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Those of you who are reading Reflection of Memories<\/strong> on a Kindle or eBook will see this drawing in the beginning under the subtitle \u201cGetting to Know You.\u201d<\/p>\n This beautiful drawing is by talented artist Kelly Myatt St Clair<\/strong>. You may or may not know \u2013 my books are a series \u2013 The Malone Family Saga. As a result, I want to be consistent and include a St. Clair drawing in each book. (There are two of her drawings in Cobwebs of Time<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n Prior to publication, Ms. St. Clair very kindly agreed to read my manuscript. Upon completion, I asked her to draw her interpretation of my beloved characters as children. When she showed me her creation, tears instantly filled my eyes. It was perfect!<\/p>\n As a writer builds a story on paper, that writer visualizes the characters with great clarity. I am no exception to this rule. When I write a story, my characters live inside of me \u2013 blossom, grow and mature. There are days when I truly believe my \u201cimaginary friends\u201d are as real as the people living in the world around me. I groom them \u2013 shape them \u2013 guide them \u2013 much like a mother nurtures her child. After the chapters are written, edited, and finally completed, I must let my characters go \u2013 they symbolically \u201cfly out of the nest\u201d as children do when they become adults and leave home. But the question always remains . . . will the readers see my beloved characters as I do, or will they be confused by my descriptive words?<\/p>\n When I saw Ms. St. Clair\u2019s drawing, my heart nearly exploded with joy! Her interpretation was exactly as I envisioned them. Ms. St. Clair turned my imagination into a tangible picture \u2013 and there they were \u2013 Richard and Caroline (Ricky and Carley) sitting on the dock \u2013 fishing \u2013 feet dangling over the edge \u2013 best friends savoring the beauty of the moment. Relaxed, loving, innocent — watching their reflection in the water \u2013 their entire lives ahead of them.<\/p>\n While you read a book, do you see the characters as you are reading or are they abstract and only the words of the plot matter as you turn the pages? Moreover, if you are a writer, do you have mental pictures of your characters? Do you use a \u201creal\u201d person; i.e., a friend, a family member, an actor, a musician, a neighbor or a stranger you bumped into on the subway to put a face on your protagonist or do you create your characters totally from your imagination?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thank you, Ms. St. Clair, for sharing your exceptional talent with me.\u00a0 Your paintings and drawings speak volumes. \u00a0 If you are interested in seeing more artwork by Kelly Myatt St. Clair<\/strong>, this is her website:\u00a0\u00a0 www.kellystclair.com<\/a><\/p>\n Facebook:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/booksbytesajones\/<\/a><\/p>\n Check it out on AMAZON<\/a><\/p>\n Instagram:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/take2withtesa\/<\/a><\/p>\n Goodreads:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/author\/show\/1690353.Tesa_Jones<\/a><\/p>\n Pinterest:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/cobwebsoftime\/<\/a><\/p>\n View all BLOG posts at http:\/\/www.booksbytesajones.com\/category\/blog\/<\/a>
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