Inspiration
for SEE ME…
By
Natalie-Nicole Bates
I did not begin as a
writer. For many years I was simply a book lover who turned reviewer. About two
years ago, I decided to start writing my own novel. A year later, I was a
happily published author of two contemporary romances.
I was always fascinated
by paranormal romance. But as a reviewer, I watched the paranormal market
literally explode. Vampires, werewolves, shifters, even zombies were making
appearances at an alarming rate. Writers were writing these markets and writing
well.
So what to do?
Inspiration came fast. I
am an avid collector of Victorian-era photography. To me, there is much beauty
in these old photographs, and to my delight—much inspiration as well.
My first published
paranormal short story, Antique Charming, was centred on a cabinet card from
1896 of a man standing outside of a funeral home.
Antique Charming was
successful, but could I write a paranormal that would be a longer length than
Antique Charming?
Once again, I returned to
my photographs. I had recently bought a Carte de Viste (1860’s) of a beautiful
little girl about age 3, her photo surrounded by a memorial wreath. In my mind,
Baby Charlotte was born.
SEE ME begins in 1896,
where we meet sixteen year old Charlotte. Charlotte always knew she was
special, but never knew why. She believed it all stemmed from a near drowning
incident when she was three. An incident her family members refused to speak
of.
Her hunch comes true one
day in 1896 during a lumber yard fire when her true powers reach fruition.
One very small photograph
from the 1860’s suddenly became one huge idea for a novella.
I then went in search of
my Daniel Tremont, the hero of SEE ME. Daniel’s inspiration is a magnificent
1860’s Daguerreotype of a young man. The matt on this photograph is purple,
which is usually the colour of significance for mourning, which means this
young man probably passed away young. He was perfect.
Sometimes what you know
well can be a powerful ally. In writing, this is so true. I took my love for
Victorian photography and turned it into a plot for a novella that combines
romance, paranormal, and a touch of my beloved horror.
I hope you will read SEE
ME, now available at Leap of Faith Publishing. To view the photographs that
inspired both SEE ME as well as Antique Charming, visit my new blog Ghosts and
Phantoms at: http://ghostsandphantoms.blogspot.co.uk/
SEE ME
by Natalie-Nicole Bates
Carly Anders is hearing voices in her head. Another one of
her kind is trying to contact her. She knows of the malevolent freaks—others who are eternal like her and seek out the
weak to inflict pain upon. For years, Carly has held up huge protective walls
to keep herself and her secrets safe. Now, physically and mentally exhausted,
Carly needs protection and rest.
She accepts the
invitation to visit an internet friend who needs help appraising a collection of
antique photographs. The situation is
not ideal, but Carly hopes a male presence in her life will deter the
determined suitor who haunts her thoughts and dreams.
Daniel Tremont is not
what Carly is expecting.
The former funeral
director has a secret of his own. Not only is he eternal like Carly, he is her
creation from all those years before—her abomination she thought she killed.
Daniel has been
searching for Carly for years. He knows she is the piece of his life that he
has been missing for so long. Now that he has found her, he has no intentions
of letting her go.
Buy from -- Leap
of Faith Publishing
Excerpt:
He waved a hand in front of her
face, but she didn’t blink. The lights
are on, but no one’s home.
“Carly, my angel,” he whispered and
cupped her cheek into his palm. He revealed in the silkiness and warmth of her
skin. Still, she didn’t react. She was almost…a zombie.
His own body jerked in reaction to
the fear she was emanating. She was clearly sleepwalking and in the throes of
one hell of a nightmare, yet she didn’t cry out any longer. It was all now
playing out inside her mind.
“Charlotte, see me,” he implored.
Her lips twitched at the mention of
her real name.
“See me,” he repeated.
Suddenly, her body gave way and she
collapsed. Catching her, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the
bed. As he laid her down, her breathing became ragged. He placed a hand over
her heart as it raced, and passed healing calmness through his hand, feeling
the energy pulsate against her skin. Beneath his hand, he would feel her
heartbeat slow to a normal rhythm.
“Daniel?” Her voice was mere caress.
“I’m here, my angel. You’re having a
nightmare. You’re frightened. It’s okay now, I’m here, and I will never leave
you,” he promised.
“Everyone leaves, Daniel. You can’t
understand, you can’t…” Her body started to tremble.
He climbed onto the bed and
straddled her body. Leaning close to her face, he said, “Carly, let go of your
fear. I can take it. Let go and see me,” he commanded.
Her breath came out in a whoosh, and
a wall of fear and resistance hit him like a blow from above. It wasn’t exactly
painful, more startling than anything else.
His vision flip-flopped, and he
could see an image from inside her mind of two souls forever entwined as the
result of one act. It made perfect sense. She was reliving the day their souls
became one. The day of the fire.
He then saw black, suffocating
water. She was reliving her own death, as well.
As the visions left him, he was
consumed with the mishmash of fear, loneliness, and resistance within her.
He had to make her understand that
it was over. “I will never leave you, Carly. That is my promise to you,” he
insisted.
A flicker of life ignited in her
eyes. Her hands came up to his face, and to Daniel’s surprise, tears bubbled
from his own eyes. He was releasing the pain and fear he had absorbed from his
beloved.
“I’m so sorry, Daniel, so sorry,” she
murmured.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for, my
love. It’s over. It’s time to move forward now.”
“You don’t understand what I am,
Daniel.”
“I do understand, Carly. I am what
you are. See me for what I am.”
In his mind, he could see the moving
clockwork gears of her thoughts once again as she tried to process what he was
telling her to be true.
“Just accept it, and let’s move
forward.”
She drew his face to hers and her
lips parted beneath his. Time blurred and he drank in the essence of his Carly.
Her soft, barely covered curves molded themselves against his the hard planes
of his body. Her hands were under his t-shirt, her fingers stroking him.
If he pressed on, he knew she
wouldn’t refuse him. But in her vulnerable state, he wouldn’t let anything
progress further that night. Carly needed time to process everything that
happened. There was plenty of time to pursue a physical relationship. They
weren’t going anywhere…he hoped.
About
the Author:
Natalie-Nicole Bates is
a book reviewer and author.
Her passions in life
include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and
antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey
to being born in Russia.
She currently resides in
the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of
19th century post-mortem photos.
Visit Natalie online at www.natalienicolebates.com
Twitter: BatesNatalie
Natalie is giving away 2 pdfs and See Me perfume sets.
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Kacey~Thank you so much for hosting SEE ME at your beautiful blog! I truly appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteHi Natalie-Nicole,
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating hobby and how terrific it served as inspiration for your books too.
Chris K