The Inspiration Behind Cursed Gift

Ever since I was young, I’ve been fascinated by people’s belief in the paranormal. While the unknown, especially the universe beyond Earth, has always intrigued me, I never fully understood the obsession with ghosts, omens, or karma. Even today, while I admit there’s a lot I don’t know—especially about things invisible to the human eye—I’m more open to the idea that strange things are happening all around us.

One concept that has always puzzled me is karma, particularly the idea that simply saying something might cause it to happen. For instance, during a recent car ride to a gig, I mentioned to my bandmate Tommy that I’d never been in a car accident. He immediately yelled, “For God’s sake…you’ve gone and done it now!” My wife often says, “It’s not good karma to think or say that, Len.” It makes me chuckle, but I can’t deny the existence of good and bad vibes.

Cursed Gift explores the idea that people can unintentionally harm others physically through their words, often without even realizing it. As I developed the story, I initially envisioned clear-cut heroes coming to save the day. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that thinking something bad isn’t much different from doing something bad. How do you stop someone from causing harm, especially if they’re unaware of it?

Since writing this book, I’ve started to see people differently. I no longer (at least not always) internally roll my eyes when someone says, “The universe is listening.” Instead, I try to listen—and learn. And sometimes, while I might chuckle inside, every now and then, I catch a slight flicker of light out of the corner of my eye…

Till next time!

Len