In order to explain the Realm and the way the Ancients of Light series is going to
develop, I am going to delve into my personal reading preferences. If you have read my bio, I mention Julie Garwood
and Judith McNaught as my influences. If you have not read either author, I
highly recommend both. Shoot me an email and I will give you my top picks for
each. Seriously.
Both write rich tales with spirited females (Garwood’s always
a bit quirkier and totally endearing) featuring heroes that are strong and
honorable. Often these men are also unbending, powerful, and arrogant – at least
until the perfect woman comes along and teaches them a thing or two about love. I read most of these novels in the 90s, (I am
dating myself – yes), but I consider the bulk of work by each author to be
timeless. I have read them all again, countless times since. These are the
authors I adore, the ones I aspire to be like.
I realize my style of telling a story is different from a
lot of contemporary authors, with my long tales and my style of prose. It is purposeful, because I write the types
of tales that I always liked to read. I figure there are readers that will enjoy
epic tales of triumph over trial where love conquers EVERYTHING. I read many
contemporary authors, but I return to Garwood and McNaught over and over. If I
can create tales that bring the same type of enjoyment to my readers, then I
consider that success.
A second trait of both authors, even in their books that
were not technically series, was the character overlap. When you fell in love
with characters in one book, it was always wonderful to see those characters in
other books. The way Garwood and
McNaught each interwove their books together with character overlap always appealed
to me. It kept the other stories and
characters that I had fallen in love with alive.
So, if you have read the second book in the Ancients of Light series (Forsaken), you have realized by now that
it is not another book about Lorcan and Kat (I mean seriously, could you stand
thirteen books of Kat’s antics? I adore her and I know that could get TEDIOUS).
Forsaken continues the story of the
fulfillment of the Prophecy (as every book in the AOL series will) and Lorcan
and Kaitriana are in the book, but they are not the main characters.
In this series, Lorcan, Kat, and nearly every other
character you meet along the way will carry over from book to book. Some
characters will feature more prominently in certain books and lesser so in
others. It depends on the story being told. Kaitriana and Lorcan will have a
substantial role in every book, because each novel will take us deeper into the
Realm, the Prophecy and the rise of the Queens. Lorcan and Kat are central to all of it. You will continue to see their relationship
grow and develop over the series, just as you will see the dynamics in the Realm
shift (more than once). Lorcan and Kat’s
story did not end with Chosen, but
they will not be the featured couple again…probably J
(Never say never).
So, what I am rambling on about and trying to say is this - Kat
and Lorcan are not Cat and Bones. This is not going to be a Night Huntress type series because that
is not how my books were ever intended to progress (I have heard a ton of
praise for that series, but I have not yet read it myself). There are seven Queens that have to rise
before the Prophecy can be fulfilled. I
think each one of those fabulous females deserves her own story and her own
hero.
The women in Ancients
of Light are amazing and the way they will come together and realize their
power…WOW! Trust me, you would be
disappointed if there wasn’t a story devoted to each. In addition, I have other stories that are
necessary for the development of the series because there are bits and things
that must come to fruition (besides the rise of the Queens) before the Light
can achieve its mission. Those females rock too (you’ll meet one in Broken, Ancients of Light #3).
We are going to have a lot of fun.
Come back next week when I go on with Part Two – ‘Me, Myself
and The Realm – Defending Lorcan.’ The
three part series will wrap up the following week with the topic – ‘Me, Myself
and the Realm – Ancients Revealed.’
Have a Happy Week, Peeps!
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