IS THIS FICTION?
I do not call myself a "psychic," because I am such a mediocre one. I don't get to see what I want to see, necessarily (although with my help, my father has hit the Pick-Six at various racetracks, three times). Most of my visions play like living-color in my head. Sometimes it’s just a flash, other times I see several seconds’ worth of something about to happen very soon. I’ll give an example: when I was a blackjack dealer, the house would let me tell players ahead of time if they were going to get a blackjack, so they could (press) up their bets. The House had no faith in my ability. They just thought it would be a novelty. Well, I did it so many times (contrary to what the House thought would happen, my superstitious players ALL pressed their bets), that the Table Games Manager told me to stop. I was a high-stakes dealer and I was, apparently, giving away too much money.
I’m sure there are eyes rolling out there, and some of you might think me crazy as pig knuckles, but before you judge me, let me tell you about my next novel, "Bodie" (releasing spring 2013). It is historical fiction (my genre), and it is based upon a true story--mine. Two sisters had identical repetitive dreams over the course of many years, and neither sister knew the other one was having them. They go to a past-life regression therapist, and she confirms the woman in the girls' dream, Elise, was murdered, in 1878. It happened in the most violent town in America's history, Bodie, California. This gold rush boom-town averaged a murder a day, due to bad weather, bad whiskey and bad men--but that is only what they would have us believe.
But I don’t want to trigger a spoiler alert. Suffice that the story is my psychic impression of what really happened, and why I believe the murdered woman could not rest in peace. She had unfinished business; something needed to be set right. I and my sister have not had the dream since I wrote the book, some seventeen years ago. I believe something about my story being published for all to see, is what gives Elise peace. So, is it fiction or did it happen? My job as writer is to blur the lines; to leave the reader wondering where the history ends and the fiction begins. In so many places, I hit the nail squarely on its head. It was almost as if I had been there myself (I know, I know, that‘s just crazy talk…right?) Truthfully, I lost track of what, in the book, is fiction and what isn’t, what is dreams and what is imagination. Sometimes I don‘t know the answer, myself.
While awaiting the release of “Bodie,” go ahead and check out my
current release, “The
Thing with Feathers.”
…And for
your blog reading pleasure, author Anne Sweazy-Kulju is offering a FREE digital download of her book, “The Thing with
Feathers” in the form of a customized autographed Digital Download Card. All
you have to do is stop by, read today’s article, and leave a nifty comment. Winner announced right here, at twitter, and
facebook.com at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.
~Don’t forget to stop by again tomorrow. Anne has so much more to share. In
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