Character Origins

AGENT POE:

Agent Poe from "The Shifters" series has probably been with me the longest of any of my characters. I created him years ago but could never find a satisfactory home for him. I had his look, his personality, just not what story I would give him. You can guess how much it thrilled me to finally give him a voice.

Though I love every character I create, I have to admit that there is a special place in my heart for those who've been with me the longest. Poe was always short, muscled, with spiky blond hair. It just seemed fitting to give him a father who was an actual dwarf (from mythology) and a mother who has prominent fae (fairy) blood in her. But the series did shape who he became and what his motivations were.

He is a prominent character in the first part of my series. He shows up as a minor character in "Psychic Moon", "Love is a Whirlwind", and "Hunter and Hunted". He gets his own story in "Master's Blood." I have it admit, it shocked (but pleased) me when I realized how many fans he was getting. A lot of reviews I read mentioned people who desperately wanted his own story. It's funny how everyone assumed he would get one. If I hadn't loved him so much, he probably wouldn't have.

Fun fact: "Master's Blood" was actually the second story I wrote. But there were so many changes implemented in that one concerning the Agency and the war between the Knights and the shifters, I couldn’t have it be the second story. So I had to sit on it which, trust me, was freaking hard! But it was worth it. I have no regrets with that story and am quite proud of it. I empathize with those who wanted more from the story, but honestly, there was no more to tell. It's exactly the way it needs to be. BUT I do have plans for a sequel with Poe and Nordik. Unfortunately, it will be the last story of Part 2, which means it will be... book 12. But it's in the plans, promise!

In all honesty, I also wanted to draw out my time with Poe. I knew once I wrote "Master's Blood", that he would be removed from being a minor character hopping stories. He's such an interesting, passionate, strong character. *sigh*. I'll miss him.

If you'd like to learn more about this series, check out my "Dreamspinner Press" book page!

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LORD MORGORTH:

Lord Morgorth from my "Stones of Power" series was actually my attempt at an anti-hero. I don't think I pulled it off but I’m still happy with what I got. I love Morgorth, he is so beautifully damaged. No, that's not a contradiction. He's a character in great need of growth and healing and I created the perfect mate for him. I have 13 books planned for this series and I'm certainly ending it with a bang.

Morgorth has been the victim, the attacker, and soon will take on a new roll... which I won't say because I don't want to ruin the surprise! J I work with a lot of themes in this series: fate/destiny, choice, love, family, etc. Morgorth has a dark destiny which, when he was younger, he embraced. But as he grew older, he decided to fight against it, mostly by isolating himself from everyone. But once he met his mate, Aishe, he decided to actively fight it. He chose to fight and resist. This is a conflict of interest, you could say, since his destiny says one thing, but his choices say another. This series shows two minds about the entire idea of "destiny" and "choice" and what roles they have in life. I, myself, am conflicted about that as well and that's why I love this series so much. I can use my own beliefs, theories, curiosities, to create a rich and layered work.

I also love this series because there is magick, fantastical creatures, and dragons! But I call my dragons, payshthas. Since this is a different planet and dimension, I wanted to create my own creatures to inhabit it.

(why yes, I am a fan of Tolkien, how did you guess?)

I enjoy the way Morgorth and Aishe complement each other. They just make my heart turn mushy when they're together. Aishe is less conflicted than Morgorth, but not less complex. He seems that way in the first book, "Ruby: Lost and Found", but as you will learn in book 3: "Amethyst: Bow and Arrow", he's had his own trials and challenges in life. He's had his own battles and tragedies to overcome and endure. Book 3 is from his point of view and will be released in June 2014. That book was incredibly hard but entirely worth it. I am incredibly proud of it and it allowed me to dive fully into Aishe's head and understand him like I hadn't fully done in the first two books.

I’m just now editing the fourth book, "Agate: Then and Now", and will (hopefully) soon start the fifth book, "Emerald: Good and Evil". I plan on taking a short break after writing the fifth book. I haven't fully fleshed out the remaining books and these two guys are emotionally draining. I believe in quality, not quantity.

If you'd like to know more about the series, visit my "Torquere Press" book page!