When looking at several definitions of Sacrifice, a few words and phrases stand out – offering, relinquish, forfeiture, loss, and to sell or give away. Those are not attractive words/phrases. If one were to think of Sacrifice on those terms only, it would definitely not happen (maybe the offering part seems to be the only part with a positive vibe).
Sacrifice is a main theme on my novels. However, it is presented tied to Love and Duty. When we think of Sacrifice as part of those, somehow, the meaning of the above mentioned words/phrases take a different tone. For Love and Duty of the deepest and highest kind, we offer, relinquish, forfeit, lose, and give away anything and everything. Sacrifice becomes an act of Love, of Duty, and suddenly it becomes a form of exaltation, a high state of being, and instead, a great offering – giving instead of lack of, or losing something. It changes the meaning. This is why Sacrifice is bound to happen.
Food for thought – If you experienced Sacrifice, in what light did you view it, and how it affected your state of being? Think of the Why.
Duty – An act or a course of action that one should or must do. A moral obligation. A task assigned to or demanded of one. – American Heritage Dictionary
Duty is another main theme in my novels. Ramblings of the Spirit may be summarized (thematic) with this line – When destiny must fight to meet love, duty stands in the way.
As the above definition suggests, many times our duty goes beyond a task that is demanded of us, crossing into moral territory, and guided by the weight of our beliefs. It transcends the material into the spiritual, and it is then, when duty is bound by the material but being called into action by a higher or spiritual belief or value system that conflict is born. What a person (or a character) does to solve this internal conflict and find balance (or not) determines not only the course of action, but future events. It is then that true heroes emerge, and the embodiment of duty becomes reality.
Many times, duty and sacrifice go hand in hand; other times, duty goes beyond sacrifice, reaching the realms of an ideal that becomes more important than the sacrifice itself. The sacrifice becomes a vessel, a vehicle to fulfill duty. Understanding how our mind works through these scenarios, while relating it to the material and spiritual perspectives, will help us create more complex characters that become more real and human as the story progresses.
In short, we might have never been in the character’s shoes, but that does not prevent us as writers, to embrace the character’s psyche or transcend into their spiritual realm/value system. As writers, it is our duty.
I will be giving away three copies of Ramblings of the Spirit, the first book of the trilogy The Dinorah Chronicles. To enter for a chance to win one of the three copies, just like my Facebook page (link at the right of the screen on this blog) and that is all you have to do. I will announce the three winners on May 20, which is the birth date of the person to whom I have dedicated this book – my maternal grandmother.
Ramblings of the Spirit is a story about the conflict between Duty, Friendship, and Love. In this paranormal romance, Dinorah Sandbeck, an introverted young librarian, resents her Human-Anarth origins and must find a way to fulfill her birthright duty while keeping the secret. As she learns the Anarth ways, she must follow the teachings of an ancient tome, but she falls in love with James Casey, a journalist, and she struggles to keep her secret safe. She must learn to fight her archenemy Hael and The Other Side, but most of all, she must fight herself. In this battle of Self, Love, and Duty, winning is the least of her concerns.
Excerpt – “I picked up the book again and slowly placed it on my bed. I was not sure if opening it or let it be. I laughed at myself. The impression of the dream was so real in my mind that I thought I felt the book’s heartbeat. I turned to go to the kitchen when I heard a thump. I looked back; the book had opened. This time, I mustered the courage to look at the page. It was the page of the boy and the serpent; however, the image had changed. Now, I was looking at my dream. Spilled all over the ground were human hearts; next to the boy, I saw a key, and next to it a heart with wings that seemed to bleed. I grabbed the loupe from the nightstand to inspect the picture. There were initials printed on the heart – DS. What could it mean? Only one thing came to mind – Dinorah Sandbeck” – Chapter 21 – The Thump of the Bleeding Hearts.
Book trailer
That was just a bit about the book, and here is a picture of what the lucky winners will be getting – a copy of the book and bookmarks. If you want the chance to win a copy, please follow the link on this blog to like my Facebook page and enter the giveaway. Ramblings of the Spiritis available in ebook or paperback through Amazon.
THE DINORAH CHRONICLES – RAMBLINGS OF THE SPIRIT – Book 1
I am very happy to tell you that The Dinorah Chronicles – Ramblings of the Spirit(Book 1 of the trilogy) is available. Here is a bit about it.
Dinorah, an introverted young librarian, resents her Human-Anarth origins and must find a way to fulfill her birthright duty, while keeping the secret. As she learns the Anarth ways and follows the riddled teachings of an ancient tome, she falls in love and struggles to keep her secret. She must fight her archenemy Hael, and The Other Side, but most of all, she must fight herself. In this battle of Self, Love, and Duty, winning is the least of her concerns.
You can find TheDinorah Chronicles – Ramblings of the Spirit in paperback edition here or through Amazon here. At this moment I am not offering it via Smashwords. Remember that you can always download a free kindle app from Amazon to your computer, if you don’t have a kindle. In addition, you can download the novel on PDF format as well. For more information, you can always visit the novels tab on this blog.
Here are pictures of the front and back covers. I hope you like them.
Cover for Ramblings of the Spirit (The Dinorah Chronicles) – Girl Image by Lunagirl Images. Design by Maria Antonia Diaz
back cover design by MAD
I am working on book 2 of The Dinorah Chronicles trilogy – The Book of Sharon, and hoping to publish it before the end of this year.
Inkspeare 