Blog Ring of Power Presents: Theresa Crater

Welcome to another Friday, and hey look, it's the first Friday of the year!

Today the Blog Ring of Power would like to welcome Theresa Crater!

Theresa Crater brings ancient temples, lost civilizations and secret societies back to life in her paranormal mysteries. In The Star Family, a Gothic mansion reveals a secret spiritual group and a 400-year-old ritual that must be completed to save the day. The shadow government search for ancient Atlantean weapons in the fabled Hall of Records in Under the Stone Paw and fight to control ancient crystals sunk beneath the sea in Beneath the Hallowed Hill. Her short stories explore ancient myth brought into the present day. The most recent include “Bringing the Waters” and “The Judgment of Osiris.” Theresa has also published poetry and a baker’s dozen of literary criticism. Currently, she teaches writing and British lit in Denver. Visit her at http://theresacrater.com.

Don’t miss the rest of her five-part interview at:

Part 1 @ Terri Bruce - Wednesday, Jan. 1

Part 2 @ T.W. Fendley - Thursday, Jan 2

Part 3 @ Emily LaBonte – Friday, Jan. 3

Part 4 @ Sandra Ulbrich Almazon – Monday, Jan. 6

Part 5 @ Vicki Lemp Weavil – Tuesday, Jan. 7

Section #3: The Creative Process

BRoP: Where do you get your story ideas?

TC: This last one came from a book I picked up called William Blake’s Sexual Path to Spiritual Vision. Little did I know his mother belonged to the church I was raised in, and that it was quite mystical in those days. My latest idea came when a house on the Giza Plateau collapsed because the people who lived there had been digging into the foundations looking for artifacts.

BRoP: How do you deal with writer’s block?

TC: I respect it. My psyche is telling me that my subconscious is still working on things and I’ll see a sprout soon. Just relax. 

BRoP:  Are you a “plotter” or a “pantser” (do you plan/outline the story ahead of time or write “by the seat of your pants”)?

TC: I’m a plotter for the most part. I’ve learned some basics about structure and tend to sketch out my inciting incident, three major surprises, darkest moment, then the resurrection so to speak.

BRoP: Do you use critique partners or beta readers? Why or why not?

TC: Oh, yes. They can see so much more than I can. They find everything from plot holes to typos.

BRoP: How much time do you spend on research? What type of research do you do?

TC: How much time I spend on research depends on the project, but I can tell you I always do too much of it, maybe because it’s so much fun. It’s like I do a Ph.D. dissertation for every novel, at least so far. I’m going to take the advice I heard at Left Coast Crime. Write in the mornings. Keep a list of what you need to research or check on a separate piece of paper. Don’t stop writing to do it, because one piece of juicy research leads to another. Spend the afternoons researching. This is for full time writers, obviously. For people with full time jobs and children? When you can. I once heard of a woman writing while she was in labor. Now that is too much.

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A secret spiritual group

A recurring dream

A 400-year-old ritual that must be

completed before it is too late

Jane Frey inherits a Gothic mansion filled with unexpected treasures. A prophecy claims it hides an important artifact – the key to an energy grid laid down by the Founding Fathers themselves. Whoever controls this grid controls the very centers of world power. Except Jane has no idea what they’re looking for.

“The Star Family . . . explores the esoteric aspects of a progressive Protestant sect called the Moravian Brethren and weaves their history into a fascinating piece of speculative fiction. What if the Moravians had continued to observe some of their controversial practices in secret? What if their rites and music have played a role in withstanding the malignant forces that threaten to overwhelm modern society? What if one woman who discovers her true ancestry could oppose dominion of darkness through music and erotic spirituality? What if a town in North Carolina holds the key to bringing harmony to the world? Readers who enjoyed The Historian and The DaVinci Code will enjoy The Star Family.”   

Dr. Craig Atwood, Moravian College

Director of the Center for Moravian Studies

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