Happy July, everyone! I hope you’re having a great reading summer. I’ve caught up on a few books, watched some new anime, and I’ve been working on plotting and writing the sequel series to the Mermen of Ea, the Dragons of Anuki. It’ll be a standlone for new readers, but mer-readers will get a chance to catch up with the Ea as well. I’ve also got a new book coming out on July 31st – the final Blood series book from Dreamspinner Press, Blood and Eternity. You can read more about that at the end of the post.
Summers tend to be my most creative time. Maybe it’s vacation, maybe it’s the weather, but I definitely write more. So it’s fitting that I heard a cool article on NPR today that talks about research showing people who interact with people of other cultures tend to be more creative. Here’s the link: https://www.npr.org/2018/07/10/627588115/want-a-creative-spark-get-to-know-someone-from-another-culture
Hearing the story (it’s short – listen to it!), I have no doubt the premise is true. My own life of traveling and exposure to different cultures was part of the creative spark that gave birth to my Blue Notes series, which is set not only in the U.S., but in several European countries. My years living abroad made me more open to different foods, different religions, and different perspectives. That’s part of why I find the whole “America First” mentality so disturbing. We need exposure to other people and cultures to understand our own culture and to become stronger, wiser, and kinder.
Want to experience other cultures but don’t have the time or money to travel? There are plenty of great cultural experiences to be had at home. Check out the various cultural centers in your community—you’ll find most larger cities have centers focused on various countries and ethnic groups. Those centers often have programs meant for the larger community for the sole purpose of reaching out and sharing their perspectives.
Not sure about cultural centers? Why not try a restaurant that represents a country you haven’t experienced before. Skip the Chinese restaurant you always go to and try a Thai, Laotian, or Vietnamese restaurant instead for once. How about German food instead of the usual burger joint?
Here’s another thought: how about a movie in a foreign language (and not the dubbed variety)? There are wonderful films from countries you might not associate with filmmaking: Iran, Russia (I just saw a lovely Russian film, I am Dragon, last week), or Mexico?
Being insular isn’t the answer. Acceptance doesn’t come in a vacuum. Get out there. Experience some of what makes this world an amazing place. Isn’t it time you recharged your own creative batteries? –Shira
About Shira: Shira Anthony was a professional opera singer in her last incarnation, performing roles in such operas as Tosca, i Pagliacci, and La Traviata, among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle. You can hear Shira singing “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s Tosca by clicking here: Shira’s Singing
Shira loves a great happily-ever-after and never writes a story without one. She’s happy to write what her muse tells her, whether it’s fantasy, sci fi, paranormal, or contemporary romance. She particularly loves writing series, because she thinks of her characters as old friends and she wants to visit them even after their stories are told.
In real life, Shira sang professionally for 14 years, and she currently works as a public sector attorney advocating for children. She’s happy to have made writing her second full-time job, even if it means she rarely has time to watch TV or go to the movies. Shira writes about the things she knows and loves, whether it’s music and musicians, the ocean, or the places she’s lived or traveled to. She spent her middle school years living in France, and tries to visit as often as she can.
Shira and her husband spend as many weekends as they can aboard their 36′ catamaran sailboat, Land’s Zen, at the Carolina Coast. Not only has sailing inspired her to write about pirates and mermen, her sailboat is her favorite place to write. And although the only mermen she’s found to date are in her own imagination, she keeps a sharp lookout for them when she’s on the water.
Coming Soon from Dreamspinner Press: Blood and Eternity
Sequel to Blood and Ghosts and the final installment in the Blood Trilogy
Vampire hunter Adrien Gilbert never dreamed he’d fall for his prey or that his love, Nicolas Lambert, would give him the gift of immortality. But when a hunter bent on destroying the truce between vampires and hunters throws the gauntlet at Adrien’s feet, Adrien must travel through time to save Nicolas, and with him, the entire vampire race.
The time has come to make a choice—one they will live with for eternity.
In this final installment in the Blood Trilogy, Adrien and Nicolas must face their greatest enemy in a deadly last confrontation. But to prevail, they’ll need to master the enemies within.
When Adrien awakens to a future he doesn’t recognize, he faces an impossible decision: live a perfect life with Nicolas in a shattered world, or risk everything to repair a broken past. But before he can challenge vampire hunter Verel Pelletier, he must master the demon who lives in his own mind—and learn to control his ability to travel through time. With Nicolas by his side, he prepares for a final battle against a powerful adversary who likes to play games with the past and future.
But the price of ensuring a future for their loved ones may be an eternity spent alone.
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