The Storm is a novel about four intriguing lives and a cast of characters entwined in their stories. The Storm encompasses Paris during The French Revolution leading to the 20th century and covers Rome's opera House scenes, and Hollywood film studios in their Golden Era.
Marie Savoie, reborn in the 20th century, a reincarnation of Princess Marie Louise Lamballe. She was First Lady in Waiting to Marie Antoinette and first to be executed in the French Revolution because she refused to abandon the King and Queen. Reincarnated in Paris she would go on to become the foremost leading actress in France in the 1950's.
Tristan Taylor, Americas sensitive, soft spoken heart throb. A Broadway star who went on to stardom using "bel canto" opera technique as well as pop. His destiny was falling in love with Marie Savoie, the kind of wild, stormy and passionate love
only a few ever share in life.
Jean Delacroix, by far the wealthiest man on earth. His ancestry going back to Napoleon Bonaparte who gave his family the sole rights to produce all military weapons. He was egotistical, sadistic, and took anything in life he desired by coercion or force. Upon meeting Marie-Savoie he fell hopelessly in love and would do anything in his power to claim her, to own her, body and soul.
Vanessa Daniels, Hollywood's most beautiful and famous actress of the 1950's. She was born with the gift of seeing into the future. She seduced a teenage Tristan and was his first love, a love that turned to eternal friendship and admiration.
Inspiration for The Storm
The first thoughts came to me in 1955. I was attending an "audit class" about Philosophies at UCLA, an evening class.
The instructor asked the audience for volunteers to experience regression in order to relive past lives, (under hypnosis). I don't know why but I raised my hand and easily was put in a deep trance. I was regressed to three previous lives but the one that changed my life was when I was taken back in time to October 5th 1789. I was a Swiss guard in charge of guarding Marie Antoinette. The Queen was playing cards with her first lady in waiting Princess Lamballe in her second-floor bedroom. I heard a loud noise in the main entry to The Petit Trianon, the Queens private residence in the forest of Versailles. I rushed down the stairs and was encountered by a mob scene, mostly women yelling "death to the queen." I put my hands up in a sign of no entry and a man holding a large metal tipped spear threw it at me. I was hit in my stomach the lance going completely though me and pinning me to the wall.
What really pushed me over to write the storm came about in 1998. I was on a business trip in New Orleans. It was a Sunday and having nothing better to do noticed there was an antique show not far from my hotel. While strolling through the booths I felt a pull towards a very large glass lined series of displays showing very expensive jewelry. Among the items was one small glass display and inside one item. I stared at the black velvet box exhibiting a delicate bracelet. My body froze as the same extraordinary vision took over once again. The large crowd became silent, the colors of the entire auditorium changed to vibrant colors not of this earth.
It was not until the year 2000 that I decided to write the novel you can read today. It took many years and much research to create The Storm. I wanted this fiction novel to be as accurate as possible and spent five years in the process. Keep in mind other fiction writers like James Mitchener spend enormous amounts of research time even writing a fiction novel. Writing the Storm was an act of love and I hope you find it rewarding.
