Donnell Ann Bell makes return visit to Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers today. Writing around the theme “Suspense too Close to Home” she’s the author of three books: The Past Came Hunting, Deadly Recall, and her newest release, Betrayed. Her debut and sophomore releases have been e-book bestsellers, and Deadly Recall is a 2014 EPICON nominee for best thriller/suspense. She co-owns Crimescenewriters with retired Veteran Police Officer Wally Lind. To learn more about Donnell and her books, visit her website.
A Muse for Every Creative Endeavor
I’m always a little
intimidated when I’m invited to blog on Lois Winston’s Killer Crafts and Crafty
Killers. Although I write about
killers, I’m hardly crafty about it, and when it comes to crafts, I’m something
of a disappointment. Take my
sewing class –that worked out well.
Not. My jump suit evolved into a pair of gauchos.
I’ve dabbled in painting, crocheting, and floral arrangements, and
although I love gardening, the point is, I don’t have the right muse for any of
these jobs.
It never crossed my
mind that craft makers, artists and tradesmen, among the myriad others, had
muses. After all they can look at
a picture, right? They can follow
schematics, correct? Boy, was I misled. I have a friend who is an interior
decorator. One of her side jobs is
decorating homes for the holidays.
I’ve gone into her basement and observed what appeared to be heaps of
garland, ribbons, ferns and beads and watched her transform these items,
seemingly magically, into some of the most gorgeous wreaths imaginable. Companies hire her to make their
business environment festive. When
I asked how she does it, she says, “I’m no different than you. I have a muse.”
A few years ago, I had
my kitchen remodeled. I was so
excited. After seventeen years of austere white and plain cabinets and aging
appliances, I would at last have the kitchen of my dreams.
My contractor didn’t simply come into
my home and begin demolition. He
brought with him a decorator and an interior decorator and they consulted me
about my tastes. But I’ll never
forget the first words out of my contractor’s mouth when he entered my home and
examined the floor plan, “What a train wreck,” he said. “Why would anyone close in all this beautiful
space?”
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| "Before" Kitchen |
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| "During" Kitchen |
I looked around and
went, “Huh?” His muse (skill and
experience no doubt) was already hard at work the moment he walked in the
door. In his mind he was already
taking down soffits and knocking out walls. He could see something that I couldn’t even dream of. He was listening to his muse.
No, I’m not handy or
crafty but I do see stories in my head, and they’re rather vivid. I love to think about characters and
what makes them tick, and then put them into “What if” and sometimes impossible
situations. My tools of the trade
are words, and yes, my drafts often look like a construction site in need of OSHA
supervision.
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| "After" Kitchen |
But much like my
creative interior decorator friend or my contractor, I believe we all have
muses that inspire and set us on a journey of creation. My talent and passion is storytelling. Further, I love suspense. My third book from Bell Bridge Books is
called Betrayed. I hope you’ll check it out and see how
my muse operates.
Do you have a muse
that speaks to you?
Betrayed
A cold-blooded conspiracy that strikes at our most precious bonds.
When Oklahoma City
resident, Irene Turner learns the incomprehensible, that the stillborn baby she
delivered 28-years earlier is alive, she takes the
evidence to where her daughter now lives—Denver Colorado.
Detective Nate Paxton
can’t believe what Irene’s evidence shows him. Kinsey Masters, a
world-class athlete, raised by a prominent Denver family, an unattainable woman
he’s known and loved for years, was stolen at birth.
Irene Turner, Nate
Paxton, and Kinsey Masters are united in a sordid conspiracy. Irene’s
foundation of trust will be ripped from its core, as kidnapping, murder, and a
thirst for revenge lead her to learn she’s been betrayed.
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