Take it away, Natalie & Zee!
Do mash-ups work?
The Eternelles series follows the adventures of two immortal women who find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that will ultimately destroy their world. The nucleus of the supernatural world is the town of Shadow Bridge, where all kinds of otherworldly creatures co-exist. In book one, INESCAPABLE, we introduced the myriad characters—witches, fae, werewolves, vampires/vampyres (two different factions of this race), demons, soul stealers, Greek and Egyptian gods. And of course, there are the protagonists, Sera and Adri—the first, the product of phoenix and gypsy blood, the second, the daughter of Dionysios, Greek god of wine and revelry, and a maenad. The men in their lives also have different origins, and this in itself complicates matters. This list of sups is by no means exhaustive, and we’ll be introducing more as the series continues.
One could say that reading about so many types of creatures in one book would induce a splitting headache, right? Information overload? We didn’t think so.
The key for us was to do a slow and gentle reveal of the lay of the land and the people inhabiting it. Our world-building isn’t thoroughly put in place in the beginning, but with each chapter comes a new revelation, a fresh and clear perspective, always from the eyes of Adri and Sera. Over the course of this series, the reader will know the town of Shadow Bridge like the back of their hand.
Every supernatural race in Eternelles has its role and function. Territories exist for each of them—like Besom Forest for the witches, and an Amish-type community for the fae. The vamps own the nightclubs, while the werewolves are naturally macho and have great investigative skills—perfect fit for the Shadow Bridge police. Greek gods have a definite role in the plot, while other characters, such as demons and soul stealers, appear to stir things quite a bit.
A mash-up of myths and species works here because Shadow Bridge is what one could describe as a global village in the supernatural world. The TV series “Supernatural” and “Charmed” inspired us to a great degree. In these shows, mash-ups are a given, and we wanted that same vibe for Eternelles. Every thread is weaved into the story in a way that doesn’t leave the reader confused—we worked really hard on making the complex both simple and exciting, with readers in mind. Hopefully, we’ve achieved our goal and welcome feedback from all readers.
Thank you so much, Dana, for the opportunity to talk about our new series!
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Intrigued? Here’s a sneak peak into INESCAPABLE, the first in the Eternelles series:
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An immortal born from an unlikely alliance...
Beautiful mythic Greek heiress Adrasteia "Adri" Dionysios has roamed the world for millennia, taking her pleasure where she wanted. Until one night, when Fate drops a baby wrapped in fire into her arms. Motherhood is a formidable challenge, but so is figuring out the identity of a mystery man who makes her pulse race.
A vampyre’s obsession…
Seraphine "Sera" Dionysios' origins are shrouded in mystery. Torn between a mother whose blood saved her life, and a man who now possesses her soul, the only thing Sera can still cling to is her heart.
One rule matters above all others: Always protect the portal…
When Evil comes to Adri and Sera’s hometown of Shadow Bridge, a place where the mortal human world ends and the supernatural realm starts, it’s up to them to stop a prophecy as old as time itself...or die trying.
The two short prequels to this series, ADRASTEIA and SERAPHINE, are also available now from all major online retailers. Both are free everywhere except on Amazon. Other channels coming soon.
ADRASTEIA:
SERAPHINE:
About the authors:
Zee Monodee
Author, smitten wife, in-over-her-head mum to a tween boy, best-buddy stepmum to a teenage lad, bookaholic, incompetent housewife desperate to channel Bree van de Kamp & Nigella Lawson (and failing miserably!)... Zee hails from the multicultural, rainbow-nation island of Mauritius, in the southern Indian Ocean. Shamelessly addicted to Supernatural, Glee, and Gossip Girl, she did put her brain to good use by getting a degree in Communications Science. Romance remains her big love, though, and she likes nothing more than writing strong, kick-arse heroines. Find out more about Zee and her work at http://zeemonodee.blogspot.com.
Natalie G. Owens
Pink velvet and black lace. Light and darkness. A world of contrasts exists in Natalie’s stories because every rose has its thorn. Her favorite stories to write are romances with a dark edge featuring brooding heroes, strong heroines, and a good dash of fantasy. Married, with one son, she now calls the beautiful island of Malta home after eleven good years in Atlanta, GA. When she’s not working or writing—or muttering to herself about it like a batty old maid—she enjoys spending time with family and friends (both online and offline), reading, cooking, watching a good movie, taking trips, and ogling shoe store displays. Find out more about Natalie and her work at http://www.nataliegowens.com.
