Okay, readers, I got a big creative brainstorm going this week!  After meeting all the cast in chapters 1-7, we get to some super magic with the newest member, Michael, in Chapter 8.  I knew he was coming, but I wasn’t sure what he would be about.  Then, I saw Gerard Senehi.  Okay, so if you are into reading ahead of the class, go to his website at www.experimentalist.com and watch him perform, and you’ll get the inspiration behind the gifts Michael is going to display. It is important to note that this guy is not going to BE Michael.  Our character Michael is fictional, and so not based on Gerard’s or anyone else’s actual life or personality–it’s JUST the gifts that are going to be similar. Watch for bending spoons, twisting forks, moving objects with his mind…  Such “magical” gifts (magic being what we don’t understand–yet) are rare, but not as rare as you might think! Most important to the writing process, you can get your ideas from anywhere.  Just don’t steal whole personalities, or you could get yourself into a world of trouble. In fact, I asked Gerard’s publicist about this post, and he/she said AOK! :-)  Read on!