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 The inspiration for my story was my own experience. My young son and I flew from S.F. to Montreal and then on a long taxi ride to the home of our hosts  in an exclusive enclave of summer homes. The night we arrived we were rowed out to stay in a deserted Victorian on an island not much larger than the house.

The week was filled with intrique (as was the house). Many years later I used the story as a vehicle to explore a world weary woman's journey through the underground to transformation. I felt a certain repression and a powerful need to investigate beneath the social structures that contain our passions and creativity.

The journey I have taken since that mid summer's night has profoundly changed my life. I continue to follow the unexplored path, to seek truth and a desire to close the link between animal and civilized society, to give a voice to the "beautiful freak" - the soul that searches for freedom.

A.

Victorian House

United and empower one another to create a greater force!

We are responsible for our own destiny. No man can provide that. A Knight (were there any today) can provide safety but we must forge our own unique place in this world. Confront what it is that you fear - it may be your future destiny. Go after what you want. Decide what it is and and pursue it. Be something else - be something no one has ever seen.

Be something a knight would fall to his knees and revere. Unite and empower one another to create a greater force!

A.

Alexandra begins her journey to Black Lake as a world-weary soul. Down trodden by a society that squelches her struggle to seek"truth", she finds herself a lonely outcast. Her bargain at the shrine: Truth for Beauty seems an impossible task. The more she strives to find herself  within the restrictive confines of  a modern, consumer driven  society, the more empty and hollow she feels

Led by the mystics and gypsies of the underground and mentored by the central figures of Black Lake, she begins to reclaim pieces of herself buried so deeply she had no idea they existed. We are all creatures led and protected by society. It is our responsibility as individuals to dig inside, to strive to know ourselves deeply, and to reach the height of wisdom that can never be learned from teachers or books. Our own unique truths must then be shared with the world, if we are to evolve.

Truth or Life - You choose!

I have given myself a challenge. I plan to begin my new novel, "The Chamber of Curiosities"  a few sentences at a time on Twitter.  It is the tale of a charismatic circus freak and a lonely trapeze artist set in a carnival on a bastion overlooking the seaport of a mysterious land. I plan to begin here, and see where it takes me.

UPDATE:  This post was written on April 7, 2010. ''The Chamber of Curiosities' began on Twitter. Later that year it was featured in an auction for the "First Amendment Project" in which a bidder won the right to have a character named after them.  The novel is now (August 2012)  in the final editing process and is scheduled to be published late this year.

The Chamber of Curiosities

THE HOUSE ON BLACK LAKE HAS BEEN ADAPTED TO SCREENPLY. GO TO HOME PAGE TO VIEW TOSH YANEZ IN PROVOCATIVE CINEMATIC TRAILER

Tosh Yanez is already an internationally recognized model and commerical star.  However, his acting talents have yet to be truly discovered. It was a pleasure to work with him on the trailer for [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] He is a true professional - the camera loves him, as does everyone he meets. Easy going and low key in person, he projects an intensity that is startling in front of the camera. I am convinced he has a promising future in film and television. A beautiful man both inside and out, sensuous, and sexy but also tender and kind.  He is the next break-out superstar.

Tosh Yanez

It was a difficult task to find the the right actor to play the role of Ramey Sandeley for film trailer. When Alexandra first takes Ramey's eyes her previous life is shattered. Thirteen years later she describes him as even more powerfully handsome and charismatic.  In her words - "Someone once told me that God had give Ramey Sandeley too much, and so he had a price to pay. I prayed the prophecy to be true, or at least time would have tarnished his dealy allure. But that is not the case. I notice no evidence of decline in his physical perfection. The only difference is a mysterious darkness flickering beneath luminous gray eyes, a vague hint of a secret, dangerous and personal."  

 Wade Gotwalsl, who has been an international model and actor for nearly twenty years, was the perfect choice. He is an all American guy, who is a yoga guru and gorgeous in every way - personally and profesionally. Few men can reach full maturity and show no sign of age - and he is one of the lucky few.

Wade Russell

When I searched through the talent agency rosters I knew exactly what I was looking for. Nicole Kidman might have been a choice, but I was looking for a different look - with the same flaming red hair - yet with a darker spirit. When I first met Morla I knew she was right to play the part of Ruth Sandeley - the broken beauty. Morla is a powerful presence, but she exhudes the dark side (perhaps due to her upbringing in New Orleans). She has a great look that makes her a sought after model, yet she is also a well trained actress. So, scenes we shot with little time or preparation as an indie team were made easier due to her professionalism.

She is a rare gem - a flaming beauty with great talent and style.

Morla Gorrondona

I have compiled a list from the Romance Community at Amazon.com to learn what women REALLY want - to read about. This does not necessary mean they really want the experience, but they either want to know or fantasize about it. Or, perhaps they actually desire the opportunity to experience it - at least once in their lives.

Asterisks are placed next to topics touched upon in “The House on Black Lake”.

You may want to add your own, cut and paste, and forward list to female/and or male friends. After all, we must let our men know what we desire from our partners.

The list is in no particular order, latest topic first.

l. A broken heart. The greatest reading choice for this seems to be "Stormfire.*

2. Man uses woman for revenge, kidnapped, seduced, etc. "Stormfire again, this must be a great read.*

3. Good sex scenes, either explicit or implicit.*

4. Heroine nearly dies, hero is terrified, realizes how much he loves her. Even better, is when hero is directly, or indirectly responsible for putting heroine in jeopardy...*

5. Second chance ex-spouses.

6. Cheating hero.* This one is very popular. But, some want him to realize he loves his wife and family and wants them back.

7. Less than perfect heroes – scarred or disabled.

8. Rugged cowboy-types.*

9. Hero helps deliver his baby.

10. Heroine saves or rescues hero from harm.

11. Bad Boys.*

12. Pent up sexual frustration – repression.*

13. Great grovel scenes – where rugged hero breaks down.*

14. H disappears and reappears years later.

15. Steamy AND emotional scenes between lovers.”

16. Romance – candlelit dinners, walks in the park. Etc.*

17. Obsessed or deeply in lust.*

18. Villain in love with heroine.*

19. Dominant, alpha males.*

20. Romance and thriller.*

21. Widowed hero grieving over first wife.

22. Vampire and paranormal love.

23. Vikings!.

24. Smutty historical romance.

25. H/H in historical garb.

26. Men with long (preferably dark) flowing hair*.

27. Alpha female who isn’t borderline abusive*

28. Hero bribes heroine to be with him.

29. Heroine playing hard to get.*

30. Drunken sex.*

31. Bad boy falls for nice girl.*

32 Virginal or repressed heroine who falls apart at the touch of the RIGHT man.*

33. Forced mate scenario in paranormal.

34. Jealous bad boy.*

35. Ménage romance.*

36.Incest.*

37. Two men competing for woman.*

38. Forced sex where h/h have strong connection.*

39. Sheik books and big hunky H’s and the feisty heroine.

40. Bad boy who bosses H around until they fall in love.*

41. Spanking/forced sex scenes.*

42. Love triangles.*

43. Bisexual love.*

44. Older women/younger men.*

45. Rugged/outdoorsy men.*

46. Heroine enjoys sex.*

47. Haunted places/ghosts.*

48. Tattoos, piercings, etc.*

49. Beauty and the beast themes.

50. Time travel – men in kilts, on island or anywhere ancient.

Well, that’s a beginning. This list says a lot about what women really want. Include your own. Think deeply and learn a little more about yourself.

When Alexandra Brighton enters Black Lake she only knows what she has been taught by contemporary society. The lessons she learns in the underground teach her about her deeper desires and instincts. Some of the topics are a bit disturbing, but I think we all just want to reconnect with our baser animal instincts and enjoy the powerful union between the sexes. Playfulness is the key!

A.

Fairy tales and romantic comedies have led us down a path to seek beautiful romance. But, society tells us this may not be at all what we crave. Lady GaGa's new song is breaking records, as is Twilight. True Blood, Spartacus, Mad Men, and the list goes on. They all show bad romance at its very best. All seek something, but none really finds it.  Because it cannot be had without an interference. There is always the dark side ready to swallow us up - man and woman.

"The House on Black Lake" explores this theme through many different angles and individuals.  At book's end it is still not clear where the answer lies, but there is hope of something different and far more exhilarating. There is something about "Bad Romance" that lures us all and can be explosive if we learn how to harness it. The romantic candlelit table places too much expectation of perfection and beauty without the thorn that gives it its special allure.

Bad Romance - a revolution unfolds!

Bad Romance

The Victorian house on the island in "The House on Black Lake" shows evidence of paranormal activity. On her first night on the island Alexandra hears footsteps in hallway, sees mussed bedding as though a person was sitting at edge of bed looking out door, a light bulb explodes above her, and a hungry feline appears at the window. She later learns the history of the house and the island itself. Lost souls have lived in the house, and the island is not a land for the living.

My own experience in a house similar to the one described in the book was similar. Pictures taken at the house show a filmy substance in the windows and anyone who sees pics (taken on a happy summer day) look ominous. There was a very heavy energy throughout, especially in a winding stairway leading up to the bedrooms. I later learned the history of the house and the island and, indeed, there was both tragedy and debauchery in the house, and very mysterious circumstances.

We live in a modern society, often in buildings that have been lived in for only a generation or two, and our sick and injured are transported to hospitals for their final stay. But, for those residence where life has been depleted inside and the land is desecrated, then paranormal activity may be inevitable. We cannot see waves of energy that send our voices or image to other lands. Perhaps there is more to be learned about paranormal activity.