A Blessed Gift Of Inspiration - A New Muse

One of the best things I've done to nurture my writing is become a member on an online writing club. Not only does it help being part of a close knit community where everyone rallies around each other but you can also pick up some amazing tips to enhance your writing. The other day, Elizabeth from Some Sharp Words shared a list of what to do when you just don't feel like it. There was some great tips and one of the suggestions was to watch something that makes you think. It sounded like a good idea - I use listening to music to inspire me so it wasn't that much of a stretch to include movies and TV. Never has a truer tip been shared!! Tonight, out of the blue, my husband came and turned the bedroom television on and the program was showing PBS 25th Anniversary of Les Miserables. It was a tribute to the musical and instantly I was riveted. I remember watching the musical live on stage in my teens and ever since it's held a very dear place in my heart. Before I knew I was singing with tears streaming down my cheeks and goosebumps from how powerful the songs/music was. This was a gift in and of itself but I was given more - I was given the true muse for my historical romance The Curse of Illusions and a touching character trait. Intrigued?




Aidan St James is the hero for this story and I'd chosen Henry Cavill to play him. He definitely has the look of a Lord so I thought nothing of choosing him. To know a little about Aidan - he is a tortured man.. a man cursed. Rumors abound of his cruelty and harsh demeanour. Even with the face that enchants even the hardest of womens heart, he inspires fear in all those who've heard of him. There is darkness in him and he's wrapped in mystery. Can you picture him?  This is Henry Cavill...

Close.... but look at the gift I received....

Ramin Karimloo



This is Aidan St James. Okay... Even I can see there's some similarity in both SEXY men. So what made me change muses? I'm going to show you a video of Les Miserable with Ramin and you'll see why.

THE MAN HAS PRESENCE!! UBER PRESENCE!!

It also gave me the idea that Aidan may have the face of an enchanter and the heart of the devil BUT he will have the voice of an angel. I can already see the scene of my heroine stumbling across him singing at a graveside and feeling confused as the beauty touches her. *sighs* I'm REALLY excited about this and VERY grateful for this gift tonight. Just wanted to share!!

For an extra treat - here's him singing a song from Love Never Dies, the sequel to The Phantom Of The Opera. Radim is the Phantom.