Author: Lorayne Cupero

You have to believe we are magic…

~ Lorayne Cupero ~ Leave a comment

I had her haircut(s). I had her albums. I bought Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, Just Seventeen and People magazines and kept a scrapbook of clippings featuring Olivia Newton-John posing with other celebrities, riding horses on her ranch or listing her favorite beauty tips. Posters of her face stared back from my walls. Having received an autographed photo in response to a fan letter I’d written, it was easy for my nine-year-old self to believe that I was, in fact, her biggest fan! (When I was 11, I met my Aunt’s future husband and recognized immediately that he was special when I learned that he not only owned a LaserDisc of one of her concerts, but had actually seen her in concert! He had the program to prove it and gave it to me, so it was easy to believe I was still the bigger fan else he’d have kept it, right?)

My favorite number has always been 8, so it was bittersweet that my childhood idol passed away on 8/8. I had to take that as a good sign–that this woman who tried to bring a little light to the world had certainly entered into a brighter one. My Facebook feed was flooded with tributes, memories and old video clips. I didn’t know that I had anything new or different to say that wasn’t being said. So I’m scheduling this to post on her birthday, to say in writing that this fan still hopes to meet her, one day! Meanwhile, perhaps I’ll be able to find a bottle of Koala Blue wine to raise a glass.

Today I’m revising a novel that deals with faith, love, music and magic. I’ve thrown in a bit of this and a pinch of that but if this book is a gumbo, the roux is music and magic. Olivia’s music pairs perfectly.

Straddle the line in discord and rhyme

~ Lorayne Cupero ~ Leave a comment

Sitting still is not exactly a workout. Crafting fiction is a bit of a mental workout; is that why it makes me so hungry? As soon as I set a word count goal or come up with what I believe to be an intriguing twist, all I can think about is what I am going to eat next!

I type rapidly but unfortunately, I don’t think my fingers are burning many calories. Most of the jobs I’ve held in my life involved some amount of typing and while I looked forward to lunch, it wasn’t my prime focus. I played piano for years but don’t recall that making my stomach grumble. It’s not my fingers. Sitting down to write however, entails taking a mental tour of the contents of my refrigerator and deciding which items I can eat whilst on the computer. I doubt this phenomenon was the origin of the term “starving artist” but my brain seems to believe otherwise!

I took a look just to see, assuming it couldn’t just be me! (It isn’t). Cool. While composing this post, I ate a sandwich and learned something new. I’ve yet to finish editing the chapter I sat down to work on. (Perhaps the conversation I am editing should not be taking place at the dinner table!)

Let it rain

~ Lorayne Cupero ~ Leave a comment

I am old enough to know better. I should at least be old enough not to let fear get in the way of what I want to do but maybe I’m still young at heart! After launching this blog last year, I deleted every subsequent post. I was writing but I wasn’t posting–making it more of a diary than a blog.

I wrote about instances where I could feel God helping, pushing me, to write certain articles and finish this book. Then I’d decide no one wanted to read about that. There is an article, hiding safely in a saved drafts folder about how the Devil constantly tells us we are not good enough and how we listen. That piece is waiting to be pitched, somewhere!

Meanwhile, I am cleaning up the novel, today. It is storming outside. I love a good thunderstorm but it makes me want to curl up on the couch with a book, not edit mine. One of my main characters has a sister–a hippie writer who writes fantastical stories about river mermaids. So I am viewing this as a gift, an opportunity to imagine whether or not mermaids enjoy thunderstorms! I do not think they fear them. I’ll be back to let you know what I learn.

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end

~ Lorayne Cupero ~ 6 Comments

I am moving, virtually! I’m trying this site on for size; we’ll see if it fits! This is a bit like buying a new house. As I set up this new space, much of my writing style (furniture) will be the same as in the old site but I have more room to arrange things differently.

My original blog bears my childhood nickname. It was as much about parenting young children as it was about learning to craft fiction. The first blog needs renovations and updates which are a bit overwhelming. I haven’t sold the house and I’m sure I’ll move a few elements into this new space.

Meanwhile, those young children have grown as has my perspective and my writing. I’m exploring more styles and places to write. It is time for a more mature space bearing my grown-up name!

This site is a true work-in-progress! I am painting the walls and arranging the furniture. As I settle in, I’ll figure out where to hang the photos and have a virtual house-warming party!

I am looking forward to meeting my new neighbors! Feel free to say hi!