Make-Believe Mondays with Shiela Stewart

Today my guest on Make-Believe Mondays is Shiela Stewart.

Shiela, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Shiela: Right now I’ve just finished writing the last book in my Darkness series, Surviving the Darkness. It’s the eighth book in the series and for now, the Darkness series is done. For now. I may very well revisit Jacob’s Cove in the future and tell more vampire tales. What is the Darkness series, you may ask. Let me tell you. The Darkness series is a tale of a group of humans and vampires who are fighting to keep the city of Jacob’s Cove safe from vampires after the sun is blotted out during a ritual to bring forth the vampire king. With each book, the story continues, bringing love to the heroes and heroines amongst the darkest of times while they try to bring the sun back.

Debra: For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Shiela: It’s funny you should mention this. A lot of my books have come from my dreams. Though, very rarely are they romantic. Most of my dreams are scary such as the dream that that helped spawn my Demon series (yet unpublished).I usually take the dream, add some key points, fill in the plot and add a romantic aspect to it. Sometimes all I’ll have is a short dream scene but it’s enough to get my mind rolling to create a story.

Kidnapped, my first novel published came from a dream I had where a woman was held captive and thought it was a joke so she didn’t really take it seriously. I took the idea and rolled with it. Secrets of the Dead came from a dream I had of a vicious ghost holding a guy hostage in a house, tormenting him. When I woke, I took the idea and changed it around to have the hero possess the ability to communicate with the dead investigating a supposed haunted house with near dire consequences.
I have a vivid imagination.

Debra: It sounds like your imagination is quite busy when you are dreaming. All it takes is a short dream scene to spark a story. Our dream lives can be so rich and vivid with detail.

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Shiela: Actually, I have created something like this. The story is called Mind over Madness and it’s about a young man, sixteen, desperate for his father’s attention ends up murdering a family. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t account for the fact that he might be seen and ends up going on the run. While trying to stay one step ahead of the police he meets various people, including a talking cat. He’s having the time of his life, getting into bars without ID, sleeping with several women and coming out the victor in several fights against men twice his size. Yet all the while a little voice inside his mind keeps reminding him of the family he killed. When he wakes up in his own bed, he laughs it off as having been a wild dream only to find the cops waiting for him outside his house. It’s one of those stories a reader would think had been created by a stoned author. LOL
It has yet to be published.

Debra: I won't ask if you were when you wrote it. LOL

Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?

Shiela: If there is a story swirling inside your mind, write it down. It may never be published, or it very well might be the next New York Times best seller. If you want to write about a talking bunny who falls in love with a woman then finds out he is actually human and needs the woman to break the spell, then go for it. You never know who will want to read it. J
Write what interests you and don’t let anyone tell you it’s not right.

Debra: Good advice, Shiela. Thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Shiela: Thank you for the wonderful interview!

Debra: You're quite welcome. It's been fun.

To find out more about Shiela and her books, go to
www.shielasbooks.ca

Here is the list of Darkness books already released.
Seducing the Darkness. Desiring the Darkness. Embracing the Darkness. Charming the Darkness. Tempting the Darkness. Soon to be released, Penetrating the Darkness. For more information on the Darkness series go to
www.shielasbooks.ca/TheDarknessSeries.htm

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Debra's News/Debra is Watching:

This week I am working hard on revisions to my contemporary romance.
Planning a book signing in Bartlett TN for June as well.

Watch my website for photos from the RT convention and other updates.
www.debraparmley.com

Authors who wish to be interviewed on Make-Believe Mondays, please use the registration form on my website. Thanks!