Tag: EROTIC GOTHIC ROMANCE

Is love merely a chemical released when our body senses a desirable reproduction partner, or is there something more divine in the rush of endorphins? That questions in one of the principle themes of my novel.

Reproduction science tells us that within seconds we are measuring every aspect of another being to determine suitability. Overall health, i.e. clear skin, white teeth, shiny hair, clear eyes, etc. are all assessed in the blink of an eye. We also measure physical features, timber of voice, a vast array of clues to whether their DNA is a good match. Smell also comes into play, and with physical touch more information is released. The old saying "it's all in the kiss" is actually true. The saliva carries DNA that tells us the entire physical history of the specimen. We seek mates that will give our offspring the best chance of survival. The rush of love tells us that we have found a good match. Testosterone is released in the saliva of the male and arouses female to complete  act. Love lasts for a good three months, so that at least three tries are given to the quest. The feeling may persist if the act is not successful. If g succeeds, then feelings  transcend to  "love" that is actually routed in the protection of our prized reproduced DNA. This is the belief of science.

Those of a spiritual nature believe that the purpose of love is not to replicate, but to create. Two humans who find love have a far greater capacity to create than they would alone. The goal of most is to find a soul mate, one with whom  common goals and desires are shared.  This may mean the act of reproduction, but in most it means far more. For those who have finished reproducing,  have no desire to raise young, or for those who are drawn to the same sex, the drive for love is just as great, and when a suitable partner is found, the love does not nessasarilydisipate because there is no drive to replicate DNA.

The elusiveness of love remains the subject of scientists and poets. Its beauty and pain are universal. What's love got to do with it? Everything - for without it we are doomed, one way or another.

I am hosting a radio program on blogtalkradio in which I will be offering an oral interpretation of  entire novel "The House on Black Lake" in a series of episodes. Following completetion of reading, I plan to discuss creation of story, journey to publication and adaptation of screenplay. The radio shows are live, but are archived, and can be listened to at any time.

For more information about my radio show, go to www.blogtalkradio.com.

I am happy to announce that I have completed screenplay for "The House on Black Lake". It was a rather simple process - a month of my time - as the novel was written in scenes that I visualized in the form of a movie. As I am an actress and have worked professionally as a producer, a script is what feels most comfortable to me.  Writing a novel is akin to taking on all jobs required in film production. You are writer, director, actor, set and lighting designer,  costume designer, etc. Once I had complete novel, it was a simple matter to record story's dialogue and blueprint.

I was advised in a workshop by acclaimed screenwriter guru Robert McGee that a screenwriter must write a thousand pages first, then write  script. And, that is what I have done. My next step is to get scrip into hands of producer. In the meantime, "The House on Black Lake" is building steam and many related projects are in the works.

A.B.

[amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]THE HOUSE ON BLACK LAKE[/amazon_link] HAS BEEN ADAPTED TO SCREENPLAY. GO TO HOME PAGE TO VIEW PROVOCATIVE CINEMATIC TRAILER.

Pictures feature international model/actor Tosh Yanez and Anastasia Blackwell recreating scene from book during filming of trailer in the Aimee Crocker Room of historic bed and breakfast, Chateau Tivoli. 

        The carved and veiled four poster, spread with luscious linens, can be found in the Aimee Crocker room of the Chateau Tivoli in San Francisco.  A similar curtained and mirrored bed, with intricate carved dark wood, is housed in the Mark Twain Suite. The opulent Luisa Tetrazzini suite was also featured in  trailer for book. The bed is a luxuriously carved queen canopy from the Charles De Gaulle estate, with a private parlor with fireplace.

        Chateau Tivoli B& B is an opulently restored Victorian mansion located in San Francisco’s historic Alamo Square district. Built in 1892 as a private home and restored a century later, it features had-carved woodwork, crystal, chandeliers, period wall paper and oriental rugs. It hosted all interior shots of “The House on Black Lake interior videos, including the mysterious basement rooms with hovering ceilings.

        The unusual décor and luscious beds of the Tivoli can be viewed in trailer on home page.  More information on the Chateau Tivoli at www.chateautivoli.com.

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