One of the most satisfying things about being a writer of fiction is the emotional bond that is developed between writer and reader. Or maybe I should say "SOME writers and SOME readers." Anyway, if you are a writer who takes such things seriously, of course you want to elicit a strong emotional response in the hearts of those who are rooting for your hero or heroine and following his/her adventures in minute detail. They have paid good money for the book (or some of them have!) and they want to be INVOLVED.
So as a writer, you finish the text, get the finished book out there into the marketplace, and await developments. With a bit of luck, you get reviews in the newspapers and magazines, other reviews on the Amazon and Goodreads web sites, letters and phone calls. Most of the reviews are of course good, because the reviewing process is a cockeyed one, in which people who hate the book they are reading tend not to finish it and probably will not be bothered to write a review. That having been said, of course a writer gets a boost every time an enthusiastic review appears in print or in social media. Some writers are so desperate for approval that they bribe their friends to post reviews on Amazon. And the most satisfying reviews are those in which there is a strong emotional response.
The most moving responses to the Angel Mountain books have been from women who have themselves experienced some of the situations in which Martha finds herself -- dealing with a traumatised husband, the death of a child, recovering from rape, the loss of a husband, or a miscarriage. The most moving tribute I have ever had as an author was from a lady who had herself experienced a miscarriage and who turned up to one of my talks in order to thank me for my description of what happened to Martha and how she recovered from it. She was amazed that a male author had written the text, and said it had given her a sort of catharsis which enabled her to move on with her life. To develop that sort of bond with somebody you have never met before is both humbling and richly rewarding.
But then there is the matter of Martha's character. She is who she is, and I did not have to "invent" her because of the strange manner in which I was "given" her story. During the writing of the eight novels about her life, while keeping true to the narrative that was already inside my head, I wrote about her behaviour and her responses to situations as accurately and as honestly as I could. Whenever I tried to make her do something out of character, she gave me a kick and said "I would not have done this at all" or "There is no way I would have reacted like that." Somehow, out of all this turmoil, came a fully formed and rather eccentric heroine:
https://brian-angelmountain.blogspot.com/2012/03/about-mistress-martha.html
Martha is undoubtedly a very strong character, with a multitude of virtues and vices. But since completing the books I have been asking myself "Why these violent mood swings?" "Why the episodes of black depression?" "Why does Martha rush about like a whirling dervish at times, getting involved in things she should really stay well clear of?" "Why does she become so obsessed with her projects and her plans that she fails to see what the effects are on those whom she loves?" "Why does she take such pleasure in conflict that she appears to others to be vindictive and vengeful?" Over and again she has to be ticked off by Bessie and Grandma Jane for her insensitive behaviour. Over and again she has to be healed by Joseph Harries or rescued by her angels..........
It's rather intriguing that when I was asked, after the publication of "On Angel Mountain", what Martha looked like, I always replied "Catherine Zeta Jones" -- ravishingly beautiful, with black hair, brown eyes and a voice rather like that which I heard in my strange delirium back in 1999. Twenty years ago, if a film of the book had been made by Hollywood, Catherine would have been exactly right for the role of Martha Morgan. Too late now, maybe......... but then I discovered that Catherine suffers from bipolar disorder, and is, to her great credit, perfectly open about it.
Suddenly, this explained a great deal about my precious heroine -- her erratic behaviour, her episodes of frenzied activity involving all sorts of collateral damage, and the confrontations with her black dog from which, on a couple of occasions, she barely escapes with her life.
So Martha, from the very beginning, and without me knowing about it, suffered from bipolar condition (let's call it "condition" because the word "disorder" triggers off all sorts of negative responses). And that explains comments like these:
"I found myself getting very cross with Martha and some of her decisions. I also became very attached to the characters. This book will get under your skin….”
"Tears rolled down my face as the life of Martha Morgan came to an end and I felt a real sense of loss. All of the books have been amazing, enthralling, educational and inspirational. I congratulate you on such an achievement.”
"I had a calling of the mountain and by chance fell upon your books. They have along with Martha Morgan saved me in many ways and made me realise I am completely normal. Amazing work -- thank you from the bottom of my heart …."
I find that last comment incredibly moving. I'm still trying to work out where this takes us...... but it may also lead us to examine the supernatural components of the story which makes it very different, for example, from Poldark, or Pride and Prejudice, or Downton Abbey, or Wuthering Heights. Do we move from rational drama into the realm of the irrational? There are the ravens -- are they real, or supernatural, of just hallucinations associated with bipolar "events"? The battles in the sky -- real, or imagined? The premonitions experienced by Martha, which lead to her being accused of witchcraft -- what do we make of them? The symbolism of the angels? The beliefs associated with Joseph Harries and his contacts with demons and the spirit world?
It is a feature of bipolar condition -- in some individuals -- that hallucinations are experienced and that voices are heard.
My dear Martha, perhaps I understand you a little better today than I did yesterday.
