Destination Writing
It’s no secret. I love to travel. Maybe
being a geo-teacher for National Geographic or loving cultures mixed with a
healthy dose of science influenced the way I write stories. Because I have been
blessed with the ability to see the world, I learned early on I needed to keep
a journal in case I wanted to use the information down the road. The road that
led to my current novel, Dark Side of
Morning, was conceived about twenty years ago.
One of my favorite places is the Field
Museum in Chicago, Illinois. My fascination with all things Native American led
me there many times because of their remarkable collections. It was there I
discovered display cases with traditional dressed Native Americans. One was a
Pawnee near the outside of the blessed Pawnee earth lodge. I sat there and
wondered if he could see me. Thus Dark
Side of Morning took shape in my head. Every time I visited I took notes of
the way the museum looked, smelled, sounded, etc. A year ago I decided it was
time to write what was stomping around in my head. Research still needed to be
done to bring a sense of realism to my words. But with time, energy and a great
deal of coffee my characters formed.
I have many notebooks, packed full of
experiences. Some are from going within an hour’s drive of my home and others
are from across the world. The thing that is common with the information I
collect involves more than an itinerary of events. I include the food I ate and
how it tasted, smelled and how it affected me. I use my five senses to collect
the world around me. One of the things I love to do is watch the news
programming, especially in other countries. All those collections will make
your story sound authentic and keep your reader engaged. Try a snippet of my
latest book.
Dark
Side of Morning
Dr.
Cleopatra Sommers never came to terms with her father’s disappearance at the
Museum of Natural History in Chicago. He had been a Native American scholar
that explored avenues of unexplained spiritual paths in their cultures. The museum had been her home and playground
growing up where her father spent long hours working. She was always drawn to
one display case holding a mannequin of a Pawnee Indian. There was no way she
could know he watched her all those years until the night he crossed over to
find her.
Detective
Jacque Marquette suspected the beautiful doctor of stealing priceless artifacts
from a Native American exhibit. He realized after meeting his identical twin
from another time and place, Dr. Sommers might not be as crazy as he initially
thought. The layers of concern for his city begin to stack up as he is caught
between culture and the Pentagon. Only with the help of a Pawnee warrior from
two hundred years ago, can save his city from a deadly disease brought in from
a parallel universe.
Wind
Dancer had loved the little girl who grew up before him for years. When he
decided to cross over to prevent his enemy from finding Dr. Sommers, the
bombardment of changes forced him to rely on the ways of the past to survive.
Navigating the future proves to be complicated as he teams up with a grumpy
detective to hunt down a common enemy. No one expected the price to be
sacrificing Dr. Sommers to the Morning Star in order to avert disaster.
Twitter: @TierneyJames1
