By N.N. Light (Guest Blogger)
I
admit it, guilty as charged. My name is N. N. Light and I broke the
first rule in writing: never ever write about yourself or real life
in a novel. The truth is I am happy I did both and here is why. I was
inspired to write Princess of the Light through a chance encounter.
I
first got the idea for my book one chilly morning back in 2012. It
was a cold wintry morning and I was walking to the grocery store. I
happened to look across the street and what I saw made me stop in my
tracks. A homeless man was sitting on a curb next to the gas
station. He wasn't holding a sign or asking for money. His eyes were
closed and his head was uplifted to the sky. There was such a
contented and happy look in his weathered face. It took my breath
away.
I
wondered to myself how he got to be homeless and if there was some
way I could help him. I continued on with my day but my thoughts
were filled with him and his plight. Could I help him? Who is he?
As
the days and months passed, I saw him every day. He kept to himself
and never begged for money. He walked. Yes, he walked the length of
the town. Every time I saw him, I nodded and said good morning. The
simple act of kindness didn't seem like a big deal to me but to him,
it was as if I had given him the sun. I started leaving food and
clothing for him. The more kindness I showed, the happier he
appeared.
I
knew in my heart it was my calling to tell his story. He isn't some
nameless face; he's someone's son, brother, grandson, uncle, father,
husband, and/or friend. If I had the power, I would be his protector
and free him from the darkness keeping him prisoner. He would no
longer be the forgotten man.
I
made a promise to myself to donate part of the proceeds to food banks
if my book got published. I am keeping my promise and through my
marketing, people are donating to food banks on their own.
My
motto for my book and for my life is spread the Light. It doesn't
matter to me what your spiritual beliefs are for everyone has the
Light inside them. Spreading the Light comes in many forms but it
starts with being kind.
I
also wrote about myself. Gasp! I know you’re in shock and hoping I
brought smelling salts. Stick with me for a moment and let me
explain. The romantic story between Mary and Joe is simply based on
my own love story.
I
met MR N back in 2001. We actually met online in a Buffy the
Vampire Slayer yahoo group and hit it off right away. We both
adore Buffy and it was one of many things we had in common. We
started out as friends but soon it blossomed into love. Through some
uphill battles and insecurities on my part, I broke his heart not
once but twice. It pains me to admit it but the second time I was
truly cruel.
I
thought it was over and I had moved on. I joined another Buffy yahoo
group in 2003 and as fate would have it, MR N was there. He and I got
to talking one night off-list. I asked for forgiveness and he granted
it. We took it turtle-slow and before I knew what happened, I was in
love with him. I mean, true love (the hills are alive with the sound
of music) and my walls came tumbling down.
Long
story short, I moved up north and married him in 2004. This past
July, we celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. Every day, I thank
my lucky stars he forgave me and loves me unconditionally. This is my
love story and every time I tell it (or MR N tells it), people swoon
and say how utterly romantic it is. So I incorporated our love story
into Princess of the Light.
Blurb
Gabriel,
the Archangel and Messenger of God - yeah that Gabriel - visited Mary
Miller. He told her, as the key she is destined to spread the Light
and vanquish the Darkness. Her first assignment is to restore the
soul the Walking Man. Sounds simple enough until she’s thrown in
the face of evil, and then Joe Deacons enters her heart. This battle
just got a lot more complicated. She must complete her mission
without losing all she loves.
Excerpt
Here
is an excerpt from the scene where Mary and Joe meet:Excerpt
The
Information Counter sign was to the left just through the doors. No
one was at the desk at the moment, but there was a woman wearing a
red suit over by the periodicals. She looked a little over average
height, but I noticed she was wearing heels. She had thick, long,
dark red hair that encircled her face and flowed past her shoulders.
She
was stunning.
I
hoped she worked here not only so I had a reason to talk to her, but
also so that I could get my books without having to do too much
unnecessary leg work. That nap was still calling my name.
As
I approached, I noticed that she barely wore any make-up at all. Her
fair skin looked like it had been touched by the sun recently, too.
She glanced up from the newspapers she was replacing from yesterday.
She had incredibly animated brown eyes that had an unusual light that
seemed to emanate from within. Her nose was small, her lips were
full, and her skin looked so soft...
“Can
I help you with something, sir?” The woman’s voice quivered
slightly and she leaned a little, as if she suddenly needed the wall
for support.
Whoa,
I couldn’t help but think. I frankly felt like a moth to the flame.
All I wanted to do was have a reason to get closer to her. The fact
that her eyes seemed to shine with an actual light didn’t help
matters. I had never felt such an automatic attraction before, and I
wanted to lean closer and see what was going on with her eyes.
She
was either looking at me like I was the only man in the world--and
quite possibly the sexiest one--or else my open gawking had freaked
her out. Either way, I couldn’t have told her which it was, because
my mouth felt like a cotton ball container.
“Yes,”
I managed to rasp to her. “Where is your Architecture section?”
“Are
you looking for anything in particular?” Yes. You, I wanted to say.
“I could look to see if it is in stock.” Oh. Are there more of
you somewhere?
The
sound of her voice was starting to make my heart pound.
She
had an earthly beauty about her. There was nothing extraordinary in
her features, yet something about her just seemed to glow.
I
felt my breath quicken. Joe, what’s the matter with you? Get a
grip. You’ve seen girls before.
I
shook my head to clear my thoughts without worrying what I looked
like and said, “Please forgive my manners, but what is your name?”
“Mary.”
That just became my favorite name.
“I’m
very pleased to meet you,” I said as I extended my hand to her.
“I’m Joseph. Please call me Joe.”
She
hesitated for a moment before she shook my hand. Electricity bolted
up my arm that I wasn’t prepared for. I wondered if she could hear
my heart beating. Pretty sure these emotions weren’t winning me any
bro-code points.
Her
face was flushed and her eyes brightened with interest. Let go of her
hand, Joe, I tried to coach myself. If I didn’t let go of soon, I
might never be able to.
So
I quickly let go of her hand but immediately regretted it. The whole
room suddenly seemed cold and empty.
She
probably thinks you’re some kind of wacko. Stop staring. You’re a
logical guy... Be reasonable here. Besides, she’s probably married.
I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to remember what we were
just talking about. I looked up to see her glance towards the
entrance. If she asked me to leave, I wouldn’t blame her.
I
tried to act composed, while I glanced down at her left hand. I
didn’t see a ring, so I cleared my throat and tried to act like a
reasonable man again.
“Well,
it was a pleasure to meet you, Mary.” Even to me, my voice sounded
unnaturally thick and hoarse. I cleared my throat and looked back at
her.
“Yes,
it’s great to meet you, Joe. Let me show you where the section is.”
She turned and simply pointed to the far left corner of the store.
Just
when I thought she was through with me completely, she motioned for
me to follow her.
As
she led me to the back of the store, I tried to switch off my desire
and concentrate on the task at hand. Focus, Joe! Decorum! The inner
jokes weren’t helping. They just wanted to make me giggle like a
schoolboy, and I doubted that would help matters much.
****
Sometimes
breaking the rules is needed to tell a really great story. I hope you
will see how weaving real life with fantasy makes for an irresistible
book. More writers should rebel like me and add dashes of real life
into their stories.
Buy
Links (Available in E-book and Print):
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/princess-of-the-light-nn-light/1120170709?ean=9781502438454
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/Princess-Light-N-ebook/dp/B00N19FDKO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409690022&sr=8-1&keywords=princess+of+the+light
Goodreads:
October
Contest
Donate
to your local food bank and win a $25 Amazon gift card. Take a selfie
at the food bank and tweet it to me
(http://www.twitter.com/NNP_W_Light
) using the hashtag #POTLContest. I will also accept emailed entries (nnlight [at] outlook [dot] com). Open to Worldwide Participants. Winner announced on November 1st
and their pic will be spotlighted on the Princess
of the Light
website. Let’s feed those in need and spread the Light!!!
Newsletter
Sign
up for my Princess of the Light newsletter to get exclusive content
on all things book and writing related: http://ymlp.com/xghjsueygmgh
Author
Bio
N.
N. Light was born in Minnesota, lived in Southern California only to
move to chilly Ontario, Canada to marry her beloved husband MR N. She
is blissfully happy and loves all things chocolate, books, music,
movies, art, sports and baking. Most of the time you can find her on
Twitter or getting new ideas on how to spread the Light on Pinterest.
Part
of the proceeds of Princess of the Light will go directly to food
banks in order to feed the hungry and help those in need. With only
7,500 books sold, N. N. Light will be able to set up a monthly
endowment for the local food bank.
I’d
love to connect with you either via email or via these various social
media sites:
Email: nnlight [at] outlook [dot] com
I
wanted to thank Lisabet for having me on her blog today. You are so
gracious and I am forever thankful!
Happy
Reading!
2 comments:
Thank you so much, Lisabet, for having me on your awesome blog today! :) MRS N
Thank you for being my guest at Beyond Romance. Your story is beautiful. I wish you great success in spreading the Light.
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