Hidden Names in the Stories #IWSG #CharacterNames #DarkShadows

The first Wednesday of every month is officially 

Insecure Writer's Support Group day.

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe have for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: Writers have secrets! What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work?

Yes, I have a secret. I mean, it's not really a secret, but it's something that I don't think any reader would pick up on without me telling them.

A few people know of my passion and obsession for certain TV shows, in particular, the 1960's soap opera, Dark Shadows. I credit Dark Shadows as being the inspiration for my writing career as well as the spark of my supernatural interest. If you've never heard of Dark Shadows, I've talked about it before on my blog. I fell completely in love with this show. Because I watched it when I was so young, the show introduced me to vampires, witches, werewolves, ghosts and all the other creatures that go bump in the night.

As homage to my favorite show, I always include a name from someone in the show, whether it's a cast member or a character, in my books. I use a name for one of the main characters or one of the minor characters, but somewhere in each of my stories there is a name from someone in Dark Shadows. 

Now, let me clarify, I'm only using simple names. Names you would find in any baby name book. The characters in my stories are of my own creation. They do not resemble anyone from the show, nor are they inspired from any particular character. I do not write fan fiction.

It started simply. Growing up, I always imagined naming my children Angelique and Quentin, two of my favorite characters from the show. I love these names! When I was pregnant with my first child, my husband wasn't too thrilled with my choices for baby names, so I never got to use those names for my children. 

So, I did the next best thing. I used them for characters in my stories (which are sort of like children, aren't they?). And it continued from there. Whenever I got stuck with choosing a name for a character, I'd think of a Dark Shadows name. Sometimes I pick names without even thinking about Dark Shadows and later I realize there was a character or actor with the same name in the show. Now, it's become almost like a game when I'm writing. I don't even know I'm doing it until later when I go back and look.

Some writers use phone books to pick names for their characters, I use the cast and crew from Dark Shadows. 

Now, it could just be coincidence. There are a lot of people in the show, so there are lots of names! But, I like to think of it as honoring a show that has meant so much to me. A way to honor the people who worked so hard to bring entertainment to generations of fans.

A few for example: 

• Julia Grey in The Witch's Thief was named in honor of Dr. Julia Hoffman. 
• Sebastian Collins in The Witch and the Vampire was named after the entire Collins Family.
• Laura Remington in Cupid's Arrow (A Wink and a Smile Anthology) was named after Laura Collins.
• Angelique DuBois in The Wolf's Bride (Guardian: A Collection of Alpha Wolves) was named after Angelique Bouchard.

And, yes, I'm using Quentin Collin's name in my upcoming book called Unleashed in Midsummer Night Shifts: A Limited Edition Summer Shifter Romance Collection.

For any Dark Shadows fan who reads my books, I consider these little secret Easter Eggs hidden in my stories, whether they know it or not. And when I run out of Dark Shadows names to pay tribute to, well... Supernatural has been airing for 15 seasons. Lots of names to pick there!

Be safe! Stay healthy! Keep writing!


~ Tricia 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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Favorite TV Shows

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Today's topic: Favorite TV Shows and Why

Oh, this is a fun one! I could talk for days about television shows. Not that I'm addicted, but I do love watching TV. And there are more great shows out there now than ever before!

As a writer, I don't watch television or movies for only the pleasure, but I study these shows to strengthen my writing craft. I watch how the actors portray the emotions their characters are experiencing, from a quizzically raised eyebrow to a simple hand gesture. I listen to the dialogue, how it is structured, how it is spoken and word choice. And I study the plots and character development from the beginning of a show or series to the end. There's a lot a writer can learn from watching TV.

Okay, so that's out of the way, let's get to the good stuff!

(in no particular order)

Dark Shadows
Gothic Soap Opera Drama airing from 1966 - 1971
6 Seasons
1,225 episodes

This is probably the show that influenced me the most in shaping my creative life. My mother was a fan during the original airing of the show back in the '60s. She, like many others, ran home from school everyday so she could watch it.

In the '80s, it was picked up for syndication and after supper my mom and my brother and I would sit in the living room to watch two episodes from 7-8pm.

I was so hooked on this show. The suspense was mind boggling for a little girl. I remember constantly asking my mother after each episode ended on a nail-biting cliffhanger, "What happens next?"

She would never tell me. I'd have to wait until the next day to find out. (These are days way before Netflix binging!)

Dark Shadows centered around the Collins family, a wealthy and eccentric family who lived in Collinsport, Maine. It began as a simple gothic show filled with suspense, but became hugely popular with the introduction of the nearly 200 year-old vampire, Barnabas Collins. The show featured many supernatural storylines including witches, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, warlocks, and time travel.


I had so many favorite characters on this show. Barnabas because he was a vampire, at first evil but soon he became the good guy. Quentin, first a ghost, and also we discovered he was cursed to become a werewolf when Barnabas went back in time to find out why he haunted Collinwood. Tom Jennings was a descendant of Quentin's and also cursed to become a werewolf. Angelique, the witch, who terrorized Barnabas and his family, all because she was madly in love. Maggie and Joe were my favorite couple. I loved them together.

So many great memories of this show, and I will admit, this has influenced my writing. I write about witches, vampires and werewolves. They're my favorite supernatural creatures!

Supernatural
Supernatural Drama airing from 2005 to present
14 Seasons (15 will be the last Season)
307 episodes (and counting)

Which leads me to my adulthood supernatural addiction. Oh, Dean! I mean, oh, my! Several years ago, many memes were circulating the internet about SuperWhoLock. I didn't understand what that meant, but eventually I discovered it was a mash-up word describing fans of Supernatural, Doctor Who and Sherlock. Well, I gave Doctor Who and Sherlock a try (as I'll explain later), so I figured I'd might as well check out this Supernatural show that everyone was talking about.

My little Dark Shadows heart was in supernatural Heaven by episode two. The first episode introduced the brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester and the search for their father who went missing on a "hunting" trip. As we discover, their mother was killed by a demon when Sam and Dean were children and their father, John Winchester, has been hunting the thing that killed her ever since.

And so begins an epic saga that has lasted for 14+ seasons. This show has everything a fan of the supernatural could dream of. Two extremely handsome and sexy brothers who are knee-deep in a world of blood, knives, guns, curses and death, filled with ghosts, demons, angels, vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies, Leviathans, evil clowns, a phoenix, the Four Horsemen, God and his sister, the Darkness as well as other Gods and Goddesses. And the list goes on!


Each episode alone is highly addicting, but the overall story arc and the development of these characters is what is really fascinating. It's a story about family and friendship and the lengths that two brothers and an angel will go through to save the world and each other.

I'll tell you that some of the episodes, especially in the first season were downright scary. And the cliffhanger at the end of Season 1! When that moment happened, while I was lounging on my sofa, I sat straight up and cried out in shock.






Thank Chuck for Netflix Binge Watching! I don't think I would've have been able to cope waiting so many month to watch the next season.

Doctor Who
Science Fiction airing from 1963-1989
A film in 1996
Continued airing from 2005-Present
37 Seasons
851 Episodes

My uncle was a Doctor Who fan and I remember watching a few episodes with Tom Baker with him when he came home to visit during his days enlisted in the Army. I remember distinctly Tom Baker's ridiculously long scarf and wondered when I was a kid, how did he not trip constantly over that thing?

I didn't get hooked on this show until it's new incarnation in 2005. It was actually a little later that I began watching. Matt Smith was already the Doctor, but I started with Christopher Eccleston's first episode, Rose.

I first thought it was cheesy. It was weird. I didn't quite understand why everyone was crazy about this show. But, I was curious enough to watch the second episode. It wasn't until the third episode that I was hooked. When Rose and the Doctor went back in time and met Charles Dickens and the ghosts who turned out to be an alien species, I was in total love! This was what I wanted to see!

The man could time travel! And not just to the future or distant worlds like I had thought from my memories of Tom Baker. He could travel back in time, too. Oh, yeah. Now we're talking. I would love to travel back in time and the Doctor soon became my hero.

The Doctor is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. He travels through time and space in the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) a spaceship he stole and has been running every since. He typically travels with companions which fuels his joy in experiencing new adventures. It's filled with timey-wimey wibbly-wobbly stuff. It's a fun, exciting show that ignites the imagination of the viewer. And it's a family show, made with children in mind, although some of the episodes are downright terrifying!

Are you my mummy? 

I am completely addicted to this alien and his constantly evolving storyline. Oh, yeah. Another thing. He's kinda immortal. He has this thing that happens when he's close to dying.

He regenerates.

That's a neat trick that the writers came up with during the First Doctor's reign. William Hartnell, who played the First Doctor, was having health issues, so instead of cancelling the show or replacing him outright with another actor, they devised the regeneration so they could recast the Doctor as many times as they wanted. This kept the show going for decades.

Sherlock
Crime Drama airing from 2010-2017
4 Seasons
13 Episodes

 Once I got caught up with Doctor Who, I moved onto Sherlock. I was a little doubtful that I'd enjoy this version of my favorite mystery detective. I had read several Sherlock novels and short stories in my early 20s. I became addicted to reading the stories, so I eventually bought the entire collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

I'd watch several different versions of Sherlock such as the movies starring Basil Rathbone and the newer ones with Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law. When I was a teenager, my favorite Sherlock movie came in the version of the Young Sherlock Holmes which I thought was very enjoyable.

I knew nothing about Benedict Cumberbatch or Martin Freeman. Also, this version of Sherlock was set in present-day London, which I had trouble envisioning.

Oh, how wrong I was to doubt the creative genius of Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss! Each episode is really like a mini-movie. From the very first, A Study in Pink, I was enthralled. These were characters I fell instantly in love with and the storyline was engaging and mysterious. I was solving the mystery along with Sherlock and Watson, trying to figure out who did it. It was entertaining and fun!

And, again, we had these amazing and shock inducing cliffhangers at the end of each series! The kind that left you crying for days and days. I was lucky to binge watch, but eventually I got caught up and had to wait.

And I'm waiting again. Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss have both said they have not said good-bye to Sherlock and Watson. They foresee more mysteries for them to solve in the future. It's just a matter of when.

Farscape
Science Fiction airing from 1999-2003
4 Seasons
88 Episodes

I've talked about Farscape on my blog before, so you can check out that post about naming my baby girl. It's an amazing science fiction show about how an astronaut/scientist, John Crichton, takes an experimental spacecraft into orbit and inadvertantly creates a wormhole in which he is sucked into, shooting him across the universe to a place where he encounters aliens of all types and shapes and he must learn to survive and find a way back home. It's a compelling drama with interesting characters and storylines. It's really a fantastic show that ended way too early.

Firefly
Space Western Drama aired in 2002
1 Season
14 Episodes

Sorry! I'm so sorry!

Another show that ended way too soon was Firefly. This show was about a diverse cast of characters trying to survive in a space after a horrible Civil War. They live on a ship called Serenity. The dynamic between these characters keeps the drama and suspense at the addiction level. Each episode, you learn something new about one of them, their backstory and history and their goals for the future. It was a great show that should have been allowed to continue telling stories.

The Walking Dead
Horror Drama airing from 2010-Present
9 Seasons
131 Episodes (and counting)

My husband introduced me to this terrifying television series. I was never a huge fan of zombies. I mean, I watched the Romero movies, but I was more interested in vampires and such. The dead coming back to life? Not my thing.

This show doesn't focus so much on the zombies, but on the survivors. I was well and truly terrified by watching it. I seriously couldn't believe they let this kind of show on TV! The make-up and special effects were amazing. And no one is safe on this show. Anyone can die and any time. And they did! I've watched in tears as some of my favorite characters were killed off and then had to watch The Talking Dead to mourn them.

I'm so grateful for The Talking Dead. It's therapy after watching all that terror, fear, agony and heartbreak. Chris Hardwick, the host, walks viewers through the events of each Walking Dead episode and there are interviews with the actors as well as cool information about the creation of the show and special effects.

I wish some other shows had a therapy show afterward.









Honorable Mentions:

Star Trek
Star Trek: Next Generation
Lost
Penny Dreadful
Game of Thrones
True Blood
Law & Order

Reality TV

I'm not a huge fan of Reality TV, but there are, of course, some shows that are compelling to watch. These are some of my favorites.

Ghost Hunters
Paranormal Reality Series airing from 2004-2016
11 Seasons
217 Episodes
13 Specials

I went to a Romance Writer's Conference in Connecticut one year and was excited to see they had a workshop with two paranormal investigators. As you might understand by now, ghosts thrilled me and I was eager to hear what these guys had to say. Two men who were employed as plumbers during the day and investigated haunted houses at night. It was interesting to listen as they explained what they did and the things they experienced. Not much frightens me, but I'll admit that some of the stuff they talked about, some of the events they investigated were scary. The talk of demon and ghost possession was spooky. I believed and experienced hauntings myself, but demons?

Anyway, I checked under my bed at the hotel room that night.

A few months (years?) later, as I was watching (probably Farscape) on the Syfy channel, I saw a commercial advertising a new show called Ghost Hunters. To my surprise, I recognized the two lead investigators on the show.

Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson. The same two men who I met at the conference! Remembering their discussion about ghosts and paranormal activity, I knew I just had to watch the show and sure enough, I loved it. I watched every single episode as well as the eventual spin-off, Ghost Hunters International.

Anything with Josh Gates

We all have our celebrity crushes, right? Well, aside from Jensen Ackles and Gerard Butler, Josh Gates is mine. He is handsome, comical, adventurous and loves to travel. And he wears a Fedora! A killer combination. What more could a girl ask for in a guy?

I've watched Destination Truth and Expedition Unknown in which he hunts monsters and supernatural creatures.

There's a theme in my life, right?


Honorable Mentions:

Passport to Europe
Ghost Adventures
Dirty Jobs
Deadliest Catch 


Wow! This list ended up being way longer than I intended, but there are just so many great shows out there. I hope you found something that might entertain you!

Until next time!

 Happy Reading!

~Tricia

Check out the other Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

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Pouring Heart & Soul into Stories #MFRWAuthor #writing

Blogging is an opportunity for authors to connect with readers. Despite being writers, blogging is an entirely different style of writing and often stumps us. To help our authors blog consistently, thoughtfully and with purpose, Marketing for Romance Writers is announcing the 2018 Blog Challenge. Each week, authors use our writing prompt to create a meaningful blog post. We'll be posting every Friday... join us as often as possible.

Week 1: "How much of myself is in my writing"

When I first began writing, I poured my entire soul into my story. I was 15 when I wrote my first novel. The story was from a dream I'd had and although I gave the main character a different name, she was basically me. Mostly, everything about her was me. I also used writing as therapy. Well, I still do! But, I was an emotional mess as a teenager, dealing with my mother's death and my father's abandonment. I had no one to help me deal with any of that trauma, so I wrote about it. I'd create a character and throw all of my life's problems at her and see how she'd deal with it. Those stories often ended with happily-ever-after because that's what I desperately wanted for myself. In doing so, I think that's part of what made me fall in love with the romance genre. There is so much sadness and grief in real life. When I read fiction, I wanted to know for certain that the characters I invest my time in are going to have a satisfying end.

As my writing skills have grown, the amount of myself has lessened somewhat as I explore other elements and possibilities of the world, but my heart and soul is still in there woven between the scenes and characters. It's rather unavoidable, I think, for a writer to put something of him/herself into their writing.

The Merriweather Witches are a result of my love for the world of the paranormal. The 1960's TV drama, Dark Shadows, introduced me to vampires, witches, werewolves and many other supernatural creatures that ignited my imagination as a young child. That fascination grew and continues to grow to this day. So far, in my stories I have written of witches, werewolves, vampires, necromancers, and demons. Those are just in my published stories. I've just submitted an alien romance for a submission call and I'm in the process of writing a romance set in a world filled with zombies.

My other obsession is history. Dark Shadows might also have influenced me with history. There was time travel in that show, too, where they went back to Colonial and Victorian times. Although I have many favorite time periods, I've become fascinated with the Regency era and everything to do with pirates. This is also revealed in my writing. My newest pirate romance, To Kiss a Pirate, will be published in Pirates: A Boys Behaving Badly anthology coming out on February 27, 2018. 

Dark Shadows #25daysofbooks

This year I’m counting down the days ‘til Christmas with books and other fun things readers enjoy! I love the Holiday Season so I’m sharing ideas for you to fill your holiday stocking!

Yesterday, I shared the first chapter of my newest novel, The Witch's Kiss. Today, I'm looking at some of the inspiration for my writing: the television show Dark Shadows. It was one of my favorites as a child and continues to intrigue me even as an adult.

Dark Shadows was a gothic soap opera about the Collins family which included the mysterious Cousin Barnabas who we learn is a vampire! The show was filled with all things supernatural. Ghosts, werewolves, witches and warlocks. There was also time travel! It kept me glued with all the dramatic plot twists and story lines and interesting characters. The show has garnered a cult following which continues to this day! And I'm fan, too! *waving my hand*

Not only are the episodes available on a Deluxe Edition set of DVDs, there are also books!

I was lucky enough to get the ENTIRE DVD collection as a Christmas gift from my husband last year. Look at that set! Complete with coffin-style case! My husband so loves me! And now I'm able to watch my favorite episodes any time I want. Not only that, now I'm sharing my favorite show with my children who are becoming a new generation of Dark Shadows fans!

Maybe this year I'll find some DS novels in my stocking? Hint, hint, Marc! :)

Angelique’s Descent by Lara Parker 

 
Dark Shadows’s two most popular characters, Barnabas Collins and Angelique, were eternally bound by love and hate. Now actress Lara Parker, Angelique herself, tells the story of how it all began.

The dashing heir of a New England shipping magnate, Barnabas Collins captures the heart of the exquisite, young Angelique amidst the sensual beauty of Martinique, her island home. But Angelique’s brief happiness is doomed when Barnabas deserts her and becomes engaged to another. With this one betrayal, Barnabas unleashes an evil that will torment him for all time.

For Angelique is no ordinary woman. Raised in the mysterious black art of voodoo witchcraft, she long ago pledged her soul to darkness and became immortal. Vowing to destroy Barnabas, a vengeful Angelique damns him to eternal life as a vampire—a companion to accompany her forever. Little does Angelique understand the depth of Barnabas’s fury....

 

The Salem Branch by Lara Parker

In Dark Shadows: The Salem Branch Barnabas Collins, the vampire hero of the series, has recently become a human again through the efforts of his devoted descendent Dr. Julia Hoffman and is living in current day Collinsport, Maine trying to adjust to normal life. Although engaged to marry Dr. Hoffman, he falls in love with a mysterious woman named Antoinette who has bought the ruins of "the old house" on the Collins estate and is restoring it while living with a band of hippies in the woods. Antoinette settled in the area because her daughter is being treated in a nearby mental hospital. Her daughter suffers from flashbacks to her previous incarnation as Miranda du Val who was burned as a witch in the Salem witch trials. One of the judges who condemned her to death was a Collins--Barnabas's ancestor. Barnabas is desperate to win Antoinette's love and to protect her and her daughter from the new vampire that he suspects is attacking the inhabitants of Collinsport.

Wolf Moon Rising by Lara Parker

When a portrait is lost that has maintained Quentin Collins's youthful appearance for over a century—and has also kept his werewolf curse at bay—Quentin begins to dread the full moon.

Meanwhile, David, the sixteen-year-old heir to the Collins fortune, has fallen in love with Jacqueline, a young girl living at the Old House who is the reincarnation of Angelique. David and Jacqueline are swept back in time to the prohibition era of the Twenties, where David uncovers the dark secrets of the Collins family history.

Most threatening of all, Dr. Nathanial Blair, an expert in the paranormal, has come to Collinwood because he suspects they are harboring a vampire. Fortunately, Barnabas Collins has returned to his coffin after a disastrous flirtation with life as a human. Nevertheless, what Blair discovers places the entire Collins family in jeopardy.

Happy Holidays!

~Tricia