Dames of Dialogue, D. K. Christi http://wp.me/ ptCd3-Ns

Today on the Dames of Dialogue, D. K. Christi tells how a rare flower inspired her to write her book, Ghost Orchid! http://wp.me/ ptCd3-Ns
A fascinating read--and you get the chance to gaze at her lovely cover again.
Cyndi (Caitlyn)
Inspiration to Publication – A Ghostly Experience by D. K. Christi

July 18, 2010 in Monday Dialogue with Guests | Tags: author, Writing, D. K. Christi, Ghost Orchid, Inspiration | by Caitlyn Hunter



Inspiration to Publication – A Ghostly Experience by D. K. Christi
Ghost Orchid, published by L & L Dreamspell in September 2009, is a case study in taking an inspiration to publication.
Authors often respond to the question: Where do you get your inspiration? There are a plethora of answers; but in the case of Ghost Orchid, one flower was all it took; one rare and endangered ghost orchid in an exquisite location.

Blair Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, located at the edge of the
Everglades in Naples, Florida is an official Audubon bird sanctuary on
the migratory route of wood storks, ibis, herons, cranes, roseate
spoonbills and a long list of winter visitors, observed from a nearly
three mile wooden boardwalk that winds through ancient cypress,
alligator flags, blood-red swamp hibiscus, pure white swamp lilies,
purple hyacinths and seasonal changes of wild sunflowers, blue iris,
purple morning glories and silvery cymbidiums.

Over twenty years of residence in Southwestern Florida, I have
enjoyed this boardwalk often, sometimes thrilled by the sighting of a
brown bear, a panther, deer and of course, alligators. I often laughed
at the antics of the squirrels and anoles. I always disliked the
narrow, two-lane road to get there and the left turn on a dangerous
curve. I noted the markers from accidents, draped in faded, artificial
flowers, provoking driving care and somber thoughts.

On a rather melancholy birthday in July of 2007, I treated myself to
that walk and became obsessed by the exquisite beauty of an orchid
plant, the ghost orchid, high in the cypress canopy all by itself,
dancing in the swamp breeze. It captured my soul on my first view. It
was amazingly high and alone, pure white against the deep green canopy,
the dark brown host and the deep blue sky, yet dancing away from the
tree, held by a barely visible slender, leafless stem. It was the
first day of its discovery, the only ghost orchid in the sanctuary.

I knew it was a birthday gift to brighten my spirits on this hot
and humid summer day. It had more blooms in one season than any ghost
orchid on record, was higher than any other ghost orchid and was unique
in its accessibility to viewing at all. This rare and endangered
flower was the subject of a non-fiction novel made into a movie about
poaching in Fakahatchee Strand, a very inhospitable swamp.

The discovery also made the national news. I had the chance to walk
in the swamp every day of its blooming, July, August and September, for
as many as 20 blooms a season in the summers of 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Each view presented new, mystical experiences that took on a life of
their own. As I walked the three miles, I observed other walkers and
overheard snippets of their own wonder.

My ghost orchid was no longer my own. All around me were the
stories, the life stories, of those who came on a quest to enjoy this
once in a lifetime flower phenomenon. By the end of the 2007 season, I
had written a story about two people, incorporating my love of the
boardwalk and my fear of that left turn into the sanctuary. The more I
viewed the changing blooms on my ghost orchid, the more I felt its
power in the lives of my two characters whose story expanded to include
several generations with personal quests brought to fruition in the
aura of my ghost.

For me, it was impossible to spend countless hours in the swamp
without being touched by the life forces pulsing there and the obvious
regeneration of life in all the unfettered flora and fauna. It was
also vibrant with the love of families and couples who shared that
beautiful place. I wondered: Is life eternal? Is love eternal?
These thoughts accompanied me on my daily pursuit of the ghost orchid’s
antics high in the cypress canopy, like a sentry watching all of us
below, watching her. As sure as I saw the ghost orchid’s graceful
dance, I knew whatever life force filled her with beauty was feminine.

I wrote around the clock, with occasional naps, during a vacation from my day job, my
muse on the other end of the phone urging me on, helping me search for
character names and missing pieces to back stories. It became a story
that not only expressed the search for meaning in the lives of its
characters, but a testament to the impact the natural environment has
on the human spirit. It incorporated the mystical elements of the
ghost orchid, often associated with the manifestation of the soul and
unrequited love.


Writing Ghost Orchid
became a labor of love, capturing the beauty of the Everglades, the
magic of the ghost orchid and the unfolding of a mystery between its
pages. As long as the ghost orchid blooms in Corkscrew Swamp, she
casts her spell on all who observe her, and to fix the concern of a
reviewer who didn’t want the story to end, it continues. This year,
another surprise, the ghost orchid bloomed early, the end of March.
For my fourth July birthday with my ghost orchid, it has fourteen buds
opening.

Ghost Orchid is the
story of the human heart and the relationships that give life meaning,
including those with the natural environment. Are we so separate from
the plants and animals that share our planet? Ghost Orchid
is intended to reach a new audience of potential environmentalists who
didn’t know they had a passion for natural habitats and will go on
their own quests to heal the human heart and find their ghost orchid.

For more information, check out D. K. Christi’s interview on the Dames of Dialogue!

Very intriguing. Thanks for that. I love orchids, they are my favorite flower, and from your description, it sounds beautiful.