Writing from the Deeper Self

Books in Print by My Book-Development Clients

Naomi Rose, Book Developer & Creative Midwife

💮 💮 💮

Featuring: Rahima Warren

THE STAR-SEER’S PROPHECY: A fantasy trilogy of the healing journey, by Rahima Warren, MFT (ret.). Book 1: Dark Innocence (2015) / Book 2: Fierce Blessings (2015) / Book 3: Perilous Bliss (2018).

Rahima Warren never aspired to be a fiction writer. In fact, she began writing solely for self-expression and personal enrichment. She never imagined she would be the author of The Star-Seer’s Prophecy, a fantasy trilogy about a young man’s journey from evil and suffering to redemption and love.

But my process for book development turned out to be just right for her, as it centers on listening and allowing — creating a deep connection to the author’s process and unconscious. I refer to this way of treasure hunting and extracting what is found as the “Writing from the Deeper Self” approach. “If you are willing to genuinely look into yourself, be patient with the process as it unfolds, and then write what comes to you,” I told Rahima, “you can build a book, or whatever you choose, out of that.”

Rahima, being an avid painter as well as writer, used this analogy to describe her experience of the Writing from the Deeper Self process: “If I set out with the intention of painting a landscape, I will get in a tangle and freeze up,” she explained. “But if I trust a process of listening and allowing from the unconscious, my painting just flows and becomes what it wants to be. I needed someone who understood that.”

My role: Book Developer, Editor, Publishing Consultant

Working with Rahima as a new author: As we worked together, attention was given to characterization and bringing scenes to life through the addition of vivid details. There were several important characters and plot lines to develop and fine-tune. Naomi’s suggestion to keep the focus on Kyr and his experiences, internal conflicts, and emotions, gave shape and coherence to all three books. Another major focus was to improve the book’s flow by homing in on potential places where readers might not relate enough to be fully engaged with the story — for example as a result of too much “telling” and not enough “showing.” Meeting initially every two weeks and then tapering off to less frequency, based on Rahima’s time and ability to work on her book, we developed a collaborative process. Rahima took my suggestions and worked with them independently, turning them into her own words or scenarios.

From the book’s back cover:

Book 1 — “In an ancient world of blood sorcery and healing magic, the Soul-Drinker, a vicious necromancer-king, is draining the life from the souls of the people and of the earth itself. Worse yet, he has banished the land’s rightful Goddess, and disrupted the Sacred Balance, sending the mortal and divine realms whirling toward destruction.”

Book 2 — “No longer the dark innocent, Kyr has survived the first hell of the Star-Seer’s prophecy. After his deeply sacred and transformative year at the Goddess’s Sanctuary, he has become a man of compassion, courage, and integrity. However, the terrible crimes he committed as the unwitting slave of the Soul-Drinker still weigh heavily on his soul. To atone, he plans to help his slave brothers find the same blessings he received from the Goddess: healing, forgiveness, and love.”

Book 3 — “The time has come, at last: the stars are moving into the pattern foreseen long ago by the Star-Seer. The healing of the web of life, the fate of the Goddess Herself, and the renewal of the Sacred Balance all depend on Kyr’s ultimate choice. Will he succumb to rage and despai— or keep to the hard path of forgiveness and compassion? And will the Goddess keep Her Promise to him?”

Reader praise for the book:

“Longtime psychotherapist Rahima Warren brings her daring, passionate, and compassionate trilogy to a most satisfying close. Brave, reflective readers may find more in these books than excellent fantasy set in a masterfully built and richly detailed world. If you're ready to encounter your wounded side, to understand and release its pain, and to walk with it to a more serene future, then let yourself experience the fiercely potent, healing magic of The Star-Seer's Prophecy, because it was written for you." — Jodie Forrest, Author, The Rhymer and the Ravens and The Ascendant

“Dark Innocence is a beautifully written andrichly woven tale of the archetypal themes of wounding and redemption.The author looks fearlessly into the darkest aspects of human experience and explores the true nature of healing. Her wisdom as apsychotherapist permeates the story, but this is no dry textbook...it is a gripping and inspiring page-turner! The story has stayed with me and continues to amaze-Highly recommended (for adults only!)” — Merideth Bowen Shamszad, Author, The Story of Little Feather

"Perilous Bliss — a deliciously readable for a story of such intensity — and its companion books go well beyond the usual fantasy entertainment reading. They are meaningful stories, fearlessly and expertly employing a fantasy-fiction format to open a conversation about, as the author says, 'vengeance, forgiveness, and love . . . despair, hope, and enlightenment . . . intense emotions and equanimity . . . and above all, sublime mysteries.’ Absolutely worth reading!" — Tracie Nichols, M.A.

The author on working with me: “My work with Naomi was seamless. It was hard to tell where the developing began and ended, and where the editing picked up,. She has a way of telling you what to fix or change without being critical. I needed that. . . . Supportive, kind. and wise, Naomi is an excellent guide and editor for developing your book and bringing it forth in beautiful shape. Highly recommended! She is so kind and supportive and gentle and appreciative, yet perceptive of the places where my book needed improvement, from commas to emotional nuances. I worked with her over many years to revise, edit, and polish my trilogy — and always felt gracefully received and held through this 'book birthing' process. Her faith in my book has been and is still very important to me in keeping my inner critic at bay. She has inspired me to honor what I have written by doing the work necessary to bring it into the coherent and beautiful form it deserves.” — Rahima Warren, MFT (ret.)

Sign up for my newsletter and discover the power of writing and healing. Let me support you in bringing the book of your heart to radiant life.

Enter your email address in the ochre sign-up box and click “Subscribe” to join the Writing from the Deeper Self community of like-minded individuals who are committed to writing books that speak to the soul and bring about genuine healing for both writer and reader. You’ll receive expert advice and guidance, creative inspiration, in-depth content, and special offers and discounts. Let your writing be a catalyst for both personal and collective transformation.

As a thank-you, I’ll send you a free copy of my book, 10 Essential Qualities That Help You Write a Book. As these qualities become known to you and surface, they will support you abundantly to write the book of your heart and live more authentically.

If you have a book calling you to write it — whether it’s “just” a wish at this point, or you’ve already stepped into the writing but you don’t know what to do next to have it be an authentic expression of you — consider calling on me to be the midwife of the book that can only come out of you.

You can start by (any or all):

Subscribing to my weekly newsletter on “Writing from the Deeper Self” (sign-up form just above).
Reading my books on the creative process —
- Starting Your Book: Navigating the Blank Page by Attending to What’s Inside you
- An Organic Approach to Structuring Your Book: A Right-Brained Alternative to Outlines
- 10 Essential Qualities That Help You Write a Book: Watering the Seeds of the Qualities You Need
Booking a complimentary 30-minute consultation with me to explore the book waiting in your heart.

Any way you’re drawn to do it, I can help you listen forth the book that wants to be known through you — and you will get to bloom, in the process.