When the Muse strike or how I found inspiration for Death by Chaos.

I have been asked many times how I came up with this story, and everyone seems surprised when I tell them it was a dream. But that was just the beginning. This blog reveals the explanation and journey which lead to the creation of Death by Chaos.

Inspiration for any creative project can come from any direction and in any form.

For my book, “Death by Chaos” I am blaming (or shall I say crediting) Morpheus, Greek god of dreams. Some years ago, he gifted me with a beautiful and sensual image that, unlike most of my dreams, remained vivid and clear as I awoke and to this day, I can see each and every little detail.

The image was of four young women, seated comfortably within a large but obviously old single stall bathroom in a college dormitory.

Their individual fashion styles and body languages revealed four distinct personalities thus making it clear this was not an organic clique but one that had been the product of the fates humor. Yet, despite their differences, there was a bond, a true friendship, and a sisterhood. But in the face of all this beauty there was also a foreboding presence, hinting that this idyllic moment would soon be disrupted by chaos and the charmed paths they were all traveling would be disrupted.

The questions of who these four lovely ladies were, how and why they meshed together so well haunted me for years. I was also curious about the chaos that would soon enter their lives and how they would respond and grow from that challenge.

My love of Greek mythology had had me looking at classic paintings depicting scenes of the famous stories that have been told over the years. One day, while viewing Reuben’s “Judgment of Paris”, it dawned on me that the original myth involved four goddesses and a little chaos that began at a wedding and resulted in the Trojan War.

Revisiting my image in the bathroom, I realized the four coeds were modern incarnations of the Greek goddesses and maybe, just maybe, one of them would be reason for the chaos. I began to wonder where would this chaos lead?I certainly wasn’t going to compete with Homer and try to create a whole new “Iliad” but I figured there would be battles to be fought and victories to be won.Thus, my own odyssey in discovering these four modern goddesses and their own Apple of Discord began, and over time I arrived at a tale that incorporates my love of mythology, movies, classic rock, mystery solving, feminism, sexy men, and my own personal college experiences.As with any fun puzzle, the best part was gathering the pieces and watching them join together to create a great picture.Hope you join me for the ride.