The Four Families Series by Brynn Ford
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Synopsis:
The Four Families trilogy tells the story of Anya and Ezra in their fight for love and freedom from captivity. It’s a DARK ROMANCE series that meets all of your twisted expectations:
✓ Villains that are dark, demented, and downright cruel
✓ A rising Alpha
male forced into captivity and submission
✓ A kick-ass heroine
surviving insurmountable odds
✓ Tragic love that prevails through the darkest of times
The main trilogy is
three books, and the fourth book is a spin-off following Murphy and Stella,
another couple from the series.
What is the sub-genre and
trope? Did your characters lead you to
this genre or was that decided before the story began?
This series is first and foremost a dark romance, but it's also a psychological thriller.
Every story that's ever come to mind has been a romance that nearly always has dark elements or traumatic events at play. The characters certainly lead me to it, but I think my mind is just hardwired for dark romanticism!
Are you more character or plot driven?
I strive to keep plot lines interesting, but I'm definitely a character-driven author. There would be no story without the characters!
With many main and secondary
characters, how do you keep them separated in your mind? Do you have a story/vision board above your
workspace?
I actually have a model or celebrity matched to each of my characters, and I put together collages using their images for my own personal use. I also keep a master list of names and how characters connect in an Excel file.
I know from previous
interviews that characters take on a life of their own. Were any of the characters in this series
determined to take their own direction instead of where you initially wanted
them to go?
Yes! Murphy O'Shea—the Irish Head of House—quickly became a favorite side character of mine. I had a feeling about him when writing book one that he was going to be interesting, but by book two, I knew he was going to have his own story.
Murphy and his reluctant bride, Stella have their own spicy romance in the spin-off book, King of Masters.
Are any of the male POVs
based on anyone you know?
Not intentionally, no.
Are any of the female POVs
based on anyone you know?
Not specifically, but I do feel a lot of myself in Anya's personality in the ways she copes with trauma.
Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?
Oh, yes. Without giving away any spoilers, I will just say that the bathtub scene in Dance with Death was the most challenging scene I've ever written. I kind of knew what was going to happen before writing it, but the details of the event and the emotional trauma Anya experienced took me by surprise. I was physically shaking when I came to the end of writing that scene and had to take a break for several days before I could come back to the story.
That being said, Dance with Death is the book I'm most proud of as a writer because I know what a challenge it was to write such a raw, gritty, awful account of that part of Anya's life.
What is your favorite book
in the series? (if applicable)
Dance with Death. It took everything I had emotionally to write that book. Though I know how deeply disturbing that book is to read, it's the most emotionally powerful book of the series for me, and such a crucial part of Anya and Ezra's journey.
I know that we aren’t
supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your
favorite character and why?
Anya. I understood her on a molecular level. I felt her pain. I went through it with her, and her strength through this series is simply astounding to me. I honestly don't know how I managed to get her through it all to the end! (Right, it wasn't me, it was Ezra who got her through it!)
Series question - Who is
your favorite couple and why did you decide on their dynamics?
Let me start by saying that I don't decide on the dynamics of any of my couples. One character starts talking to me in my mind, and then their future mate just pops in, both already there with personalities and interactional styles. All of that grows and develops, and can change a little bit over time, but generally, their dynamic is just what they came to me with!
Anya and Ezra are an achingly beautiful couple who have what it takes to go the distance. I love them so much.
But Murphy and Stella are my favorite couple who came out of this series. They were completely unexpected, fiercely sexual, a pair of strong, conflicting personalities who never should have been able to make it as a couple. But they just worked together so beautifully and took me completely by surprise.
How do you get inside these
character’s heads to find their perfect HEA?
I just let them speak to me. Sometimes I have to let go of my outline and just write what they tell me to, because they know how to get to the HEA when I'm bogged down in details.
What scene in this book/series
sticks out the most for you? Why?
I won't say too much about it to avoid spoilers, but there's a scene toward the end of Pas de Trois that involves snow falling in a forest. It's a hauntingly beautiful scene to me that shows how much love exists between Anya and Ezra.
This question is if you
write in MULTIPLE POVs not just the hero and heroine - I love the multiple POVs
in a book. It’s not just the hero and
heroine, but we get inside the heads of multiple characters throughout this
series. I feel that it gives the story
further depth. Do you think you will
write another book or series following this multiple POV outline? (if
applicable)
I wrote from three POVs in the main trilogy, and two new POVs in the spin-off. For me, I think I will always write the POVs of the main characters involved in the romance, because we need to hear from each of them, whether it's one love interest, two, or more.
How long did it take you to
write this book/series?
From concept to publishing the last book, the trilogy took me 14 months. The spin-off/fourth book took another 6 months.
How did you come up with the
title for your book and (if applicable) series?
Titles tend to come to me with the initial book idea. The title Counts of Eight came to me when I first had the vision of Anya on a grand staircase, when all I knew about her was that she was a broken ballerina.
If you met these characters
in real life would you get along?
In real-life, Nikolai would probably make me feel murderous. I would think Ezra is charming and a guy I could call to help me move. I'd probably develop a slow, loyal friendship with Anya. Stella would be my hype-girl, but I'd probably struggle to keep up with her. And I'd probably be so flustered from my crush on Murphy that I'd never talk to him, but secretly pine over him from afar.
Series question – Did you
know in advance that you were going to write this as a series or did one of the
characters in book one demand their own story?
I always knew Anya and Ezra's story was going to be a trilogy. I had an inkling about Murphy early on, but didn't know until I really got into writing the trilogy that he was going to demand his own book.
If your book/series were
made into a movie, which actors do you see as playing your characters?
Obviously, I've already planned for this, haha. Anya and Ezra would be played by Adelaide Kane (have you watched Reign? All the Anya vibes!) and Wyatt Nash. Stella and Murphy would be played by Inanna Sarkis and Tom Hardy.
Can you give us a hint as to
what we can expect next? Whether a new
book and series or a sequel to an existing series? Can you share a small tease?
I'm working on a couple of side projects right now, but as soon as those are done in the next couple of months, I'm starting a brand new dark romance series! It's not fully fleshed out yet, but I'm already obsessed with it and I can't wait to share more once I start writing!
It's going to be equally as dark as The Four Families, and the romance between the leads is going to be incredible!
BIO:
Brynn Ford writes dark romance for daring readers. She is a lover of the dark, twisted, and playful and strives to bring the unmentionable aspects of passionate romance into her stories.
Connect with Brynn:
FACEBOOK GROUP AMAZON GOODREADS
Anya has served as a talent slave for one of the four families since she was kidnapped three years ago. She has accepted her fate, knowing that the four families are everywhere and escape is impossible. She belongs to Nikolai who abuses her in unspeakable ways. He's a villainous master and head of the Mikhailov family. She has learned to live the life of a slave, complacent in her misery, until a new captive arrives and changes everything.
Ezra has just been violently kidnapped and brought to the Mikhailov family home. He is given to Anya as her new dance partner. Sarcastic, stubborn, and impulsive, he refuses to recognize a master, but Anya knows her fate rests in his hands. His cooperation is crucial to their survival. If their performance at the next quarterly meeting of the four families doesn't meet Nikolai's strict expectations, it could mean death for them both.
As Anya tries to break Ezra into compliance and train him in her style of dance, her walls are broken down, and a bond unlike any other is formed.
It's dangerous to fall in love when you're a slave.
This dark romance thriller tells a story of love against all odds.
Content Warning: This book contains explicit sexual content, violence, and mature themes including scenes where consent is not sought or given. The author in no way condones such heinous acts, but rather seeks to immerse the reader in the true horror of the characters' experiences. This is your trigger warning—reader discretion is advised.
Series Note: Counts of Eight is book one of three in the Four Families trilogy. It is not a standalone and the books must be read in order. Books one and two end on major cliffhangers, but the series is complete and ready for you to binge read!
Anya and Ezra fell in love, but their fate was sealed when Nikolai found them together in her bed. Faced with their betrayal, Nikolai makes a decision that tears them apart, threatening their love forever. When Anya is sent to a new master, one more wicked and brutal than Nikolai, she struggles against the will to survive, knowing her fate is likely sealed, death is imminent, and she'll never have a future with the man she loves.
Alone and desperate, Ezra is tortured by the fear of what Anya is facing on her own. Nikolai demands that he forget her and continue dancing for him, but his love for the woman he can no longer protect is too strong to ignore. He vows to find her and save her, but he's powerless as a slave to the four families…powerless until his master makes a decision that will change everything.
As Anya struggles against the desire to survive through this never-ending nightmare, Ezra's love for her grows.
All bets are off when they take matters into their own hands.
This dark romance thriller tells a story of love against all odds.
Content Warning: This book contains explicit sexual content, violence, and mature themes including scenes where consent is not sought or given. The author in no way condones such heinous acts, but rather seeks to immerse the reader in the true horror of the characters' experiences. This book also contains suicidal themes. This is your trigger warning—reader discretion is advised.
Series Note: Dance with Death is book two of three in the Four Families trilogy. It is not a standalone and the books must be read in order. Start with book one, Counts of Eight. Books one and two end on major cliffhangers, but the trilogy is complete and ready for you to binge read!
Nikolai's decision changed everything for Anya and Ezra, but it's not the first decision he's made that will impact their lives irrevocably. A secret he's kept for years is about to be revealed and nothing will ever be the same. As they flee the wrath of the four families, Anya prepares to face the consequences of the blood she spilled, and rediscovers her will to survive.
Anya and Ezra find comfort and strength in their reunion, but a dangerous confrontation with the four families looms. As they come to terms with Nikolai's secret and what it means for their future, they prepare to do what must be done to survive. Armed with the truth, they're ready to fight for a future that they never thought would be possible.
Rules change, power shifts, and Anya and Ezra find new hope where there was none before.
Their last chance to escape is coming, and they won't let it pass them by.
This dark romance thriller tells a story of love against all odds.
Content Warning: This book contains explicit sexual content, violence, and mature themes including scenes where consent is not sought or given. The author in no way condones such heinous acts, but rather seeks to immerse the reader in the true horror of the characters’ experiences. This book also contains a traumatic birth scene. This is your trigger warning—reader discretion is advised.
Series Note: Pas de Trois is book three of three in the Four Families trilogy. It is not a standalone and the books must be read in order. Start with book one, Counts of Eight. Books one and two end on major cliffhangers, but the trilogy is complete and ready for you to binge read!
Murphy is the born leader of the O'Shea family, one of four families in a conglomerate of traffickers. They make their living stealing women and selling them to new masters…masters among which, he is a king. When he acquires a new slave meant to be his plaything, he finds he has no interest in her easy submission. He wants a challenge. He wants a woman who will stand by his side and make him stronger. He doesn't want a pet…he wants a wife.
Stella is the epitome of an independent woman. She's tough, single, and runs her own business. On a chance encounter, she meets Murphy, and their instant physical chemistry is undeniable. A one-night stand turns into a long-distance affair of the heart, except Stella doesn't know the real Murphy O'Shea. She's falling for him, but she doesn't know he's a ruthless criminal.
Murphy is meant to have an arranged marriage in five years, only now he's met Stella. He wants her…and he's going to take her.
He's the king of masters and she'll be made his reluctant queen.
This spicy dark romance is a spin-off from the Four Families trilogy.
Series Note: This book is a spin-off from the Four Families trilogy. While this book could be read as a standalone, the author highly recommends that you first read the Four Families trilogy. King of Masters contains spoilers of the epic ending to the Four Families trilogy, and that is an ending you do not want spoiled! You can start reading the Four Families trilogy for free with Counts of Eight.
Content Warning: This book contains explicit sexual content, violence, and mature themes including scenes of dubious consent. A toxic relationship is depicted that features kidnapping, coercion, manipulation, and a forced marriage.
This omnibus contains all three books in the complete Four Families trilogy:
Book 1: Counts of Eight
Book 2: Dance with Death
Book 3: Pas de Trois
Two captive dancers. One cruel master. A single performance to determine whether they live or die.
Anya has served as a talent slave for one of the four families since she was kidnapped three years ago. She has accepted her fate, knowing that the four families are everywhere and escape is impossible. She belongs to Nikolai who abuses her in unspeakable ways. He's a villainous master and head of the Mikhailov family. She has learned to live the life of a slave, complacent in her misery, until a new captive arrives and changes everything.
Ezra has just been violently kidnapped and brought to the Mikhailov family home. He is given to Anya as her new dance partner. Sarcastic, stubborn, and impulsive, he refuses to recognize a master, but Anya knows her fate rests in his hands. His cooperation is crucial to their survival. If their performance at the next quarterly meeting of the four families doesn't meet Nikolai's strict expectations, it could mean death for them both.
As Anya tries to break Ezra into compliance and train him in her style of dance, her walls are broken down, and a bond unlike any other is formed.
It's dangerous to fall in love when you're a slave.
Content Warning: This book contains explicit sexual content, violence, and mature themes including scenes where consent is not sought or given. The author in no way condones such heinous acts, but rather seeks to immerse the reader in the true horror of the characters’ experiences. Book two, Dance with Death, contains suicidal themes. Book three, Pas de Trois, contains a traumatic birth scene. This is your trigger warning—reader discretion is advised.
Series Note: The Four Families is a continuation trilogy following the same couple in their fight for love and freedom from captivity. The books are not standalones and they must be read in order. This omnibus contains the complete trilogy, ready for your to binge read!
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