July 19, 2006

ROCKY ROAD TO WAIKIKI …

ROCKY ROAD TO HAWAII.JPG

I ran my favorite off-road trail today, an hour over rocky and steep terrain — the woods quiet, the air close, brooding, hot. The rivers silent and swift. And it struck me that the kind of focus it takes to negotiate these trails at any speed at all — without breaking an ankle and ending the season right there — is the same state of mind I need to reach if I want to experience that writing in “the zone” sensation.

If you focus too hard on any one particular rock – or writing ‘rule’ – your feet will hit the next rock before your eyes can even register it, or your brain assess the hazard, or the best landing aspect. You have to be “in the now” in the most Zen of ways – with part of your mind constantly on the end-goal, almost subconsciously assessing the rest of the trail ahead, and just trusting your neurological reactions and reflexes to do the rest. And your body has to be fluid, moving easily to accommodate the roll of a rock, the slip of gravel. Because if you’re tense, or think too hard, or lose that Zen focus for an instant – the moment is broken and you will stumble.

And like being in the writing zone, time seems stretched, suspended. When you stop, you almost have to blink and figure which reality you’re in.

Or am I just plain weird? Okay, don’t answer that one

And what does this all have to do with Waikiki anyway?

You will note the glimpse of one of the Hawaiian flowers on my shorts. I bought these shorts with a secret dream to run the Honolulu Marathon – a dream I’ve had for a long, long time, for a number of reasons — and if all goes according to plan this year, and barring further injury or acts of God, I will be running up Diamond Head come December … and along the famous shores of Waikiki at sunrise…

… and just maybe I’ll spot my December book on a shelf in Honolulu

Posted by Loreth @ 7:24 pm | THE RUNNING LIFE, THE WHISTLER LIFE, THE WRITING LIFE

4 Responses to “ROCKY ROAD TO WAIKIKI …”

On July 20th, 2006 at 6:09 am
Toni Anderson Says:

A trip to Hawaii sounds wonderful–I’m not sure I’d be running though!!!!

I know exactly what you mean about the zone–during writing that is. Running for me is just trying to pump out one more breath before I crash
On July 20th, 2006 at 6:35 am
meretta Says:

Love the analogy between running and writing, Loreth! Perfect!

And so pleased you’re following that Honolulu dream. RUN, LORETH, RUN!!!!
On July 20th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
Loreth Says:

LOL Meretta — that always makes me think of that line from Forrest Gump — “Run, Forrest, run!!”. I put off watching that movie for so many years — and when I finally saw it, I had to watch it twice. One of my absolute favorties. Love the soundtrack, too
On July 21st, 2006 at 7:10 pm
meretta Says:

Glad that I jog good memories for you. tee hee. Jog. Get it?

And actually, it’s supposed to. I do it to the kids all the t
ime but they haven’t seen the movie so they don’t get it. I loved Tom Hanks in that. He’ll always be Forrest in my mind.

MANHUNTER dishes up “Creepy chills” - 1st review is in!

After Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer Gabe Caruso can’t save his fiancee from a sadistic serial killer, he has trouble dealing with the guilt. His only consolation is that he put the man in jail. Cutting himself off, Gabe takes a post in Black Arrow Falls, a small town in the Yukon. There, he meets tracker Silver Karvonen, a woman with secrets of her own. Both are stunned to feel the pull of attraction. Then the killer escapes, and Gabe knows that trouble is on the way. Loreth Anne White serves up some creepy chills in Manhunter (4), as a serial killer wages both psychological and physical warfare. This compelling tale, part of the Wild Country series, features two emotionally scarred people who discover that being together makes them stronger.

—Sandra Garcia-Myers

“THE HEART OF A RENEGADE is a skillfully crafted novel, packed with complex characters involved in a well-used plot line; however, it is innovatively done. Loreth Anne White’s pacing is superb, maintaining ever mounting intensity as the story plays out. This story is rich with detail, and a plot that could be expanded to a 450 page hardcover. That said, it does not feel as if it were condensed but evolves in the expected manner only to twist and turn a bit adding interest and suspense. The dynamics between Jessica and Luke are extraordinarily well handled.

White is a very gifted author and whose future novels will be sought out by this reviewer.”

–Thea Davis

A TOP PICK from Romantic Times BOOKreview for THE HEART OF A RENEGADE

“Luke Stone is just like a stone. After his pregnant wife is murdered, he closes up emotionally, until his employer asks him to protect Jessica Chan, who’s a target of the Chinese Triad Dragons for attempting to expose their atrocities. Luke doesn’t want to be responsible for anyone, and he’s surprised to find a kindred spirit in Jessica. When they’re on the run with only each other to lean on, their emotional barriers crumble. The Heart of a Renegade (4.5) is an action ride full of thrills and surprises and a love story that will make your heart beat faster.

Loreth Anne White has expanded her Shadow Soldiers series, and intriguing and dynamic characters continue to make it compelling.

—Sandra Garcia-Myers

And a five-star review from CataRomance.com:

From the instance THE HEART OF A RENEGADE starts, one will take an indrawn breath and continue to gasp until the explosive ending. The danger is believably suspenseful with heart-pounding threats, and how they are carried out is terrifying realistic. Just when one thinks all is going smoothly for the hero and heroine, more peril crops up and they must once again fight for their lives.

Luke and Jessica are one of the most endearing couples about whom I have had the pleasure to read, and their compelling story profoundly touched me. Whether they are fleeing from the enemy or expressing exactly how they feel on a subject, their actions are authentic and make them seem very true-to-life. Ms. White had me caring for this couple and what the future holds for them, causing numerous tension-filled moments during the story. THE HEART OF A RENEGADE masterfully evokes images and feelings to create an enthralling plus emotional story which never disappoints.
–Amelia Richard

SEDUCING THE MERCENRY earns Cata award