This bar is the inspiration for Bar Oasis in the dramatic party scene in chapters 16 & 17 - the scene where you know who dies…. On a happier note, love this kind of chilled bar that you find on the beaches in Spain! Check out the beds…..they’re made for romance!
Stone angel in London cemetery
Angel in cemetery - like the one Lizzie sees in chapter 3.
This has no obvious link to my book. I mean, what do molecules of water have to do with the novel I have written?! But scratch beneath the surface a little and the answers are there. Lizzie is a 15 year old girl who lacks self esteem. She doesn’t know just how special she is. Most of the time - because she has this scary ability to predict death - she just thinks she is a freak. Now watch the clip and think about the connection.
Isn’t it about time she thinks a bit more of herself? Isn’t it about time we all think a bit more of ourselves too? Nice, loving thoughts please!
xxxx
Another photo of a pueblo blanco in Andalucia. If you look really closely you can see my house! So, here’s the secret - this is where I’ve lived for the past 7 years. And it’s this town that provides the inspiration for the town of San Juan in my novel. Some people ask - ‘why did you move to Spain?’ (I’m English by the way) and I have this weird, slightly kooky answer. Believe it or not, when I was about 17 I had this vision of myself living in a white town which overlooked The Mediterranean. Ever since I can remember I’ve always wanted to be a writer and this vision seemed to fit that dream. So after a few life detours that’s basically what I did!
The Morón gitanos were affectionate, humourous, but never sentimental. They would rather express themselves than talk about themselves. They were theatrical and natural actors in the way they talked and performed Flamenco. They lived in the present. Diego could have played the greatest bulerias of his life one night, but if you see him in the street the next day he would not want to talk about it. Yesterday was yesterday.”
— Check out this man’s biography! His name is Diego Del Gastor and I admit I only found out about him today whilst researching flamenco for the book. ;-) http://www.gypsyflamenco.com/diego.html But what an interesting life and I love the above excerpt .
Flamenco Resources for Beginners »
Because Rafa plays flamenco so awesomely, I thought it’d be interesting to research the origins of flamenco a little bit and then share that with you. So here’s what I found. The website is pretty cool if you want to learn how to play flamenco too -
“A particular kind of music/dance (and some would say lifestyle) native to, but no longer restricted to, a small region of Andalucia in Southern Spain. Like American “blues” it probably has ancient antecedents, but as a distinct genre is only a couple centuries old. Not all Andalucian folk music is flamenco. Not all flamenco artists have been Andalucians (e.g., Sabicas), or even Spanish (e.g., Greco).
Some classical guitarists (understandably, if they haven’t studied flamenco) view flamenco as a “style” of guitar playing emphasizing certain techniques above others and having a distinct sound. Thus (oversimplified) if you play rhythmic rasqueados and fool around with Phyrygian scales and a lot of Ami>G>F>E, it’s flamenco. Not so. At most, flamenco-ish.
Flamencos themselves (i.e., guitarists, dancers, singers, aficionados), whatever their own specialty, and for both formal and historical reasons, usually agree that what is fundamental to flamenco is cante (song), i.e., a body of several dozen forms with specific rhythms, melodies, and in some cases themes, sung in a certain way”
Duende! »
This is a nice article from www.andalucia.com all about the intoxicating pull that Andalucia has over its visitors and why so many writers over the years have been compelled to write about this region. As you may know, my book starts in London but as of chapter 5 relocates to Andalucia - a place where I’ve spent the last 7 or 8 years. It certainly does have a kind of magic. The first time I visited Spain, I don’t know - when I was about 26 - I fell completely in love with the country. The language, the architecture, the people, the cafe con leche. My favourite city was Seville. How I fell in love with Seville! Seville, they say, is the home of flamenco.
I’m just in the middle of writing a chapter in which Lizzie sees flamenco for the first time. I thought I’d share.
If Everyone Cared by Nickelback. I like listening to this song because it reminds me of a wonderful weekend course I did in June ‘09. For me, the course was all about ownership & self acceptance. Be happy with ourselves. I choose this song not only because it is is massively inspiring but also because it sums up one of the key messages from the The Voices of Angels - once Lizzie learns to accept she is a bit different and that is a good thing then she has the potential to transform other people’s lives.
