Featured Author;
Marisa Calvi

Why did you write the book ? (and don't blame it on Kuthumi)
But who else can I blame? I had just finished writing our first book together (You Don’t Have Problems, You’re Just Bored!) and I decided to write a page about Kuthumi as part of the introduction. I was quite fascinated by the more well known of his past lives which have all played quite significant parts in history and humanity. I was struggling to sleep one night when Kuthumi appeared by my bed laughing and asked “Why do you think you need to sleep so much?” I was far from amused and replied, “If you need to be here be interesting. I have been reading about your past lives, why don’t you tell me about them.” Not only did he tell me but he took me to them! It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. A few days later I thought how it would be great to write the stories of those lives and heard a YES!! And so I began a new project with Kuthumi. I thought I would write five lives within one book but it didn’t quite work out that way with Thutmose ending up at almost 450 pages.

How was the process of writing this book different from your other one? Did you have to think about plot, characterisation, grand themes etc?
Yes it was very different from the first. Firstly “You Don’t Have Problems” is essentially a guide book while “Thutmose” a biography.  “You Don’t Have Problems” came in short bursts and almost like point form.  With “Thutmose” I had to immerse myself in the story. I had done writing courses so knew the processes of creating characters, developing plot lines and themes, etc but writing in the new energy is waaaaaay different! My mind kept telling me to stop and work on these things but Kuthumi made it very clear to “Just write!!” I soon found that all those things just happened. He would tell me of an event and it would link up to something later on. I would have a glimpse of an aspect of a character which would lead to a story line later on. Many days I would write wondering where a story was going for it to unfold into something I never could have imagined. I even wrote without double checking my time references to find that when I was editing they all matched up. I truly found that the more I surrendered to the flow of creativity the easier it was to write.

The front cover is gorgeous. Can you please explain its meaning to us? Thank you for noticing and thank you for asking! It is called J’Encore and is an original piece of art by Jessica Simanowski. You can read what inspired Jessie to create it at Kuthumi Fest 2008 . For me it was the perfect cover as it so beautifully symbolizes all our past experiences coming together and returning to the source to be as one. This is what Kuthumi’s memoirs are all about; remembering the past and acknowledging our experiences to become complete in the NOW.

Are you self publishing?
YES! Cos I am too impatient to wait for publishers to find me just yet.

Why would I buy it?
Because something about it calls to you. Because Kuthumi invites you to. Because if you surrender to the stories you might just awaken remembrances that will help you expand.

I'm a fly on the wall at your house- what's your typical "writing" day? Paint us a picture.
I generally write in the afternoon once all the mundane aspects of the day have been dealt with. I might start with re-reading the last few pages to re-connect with the story and then get my fingers moving. There is no great ritual to get started apart from taking a few conscious breaths as I begin to balance my mind and creativity, and having some classical music playing. I never force myself to write and I never write more than a few hours at a time as I am “in channel” and after a few hours I need a break. I truly love when the flow kicks in though. I can only describe it as like watching a movie that is being narrated and I am transcribing a combination of what I see and hear. My fingers are flying and I can feel everything that Kuthumi is showing me. Some days it was hard to write like when I felt Thutmose’s anger or grief. In fact one day I went through a handful of tissues to write one scene.

How does writing fit in with the rest of your life?
One thing Kuthumi had taught me this year is balance, not only between mind and creativity but with all aspects of my life. My writing balances with “real” work but I also make sure I get outside and garden or walk. I have also spent the last few months being more aware of my diet. I have heard of writers who lock themselves in rooms for twelve hours at a time to write and at first I thought maybe I should do that too. They write amazing books but then I wonder what aspects of their lives they are sacrificing to achieve that.