Reading by Deb: THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY - THE WAXING MOON by Elli Morgan

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
The Waxing Moon

Get a behind-the-scenes all-access pass to Elli Morgan's The Waxing Moon!

***Synopis***

The book is not part of a series (yet). But I plan to publish several books set in the same world with some recurring characters.

Lilah Neumann has longed for something beyond the mundane for as long as she can remember. A chance meeting with a mysterious and sexy vampire turns her dreams into a reality filled with adventure and excitement. She has no plans to return to her previous dull life.

After spending 400 years as a lone mercenary, Cain finds more than a companion in 19-year-old Lilah. Yet he can’t shake his past and struggles to suppress his feelings to protect her from the dangers and temptations his kind offers.

When Cain abandons her to keep her safe, Lilah finds herself on a journey through Europe to overcome her human limits and fight for a place by his side. But can a human survive in a vampire’s world?

What is the sub-genre and trope? Did your characters lead you to this genre or was that decided before the story began?

My genre is paranormal romance, and since I love vampires, there was really no other choice for me.
The most accurate trope would be “Break up to save her”, but that does not really define “The Waxing Moon”. For me, the book is about finding what’s important and what you want to do with your life. It’s about going on a journey to see what the world offers. And it’s about fighting for the one you love, in spite of what everyone says.

Are you more character or plot driven?

Mostly plot driven.

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’ve had this story in my head for years. So, I knew exactly what every character had to be like and what role they played. Thus, there was no need for a story/vision board.

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?

Not really. The story unfolded the way I had planned. There were only a few details that changed with the secondary characters, like Lexi’s passion for feminism, Damian living on a remote island, or Laurant driving fancy cars.

Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?

There’s no male POV.

Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?

Well, kind of. My female character’s POV is influenced by the beliefs and dreams I had a few years ago. I’d like to think that Lilah (my main character) is a lot like me from five or ten years ago—except that I’m not that strong or courageous.

Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?

Yeah, the scene that comes to mind here is the first intimate scene between Lilah and Cain.

What is your favorite book in the series?

Not applicable, but even if this turns into a series one day, “The Waxing Moon” will always be my favorite.

I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?

Lilah, because I love how she travels through Europe, befriends many different vampires, and fights for her dream.
And if I had to choose one of my male characters, I’d probably say Laurant since I really like his style.

How do you get inside these character’s heads to find their perfect HEA?

Since my main character is heavily influenced by the attitude and thoughts I had a few years ago, getting into her head was rather easy. But even with other characters, as long as I can relate to their way of life, I can figure out their HEA.

What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you? Why?

I think that would be a major spoiler. But it’s a scene where Lilah realizes what life means to her and what she is—or rather isn’t—capable of.

How long did it take you to write this book?

I started at the beginning of 2020 and finished with the final galley in July. So, roughly 2.5 years (with long breaks in between.)
Of course, that’s only the time I was actively working on the book. I got the idea for it much sooner—around 18 years ago.

How did you come up with the title for your book?

I associate vampires with the night. The moon illuminates the night and leads the way through the darkness. So, the Waxing Moon describes Lilah’s journey through the night. As the moon waxes, she gets closer to the life she longs to lead.

If you met these characters in real life would you get along?

I hope so. But I probably wouldn’t be more than a meal for most of them…

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 have several characters that demand their own story, so there is definitely potential for a series. We’ll see if I actually get to write those.

If your book/series were made into a movie, which actors do you see as playing your characters?

That’s a tough one. Since I don’t know any actors that would be 100% perfect, I’ll try to fill the roles with actors from my favorite TV shows:

Lilah: Dianna Agron
Cain: Ian Somerhalder
Laurant: Joseph Morgan
Damian: Max Minghella
Lexi: Mandy Moore
Daniel: Gaten Matarazzo
Lucious: Jack Gleeson
The king: Sam Trammell

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?

My book’s epilogue already hints at a new story set in the US. The main character will be someone new, and she’s mentioned (without name) in the epilogue.

Check out all my interviews/reviews for Elli Morgan!
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/2022/11/author-at-glance-elli-morgan.html

Bio:

Elli Morgan was born in 1991 in a small town in Germany. Although she only started learning English in sixth grade, she quickly fell in love with the language. To improve her skills, she spent a year working and traveling in Canada and the United States.

As a teenager, she devoured countless fan fictions and vampire novels. During that time, she also developed the idea for her first paranormal romance book “The Waxing Moon”, but she didn’t write it down until the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

Connect w/ Elli:

Email: elli@ellimorgan.com

Website: ellimorgan.com

Amazon:
https://amazon.com/author/ellimorgan

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62035271-the-waxing-moon

Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elli-morgan

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElliMorgan

Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ellimorganreadingcave

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AuthorElliM

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