Mariposa's Musings

How did you become involved in this line of work?  I was blessed since birth with Psychic awareness. Throughout my life I have had visions of what was to come. I devised a fun method of giving intuitive Readings by using stones: jaspers, quartz, agates, etc. and have read publicly since 1984.  One of my extra psychic gifts is the ability to see those who are deceased.  During my life I've been requested to communicate with those on the other side, but I started to publically advertise this ability just a few years ago.  Now, many clients are those who would like a communication Reading, or, Spirit Reading with a loved one on the other side.  Because of being a psychic and spirit communicator, in 2005 I was asked to join a brand new Paranormal Investigative team, Thin Veil Investigators. Being able to see the spirits is a nice edge for our team as then we can communicate with a particular ghost in a certain building.  Our team members are ps...

What inspired you to become a writer? My overactive imagination? The voices in my head? Honestly, I’m not certain I can pin down exactly what got me interested in writing, as it seems like I’ve been writing since I was in utero. Okay, so maybe that’s a stretch, but I know I’ve been reading and writing since the age of five, when my older sister taught me to read and write. If I were to hazard a guess, I would have to say my love of reading is what got me interested in writing. I’ve never been able to read a book without picking out parts that I would have written differently, or without rewriting the ending in my head. Who are your favorite romance characters (besides your own?) The hero and heroine of whatever I’m currently reading.  I get sucked into the story – falling a little bit in love with the hero along the way – and up until I close the book on their happily-ever-after, they are my favorite romance characters. Tell me what inspired this story. Teenage fant...

Today, I'm visiting Karen Michelle Nutt's Wicked Haunt-O-Ween celebration.  I'm chatting about goblins and how  James Whitcomb Riley's poem inspired my love of scary, shadowy things.  Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Howl.  Hope to see you there!

What inspired you to become a writer? Thanks for having me, Mariposa!  My passion for the written word was the biggest factor.  I’ve been an avid reader since I was very young, and eventually I got into the habit of imagining my own characters and plots.  I always wanted to write a novel, and by the time I found the motivation to sit down and begin Silver Lake, I had almost the entire story worked out in my head! Who are your favorite romance characters (besides your own?) Oh I love this question – there are so many!  Claire and Jamie of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, Whitney and Clayton from Judith McNaught’s Whitney, My Love, and although not technically a romance in terms of Happily Ever After, Scarlett and Rhett from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. Tell me what inspired this story. That’s a tough question for me, because it’s hard to remember exactly how I came up with the idea.  As I mentioned, I actually had Silver Lake a...

The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)   At what point does ambition become an insatiable monster?  Poor Seymour Krelboyne—his carnivorous hybrid becomes his ticket to fame and ultimately his undoing.   Much like a teenager, the plant Audrey Junior comes alive at night demanding food.  Seymour accidently discovers his plant’s desire for human blood and through a series unfortunate events provides victims for Audrey Jr.  Seymour’s boss is horrified at the plant’s diet, but is reluctant to relinquish the steady stream of customers drawn to his flower shop by the monster plant. The 1960 film is populated with quirky characters and incorporates elements of black comedy and farce.   It features an early glimpse of young Jack Nicholson’s killer smile in a cameo role as a masochistic dental patient.  The film gained cult status as a double feature and later became an off-Broadway musical  which became the basis for the 1986 remake.  Even ...