When I was a little girl, I never dreamed of Prince Charming sweeping me off my feet. My head was always in the realm of fantasy, just not that kind of fantasy. I wanted to step through mirrors into alternate worlds, shapeshift, or discover I was a magical being with hidden powers I never thought possible. Fantasy has always been a huge part of my life because it is the heart and soul of imagination. It cannot be explained by numbers, analyzed beneath a microscope, nor does it have limitations.
Then I grew up in a world where everything has an explanation. Yet, there has always been a part of me that is completely fascinated with mythology. What really lurks in the dark shadows? Why do some things have no explanation?
When I started writing, I thought about the very definition we have placed on every fantasy creature from vampire to mage to ghosts. Some like to think the rules are set in stone. I like to think that if these creatures did exist, that they have removed themselves so completely from humans that everything we thought we knew was wrong. Perhaps they even contributed to some of the false beliefs that have floated around for centuries. It keeps them safe; it keeps them misunderstood. Before technology came along, people lived isolated lives. They feared outsiders and those that were different from them. Someone with power or unique abilities would create fear and jealousy. Therefore it became easy to tell those bedtime stories to children about vampires, the big bad wolf, witches, and trolls. That became the foundation for "Sterling", my first novel.
Zoë Merrick is a woman living an ordinary life when one evening she is brutally attacked and murdered. Except, she isn't really dead. She has been changed into something else, something not human. The really exciting part was discovering right along with her that she was a Mage. I didn't want to stray completely from the idea of what a Mage was - which is a sorcerer or warlock. By definition, it is a person with power. In "Sterling", a Mage is an energy source that uses power and manipulates it. I loved this door opening because it paved the way for each breed that I've written about and allowed such flexibility. A writer’s world is not made of concrete walls; it is expansive and ever changing. It is a never ending canvas. What I love about writing is that I get to unleash that world into written form and allow readers to cross over. I'm very excited to be able to share my books and hope that you love "Sterling" as much as I do.
Dannika Dark
"STERLING" IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Sterling-Mageri-Book-1-ebook/dp/B005LHI8K6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315708957&sr=8-1
My Blog: http://dannikadark.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment