It isn’t often you find the feedback you’ve given on behalf of a book you beloved but not of the form it was released has a way of serendipitously re-entering your life! Such as Trinity Stones has boomeranged back into my life on the *launch!* of it’s adaptation into Young Adult! Let me share with you a portion of my review on behalf of the adult version I previously read, as this is the foundational reason why I was spellbound by the artistry and breadth of Ms O’ Connor’s vision for the series itself:
Trinity Stones : the Trinity of Faith:
One of the interesting bits of the story for me is how the Trinity Stones are assembled and kept together; three halves of a whole which interconnect to work in tandem for protection, discovery, and enlightenment of destiny. The reason this was of a curiosity to me is because I’m a spiritualist who enjoys studying world religions. I found it incredible how O’ Connor managed to take religious thought and transmorph it into a paranormal romance & urban fantasy setting to where the theory of the Stones themselves hinge directly back into religion. I found it intriguing to watch where she took her mythology and where it dissected with mystic spirituality. The background research she must have conducted would have unearthed a great deal of insight and historical mysteries to last throughout the four-book series!
The way in which she represents the soul as an orb of energy as much as how each living soul has the choice to walk its own path during a lifetime spent on earth was truly along the lines of my own beliefs. I enjoyed the gentle guidance of the Angels, who took on different roles within the story: Guardians, gatekeepers, and administrative types of whom strived to maintain order from the ensuing chaos. The flip-side of representing the light of good is being as real and honest about the darkness and evil. I think she struck a balance to where those of us who walk in the light can respect the darkness as its presented in the story but with the encouragement of knowing that however fragile the balance; light pushes back the dark each chance that it can.
– quoted from my book review for Trinity Stones
As you know, I can only read books in print editions (or listen to their audiobook counterparts) therefore, this particular interview means a lot to me because I am attempting to put readers on the alert of a *new!* edition of a novel that I cannot even read unless the audience proves the point that stories for younger readers are not only valid but necessary for our bookish culture.
The elements that differ between the two editions will be evident as this conversation I created between the author and myself; yet I encourage each reader who alights on this interview to take a moment to read my book review for the adult version of Trinity Stones before they exit my blog. The fuller scope of what Ms O’ Connor has created within the series and how she’s given us such a hearty read through the first installment is still worth reading about. I might have disagreed with the content on principle, but I never disagreed with the heart and soul of the novel itself.
I knew from the very first moment I read Trinity Stones I had stumbled across something quite remarkable — it was a kismet moment where a reader nestles inside the grace of what an author’s left behind for us to discover and has given us such a compelling drama of life spilt out on the page to encourage our imagination and challenge our minds to not only accept the world she’s created but to re-examine how we look at the world in which we live.
I love books which instinctively challenge us, especially when they are faith-based and whose origins of mythological and/or transcendental or mysticism backgrounds give us something unique to perceive and to give way to a conversation based on what is known, what is theorised, and what can be imagined. Previously, outside of my readings of Trinity Stones, the novel that conveyed a bit of the essence of how we can be angels for each other was revealed on my review of Proof of Angels.
These kinds of stories enrich our world view and engage us into conversations that step outside our comfort zones whilst grounding us in the beauty that surrounds us in the everyday. Light and love, peace and chaos are whispers of a breath away from us at all times, and it is how we seek out which path to follow that determines more than we realise.
Trinity Stones
Angelorum Twelve Chronicles Synopsis:
The struggle between good and evil is eternal, but modern science offers an opportunity to upset the balance. Set in a refreshingly current environment, Trinity Stones: The Angelorum Twelve Chronicles by L.G. O’Connor, is the thrilling first story in this series about humans and angels brought together to fight a final battle against the Dark Ones.
Trinity Stones Synopsis:
New York investment banker, Cara Collins, has little to smile about on her 27th birthday. Her boss is a misogynistic pig and the love of her life is married to someone else. Top that off with a creepy man in the subway and then a homeless woman on the street grabbing her and asking to be healed, and Cara’s panic disorder rears it’s ugly head. Cara wonders if things could get any worse until a mysterious letter arrives announcing she’s inherited $50 million–which must remain secret or those close to her could die.
As Cara unravels the truth surrounding her inheritance, she makes a startling discovery: angels walk among the living, and they’re getting ready to engage in a battle that will determine the future of the human race. In the midst of these revelations, she meets the mysterious and sophisticated Simon who stirs her sleeping heart and offers her another chance at romance. But when the love of her life and his daughter are kidnapped by dark forces, Cara must choose: accept her place in a 2,000-year-old prophecy foretold in the Trinity Stones as the First of the Twelve who will lead the final battle between good and evil . . . or risk losing everything she holds dear.
Captivating and thrillingly romantic, Trinity Stones captures the eternal struggle of good and evil and the occasional need to bend the rules for the most important force of all: love.
Places to find the book:
Series: Angelorum Twelve Chronicles,
Also in this series: Trinity Stones (Adult Edition)
on February 2015
Converse via: #AngelorumTwelveChronicles & #TrinityStones
Available Formats: E-book Exclusive to Amazon for 90 Days; Print TBD
Page Count: 453
As my readers are aware, I truly was inspired by elements inside “Trinity Stones” but couldn’t shift past the vulgarity and other explicit content. Imagine my surprise and delight knowing this has been re-edited into a YA novel with this content removed. What led you in making this decision when previously you weren’t inclined?
O’ Connor responds: Jorie, I want you to know that you were absolutely the first person I thought of when I made this decision! I feel like this story, and the fact that I’m a writer today, is due in part to divine guidance. I didn’t choose it, it chose me. So, when we first discussed the potential of releasing the YA adapted version, my debut release was so new that I couldn’t conceptualize how I could make that work. Then, this past fall, after I released the second novel in the series, The Wanderer’s Children, it was suddenly crystal clear. I could re-edit the book and release it digitally with minimal effort, and potentially capture a whole new audience: young adults 13+, and readers who desire adult characters within a novel free of profanity or explicit love scenes.
Since I own all the derivative rights to the first book, it became an easy decision. Although I will say, it has led to some very interesting discussions with my YA writer friends who happen to be purists. The fact that my characters are in their 20s, well, that’s raised some interesting questions. An avid reader my whole life starting at a very young age, my honest belief, supported by the demand for this version of the book, is that the character’s ages are inconsequential…
The joy for me was finding out that the reflections I had on behalf of a book where I outed the explicit nature of it’s contents had a positive effect on the author! This has happened a few times in the past, however, an author hasn’t edited their novel to re-release it in a secondary adaptation! You are the first, and I applaud your open-mindness about how some readers (such as I) who are adults, still yearn to read novels whose contents are less vulgar and less explicit in nature. Not that we’re naive to the world at large nor unwilling to exit our childhood — merely that we’re readers with sensitive hearts and enjoy a softer side to literature that is free of the harsh content that can inflict more harm than good.
I regularly read both INSPY and mainstream fiction, but to be honest I do seek out ‘clean reads’ more than I don’t as I have a particular grievance for vulgarity with low tolerance for it’s aggressive inclusions to stories where I feel could be excluded. I cannot celebrate enough this adaptation of Trinity Stones and the path your life has taken through divine inspiration!
I understand the frustration is it YA or is it Adult (on age perimeters) as occasionally I do meet a book I felt was marketed to the wrong audience, but it’s less to do with age and has a heap to do with content! Specifically, for those who are keen to know which books I’m referring to, they were the following: The Angel of Losses & Midnight Runner. Two books I felt were Adult not YA. Age on the other hand is not something I would think of to ‘jump’ a book out of a genre!
At the core of your novel is a beautiful undercurrent of humanity and spirituality. What initially inspired you to present angels and demons in this context?
O’ Connor responds: Ahh. Destiny, free will, divine purpose, love… Who better to represent those beliefs than angels? And if you have angels, demons seem to be the flip side of that coin. Partially, I think that we all carry a spark of the divine with the ability to be an angel to someone at some point in our lives. It’s the mix of humanity and the divine that I find fascinating. What better way to create conflict than to flip that on its side by taking angels and encumbering them with the weight of humanity? Using that spark of humanity to create empathy for mankind and to give them an inherent weakness? In this book, demons are fallen angels. Their weakness is their former connection to the divine, their time spent before the Fall as angels. I believe that sometimes there’s only a fine line that separates good and evil.
I couldn’t agree with you more! Especially on the merits of how we can intercede on each others lives and have the ability to affect their path. A living spirituality if you will, where each of us can be given certain heightened intuition and gift of insight that can be used to effectively create positive change in the life of another. Yes, I agree — when you mix humanity and the divine, beautiful things can develop and become revealed! Your spin on how good and evil intermix, cross-relate, and are in battle together is insightful. Yet it is how you convey this line of difference between each group of angels that is the most intriguing of all because it is rooted in what is plausible and thereby gives it a grounding in what can be imagined and processed.
How did you merge esoteric & metaphysical spiritualities in such a convincing manner as you have in “Trinity Stones”?
O’ Connor responds: The story uses a base of actual biblical lore, which I built on, blurring the line between fact and fiction. I read all the translated Books of Enoch as background. I loved the way Dan Brown did that in The DaVinci Code, by making us question: could this actually be true? Some of the beliefs represented in this book are very personal to me. Like my main character Cara, I’m not very religious, but I consider myself highly spiritual and inclusive. I’ve been interested in metaphysical questions my whole life. They drive me at my core. I’m glad you believe I met my goal of presenting the story in a convincing manner.
Yes, that is quite curious to me — as a juxtaposition on thematic and curious exploration on merit of story, I never would have considered the correlation because I personally couldn’t connect to Brown’s interpretation. If anything, I am drawn instinctively into yours. There are passages I still remember reading wondering how kinetically pure you had written them and how incredible it was to read the words lifting off the pages. I believe writers write a heap of their own thoughts and beliefs into their stories; even when they extend themselves past a personality or lifestyle that is outside their own. There are still fractals of who they are within that context. It’s hard not to influence our stories because they are a part of our own essence and interpretation of how we process what we see and live. Oh, my dear stars — you met your goal whilst you exceeded beyond it’s original scope!
What was the hardest part in finding balance between the research enriched narrative and the conception within the fantasy world you created?
O’ Connor responds: Much of the research was for my own education to be able to present genetics in a super-simplified manner without providing unnecessary detail. Since Trinity Stones is not hard science fiction, nor is it meant to be, I didn’t want to overwhelm the reader (or myself for that matter). Much of the detail was removed prior to publication. There is one section of brief backstory I refuse to touch. It speaks of Kai’s curing a rare cancer. This is a wish, placed in writing, for one of my beta readers and her husband (both dear friends). He has been living with this type of cancer in stage 4 for over 7 years. Maybe the universe will listen due to my visualizing a cure…
I can only say that I hope the dream of the soul merge with a cosmic and divine wish for this reality to fuse to our medical research; thereby transitioning what was dreamt to tangible proof in life. It is such a selfless act to cast out a method of extraordinary change within the context of a story rooted in divinity and spirituality undernotes. I had the same heart wish to see the experimental research within the film Medicine Man become reality because it spoke about a natural cure for cancer that was extraordinarily self-sufficient and sustainable. Answers are whispers of ideas – thus the impossible is alive within what is able to be dream and believed. Thoughts are things that can take flight.
How did you come up with the idea behind certain characters to have the ability to cloak?
O’ Connor responds: Cloaking is the ability to hide behind a veil of invisibility. Only the Nephilim (Guardians of the Angelorum), half-man / half-angel, have this ability. The Angelorum, angels sent as human incarnates, can’t do this since their arrangement was to be placed on earth to live as humans rather than keeping their angelic form. Since the Guardians are meant to protect the Angelorum, they have the added abilities of their angelic fathers. If angels truly walk among us, my sense is they do so invisibly.
I love the depth of scope and background you’ve stitched into your world. It is an incredibly layered construction of character history and origin of history. I am fascinated by your creativity and the way in which everything is interlocked together.
You grounded Cara gift through the legacy of her grandmother thereby giving her a strong tie to her ancestral roots which is nearly a springboard to this book as it has multiple layers connecting through it. How did you originally conceive the idea for this type of legacy?
O’ Connor responds: Like Cara, my grandmother died with I was four years old. I used my memories of the extreme love I had for my grandmother as the inspiration for this aspect of the story. If there was anyone who I wished was watching over me, it would be her. Familial ties are some of the strongest, most fraught with conflict, and most relatable. Familial ties will be a recurring theme throughout the series.
I love the beauty inside this choice to insert a piece of autobiographical history on your own behalf to the central arc of Cara. You gave her such a realism of truth with this legacy of her grandmother, that I can honestly sympathise to this urgency to keep a tethered anchour to a loved one whose passed on. I, too, have strong familial ties with my own family whose crossed over and like you, I believe they are mindful of what we’re doing even in their absence of being with us in the ‘now’ of our timeline. I love legacies within stories of this nature, and you’ve writ one with a density of heart and love.
Since science is such a keystone of the plot, did you interview scientists or conduct research extensively to make it plausible?
O’ Connor responds: Kai was inspired by a close and long-time friend of mine who is a scientist. He provided some of the research. Two of my beta readers were also scientists at one point in their careers, but most of it came from secondary research on genetics. If I made any mistakes, they weren’t theirs, but mine.
Oh, I wouldn’t have thought of this direct connection but it makes complete sense! I appreciate how open you’ve been with my questions, as they have given an added dimension to Trinity Stones, whilst giving all of us a chance to see how you formulated a basis for not just the characters but for the world-building itself. It’s very thought provoking and I admire the attention you gave to even the smallest of details.
Although “Trinity Stones” is released under the Urban Fantasy genre parts of it cross relate to the world of science fiction. Have you found your readers coming from different avenues of interest?
That’s an interesting question. The book touches on three genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Science Fiction. However, Sci-Fi is the least emphasized of the three. If I had to give a mix, I’d say: 40% Fantasy, 20% Sci-Fi, 40% Romance. So, for men who have picked up the book expecting primarily Sci-fi (only a few), they’ve been disappointed. I welcome every reader, but I make no excuses: my target demographic is women. That said, there have been men who have enjoyed the book even with the heavy romantic theme. For that, I am truly grateful. The biggest surprise has been non-genre fiction readers who primarily read literary fiction. Go figure!
I think the beauty of it truly is how at it’s core, Trinity Stones and the series therein is not glued into one particular genre or theme of literature. It’s a genre-bender that pulls the best out of each designated arm of thought you’ve disclosed yet it pulls it’s orbit into a new area to explore. I find the best stories are the ones that give different readers a different perspective of thought to resonate inside. To each reader there are new lens to peer back into a story, as each story sprouts new wings to fly with each page turn by a new curious mind who finds it’s heart.
How did you decide on the metrics behind the genetic code that establishes the differences between your characters?
O’ Connor responds: Hmm. I wanted everyone, except the demons, to share a slice of humanity: Soul Seekers and the Angelorum 300 are both 100% human; the Nephilim are hybrid human / angel and have special genetics that lend themselves to certain abilities; and the Messenger servants of the Angelorum are human with enhanced psychic abilities genetically passed from father to child. The reason: to bond them all in their fight to save mankind. I thought the idea of angelic qualities tied to genetic markers was fascinating.
You tapped into the study of Genetics that I found keenly fascinating myself — the ways in which what is genetically encoded to our DNA can translate to the make-up of who we become. Not just inherently human or a different species entirely such as within the realms of fantasy and science fiction; but how a breath of insight on the level of the markers and the way in which our coded data can transcript a blueprint of what is ancestral ‘passed down’ is remarkable. It begs the question of what is intrinsically nurtured, learnt, or inherited. Science is awe-inspiring!
How did you pull together the hierarchy of the Fallen Angels vs. Angels & Guardians? How did you balance light and dark?
O’ Connor responds: Great question. The word “balance” is key. There are 12 Angelorum High Council members, so there are 12 Dark Ones Lieutenants serving Lucifer, the Morning Star, who makes the 13th. The Holy Twelve will be the chosen, including Cara, to lead the final battle between good and evil. They will have an, as of yet, undisclosed 13th. There are 300 human angels who make up the Angelorum, and 300 Dark Ones manifest on earth. As I built these hierarchies, I researched angel names and origins as well as the reverse. In an effort to be authentic, I used real biblical / angelic names where I could.
The ying and the yang are equally represented and equally important to strike the balance within the power struggle alignment between light and dark. Yes, you’ve not only put in considerable thought to your story on the level of crafting the story-telling bits and components, but you’ve taken the extra yard to coordinate the back-story of how everything pieces together within the greater whole of it’s reality.
Studying world religions has given me insights where I can better understand the thread of theory behind the “Trinity Stones” themselves. How did you take mythology and dissect it against mystic spirituality to create how the 3 halves interconnect?
O’ Connor responds: Similar to you, I studied world religions when I was in my twenties. My personal belief system is made up of a wide mixture of religions and philosophies, filtered through a lens of what makes sense to me. At the end of the day, it’s really a reflection of what lives in my head and my heart. I think that love is our one universal truth. That hope drives us, and faith sustains us. We all have a divine purpose, and it’s our job to discover what it is.
You’re spirituality is aligned with mine: filtering out where the light leads you and embracing the light from whence it’s led you to traverse. Love. Hope. Faith. Charity. The words with the greatest clarity about ourselves and the truth of what sustains us whilst we walk Earth. A wheel has many spokes but all of the individual routes lead back to one singular source.
How did you approach the editing of the adult version for the YA audience?
O’ Connor responds: The good news is that I read a ton of YA series in addition to the adult counterparts. Although my characters don’t fit in the traditional definition of “YA Fiction,” the characters are authentic for their twenties. For those young readers seeking a glimpse into that next phase of their lives, that’s what they will see. So, the editing process was more a matter of using language that make sense for the YA reader, and having age appropriate content. I really enjoyed taking another pass at the editing process.
This response left me smiling, as it truly shows your dedication to not only your audience and readership, but to the greater goal of giving all readers the ability to appreciate your vision on a tangible level of what they can accept into their own mind and heart. Rock on!
For the rest of the series to be released in YA editions if you do not hit the target readership in sales will you offer the books as YA edition on POD (Print on Demand)? As currently they are available only as ebooks?
O’ Connor responds: My goal is to hit 500 book sales and 50 reviews before I adapt the next book in the series, The Wanderer’s Children. That one will take more work due to the content. There is one story line that could be construed as disturbing that I would need to temper for a younger audience. I’m hoping to crowd source the support from the readers of this version of Trinity Stones to get that done.
Even if that doesn’t happen (but I hope it will!), the prequel novella, Hope’s Prelude, shouldn’t need any adaptation at all. That will be available in April, also in eBook format.
Once I hit my goal, I’ll look at POD with Ingram to make the adapted series available for bookstores and libraries.
Ooh, my dear goodness — I had forgotten there was a novella attached to the series! I’ve been so caught up in my own affairs, I had completely erased the memory of you telling me of this! Hmm, I wonder if you would include the novella in the POD edition of Trinity Stones? Truly going to hope readers attach themselves to the YA edition to help print readers like myself have the opportunity to see what they’re seeing right now. I envy them a bit in that regard, as they get a first-hand look at how I attempted to envision Trinity Stones yet fumbled a bit due to the copy I have on my shelf. Hope fills my heart tonight.
What did you learn the most as an author through this experience?
O’ Connor responds: That connecting with readers and having them love my story as much as I do is why I write, and why I will continue to write. I’m hoping that these words on a page will inspire, sustain, and somehow make a positive contribution to my reader’s lives.
After you see my additions to our conversation, I think you will know you have touched my heart with this series on the level you hoped to achieve. Readers complete the circle writers begin with their words. A sentiment I shared on an interview with Thrity Umrigar.
Outside writing what gives you the most joy and relaxation?
O’ Connor responds: Working and writing take up the majority of my time, but that makes the time I have with friends and family even more precious. I’m an avid reader, and try to work enough yoga / pilates into my routine to keep physically balanced and relaxed. I’m more successful when I’m not under deadline. My favorite thing? Friday night dates with my husband.
Balance is my word for 2015 as I am seeking serenity within each sphere of my life, as I too, appreciate achieving a sound wellness within each facet that brings such a rich joy to my hours. You’ve truly blessed my life by giving such a lovely story to enwrap my mind around, but it is how the story was inspired to be written that gave the most joy of all to me to discover. Writers are given a special gift to reconnect with the world in a way that honours our experiences and the way in which we perceive everything around us. We internalise and re-attach our emotional imprints through the words that give life back to our thoughts in a landscape that is seen within the mind.
I am honoured to have been given the chance to converse with you on this exciting new chapter of your writerly pursuits and I applaud your conviction to stand behind a story that has returnt the joy you had in composing it’s soul.
About L.G. O' Connor
L.G. O’Connor is a member of the Romance Writers of America. A corporate strategy and marketing executive for a Fortune 250 company, she writes adult urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance.
She is currently working on the third book in the Angelorum Twelve Chronicles, Book of Four Rings, for publication in 2015. In addition, she is writing an adult contemporary romance series set in Morristown, New Jersey. L.G. lives a life of adventure, navigating her way through dog toys and soccer balls and loaning herself out for the occasional decorating project. When she’s feeling particularly brave, she enters the kitchen.
NOTE: Information on where to purchase her books are linked in the author’s biography. Click on the book titles to be re-directed to the information page on O’ Connor’s website. You can then make your choices per edition (Adult, YA, Audio) as well as find out more information about the author, her book series, and the fascinating world she’s creating. It should be noted the YA Trinity Stones edition is available for a limited time in electronic form exclusive to Amazon. This is a ‘test the market’ opportunity to prove there is an audience for an adapted edition of Trinity Stones, where all readers can soak inside this beautiful world and partake of the legacy O’ Connor has created.
Remember visit my review on the Adult Edition which inspired the YA!
Thank you for reading this exclusive interview & for considering helping to save Trinity Stones by encouraging an edition for younger readers which befit the beauty of the story! Please return back to let me know of your experience if you elected to purchase a copy that directly helps establish the series into Young Adult! I look forward to your thoughts! Especially as I am eagerly awaiting the print run!
{SOURCES: Trinity Stones and series synopsises were provided by TLC Book Tours and were re-used by permission of the author, L.G. O’ Connor. Author photograph of L.G. O’ Connor and the updated book cover for the YA Adaptation of Trinity Stones provided by the author herself and used with permission. Conversations with the Bookish Banners created by Jorie in Canva. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2015.
Oh wow! Looks right up my alley. Gonna go find it
Hallo, Hallo Andrea!
Ooh boy! I cannot wait to hear what you thought of the YA Edition! Thanks for leaving me such a happy note! Always lovely to know when a reader is enthused to read a new book! Cheers!