Diablo Canyon

 Because your question searches for deep meaning, I shall explain in simple words. ---- Dante Alighieri

created by Elena Ray, purchased from Canstock

There were several aspects to what made Diablo Canyon the key to everything that had come before, It was both a place and a goal. It also was part of what this earth and its nature is all about. Of course, also for me, with some changes to the novellas, it became the novel.

For the novel, mysticism was important, but so, was the physical reality of the earth on which we live. Is it really, what we think? We know that it's made up of many chemical aspects (names most of us have never heard). Our flesh, all that is below, and around us is made up of atoms/nucleus and whatever, is beyond that. What holds it together and gives it form is energy. This is the reality of life even though we operate on a physical level as though that what we see and feel, is all there is.

What makes Diablo Canyon important, beyond what I ever intended is the question of  the importance of physical ley lines. Do such energy lines exist? And if they do, how might that impact human life? In the book, the climax uses not only energy, what we see, but the spiritual stories that grew from the beginning of humans collecting them from religion and mythology. Are those stories fiction or might they reflect a reality that a more 'sophisticated population' rejects?

In the ending of Diablo Canyon, is presented a question. How do humans, even those with spiritual powers ,fight evil, that which would destroy or dominate them-- or can they?

The story, of course, depicts all of this, but there is something else. In some ways, the cover is about marketing, but it also can be the heart of the book, inspiration for reader and writer.

For Diablo Canyon, I came to see it needed more than images that would show the romantic couple, but go beyond for how they would fight wrong? Could a cover, one with three couples do that? Or might one couple depict the book's theme?

As usual, when putting together a cover, I looked at a lot of images. Most, I had purchased years earlier with no precise idea of how I could use them. Then, I came across two that worked for what I believed  the book needed.

The hero, of the book, was a 'druid', running a detective agency to solve problems that went beyond the physical. The image had to look like someone who could take charge. The one I found had an expression that looked as though he could deal with whatever was needed. I liked how his hands were tucked into his belt, but fist like. That expression in his eyes said he was looking for how he would use his power. He was in no hurry to rush into action, but would be ready at the instant he knew the time was right.

The heroine, his love interest, had been in the second book. Except there, she was an angel and spirit guide. To deal with what was happening in Diablo Canyon, the powers above, requested she become a human to bring strength to the needed warriors, along with her own, to fight for right. Some humans today think the spirit world has all the powers-- what if they were given the power to use and expected then, to do it. This one-time angel didn't feel she had those abilities, but turned out, she had a lot more going for her than she knew. It's all about ... energy.

For readers and writers, covers can impact the stories for which they are supposed to represent. I think this one did that for me. The rings in my dream are on it because they represent a love that hovers over a canyon that could lead to destruction or happily ever afters. And the hero and heroine on the cover, depict two ways of dealing with a huge problem. There is the suppressed power as the man waits for that moment where it will be unleashed. Then, the drawing up of spiritual energy by what might seem delicate hands.

 Having three novellas, then a novel with the spice the others didn't have, bothered me, in how I promote them. Four books? Three? One? If someone doesn't read the whole blurb and buys the novellas and then the novel, they might feel they were cheated. The novellas do have one extra feature-- Dante's quotes fit each chapter. What a philosopher/poet he was.

Remember tonight... for it is the beginning of always.     

Dante Alighieri

 

 

  Images purchased from Romance Novel Covers, and Stencil.

 Diablo Canyon

bad but part of life-- all of it.

 To start, I want to say that what went wrong with us is as nothing compared to other horrendous things-- especially right now, Maui. For us, it was more a string of one thing after another and the question of what might come next. Maui, the terror, lives lost, and loss of an historic town has been something I've followed all week and felt so bad for those living or vacationing there. It is part of life but not what we want to think could happen to anyone. I wrote this blog before the fires, but it is still meaningful for daily life-- usually-- and what do we do about it-- laugh or cry? Well, it's cry when it's huge, but for the rest, pick ourselves up and keep on keeping on.

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It seems to me I read bad things go in threes. So like accidents or items breaking down. We happen to have living proof it doesn't work that way, at least for us. This has been quite a spring,summer for breakdowns and repairs.

First, I think was the pickup truck-- just past its warranty but that would not be covered anyway. This was packrat damage (the little rascals). They evidently like to chew off hoses for their nests. The why of this is beyond human logic, but it required the truck to go into the shop overnight. Fortunately, they do provide rides-- but then they got money too.

It was around then that we realized we had to get new tires for the RV before it could drive north. They can look fine but they get hard and can be a disaster on a long drive.

In late April, we saw that our beloved orange male cat was going downhill. We knew from an earlier veterinary visit and tests that he had FIV. That is no death sentence, but it does cause major health problems. When it became obvious he was in pain, we called the traveling veterinary clinic that does euthanasia in the home. She came and gently he went on his way wherever that might be. Huge loss for us though but worth the cost to have it on his own sofa.  He was buried beside our other male cat that we lost a few years earlier, both with stone markers (names to come later on them)

Then a problem that involved me climbing into the vacation trailer. Although when we last used it, I managed fine, this year-- not so much when it came to the last step, higher than the others. Ranch Boss put on his thinking cap and ordered steps that wouldn't be that high and were sturdier... Turns out they also didn't allow the screen door to close. Back to the thinking cap, while I worked on exercises designed to strengthen old legs. This does not qualify as a breakdown unless I count me. Since I turn 80 this year, I guess that's to be expected unless someone has been running marathons maybe-- then, they probably already got knee or hip replacements....

We got lucky with finding a company that could move the second vacation trailer to my brother's property-- so that was a plus. He paid half the cost of its moving as well as for all of the tires it also needed to drive north.

In the high heat Tucson has been getting, what could go wrong? Turns out our air conditioner. It kind of cooled a bit but not enough. We called a business that had helped us before and they got a new one in place two days later. Amazingly fast but not without cost. A lot of it. 

Of course, after all the wind, the pool opted to have problems with the filter. Ranch Boss took care of that one but it did require a new filter.

Next was the morning when Ranch Boss's computer quit working. This was 'way-badder' since he had not saved his recent hours of work on computing our complicated taxes, where we had filed for an extension, off to the accountant... That meant the accountant had gotten the papers but we had nothing. He tried everything he knew but we are relying on the hopeful help from an expert, as it'd be a shame to lose all that work for our home files. The guy came to the house and all important data was recovered. It's still iffy if a new computer is needed.

We found that the vent for the gas hot water heater's pipe had apparently been disconnected in replacing the A/C; that might be taken care of by the company as just an accident, but we had spent the week waiting for their supposed return. Results on that still awaiting, as is any review on their work *s*.

I didn't count having the expert remove the diamondback from our front porch. It was a cost but not a breakdown as that is just part of nature as was later having a king snake killing one of the fledgling doves. They swallow them whole, and it takes time for them to digest. I'll spare you a photo of that. That was bad for the fledgling and its mama but good for the snake.

The monsoons were late this year and finally got here into August. We have gotten a bit of rain here but more fell other places and in some cases did damage from flooding and wind. Interesting summer so far *s*

The good part about all the unexpected costs is we could afford them. Nobody relishes trouble or its costs, but it does come along-- but so much at once, one after the other?

Computer sagas

 Yesterday, I posted this at Facebook but decided to share it here also as it might be a good warning for someone.

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Yesterday was not a great day for me in terms of the computer lol. Yes, most days are good with it.

 

We had gone into the attic and retrieved the printer that I'd used at the farm house before we went south. For many months, it had been stashed where it can get quite hot.

Surprisingly, it worked right away except for one important feature-- to me. The photo tray wasn't recognized. I am one of those people who print off our photos, often of the grandkids for the refrigerator but also for albums or collages. 

 

It took Ranch Boss about four hours to research what might be needed due to Microsoft updates to this older printer, and then to get his and my computers functional with the photo tray. I was thrilled that I could get the quality of printing that it did, and with cheaper ink costs than the printer we had bought (think cheapest HP) for the trailer. So that printer went into the boot as we will need it back in Arizona since we didn't have two functional printers at Casa Espiritu. That was all good but stressful until it was done-- even though I only sit and watch, maybe kibbitz a bit now and again. 

 

So, he was off to fix a cutting chute and I was writing and reading newspaper articles-- right up until I got the dire warning-- Microsoft Support-- do not dare to shut off your computer as you have been compromised (or words to that effect). What they did was lock down my computer totally. I could not close the screen or get to my own folders. Frozen. Because I did not believe it was Microsoft or that the phone number they wanted me to call would take me to Microsoft, I took the only option I had. I shut down my computer telling it to restart... It took a long time, but it came back. 

 

All looked well, until I tried to go online and got that warning back... And again--total lock-down. Without my computer techie here, I had to either wait for him (for who knows how long) or do the other thing they said not to do-- a hard stop by pushing the button long enough to turn it all black. I did it, then waited a bit, put it back on and this time no message. Everything worked fine. 

 

If I had gone to that number, I suspect I'd have gotten a ransomware notice as they claimed they'd walk me through what it'd take to redeem my computer from the grasp of hackers (who clearly they were). 

 

That is why I mention it here. The notice looks very official. It's not. I should be more careful where I go for research as not all out there is safe. Good reminder to me. All is not what it seems. 

 

(Update on the printer-- it now makes a squeaky sound when printing from the photo tray. Its story may not be over...)