When Fates Conspire

When Fates Conspire

When Fates Conspire, set in Montana and South Dakota, is a contemporary, paranormal story, of fate, soul mates, and fairness. With humor and pathos, this novella tells of two couples and three spirit guides—all with very different ideas as to what life is about.

Lauren returns to Billings looking for something that never happened for her in high school. When the man she wanted then re-enters her life, all the ancient energy between these soul mates is aroused. Can it be they will finally get a happily ever after or will it end as it always has?

In Bozeman, Jessica is frustrated that the man she promised to marry won’t give her the advantages his riches could provide. How far will she go to get what she wants? Tragedy is the only possible result or is it?

This story came directly from a dream, with several powerful images and concepts. Writing the novella incorporated many things I have read. The question, that I hope readers will be asking when they finish, is what do you think life is about?

I’ve never used quotes at the beginning of a book but I knew this one would be enriched by them. I went looking and surprising me, everything I could want came from Dante, whose full name was Durante degli Alighieri born 1265 and died 1321. His poetry and books spoke so much to the mysteries of life. As I went through my chapter headings, time and again his words set them off perfectly. I am glad I hadn’t found him first or I might’ve thought he influenced the story that began with a dream.

“In that book which is my memory. On the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first met you, Appear the words, ‘Here begins a new life’.”     Dante Alighieri

 Excerpt:

With the next knock on the door, she managed to stifle her shock. She hoped. It was him. If she had hoped he would have grown less attractive, got no relief that way. Darkly tanned, movie star handsome, his Cheyenne features showed up more strongly than ever. To add to it she saw he had grown his long black hair out and wore it clubbed in a ponytail at the back of his neck. Then she saw the girl at his side. Who was she? Not part of their high school crowd surely.

“Clay,” Dale said taking their coats while Mindy handed them hot cider. “You hear about the storm brewing?”

“This morning,” he answered with that slight western drawl that had always caused Lauren’s heart to start fluttering. “I still have 200 heifers out on the south pasture; so that’ll be tomorrow morning’s job. Hoping I can get them in closer before it blasts us.”

“Lauren, did you know Rachel in high school?” Mindy asked as she drew the pretty brunette over to Lauren.

“You’re Rachel Adams?” Lauren asked now placing her as four years younger than them. “You’ve grown up,” she said forcing herself not to look toward Clay. God, she hoped she had been over that silly infatuation, but as soon as he was near she knew she had been fooling herself. It’s why no other serious relationships had developed. She had to get out of the house before she gave herself away. Was he married? Who was Rachel to him? She feared to look for rings.

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outside a genre

 Marketing a book can be a challenge especially if that book does not fall under the guidelines expected for an average book in its genre. What if it doesn't have a genre? And even more complicated is a situation where if you explain much about the book, you give away the enjoyment a reader should find in reading it.

That's what I have been facing as I do the last edits, after my beta reader and editor also read it. When Fates Conspire, will be out February 1. Writing blurbs about it and creating its trailer have been challenges as I want to give the reader a heads up, especially if that person might not be interested in alternative ideas about spirituality.

So I call it a paranormal romance even though its story goes beyond the usual concepts for romances. It is though about soul mates-- but what does that actually mean?

The word paranormal covers a wide swath of books like time travel, which doesn't necessarily have a spiritual dimension as it explores the question of physical reality-- or not. Paranormal novels can also be about vampires, werewolves and shape-shifters which are all physical beings but with what most would consider super-normal qualities-- that is unless you regularly turn into a wolf at night and then it would seem very normal.

Mostly when I write a book, it comes out of my own thinking. I might have read something or heard a story, but the plot will be coming from something I've acquired during my days. Once in awhile though I have had one that comes from out of what feels like nowhere.

If you've ever worked with using a dream for a book, you know it doesn't give you a whole story. What it can be is the start for one-- and take you somewhere you hadn't intended to go in writing.

The dream, which was the genesis for When Fates Conspire, was complicated, had a lot to it; but in the end, there was an intense image within and a conclusion so strong that it left no choice in the writing. It was up to me to make it seem possible for those readers who can accept all is not what you see in front of you.

The ring above is one of the images I saw in that dream. I only wish I could really find a way to depict it. it was so vivid that I can see it now clearly. If you want to know how it fits into the story, you need to read the novella.

dreams and creativity

When a book comes from a dream we can only ask from where did the dream come? Life is filled with such mysteries, many unanswered questions. Will they be answered on the other side? Is there but one answer for each of these questions, or might the answers be as varied as the questions?

My novella, When Fates Conspire, began with one of my dreams. I had been going through a rough time emotionally. For those who don’t love their pets, this might seem strange; but I had a cat, which we had gotten two years earlier from a kitty rescue group. I loved her so. She was gorgeous, long-haired with black and white markings, which gave her a little mask. We named her Pepper. She was very like Persia, who I had lost to old age 2 ½ years before, in the same month Pepper had been born. Pepper was a delight to me. I had no clue that I wasn't to have her for long.

In October, she began to lose weight. We took her to the veterinarian; and on the second visit, he found a lump. We went through three veterinarians finally to grasp what had gone wrong. When we did, they all agreed on one part-- it was terminal. She grew weaker, and the end would have had her gasping for breath. We asked our vet to come to the house and put her to sleep; with many tears, we buried her in the rose garden.

I have many times wondered if pets reincarnate. I’ve had several that appeared to come back to me. After we lost her, I was thinking about that. Would she come back as a new cat? What is life about? Why can’t I figure it out?

The next morning I woke from a dream about spirit guides and life. I had several powerful images from it. It had also given me the bones for a story, which I felt was important to write. For the next four days, the writing was all about fleshing out and bringing life to those bones. The amazing part to me was how so many things I had been researching over the last months, came together perfectly.

I have often credited the muse for my creativity. What then is the muse? That’s a mystery as great as what is life. Did the muse give me this story?

I’ve never used quotes at the beginning of a book, but I knew this would be enriched by them. I went looking and surprising me, everything I needed came from Dante, whose full name was Durante degli Alighieri born 1265 and died 1321. His poetry and books spoke so much to the mysteries of life. As I went through the chapters, time and again his words set them off perfectly. I am glad I hadn’t found him first, or I might’ve thought he influenced the story that began with a dream.

“In that book which is my memory. On the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first met you, Appear the words, ‘Here begins a new life’.”     Dante Alighieri