Research

Those who have read The Whisperer of Storms have remarked on the amount of research I've done.  Here's a list of some of my sources.

Gypsy Magic by Patrinella Cooper  http://www.amazon.com/Gypsy-Magic-Romany-Spells-Fortune-Telling/dp/1578632617
Gypsy Witchcraft and Magic by Raymond Buckland  amazon
Adventures of a Psychic by Sylvia Browne  amazon
Psychic Children by Sylvia Browne  amazon
Don't Kiss Them Goodbye by Allison DuBois  amazon
Crossing Over by John Edward  amazon
ESP:  Fact or Fiction by Terry O'Neill  amazon
The Annotated Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen/David M. Shapard
The Jane Austen Handbook:  A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World by Margaret C. Sullivan:  amazon

One of the best places to look in the library is Junior non-fiction.  It's direct and gets to the point.
England (Enchantment of the World) by Carol Greene:  amazon

Online sources:
Gypsy Names  Ilona means beautiful one.  Mirela means admirable.  Zale means power of the sea.
Romani-English Glossary

Last but certainly not least was an interview with a clairvoyant.  This individual is psychic under hypnosis.  I was skeptical myself as I listened to this person's extraordinary life.  That was until I started reading the books listed above and finding common similarities.  The human spirit is truly remarkable.

Veronica

Inspiration

The Whisperer of Storms started out in my head as fan fiction. That's the reason why I chose this fall for the book release.  I debated even putting this story down in writing.  My dream was to publish a book, but how could I do it without permission?   

It was Memorial Day weekend of 2005 when I saw The Revenge of the Sith.   Many Star Wars fans hated the prequels, myself as an exception.  I think I got more involved in the story and the music.  I saw The Phantom of the Opera movie later that summer.  I realized the Phantom was very much like Darth Vader.  One line summed it up ... 

“The tears I might have shed for your dark fate…grow cold and turn to tears of hate!”

One day a few years later, I had an epiphany.  I had enough to create my own characters in my own setting.  Rather than have it be a space opera, I’d make it into a historical fiction.  I loved Regency novels, so I decided to set it in 1800s England, when it was still ruled by the British Empire.  There were many Star Wars characters with English accents.  Plus, many of the movies were shot in England.  I named my protagonist Hope.  It was unconscious on my part.  I didn’t even think of the title of Ep. 4 when I named her.  Hope needed to have the power of the Force, so I made her clairvoyant.  I have an Anakin/Darth Vader inspired character, in addition to an Obi Wan.  Of course my lead male character, Hunter, is a bit of a scoundrel.  I needed to have a little bit of Han in him.
   

I look back now and am bewildered how I came up with all of it.  Now here I am in the advent of The Force Awakens with the release of my debut novel, which started out as fan fiction.  It’s funny how you never know where inspiration will come from … or where your imagination will take you.  

Veronica