Current mood: blissful

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the great comments on my most recent blogs. Clare's grandma left this life draped in leis and seems fitting that she left in Clare's capable hands some money and property that will enhance her life and help her further her dreams. Clare's grandma believed in dreams. Hers and ours. She was a firm believer in: it's never too late.

I was relating this to a friend over dinner last night and this is a woman I admire and respect, but at some point since she is a frustrated writer, she asked me why I write my books when she can't really see that I am "a millionaire or anything."

This surprised me because she is an experienced, award-winning journalist and she's not one either. I have been encouraging her to write erotic fiction and we are in fact toying with the idea of working on a book together, but her questions and comments hit me all wrong.

I mean, I don't do this for money. I write because I love it. I have to write. it's my thing and as singer/songwriter Nikka Costa is fond of reminding me, "Everybody's got their something."

If money was the object, I mean, really the object, there'd be no art, no music, no poems and no books. Maybe some people write because they think it'll make money but if money was what my main objective, I'd be doing something...completely different.

I have been fortunate to be selling well, to be getting good reviews and to be getting visits from the muse often enough to keep turning out new books. I got one review this past week that upset me - not bad, just vindictive, to the point that even publisher seemed surprised but as she is fond of telling me, "Don't read reviews, good or bad, they interfere with the muse. Then after an unsettling experience last night, my dinner companion called me and apologized.

At the time, I was at the computer working on "A Vampire Christmas" and wasn't really in the mood for another round of verbal fisticuffs.

"You write because you love stories and you love characters. I get that," she said. "I write because I want to make money."

Don't get me wrong, I like paying my bills too, I just don't expect Kimo and Lopaka to keep me in jewels or anything...

Then this morning, I got this wonderful review in my inbox. And this, is why I write. Yes the review is great, but the point to me, is this. I sat alone in my loft, dreamed this thing up and somebody else, a complete stranger, responded to my characters and my story. And loved it.

Yeah, that's why writers write. 

Aloha, oe,

AJ

..TR> ..TABLE> The Forbidden Island The Forbidden Island by A.J. Lewellyn is the third book the Phantom Lover series. Johnny has finally, hopefully gotten over his infatuation with his old lover Lolpaka. Lopaka has moved on and is in love with Kimo, the most gorgeous hula dancer and a powerful religious leader, a kahuna. There is much more to Kimo than meets the eye as Johnny found out when they were together in a one night stand with Lopaka, which ended very badly. Johnny is now with Aloha, but their relationship has never been exclusive and Johnny is beginning to feel that something is missing. Aloha and Johnny are complete opposites. Aloha is from England and is obsessed with Hawaiian music (he even speaks the native language), while Johnny is a Japanese/Hawaiian plus mixture and has lived in Hawaii all his life. While at the beach, after meeting up with Kimo and Lopaka, Johnny and Aloha see a very mysterious, sexy stranger who seems to be captivated with Johnny, and the feeling is mutual. Things become interesting when Kimo asks Aloha for help with his and Lopaka's wedding and Lopaka asks Johnny to join his wedding party. Just as that problem is solved strange things begin to come up missing and Johnny learns that his stranger, Mahini, is a visiting Kahuna there at Kimo's request. Even with the mysterious occurrences, Kimo and Lopaka's wedding goes on without a hitch, but afterwards things spiral out of control for Johnny as an accident occurs which puts his life in danger while setting him up for a much more mysterious, dangerous, possibly life-altering, situation. Will Johnny and Aloha find a way to overcome all these problems with the help of the very powerful and sexy kahuna Kimo? A.J. Lewellyn has continued this series with this incredibly visual story that brings to life the traditions and culture that is modern day Hawaii. All the characters come to life as this story unfolds with a mixture of suspense and action with very visual scenes that ensnare the reader until the very end. The complex emotional situations that the characters find themselves in (jealousy, fear, confusion, loss, and very erotic feelings) are ones that people can sympathize with and understand. The complex situations that Johnny and Aloha find themselves in are very compelling. Kimo and Lopaka's wedding was beautiful to behold. I for one will be waiting for the next book in this series. Reviewed by: Teresa ..TABLE>.. --> Site Meter -->..<[[iframe]] src="http://dg.specificclick.net/?u=http%3A//www.fallenangelreviews.com/2008/May/Teresa-TheForbiddenIsland.htm&r=http%3A//webmail.aol.com/36743/aol/en-us/Suite.aspx" frameBorder=0 width=0 height=0> .. src="http://s37.sitemeter.com/js/counter.js?site=s37fallenangelreviews" type=text/javascript> ..>  ..>..>.. --> Copyright (c)2006 Site Meter -->  Currently listening : Soliloquy: Ka Leo O Loko By Keola Beamer Release date: 2002-01-08