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MY FIRST NOVEL AND WHY I WROTE IT

By Adele Hewett Veal

I’ve had many people ask what my expectations were for my first novel, Shadow in the Mirror. Well, I have to honestly say, I didn’t know what to expect when I wrote it. My comfort zone was always poetry. I never thought about writing an actual novel.

However, one of my pieces of poetry was entitled, An Oyster’s Pearl. I wrote it after seeing a documentary about how a pearl was made. See, I didn’t know that a pearl was made from a grain of sand or a parasite that gets into the mouth of the oyster and becomes an irritant, so the oyster begins to film over the irritant with a substance called Nacre. Nacre is what gives the pearl its beautiful iridescent look and it also helps to smooth out the rough edges of the irritant. Years go by, and when someone finally comes along and opens the oyster, in place of the irritant they find a beautiful pearl. When I saw that, I remember jumping up and saying, “Hey, that’s me,” and I’m sure there are others who can say the same. I mean, honestly, how many irritants have we had to smooth out of our lives to become the people we are today?  I don’t know about you, but I like me, irritants and all. Those irritants have helped to mold me and strengthen my character. It’s not so much of what I’ve gone through as it’s what I’ve overcome. So, the poem, An Oyster’s Pearl was born. 

During that time, I had formed a business of formatting and framing pieces of my poetry for sale at malls, festivals, and other events. I also had accounts with various book stores and hospital gift shops.  But, after I finished, An Oyster’s Pearl, I formatted and framed the first one and gave it to a good friend of mine as a gift for her mother’s birthday. It was the perfect gift. But it took a while for me to be ready to share it with the world. It was like pulling a Band-Aid off of a wound that wasn’t all the way healed, if that makes any sense. That was back in 1996 I think. In 2003, I took a deep breath and recorded, An Oyster’s Pearl, on my CD, “From a Whisper to a Touch, An Inspirational Moment with Adele Hewett.” Eight years after writing it.

Now, getting back to the question about the novel. In 2013 I pulled the poem out again and read it. It was timeless, like I had just written it yesterday. I began to wonder what else I could do to promote it better. Not just for me, but for the many people who needed to read or hear it.  One place I thought the poem would serve its purpose was in the Battered Women’s Shelter. Think about those women who have gone through so much. Yet, those brave souls got away from the irritants that held them back by breaking their spirits, and making them emotionally withdrawn. And here they were, standing tall and beautiful, ready to regain their power and take on the world as original Oyster Pearls. I still believe a copy of the poem should be in every shelter.

I even thought about a Gala event where I could give away, The Oyster’s Pearl awards to deserving individuals who have conquered the impossible and turned their challenges into triumphs.

As I brain stormed these other ideas suddenly, I heard something say, ‘Write the story.’ Write the story? Although I hadan idea for a story in my head, I never thought it would be me writing it. I jotted down an outline to see if the story had legs and then I took it to my sister, who was the author in the family. She agreed it was a good story line, but refused to write it because the idea was mine and she was concerned that she wouldn’t do my characters any justice. She said, “Those are your characters. You won’t recognize them if I write the novel because they’ll become my characters. That wouldn’t be fair to you.” So, I went home and, I remember asking God, “Now what? I can’t write a novel. I write poetry. That’s – my – comfort – zone.” Guess what I heard after saying that to God? I heard these words whispered into my spirit, “It’s impossible to experience growth, sitting in your comfort zone.”

            It was then that I became hungry and thirsty for anything that had to do with DID (Dissociated Identity Disorder), which used to be called Multiple Personality Disorder years ago. Why write about DID? I had no idea at the time, but I understand now …

                                                                             NEXT: The Plan behind the Story

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My Journey to a self-publishing platform

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I’ve been writing for years. I started writing poetry at an early age and then, as fate would have it, I began writing for a magazine called, “Solomon’s”. I became the female voice of an inspirational magazine designed for men and I was very proud of my work, but I soon moved on with my own.

My first collection of poetry is called, “From a Whisper to a Touch, An Inspirational Moment with Adele Hewett” and instead of waiting for someone to come along to ‘discover’ me, I promoted myself, traveling to where ever they would have me grace a stage. I felt I had something to say that could bring light to dark situations for even those who weren’t sitting in my audience. I just didn’t know how I would do it.

One day I met up with a young man playing the keyboard. His name was Jeff. His music was captivating and I noticed that, if I closed my eyes, I could hear words inside his music. I immediately knew that my next step was to find a studio and arrange my poetry with music and sound effects and have him compose the music. After some discussions, he agreed. Finally the day came. I found a studio and Jeff and I worked together to create the amazing CD, “From a Whisper to a Touch; an Inspirational Moment with Adele Hewett”, arranged exactly as I had dreamed, with sound effects and music.  Jeff and I never had one rehearsal. We’d go into the studio, I’d inform him which piece we would be working on, gave him the flavor of the piece and explain why I wrote it and he’d begin to play, immediately flowing with exactly what I had in mind. He was amazing. At the same time, I was having my poetry formatted and framed and placed in some of the book stores and hospital gift shops where, I was told, people would come in and go to my section, sit on the floor, and read each piece. So, when they heard there was a CD my pre-sales hit the roof.

On the CD I have a poem called, “An Oyster’s Pearl” that I wanted to promote better. I could imagine the affect it could have on women at battered women’s shelters, prisons, and even health facilities because the piece compares the trials that a person goes through, to a grain of sand or parasite that becomes an irritant in the mouth of the oyster. The oyster films over it with something called Nacre and years later, when the oyster is opened, we don’t see the irritant anymore. We see a beautiful pearl. I can go on and on about how the poem has ministered to me through the years, making me realize that all the irritating situations I’ve overcome have made me who I am today; An original Oyster’s Pearl. The same applies for you and your life.   This is what lead me to write my first novel, “Shadow in the Mirror”.  How awesome would it be to weave a story about a woman who goes through a horrific abuse as a child, leading her to develop a mental disorder called D.I.D (Dissociative Identity Disorder), which used to be called, Multiple Personality Disorder. The story is an awe-inspiring, psychological thriller, laced with a beautiful love story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, but it also shows how the main character, Leslee Cramer struggles with her alter personality, to stay present and fight for the family that she’s on the brink of losing. By the end of the book, she is the epitome of an Oyster’s Pearl in her own right.  Now, with all that said, after finishing the book, and knowing I had a diamond in the rough, I began looking for a literary agent who would take an interest in my work and help me take it to the next level. I did my homework. I studied what specific literary agents were looking for, found the ones for my genre, and I sent query letters to them. I was prepared to get turned down, so, when it happened, I’d take a closer look at my query letter, make necessary changes and send it out again. Here I was, manuscript ready, writing countless query letters and waiting for a literary agent to request it, but getting rejected time and time again, a very discouraging situation indeed. It almost made me think my product wasn’t good enough. But, after all these years and everything I’ve overcome, it was worth the trouble of a rewritten query letter. My God, if I don’t believe in myself, who would. However, I must admit, I was a little perturbed when a well-known singer, who I love dearly, by the way, announced that her little girl, who is 11 year’s old, was having her ‘first’ meeting with a publisher about her book idea. What? Now, I’m not hating on her. I think it’s awesome that she’s leading her daughter down the literary path if that’s where she wants to go, but it’s not only unfair, it’s discouraging to those of us, who are probably revamping our query letters for the ten thousandth time just to get our foot in the door. That’s when I realized it was time to take matters into my own hands. I could no longer wait around for someone to tell me I was good enough for them to take a chance on me. I knew my story was a good one and I took a chance on myself. I researched self-publishing, liked what I read, and decided to go with it. I’m not sorry. My book is now available on Amazon and many other online bookstores. It’s also available in paperback and on e-book sites, and I have over 50 reviews that are mostly 5 star. Two years later I completed my second novel, “Reflection from Within”, which is also available on Amazon and the other online bookstores. I’m very proud of the accomplishments I’ve made. I’m writing my third novel now and excited to be going to the next level. Where’s that? I have just finished writing the four part mini-series for television and looking into Netflix, Disney, or Amazon Prime to pick it up. I read an article about how Tyler Perry writes his own movies and mini-series. He doesn’t sit in ‘writer’s room of 10-12 people, proof that it can be done. If it can be done, I can do it too. I may not have a huge film studio, but I have gumption and determination.

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Shadow in the Mirror

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Dissociative Identity Disorder

By Adele Hewett Veal, Author

cropped-Shadow-in-the-Mirror-cover.jpg

When I got the idea to write, ‘ Shadow in the Mirror’, a story about a woman who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), I had no idea I was walking into an area of study that would intrigue and change my life. I have always been interested in the study of how our brains work, so when this story line came to mind, I wasn’t surprised. However, my thoughts were to examine and analyze the concept and write poetically about it, since I’ve been a poet from the age of twelve. To my surprise, I couldn’t find the words poetically, but the words through pros seemed to flow non-stop and before I knew it, I had written a novel for the first time. The experienced plucked me right out of my comfort zone and stretched me until I was face to face with characters who I feel I’ve known forever and concepts that were both frightening and fascinating at the same time.

To stay true to my main character, Leslee Cramer, who suffers from this disorder, I got absorbed in case study after case study, which only made me hungry for more information, so I researched and downloaded facts, reports, and news articles, along with other materials, even if it meant sitting in the library for hours to read it. Among the information were many articles written by doctors that I found quite interesting because of the degree of controversy. From what I read, some doctors would even go as far as to question whether DID really exists. But after sitting and talking to individuals who suffer with this disorder, reading their blogs, and speaking to their family members, I wonder where the controversy lies. And is it because of this controversy that many of these people are misdiagnosed for years? For the record, DID is not the same as Schizophrenia or Manic Depression, or so many of the other mental disorders, although some of the same symptoms may be present. If you’re interested in learning more about Dissociative Identity Disorder click here.

The multifariousness of DID has captivated me so that, when I travel to book signings or speak at book clubs, I find myself speaking more on the subject of DID than I do, my novel. I’m surprised when Psychologists, who sit in my audiences, come to the table and commend me for the work I put into the book and the knowledge I’ve attained. This makes me chuckle because I didn’t go into this with the thought of becoming an advocate for those with the disorder but, I’m proud to say, now, I am.

One of the most favorite blogs I’ve read since writing, ‘Shadow in the Mirror’, was by a young girl named Crystalie Matulewicz , who didn’t allow DID to define her. She not only braved it out and got the help she needed, she also went on to get her degree in psychology. She wants to be a writer and a counselor and she’s well on her way to achieving both goals. That’s amazing.

Although, ‘Shadow in the Mirror’ is a fiction novel, Dissociative Identity Disorder is very real. Today I am writing my second novel, ‘Reflections From Within’, the sequel to, Shadow in the Mirror, another novel dealing with personality disorder. I’m constantly searching for new material to study, so imagine my excitement when I stumbled up on a new book, Dissociative Identity Disorder Sourcebook by Deborah Bray Haddock. This book is written to supply the tools needed to diagnose DID. It reveals the stages of therapy and supplies coping strategies and survival tips for clients, therapists, family and friends.

I am excited to see what adventures the main character of my new novel experiences because of this new discovery and fresh eyes.

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Let’s talk!

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Shadow in the Mirror and Reflections From Within, can now be purchased on Amazon.com or you can Log onto www.iuniverse.com to buy your copy. You can also purchase from  Barnes and Noble.com, Google, and many other online bookstores. Let’s create a buzz and come together to discuss them.  Ask yourself; would you be able to forgive someone for doing the unthinkable (whatever your ‘unthinkable’ might be), Why or why not? Leave your comment here.

Shadow in the Mirror cover

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Shadow in the Mirror

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Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) or Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is said to be a serious affliction that can affect children who have been severely abused.
Leslie Cramer suffers from this disorder. Because of it, she has been known to ‘wake up’ in strange places without any explanation as to how she got there. Today is no different — today she woke up in a strange bed with a strange man who admits to being her husband. Today she discovers that she has two children, and today she realizes that her alternate personality, Lee Cramer, has been ‘awake’ for ten years. It becomes apparent that Lee’s escapades have alienated her from her husband and caused her children to be frightened to death of her, with good reason. Lee is the terrifying alternate personality who believes Les deserves to die shamelessly while setting up the scheme to carry it through.
Les has no other choice except to turn to her long- time friend, Veronica Moore, for help. Veronica is the only other person besides Les’ doctor, Dr. Paul Whitfield, who knows about her disorder. With Veronica’s help, Les finds the strength to hold onto her true identity and fights to recover everything that she is on the brink of losing . . . her family.
Shadow in the Mirror, is a love story that reaches beyond the familiar attributes of a person and peers into the mirrored image of the soul. It is a story woven around the strongest forces of life; love and forgiveness.

REFLECTIONS FROM WITHIN

Here in, REFLECTIONS FROM WITHIN, the two children of LESLEE and KEVIN JENISON from, SHADOW IN THE MIRROR, are all grown up, KEITH attends the police academy and becomes a police officer and KELLY goes off to college, but she’s faced with a dilemma.

She wonders when it is the right time to tell the man you love, you suffer from an incurable identity disorder?

Multiple Personality Disorder is real and like her mother, Leslee Cramer, in the novel, Shadow in The Mirror, Kelly has learned to manage hers…until now. In March of 2014 she mysteriously disappears.

Keith is under so much stress trying to find his sister that his mom and dad insist he go away for a couple of days to a ski lodge in the mountains to get his mind off of the search. Although he goes, he takes his work with him and continues searching.

This is where he meets, Gee Haynes, a spunky private investigator. They don’t hit it off very well at first but, Gee has a way about her and in time Keith falls head over hills in love. She uses her expertise to show Keith a better way to search for his sister and even goes as far as leaving the ski lodge and working alongside him to find Kelly.

Just as mystifying as when Kelly disappeared, she re-appears, beaten and stabbed as a Jane Doe at the local hospital.

Now, Gee and Keith’s pursuit turns critical when they change course to find out who stabbed Kelly and left her for dead. They rifle through clues that lead them to a crew of human traffickers and a person who reaches through the generations to even a score. 

So, get ready for a breathtaking story that will take you on another romantic binge. The twists and turns of Kelly’s consciousness will leave you clutching your heart and wondering…

Will she be lured away by Daniel or swept away by Pen?

The long awaited sequel to, SHADOW IN THE MIRROR, is available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles, and many other online book stores.

To purchase, SHADOW IN THE MIRROR, or REFLECTIONS FROM WITHIN, Click the ‘check out’ on the tabs above and ‘then go to ‘transaction results’ purchase yours today.

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Vessel of Clay – An Interview

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Vessel of Clay, an Interview

Q. Adele, what made you write Vessel of Clay?
A. When I woke up this morning, I asked God the same question: Why was Vessel of Clay written? The answer that was dropped into my spirit was the same answer He provided for me when I asked Him about the poetry He had given me and the purpose behind the mime ministry I managed. I heard Him say, “I want you to paint a portrait of my glory.” There is no doubt in my mind that God is not only glorified in this play, He is also magnified. What a better way to portray God’s love than to show our fractured lives mended and reconciled to Him.
I’ve always been in love with the stage and viewed it as an awesome way to teach life lessons. In my research about the visual arts, I learned that 86 percent of what a person sees is retained so what a powerful tool the stage could be if used properly. I also learned that 40 percent of the fibers in the brain are linked to the retina. In other words, if we can put life lessons on stage and market the heck out of it, people will come, learn, enjoy, and change.
Q. How long have you been writing?
A. I have been writing since I was about 12 years old; I love to write poetry and … ironically, my poetry usually tells a story that teaches a life lesson (laughter). I raised my children, my nieces and nephews, and now my grandchildren on my poetry.
Q. Where do you get the ideas that you write about?
A. At any given moment a particular concept will drop into my spirit but the words don’t always come right away. The words begin to pour out on paper when I sit somewhere quiet with a pencil in my hand. The characters in the poetry or the plot of the piece stays in my head until I write him or her out and that’s when the emotion or the spirit of the piece comes to life… when I write it. In the case of “Vessel of Clay”, the whole play came to me in a dream. I saw the characters, I even knew the songs (only the titles)
Q. Is your poetry available to the public?
A. Yes it is. I used to put my poetry in frames and they were sold in Christian book stores and hospital gift shops. I also started a business where I would allow individuals to earn one of my framed pieces by inviting some of their friends to their home and allowing me to come in and share poetry with them. I finally put some of my poetry on CD in 2003. My producer, Rob Anderson, was the best producer ever. He listened to what my desires were for the CD and he and Jeff Arnold (my music producer) helped to develop an awesome project. The name of that CD is, “From a Whisper to a Touch.” By Adele Hewett and you can purchase it on CDBaby.
Q. Do you still write poetry?
A. Yes, I do. I’ll never stop writing poetry. Poetry is my first love because of the aesthetics of it. It has a way of using words to loop around until we’re totally wrapped up in its raw truth.
Q. Tell us about a time that your writing portrayed raw truth.
A. I would hope that my writing always portrays raw truth but, I guess if I had to choose I would say that ‘Vessel of Clay’ does it in that it shows God’s love when we are willing to open our hearts to Him but the ‘RAW’ truth is that He loves us even when we don’t love ourselves.
Q. WOW . . . OK … Getting back to the play. Who are you trying to reach with Vessel of Clay?
A. Lovers of God, to show that God will never leave nor forsake them! But mostly, I’m trying to reach those who feel lost. Those who feel like there’s no escape route for them and they keep sinking deeper and deeper into doing wrong. With this play, I’m, reaching out to those who feel like they’ve gotten so far away from God that He can’t hear them crying for help. I want them to realize and KNOW that God is aware of every tear they cry. I also want to reach those who feel like they don’t HAVE any more tears. It’s important that they understand that even in the midst of the fire, there is victory. I believe that this play gives people the opportunity to look within themselves and measure the distance they’ve put between them and truth whether their truth is spiritual or personal.
The main character in this play is my hero. As I was developing the details of his character, God showed me that I was healing myself. Through this character God taught me about trust, growth, and the importance of accepting truth. The end of the play reveals an UNEXPECTED truth and believe me, the audience will not be disappointed.
Q. On a personal level where would you like to see this play go?
A. That’s a good question. I think every person in the WORLD needs to see this play but what playwright doesn’t feel that way about his or her work (Laughter).Right? Honestly, I would like to see the play tour as many cities as possible. But ….. before any of that happens, we’re going to launch the play here in Arizona. My desire is to have it to run here for a couple of weekends and after we see how well it does here, we’ll make plans to take it farther. We have even talked about film.
Q. What else do you want the people to know about Vessel of Clay?
A. I want them to know that they can help. Vessel of Clay is a play that not only speaks to us as laymen but also to Pastors. One pastor mentioned, after reading the script, that the play emphasized his need to be a better pastor by reiterating the love of God. We get so caught up in wanting to preach the right and wrongs of our lifestyles that we forget to teach the basics …. The love of God. Vessel of Clay displays that love like no stage play I’ve ever seen.
However, there’s so much that goes into putting on a production of this magnitude. We need to pay for the theatre, light technicians, sound technicians, stage managers, screens for certain scenes, props, actors, actresses, marketing … my list goes on and on. So l want people to know that they can help us by logging onto my website at www.adelehewett.com and contributing to “Vessel of Clay.” I would love to reach our goal and, even if we don’t, our campaigning will continue until Vessel of Clay is on stage. We believe strongly in what we’re doing.
Q. I understand that Howard Hewett is your brother, is he helping you with this venture?
A. I would never think of taking on a project without first running it passed my family; especially a project this huge. Howard has been a great help to me. As a matter of fact, he’s one of the song writers for the play. I’m sure he’ll be present, in the front row on opening night. But along with Howard, my husband is my greatest supporter and my biggest fan. I also have other siblings who are showing their support by being involved. I’m not the only writer in my family. I have other sisters who write. One of them has written a number of novels as well. Our plans are to eventually cast each of our projects and either grace the stage with them or put them in film. I couldn’t end this interview without adding how important it is to have the support of family in anything you do. We are truly a family that believes in encouraging each other.
Q. Adele, What would you say is your greatest motivator?
A. Knowing that I have a purpose and not wanting my life to end without achieving that purpose is what motivates me. I mean, I look at the years behind me and I feel like I’ve wasted so much time on nonsense; like bad relationships, and circumstances that lead me completely off track, and even dealing with toxic people who didn’t share my vision. We get so caught up in other people’s visions that we forget about our own. We were all born with a purpose and it’s up to us to achieve it but it’s difficult when you allow yourself to get linked to people who do nothing but suck the life out of your vision for their own selfish reasons. However, I learned that God never gives a vision without pro-vision so I had to stop blaming others and step out and do what I was supposed to do. Also I want to leave a legacy. I think it’s important to ask yourself, “What are people going to say about me when I’m gone?” I don’t want people to say, “Adele Hewett Veal could have …” I want them to say, “Adele Hewett Veal ACCOMPLISHED…”
Q. WOW! Adele, thank you for those words of wisdom; I know I heard something in this interview that will stay with me for the rest of my life. “What is my legacy … what will people say about my life when I’m gone?” That question certainly puts a different spin on the time span one is given to accomplish what they need and want to do in life.
A. That’s right. Life is just too short. Ask yourself this; what is the most important thing that you want to accomplish in life? And then begin putting your life in order, step by step to accomplish it. That’s why “Vessel of Clay” is so important to me. This is what I have wanted to accomplish my whole life.

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From A Whisper To A Touch – Booklet (devotional)

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This booklet is designed to take you to another level in your Christian walk as well as your personal life.

Each piece of poetry spoken on the CD is also written in this booklet.  You will notice, after each piece of poetry there are scriptures, a prayer or confession of faith, and a page entitled ‘journal.’  Listen to the words spoken on the CD, then follow along with what is written in this booklet.  Meditate on the scriptures and then read aloud the prayer or confession of faith.

Words are powerful. What you say about yourself becomes a fact.  Another word for word is seed and, when a seed is planted, it brings forth life.  What words are being planted out of your own mouth about you, and/or your family?  Proverbs 18:21 says, Life and death is in the power of the tongue. The confession of faith or prayer is designed for you to speak into existence what God has intended for you.

The scriptures also say in Habakkuk 2:2, Write the vision and make it plain.  Your journal page is there for you to write what you feel, what you think, or what you know God is saying to you.  Don’t forget to record the date and time of when you began and each time you make an entry into your journal.  Watch God move!