Because shouldn’t we all have a little extra help? And also a friend you can always talk to, who understands everything the way you see it, or even if he doesn’t, has wisdom gently offered? Yes, everyone should have this. In my completed novel, THE RENAISSANCE CLUB, (watch for announcement of its debut date), Renaissance genius sculptor and architect Bernini provides the magical wisdom and inspiration for young art historian May Gold, stuck in a going-nowhere teaching job, with a stick-in-the-mud boyfriend. As if Italy isn’t magic enough on its own, she slips through a crack in time to come face to face with the tempestuous artist, staring straight into Bernini’s eyes. Well, what would you do if you could meet that one person in history who you’ve always admired– maybe even studied and fantasized about? That’s the way my tale unfolds. And the way May manages to make her not-so-imaginary but slipstream companion a reality in her life. I found the voice of Bernini urging me along as I wrote the story. It’s a coming-of-artistic-age tale that rang deeply true for me. If you have to create, have courage and do it boldly. Think of the dynamic Bernini when you put your fingers on those keys, or the camera to your eye.
My newest work in progress, THE ROMANTICS CLUB, also features an imaginary companion, in the person of a ghost. Two half-sisters clash over a bequest from their father, a cottage in Italy and its resident ghost, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, until an explosion forces one sister to learn the price of putting property ahead of family.
What I love about my imaginary companions with superpowers is the way they tend to support and encourage my main characters. No ill-disposed ghosts or phantoms here! If you want a dark fantasy read, look elsewhere. My ghosts are well-intentioned, creative, and want you to be too.They also want you to be vicariously in Italy as often as possible. That should be classified as a superpower.
Visit https://racheldacus.net for more information and writing by Rachel Dacus.
