Scary and Sacred: A Journey into Life’s Mysteries

Scary and Sacred: A Journey into Life’s Mysteries


Welcome everyone, and thanks to Becca Dale for allowing me to kidnap her blog for the time being.
My name is Leslie Soule and I decided to do a two-part blog post. For the first part – the scary part – I’ll be interviewing mystery writer Kimber L. Rose. For the second part – the sacred part – I’ll be talking about my stepfather’s novel The Temple of The Heart, recently published by Decadent Publishing.

So, on to the interview questions!

1. What elements make for a good mystery story?

A good mystery, in my experience, generally consists of a story that you can't readily figure out. I know that might sound silly, but the more complex the story elements are, the better the story can become. When I write something with a mystery element, I work with a minimum of two story elements and two possible outcomes. That way the story can evolve as it sees fit and sometimes even I don't know where the story is going until I get to the end. When even the author can't figure it out, THAT is a good story.

2. What’s the worst way to die?

The worst way to die has to be something slow and painful, but that's for the one dying. If you’re talking about the one doing the killing, anything where you get caught! The more anxiety involved the more traumatic it's going to be for the one dying, but can be equally problematic to the one doing the killing. On the other hand, if I was crushed by a piano while walking down the street, I'd be pretty embarrassed to tell all the other ghosts how I died. :D

3. Favorite horror movie of all time?

Oh, another tough question! No fair! I love horror movies in general, but I think one of my favorites is Silence of the Lambs, closely followed by anything from Stephen King (love that guy no matter how weird it gets!).

4. Where do you get your inspiration?

I get my inspiration from my horribly twisted mind. I do watch different shows and read a whole lot, but I have to admit that my mind is the most prevalent in my inspiration. I have a tendency to keep a journal by my bed and in it I write whatever I happen to remember from my dreams during the night. What comes up in my head can be most intriguing.

5. What’s the scariest thing that’s ever happened to you?

The scariest thing that's ever happened to me personally was the times when I was mugged twice in a week. I went to school (the theater department of the local college, to boot, where no one has any money) and someone knocked on the door. I opened the door thinking that it was one of the actors in the show I was working on trying to get into the lobby, but I was wrong. I couldn't see outside the doors because there were no windows around it, so I had no idea what was going to happen until the door opened fully and the man with the ski mask and a gun walked through yelling at us. There were three of us standing there and he had us all get down on the ground, laying on our stomachs. He actually stooped over the back of me and held the gun to my head while demanding the PIN number to my ATM card. Looking for honesty in a department where we're taught to lie convincingly probably wasn't the smartest of ideas...in the end, I convinced him that the numbers I gave him were my PIN number, even though they weren't. So in the end, he got 25 cents and an ATM card with the wrong PIN. Later that week I was robbed at gun point at work, I had just about had it by that point and told the guy he could get the money himself. I wasn't even scared by that point, I'd just had it and wasn't cooperating. In the end, he got the money himself and my co-worker just about had a coronary cause he was pointing a gun at me when I told him to get the money himself. She was sure I was a goner, but alas here I am.



Wow – that’s some scary stuff, Kimber! Well, now for some lighter fare. We’re on to the second part of the blog post, the “sacred” part. I wanted to talk about my stepfather’s novel, The Temple of the Heart. My stepfather died of diabetes in November of 2002. I had an old manuscript of his that was written on typewriter. It didn’t have a title or anything, and I was searching for a way to honor my stepfather’s memory. I ended up transcribing the manuscript into a Microsoft Word document and sending it off to Decadent, on the chance that maybe they’d publish it, because I knew how good a story it was. I wanted other people to read it and become inspired. Also, Decadent Publishing has been extremely generous in helping me to find a way to honor my stepfather Richard’s memory. In the month of November, for National Diabetes Month, they’re donating a portion of proceeds from the sale of the novel. I will be donating proceeds as well, so in November, readers can really make a difference.

The Temple of the Heart is the semi-autobiographical tale of a monk who leaves the monastery to pursue life in all its glory. Below is an excerpt from the novel:

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When Joseph Banquo saw that girl come through the gate, it was the end of his life in the monastery.

He had seen her years before in a more innocent time and silently had cast his furtive glance. Now she appeared again. Dressed in a sky-blue sari, she stood by the water on a trellised landing, absorbed in her thoughts. Joseph found himself absorbed in her. Smiling coquettishly, she turned to walk away upon catching his stare and it seemed as if Divine Mother Beauty herself had taken human form. If only he could talk to her, but he was too shy, too hung-up with austerity and discipline, rules and monkish restraint.

What delusion is this? It was a burning desire but seemed so much more, and he wouldn’t admit the power of the physical over the spiritual.

She was forbidden, woman oh woman, but he had begun to notice the female form once more, to not turn his eyes away, to see the languid curve of the supple spine. And the outrush of thoughts after two youthful celibate years had caused him to lose his edge—the wisdom and discrimination that protects the monk. In making progress, in overcoming his strong sexuality, he had relaxed, thinking he had won and that was the end because he found that he no longer had the desire to fight.


**To all those who purchase The Temple of the Heart, I would like to thank you and I would like for you to know that you are making a difference in the lives of people living with diabetes.**