Here we go, the BIG chapter. Time for the first showdown. 

I had a lot of fun creating Reyortsed and I loved writing more of his backstory later in the series, but the creation of the character was the best, if you'll forgive his absurdly corny name (it made me smile; and no one tried to convince me to change it, so it stayed).

At the point that I created Reyortsed I hadn't come across stories with a sexy villain. They existed for sure, but mostly I'd found the scary characters looked scary. But I grew up in a strong Christian home (and still maintain a strong relationship with G-d), and I always had a clear understanding that Satan doesn't run around in red pajamas with a pitchfork. He disguises himself as something attractive, desirable, something seemingly harmless. That's how he traps you.

I wanted my villain to be a real threat. Someone insidious, unexpected.

So I basically imagined up the sexiest guy I could and made him evil. HAHAHA! 

So much for all that deep, dark subconscious writing I was talking about last week...

...For the record, I still find long hair attractive, but if I were to create Reyortsed today he would look considerably different. Funny how our perception of beauty changes.

As promised I have another nerdy, Revolutionary-War related post for you this week: A review of S.D. Banks' Transcendent Loyalties. Man, I didn't plan to have so much to drop on here this week but I didn't have time to write this review last week like I planned, and I didn't want to wait any longer to get this review out, because, frankly, this is one of the greatest novels I've read in years. In fact, as I type this, I think this is my favorite novel since I read The Book Thief!

Obviously I am a sucker for all things historical and the American Revolution is one of my favorite time periods. But the best part of this book wasn't even the way the well-researched setting made my nerdy heart sing. It was how relatable Banks made that setting feel to our own, turbulent times.

There are so many levels on which to love this story: the adventure, the contrast between England and the Colonies, the lifelike characters and how different (and sometimes dark) they are, and most of all, the dynamic relationships they have with each other. Banks masterfully crafts a snapshot of pre-Revolutionary America where people were just as polarized in their views, beliefs, and hopes as they are now, and shows how they could in many instances still be friends despite those views, while other relationships foundered.

Never boring, Banks' novel has something for everyone, from battles of wits to battles with blades and musket balls, from the historical details to the harrowing subplots, and a touch of romance and something more sinister, for fans of the sensational.

Be prepared to read a book you can't put down, and here's to hoping we'll get a sequel!

I did not plan this. At all.

I'm posting Chapter Twenty-Three, on the 23rd. A week after making what probably shouldn't have been as mind blowing a revelation as it was.

January 23rd is not a very great day in my mind. On this day in 2002, Wall Street Journalist and all-around great guy Danny Pearl was abducted by Islamic terrorists, and he was later murdered. I won't go into the long, complicated details, but suffice to say he and his family, and the way they handled his loss, has had a lifelong impact on me, and the woman I grew up to be. He and they are my heroes, and I actually dedicated Shadowchild to them.

I always knew Perce was at least slightly inspired by Danny. They're the same age, they're both Jewish (though that never comes up in the books), they're funny. Obviously Perce is his own man and has his own history and personality, and appearance, and many other aspects of his character are inspired by other people in my life, including my Dad. But when I made the connection between the fall of Dwendol and 9/11, and Perce's subsequent disappearance, I realized there was a lot more going on in my subconscious when I created this story.

It's weird when you realize your entire trilogy is a coping mechanism your mind created to process the very sudden, dark turn your world took in a short period of time. You talk about writers works being inspired by their past experiences, traumas, and the like, but to do it yourself without even realizing it?

My friends thought it was cool. I just a little creepy.

What else am I not telling myself?