Proposed Topic for Violet Patterson: I am always most curious about the impetus of inspiration which leads into a series for a writer to create in such
a substantial way as to have their characters and their worlds evolve throughout the arc of the installments contained therein. Whilst thinking of a topic for Ms. Patterson to write for her featured Guest Post, I felt the best topic is truly how she conceived the Emerald Seer series, and what motivated her to carry this particular paranormal story into the light and hands of the reader!
I am quite happy to welcome Violet Patterson to Jorie Loves A Story today, whereupon she took my topic of choice and ran with it! If you ever wanted to get a personal look into the life of a self-published author’s creative world, this is the day to sneak in a peak! I came to know of Ms. Patterson’s writings during the aftermath of a Kentucky tornado storm whilst chatting to Stephen Zimmer about books and writers of the genre. I am not sure of the time frame, but this lead into a lovely conversation through tweeting between all three of us at one point shortly thereafter. By the time I saw Tomorrow Comes Media was announcing her blog tour, I knew that I had to take part in it! The culmination of which was hearing her as a Guest Author on The Star Chamber Show, as well as tweeting with her between then and now on occasion. Let’s take this moment to become introduced and immersed into the paranormal mind of Violet Patterson!
Hello! (waves) I have been asked to give a peek inside my somewhat warped, slightly twisted mind to reveal my inspiration for the Emerald Seer Series. A good friend once told me that he can learn a lot about an author by reading his/her work. Initially I didn’t believe him but looking back on the Emerald Seer Series, I can see how that is true.
The series started as a puff piece, my foray into paranormal romance in an effort to dip my toe in the proverbial waters of publishing. It grew into so much more. The idea was born out of a series of conversations with friends, discussions about so many of the mainstream PNR books are very male-centric and of course, about music. I love The Doors. My Dad introduced me to People Are Strange when I was seven or eight and it was love at first listen. It was a natural transition for me to build a series around songs that influenced me so greatly. I do very much wish I could gain rights to use lyrics from the songs as they are so applicable to the books. Perhaps some day.
I wanted a very strong female lead but I also knew I could not write somebody perfect because, let’s face it, none of us are perfect. Storm had to be somebody real and of course I wanted a redhead with Irish ancestry. I have a thing for Celtic mythology so that component was easy. Storm has my stubbornness and my tenacity. Some of the things she encounters, including her lack of emotions in the beginning of Ryder on the Storm, were born from things I’ve endured. Storm is rash at times and relies heavily on her gut instinct though she does miss the mark at times, a very human flaw. One thing that I really enjoyed about writing Storm was her rather sudden onset of emotions. She was essentially an emotional void for most of her life since her aunt bound her emotions and with them a good portion of her power. When Storm’s aunt died suddenly, the binding spell was broken and she was hit with a freight train of emotions. Think puberty to the thousandth degree. No her reactions were not always what they should be, what a rational person would do but that is the point, Storm is not rational in the first book, how could she be?
Enter Ryder Cohen. He had to be the strong, silent type to balance Storm’s fiery persona. He’s Immortal so he’s been around but Ryder has his own secrets. And boy does he have them in spades. He has to. Anybody who would live for centuries would have to have some. So I made a few of them pertinent to the story. Plus, Ryder is gorgeous.
I built a cast around them, pulling in supernaturals that aren’t overdone without leaving out the usual suspects (vampires). It was important to me that this story be different, that the characters be different so I pulled from other places and incorporated as many as I could to create an entire sub-world.
Everything grew so fast I almost couldn’t contain it. What started as a trilogy with a novella became a four book series with a novella, an off-shoot series that I’m working on now (Immortal Machinations), and a series of short stories and tidbits waiting in the wings (aka my hard drive and cloud drive).
I think I could talk about these stories for days on end but at some point I have to stop and write them. Thanks for listening and I hope you give my Emerald Seer Series a shot.
Book Synopsis of the Boxed Set:
It began with tragedy.
Continued with rebirth.
Faithful friends…with secrets of their own.
Intensified with an uncovered past.
How will it all END?
Storm Sullivan’s life is a mystical mine field following the death of her Aunt Trin and it only gets worse. Thrown into the battle of the ages, Storm finds herself surrounded by Immortals, Seraphs, Fairies, Vampires, Witches and a Phoenix! Can she unravel the mysteries of her family’s past in time to save them all?
For the first time ever, the Kindle Bestselling Emerald Seer Series is brought to you in one massive box set. Magic and mystery, adventure and romance converge in this series touted as “unique and imaginative.” Mystical beings from Deities to Seraphs, a Phoenix, Immortals and more, the Emerald Seer Series is a fantastical ride with several converging story lines that will keep you guessing.
I always find it quite interesting how a writer starts out with this seemingly benign and simple story arc only to find whilst composing the bones of the story does one find the startling joy of having the original idea expand in ways only the surge of the muse can! I, myself, have had my own startling discoveries in this regard, especially on the merits of walking into my first Nanowrimo meet-up in November 2008 without only a fragmented idea of where I wanted to take the story over the next thirty days! The story began in my mind’s eye, garnishing five potential plot points or cues, but beyond their skeleton origins of thought what I found at the end of Nanowrimo was the notion that my ‘fluffy’ story idea had turnt into something quite multi-layered and complex! I hadn’t endeavoured to walk out of a writer’s block with such a forceful surge of creativity, but sometimes, I find that as a writer the journey we take with the pen and with our creativity is quite extraordinary!
I have enjoyed having your showcase on my blog, as it has not only introduced me to PNR (Paranormal Romance) as a genre, but it has opened my eyes to the fact that there are elements of the genre I have already been infused inside! I never considered myself a reader drawn into the genre naturally, because the books I gravitate towards reading are not always ones which ferret the most attention. I tend to seek out the titles which garnish a pensive pause at the closure of their books rather than the instant gratification of most of what the genre offers. I like to soak slowly into literature, absorbing everything that is presented in both story and book left behind by the writer who hopes even the little bits of their pen are noticed by the reader. I like to see what I can feel as much as what I can read directly off the page. In this way, one of the reasons I like to push myself to experiment with new genres is to constantly be in a position to expand past what I know and what I understand. I love the freedom of being able to move between the worlds of literature as well as literary thought. Even if I’m out of my depth, as I know I was a bit whilst reading Ryders on the Storm I appreciate the challenge and the experience of seeing characters I might not have met otherwise, which enable me to seek out other authors who pen the same type of stories.
Music has such a canonical appeal when you’re a creative. Writing in of itself is fused to an invisible rhythm which bespeaks itself out of our depths and ties together the strings of our imagination in a form which can be read with our eyes. We transcend the space between the imagined and the visual plane, whilst embarking on honing in on the constraints of humanity and of other species who have a flawed and transitional journey to undertake. I love reading the stories of characters who either know of their direct path towards the destiny they are meant to embrace or are struggling to understand why they are here and what their worth of contribution could possible entail. It’s the excitement of finding out how they process their journey and how they endeavour to bend or yield whilst pursuing their path that I find the most enjoyable!
I oft find certain orchestrations of music help me keep myself tethered to the moment of inspiration. Each book I write draws me into a different portion of musical history, as the characters themselves tend to depict a different part of my musical soul. There are times when lyrical driven music hits a chord with me whilst working on a difficult character or one in transition, but oft-times, it’s the music without the words I find guide me the most. I can intersperse my own realm into the strings of what is audible, and in that way, feel a connection to the story in a way that is not limited to the page.
Ever since my Mum’s been able to confirm our ancestry includes an Irish great-grandfather, I must say, it has inspired me to learn more about the Emerald Isle!! To the brink that even my original passion for Ireland has now become intensified! I always felt drawn to Celtic ballards and music, as well as the lore and story-telling of the Gaelics! I never understood exactly why I felt such a strong sensation of a connection, but after seeing how part of our line leads directly to Irish shores, it sort of fit together like a puzzle missing its last piece!? Storm is quite the strong Irish lass, a wee bit stubborn, but her moxy outshines her faults! I love how you turnt the timeclock backwards, allowing her to fight or flight through a late pubescence! Her emotional keelings were on the very edge of her skin, and I loved how you kept it real by allowing her the flexibility to speak her mind without tact and without thinking of consequence!
As I had mentioned at the bottom of my review of Ryder on the Storm, I am looking forward to continuing my journey with your characters! Seeing what befalls next on their path, and seeing how both Ryder & Storm endure growth as the story shifts forward! Sometimes I think, characters have so much to share with their historians (writers) they cannot simply be contained into one singular volume or trilogy! Thank you for sharing this window into your creative muse!
Official Author Websites: Blog | Twitter | Facebook
{a special stop on the “Emerald Seer” blog tour!}
{ converse via: #EmeraldSeer & #7thStar }
Virtual Road Map for “Emerald Seer” Blog Tour:
- 3 March: Contest @ Deal Sharing Aunt
- 4 March: Character Post @ I Smell Sheep
- 5 March: Review @ Workaday Reads
- 5 March: Guest Post @ Sheila Deeth
- 5 March: Author Interview @ Jess Resides Here
- 5 March: Promo/Spotlight @ Sapphyria’s Book Reviews
- 6 March: Character Interview @ Alexx Momcat’s Gateway Book Blog
- 6 March: Review @ Jorie Loves a Story
- 7 March: Guest Post @ Jorie Loves a Story
- 7 March: Interview @ Come Selahway With Me
- 8 March: Review @ Bee’s Knees Reviews
- 8 March: Guest Post @ Laurie’s Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews
- 9 March: Author Interview/Reader Submitted Questions Jorie Loves a Story
Be sure to catch the next installments of this showcase on JLAS:
Jorie reviews “Ryder on the Storm” & interviews Ms. Patterson within the week!
Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.
Be sure to scope out upcoming tours I will be hosting with:
on my Bookish Events Featured on JLAS!
Cross-listed on: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Fridays via On Starships & Dragonwings
{SOURCES: The Emerald Seers Saga & Ryder on the Storm cover art, Violet Patterson’s photograph, as well as the tour host badge provided by Tomorrow Comes Media and used with permission. I requested an Author Guest Post on the topic of writing about the Emerald Seers series through Stephen Zimmer and received the essay from Patterson via Zimmer. Post dividers were provided by Shabby Blogs, who give bloggers free resources to add personality to their blogs. Guest Post badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.
Storm Sullivan is a Seer from an ancient line forced to return home after the brutal murder of her aunt. But Storm finds she’s inherited more than just the family estate.
