Madeira Island Inspired a Gay Writer
Hey Booklovers!
I love to travel, and one of the most striking locations I’ve been to is the island of Madeira. Madeira island is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, southwest of mainland Portugal and about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of the Canary Islands. It is part of Portugal. The island’s volcanic origins have created a rugged terrain with steep, forested slopes, deep valleys, and stunning cliffs that drop into the Atlantic Ocean. Madeira’s highest peak is Pico Ruivo, which stands at 1,862 meters (6,109 feet) above sea level.
Nature on Madeira Island is very fascinating. Down by the sea, the weather is hot and dry, but the island is very green with a lot of plants. The reason for this is that the island has high hills where the clouds lose the water they carry when they pass through the thick trees. This water is led down to sea level via man-made irrigation channels that crisscross the hillsides.
My friends and I drove up to one of the hilltops and walked into a beautiful meadow. Up there, the clouds glide over the grass of the hills and you can walk through them. It feels surreal. Like anything could happen. While I was standing there on the hill in the humid air, I thought to myself that I wouldn’t be surprised if a magical creature would suddenly appear.
When we got back to our lovely rented farmhouse (see the photo above), I was eager to put this magical experience into words. The idea of a queer magical creature appearing in front of me popped up in my head. Nothing would be cooler than a fairy godmother granting you one wish, right? As you might know, I love unicorns. The reason might be that I’m a Sagittarius. A Sagittarius is part man, part horse. So for me, the perfect magical creature is a queer unicorn that’s also a hot man. While writing down my first ideas, I listened to one of my favorite songs of all time: “One Night Only” by Beyoncé from the Dreamgirls soundtrack. In the finished story, the Fabulous Fairy Godperson grants the lonely hiker Jaden a wish that lasts for one night only.
“You get one night of perfection. You may have everything you want. But it will only last until dawn.”
The song by Beyoncé always reminds me of one of my favorite movies: Studio 54. I would give anything to be able to spend a night at Studio 54. So naturally, this is the location Jaden chooses for his one night of perfect love.
I’m currently working on the two sequels to SECOND CHANCE WITH TONY, and I feel I never have enough time to dive deeply into the story. While writing short stories I never get these destructive thoughts. Writing short stories feels like a quick win, because I can finish them quicker and still feel I’ve told a complete tale. Now that I think about it, exploring the idea of a whole novel featuring the Fabulous Fairy Godperson would be fun…
You can read the finished short story ONE NIGHT ONLY on my Secret VIP Giveaway Page 😊
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Stay bookish and fabulous,
Felix
