Veiled Mist reviewed by Riëtte Cawthorn

Veiled Mist by Eleanor T. Beaty

 

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A Character that must go.

I’m working on a chapter book – working title Naawe – I have a wonderful person editing the book with me and today I received the suggestion to cut out a character as the opening is a bit crowded. She is very right to suggest it as his existence is just for color but he is funny, so in his honor as he will no longer be a part of the book I will paste his scene here. To Inteh, forever in my heart, as you represent the wisdom of age.

(Naawe is a 14 yr old Indian boy from the Amazon, the son of the chief, who doesn’t want to grow up. The only thing that matters to him is Odu, his armadillo)

 

Old Inteh sat on the rock-carved bench beneath the large tree, staring at the sky. Behind him, in one of the communal huts, five women beat strips of sodden inner bark into cloth. The Manis used the bark to make their loincloths as well as spiritual masks. Two others separated Toucan feathers by size to be worn in their earlobes. None of the women gave Naawe as much as a glance. He guessed his not going hunting had something to do with their attitude.

A sparsely toothed smile spread across the old Indian’s wrinkled face as Naawe reached him. If it wasn’t for those two teeth, one wouldn’t know he was smiling. Naawe wondered if he could find out old Inteh’s age by counting the wrinkles, just like the lines inside a tree trunk represented a growing season. So far, he had never gotten past twenty before Inteh sent him away, annoyed by his stare.

Naawe straightened the lopsided Toucan feathers that hung from Inteh’s droopy earlobes. “You should add a few more.”

Inteh didn’t blink.

“I need your advice. Someone took Odu, when I searched the soil for the trail I found several going off in opposite directions.”

“Why? His meat is too old.” Inteh nodded. “Might still serve for cake.”

Naawe didn’t want to hear that. “Please, Inteh, I need your help.”

Inteh sighed. “What did the trails look like?”

Naawe shrugged. “Imprints of feet.”

“Be specific.”

“Uh…” Naawe lowered his eyes with shame. What Indian didn’t pick up on those details? “They were big.”

“Well, I’ll go see.” Inteh said. He reached for his walking stick and began to ease himself. Halfway up he had to stop and take two deep breaths. As Naawe watched Inteh take the first unstable step and pause to rest, he realized he was in trouble.

“Inteh, I don’t mean be to be rude, but by the time you get to the forest, it will be dark…”

Inteh sighed. “Well, since all the able men have gone hunting, and the women can’t help you, that leaves Bado.”

“Oh.” Naawe drew in a breath. “I hadn’t thought about him.” A half lie since he had just used Bado to threaten the herons. He swallowed and turned his eyes to Bado’s lair, a forty meter-high tree behind the village. “Can you…”

“No,” Inteh interrupted, “I can’t. I don’t understand his screeches. Never have. You better hurry before Odu becomes cake.”

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Five Stars by The Reading Cat

Fallen Ruler by Eleanor T. Beaty

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Words and Comfort

 

There are times in our lives when we can’t seem to move forward, sideways or anywhere for that matter. We‘re stuck. Frozen in time, feet in cement and hearts beating just enough to say we’re alive. We have a future ahead to look forward to but if we can’t let go of the past, that future becomes pointless. How many people have felt this way?

I have, quite a few times in my life. And getting out from under those moments and periods is tough. Writing has been my lifeline. Even if I have to push myself to sit and write, it has never failed to get me past my dark moments. However the past still lurks. So I found a way to deal with it, weave it into a story, get it out without exposing myself and without becoming a whiner. I have my character do it all for me.

I’ve said a few times that I started writing as a form of therapy. Poems full of pain and loss. I remember showing a few to my mother when a teen and hearing

“Can’t you write about anything other than yourself?” Mom so sweetly asked.

No, I couldn’t because that was the point of writing during those years as an anguished teen. Not many, especially the adults in my life were interested in hearing me talk about what I was going through. Boring teenage blah blah. But I felt hurt with her reaction and never showed her anything again. Not even when I got published. I couldn’t risk any criticism coming from her. I was too attached to my writing. It took me many years to detach and enjoy all the possibilities writing opened up. Like talking about her without anyone knowing. Turning her into a character. She’s in one of my books, but I won’t say which.

I think writing a novel is very similar to therapy. We can work out our issues and even pause to analyze how we reacted to certain situations, and we can even give the past some closure. Problem is when the past is still present, and keeps reoccurring. I’m in that sort of moment now. My desire to move forward is stronger than the pain, so what I do in these occasions is to keep writing about it, in every novel there will be a moment that allows me to expose the persistent past/present troubling me, until it melts away and is swallowed by a beautiful sunset.

Words on paper, or computer screen, bring soothing comfort for the soul… always.

 

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An amazing review by Riëtte Cawthorn.

Veiled Mist by Eleanor T. Beaty

March 18, 2013

I’ve never understood how the people that get to decide which age group a book falls into actually does it, because I’m sure I haven’t been a teenager or young adult for quite some time, yet those are the books I enjoy the most.

Vampires and werewolves, witches, wizards, fallen angels, gypsies and aliens and who knows what I’m going to find next…

I’m quite sure that the experts would say Veiled Mist falls in the teen or young adult section because I absolutely loved it.

First thing I loved; how the author made it really really hard for the reader to like the main character.  I mean, I really tried, I wanted to understand, but oh my word, did I want to shake her and tell her to grow up and smell the roses.  Obviously, as the book continued and the character grew you started liking her and then rooting for her to succeed and by the end of the book I really just wanted her story to continue, to see what happens to her next.

I was constantly surprised.  I love to try and figure out what’s going to happen next in a book, but the twists and turns the author threw in threw me off and it kept it exciting, I never wanted to skip a sentence because I thought I knew what it was going to say, I had to read every single word to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

The attention to detail, everything was so well-described, not only the scenery and surroundings, but also the characters. Their looks, personalities, how they change through out the books to become the characters that they’re ultimately supposed to be.  I loved getting to know all of them and really want to know what happens next.

The adventure!  Yes, I loved the way it was exciting, nerve wrecking and humorous all at the same time.  How Hanna had these dolls to deliver and got stuck in really dangerous situations, but the way she reacted to some of the situations actually had me giggling.  I love it when a book can get the reader to have a whole bunch of emotions in a matter of a few paragraphs, this book did that over and over.

I can probably carry on and on about all the things I loved about the book, but maybe I should just say this, read it.  Why not?  If you like a story that’s a little different then do yourself a favor and read it.

I’ll probably read it again soon – that’s one of the things I love about books, movies and music – reading, watching and listening to it over and over again, enjoying it time and time again, because we can and we should.

Till next time xx

Posted by Riëtte Cawthorn. Posted In : “Discovery Your Destiny” Book Tour

http://www.perkydlights.com/my-blog.php

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Seeing Spirits – a Gift?

Thoughts on the Paranormal.

There will always be the question or doubt whether being able to see, communicate and interact with spirits is a gift. When I began to study spiritualism (and I am still a beginner no matter how much I study) I came across the explanation that we choose to have or not have this gift before we are born and we choose how much it will impact our lives and destiny. For some reason you asked for it, and I’m not meaning this in a bad way, because God is not so unkind to throw such a burden on someone without previous preparation or permission. That is what I learned. I’m sure there will be people who don’t agree and they have a right to their opinion.

Truth is we all have the ability to be mediums if we want to develop it through practice and study, but it won’t be as strong as those who come with the gift from birth.

So back to the – you were given a choice- POV. Why would one choose such a gift? One of the reasons would be to help both the living and the dead. For those that don’t believe in past lives this might not make sense, but accepting such a burden is a way of repaying a past debt. There are many different reasons why, but the most common is that, at another time, you may have hurt people through your actions. So think of this not as a burden but as an opportunity to give back and grow, move forward and settle past debts. It is not an easy gift to deal with, as not all spirits that cross your path are easy on the eyes, or good, but there are plenty of tools at hand to teach you how to handle this gift and dominate it so that it doesn’t dominate your life.

I know plenty of people that think that if they ignore it, it will go away. Denial doesn’t work. I have someone close to me who will turn on all the light in the house when alone and sleep with the TV on loud, just so he can’t hear those invisible friends. One day he’ll give in and probably find an amazing fulfillment with helping people, from both sides.

I don’t have that type of gift. I don’t see, nor do I hear. I always wished I’d had it, but I guess that wasn’t part of my life-plan. However, I have always been around people who have, so I’ve seen close up what it’s like to live with such a gift and use it to help others. The person I learned the most from was an assistant I had a long time ago. Her gift began in her early childhood, and as expected, the first time she told her mother, right after her grandfather died, that he had come to say goodbye, she was dragged off to the psychiatrist. A few years later her mother came to understand and accept her gift and gave her full support.

My assistant was what is called an unconscious medium, meaning when she’s incorporated by a spirit she will have no recollection, nor control. During her first years, her gift took over her life and it was hell. She received visitors at all times. She would wake up in the strangest places. Through studies she managed to stop that; she learned to sense their approach and block the spirits from taking over. She came to dominate her gift. Sometimes, while we were in a meeting, she would start looking behind me and I would know there was someone there. It could get weird. She did pay a price for such a gift in her personal life, as in she didn’t have much of one, but she helped so many people her sacrifice was rewarded. She never used it to make money, but what if one does? Is it allowed?

In my opinion, the true spiritualist will never charge because they are only the transmitter and those who are actually doing the work, the spirits, are doing it out of kindness and they don’t get paid. However, there are exceptions, and making a humble living when sacrificing your life to help others is allowed. But if you try to use it to exploit people in their hour of need, or to glorify yourself, there will be a price to pay. I saw an amazing tarot reader go from getting everything right to everything wrong when she began to think she could charge a fortune for a service provided by others. She made the mistake of thinking she was the one who could see the future all on her own. Besides losing her high paying clients, she went through a tough time in her personal life.

Seeing and communicating with spirits is a gift and an opportunity to grow. This gift comes accompanied by friends to guide us, our mentors. Our character and our intentions will determine what kind of friends and mentors will surround us. And just like the gift is given, it can be taken away if misused, or it can even hurt us the same way we used it to hurt others.

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Another special review for Souls!

Tracy is great. Here’s the review posted on her site: http://tracyriva.com/souls-of-darkness-by-eleanor-t-beaty/

 

Souls of Darkness was a very different read for me. While it is YA and paranormal, both of which I’m familiar with, it featured a male protagonist, which is a first for me – at least in my memory. I have to say it was a pleasant experience and it brought to my attention how few books in the genre are written with strong, yet vulnerable male leads.

Alex’s dad has passed away and an old pamphlet shows up from a location that isn’t marked on his dad’s map of travels. His mother’s brilliant idea – visit the island themselves. Alex doesn’t want to go, so he strikes a deal with her; He’ll go if he gets to pick the location they go to next year. He plans on picking some lush tropical resort where Alex, who will be almost eighteen by that time plans to enjoy some hedonistic pleasures. Mom takes the deal and the two are off to island of Mahini in Polynesia.

Alex gets more than he bargained for however, because upon nearing the island he has a disturbing dream and once he arrives he begins seeing the spirits of the departed. Some are harmless, but others are murderous spirits stealing people’s souls so the people on Mahini are afraid to be out after dusk. But now, some of the spirits are getting braver, coming out before dark and one spirit in particular has devilish plans for Alex and his mother. He’ll use them to get something he has wanted for centuries. Will his plan work?

Alex’s character is really neat. He hates the island, which seems to be stuck somewhere in the past, and at first he doesn’t believe in what he feels are their superstitions until finally too many weird things start happening to him and he has to face the fact that maybe there is something behind all their beliefs.

Helping Alex along the way is the girl he has fallen for hard, Taiya. She is the one who explains some of the islander’s beliefs, particularly the one about being out after nightfall. As Alex begins to believe, and to need answers, she leads him to the local healer/shaman who tells Alex he has a role to play in freeing the island from its reign of terror. Alex’s decision isn’t as yes/no as you would like to think it would be upon receiving this news and it leads to some interesting plot twists that Beaty artfully foreshadows.

The characters and setting are done well, but these areas are always real strengths for Beaty. She makes characters you like and you become absorbed in their story. It makes you wonder if maybe people really do have a destiny; Have you found yours yet?

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Great Review for Souls of Darkness!!

Wonderful review from http://notwhileimreading.blogspot.com.br/

This wasn’t the type of book I normally read. But I loved it. Souls of Darkness by Eleanor T. Beaty was a great read.

Alex and his mother take a “vacation” to an island they believe Alex’s father visited at some point in the distant past. They’re hoping, or at least Alex’s mother is hoping, to kind of refresh and recharge batteries, if you will. Alex is just hoping the island has a night life full of fun. He doesn’t know he could not be further from the truth. The island is the complete and polar opposite of anything he knows. There are no tourists. The island itself seems to be stuck in some earlier part of the century. And poor Alex finds that to explore the island or get anywhere period, he is going to have to rent a bicycle that was probably made some time in the 1960′s.

But there is one bright spot. Taiya works on the island and lives just down the street from where Alex and his mother, Charlotte, are staying. She’s full of spunk and she’s feisty and Alex is smitten with her from the start. Luckily for him, the feeling is mutual. She becomes his tour guide and with the help of her father, Michael, Alex learns the history of the island. It’s a history that changes his mind about things like spirits and the afterlife. A history that frightens him and every other person living on that island.

I liked Alex. It’s not often I read a story like this. He’s a teenage guy but without the arrogance and cockiness that I see in a lot of other novels. He’s normal. And he’s a genuinely good guy. He cares about his mother and despite the fact that he’s been on that island all of 5 minutes before he’s thrown in to the middle of this… battle… he cares about IT too. Even though it scares him.

Taiya is a sweet character. She’s smart and she’s quick to jump in to the action and help wherever she thinks she can. I pictured her as kind of looking like Q’orianka Kilcher. She and Alex grew quickly together and she was a fantastic heroine.

There were a lot of likeable characters in Souls of Darkness. Nehn, the little boy who jumps around like a Kangaroo. Butler, even though he seems cowardly to others, he proves himself extremely brave. Hanu, the helpful healer Alex and Taiya work with to try and rid the island of Rangur, the malevolent spirit who just won’t leave it and its inhabitants alone. And Gabe, the ever watchful Australian ”babysitter”. If there’s trouble he jumps in to save the day.

Once I’d gotten through the first few pages and understood what was going on, this book just seemed to speed right by. I was finished with it before I realized it. It was exciting and full of twists and turns and thrills and setbacks galore. I found myself giving in to the history and the lore of the island, wishing I, too, could be like Alex and Taiya. Or even Hanu. There were definitely some surprises thrown in throughout the story. Some that seemed to come just in the knick of time and some that just made me sad.

I would recommend this book to everyone, but especially those interested in spirits and paranormal things. It’s a book that can span many age groups so I might recommend this for anyone ages 16 and up. It may be a bit complicated for young readers. I know I loved it, and it’s a definite must read!

 

 

http://notwhileimreading.blogspot.com.br/2013/03/blog-tour-stop-review-giveaway-souls-of.html

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The Inspiration of a Character

Fallen Ruler – Sci-fi/ Mystical

Andrea, the character vs. the inspiration.

By Eleanor T Beaty

 

I based Andrea, Lya’s older sister, on a childhood friend. I did exaggerate a bit of her meanness but not too much. Her role, as a secondary character, was meant to contrast Lya’s kindness. I intended Andrea to be extremely dislikable, but many readers have reacted warmly towards her. Concerned even. An unexpected reaction, but a welcome one. This childhood friend of mine was a year older than me, and I was fascinated by her. For the sake of this blog, I will call her Mary.

 

Mary was my alter ego. I was shy, she wasn’t. I never lied, she always did and so on… that should be enough to get an idea of how opposite we were. Even physically. I was tall and thin, she was short and curvy. What we did have in common was; complicated parents of foreign origin, the same school and the tendency to get into trouble. We were drawn to each and did practically everything together through our early teens.

 

However, we did have a few falling-outs. I was somewhat short tempered and Mary was a provoker. Once, when we were at summer school together, we fought and went from best friends to worst enemies. I had a roommate I didn’t like much and Mary knew it. She decided to befriend the so-called roommate to annoy me and would come around to provoke.

 

It didn’t take much to make me lose it. My roommate and I had split the room in half with tape and I stated Mary could never step on my half. Until that day I had never released my wrath on Mary. She had no reason to think I would. Mary walked in, saw the tape and put her foot on my side. I warned her to remove it. She didn’t. I pounced on her and scratched her from head to toe. She ran out, straight to the infirmary where she was given a tetanus shot. Maybe she didn’t explain that the nails that scratched her were FINGERNAILS. Seriously, who gets a tetanus shot because of fingernails?

 

Well there went my reputation for the rest of the summer. Mary never challenged me again, physically, but when she could, she would put me down verbally, or go for the guy I had a crush on. Even so I couldn’t help but like her. She was funny and creative, had a great sense of style and got whatever she wanted. Unfortunately, when a teen we don’t see the down side to having our every whim fulfilled. What Mary didn’t have was a family that cared.

 

I didn’t have much of one either, but somehow it was more than she had. My parents imposed more rules, I didn’t get almost anything I wanted-even though my family was also well-off, and I got shipped off to boarding school for three years. Summer camps filled in the gaps between school terms. Mary went to a boarding school for one year and was allowed back. But not me. I could beg until I was green, my parents didn’t care. I only managed to come home in ninth grade after getting kicked out so many times, my parents ran out of options.

 

During my years in boarding school, Mary started drinking, not on the weekend or at parties, like the rest of us, but during school. She would take orange juice and vodka with her everyday. By 15 she was an alcoholic. Then going out with Mary to a party became a not-so-fun adventure. Most of the time the night would end with either my sibling or I carrying an almost unconscious Mary back to our house.

 

In Fallen Ruler, the scene on the stairs where Lya has to get Andrea up to her room was based on Mary. Every time Mary would argue with me all the way up, saying she could do it alone, until one day I got tired of being mistreated and let go. She tumbled down the stairs. I went back down and asked her if she was ready to try again. That was the last time she berated me. In my bedroom I put her down on the mattress, took off her clothes and covered her. She asked me to untie a bead necklace. For the love of God, there was no way I could undo the knot, and she insisted I get it off. I did, with scissors. When she woke up the next morning she saw all the purple marks on her body and her bead necklace strewn across the floor. I told her I had no idea how any of that had happened. If she wasn’t go to remember, why should I, right?

 

We slowly grew apart as her drinking got worse. So many people tried to help her get off that path of self-destruction but she didn’t want to change. By the age of twenty, she had such a bad reputation no one would take her seriously, nor give her a chance, or even want to be with her.  It made me angry and sad at the same time that a person with so much potential would choose to be a drunk. And even though I know alcoholism is a disease, she had so many opportunities, the friends, and money to get the treatment and help she needed, but she chose not to. Mary died in her early fifties, leaving only the memory of a sorry drunk as her legacy. Andrea is a tribute to Mary, and a reminder that children require and need guidance, not things. Not luxury, not freedom but rules, well defined rules, to be able to cope with life.

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Fallen Ruler Event

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Next Entries

Veiled Mist reviewed by Riëtte Cawthorn

Veiled Mist by Eleanor T. Beaty Posted by Riëtte Cawthorn on Monday, March 18, 2013 Under: “Discovery Your Destiny” Book Tour I’ve never understood how the people that get to decide which age group a book falls into actually does it, because I’m sure I haven’t been a teenager or young adult for quite some [...]

A Character that must go.

I’m working on a chapter book – working title Naawe – I have a wonderful person editing the book with me and today I received the suggestion to cut out a character as the opening is a bit crowded. She is very right to suggest it as his existence is just for color but he [...]