Ugly Crying by Christine DePetrillo

Few things in real life make me cry. I’m that person who has the urge to laugh at wakes. I don’t find sadness where most people do.

Well-written stories, however, have the potential to make me shed tears. For some reason, I’m able to connect with characters and plots on a level that brings my emotions to the forefront. Maybe I feel as if it’s “safe” to get attached to stories because they aren’t real. They don’t really affect anything.

Or do they?

One well-written TV series that I got attached to was The Vampire Diaries. Now, I’m not proud of this. I’m over 40. Why am I watching anything on the CW? What could possibly be relevant to me in a cast full of youngsters, many of them supernatural?

The short answer is nothing. BUT, somehow I faithfully watched all seasons of this show and the characters were as real to me as people I actually know. I spent one hour a week with these folks and followed them through their ups and downs. I was shocked when they were shocked. Happy when they were happy.

Heartbroken when they were heartbroken.

Last month, The Vampire Diaries came to an end. I thought the writers did a fabulous job wrapping everything up. They threw in a few twists and turns I never saw coming, brought back so many characters from past episodes, and paid tribute to what the story was really about – epic love.

So… yeah… I ugly cried my eyes out during that series finale. I mean sobbed. Harder than I should have for sure. I cried for the characters who didn’t end up together. I cried for the friends that remained loyal. I cried for the sacrifices that were made. I cried for the reunions that happened.

I cried for the end of an era.

Not sure where I’ll get my supernatural fix next. I guess I could start from Season One and enjoy The Vampire Diaries all over again just like I did with True Blood. Although I did hear tale of another series starting up in July based on Charlaine Harris books, so maybe I’ll give that a whirl. I’m not one for cop shows and I don’t watch hospital shows and real-life dramas bore me. I love romance and fantasy so anything that blends the two is for me.

If you have any suggestions for shows I should watch while I wait for my next supernatural obsession—and a good ugly cry when the series ends—I’d love to hear them.

What makes you ugly cry?

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

The Maple Leaf Series, Books One to Six, available now

The Shielded Series, Books One to Three, available now

Wolf Kiss, Book One in The Warrior Wolves Series, coming soon

A Valentine's Day Treat

“The course of true love never did run smooth.” ~ William Shakespeare

This quote is so true in romance novels. If the course of love did run smooth, readers would be bored out of their skulls. So would authors. I’ll admit to feeling bad when obstacles get in my characters’ ways, but those obstacles are also what make things exciting. They are what reveal character traits and personalities. They are what build a strong relationship between the hero and heroine. They are what eventually lead to a happily ever after or a happily for now ending.

This year, I tried something new in playing with characters and their courses to true love. It’s called Kindle Worlds, an Amazon-controlled program in which Amazon has licensing agreements with other artistic works that allows authors to essentially write “episodes” of their favorite television shows or books. You can borrow the characters and the setting and branch off into those storylines you’ve always dreamed about seeing.

This might be the right time to tell you I’m obsessed with the CW television show The Vampire Diaries.

And yes, Amazon does have an agreement with this show.

Yay!

So, I buckled down and wrote a 14,000-word novella based on vampire Damon Salvatore of The Vampire Diaries. If you’ve never seen him, see him immediately right here, wipe the drool off your chin, and come back to read the rest of this post.

Right? Gorgeous? Thought so. An inspiring muse to say the least.

I decided to put him with a new character that I created, Angelique DeLucas. She’s got her own supernatural twist and the relationship she has with Damon in this novella is not without its bumpy spots. Something happens at the end that could create a really bumpy spot should I decide to write more in this series.

Writing for Kindle Worlds was a new adventure. It was fun and I’ll see where it takes me.

Because the course of writing never does run smooth either…

Here’s the blurb for The Vampire Diaries: Blood Angel -

Vampire Damon Salvatore has returned from The Other Side only to find his true love, Elena Gilbert, has compelled all memories of loving him out of her mind. Needing an escape from the heartbreak, he heads for the woods of northern Vermont, the best place for a man—or a vampire—to lose himself.

Angelique DeLucas was robbed of her life when a drunk driver slammed into her car. She begged for a second chance while on The Other Side and her wish was granted—not without a price. She’s lived the reckless life she’d been cheated out of and has kept up her side of the deal she made.

Until she finds Damon Salvatore in her woods.

Damon and Angelique spend two weeks together in the snow-covered mountains, finding what’s been missing in their lives in each other. An admission on Valentine’s Day, however, threatens to take all the magic between them away.

This novella can be found here. Did I mention part of the story takes place on Valentine's Day? Yep, it does. 

If you’re a fan of the show or just love a little supernatural short story, download it and enjoy. Maybe even browse the works Amazon has an agreement with. You might find some inspiration for a little side project for yourself.

Toodles,

Chris

The Maple Leaf Series, Available on Amazon, print and ebook

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com