Conception of a Novel 

(Portions previously posted on my 1st attempt at a blog.)

   I started this journey when I was 13 after I read a book by V.C. Andrews. I decided right then that I wanted to write a book and be able to hold it in my hands someday.  I wanted to see my name on its spine and the title I'd chosen for it on its cover in big dazzling letters. 
  I wrote little things here and there throughout my school years, but I was humble enough to realize I couldn't write anything worth reading if I didn't live life first. I knew I had to gain experience from many of life's lessons, and endure such things as a broken heart, death of a loved one, falling in love, becoming a nurse, working to make ends meet, cancer in a family member, raising kids, traveling, etc. I knew if I didn't experience every emotion possible that I couldn't possibly create characters for a book. I finally decided I was at that pivotal point when I was 30 years old. I spent a few months gathering my ideas and plot points, and then I began writing.
   The death of a high school friend was the inspiration for my story. I had a crush on him in high school, although he never knew of it. He died at age 30 and left behind a wife and two kids. I knew I wanted to write a YA novel, so I made him into a teenager again. I wrote a few paragraphs every night. Sometimes I put it down for a week or two at a time only to be drawn back as if it was calling to me.
   Four years of writing got me to the last paragraph...and the last word. First and last words encompass a creation, and this was my creation.
   It's immeasurable to state how elated I was to have completed it. But, the hard part was yet to come. I had no idea how many revisions books go through until I had to revise mine.  I had this notion that writers simply had to fix a few typos or add a few commas during their revising, but I quickly learned that was not the case.  I needed to change whole characters, rewrite many paragraphs, add new paragraphs, and take out adjectives that I really liked.  I ended up having a word funeral for a certain few adjectives...  Sniffle, Sniffle.   
     I'm undoubtedly looking forward to the day I hold my own novel in my hands. And I'm even more excited for people to read it.

Heart All,
Kristi

Classic

Unseen Research Subjects

   I had to do quite a bit of research for my book, One Petal Flower.  Some of it was done online or in person with friends.  The other part of it was done in complete darkness with a camera, recorder, headphones, and a flashlight.  
   I'm a paranormal investigator with INsight Paranormal Investigations.  We are a part of the TAPS Family of teams.  We travel all over Oklahoma and the surrounding states, and our services are free to the clients.  Our goal is to determine the presence (or lack) of paranormal activity in homes and businesses in hopes of calming frightened home/business owners.  If we are lucky, we gain technological material/pictures to study and further our research.  We have an insurmountable desire to have proof of life after death.
   I can say I have obtained my best research for my book by being on this team.  I have been in more creepy places than I can remember-- old and new mansions, basements, theaters, museums, sheds, hotels, apartments, trailer houses/brick houses, restaurants, and an old tuberculosis sanitarium.  In each, we would stay for 4-9 hours.  That equals out to be 4-9 hours of reviewing what is on your recorder.  It's a process that calls for a LOT of patience and persistence.
  It also calls for a fair amount of courage.  It's not always easy to sit in a dark room in the dead of the night.  (Excuse the pun, lol.)  Your mind plays tricks on you if you let fear seep in.  You'll start to see things that are not there.  (That was the first lesson I incorporated into my book.)  Therefore, you have to remain calm and positive.  I almost go into a meditative state and my team members repetitively "lose" me, often saying "Where's Kristi?" when I'm right there in front of them.  I'm simply trying to open up all of my senses.    
  Most of the time I'm never lucky enough to hear voices with just my ears; I have to use a recorder to capture them.   I rarely see shadows or lights darting across the room.  My team members will, and I'll always get so frustrated that I missed it.  I attribute this to my team members possibly being more "sensitive" than I am.  The few times I did see shadows or lights, I was SO giddy afterwards.   It seems like that wouldn't be a typical reaction to seeing a possible ghost, but for a paranormal investigator it's the normal reaction.   
  Except...not when something follows you home.  It's routine to state out loud that nothing is permitted to follow us home; that they are to stay there.  The ONE time I didn't do that is the ONLY time I will ever forget.  After leaving an old mansion with claims of "trickster ghosts," I went home to go to bed.  The TV in my room came on by itself to an odd channel, and it was very loud.  I jumped a foot above my bed, my heart nearly pounding out of my chest, and ran over to turn the TV off.  I made the statement that I should have made earlier than night right then and there.  It has never happened again since then (and it had never happened before that night either).
  Some of the other things we hope to experience during an investigation: phantom smells (cigar smoke or anything that is not supposed to be there), touches (can feel like cobwebs sometimes), cold spots, and the holy grail--a fully body apparition.  I was lucky enough to see a face one time, and it was confirmed that something was there because the person I was with heard a sound in the same place I saw the face.  I had seen my team member's head whip around to the area right after I saw it.  I was ecstatic!  Although, what I see with my eyes (not captured on a video camera) will not be concrete proof to show the client, but it is icing on the cake as far as personal experiences go.      
    I hope people will read One Petal Flower and enjoy finding all of the paranormal elements I added.  It was certainly a delight to write.

  Heart All,
  Kristi
 
              
    

On the Edge of My Seat

   I did it.  I sent my very first book off to be published.  What do I feel like?  I pretty much feel that I'm looking off of a cliff with a very deep canyon as I stand on its edge and little rocks near my feet fall to the unknown depths below.  But beyond that canyon is a limitless horizon with mesmerizing colors of celebration.  Ultimately, I see it as I will either fall, or fly. 
   Of course I hope that I fly.  I've spent four long years creating my novel.  It wasn't until February 2012 that I really dove into the other aspects of getting my book published.  I started Twitter and met some really nice people; one of whom I couldn't have proceeded with this dream had he not noticed my potential in an interview on www.smblooding.com.  
   Javier Robayo, author of The Gaze and The Next Chapter, saw that I was just beginning my journey, and had the compassion to take such a "newbie" under his wing.  He has been a wonderful mentor and sweet friend.  Hopefully, I didn't make him pull out too much of his hair because God knows I have no computer skills or anything that relates to the World Wide Abyss.   All of a sudden, I needed to join Goodreads, make a Facebook fan page, make a blog, make a website...my mind was reeling!  All of that on top of finishing my novel!  But, oh, the "finishing" part is a whole other story...
   Javier was kind enough to help me edit my book, along with another friend of mine.  Between the both of them I was revising until I couldn't see straight.  My family had to listen to "Hang on!" and "In a minute!" more times than they wanted.  I was determined to get it finished- the real meaning of the word.  That was official on July 8th, 9th, and 10th.  Yes, it was three days basically.  So, when I celebrate every year I will get to celebrate for three days straight!
   I should get the physical book in my hands by the end of this week sometime.  THAT will be one of the most emotional days in my life.  I can't wait.  :) 
  
   Heart All,
   Kristi