Abbie Zanders's Blog - Posts Tagged "abbiezanders"
Behind the Scenes: Immortal Dreams
On the outside, there is nothing remarkable about Ellie Cavannaugh. Of average height, average looks, she is sensible and wholly competent.
But inside, she has the soul of a goddess.
Nik Deimos is a god. The son of Ares and Aphrodite, his duplicitous nature often has mortals cowering in fear or writhing in lust. Except for his personal assistant, that is.
She seems wholly unaffected. And it intrigues him. The more he learns about Ellie, the more he is convinced she was meant to be his.
There is only one problem: Ellie is already married.
Mythology has always been a favorite interest of mine, especially Greek mythology. I find it absolutely fascinating, and love to lose myself in tales of gods and demigods, heroes and heroines. But I also have a personal interest in it as well, because Greek culture is part of my ancestry.
Not only do I enjoy classical mythology (Perseus & Jason, I’m looking at you), but I like reading mythology-based paranormal romances as well. I mean, I love my shifters and vampires, but Greek gods and demigods? Sign me up, baby.
It seemed a foregone conclusion that I would eventually write one as well, creating my own heroes and heroines based on myths and legends and putting my own spin on things.
It started with a simple question: what if the ancient Greek gods of myths and legends were still around? (Yeah, I think about stuff like that). What would they do? Would they be all "look at me, I'm a god and I'm awesome" or might they have mellowed over the years and learned a little humility?
Enter Mystikos, the company founded and run by ancient deities incognito. Among those in upper management is one Nik Deimos, a terror of a boss (in human terms, anyway; as far as Greek gods go, he's pretty tame).
And, since every super powerful being needs an Achilles' heel (more myth!), I gave him Ellie, a completely ordinary human woman with superhuman patience and tolerance.
The result is Immortal Dreams: A Mythological Romance, a sometimes funny, sometimes heart-wrenching story about two people who should be together, but aren't.
But don't worry, I'm upholding my promises to deliver "happily ever afters, always" and "no cliffhangers, ever".
Intrigued? You can read an excerpt on my website HERE.
Happy reading!
But inside, she has the soul of a goddess.
Nik Deimos is a god. The son of Ares and Aphrodite, his duplicitous nature often has mortals cowering in fear or writhing in lust. Except for his personal assistant, that is.
She seems wholly unaffected. And it intrigues him. The more he learns about Ellie, the more he is convinced she was meant to be his.
There is only one problem: Ellie is already married.
Mythology has always been a favorite interest of mine, especially Greek mythology. I find it absolutely fascinating, and love to lose myself in tales of gods and demigods, heroes and heroines. But I also have a personal interest in it as well, because Greek culture is part of my ancestry.
Not only do I enjoy classical mythology (Perseus & Jason, I’m looking at you), but I like reading mythology-based paranormal romances as well. I mean, I love my shifters and vampires, but Greek gods and demigods? Sign me up, baby.
It seemed a foregone conclusion that I would eventually write one as well, creating my own heroes and heroines based on myths and legends and putting my own spin on things.
It started with a simple question: what if the ancient Greek gods of myths and legends were still around? (Yeah, I think about stuff like that). What would they do? Would they be all "look at me, I'm a god and I'm awesome" or might they have mellowed over the years and learned a little humility?
Enter Mystikos, the company founded and run by ancient deities incognito. Among those in upper management is one Nik Deimos, a terror of a boss (in human terms, anyway; as far as Greek gods go, he's pretty tame).
And, since every super powerful being needs an Achilles' heel (more myth!), I gave him Ellie, a completely ordinary human woman with superhuman patience and tolerance.
The result is Immortal Dreams: A Mythological Romance, a sometimes funny, sometimes heart-wrenching story about two people who should be together, but aren't.
But don't worry, I'm upholding my promises to deliver "happily ever afters, always" and "no cliffhangers, ever".
Intrigued? You can read an excerpt on my website HERE.
Happy reading!
Life Imitating Art?
A phrase we hear often is, “art imitates life", and I suppose that in many respects, that’s true. But does it work the other way around? Can life also be inspired by art?
The answer, at least for this author, is: you bet it can.
Take my newest release, for example. Seizing Mack: A Contemporary Love Story features a strong heroine – Heather “Mack” MacKenzie. Joining the Marines changed her life and helped her define who she really is. She now applies the lessons she learned about discipline, service, and gratitude through her fitness center, aptly named Seize after her favorite saying, carpe diem (“seize the day”).
Like most authors, I get really close to my characters. Getting in their heads, understanding who they are and what makes them tick, is essential to bringing them to life. I am especially proud of Mack. In the process of writing her and Nick’s story, I admit that in many ways, she has become more than my creation; she has become a source of inspiration as well.
Am I about to enlist? No. But I do love Mack’s no-nonsense, kick-ass approach to life. I love that, despite her many accomplishments, she still struggles with self-image like so many of us do. That even though she appears so tough on the outside, she’s dealing with the same unrealistic expectations bombarding us day in and day out in terms of ‘what a woman should be’. It’s easy enough to pretend not to care what other people think or say or do, but let’s face it – negativity does have a way of slithering its way in through the cracks, chipping away at our confidence and making us doubt ourselves. Mack, like us, is flawed and therefore, relatable.
That makes me wonder… if I can relate to her struggles, can I then also relate to her triumphs?
I’m taking some of the things “Mack” has taught me and trying to incorporate them into my own life. For example, I’m trying to eat healthier (I’m including some “lean & green” recipes in the next couple of monthly newsletters, if you’re interested, you can sign up here: Abbie's Newsletter ). I’m trying to get away from my desk and move around a little more (I hesitate to use the term “exercise”, because that would be a gross misrepresentation). And I’m trying to believe more in myself and less in what others think, because as Mack says, to thine own self be true.
Hell, I may even follow Mack’s example and get that as a tattoo…
… or maybe not.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy Mack and Nick’s story. I had a lot of fun going back to Covendale, where the main dialect is sarcasm and love runs deep and true.
Stay strong and happy reading,
Abbie
The answer, at least for this author, is: you bet it can.
Take my newest release, for example. Seizing Mack: A Contemporary Love Story features a strong heroine – Heather “Mack” MacKenzie. Joining the Marines changed her life and helped her define who she really is. She now applies the lessons she learned about discipline, service, and gratitude through her fitness center, aptly named Seize after her favorite saying, carpe diem (“seize the day”).
Like most authors, I get really close to my characters. Getting in their heads, understanding who they are and what makes them tick, is essential to bringing them to life. I am especially proud of Mack. In the process of writing her and Nick’s story, I admit that in many ways, she has become more than my creation; she has become a source of inspiration as well.
Am I about to enlist? No. But I do love Mack’s no-nonsense, kick-ass approach to life. I love that, despite her many accomplishments, she still struggles with self-image like so many of us do. That even though she appears so tough on the outside, she’s dealing with the same unrealistic expectations bombarding us day in and day out in terms of ‘what a woman should be’. It’s easy enough to pretend not to care what other people think or say or do, but let’s face it – negativity does have a way of slithering its way in through the cracks, chipping away at our confidence and making us doubt ourselves. Mack, like us, is flawed and therefore, relatable.
That makes me wonder… if I can relate to her struggles, can I then also relate to her triumphs?
I’m taking some of the things “Mack” has taught me and trying to incorporate them into my own life. For example, I’m trying to eat healthier (I’m including some “lean & green” recipes in the next couple of monthly newsletters, if you’re interested, you can sign up here: Abbie's Newsletter ). I’m trying to get away from my desk and move around a little more (I hesitate to use the term “exercise”, because that would be a gross misrepresentation). And I’m trying to believe more in myself and less in what others think, because as Mack says, to thine own self be true.
Hell, I may even follow Mack’s example and get that as a tattoo…
… or maybe not.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy Mack and Nick’s story. I had a lot of fun going back to Covendale, where the main dialect is sarcasm and love runs deep and true.
Stay strong and happy reading,
Abbie
