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