When I was invited to be a guest on
Paranormal Romance blog my initial thought was, “I don’t write Paranormal.”
Hmmmm….on second thought, I guess I do!
(sort of)
My debut women’s fiction novel, The
Visionary (2011) has paranormal (or supernatural) elements. The
heroine, an architectural designer has a unique gift….
A glimpse of splendor, a glimmer of
brilliance caught her eye, like fairy dust dancing on sunlight. She turned her
head with caution when a pulse at the base of her skull began to throb and familiar
vibrations stole over her. She lowered herself to the floor and let the
sensations envelop her. Her eyesight blurred, fingers trembled and heartbeat
quickened while her mind swam with images. Visions guided her hand until she
filled the remainder of the sketchbook.
Her twin has a supernatural experience….
Once ensconced in his apartment, Trevor allowed his emotions to
run their course. Exhausted and in pain, he took a couple of pills, stretched
out on the couch, fell into an uneasy slumber, and dreamed.
He stood alone in a meadow. Two lions approached, one
scraggly and unkempt, the other stately and regal. He turned as they circled in
on him, closer and closer until he could almost feel their breath on his neck.
One grunted, growled, and snarled. The other responded likewise. They crouched,
prepared to attack, then lunged. He ducked, rolled out from beneath the tangled
mass of muscle and fur, and watched them go at each other in a battle of wills.
Within moments, the large, regal cat had the other pinned beneath his huge
paws, his teeth clasped in the throat of his foe. He snarled, shook his head,
and released the lesser animal which then pounced to his feet and ran off with
his tail tucked between his legs. The big cat roared in triumph then sat, head
high, and eyed Trevor.
Trevor kept a wary eye on the lion and inched backward
until a tree stopped his escape. Though his eyes followed his every step, the
animal never flinched. Trevor watched and waited for him to pounce, but the
lion didn’t so much as twitch a muscle. That’s when he noticed the crown.
Trevor shook his head and rubbed his eyes. Sure enough the crown remained,
embedded in the animal’s scalp. The crown turned to thorns. The lion’s face
changed into that of Christ crucified and then back into a lion’s face.
Trevor rubbed his eyes again and shook his head. “Who are
you? What do you want?” he felt compelled to ask.
“I am the Lion of Judah, the King of Kings, and Lord of
Lords. Come, Trevor, follow me,” the cat answered and turned to walk away.
Some
may consider this Sci-Fi or Fantasy, but this is an example of a supernatural
experience based on the book of Joel (2:28), where the Lord says, "I will pour out my Spirit on all
people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions."
My latest release, Keri’s Christmas Wish
also contains paranormal (or supernatural) aspects.
An image
began to form in her mind…a young girl being led around on a horse by an
ethereal figure. As the trio came closer, Keri felt as though she looked in a
mirror. Her heart swelled. Tears clogged her throat, filled her eyes, and
slipped down her cheeks.
“Hi,
Keri!”
The
childlike voice reverberated through her entire body. Keri smiled and
whispered, “Hello.”
Excitement
lit the youngster’s eyes. Brilliant colors vibrated around her. “Do you know
who I am?”
“You’re
me as a little girl. That’s Spark, my horse who died when I was a teenager.”
Spark
nodded his head as the girl giggled—a joyous melody that rang through the
atmosphere. “No, silly, I’m your big sister. Only, I didn’t live very long.”
Tension
seeped in, a mixture of shock and awe.
“Don’t
be afraid. Ask mom.”
And then
the mirage disappeared.
Here’s
the Scoop: I don't write Sci-Fi, fantasy, or paranormal
novels. I write romance & women's fiction with an occasional suspense
thrown in (although I never intended to write that either — it just sort of
showed up in the story LOL!).
Therefore I thought I’d clarify the
difference in Sci-Fi, Paranormal, and Supernatural.
According to the definitions I found,
Science Fiction is based on "imagined future scientific or technological
advances."(IE: Time Travel).
Paranormal is defined as, “Beyond the
range of normal experience or scientific explanation: such paranormal phenomena
as telepathy; a medium's paranormal powers.”
On the other hand, Supernatural elements,
are, "manifestations or events considered to be of supernatural origin.
Attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of
nature."
Supernatural are events like those listed
in the Bible ... Parting of the Red Sea, burning bushes that are not consumed,
God speaking through a donkey, fire from heaven burning up sacrificial
offerings that have been so heavily doused with water there is no natural way
fire is possible, feeding thousands with five fish and five loaves of bread,
walking on water, etc.
Do I consider myself a “paranormal”
writer?
Not at all.
Am I upset when the term paranormal is
associated with my writing?
Again, not at all–especially if having
‘paranormal’ applied to the book will cause someone who wouldn’t normally pick
up an “Inspirational” or “Christian” title to read the story and have their own
personal experience with a supernatural God, and/or get a clearer picture of Him,
then I'm all for it!
Blurb
for Keri’s Christmas Wish:
For
as long as she can remember, Keri Jackson has despised the hype and
commercialism around Christmas so much she seldom enjoys the holiday. Will she
get her wish and be free of the angst to truly enjoy Christmas this year?
A
devout Christian at heart, Jeremy Hinton, a Psychotherapist, Life Coach,
Spiritual Mentor and Energy Medicine Practitioner has studied all of the
world’s religions and homeopathic healing modalities. But when a rare bacterial
infection threatens the life of the woman he loves, will all of his faith and
training be for naught?
Purchase Links:
Blurb for The Visionary: A visionary is someone who sees into
the future Taylor Forrestier sees into the past but only as it pertains to her
work. Hailed by her peers as “a visionary with an instinct for beauty and
an eye for the unique” Taylor is undoubtedly a brilliant architect and
gifted designer. But she and twin brother Trevor, share more than a successful
business. The two share a childhood wrought with lies and deceit and the kind
of abuse that’s disturbingly prevalent in today’s society. Can the love of God and the awesome healing
power of His grace and mercy free the twins from their past and open their
hearts to the good plan and the future He has for their lives?
Purchase Links:
Author Bio:
Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime
member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in
romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged
as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than
the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”
Links:
