Elizabeth Gilbert's new book--must-read for creative people!

If you're looking for new inspiration, here's a book that's perfect for artists, writers, performers, crafters and anyone who enjoys expressing their creativity: Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. You're sure to finish the book feeling more inspired and energized about all your creative projects!

Gilbert, who also wrote Eat, Pray, Love, mentions an extraordinary experience in this wonderful book. Some years back, she met a world-famous author, and they began an instant friendship. Sharing their latest book works-in-progress, they discovered they were each working on a mystery set in the Amazon jungle, with uncannily similar plots! Ms. Gilbert believes that such “coincidences,” that is, ideas that come to more than one person about the same time, speak to the power of creativity and its intimate connection to the universe. (As it turned out, life happened to Ms. Gilbert, and she never wrote her book, But her friend Ann Pachett’s novel became the best-selling State of Wonder.)

I had a similar experience (minus the bestseller!). A little over a year ago, a new friend, Laine, mentioned she was writing a fairy book. “How cool is that!” I told her. “I’m writing a fairy book too!” In my spare time, I’d been noodling around with a kids’ story, and I figured Laine was still at the “playing with ideas” stage as well. Anyway, I was busy working on another novel (The Hopeful Romantic), but we resolved to meet again after the New Year.

Several weeks later, with Christmas swiftly approaching, I was hit by an overwhelming urge to write my entire fairy book. In an unprecedented writing binge, I finished what became Morgan Carey and The Mystery of the Christmas Fairies in 6 days. When I came up for air Christmas Eve, I realized I’d written the story so fast it was like there was some power beyond me, helping me get Morgan’s holiday fairy story down on paper before December 25.

Laine's Faerie Activity Book!

I’d had to miss out on a lot holiday traditions to get it done but it was worth it. When I saw Laine again after the holidays, she had not only finished her fairy book, but had a mock-up of it ready. Clearly, the two of us had been working on our books at the same time! Coincidence? Or…magic? While Laine’s book, In the Mt. Baker Faerie Forest (written with the author name MaryElaine De-Good Wheatley) is a vividly illustrated fairy activity book (think coloring book, only far better!) mine is a middle-grade chapter book. Yet both books express the power of love and wonder, both take place in the forests of Northwest Washington near Mount Baker, and both Laine and I  published our books in 2015. Now that, my friends, is the power of creativity! 

My Kids' Fairy Book!

The Mystery of the Christmas Fairies is Book 2 of my Morgan Carey series. You'll find more about all my books at www.susancolleenbrowne.com !