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Can the founder of the Community stand against his ancient gods?
I learned of Jason while writing my first novel. Because Joshua was so focused on his own trials and shy about discussing sensitive info, I only knew that Jason was the oldest of the Community vampires, having lived more than three millennia, some call him "King" (though not within his hearing), and he'd been attacked by a hunter with some kind of poison. He lives, but is in the vampire equivalent of a coma. He received brief attention in my second novel, enough to let readers know he's still in pretty bad shape. Once Ronan was satisfied, I turned my attention to the Council's most treasured elder. He spoke up at last, and literally shocked me to my knees. My love for the legends of ancient Greece, and an obsession I had at the time for the television series, Hercules, the Legendary Journeys, influenced Jason's voice. The one-time King of Iolcus who led the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece illuminated the potential to transform the Community's culture in a way I had never seen before. When I connected the legend to the vampire, I discovered a character with great wisdom and humanity, one uniquely capable of becoming the king of my clan because he already possessed a relationship with the deities, even if that relationship is tenuous at best. I modeled his temperament after my husband, giving him a quirky sense of humor and easy-going ways that presented a dynamic change from my usual, serious-natured vampire. And so Jason was born. To tell this story from the beginning, I needed to step backward about four years. At a point in Joshua's story that I won't describe here, Vincent informs his brother in darkness that Jason had begun a love hunt, and his gods were causing trouble. By then, my quiet couple had been dating for much more than a year. I closed my eyes, asked Jason how he met his love interest, and once again, the story took off on its own. Jason encounters Mirissa while appraising a bar's occupants, looking for his evening meal. Before she leaves, he knows who she is to him - Cupid makes sure of that. He immediately sets about the preparations and plans to infiltrate her life, befriend her, and finally, to seduce her into his arms. There's just one problem standing in his way - she is protected by a guardian angel. Mirissa Wellston is a rookie cop with unusually sharp instincts, a trait her partner learns to appreciate and trust. So when she expresses vague misgivings about Dr. Jason Thessalydis, an instructor and observer for Carrington's new Special Victims Unit, Max goes on the alert as well. Gaining permission from Mirissa's guardian is only the first of many challenges Jason must face. Hera is still out for revenge and engages the help of Ares in a supernatural attack against the citizens of Carrington. Things heat up in the city, bringing wave after wave of Rogues--an uncivilized form of vampire--and engaging more and more Enforcement Augmentees in a desperate effort to control the situation, then a new threat emerges - a human hunter! Of course, if you've read Twilight Destiny, you know how that part of the story turns out - with Devon (a well respected member of the Council) slain and Jason in a coma. Bringing him out of his four-year siesta was hard on the entire Community. I had a lot of fun writing this story. Jason takes himself much more lightly than do the other members of the Community and was a joy to work with. I got to delve into Greek Mythology and combine that culture with Christianity. The blending of so many worlds was tricky, but it opened my eyes to another way of thinking and led the way to the next story. ~ Tamara Monteau Reviews for Haven's King:4 out of 5 stars - Fun and Easy Read
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Copyright© 2012 by Tamara Monteau. All Rights Reserved. |
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