Waibel's World: inspiration

[Wipes away the cobwebs hanging everywhere and shakes the dust from the curtains.]

Hi! I bet you thought I'd abandoned this place, didn't you? Well, I just took a short leave of absence. And now I'm back.

Because I missed last month's topic, I thought I'd give you a quick post on where I get inspiration before diving into this month's topic. I find inspiration everywhere. In a song. In a lyric. In an image. I once had a book idea come to me from a name in the credits at the end of a movie. I just need to find the time (and focus!) to develop the ideas I find.

Now, on to guilty pleasures. Here's a couple of mine!

First...Anime. I love to watch Anime. In fact, I just finished re-watching Vampire Knight for the somethingth time (yeah, I've lost count.) I don't know what it is about that show, but I can binge watch all 26 episodes in 2 days.

I also love Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. While I enjoyed Fullmetal Alchemist, it was almost like reading a draft of a finished novel when compared to Brotherhood. They share a similar story line, but Brotherhood was much more developed. I highly recommend Brotherhood to anyone new to Anime. It's an amazing story you don't want to miss.

Second...Movies. Recently I've been obsessed with watching Pride and Prejudice (the one with Keira Knightly). I've been waiting for it to come back on Netflix, and in the meantime I watched Pride and Prejudice the mini-series with Colin Firth. While this had more character development, I still find myself partial to the Matthew MacFadyen's Mr. Darcy. (He's good to watch in Ripper Street, too!)

What are some of your guilty pleasures?

Don't forget to stop by Katie and Kai's blogs to see their guilty pleasures!

Ripples in the Inkwell is a themed meme hosted by Katie L. Carroll, Kai Strand, and me, Mary Waibel. We post on the first Monday of every month. If you would like to participate compose your own post regarding the theme of the month, include any of the images displayed on the #InkRipples tab above, and link back to our three blogs. Feel free to post whenever you want during the month, but be sure to include #inkripples when you promote so readers can find you. The idea is that we toss a word or idea into the inkwell and each post is a new ripple. There is no wrong interpretation.

Today I'm excited to be hosting Erin Rhew. Erin is celebrating the release of The Fulfillment (Book 3 of The Fulfillment series). Congrats Erin!

Thank you, Mary, for hosting me to on my blog tour for The Fulfillment Series! ((HUGS)) Hello to all of Mary’s followers!!

Today Mary asked me to write about my inspiration for The Fulfillment Series, its world, and the characters. Before I delve into that topic, I’d like to say that I believe inspiration can be found anywhere. All aspects of life—the good, the bad, and the ugly—can be a springboard for creativity. I challenge you all to look at the world, the people, and the art around you. Let your mind wander. Let your imagination soar.

I can’t exactly trace the origins of The Fulfillment Series to any one thing or person. The inspiration for it came more from a collection of ideas. One night, as I watched a movie based on Arthurian legend, the words Ethereal and Vanguard popped into my mind, and I just knew they were two warring nations. Over the next few days, character names joined the two kingdoms: Layla, Wil, Nash, Samson. A story took root. At the time, I’d been reading the Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin. I liked the idea of combining olden times (castles, kings, queens, etc.) with fantastical elements, so I think reading that series definitely influenced my story. When I sent out my query letters, I labeled The Fulfillment Series “Game of Thrones meets Arthurian legend.”

After the idea sprung to life, I wrote a brief three-paragraph synopsis and sent it to my friends. These four ladies eventually became my Dream Team and a source of great inspiration and accountability for me. I asked them if the little blurb I wrote would be a story they’d be interested in reading. All four gave an enthusiastic “yes,” so I started writing. Whenever I found myself stuck in the story or on a logical hang-up, I called one (or sometimes all four) of my Dream Team Members to ask for help.

Sometimes when I am creatively stumped, I seek inspiration from artistic sources that spark my imagination—books, arts, television, movies, etc. I love that moment when I’m watching or reading a really great story, and I feel my own creative juices start flowing. Ideas form—sometimes in a trickle, sometimes in a torrent—and before I know it, I’m back on track.

I encourage you to go out and experience the world: fall in love, get your heart broken, make mistakes, take risks, go on adventures, talk to fascinating people, sit in silence and ponder, pursue a seemingly impossible dream. Let all those moments, all the people you meet, all the beauty you encounter serve as muses for your own art.

Thank you again for hosting me, Mary! I hope everyone will give The Fulfillment a read!

The Dream Team (left to right: Danielle Craver, Dawn Ward, Ginny Hunsberger, and Kim Sharp. I’m kneeling!)

Back Cover

Layla’s world tumbles out of control when she discovers the truth of her parentage and realizes the Prophecy—the one she upended her entire life to defend—is incomplete. When her new friends share the entire Prophecy, the revelations contained within it alter her destiny and challenge everything she and Wil believe in. Now, she must confront the Outlander queen to save the Ethereal kingdom while grappling with this new reality.

Tortured and imprisoned, Nash accepts his fate and offers the First Ones the one thing he has left to give: his life. In a desperate attempt to save the people he loves most, he surrenders himself to the Outlander queen and a destiny darker than he could have ever dreamed possible.

Wil, tormented by the consequences of his choices, realizes he may never be able to uphold his end of the Prophecy. His mistake casts a deep, foreboding shadow over his kingdom and those he loves, while its ripples threaten to shatter both the Prophecy and everything he and his family have sworn to protect.

In this epic conclusion, lives are lost, kingdoms clash, friendships are tested, and love and fate collide.

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fulfillment-Erin-Rhew-ebook/dp/B015BX29TA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443994594&sr=8-1&keywords=the+fulfillment+erin+rhew

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/erin+rhew?_requestid=283340

About the Author

Erin Rhew is an editor, a running coach, and the author of The Fulfillment Series. Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word. She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the "Grammar Police."

A Southern girl by blood and birth, Erin now lives in a rainy pocket of the Pacific Northwest with the amazingly talented (and totally handsome) writer Deek Rhew and their “overly fluffy,” patient-as-a-saint writing assistant, a tabby cat named Trinity. She and Deek enjoy reading aloud to one another, running, lifting, boxing, eating chocolate, and writing side-by-side.