Eye of the beholder
By
Juli D. Revezzo
The question of perception is one that we face every day.
Do we really understand what we’re seeing sometimes? Take a car wreck. Experts
say that if you have five different witnesses to the event you will get five
different explanations of what happened.
I think the same thing happens in other areas of life. For
instance, is there someone you work with or know that you just love, and others
don’t? or vice versa?
Perception, as they
say, is in the eye of the beholder and is something that changes throughout
life. There’s a whole field of study on it, including but not limited to
Alzheimer’s patients and perception. Sit in a warm house with an Alzheimer’s
sufferer who claims they’re freezing and you’ll understand what I mean. Or take
a look at your car. Does it really look like the color your registration lists?
(Yes, I’ve heard this question before).
The question of perception concerns even my main character, Caitlin. In my debut paranormal novel, The Artist’s Inheritance, Caitlin’s husband—an artist—gains a new patron who he and his mentors in the art community around them, think is just the best person to know. Caitlin, on the other hand, spends five seconds in the dude’s presence and knows something isn’t right about him. Read here and you’ll see:
* * * *
“How much will you take for these fine drawings?”
The male voice drew her attention away from
Trevor’s work. A short man with black hair and a lazy eye, dressed in a
pinstripe suit and straw hat, crossed the gallery to pause at Trevor’s side.
“They’re your work, are they not? Are they available?”
“Yes, they’re mine,” Trevor said. “They’re not for
sale. Sorry.”
Caitlin eyed the older man. Who’s this fella?
“Don’t be absurd, Trevor.” Abby Wilkins jumped in
before Caitlin could ask.
Caitlin took in his fine coat, the diamond gleaming
from his ring finger. More than likely, the man could pay a fortune for the
pictures. Perhaps even the chair they had stashed in the attic. Maybe they’d be
rid of the stupid thing yet.
“For you, Mr. Hofter? Of course they are.”
“No, I’m sorry,” Trevor said. “They’re not for
sale.”
Abby choked and pulled Trevor aside. “Are you mad,
darling? Do you know who he is?”
Caitlin peered over Abby’s shoulder, seeing the man
in question studying a Jeffersonian era desk. Trevor grimaced. “I can’t say I
do.”
“That’s Marvin Hofter,” Mrs. Wilkins said
conspiratorially.
“Who’s Marvin Hofter?” Caitlin asked.
Abby spluttered and tugged at the collar of her
linen blouse. “How can you not know him?”
The name meant nothing; Caitlin could only give her
a blank look. “I don’t.”
“My dear, he’s only the editor in chief of Antiques Daily.”
Now Caitlin understood why Trevor’s mentor was
making such a huge deal.
Trevor touched one of the sketches, almost, Caitlin
thought, as if he would protect them. “I’m sorry, no. The pictures aren’t for
sale.”
Hofter pursed his lips and retrieved a card case
from the pocket of his silk coat. He pulled forth an embossed business card and
handed it to him. “If you change your mind, don’t hesitate to call me.” The man
tipped his hat and walked away.
Caitlin kept her gaze on him. Something about him
made her want to grab Trevor and move as far away as possible. Like to Siberia.
* *
* *
This is something Caitlin struggles throughout The Artist’s
Inheritance, she can’t convince anyone of her feelings about Hofter,
and she can’t explain why he makes her uneasy—and he’s not the only one she
questions. It seems everyone around her has some sort of duality. Is she right
about Hofter and the others comprising her husband’s new circle? Is there
something out of the ordinary about them—something supernatural and sinister?
Are they out to harm her family? How far can she trust her perception of them?
Her questions continue in the follow up, Caitlin’s Book of Shadows.
I hope you’ll take a look at the stories and find out for
yourself. If you’d like to see how Caitlin’s perception lines up with her
reality The
Artist’s Inheritance is available at Amazon, Barnes
and Noble, and Smashwords and in paperback
from Createspace.
Meanwhile, it’s something to think about, right? How
trustworthy is our perception of the world? Are you sure of what you see? Or is
the world subject to the eye of the beholder?
Synopsis:
Trouble only a witch can solve...
Settling into a new home, Caitlin notices changes coming over her husband. When nightmares deepen and ghosts begin lurking--Caitlin knows something's not right, and not just her newfound precognitive abilities. It's the damned chair her husband's carving, she's sure. Could it be just what it seems: a mundane piece of furniture? If so, why is it attracting dark forces--the forces she suspects drove Trevor's siblings to insanity and suicide?
Armed with a handful of allies--a coven of helpful witches--she must proceed with caution against the hellish forces besieging her family. If she fails, she may lose forever the one thing she cares about most: her beloved Trevor.
Settling into a new home, Caitlin notices changes coming over her husband. When nightmares deepen and ghosts begin lurking--Caitlin knows something's not right, and not just her newfound precognitive abilities. It's the damned chair her husband's carving, she's sure. Could it be just what it seems: a mundane piece of furniture? If so, why is it attracting dark forces--the forces she suspects drove Trevor's siblings to insanity and suicide?
Armed with a handful of allies--a coven of helpful witches--she must proceed with caution against the hellish forces besieging her family. If she fails, she may lose forever the one thing she cares about most: her beloved Trevor.
Juli
D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a love built by devouring
everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of Michael Moorcock, and
the classics and has a soft spot for classic the "Goths" of the 19th
century, in love of which she received a Bachelor's degree in literature from
the University of South Florida. Her short fiction has been published in Dark
Things II: Cat Crimes, The Scribing Ibis, Eternal Haunted Summer, Twisted
Dreams Magazine and Luna Station Quarterly. She also has an article and book
review or two out there. But her heart lies in the storytelling. She is a
member of the Independent Author Network and the Magic Appreciation Tour.
You can find all the books in the Antique Magic
series at: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Juli-D.-Revezzo/e/B008AHVTLO
Book Trailer for The Artist's Inheritance
Book Trailer for The Artist's Inheritance
http://www.youtube.com/embed/gjMsYqa9nUA
Book Trailer for Caitlin's Book of Shadows
http://www.youtube.com/embed/5tjqR_QPaTo
Buy link for Caitlin's Book of Shadows
http://amzn.to/Wxlf7q
Book Trailer for Caitlin's Book of Shadows
http://www.youtube.com/embed/5tjqR_QPaTo
Buy link for Caitlin's Book of Shadows
http://amzn.to/Wxlf7q
And you can learn more about Juli at:
Her homepage: http://julidrevezzo.com/
Authors Den:
LibraryThing: http://www.librarything.com/profile/julidrevezzo
Manic Readers: http://www.manicreaders.com/JuliDRevezzo/
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jdrevezzo
Twitter: http://twitter.com/julidrevezzo
Thanks, Pamela, for having me here!
4 comments:
Your book sounds really cool. And being and artist it appeals to me even more. And I completely agree that perception is probably the most important thing in writing. The perception of your characters and your readers.
Excellent blog.
Teresa R.
Nice post. I understand what you mean about perception, especially when it concerns perceptions about other people. Most of the time I believe "perception" is not an indicator of how to treat someone, yet, if your perception tells you there's "something wrong" there, maybe it's time to listen. Oh well.
Stan
(SS Hampton, Sr., MIU Author)
Thanks, Stan, I agree with you. It's always best to listen to your intuition. And Teresa, I agree with you too... Stories, like art, can be subjective though, don't you think? Sometimes no two people come up with the same meaning for them. :) On the other hand, that's a great thing about storytelling, I think. Anyway, thank you both for stopping by! I hope you enjoy the book. And Pam, thank you again for having me!
You're welcome, Juli! And thank you for stopping by. :-)
Post a Comment