Cameron Cruise, author of Dark Matter, combines suspense, science, and the paranormal in her “Eye” series from Mira Books. Think “science” and “paranormal” don’t belong in the same sentence? Cameron discusses how these two worlds collide — both in fiction and real life — and help inspire her novels…
by Cameron Cruise, author of Dark Matter
Okay, I admit it. I am obsessed with the paranormal. The love affair started long before I started crying my way through episodes of GHOST WHISPERER or biting my nails to the quick while watching MEDIUM. The fact is, I grew up watching my parents place offerings of tobacco and coffee before their statue of the Virgen of the Caridad del Cobre. My great aunt used the Ouija; my Greek mother-in-law still reads coffee grounds. And then there’s my sister, the geneticist.
That last one might throw you. What does science have to do with the paranormal? Actually, you’d be surprised.
As far back as the 1970s, Stanford University began studying remote viewing, the ability of a psychic to use extrasensory perception and “see” an object hidden in a remote location—like a Soviet submarine built in a super secret facility (True story). I had the opportunity to interview an engineer hired by the government during the CIA-funded Stargate program. It was one of the most amazing experiences of his life to witness firsthand the abilities of these psychics. Duke, Princeton, even UCLA, have all studied psychic phenomenon at one time or another.
In researching the paranormal for my books, I’ve had my own incredible experiences. I’ve witnessed a woman channel a disembodied entity from a distant star, found my psychic “house” during hypnosis, experienced the magic of Sedona, toured one of the most haunted castles in the United Kingdom, Craig Y Nos, learned the darkest secrets of a powerful medium. As a writer, what better fodder than the paranormal for the question, “What if?”
In DARK MATTER, the second book in the “Eye” series (Hope you all gave THE COLLECTOR a try!), the characters literally sucked me into writing their story. How could I ignore beautiful, but evil, psychic twins? Or fail to bring to life the romance between a homicide detective falling for a psychic artist? And then there’s the dynamic FBI agent stealing a psychic artifact to save her autistic brother. These are the kinds of characters that light a fire in a writer’s belly to turn that computer on! I only hope I did justice to their stories. Enjoy!
Cameron
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