Raeshell Rozet's Blog: My Writing Journal - Posts Tagged "spirit-and-the-wolfman-series"

My new book, Spirit and the Phoenix (Book #3 in the Spirit and the Wolfman Series) is now available on Amazon!

Here’s a copy of the book blurb on the back cover:

Time is running out. A pack of bloodthirsty werewolves, the First Descendants, are coming to destroy everyone that Spirit Taylor loves. Can she unlock her power as a Phoenix before it’s too late to save them?

In this third book of the Spirit and the Wolfman Series, Spirit’s love for Jack will be tested. To unleash her power, Spirit must uncover the truth about her past. Jeremy Curtis is the only one who can help her do that.

Unfortunately, Jeremy happens to be her vampire ex-boyfriend from a previous life. He has been in love with her for centuries. Now that he knows she’s alive, Jeremy wants her back.

If you’re looking for a magical romance with a touch of gothic flair, join Spirit as she wrestles not only with monsters from the Underworld but also with a heart torn between two great loves.

I’m so excited to share this story with you. I’ve worked on it for the past year and a half. Jack and Spirit’s love story is a complicated one! But their story isn’t over yet. I’m already working on Book #4, which will most likely be the finale.

To learn more about the Spirit and the Wolfman Series, visit http://linktr.ee/raeshellrozet

"Life is a spiral drilling down to the core of each of us. What we are meant to be, our purpose in life, is simply to accept ourselves the way we are and share our gifts."
--from my writing journal, R.Rozet

Before working on my books each day (current work-in-progress is Book #4 in the Spirit and the Wolfman Series), I spend time writing in my personal journal. It helps to prime the writing pump and explore my inner terrain. The above quote is what popped out of my head and onto the page this morning.

Maybe you can relate to this?

I feel like a frequent traveler on the archetypal hero’s journey, with many bumps, bruises, and lessons learned along the way. And I was wondering why?

We live in a world with so much noise and advice that we often lose sight of who we are, and that more importantly, who we are is enough. We look outside ourselves to figure out how to get ahead, be successful, and be happy.

We go on the hero’s journey, climb the mountain, and see clearly for a moment but are quickly enticed away by a new horizon with promises that if we only buy this, be like this person, or have this career life will be better. We forget what we learn.

And so, life takes us on another quest, another hero’s journey, to teach us, once again, what we keep forgetting.

Each book I write is an autobiographical allegory complete with monsters and grey characters. I think of them as fairy tales, illustrated with gothic touches and romance to hold my attention, so I will remember (for a time at least or whenever I reread them), the lessons life has taught me. I share my books and hope that the stories might do the same for others.

Are you on a hero’s journey? Is this your first adventure or have you traveled this familiar road more than once? What have you learned? What gifts have you brought back to share?

Thanks for reading! Please subscribe to the blog if you’d like to see more from my writing journal and updates on future book releases.

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linktr.ee/raeshellrozet

One of my favorite writers is Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes. She wrote the best-selling book, “Women Who Run with the Wolves.” Not only is she a brilliant writer, but she’s also a psychologist. Dr. Estes shares myths and fairytales and then uses the stories as a means to examine real life. To ask the big questions. The ones that stump us.

My bachelor’s degree is in Developmental Psychology. And like Dr. Estes, I’ve always been fascinated with stories and people. I remember being six years old and finding a psychology book. It was love at first sight. Reading came easy to me, so even at that age, I was able to start studying and appreciating the complexity of human nature.

My books are my archive of the lessons I’ve learned either through my own experiences or by observing the experiences of others. Like fairytales, I use characters and fantastical settings to illustrate things I don’t want to forget. Didn’t we all learn the danger of talking to a stranger from reading Little Red Riding Hood?

I write my books with the same intention. Hopefully, I create stories with enough emotion and drama that the themes stay with the reader (and me) even after the story is finished. At least, that’s my goal.

My form of preparatory research for writing my books is to devour psychology books in the early morning, while I eat my oatmeal and drink my tea. This is where I get my ideas.

If you read my Spirit and the Wolfman Series closely, you might notice that one character is a narcissist. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I won’t mention which one. I’ve read many books about narcissism, and unfortunately, have had experiences with one in real life. Part of the motivation of writing that character was to create a reminder of what a narcissist looks like, so I can run the other way if I see one again.

I’m taking a new direction with my blog. I’d like to share more behind the scenes thoughts I have about the psychology woven within my fantasy books.

Also, I’ll be talking about the shows and stories I love to watch and read, and more importantly, what I learn from them. I’m an addict of Asian Fantasy (currently binge- watching k-drama Hotel Del Luna on Netflix). As for reading, I’m working my way through “Love and Work” by Marcus Buckingham. I'll be sharing my thoughts about these and other books/shows in the future.

Please subscribe to the blog and share the journey with me! I’d love to hear your thoughts.

What important life lessons have you learned from a story?

I write fantasy romance novels, so of course, my stories are make-believe. But my inspiration for my stories often come from ideas I discover while reading nonfiction. My latest favorite read is Marcus Buckingham's, Love and Work. It was a fascinating, eye-opening read, that was chockful of intriguing insights. Honestly, I can't recommend this book enough.

I have a degree in Developmental Psychology, so I'm drawn to books that delve into why people do what they do and how things might work better if we take a different perspective. Marcus Buckingham does a brilliant job at exploring both ideas.

The key takeaway, if I can choose only one to give you as a teaser to read this book for yourself, is his definition of a strength. According to Marcus Buckingham, "A strength is what strengthens you." It's not necessarily what you're good at, and more surprising, just because your good at something doesn't make it a strength. As he often points out, if you're great at something but it depletes you, it's actually a weakness. He also clarifies that we are the only ones who can decide what strengthens us, and that these strengths are something that we are born with.

For example, I once worked as an online math tutor. I did quite well at it. I always had great reviews from my supervisor. But although I was good at my job, I was drained at the end of every shift. I had the energy of a slug. It's not a strength. Why? Because math bores me. It always has. Although I'm naturally good at math, it's a weakness. It depletes me.

On the other hand, I love to create fictional characters and write fantasy stories. I feel energetic just thinking about what my characters will do next. Creating something new strengthens me and boosts my ability to get through the day with extra motivation. According to Marcus Buckingham, I'd be right to label creating fictional stories a strength of mine.

In my Spirit and the Wolfman Series, an underlying theme is acceptance of who we are, our innate strengths and abilities, and using whatever we have in the service of love. The characters struggle with this self-acceptance, and given that they're monsters, this is understandable. But I think some of us, maybe not all but definitely some, are taught to be afraid of our strengths. Maybe they didn't fit the norm? Or perhaps, it wasn't seen as useful? And very likely, at the time, our quirks were misunderstood and often dismissed as inconvenient, unimportant, or worse yet, a weakness. And like the monsters in my books, we see ourselves as flawed. Changing that perception is the first step to using the gifts we've been given.

Whether monsters or real human beings, I think we are at our best and most generous when we lean into our strengths and trust that our inner guidance system (the innate knowledge of what makes us feel strong and energetic) is working.

If you're interested in learning more about how to recognize your strengths, I highly encourage you to read Love and Work by Marcus Buckingham. This author also worked with Don Clifton who created the Clifton Strengths Test by Gallup, which is also a great way to discover your top strengths. I took the test myself and have learned a lot from the experience. I feel at my strongest when I'm learning, writing, and consuming (and appreciating) fictional stories whether in the form of a movie, fantasy series on Netflix, or gripping book. I think of myself as a "Story Cookie Monster." Like the character on Sesame Street that I watched as a kid.

What are your strengths? Can you name them in less than 5 seconds? If not, maybe it's time to investigate what makes you special and how you can use that to enhance your life.

Please subscribe to the blog. I'd love to hear your thoughts about strengths in the comments. Thank you for reading!

**In case you haven’t read my Spirit and the Wolfman Series, the first three books are available on Amazon. I’m currently working on Book #4, the final book in the series. If you enjoy monsters, romance, complex characters, and fated love, this series is written especially for you.**

Spirit and the Werewolves (the last book in the Spirit and the Wolfman Series) is now available for pre-order on Amazon! It will be released on June 5, 2024!

Here's a copy of the blurb:

Spirit’s daughter has been kidnapped by her enemies and whisked away to the Otherworld. Spirit will risk everything to save her. But is she powerful enough to defeat the First Descendants?

Spirit faces impossible odds, but nothing will stop her from getting her daughter back!

In this last book in the Spirit and the Wolfman Series, all secrets will be revealed, and archenemies will become unlikely allies. Together, Spirit and her friends will journey to the Otherworld where they will face monsters, black magic, and a bloodthirsty pack of werewolves. As with all of the books in this series, surprises are to be expected!

If you’re looking for fated love, monsters, and a nail-biting ending, you’ll love Spirit and the Werewolves. Buy Spirit and the Werewolves today and discover whether Spirit and her Wolfman find their happily ever after.

I can't wait to share this book with you! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I've already started working on a new series! It will be another paranormal romance filled with monsters, romance, and fated love.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me!