Blatant Blather

Pat Rice here:

Happy, happy New Year! I’m just back from visiting family in gorgeous California and Mexico and not ready to accept winter, but the year is still bright and shiny and anything can happen...

First, I’m supposed to tell you that THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC comes out tomorrow. Which means, of course I’m blathering about it in hopes some of you might be curious enough to actually buy it. Surely you have a few gift certificates kicking around burning a hole in your pocket? Or maybe someone gave you a new e-reader and you want to try it out? It would make a lovely new year’s present for me if the book shot up the charts! 

Those of you familiar with my historical MAGIC series will know what I mean when I say LURE is about the descendants of the magical Malcolms and the logical Ives. Those of you who are not familiar with the series can pick up MERELY MAGIC in print or digital and find MUST BE MAGIC this spring from Sourcebooks Casablanca, but they’re not at all necessary to read this story. It’s just fun knowing that those Georgians who didn’t even know the word psychic have many great-grandchildren running around today’s world with odd gifts as my Malcolms called them.

My Malcolm in LURE is Philippa Syrene Malcolm James, Syrene being the stage name she used as a child singing sensation. The book is set ten years after she crashed and burned at the age of seventeen, convinced her voice kills. Since Pippa, as she’s called now, was abandoned by the side of the road at the age of four, she knows nothing of her Malcolm ancestors or the magical gifts they possess. She just knows her voice is dangerous, and she has spent the last ten years hiding from her past, learning to control her passions and her brilliant soprano. She’s built a rigidly controlled life in a small town in the hills above L.A. where she has friends who like her as she is and know nothing about who she was.

(Photo is from southern California and not the hills above L.A.  I've never learned to organize my photo albums!)


And then along comes my Ives—Dylan Ives Oswin, known as Oz for short, because he’s a wizard in the Hollywood production industry for never taking no for an answer. Unfortunately, he’s a failure at family life. His wife died in a tragic car accident and his son was kidnapped by the nanny. Can you blame the man for being desperate when he receives a clue that the former child singing sensation Syrene might be able to help him find his son? Being a logical Ives, he’s not going to believe her voice can kill.

Being a soft-hearted Malcolm, Pippa can’t let a child be abandoned as she once was. But she can’t go back to being Syrene, so how is she supposed to help anyone? It’s a mystery, all right. Before they solve it, they have an entire town dancing to their tunes and behaving like clowns while Oz tracks down Pippa’s past. This isn’t suspense but pure romance.

I had an amazing amount of fun writing LURE. It’s one of those books that make the long hard hours of writing worth every minute. I really hope the magic comes through to my readers as well. If you’re interested in hearing more, there’s a sample on my website at http://patriciarice.com/and my blog schedule is on my Musing On Writing blog.

Do you believe some people are magically gifted? Do psychics simply use parts of their brains that the rest of us don’t recognize? Or do you think psychics are a hoax and brilliant singers like Charlotte Church have just been granted an extra dollop of DNA to enhance their abilities?

Sourcebooks will send two commenters a copy of LURE, so don’t be shy about expressing your opinion!

Comments

[LilMissMolly]

Hi Patricia! I love your stories, and especially the magical series. I can't wait to read the new one! Please keep 'em coming!

[Annie]

I enjoyed your fascinating and unique post today. There are many gifted and talented individuals whose talents and abilities are recognized as brilliant and unique. Jackie Evanko is amazing and has a voice that is extraordinary. I admire these people greatly since they give us pleasure and are singers, artists, writers and are special. Psychics do have abilities and are not for the most part a hoax. At times during my life I felt things that did happen, but I think that psychics can feel and sense more than ordinary people.

[Barbara Elness]

I'm not sure - I'd like to believe in magic and sometimes it seems like some people just have so much talent it can't be natural. But I have a hard time believing in things I can't prove, even though the easiest answer is "it must be magic."

[Cate S]

yup... some people are execeptionally talented and that includes psychic abilities.

[ruth]

Your thought provoking post was wonderful. Your novel which is intriguing and compelling would be a treasure to read. Many young men and women who are not merely talanted but extraordinarily amazing in their field of endeavour work long and hard to achieve the results. I believe that they are prodigies. Phychics have an inner depth and a rare sensitivity that allows them this uniqueness of seeing further than others.

[Patricia Rice]

I think, as in all things, there can be fake psychics, which is what makes it difficult to trust what we can't see.

Has anyone ever met a person with ESP of any sort?

[Shelley Bagby]

I am a retired teacher. I have had many students who are gifted in many areas. These are very young children who were born with special gifts. So yes, I believe in gifts.

[theo]

I think the world would be a very boring place indeed without a brush of magic. It's just that some places (like Scotland) are much more magic than others.

[Linda]

Happy New Year!

I'd like to believe in magic but sometimes it's hard to in this mundane world. Probably that's why I love reading romance & fantasy!

[LouisaCornell]

I think there are many people who have elected to keep the senses we have as children. The majority of people outgrow those extra senses and forget how to use them. Those senses are the ones that allow children to carry on entire conversations with dogs or butterflies or flowers. They are the ones that allow dogs and children to see the spirits of those who have exited this plain of existence. Unfortunately the majority of us outgrow these senses or allow ourselves to be educated out of them.

Both as a professional singer and as a voice teacher I have met many people with extraordinary musical gifts. Technique can be taught, but the gift is something only God can give. It is the difference between those who are musicians and those who want to be.

Any creative endeavor can be magic if the creator is in touch with the magic inside the child who still lives in their heart.

[Patricia Rice]

interesting about Scotland (and probably Ireland). Belief is stronger or a gap in the space/time continuum?

Linda, glad you're willing to imagine!

Shelley, teachers are in the ideal position to foster 'otherness.' Bless you for recognizing the gifted!

[Theresa N]

I think everyone has a little magic in them, some are just better at using it than others.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Having read LURE, I can vouch for what a great story and great characters Pat has created! And yes, I've known people with psychic gifts. There are more things under heaven....

[Anne Gracie]

Pat, I LOVE the sound of this book, love the idea that Pippa was abandoned on the side of the road at 4 — well, not that she was abandoned, of course, but the idea of her not knowing about her ancestry.

I'm neither a believer not a non-believer. There are more things, HoratiPat in heaven and earth... etc.

[Betty Hamilton]

I am so escited that you have another "Magic" book out!! I loved your historicals and look forward to this book. I do believe that some of us have gifts. I don't know why not all of us are so blessed. However, some phychics say that we just hven't learned how to use our own gifts.

[Maureen]

Congratulations on the new book! I think amazing singing abilities and psychic abilities are gifts but they need a lot of help to become amazing talents.

[Kristie Vincent]

I have to think that its a mixture of both DNA and natural ability. What/Who are is passed down thru the generations so wouldn't that also include our talents - psychic or otherwise? I can't wait to get started on another interesting series! Thanks so much!

[Minna]

If someone claims to be a psychic, it's most likely a hoax.

[Diane Sallans]

Some people are definitely especially gifted in their talents, but environment, opportunity & work ethic play a big part in bringing it out. As far as psychics go, I think it's possible, but probably many proclaimed psychics are cons.

[eli yanti]

Hi Patricia,

I do believe in magically gifted and i dont know but i think being an author is on of the magical of brain and creativity ;)