Where books come from

I've had people ask me, "Where do you get your ideas for your books?" I'd usually just tell them 'they come to me out of the blue'.

Then, today an old theme became a new idea. How? You may ask. I had to drive the twenty miles to the bigger town nearby to pay my electric bill. No, that's not it. On the way there I was listening to the radio (not it either) and realized somewhere along the way that I wasn't hearing the songs I normally sing along with. My mind was off in the land of werewolves and legends that go 'bump' in the Cherokee night.

Some time ago my older brother became extremely interested in our ancestral Cherokee heritage. I, on the other hand, have always been interested, especially living in Oklahoma with its' rich Indian background, just never really took steps to learn more. I am aware that UoT (University of Tulsa) offers classes to learn the Cherokee language, and my oldest daughter (while we lived in California) almost went there for just that reason. 

Well, lately I've become more interested in my heritage. Mostly since I've become a writer, and since moving back to my red dirt home state. What does this have to do with supernatural creatures, you ask? We have werewolves here in Oklahoma, of course!

Really? Naw. Unless you peek inside some weird Okie writer's head that is. I live out in the country and love being serenaded by the woeful sound of the coyote's songs. Eerily beautiful when it's all still and silent (or three in the morning!). But that's not exactly where I got the idea for my first werewolf story. It came from my affinity to wolves. I took one of those "What animal are you?" quizzes and even it came back with 'wolf'. I'm sure most have heard that Indians have affinities with animals whether it be eagle, opossum, bear, or wolf. What this means basically is (at least for me) we 'feel' the animal we're close to in our spirit. We understand the animal like we understand no other. For instance, I love horses. My favorite creature is the horse. But, I 'feel' an internal bond to the wolf. 

Okay- I said weird Okie from the beginning. But seriously- it's true.

Even as a child I had dreams of wolves, but didn't understand why until I opened my inner eye and accepted them. My dreams actually scared the living daylight outta me. Until the last time I had the recurring dream about vicious wolves attacking me, that is.

Why was that time different? 
Well, for one it came to me for the first time as an adult. I wasn't 'a writer' yet at the time, and it still scared me to dream of the salivating beasts trying to get to me to, I could only imagine, do God knows what to me! It was also the first time one of them came close when it broke a window beside me. Lastly, it was the first time-ever- that I felt protected.

Protected with a wolf breaking windows around me? Yes.
I can't tell you why (not because I don't know, but because I have plans for that particular dream scene).

So- when you start to ask "Where do books come from?", think about your dreams. Even the Twilight saga began as a dream for Stephanie Meyers, and look where it took her!

So until next time- sweet dreams-- or NOT!