Going Back in Time

I’m not sure whether or not it’s because of all the virus chaos or the passing of my mother this year, but I’ve found myself drifting back in time with old movies, old music, and old stories. All right, I’ve always loved old music: Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, The Brothers Four, Rosemary Clooney. Still, lately, it’s been more like a step back in time with the movies and television. It started with Murder, She Wrote, and then even further back with Columbo and Perry Mason. Movie-wise, it’s been old Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis movies, Abbot & Costello, Elvis, and even way back to the Bowery Boys and Charlie Chan. With Christmas just around the corner, there are plenty of classics, like Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas, and It’s a Wonderful Life to help satisfy my drift back in time. As far as books go, Ernest Hemingway has always been a favorite of mine, as well as Nathaniel Hawthorne. These are all like comfort food for me, each one playing brings back certain memories. Take Abbot & Costello, for instance. Every Sunday, after nine o’clock mass, we would return home, Mom would cook breakfast, and then we would sit around the television, eating, and watching one of their movies. As I watch one now, I can still smell the bacon sizzling, hear my father laughing, and feel that tiny house wrapped around me. It’s the same with music, especially The Brothers Four. If you’ve never heard them, you should definitely give them a listen.

All of these movies, shows, and songs helped shape my tastes today. This is probably why I love the backstories of characters in my books. Part of creating them is asking myself, “Why is this person like they are? Why do they make the choices they do? Why are they so happy? Bitter? Careless?” And then I dig around in their heads and look at their memories. Think of Kree in the Warrior of the Way series. Why did he leave the Land Under, sacrificing his own relationships to bond with Rhychard? We’ll discover that in Bonded, which will be releasing soon. Or how did Karl Bartlett open a bar for the Seelie? Neverland will give us that answer. What happened to Trace and Giselle at the end of The Warrior’s Blade? Or why is Alanna Bradbury in the Destined Mates Series so angry all the time? And why does she hate Christmas? We’ll discover that in Sassy Claws, which will be releasing next month. On top of the novels releasing in 2021, I’ll be releasing novellas, digging into some of your favorite characters’ backstories, so keep an eye out. Sassy Claws will just be the beginning, and just like when I listen to The Brothers Four, I hope they give you a feeling of nostalgia for the other stories.

So, what things take you back in time? Music? Some smell on the wind? A movie? Write me back and let me know.

Until then, Happy Reading,