An addiction OTHER than fiction...

My name is Maeve and I’ve recently developed another addiction.  No. It’s not shoes. I already admitted to  that one long ago. Nope. Not purses either. I’ve had that addiction since I was a child.

It’s sparklies. Yep. You guessed it. I must’ve been a crow in a previous life because I’m now channeling that feathered thief’s insatiable need to line my nest with precious pretties.

This uncontrollable need for the lovely temptations first stirred while I attended RT in Los Angeles. I happened to stroll past Kay Sturm from Oh So Fine, Inc.’s table and what should I spy? Dragon jewelry.

I must admit that I’ve become a bit besotted with the exotic creatures and have come to the conclusion that the awesome beasts bring me the very best of luck. You see, the Draecna of my upcoming Brava release, Eternity’s Mark, are close cousins to the mythical beings and resemble dragons in many ways.

The gorgeous dragon and sapphire blue crystal necklace and earrings called out to me as I walked by the table. “Maeve. Touch us. Feel the weight of us in your hands. Know that we long to lie cool against your warm skin.” Now tell me the truth. Who could hold out against such a seductive whisper?

While wearing my lovelies to work, my uber-talented friend, Shelia Moore admired them. I call Shelia uber-talented because she’s quite an artist when she’s not squirreled away in the midst of the gray cubicles of the accounting department. She actually MAKES jewelry! Imagine my inner crow’s delight when Shelia examined my necklace and said, “I think I can make a bracelet that will match.”  And she did! Look – isn’t this GORGEOUS?

When she presented it to me, I asked her how much she wanted for it. I know her supplies can’t come cheap and she’s always “creating” something. Shelia makes all sorts of necklaces, bracelets, and lovely bits of jewelry. If she can dream it, she creates it.  

She shrugged and smiled as she straightened it around my wrist. “Nothing. I just made it for you.”

I asked her again...after all, I didn’t want to take advantage of a friend.

“No. Really. It's yours." 

Well, I couldn't just take her gift and not give her something to show my gratitude. So, I asked her if it would be okay to post her work of art on my blog. 

She smiled again and agreed. She also added, "I’ve got a Celtic necklace that might look good on there too.”

Here’s the necklace she fashioned. Aren’t the garnets lovely? Needless to say, I bought the necklace from her. I couldn't let a bit of Celtic jewelry escape!

I think my wonderfully talented friend is going to be an awesome resource for giveaways to readers. I know she could make some to-die-for book thongs, necklaces, bracelets, etc. Like I said, if she can dream it, she makes it. I’ve just got to figure out what I need and give her plenty of lead time.

By the way, if you’d like to get in touch with Shelia to get a lovely creation of your own, here’s her email addy: sjmoct@hotmail.com  She’s one of the most talented jewelry artists I’ve ever met and if you’ve got an idea for a unique creation, I bet Shelia could make it a reality.  And even if you don’t have any ideas – Shelia can help you. She's got loads of her own!

So, come. Revel with me in our harmless addiction. After all, don’t you think there’s a little bit of crow in all of us?