Feng Shui, Fidel Castro & Fascinating Predictions! An Interview with Lada Ray!

Today it is my honor and pleasure to interview author, Feng Shui master and world traveler Lada Ray! I recently read and reviewed her latest book The Earth Shifter which I thoroughly enjoyed and while I wait for part two I thought I’d reach out and ask Lada for an interview. She kindly obliged and so here it is. Introducing Lada Ray!

Rohan: Hi Lada, thanks so much for agreeing to this interview! It’s my pleasure to be able to share your work and experiences with an ever increasing number of people.

Lada Ray

Lada: Hi Rohan, it’s so wonderful to be a guest at your positive and uplifting blog! Your posts always put a smile on my face.

Rohan: Thanks for the kind words, I’m glad my blog can have that effect! So I’ve just finished your latest book The Earth Shifter, which I really enjoyed, but I know this is by no means the first book you’ve released. How many books have you written in total? And when did you start writing?

Lada: I started writing fiction several years ago, when the idea of The Earth Shifter first popped into my head. So far, I’ve written 1 epic novel: The Earth Shifter; 2 full size novels: Gold Train (Accidental Spy Russia Adventure) and Stepford USA (Accidental Spy Smalltown Adventure), as well as 2 novelettes, Green Desert and Catharsis (Earth Keepers Chronicle 1). In April I’m releasing 2 more Earth Keepers stories: Lemurian Crystal and Atlantis.

Rohan: Very cool, I also enjoyed Catharsis a lot by the way! The Earth Shifter was certainly written with an air of confidence, with a plot that follows numerous characters and story lines that all converge satisfyingly at the end. As someone who has started writing fiction recently I was wondering if you had everything mapped out story wise before you started writing, or did you just jump in and take it from there?
Lada: Different books work out differently. First, I generally imagine the story in my head, and spend some time letting it percolate. I go for long nature walks and meditate on the plot and characters, until I’m ready to put it on paper. Then, when the urge to write becomes unbearable (sounds a lot like orgasm, actually ), I sit down and write the beginning, and oftentimes the ending as well. I also usually write the crucial chapters of the books, which I call the “skeleton of the story,” that foundation upon which the whole story rests. After that, I work from both ends to fill in the middle. The longer the book, the more complicated the process. I love the challenge of writing an epic novel like The Earth Shifter. It requires a lot of plotting and outlining definitely helps, but I find rigid outlining too restrictive. It’s easier with full-size novels, like Gold Train and Stepford USA, because they usually consist of one streamlined plot line. I adore writing shorter novelettes, as the whole story—normally between 10k and 18k words—can be imagined and written practically in one breath.

Rohan: Wow, that’s a very cool system! It’s kind of like the visual artist who first creates the outline and then fills in the rest of the details of the painting. Haha, I know what you mean about the orgasm, it’s often that way with creative works, the creative tension builds up until it must be released

 
So there was no way I could interview you without mentioning the meteor strike on Russia! For those of you who don’t know, The Earth Shifter’s story revolves around an impending meteor strike that will end the world, and much of the story is set in Russia. I was reading the book at the time of the real life strike which was really eerie! Having worked as a financial consultant at a number of Major US financial institutions, plus your interest in astrology and metaphysics, I know you are in a unique position to make predictions but the meteor thing was crazy! Any more predictions you’d like to share? I’m a Libra and a Fire Tiger, can you see me sipping lemonade on a Thai beach in a few years’ time? Haha

Lada: Yes, the Russian meteor was a fantastic coincidence indeed. As to the other predictions: I make predictions on my blog about presidential elections and economy. We had a number of elections in 2012 and all my predictions came true. You can check them out on my blog: Predictions 2012 and beyond.

I will be posting more predictions on my blog throughout the year, and I’ll also discuss some of them during my upcoming interview on the Vinny Eastwood Show on 3/18 at 6pm EST. I’ll post the video of the interview on my blog, so stay tuned! I am also planning on writing a comprehensive book of predictions for this decade and beyond, and I’ll hopefully get around to it this year.

But since we are at it here are some personal predictions for you, Rohan. Ready?

Rohan: Yes Please!

Lada: Okay, here goes:

Libra is a wonderfully friendly and fair sign of the Zodiac. For about 2-3 years, till last year, you were hosting the taskmaster and imparter of harsh lessons, Saturn, in your sign. You went through a serious personal transformation and probably took on more responsibility during that period.  Your rewards for any hard work you’ve been doing will start arrive during this year! In what form? It could be anything from recognition to more exposure, but it largely depends on how hard you’ve been working and what you want to achieve. During the next couple of years you’ll be learning lessons concerning your self-worth, including earnings, money, and/or anything else that is important to your sense of self-worth and self-esteem. By the way, your writing and blogging also fall under this category. It may be self-exploration and discovery. Best of luck!
Chinese Zodiac/Feng Shui/Numerology: Tiger – what a terrific sign! You’ll be happy to hear that together with the Ox (my sign, actually) Tiger is the LUCKIEST sign this year. Both Tiger and Ox are considered the signs of the Northeast, and the NE is hosting the luckiest White Star this year, referred to as Star No. 8. The No. 8 Star is the ultimate star of luck and fortune and those who are under its guise are truly blessed! Congratulations Rohan, and make sure you make the most out of this very special year! 2013 is for you—be bold and make great strides in everything you do! The force is with you!

I will make one more global prediction here. According to the secret Chinese Theory of Long Cycles, which I learned from my Asian Feng Shui Masters, and which I use in my predictions, we are currently in the Period 8, which lasts for 20 years. The last period was called Period 7 and it lasted from 1984 to 2003. Period 7 was the period of the West. During that time, we saw the unprecedented rise of the West, including USA (compare the US in the 1990s and now), UK (Look at the difference: the UK looked like heaven on Earth in the 1990s and look at it’s problems now), Western Europe, and incidentally, also Ireland , which is the quintessential West of Europe. Period 8, lasting from 2003 to 2023 is ruled by the Northeast, which means in global terms that the countries rising and dominating will be Russia and China (since they occupy the Northeast of the world and of Asia).

Rohan, personally speaking, Period 8 is simply fabulous for Tigers and Oxen, since these two are the rulers of the Northeast. Sure, there will be setbacks, but by 2023 you will find yourself living in a completely different reality and looking back you’ll often wonder how on earth were you able to accomplish all that?

This is all very fascinating stuff and I have a lot more to say. I’ll try to post more predictions on my blog, as well as cover it in my future books.  

Rohan: Wowee! Where do I start?! First of all both of my parents are Oxen as well. I work closely with them on writing and music so that’s a great sign, they’ll be happy to hear your prediction too

The Libra thing is interesting, everything changed for me in 2012, but the three years before that were very trying indeed, lots of upheaval and many difficult challenges that I had to overcome. I really do feel like I’m moving out of that period into something fresh and new now! That’s really interesting about the Chinese Long Cycles, I’ll have to look more into that, I can definitely see Russia and China becoming the dominant world players over the next while. The economic collapse has decimated the US and European economies over the past five years! What a rock star you are, thanks so much for the personalized predictions, given your track record I’m very excited about the next few years now hehe I have a personal “5 year plan” from 2012 until 2016 in which I’m working to achieve a number of life goals, looks like I picked a good time! Looks like you did too I look forward to following more of your predictions.

So speaking of all things Asia, you have lived and worked in Malaysia studying Feng Shui. I’m jealous! I’ve been to Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand but only on short stopovers traveling from Europe to Australia or vice versa. I’ve always had a fascination with Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai history and culture. What was it like living and traveling in Asia? What was your most memorable experience?

If you look real close you can see Lada

Lada: I love Asia, and one of my goals is to return there and travel more extensively. I have a lot of books to write first, so this idea is on hold for now, but my biggest dream is to end my days in Tibet, meditating high in the mountains, where I could be one with all (however, there’s still so much to do and so much to say, that it’ll be a while

).

My husband’s family is from Hong Kong and he was born there, although he grew up in the USA. The Asian joke about Hong Kong and Singapore is that there are so many people crowding a small space in these two metropolises that if you move just slightly people will start toppling into the sea. Hong Kong is very crowded, noisy, and expensive, but it still has that very special charm, and there are still hidden gems there if you

Kuala Lumpur

know where to look. What I loved most in Asia: Malaysia with its capital Kuala Lumpur, where I studied with my feng shui teacher, Lillian Too, and where I made some very special friends, and Bali, where I seriously considered moving at one point. I’m planning a post on my blog about that sometime this year.

Rohan: Malaysia looks incredible, it looks like it would be a beautiful and inspiring place to live and write. And I like your dream of ending your days in Tibet, that would be wonderful

You also worked in Cuba as a translator right? Havana looks like a beautiful city, what was that like? I know you met him and so I just have to ask, what is El Comandante like? Mr Fidel Castro?

Lada: Cuba and its capital, Havana, are amazingly beautiful. The sea, the beaches and the palm trees are nice. Cuba’s beauty stems not so much from say, architecture, which is quite worn out and dilapidated, but from that special intangible quality of its people. The people are simply fantastic! Warm, inviting, they never fret and are always helpful—all that, despite the fact that they are pretty poor by any standards. They don’t have much, but what

Havana, Cuba

they have they use resourcefully. Of course, the long-standing American economic blockade doesn’t help, but all other countries already do business with the island quite nicely, bypassing the archaic American restrictions. That includes US’ next door neighbors, Canada and Mexico, as well as South America, Russia, and Spain.

Cuba has an excellent educational system, the best in Latin America, and one of the best health care systems in the world. Cuba is also famous for its night clubs, and Cubans can dance till Madrugada (dawn), then go home, have a short nap—or not—and back to work.

El Comandante, Fidel Castro, is now old and sick, but he was an incredible powerhouse in his day. I was only about 20 at the time, but I still remember how it was being in the same room with him during the interviews. His presence and his aura, was so huge and overpowering that you felt completely enveloped by it. His presence was almost mystical.  You can think whatever you want about this man, but one thing is undeniable: he is an absolutely unique phenomenon. He gathered huge crowds wherever he went. I remember him speaking at La Plaza de la Revolucion. The crowd could easily reach 100k and more people. Everyone would watch and listen mesmerized, as his aura would reach to the furthest corners of the square. People would chant, “Viva Fidel! Viva la Revolucion!” I was never the one to fall under a spell, as I always think for myself and never develop fetishes, but even I was impressed by the incredible energy he was able to generate! Only a man like this could withstand all the attacks by the US, years of libel and slander, vicious blockade, all the assassination attempts, and still keep his cool, coming out of all this intact.

Rohan: Yes, he’s an incredible and important historical figure, it must have been fascinating to see him in person knowing what he’s been through and achieved under such scrutiny and pressure. Very cool!

Now, you’ve written a number of books, you’ve gone through the whole process from inception, through writing, to editing, proofing, working on cover design and finally publishing and promoting. As an aspiring author myself, and for all the others reading this, I want to ask you; what is the most important lesson you’ve learned about the writing process? If you could go back in time and tell younger Lada something about writing that would help her out, what would it be?

Lada

One practical piece of advice for the new writers: make sure your novel is professionally edited before releasing it.

Rohan: Yes, it’s definitely a personal journey of discovery and overcoming the challenges that are presented to the author. That’s true, it’s a good idea to get your work proofed and edited by as many qualified people as you can. I want to ask the same question, but this time about publishing and marketing your books. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned about the business side of being an author in the modern age?

Lada: Treat your writing as a real business! Be disciplined and driven, but don’t forget to keep writing! Tip: make sure your formatting is top notch. It is tricky and I personally outsource it to a professional. Eventually, you want to outsource as much as possible, so you could dedicate more time to writing.

Rohan: That’s great advice Lada. Many aspiring authors have to do the bulk of the work, but it’s best to delegate wherever you can and focus on what you do best, write. So when can we expect part two of The Earth Shifter Trilogy? I’m very much looking forward to continuing the adventures of Sasha and co!

Lada: I am working on The Earth Shifter 2 and will start revealing the title and other interesting details in the spring. Anticipated release of the sequel is winter 2013-14. I want to make sure the second book is as interesting and suspenseful as the first one. I have many surprises and revelations planned and I promise my readers a wild ride! 

Rohan: Ooh, can’t wait to see how things develop! And what else do you have planned for 2013? What other writing projects are you working on?

Lada: I’m incredibly happy and excited to report that The Earth Shifter paperback is coming out ahead of schedule, in the end of March. Simultaneously, I’ll be releasing Stepford USA as paperback, and second edition of the Gold Train paperback as well. It’s busy times – but it’s all good

Also, as mentioned earlier, in April I’ll be releasing the Lemurian Crystal (Earth Keepers Chronicle 2) and Atlantis (Earth Keepers Chronicle 3). The Earth Keepers series is the prequel and companion to The Earth Shifter. This YA fantasy/alternative history series has a strong spiritual/metaphysical message. In April-May, Catharsis, Lemurian Crystal, and Atlantis will also be released together as Earth Keepers Chronicles: Origins in both eBook and paperback format.

Look for all these new editions from March 18th onward!

Also, to add to the earlier question about writing and publishing advice, I will reveal my secret: I’m currently working on a series of online courses for aspiring authors, which will provide a full blueprint for writing, publishing, formatting, marketing and promotion of their books. I’ll be unveiling these courses later this year. Stay tuned, much more is coming!

Last, but not least, it is my pleasure to announce that on March 18th, at 6pm EST, I’ll be a guest on the Vinny Eastwood Show which is broadcast on American Freedom Radio. Watch it there, or at vinnyeastwoodshow.com and guerillamedia.co.nz.  I will also post the show on my Youtube channel and blog (find moreof my links below). Please tune in to listen, ask questions and comment! Hope you enjoy it, and please stop by to let me know what you think!

Rohan: Wow! So much going on. I look forward to continuing the Earth Keeper Chronicles  and the Vinny Eastwood will be great, can’t wait for that! Thanks so much Lada for taking the time for this interview today, I wish you all the best going forward this year with all your books and projects

Take care Lada, all the best!