H.H. Laura's Blog: Sensates

WAYNESBURG – The mystical world in the “Sensate Nine Moon Saga” is coming to Greene County.Thanks to a foray into family genealogy, author Carol Cajigas of Lancaster was inspired to write a fantasy trilogy based on an obscure ancestor she stumbled upon, Teater Higgins, a great-grandfather who was, according to old family accounts, “buried somewhere in Waynesburg.”Cajigas will be at Artbeat Gallery in Waynesburg at 7 p.m. today to discuss her fantasy world of long-lived people born with a recessive extra-sensory gene who keep their identities secret to avoid exploitation.“I was doing my family history in 2011 and ran across Teater, but couldn’t find where he was buried. It was a mystery and I still don’t know where,” Cajigas said.The books, written under the pen name H.H. Laura, begin with a young woman named Alexandra who comes to Greene County to investigate her own family ties. The parallel was no coincidence because writing the first book, “Larkspur,” gave Cajigas a unique way to spend quality time with her mother, who was in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease.“It was a stressful time in my life,” Cajigas said.In order to enrich her mother’s failing memory, she began researching family history, which became part of the script as Cajigas created Alexandra to go to Greene County looking for the missing Teater, while Cajigas herself drove from Lancaster to the family home in Bellaire, Ohio, to read the manuscript to her mom. Alexandra’s parents were built from the memories Cajigas had of her own childhood.“Mom would listen to me read and say, ‘That’s not what happened.’ Then we’d rewrite it together,” Cajigas said. “It was fun for us.”At some point, the personal history grew into an epic fantasy that turns Waynesburg into a town surrounded by mountains and lets Alexandra and Teater Higgins introduce Sensates to the world.“I was born in Bellaire (Ohio), and as a young adult I lived in Wheeling, so I know this area and its history. The people are warm and friendly and that’s part of the story,” Cajigas said.Through Alexandra, the world of Sensates unfolds and the adventure that pits their high morality against the forces of intrigue and dangerous intents now spans three volumes. Sensates do not age past age 35 and one, an indigenous American, lived 2,000 years. But death can come through accident or design and once their secret is revealed, there are those in power who would try to harness it.With the trilogy written, it is possible the mystery that began the “Sensate Nine Moon Saga” will finally be solved.Cajigas came to Greene County for the first time a few months ago and recently learned there’s a Higgins Cemetery in Jackson Township.“I can’t wait to see if Teater Higgins is buried there,” she said.On Tuesday, Nikki Cole hurried into Art Beat Gallery on her lunch break from Waynesburg University to buy “Ryeth” and “Heartseed,” the second and third books of the trilogy.  “I bought the first book because my friend told me about it. I’m part way into it and I want to make sure I get all three. I’ll be here Friday to get them signed,” Cole said.Those who attend the book signing today will have a chance to talk to the author and register to win the trilogy. Refreshments will be served. Artbeat Gallery is located at 52 E. High St. in Waynesburg.| Sensates, extrasensory perception, telekinesis, telepathy, fiction, saga, fantasy, literary fiction, science fiction, astral projection, time travel, five senses, levitation, mental abilities, mind control, H.H. Laura, Sensate Nine Moon Saga, Larkspur, Ryeth, Heartseed |

WAYNESBURG — Carol Cajigas may have been born and raised in Bellaire, Ohio, but she has a special affinity for Greene County.Interested in her family history, Cajigas researched her genealogical background and stumbled across a man by the name of Teater Higgins, who turned out to be her ­great grandfather. She traced Higgins’ birth to Paw Paw, West Virginia, and learned that he later married a woman named Mary Wilkinson from Wheeling. Most importantly, old family accounts say he was buried somewhere in Waynesburg.For someone who’d never been to Greene County, Cajigas was so intrigued with the story of her great grandfather that she wrote three novels based on a fictionalized version of his life and set them in Greene County, the place of his supposed burial.“In my books, I mention the prison, golf courses, airport and the quarry,” said Cajigas, who made her first visit to Waynesburg last month and made another one in August. At 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, the author will return once more to autograph and read from her books at a book signing at the Artbeat Gallery, 52 E. High Street in Waynesburg.The event is free and open to the public and copies of the author’s books will be available for purchase. Light refreshments will also be served.Titled “Sensate Nine Moon Saga,” Cajigas’ trilogy centers around a race of people called Sensates, born with a recessive gene that allows them to exhibit extrasensory abilities and who live by a high moral code that requires them to guard their secret from those who would use their powers for nefarious purposes.“The Sensates live an extended life span and quit aging around 35 years old,” said Cajigas, who now lives in Mohnton, Pa., just south of Reading. “The only way they can die is by accident or murder. The oldest still living is close to 600, but the first Sensate, an Iroquois named Onatah, lived to be 2,000 plus until she was killed by another Indian.”Cajigas published “Larkspur,” the first book in the series in paperback and digital form on Amazon.com in November of 2011.  The title comes from the name of a fictional house in Waynesburg that sits next to a hollowed out mountain in which the Sensates reside.“I never wrote a series before, but after ‘Larkspur’ came out, people kept asking me about a character in the book named Ryeth. “I based and titled my second book in the series on him.”The third book, “Heartseed,” takes its name from the vine that covers a massive stone arbor atop the mountain of the Sensate stronghold. Built by the great­-great grandfather Teater character for his beloved Nancy, the arbor supports the tangled vine, whose brown seeds hold an ivory colored heart.The book reading will take approximately 20 minutes, followed by a question and answer session. At the reading/book signing, attendees who sign up for Cajigas’ newsletter will have a chance to win all three books in a boxed set held in a white tote bag with green trim and handle.“My book covers are basically images of my characters,” she said. “They have a definite romance novel look, although my literary genre is fiction fantasy,” she said.Attendees can purchase one, two or all three of the books at the reading. “Larkspur,” her 479 ­page novel sells for $12, while the other two (a little over 300 pages) sell for $10. All are full length works that can stand on their own. The author, however, suggests reading them in order for their back story and a sense of what the Sensates are trying to accomplish.At the event, Cajigas will pass out complimentary book markers and cards with information about herself.Since she’s visited Greene County, she’s learned that there is a Higgins Cemetery just northwest of Waynesburg, which she hopes to visit sometime soon to look for her ancestors’ graves. When she saw Greene County for the first time, she said she was impressed by the residents’ feeling of community, but did admit that the hills aren’t as lofty as the mountain in which she set her fictionalized Sensate home.“I also like the way the people in Waynesburg are proud of their town,” she said. “And everyone has been so kind, open and willing to share.”Jim Winegar of the Artbeat Gallery admits that the author seems to have taken literary license with some of the county’s geography, but that her characters are reminiscent of people he’s met in the area.“I’m now half way through her second book, and am not sure what direction the story will take,” he said. “But the plot is so compelling, I am almost forced to turn the pages to read on.”

In 2011 Alexandra Higgins spoke to me, and without knowing, her words brought forth theSensate Nine Moon Saga.Before one word of the series was written, she let me know it would all work out in the end.  Her words were cryptic and contained deep thoughts.  Here's what she said:“The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”- Marcel ProustHow did I arrive at this particular point in my life?  What innate characteristics of my composition perpetuated this specific outcome?Looking back through my personal history, I appear no different from any other twenty-two year old female.  I was always inquisitive, in a quiet sort of way.  Throughout school, I followed a scientific approach to most things wondering how and why, just like the rest of beings walking upright.  When presented with an unknown, rather than ask, I typically set out to find the answer on my own.  I wasn’t striving for the cure for cancer or the proof of alien existence, but instead, I mused over the internal questions: Are we basically good?  Does love conquer all?  And the big one...Under what circumstances could I take a human life?I have discovered an insurmountable list of suppositions plague us as we travel through our lives, and how we choose to deal with these bumps in the road is what defines us and imprints individuality among the milling throng walking mindlessly toward our demise.  Each step we take forward is a step toward our end.As a little girl, I wished for many years to be older, to join the world of grown-ups, always certain I was missing out on the great secrets they held. Then, once I arrived at ‘older’, I wished for my youth and the innocence of wonder.  Within the confines of this particular thought, I am no different from the majority who wish to go back in time and cling dearly to an instant that forever marked our path forward.  I know now that hindsight gives us clarity and an appreciation for the wrong turns in our lives.Who would have thought a small town girl, brought up on the banks of the great Ohio River, could stray so far from what is considered an ordinary path of existence?  I grew up with normal parents, experienced a typical childhood, possessed a fair amount of intelligence, and tried to stay out of the way of those who live on the fringes of society, not really accepting or adapting to the social norms. Yet, all my good intentions were typically accompanied by the unfailing knack of getting into the worst possible situations one can imagine.Tongue-in-cheek, that’s how my father would have looked at my situation. My mother would have merely patted him on the shoulder and said, “Now, Al, let’s just give her time.”I am certain that time itself is worth a fair amount of consternation, for within the grand scheme of things, aren’t we but a snippet of an instant?  How can one person possibly make a difference, when time is so vast and we are so very insignificant?  I am on the fence on this thought; the ramifications are just too infinite to grasp.  The ‘butterfly effect’ concept has to be lumped into the immeasurable aspects of life.I don’t know where it comes from, but I’ve always had confidence.  Confidence I could learn and adapt. I was always the first one in line to try something new, never being afraid of the unknown.  I had confidence that, when all else failed, I could count on myself, my inner strength, my core.  Even when I knew nothing about a given situation, I always felt I could overcome an obstacle and manage to continue forward.  Even now, I’m not worried…Looking back at Alexandra's thoughts from 2011, I have to wonder at the writing process.  She knew the outcome in the beginning.  My Alexandra brought me from a cistern high on a hill in Waynesburg, PA to the glorious conclusion of the Prophecy.  Amazing.  Also amazing was that fact that she lived inside of me...  I offer a toast to all the characters who live inside us and breathe life through the written word.  Bless you.

WAYNESBURG — While doing genealogical research on her family, Carol Cajigas tracked down a family member, her great-great grandfather, Teater Higgins, to Waynesburg.Born in Paw Paw, West Virginia, Higgins married Mary Wilkinson from Wheeling, West Virginia, but is believed to be buried somewhere in Waynesburg, according to old family accounts.Her discovery of her long-gone relative led her to write a series of three books based on a fictionalized version of his life. Titled “Sensate Nine Moon Saga,” the trilogy centers around a group of people called sensates, who were born with a recessive gene that allows them to exhibit extrasensory abilities and who live by a high moral code requiring them to guard their secret from those who would use their powers for nefarious purposes.“The sensates live an extended life span and quit aging around 35 years old,” said Cajigas, who was born and raised in Bellaire, Ohio, but now lives in Mohnton, Berks County, just south of Reading. “The only way they can die is by accident or murder. The oldest still living is close to 600, but the first sensate, an Iroquois named Onatah, lived to be 2,000 plus until she was killed by another Indian.”Cajigas published “Larkspur,” the first book in the series, in paperback and digital form on Amazon.com in November 2011. The title comes from the name of a fictional house in Waynesburg that sits next to a hollowed-out hill in which the sensates reside.While Cajigas said the first novel just flew onto the page, it was so in her mind (she wrote it in about three months time); however, the second and third were harder to write.“I never wrote a series before, but after ‘Larkspur’ came out, people kept asking me about a character in the book named Ryeth. I based and titled my second book in the series on him.”The third book, “Heartseed,” takes its name from the vine that covers a massive stone arbor atop the hill of the sensate stronghold. Built by the great-great grandfather, the Teater character, for his beloved Nancy, the arbor supports the tangled vine, whose brown seeds hold an ivory-colored heart.The second and third books were released in April and June of this year, respectively. Cajigas said she wrote “Larkspur” to stand alone and that the three books can be read out of sequence. However, she feels it's best to read them as a series.The books are published under the pen name H.H. Laura, derived from three strong, influential women in the author’s life — her grandmother, her mother and her husband’s mother.“Hazel, my grandmother, was the kindest, most persevering woman I have ever known,” she said. “She had the softest skin, the best freckles and the greatest recipes. Helen, my mother, never speaks an unkind word about anyone and is quite a woman. Laura is my husband’s mother, to whom I shall be forever grateful for raising such a wonderful son. These women have been an inspiration not only in my daily life, but also in the creation of my characters.”Cajigas said she released her first book early because her mother had Alzheimer’s and she wanted to immortalize her in a book. She said when she read the part of “Larkspur” that dealt with her parents’ first meeting, it gave her mother a lot of pleasure.The author, a microbiologist by training, said she first started writing a book about a pirate and an Irish lass back in the 1980s but her sons deleted it from her word processor. She didn’t pick up a pen again until 2009, six years after she retired from her career with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.“I originally wanted to write a children’s book about a bee with an allergy to pollen,” she said.“Sensate Nine Moon Saga” came out instead. All three books in the series are available in either paperback or digital form at amazon.com or smashbook.com.Starting July 23, all three books will be available for purchase at the Artbeat Gallery, located at 52 E. High St. in Waynesburg.Cajigas is planning a fourth book that will launch a new series with many of the same characters found in the sensate trilogy. The author said that about 10 percent of the new book is already written, although 90 percent is already in her mind.“In my writing, I try to keep my books light and imbued with the appreciation of nature,” she said.

Early Spring, 1938 – Waynesburg, PATwo men stood on the crest of a hill facing each other in a heated debate.“Teater, don’t do it,” said Jediah.  “You don’t know what might happen.”“I’m afraid you can’t stop me, boy,” said Teater.  “Listen, I’m as certain of this as I am about the Prophecy.  I know in the very essence of my being that I am supposed to do this.”Teater rubbed the back of his neck in exasperation.  Jediah made some valid points, and it would seem that his best retort, as feeble as it was, fell on deaf ears.He placed his hand on Jediah’s shoulder, and forced his gaze to his.  “My whole life has been what I needed to do for others.  This I have to do for me.  Can’t you understand how important this is to me?”Teater shoved his hands in his pants pockets to stop from waving them around.  It would do no good for Nancy Jane, who stood at the bottom of the hill, to see them arguing.Jediah dropped his shoulders.  “I just want you to fully consider the ramifications.  We are Sensates; we have powers we must use cautiously; we live our lives quietly without drawing attention to our group; we live by a strong moral code and if no one kills us, we live for a very long time.”Teater turned away from him.  “Don’t you think I know that?  I’ve given my share.  I’ve devoted my life to others since I was a young lad.”Jediah grabbed his arm and forced Teater to face him.  “What I’m saying is: we are not gods,” he said.  “We are merely humans with special gifts.  We’re not meant to go traipsing among the stars, and if we were, we would do so with much more forethought and consideration to the consequences of our actions.”_________________________________________| Sensates, extrasensory perception, telekinesis, telepathy, fiction, saga, fantasy, literary fiction, science fiction, astral projection, time travel, five senses, levitation, mental abilities, mind control, H.H. Laura, Sensate Nine Moon Saga, Larkspur, Ryeth, Heartseed |

About 1545 - Somewhere in the hills of the north near the great waters“He means nothing to me.”  Onatah sighed.Juan caressed her face in his calloused hands.  “Ona, I am not questioning your loyalty; I am concerned he will misinterpret your kindness.”“Am I not to be kind?”  Her dark eyes rose to meet his.“I’ve watched how he looks at you.”She was aware of Juan's protective nature.  Not possessing a jealous nature, Juan cared only for her safety.  “I cannot help the stars in his eyes,” she noted softly.  “Surely he can see I have eyes for only you.”“My sweet Ona, you are so very good to everyone.  He does not know the difference and is mistaking your kindness for interest.  It is no wonder the young brave is enamored with you; after twenty years, even I am still flattered that you chose me as your husband.  It is hard to believe our son is sixteen and yet you are as fresh and beautiful as the day we met.”Juan kissed her soft lips and then smiled.  She lowered her eyes, unwilling to let Juan see her resignation.  Her time with him neared its end.  Carving out an existence in the New World was not an easy task and made old men quickly from the young stalwart ones who set out to tame the land.  At forty-three Juan looked closer to his sixties.  His hair had long since grayed and his face, though still handsome with his high cheekbones and kind eyes, was a map of the hardships he had endured.Onatah, young, fresh, and untouched by the years or the harshness of the land, appeared closer to the age of her son.Over the many years she had lost count of her many husbands.  She could visit them in her dreams, but the pain of separation from her many husbands and children gripped her chest and threatened to squeeze the air from her lungs.Her mind wandered into regret.  If she could choose, of all her husbands and all her children, she would choose this man who came from afar and their son as her one lifetime.  Juan was not an Algonquin like Onatah.  Where her skin blushed as if kissed by the sun, his tanned brown warmed by the earth.  Juan told her his birth home was far across the great water.  Onatah could not imagine a place like Española, even when she saw it through her husband’s dreams and knew it to be a wondrous place.  Her land, the land of the Iroquois, although vast, was slowly shrinking with the migration of the ‘white man.’“Promise me you will stay away from Nootau.”  Her wonderful husband spoke firmly.Nootau, a young brave from a nearby tribe had become captivated with her.  Although she quickly told him she had a mate, it was too late.  If only the young brave had not happened upon her while Onatah gathered mushrooms in the forest…“I will try, my husband.  He waits until I am alone doing my chores and only shows himself when you are away.”“I fear he is completely besotted with you, Ona, as am I.”  He ran his calloused finger down her soft cheek.Onatah smiled at her husband.  He never failed to let her know how much he loved her.  While she carried the burden of mating with many men over many lifetimes, she had never rested her heart with anyone until she met Juan.She owed him an explanation; she could not keep her secret one day longer.  Although she failed to share her story since her first lifetime, she sensed this special man would understand.  She waited until after the evening meal, and once their son was asleep, she took her husband’s hands in hers and began her tale.“My dear husband, I have a tale to tell you that will cause you to not believe your ears.  But you must believe me, Juan, for as the great wind blows, the mighty sun shines, and the forever moon looks upon our faces, I speak the truth.”Begin the journey now by downloading your FREE copy ofLarkspur (Sensate Nine Moon Saga - Book 1)at SmashWords.  Use the link below and add codeUV86Tat checkout.FREE COPY_______________________________| Sensates, extrasensory perception, telekinesis, telepathy, fiction, saga, fantasy, literary fiction, science fiction, astral projection, time travel, five senses, levitation, mental abilities, mind control, H.H. Laura, Sensate Nine Moon Saga, Larkspur, Ryeth, Heartseed |

Waynesburg, Pennsylvania – SpringThe instant her toe caught Alexandra braced herself for the impact.  As her body made contact, the surface gave way.  A scream escaped her lips as she tumbled downward through a dark shaft.  The descent ended abruptly with a belly flop into icy cold water.Water gushed up her nose and into her mouth; she thrashed until her foot touched bottom and her head cleared the surface.  Coughing and straining to expel the foul water, she gasped for air to fill her burning lungs.  She drew in a normal breath, shoved the hair out of her eyes and blinked to help adjust to the subdued light.Grimacing from the throbbing ache in her left side, she rubbed her arm, instantly jerking as pain shot through her hand.  A toothpick-sized splinter stuck out of the fleshy part of her palm.  Gritting her teeth, she pulled it out and squeezed the hole to make it bleed.  She wiped the blood away on her shirt.Fear mounting, she spun around and took in her surroundings.  The hole in the cover where she had crashed through was the only light entering her pit.A cistern!  Waist-high water, four solid walls, ten feet to the top, and no way out.* * *Find out what happens to Alexandra!  Download a FREE copy ofLarkspur (Sensate Nine Moon Saga - Book 1)at SmashWords today!  Click the link below, enter codeUV86Tat checkout, and your copy is FREE.  This offer is only good until August 1,2016.FREE COPY_____________________________| Sensates, extrasensory perception, telekinesis, telepathy, fiction, saga, fantasy, literary fiction, science fiction, astral projection, time travel, five senses, levitation, mental abilities, mind control, H.H. Laura, Sensate Nine Moon Saga, Larkspur, Ryeth, Heartseed |

I've been researching cataclysmic events for my next novel, and I've settled on the destructive nature of the aberrant gamma ray.It's a good thing I write fiction.  I can't imagine the work it would take to be factual; I have enough trouble keeping my characters from running off the page as it is.  Although my books revolve around a fictional world, I try to keep a firm footing in the real world.  The Earth receives very weak doses of gamma rays daily.  If, however, some system decides to creep near us and has a hypernovae, it could send a burst of gamma rays that could eradicate all life on the planet.  All this would be through no fault of the planet's inhabitants, it would just happen.Yes, this type of event suits my needs perfectly - a disaster that is no one's fault.  Check in with my Sensates to find out why this happens, and to whom.Get started today withLarkspur, the first book in my Sensate Nine Moon Saga series.  You may obtain a FREE copy until August 1st if you goto Smashwords and use codeUV86Tat the checkout.  Enjoy!Larkspur FREE at SmashWords

 Please take this opportunity to download the FREE copy of Larkspur from SmashWords!SmashWordsUse code UV86T at checkout!Larkspur is the first book of H.H.Laura's Sensate Nine Moon Saga, and is being offered FREE to celebrate the publication of Heartseed, the third book in the series in which the Prophecy comes to an end.  (This FREE copy is only available until August 1st.)Throughout the series, you will come to know the benevolent Sensates, who are a group of people that possess a recessive