Ok, I couldn’t be more tickled about this feature story in Romantic Times Magazine’s online blog today. The article goes through each of the stories in my Mythica series and compares them to the actual mythology and then demonstrates how I twisted each story to make it a romance.

Here’s just an example:

Book Four: “Siren Song”

Greek Myth Element: Sirens. The sirens are by far some of the most enchanting creatures in Greek mythology. Seductresses capable of luring sailors to their doom with their captivating singing, these Greek creatures are some of the most famous. However, according to Greek myth, they spend most of their time on land.

Draven’s Take: The author gives sirens a contemporary spin for her fourth story in the series. Chloe is the bombshell lead singer of a popular indie band. No one has resisted her soulful crooning except for naval officer Alex, so of course that’s the one man that Chloe is interested in. However, Alex knows a secret that not even Chloe has guessed, her voice is magical and that’s why she’s become so popular. Alex recognizes that his fellow navy forces can’t help but become entranced by Chloe’s song. But can Alex explain the truth to Chloe before he falls under her spell? It’s up to him to protect his men and hopefully get the girl.

Go read the rest!

For an author, seeing your cover for the first time is a lot like going on a blind date. Sometimes there’s that first wild thrill–love at first sight. Other times, there’s no attraction at all and you wonder how you’re going to make it through this publishing dinner all the way to the dessert of reviews. Other times, somewhere between the salad and the main course, a cover grows on you. You have concerns about what you see, but then you start noticing all the cover’s good qualities. This is a cover you can bring home to your mother!

I’ve experienced all these reactions to my covers. For example, when I first saw the cover for Wild Tethered Bound, I actually got goosebumps just like the ones on my heroine’s arm. I loved the way it captured my heroine’s connection to the forest as a Dryad. I was thrilled to see how easily a mystical tendril of red mist could both seem like a garment and a magic spell. I loved the colors, the posture, the sensuality–everything. It was absolutely love at first sight.

I wasn’t as happy about the cover for Midnight Medusa. It wasn’t that the artist hadn’t done a bang-up job, but it was so jarringly different from the image that I had in my head that I brooded for a day or two, obsessing on every possible flaw. I kept staring at the overhead beams that should have portrayed a Swiss Chalet but instead made me think that my characters were getting it on in a basement. I didn’t like my hero’s sideburns or my heroine’s freckles, and ignored the delicious pose of my heroine’s hands, one pushing him away, one pulling him near.

When it came to Poisoned Kisses, it took me only a moment or two to adjust. The heroine wasn’t what I expected, but I was positively enraptured by the Tomb Raider feel of it. The fact that the artist had paid such careful attention to details like Kyra’s peridot choker and her assassin’s knife made me all warm and tingly inside. It may not have been love at very first sight, but only a few more glances had me certain to invite this cover back to my house for a metaphorical nightcap.

While I’m not sure that my passionate relationship with my cover for Poisoned Kisses is at an end, I’m faced with the delicious flirtation of my newest cover. Following up my success with Poisoned Kisses is another installment of the HQN Nocturne mythica series, this one about a sexy siren and her Naval Academy prey. More details about this novella will be forthcoming, but for now I want to share the latest cover. I think this cover promises a very engaging little fling!

In lieu of ranting about printers and all the artistic things that I’m not good at, I will just show you my bookmarks. They have a lot of black on them and the colors don’t show up quite right, but hopefully you get the idea.

Being an ignorant novice at all this, I ordered 500 of them because they were only two more bucks than if I’d only ordered 250 of them. I’m not sure if this is going to be way too few, or if I’m going to be trying to pawn these off on people for years, but I guess we’ll find out.

I’ve had a pretty great year, but with deadlines looming, I’m a stress-case right now and the day didn’t start well. I woke up to snow outside and cat-hairballs on the inside. But then I found this little gem in my inbox from The Naughty Little Vamp. I’ve been fortunate enough to have garnered a string of glowing reviews for my work, but this one may just be my favorite so far because she shares my appreciation for nymphs and because she said “wow.”

The review reads in part:

I first stumbled across Stephanie Draven’s work via her Nocturne Bite Midnight Medusa, and was immediately captivated. I had to pick up Wild, Tethered, Bound, as soon as it was available. Draven explores much darker territory than you might expect – war being crucial to the plot of this story. Nick, whilst a typical alpha male in some respects, is uniquely presented via his split personalities and the aspects of his psyche they represent. Dessa is a strong, determined heroine who initially pursues Nick for her own ends rather than any real emotional attachment. At first glance, this should make for a rather cold, selfish romance, but Draven neatly and expertly redeems her characters through their interactions with each other. Whilst mutual need might be the starting point for their romance, by the end of the story you’re in no doubt that these two are genuinely in love. And Draven doesn’t use the “fated to mate” trope to accomplish it, which gains bonus points from me.

I found the backdrop for the story fascinating. Whilst it’s not unusual for romances to use exotic locations, this is the first I’ve read set in the Middle East, using war as a catalyst for the plot. It works well, giving an extra depth and realism to the mythology of the story. Nick is a believable war veteran, and Draven offers some poignant memories of the conflict, via her protagonists, that completely sells the location and time period.

Draven also uses mythology expertly. I haven’t come across any other books using nymphs/dryads before, and after finishing Wild, Tethered, Bound, I wasn’t quite sure why. Greek mythology crops up fairly frequently in the paranormal romance genre, and I’d love to see more people using these lesser-known entities. Dessa was lovely – strong, compassionate, and very definitely not human in her thoughts and actions. And I thought Draven’s use of the chimera story, via Nick’s condition, was very fresh – something else I’d like to see more of.

And speaking of Nick’s condition – wow. The sex scene. No, the sex scene. I’ve never read anything quite so risqué in a Harlequin romance, but really? We need more. The possibilities available to a man who can literally split himself in three are hot.
There’s a lot to like about Wild, Tethered, Bound. Our hero and heroine are deftly characterised and convincingly brought together as a couple. The sense of place is strong, and the story is compelling. If I have one complaint about the novella it’s that it was just that – a novella. I can’t wait to see what Draven will do with a full-length novel. And I highly recommend both this story and the first, Midnight Medusa (although they can be read separately). Draven is a writer to watch.

Thank you for brightening my day, intrepid reviewer. And never fear. My full-length Nymph-of-the-underworld should be out in the coming year!