Story Behind The Book
Early in the year 2009, songs began to come to me which contained the essence of orchestral music, with an eastern or Arabian flavor, but with a definite rock sound. Lyrics came with these songs, and they practically wrote themselves, telling stories about travel through time and to other places in history, places which are unknown to us. The lyrics of these songs developed into the story of Crystal Dreams, a young woman who had found an antique mirror and discovered that she was able to pass through it into other realms of existance, most particularly a specific location unknown to our own history, set in time during the 1400's. Some of my own experiences influenced my writing, but a woman I knew named Cathleen almost seemed like a real-life counterpart of Crystal, and so I must credit her for many of the events and situations in the story. As I continued to write, I felt more like a historian than a writer, and that perhaps I had unknowingly tapped into the history and music of a distant culture unknown in the history of the earth. I glanced more and more into the mystery of that place, even creating a map that used lines of longitude and diagnitude which created parallelograms on the map, and also creating a compass with three triangulations, similar to the manner in which GPS works, rather than the four corners we use in our present compasses. And so the story continued to grow, a story which was far too long to tell only through the lyrics of songs. What was even more frightening to me was that the story was becoming a trilogy, also requiring a trilogy of music releases. The project was taking on a life of its own, beyond my wildest expectations. And so I continued to compose and record what I was hearing within, which required me to improve not only my musical skills, but my production skills, as I could see that these songs demanded all I was capable of offering. And then, in the spring of 2010, while at a live music event with Marlene, I had the pleasure of seeing Callie Piticco perform. There was something very powerful about her presence, in addition to her talent, and in October of the same year, she took on the role of 'Crystal Dreams' both in song and visually as we created the first GODI video and began to record her voice in the tracks that would eventually become the first GODI CD. And I feel very blessed indeed, to be channeling this amazing story, told through the books I have been writing, and through the music I have been composing, and finally alive through the imagery and vocal talents of Callie. I also wish to thank Marlene Baker, whom I love beyond measure, and who stands behind all I take on, and is the first person who taught me to smile.
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Reviews
This book is hard to put down, as it takes you on a fantastic journey of many adventures in our time and also in the 1400s, and into the future as well. I really loved it and can't wait for more! I recommend this to anyone who ever dreams of adventure in any form! I didn't really expect to find romance here as well, but it satisfied my urge for romance in a story full of memorable characters, especially Crystal and the man she falls in love with.