I watched a programme on Netflix the other evening. Stephen Fry was talking about his new book and he also talked about discovering Oscar Wilde’s plays and essays and then of the autobiographical books he read about Wilde. He felt the author’s were speaking to him and he not only felt a connection but felt inspired by what they wrote. When he writes, he ‘sees’ a teenager who may find something in his work that makes them smile or not feel so alone. It made me look even closer at what I write and why.

Before I was old enough to walk the two miles to the library on my own, my reading consisted of my brother’s books; James Bond, Lord of the Rings and Biggles spring to mind. Women in these stories were not the heroes, though Eowyn plays her part. Did these ‘masculine’ stories influence my writing? When I wrote my first novel (100,000 words, under the bed in a box) my hero was a female school teacher, coping with the death of both her parents by emersing herself in the plays and stories she loved and struggling with real life relationships. She was a hero in my eyes, maybe not a sword wielding righter of wrongs, but a woman coping with real life situations with compassion, humour and support from her friends.

The definition of magical realism is art, literature and film that encompasses different subjects but accepts magic in the rational world. I believe that an acceptance of this magic defines woman as hero. To face the challenges in our lives, we need to believe we can overcome them. With the help, love and support of friends, we are half way there but belief has to come from within and the magic and deities in my books give the reader permission to believe that anything is possible.

You are the universe and the universe is you. You are made up of the same components as the stars, trees and oceans. You are the goddess and the goddess is you.

These simple ideas allow us to immerse ourselves in the wonderous nature that surrounds us and take from it those things that will heal and balance our own lives.

I write about women who are offered assistance from a different plane of consciousness and who embrace the gifts offered because they know that this is part of an amazing support network. I tell the stories of heroes.

You can find all my books here:

http://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1365459567&sr=1-2-ent

 

I do hope you enjoy them and I look forward to reading your reviews and comments.