Couragous Characters

 Before I post the blog I wrote for today, I have to speak to the horror of these massive fires, many of which are happening around the world. I don't have answers for them, but just how much they are emotionally impacting us all, genuine black swans. It's not just Los Angeles right now, which is massively destructive, but we know it's been so many places. We as humans are so vulnerable when fires arise suddenly. Just, if you are one of the ones impacted, know the rest of the human community cares. I have had fire as an experience in my life from childhood onward. I know its terror. Just so sorry for those impacted in a worse way than I had been. Namaste.

 Writing a series of any sort is both enjoyable and a challenge-- for obviously different reasons. I have written several series, each with complete stories and connecting secondary characters. I have not been fond of reading or writing stories where one hero and heroine continue on through many adventures. My favorites have characters in each book that might take on more important roles in the next stories. 

The challenge I find in writing a series is remembering all the characters accurately, mostly the secondary ones. Since this book was first brought out ten years ago, rereading and rewriting were necessary to bring it back out. Even more so, since these characters will go on with three more in the Winds of Change series. They will come out about a month apart. 

One of the tips I have for series writers is create a timeline of when and where their characters were born, sometimes interspersed with what was happening in the broader community like say wars, droughts, or major plagues. Timelines help a writer stay with the flow. If available to readers, it helps them to refresh their memories when it involves long timelines. That's not so needed when a series is contemporary and does not expand over a lot of years.

The great part of series writing is having characters, who I already know a great deal about their personalities, with the ability to expand that when they take center stage. When I have them, like Holly and Vince, I know their potential from earlier books, but what do I discover once there was more time with them? That's what I very much enjoy with a chance to enrich characters that had that potential.

What about readers, why would they like a series? Well, if the writer screws up the chronology (assuming there is much of one as there is with my Winds of Change series) it could be fun for a reader to point out through an email or as a reviewer about the goof. Now, writers prefer the email option, but heck, it's up to readers to make their own choices if they do reviews at all (most do not). 

If though, readers have come to like a family or group of friends, sometimes a community, it is enjoyable to follow what happens next. If the books they are following are romances, they are assured of happy endings multiple times, endings that feel believable. Let's face it, real life too often does not give us that. We can use a break from negativity with stories that offer us a feel of how real life can be good even if it's not a life you know for yourself.

What I shared last week about my core beliefs show up a lot in a series. When we solidly, as writers, know the beliefs that guide our lives, they also work to guide the main characters in a series. There will be villains or those who have no such codes, and guess what happens to them? Justice is what we wish for in what we call real-life. 

Justice for behavior can be revealed by actions in books, especially series writing. I don't think writers need theirs written down as I did in 2005 and where I still agree with them for my life and my writing in 2025. Did I need to write them down? Maybe not, but it sure didn't hurt especially as I look for places in my stories where they can be illustrated and reveal the consequences that I do think play out in life, BUT we don't always see it happen. We can read it though and feel good that way. 

Not all books do that as some portray the dark side of life instead of the light side. Does that leave the reader feeling good, or for that matter, the writer? Maybe, but then I am only able to share here my life and writing.

Oh, and one other rule I have for what I write or want to read. Writers can kill even well-liked characters. I have done it, but do not kill a beloved pet, no mules, dogs, cats, or horses. If the series lasts many years and logically an animal will no longer be alive due to old age, don't put it in the book for me to read. That also works in movies. I've lost enough beloved animals in my real life. No way will I write that into one of my stories. It might make for drama, but you won't find it in one of my stories.

 

Echo from the Past had a lot of pluses for me to originally write it and bring it back now after it had a private break. It had been pulled, for about a year, from being previously published as Echoes from the Past. It had been removed over an Amazon title problem, which those who have followed my blog might remember. 

Instead of bringing it right back with a new title and ISBN, I wanted to work on it more with a desire to improve it when it returned (and the rest of the series that will come out later). Where the first four in Winds of Change were emphasizing the O'Brian family, the next four have main characters as the Taggert family, with the O'Brian's coming along as secondary but still part of the new plots.

This first Taggert story has been edited with some events added and more words to enrich the characters' experiences. Its hero though might be a surprise to those who read the first book in the series, since he also had a name change from that book, for a very good reason (another plus with series writing). I do find it fun being a writer with such options open. 

When the book had its original name, it also had a trailer. For those who enjoy such, here it is, giving the elements of the plot, which is still accurate but just with some fun additions (at least fun for me). Luckily I had bought the trailer images, other than when we had taken some photos ourselves. It's a plus to live in the state where I base a book.

With the book's new title and cover, it's available at Amazon for Kindles. It will also be wide as D2D works it out. It is a long novel with a lot about the West of that time and archaeology, which is what Holly uses to find the answers to her dreams that too often were nightmares. Is reincarnation true? She needs to know and fears the answer as much as seeks it. She is a headstrong young woman with a lot of courage, and she will need it. 

https://www.amazon.com/Echo-Past-Winds-Change-Book-ebook/dp/B0DSCFJ8TZ/

And this Universal Link should make it soon or already available at B&N; Google; Kobo; Apple; etc.

https://books2read.com/u/b6oMoA

Echo from the Past offers adventure, romance, the West, archaeology, all in that time, and yes, some spice. It also has the benefit of more books with characters the reader already knows-- but also the knowledge there is no need to read more in the series.

I am not good at ratings but maybe 4 stars for its heat level *s*

the hero's journey

by Rain Trueax

Last time I wrote about rejection, something most creative people have to learn to deal with if they want to continue creating original work. Copying what someone else did is different-- whether a painting or a book. Where it comes to fiction, there is work that has been proven successful and rules that help someone duplicate the exact pattern (in a romance that is when the couple might first kiss or have sex) and possibly have economic success. 

As a reader/writer, I've seen where certain specific plots get repeated over and over (some say that Shakespeare created all possible plots-- hence generally speaking, there is nothing new). One hopeful writer studied bestselling writers, came up with a pattern, followed it perfectly and wrote her own bestsellers. She was not trying to do creative work but rather make a living-- nothing wrong with that. Copying what has been successful has appeal for many readers and writers. There is a kind of security in it. 

What's up now

by Rain Trueax

It's been cool in the desert with more rain than last year but that promises a beautiful year for wildflowers. We've also enjoyed some amazing sunsets and once in a while sunrises.

Rather than going off and doing fun stuff or even looking for a fifth wheel trailer, to upgrade ours to something a little larger, we've had more time here at the house than we initially expected because of repair work that was needed-- most outside but some inside. I am starting to think in terms of storage here if this becomes our full-time home along with time in the trailer. 

a monster or more

by Rain Trueax

In 1992, I wrote my first paranormal, Sky Daughter, where the heroine returned to her grandfather's Idaho mountain after a series of losses. Once there, she learns things about her family that she hadn't expected when she finds her grandmother's Book of shadows-- a witch's compilation of her spells, potions, and experiences. Going against the rules as this book is only to be given to witches, Maggie's grandmother had left it for her with a note inside.

For the first time, Maggie understands why her mother had kept her away from her grandmother. This is only the first of what Maggie is about to discover in a world that isn't at all what she had believed. Something bigger, something unseen is out there. What is it? She has known many emotions, but fear is new to her. As I wrote, I contemplated an important point to the plot-- was what she felt real or her imagination coming from her losses? I reached the point where I had to decide. 

book trailers

Creating trailers for my books has become one of those things I generally do when I finish the rough draft. They help me write the blurbs, and I enjoy playing with images. If you have an interest in such, the ones I have created are at [Rainy Day Trailers] as well as on my Rain Trueax channels at YouTube. For reasons relating more to my lack of techie skills than a desire, I have two channels there with no idea how to merge them. This is the one with the most recent videos-- My YouTube Channel.

Because of discovering filters to use on photos, for the first time I put together the video with one of the apps. I like how besides looking like a painting, it gives the images a fantasy feel-- appropriate for a paranormal book where the 'other' side intrudes on what we consider the real world...



This following link takes you to it on YouTube if the embed is too slow. Much of how well videos work is dependent on the speed of someone's server. Mine varies in how effective it is. It can help to put it on pause and let it get ahead, in short, buffer. (My granddaughter taught me that one-- as often happens with techie stuff that they get far faster than I do).

A Price to be Paid

If you haven't seen the videos for the first two in the Hemstreet Witches series, they are at: 

 Enchantress' Secret

&

To Speak of Things Unseen

a guest post by author MK McClintock

Once in awhile it's nice to see a guest post to get a different perspective on writing and inspiration. Incidentally, I am open to other guest posts. Maybe you are a photographer, a poet, or have a memoir you just finished, and if you'd like to write about your process, your dream, what you have done, email me and let me see what you have in mind. Because this blog is loosely structured (even I don't know what I'll be writing next week) there is opportunity for guest writers. :)

10 Favorite Book & Movie Heroes of the West

By MK McClintock

Sometimes a book or movie hero comes along who sparks an interest and remains with you long after you’ve closed the page. It’s tough to choose only a few because I have many favorites, and every time I read (or write) a new book, I risk finding another to add to my list. Rather than giving you my only “favorites,” here are the ones who readily come to mind from western books and movies.

Five Favorite Heroes from Books

-         Ethan Gallagher: Of course it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’d start with one of my own characters. I love all of the heroes in my book so very much, but Ethan from the Montana Gallagher series was my first hero which makes him extra special. For all of his faults and stubbornness, he is as close to my ideal hero as I can imagine. Chivalry, love of family, strength, and good looks only scratch the surface.

-         Morgan Longstreet: The hero in Jo Goodman’s novel In Want of a Wife, is like most of her other heroes—flawed, likeable, and kind of makes a girl want to time-travel to the 1800s just so she can be a mail-order bride for a man like this.

-         Chandos: The surly hero in Johanna Lindsey’s A Heart So Wild isn’t the usual dashing hero one might swoon over, and while I don’t swoon, I do happen to like everything about him from his sense of justice to his multitude of flaws.

-         Thomas Redstone: Kaki Warner’s hero in Home by Morning isn’t my typical choice of a favorite hero, but something about him stuck with me. Kind, wounded, strong, and a heart filled with love for one woman.

-         Charley Collins: This guy is on my mind simply because I recently read Jodi Thomas’s Lone Heart Pass. I rarely add a contemporary hero to my list of favorites, but gosh darn it, I liked Charley. Another wounded “warrior” (sense a theme here) and all-around good guy who’s just trying to do what’s best for his family.

Five Favorite Heroes (actors) from Movies

-         Tom Selleck: I like just about any western movie he’s been in which means pick a character and he’s on my list. Even Quigley Down Under (which isn’t an American Western) counts in my book. Come on, it’s Tom Selleck.

-         Sam Elliott: Ditto what I wrote about Tom Selleck, although I must say that his character Conn Conagher in the movie Conagher tops my list. Haven’t seen it? Watch it and you’ll know what I mean.

-         Val Kilmer: Doc Holiday isn’t what you’d call a mainstream hero, but Val Kilmer plays the role so well in Tombstone. Humor, more flaws than any one person needs, and loyal as the day is long.

-         John Wayne: I’m not sure you could have a favorite list without JW on it. I’m partial to True Grit and Cowboys.

-         Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall: They get to share a spot because they both did a fantastic job in Open Range. If you want to give them more bonus points for individual movies, remember Dances with Wolves, Broken Trail, and Lonesome Dove.

Author Bio

MK McClintock is the award-winning author of several books and short stories, including the popular "Montana Gallagher" series, the "Crooked Creek" series set in post-Civil War Montana, and the highly-acclaimed "British Agent" novels. She spins tales of romance, adventure, and mystery set in the 1800s. With her heart deeply rooted in the past and her mind always on adventure, she lives a quiet life in the Rocky Mountains.

Learn more about MK by visiting her website: http://www.mkmcclintock.com.

You can also connect with MK online at: Books & Benches | Amazon | Facebook | Twitter

The Montana Gallaghers

One man could not destroy them. Another could not tear them apart. They fought for their family, their love, and their legacy . . . and they survived.

"The Montana Gallagher Collection is adventurous and romantic with scenes that transport you into the wild west." —InD'Tale Magazine

Escape to the old west with classic novels of family, adventure, and love from the Montana Gallagher collection. Adventure, danger, and timeless love—The Montana Gallaghers is a series about a frontier family's legacy, healing old wounds, and fighting for the land they love. Get ready for a romantic and adventure ride through nineteenth-century Montana Territory.

Current Titles in the Montana Gallagher Series:

Gallagher’s Pride

Gallagher’s Hope

Gallagher’s Choice

An Angel Called Gallagher

Journey to Hawks Peak (Coming late 2016)

Sexual Content Rating: Subtle/Clean Romance

Genre: Historical Western Romance/Western Adventure

regenerating

As I think I've probably mentioned before, my second Oregon historical, Where Dreams Go, will be available June 21 for both eBooks and paperbacks. This time I know the exact date for the eBook because for the first time we did a pre-release. The paperback might be dicier as if I want it to not be ahead of the eBook, it has to be estimated for how long it will take to go from approval of draft to published. For those who ordered the eBook, the iffyness of dates was made firm by pre-releasing. It will be delivered and available June 21, 2015.

This is a book that I wrote probably twenty years ago or more. It came about, as do many of my books, when I saw the potential in having a secondary character have their own story.

I've mentioned before that I like letting a book ruminate for some time before I type the first word. I do research during that time and play with ideas for what happens and which characters will be in the story. I don't ever say, as some authors do, that my characters take over from me. I will say what happens to them helps me see reactions and more actions as I get to knowing them better. I have a general plan but plenty of room for detours along the way. 


For Where Dreams Go, I did a cover back when it was going to have another title with no idea when it'd even be published. I do covers for all my books-- published or not. The first image, the one below, was when I was painting all my covers. It obviously never got used. While I like it, the hero actually looks wrong for the character, too old and he shouldn't have a mustache. Also these two look like they are experiencing more angst in their relationship than fits the book.

I got closer with another attempt. The Rose of Sharon is good imagery for a love story. All winter it looks like a shriveled stick with no hope of it ever blooming again, and then, there it is in all its glory--

But, there was a problem. While this book is about a woman who has given up on finding another love, it is also part of a series, and I couldn't come up with four flower titles that fit the four different romances. I did have one other good one for the couple in the third Oregon historical (cool digital painting for it also), but the first and fourth simply never found a symbolic flower that fit the story and sounded right for a title. Hence, I went looking for another message that would work for each. 

In Round the Bend, the theme is how we never know what is coming in life. We make assumptions, and plans, but they often are washed away by circumstances. The Trail itself was a sort of metaphor for that in our lives.

The second of the Oregon books is about our dreams, often the hidden goals we dare not voice. Through the characters' struggles, it illustrates good ways to fulfill a dream and ways that are self-defeating. 

When do we give up one dream for another? Is one dream for a lifetime realistic? Should dreams change as we do? Dreams help humans get through bad times, but they can be unrealistic or maybe we have given up too soon. Where Dreams Go was a perfect title for the book.

 Where Dreams Go

Book Trailer

blog changes

One thing I had decided several months ago is that blogging so much has been draining my fiction writing energy. The political campaigns probably did too as instead of thinking of my characters, debating what they would do next, researching what was historically happening at the time of the stories, I was reading political articles and figuring out my own analysis. It involved a lot of reading and a lot of thinking. It was very important to me to do that, but it was a detour that was not helping finish my books.

So Rainy Day Thoughts is going on a once a week schedule (most likely a Saturday). Although I am not sure what I'll write about, the topics which currently appeal are genetically altered food and seeds, global climate change, getting old, environment, religion/spirituality, preparing for disasters, where our culture is heading, philosophy of living, and I'm sure more will come to me.

It will not be political so much as social and physical regarding issues I think humans need to be thinking about-- as these are around the world issues. There might be a little US political push once in awhile as I do believe Americans can't afford to take the next two years off. We need to be informed and express our opinions if we want to see anything positive happen on a lot of important issues. It takes pressure from citizens despite citizens wanting to hide in a hole after this long and intense campaign cycle.

Less frequency here will enable me to put more thinking and time into my two historical romances (first time ever that I have had two books unfinished-- ack!). I also hope to write regularly in my creative/marketing blog, Rain Trueax where I will aim for one every two or three days. Writing professionally is a mix of creativity and marketing. Anybody who has actually put out books (ePub or traditional) knows this.

There are assorted reasons for having that second blog. I felt Rainy Day Thoughts didn't start out to sell my books. It was about ideas and life in general. It can still be the latter; but if I write about the books, my struggles with marketing or plots (a big part of my life these days), comments here dwindle into nothing, and I suspect it feels like spam to long-term readers. I've had that happen when a blog I had been reading suddenly turned to selling. I didn't like it either.

Independent writers of eBooks must have places to have their work seen as they aren't on any store shelf. My Rain Trueax blog is one of those for me. My goal for it is to see it develop a readership of those interested in creativity and/or are working on their own projects-- which could mean writing, painting, crafts or any of the many creative arenas. The problems aren't a lot different if you want to go beyond the hobby phase to actually selling.

There is a cost in cutting back on the frequency here as Thoughts has had a nice sized readership which I expect, with less frequent postings, to be reduced; but I need to balance life with the writing. Actually I have noticed a lot of bloggers, who've been doing it a long time (I began in 2005-- old posts are on a blog called Age Old Beauty), have also gone to less frequent postings-- if they are even still doing it.

I hope regular readers here, who would like more frequent entries and are interested in the life of a creator, will give Rain Trueax a try. I recognize that romances are very politically incorrect, not exactly the elite thing to write, but they are what I write. The blog, however, is about more than them. It's about creativity in all its moods and aspects. The blog list here will always have it with its latest topic. I'll mix my art in with it and openly invite other creative people to put up guest blogs.

Whether someone is aiming to write memoirs, sci fi, flash fiction, chick lit, romances, adventure stories, non-fiction, or the great American novel, I think sharing the work can help.

Much to my surprise, I've learned that I enjoy writing about writing and the philosophy behind my work-- and yes, romances can have a philosophy behind them. Mine express a lot of my cultural and political views-- although you're unlikely to ever see the words Democrat or Republican in them (never say never but I can say never to date). Not all romance writers cover controversial subjects as it does turn off a certain percentage of possible readers, but I wouldn't even write if I had to write pablum. I just hope gradually to find readers who also like something more than a happy ending with their romances.

Photo on top is from CanStock where I purchased the rights. It fits into one of the books I will be putting more energy into-- an historic romance set in Oregon after the Civil War. It got stopped, after getting about 20,000 words into it, by a need to re-edit my contemporary stories as well as do further research on a little known Indian War. I thought I'd get over to the area where it was set but summer was way crazy and it didn't happen. Maybe in the spring.

The other unfinished historical, the one likely to get my energy first, is set in southern Arizona of 1885-- another very interesting time. It follows a book, which is edited, ready to go and will be on Kindle the first part of December-- maybe :). It would be an apropos time as last December is when my publisher (Farm Boss) and I put out the first of my ten contemporaries. I will have opportunity for more photos of that area as I get back to Tucson in December.

So don't give up on Rainy Day Thoughts as it'll still be here, just less often.

Rain Trueax

El Tiradito, a Tucson wishing shrine (a plot factor in both Arizona historic romances).

From Here to There on a trailer (no, not that kind)

When I learned there were trailers for books, I went to YouTube and clicked on a few. They varied a lot in complexity and effectiveness. The idea of doing my own grew. I had already purchased some images because to have the covers meet reader expectation, I had invested some of the book money on stock photos. To put my trailers or anything else onto YouTube, as the place they most likely could be seen, all images, words, and music had to either be mine or where I had purchased the license.

Although I have now looked at quite a few stock photo sites, my favorite for economy and variety became Can Stock. It has several useful features. My favorite is if you see a model you like, you can click on an image, move to the purchase page, look below the image and click on a link that takes you to all available photos. That saves a lot of time. On these sites, there are all kinds of images. They also offer buying credits which makes the costs quite reasonable. I only wish in the beginning I had realized how many I'd be wanting for the different books as I'd have saved even more money.

Since my first trailers are all for contemporary stories, costuming wasn't a problem. I think though when I get to the historic books, if I put them onto Kindle, I can paint the clothes and use copy paste features when I have the right faces. Somebody would find a sweet business if they could put together stock photos of interesting faces in period costumes. More and more I think indie writers will be growing in numbers and the need is real for all kinds of images. Some, like me, are fortunate to have a lot of photos (minus people) but many don't have them and would buy them at a reasonable price. They are available now but in the hundreds of dollars.

 In looking for these characters,  I began to have the feeling I was casting a movie, and in a way I was. Naturally you cannot get exactly the face you want, but you can come close and with paint tools, alter what is needed. My initial resistance to doing this led to finding it a challenge but also rewarding when I hit on the right image.

When you purchase a license, you also acquire the right to make certain changes, to crop and use in an eBook with the stipulation you cannot sell more than 500,000 copies. Not a problem!

While looking at faces, I'd get tired of it (never have I looked at so many people for personality, features and pose) and look through my own photos for landscapes and animals (bringing back a lot of wonderful memories of the times we shot those photos). I frankly have enough animal, insect, landscape etc. shots to put up my own stock site if I so desired-- which I don't.

So what I needed were the right images, and not too many of them, accompanied by carefully chosen words. One night, literally in the middle of the night, I had the words for the first story trailer and got up to write them down as I was afraid when morning came, I'd have forgotten them. I know it sounds simple to find a few words but it's harder than it seems as you are looking to tell the essence of your story with those words and images-- a story that might be 80-140,000 words.

I already knew I had bought the right music from  Jewel Beat as every song there is $.99 and with it, you receive a license. For the same price you can choose it to last from 15 seconds to several minutes. They also have free music if you put the credit to them in the product. They offer real melodies with different emotional impacts. It is also easy to download and use.

Playing with different combinations of images, I used a combination of my own digital painting and a tool called Oilify --available on GIMP 2 (free software for your computer).  I could have digitally painted them all but that would have taken too much time. This was a nice mix of fast and fun-- as I enjoy painting digitally.

It took several go rounds to get the timing right and find one of the Picasa tools to move between photos. Again Picasa, which I use a lot for my photo work, is a free download. After I had the video up on Picasa, I found how to use YouTube and got myself a channel -- Rain Trueax YouTube Channel -- where in the future all my public videos (bookmark it as scenery also will be there with Jewelbeat music probably (or the classical that has an imbedded credit to them). I don't know how well the YouTube embedding will work for readers with slower systems but I learned how to make that work-- some of the time.

To create this trailer did take time, although I expect less so with the next. It's not really work for me. It's more like creating an art project. I want it to do what I want; and when it does, I get my reward. It has added to my love for this story and these characters. Plus I had fun as I always have when I've done scenery slideshows with music.

And for my readers who don't have the speed to watch a trailer on YouTube, for just this one, I put the photos into a slide show. You do miss the western themed music this way.

From Here to There -- Slideshow

I Sit Listening to the Wind

In my bookcase for some years, I have no idea how many, has been a thin little book called 'I Sit Listening to the Wind' about Woman's Encounter Within Herself by Judith Duerk. Sometimes I am drawn to buy such books and then they seem to sit for a long time until I see them, open them, and find they are just what I need right then and might not have been so meaningful to me another time.

The book is poetic, a sharing of women's thoughts and aimed mostly at women although the ideas could apply to men as well. It is about our human need to find balance between our masculine and feminine sides which according to Jungian thinking, we all have.

The chapters are quite short and aimed at reading one and then thinking about how it applies. It would be a wonderful book to do in a circle of women which is perhaps how it is intended. It would also be a good book for a woman to think about as her daughter was coming into maturity or her niece or a girl to whom she was close. It is really about being there on an intimate level for each other.

It is mostly aimed at old women with the emphasis that as we come to old age which can be a time for balancing our male and female energy, it is a time where we can open ourselves to the things a busy life before never permitted.

Now when I start throwing around terms like animus and anima, or yin and yang, assume I am no Jungian nor am I an expert in Chinese philosophy. I internalize what they mean more than finding myself able to accurately describe them to someone else. We all have both female and masculine characteristics. The female has the internal animus. The male the internal anima. That isn't always expressed but Jungian teaching would say it should be if we want to live most fully.

What this book is about is how in our culture the animus is rewarded in male or female, and it is what is needed to get through school, to attain and succeed at jobs. It is the focused energy of the yang, hard, analytical, tough, the ambitious side of humans. While the anima is the soft part, the dark, the yielding, the intuitive, the yin.

So (this is for the women here) we are born into the world as females, and we must learn to operate in a masculine realm. We toughen. We become more analytical. We compete. We may work too hard at developing our animus because we must. If we didn't find success ourselves, we might drive our daughters to find it and try to grow their masculine side instead of their feminine.

Then we come to old age and things have changed but have we?

When we are old, we do not have to do what we once did; but for some women, there is still this need to compete, to succeed, to justify, which drowns out the softer, intuitive, female side which has been buried for so long that it must be resurrected if we want to life fully for who we can be now. Some block it all out by being a perpetual Peter Pan, not admitting where they are but using the animus to direct their goals possibly haphazardly while there is no time for the intuitive anima. Busy busy busy and at what? That's the question of the book as well as how might our lives have been different if we had internalized all this years before?

It might seem this is all about women but the same would be true for men who now are freer, in old age, to release their softer sides, less compelled to be competitive-- or will they ever let that go in a culture that places the emphasis on the animus and the yang.

We can change it by opening ourselves up to the fullness of who we are. Or we can stay caught in the trappings of what we have been told we need to be.

"I feel as if I am becoming who I was meant to be. After all the years of outer-directed energy, I am coming home to the Feminine... coming home to myself. I am allowing myself to become a mature woman in the truest and deepest sense."

quote from 'I Sit Listening To The Wind'

The book ends with this thought--


Photo is mine. Words are from 'I Sit Listening to the Wind' by Judith Duerk