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After finishing my first novel and receiving some brutally honest reviews, I set the work aside and turned my attention to the magazine venue, starting with a story initially intended as a series of chapters to be published monthly, hoping to both polish my craft and set my feet on the rungs of the literary ladder. There wasn't much to the tale at that time, and only the briefest sketch made it to my computer before Life happened. I read a great deal, absorbing dozens of possibilities while I waited for the freedom to explore my own muse. Once I was again able to return, several years later, to my imagined world, I discovered that it had unexpectedly grown.
It all began with a lone vampire dwelling in the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest where I grew up. Joshua was born in an obscure little village on the Scottish moors almost three-hundred years ago--the son of a lowland dirt farmer. Deeply hurt by events in his distant past, he chooses a life of near solitude. Mother Nature and her children become his closest friends, giving him abilities most vampires lack. I imagined him meeting an unusual child and becoming inexplicably attached.
Catherine possesses profound innocence and simple joy, belying her impoverished state. She lives with her mother in a tiny cabin nestled deep in the woods, amid the foothills of the Cascade Range. Education and survival is her sole purpose in life, her only hope to elevate herself from her primative lifestyle. When she meets Joshua for the second time on her seventeenth birthday, her path takes an unexpected turn.
Once I put Joshua and Catherine together, their story took off on its own, becoming a full novel before I realized it was happening. Since their initial debut, my fans have consistently asked for more information about the quiet, thoughtful couple. It may have something to do with the fact that this is the only truly tender romance in the series. I promise you will see much more of them in the future as the Haven's Realm saga unfolds.
While developing Joshua's character, I explored the vampire genre and came up with a persona that makes both logical and mystical sense. I've written several articles on my blogsite entitled Reinventing the Vampire Genre, and these explain my take on the subject. When I added a touch of Faith, the lights came on, and the Community was born.
It took the completion of my fifth novel to fully appreciate the culture I created. When my publisher went bankrupt, I took the opportunity to revisit the entire series, and discovered the need for a serious rewrite. Treacherous Destiny now stands better on its own and gives readers a more comprehensive introduction to the Community.
Many of the characters introduced here will have stories of their own to tell. They have submitted their requests, and I told them each to "take a number and go sit down." Plots percolate in my head like an overzealous coffee pot. Is it any wonder I don't sleep much?
Treacherous Destiny is a sweet, tender romance with erotic elements, written for the mature reader. I'm certain you will fall in love with Joshua and Catherine just as I did, and enjoy every word. If you've read Twilight Destiny, the first version of this story, I encourage you to revisit the MacAarons, because I've improved the story so much it will seem like new.
~ Tamara Monteau |
