Friday, November 27, 2009

Stockings… Plesálwer

I’m taking several minutes tonight, after dressing to go out dancing and before leaving the house, to share thoughts about lingerie. When I dance, I prefer to wear a set of underthings, a matching bra, garter belt and thong. Tonight it’s black with hot pink roses. For some reason I am feeling quite the Rús and since I do not own dark red lingerie, this is the best I can do. Hot pink skirt, black heels, and a black velvet top round out the ensemble.


But what I want to talk about are the stockings. They are black and as I donned them, I enjoyed the feel of the stretching over my calves and thighs. However, the beginning was not so easy. So, here’s the question I am asking the ladies. Why is it that every other color, except black, of stocking has a black stripe on the inside of the front of the stocking top? I expect that black stockings would sport the same indicator, perhaps in beige or burgundy.


Maybe it is because black stockings are considered higher class, like plesálwer in Nórland, and they require assistance to be appropriately applied. The main reason why a woman is dressed in plesálwer by others is its presentation. Much like a runway model, to be presented in the best light, others must attach the clothing. The woman is gift wrapped so to speak. With that being the case, maybe I shouldn’t wear black stockings unless I have a friend to dress me. What do you think?

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Power and Sexuality

In this paradigm, that of the USA in the beginning of the 21st century, there is a disconnect between power and survival. I write not of the dynamic in the national-military-corporate-citizen reality, but that of the interaction between the sexes. Our culture eschews the man who controls a woman while idolizing the one who rapes the economic model. Girls are taught to seek boys who are sensitive, yet secretly desire the ones who take them out of control. Boys are taught that their proclivity for dominance is evil and that they must defer.


It is due to this dichotomy between our natures and the requirements of society that dissatisfaction, frustration and depression are rampant. Roles are being foisted upon people without regard to the natural order of things. I am not claiming that all women are submissive nor all men are dominant. Nor am I stating that being one way or the other has any bearing on being good or bad. Any behavior can be used for positive or negative results.
I am strongly attracted to the culture of Nórland due to its acknowledgment of the roles between men and women of the ruling class, the Sékdiset or Blessed. Even with its current (in the story) abuse of power, the responsibilities of the sexes are well defined.


Power without heart by the men is the reason the balance has been corrupted with the result being the lessening of the power of the women and the land. Had the pendulum swung the other way, heart denying power, the land would be rampant and out of control. The objective is the balance of heart and power which results in the greatest good for all.


Rús (Sékdiset) women in Nórland are a primal extension of the land to which they are bound (known as their landbond). Without control, the life of the land and its creatures overwhelms them and they give freely of themselves until they wither away. With over control, the land suffers and is unable to reach its potential. The Lórg (Sékdiset) men in Nórland are connected to the celestial energies. This allows them the ability to dominate the Rús.
The domination of a Rús by a Lórg runs the gamut from nearly nonexistent to total control. When a Lórg does not provide enough guidance, his Rús literally burns her lifeforce at an incredible rate, severely reducing her lifespan. The opposite spectrum shortens her life even more quickly, but it is due to denying her the ability to regenerate from the vibrancy of her landbond. Both of these extremes denies her the ability to conceive or, with a less significant imbalance, carry a pregnancy to kónbir (delivery). It is when power is guided by heart that everyone and everything benefits.


The expression of this culminates in sexuality, the connection of the primal and spiritual. By being dominant the Lórg allows the Rús the freedom to fully express without worry of causing harm because her partner ensures that the energies released did not destroy her.


In our culture, my experience is that I must never completely let go during sexuality because the man has been taught to deny the fullness of his dominance. It is a loss that I keenly feel and hope that someday understanding of the interplay of power and heart will manifest and I can truly be free. Until then, I will be fulfilled within the limitless vistas of my writings.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Disillusionment

I’ve noticed that in our culture the term ‘disillusionment’ is considered negative. In my books, in many cases the illusions that a character has about a situation or person are simply incorrect. Thus the use of the term ‘illusion’ is to signify disinformation or deceptions that are believed. I find that characters must deal with a number of assumptions, many of which turn out to be illusions. It is when the character is disillusioned that he or she can move forward and make the best judgments. Thus ‘disillusionment’ is a very positive force and one that we each should embrace.


Authoring, writing, editing and publishing a book (as does living life) necessitates many disillusions. It is the spirit in which I accept those which allowed me to become more than self-absorbed and to look at the world in new ways. My enjoyment of reading is very much enhanced when my assumptions are challenged and the ‘fiction’ forces me to look at the world in a new way. In that way, the characters I share teach me about myself and others, and change my reality.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

What Triggered My Writing ‘The Hunter’?

Now a little of how I came to write Pùqest Book 1: The Hunter. I was in a long distance relationship several years ago and as a surprise gift, he wrote a short story (five pages) and sent it to me via email. I liked it a lot but the female character kept niggling at me to correct some of his misperceptions. Well, I did, returned it to him with a continuation of the original short story, and three long books later, I was encouraged to publish the results. I sought advice from a couple who are friends (and prolific authors of more than 50 published books) and their recommendation was to write a much shorter, initial novel to introduce my writing style and set the stage for the much longer trilogy. The Hunter is the fruit of that labor.


As for the story ideas, they come from the characters. I know that many authors get an idea, create an outline to guide the plot and then fill in the details, always knowing exactly where things are going and how it all ends. I create differently. A character, such as Ellíséyan, comes to me and begins to share her tale and it unfolds as I type. I often think that I know where it is leading but most times I am incorrect and surprised by the twists and outcomes. In this regard, the initial writing is as much fun as reading another author’s book for the first time.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

How Did It Come to This?

Hi! I'm Amber Carez, pronounced 'caress', and I am a writer of fantasy… thus the name of my blog "Amber's Fantasy Caress".

Blogging is something I never considered doing before and I find that sitting down to blog is much scarier than writing a book. However, since my first novel has been published, I realized that I wanted to connect with those also love fantasy fiction and who have read or might read my work. So, here I am, revealing my thoughts rather than those of the characters who share their stories through me. I can pretty much guarantee that the characters will sometimes speak out through my voice and I will attempt to identify that when it happens.

The name of my first published book is Pùqest Book 1: The Hunter and it is available at major booksellers and online venues.

One of the authors who inspires me is Jacqueline Carey with her depiction of Kushiel in the Kushiel’s Legacy series. She showed that a strong woman need not be dominant in the manner of a man.

I will be sharing my thoughts of many fantasy books and I hope to dialog with you.

Please send me any questions you might have. What would you like to know?