photos of Angkor Thom

I am always on the lookout for new photos as I work on my 2nd book to keep me busy till my first book gets back from my editor. AndI am always researching and searching for photos to help me picture the time when my characters lived. I found this site with some fabulous photos that I hope you all enjoy. http://tripideas.org/angkor-thom-cambodia/

The link I found I had to copy and past but then after pasting it in the google search I was able to view. if I can figure how to fix I will. The photo, I am going to have to check and see in my book of bas reliefs which king it is. Being Angkor Thom I would think it is Jayavarman VII but not sure.
enjoy!!

The Apsaras...

This is another example of these women in motion. I firmly believe these women were real, breathing, living day in, day out at Angkor. Serving in some way. Some may have been just dancers, I think their purpose there was broader. Whether they were dancers, guardians, protectors, wives to officials, lovers to the

King and or someone in the royal family. These women lived and breathed. Their image has been preserved for all time for us to behold but wonder who they were. Oh, to have but a day with them...

Things

Well it's been a while since I have done a post. I am really itching to write but have no time. That's what happens when you have to work for a living and your kids are home on vacation. It's taken me two weeks to come to terms with the lack of time. The first couple days I was so stressed because I couldn't sit down and write. I know it will only get worse as my summer work schedule will start the 4th of July week-end. BUT though I can't write I can read and do research and also help my son Brendan on TRTF,the movie(The Road to Freedom). I told him I will help in a anyway I can. I am looking into any way I can get publicity for my book, it's a learning process and also now for his movie which will be released on a limited basis around the country and overseas.
So though I have been silent on the 2nd book, I am always working on it, just not getting many pages written. BUT I haven't planned on this one being a fast book. It's going to be much more in detail then the first. The first was the ground breaking book, my debute. Hopefully with this book I will gain an audience and an interest in The Kings of Angkor. I am anxiously awaiting to get my manuscript back from my editor to start on the editing.
When I do research I bounce ideas off my friend Kent Davis who is a lead researcher for the Apsaras. I read articles and then write up an email and if he is in the states he gets right back to me.
I was reading an article of his and it had this photo that I am going to put on here. When I saw the photo of the Apsaras and Devatas I could almost see the motion, like I had caught them moving. I think I read somewhere a description of them, this one group as nymphs, I think it's fitting. so I wanted to enclose it. I think if I have my way this will be my life's work. write novels so I can hopefully live off the income and then conduct research on these fascinating women who once lived.

Angkor Wat at Sunrise

The Queens

Jayavarman VII had two queens. At the time he came to the throne he was in his 60s and lived to be 90 or older. Pretty good considering the time he lived. I am sure like any of the kings of his time ,in that area of the world he not only had his queens but also multiple wives and concubines. BUT unlike the other Kings of Angkor he had two queens who reigned at the same time, with him. They were also sisters... Fortunately I have the photos from a Cambodian American who has been doing research on them. Where once many thought they were only Apsaras, with her work you can see the difference. The only thing we know of them is in the reliefs at Angkor Thom and Preah Khan. Just reliefs, no written history, just pictures in stone. So making one of the queens, Indradevi 3 dimensional is going to take all my creative powers. I had already created her, Indradevi, before I knew she really existed. I had named her Devi then found out one of his Queens was Indradevi... talk about one of those moments. Anyway I will be showing you more here about her as I find out. This 2nd book and the 3rd will be about the reign of the greatest King of Angkor Wat and his queen. Their story is too much, too big to confine to just one book. He was the builder King, the Buddha King. Once he was able to get the Cham out of his country he reigned in peace and built. He and his wives were the royal trio or triad, building roads and hospitals. Taking care of their people. The queens while they both lived, taught, were his wives and advisors. His building of Angkor Thom dwarfed Angkor Wat. If you look at satellite photos you can see the difference.
Well now that I have written for a while maybe I can sleep.
I just added a photo of a satellite image. In the photo you can se Angkor Thom in the upper left and then Angkor Wat below it.

The Cham Invasion

Here are some photos of the Bas Reliefs at Angkor Wat and The Bayon depicting the invasion of the Cham. It's the only record out there of this invasion. Much research is being done on my end about this period of time of Angkor. More photos will be added this afternoon..

History, writing and random thoughts...

Well there is much to be said about being up in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning when you can't sleep... the house is very quiet, the kids are not fighting. The only noise I can hear now is the dog snoring and the cats coming to check me out and probably wondering why I am up?
It happens of late when I get woken up suddenly and then get a migraine from jumping up to the sound of a dog barking outside and wondering in my sleep, "Why is the dog barking outside ?" So now I am up...
It's hard during the week, I don't have time to write and so I put the part of my brain that writes to rest. Then towards the end of the week I start to wake up again, plotting my next part in the book. Really I am always playing with the characters, thinking out the next part. It's not just as aggressive, because I know I won't have time to write. So instead of getting really frustrated with myself I have learned to leave it till I know I can tackle it. Really that's good, very, very good in fact because I can be a real bear if I am working on my book on the week-end and I haven't the time to get out my thoughts... Things I want to get done slide and all I can focus on are character development and the next scene... Funny how watching an Eminem and Dr. Dre music video and how Eminem tells how trying to get his ideas out and working on a song the only one who understood him was Dr. Dre. He was the only one to take a chance on a 'white kid', how he just felt like he was going crazy, no one understood him . Like my son Brendan I think is a genius and he gets ideas and because he isn't loaded with money yet it takes a while, sometimes a great while to get a project underway. BUT he has a select few who he can talk to , share his dreams and visions. I think when you have creative, gifted people in your house well it's probably hard on the other ones in the house, I don't know I don't have to live with myself BUT I do know when I am in my creative bent I know if I am happy I am easy to live with myself, but if I am frustrated for lack of time or I am having a hard time getting my idea out or I feel like all I am writing is just junk, like pulling teeth then I am not a happy camper and thus no one else is going to be very happy. So it's good to have someone to talk to, someone who understands how it is dealing with creative energy and being frustrated. Your loved ones can say "yea,yea" but to really understand. To know what it is like having ideas but until you can see them come to fruition it is really frustrating and then on top of it if you lack the resources to get things moving well it's nice to have someone who can help or can help be a mentor or be that one who sees what you are saying or trying to convey ... LOL writing in the middle of the night has it's advantages BUT it also has it's disadvantages, you are still half asleep and it's hard to peg down that idea and make it come to life...
It's nice I can talk to my older kids, bounce ideas off them, sometimes long distance, like Meg. Or when I am driving my older son to school, telling him something. It helps just to be able to voice what you are thinking and then it doesn't sound so out there or at least they don't tell you they think it's whacked and out there but they listen patiently. That's why it's nice to be able tot talk to my kids, each one whether it be like my other daughter who is home right now I can talk to her too and tell her things and though I am not sure she always understands I think she is getting there at least she listens too. So I have my little support net work. Brendan , well he shares his visions, like he did a few years ago. I couldn't see it then, couldn't grasp it but then last February he tried again, telling me about his KOA idea and how "can you help me research Mom?" "Sure says I" and then I realized I didn't just want to do research but i wanted to write this story... How it felt to get to a part and write it and then find out, OMG what I was forming in my mind was actually true, not just something I dreamed up in my head. Some how I knew things and it gave me chills because I would have whatever already firmly established in my little brain then 'bass ackwards' do some research and find out that was the way it was... Now mind you i don't always do things backwards. Most of the time I do my research before but sometimes i get ahead of myself and just want to write, let the creative juices flow... research later. So I try to be as historically accurate as possible... timetables, events, kings, rulers but there will be something I don't get right and I apologize now if i get it wrong or if I take a ruler from one hundred years before and put him with my characters now... he just seemed like the better villain...
WEll it's now past 4am and the birds are singing... I am going to try and go back to bed.
History... working with historical figures, even though there isn't a whole lot out there on them to glean from I try to be a good steward with what knowledge I have of them. To use it correctly ,to not be disrespectful in bringing them to life again. I am dealing with people who to this day have descendants who still reign over a country that my older children live in. There is a bit of room to work with some of the minor characters and since in this second book I am only just writing it, I have a lot of time to write, write and re-write. Many drafts and edits till I get it just right and feel good and comfortable about what I am writing.
How will I feel once my first book comes out? I am sure I will be very happy, over the top happy in fact. I will probably be walking on cloud nine with my feet off the ground. I am already thinking of my book launch party and have already talked with Barry King about having it on the Schooner Mary Day. She is where I feel very happy and relaxed and so I think it's fitting I have my first party there. Then there will be one in Cambodia...