again...

Thank you all, for being so patient with me. I know my book, Tropical Transformation, will be worth the wait for you!

Cheers! Lise

*photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash