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***Synopsis***
This is a novella that is a side quest from the main series with some of the side characters.
Zrif, Arbane and Elura are a MMF fated mate group that discovers their connection is affected by two curses and for Elura that time has run out. She doesn’t trust the men, but they won’t let her face danger alone so together they embark into the depths of the merterritory to discover that things are much darker than they appeared on the surface.
What is the sub-genre and trope?
Some tropes are: Fated mate, forced proximity, touch her and die, protective MMCs.
Did your characters lead you to this genre or was that decided before the story began?
It’s a mixture of both. I knew the story that I wanted to tell because Zrif and Arbane’s characters already were in my world. It was just about getting to meet their third mate and exploring their dynamics.
Are you more character or plot driven?
Character driven for sure. The plot is important because it ties into the final book of the main series, but the characters are the ones who make the story memorable.
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?
No vision board. They feel like friends, so I don’t really mix any of the characters and never had to think about how I keep them separate.
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 in this book. They were ready for the challenge and adventure I set them on. (Zrif’s father Graak, on the other hand, destroyed the entire flow of my main series, but it was totally worth the rewrite in the end)
Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?
No.
Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?
No. Elura’s story though is one I was determined to tell. Her past is blurred by abuse of many forms and trust issues that cause her to fight the mate bond.
Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?
Arbane could prove difficult from time to time.
He’s an alpha of his Wild Elf pack, but he couldn’t use “dominance” in his way of dealing with the second chance of having a mate.
How do you get inside these characters’ heads to find their perfect HEA?
HEA is different for every dynamic of couples.
In this case, Zrif and Elura had been seeing each other without speaking for ten years. Arbane had murdered his arranged betrothed when he was under the influence of his curse. Elura is abused and mistrustful.
Their HEA isn’t the same as most couples in the sense that there is so much more healing that needs to take place in their minds that a simple ending would not fix. Finding their way forward meant choosing to take those next steps together.
What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you? Why?
When Elura realizes that she’s put both these men in real danger. There’s a complicated rush of emotions and its very heartfelt.
How long did it take you to write this book? (Cursed - novella)
Eight weeks to write, 3 weeks of beta and then editing, another two weeks of final writing.
How did you come up with the title for your book and series?
The old cover came with this title and I kept it.
If you met these characters in real life would you get along?
Definitely
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?
The final book in the main series – The Dryad Chronicles - comes out on April 30th, 223. Tides of Healing is the conclusion of the epic portal fantasy centered around Aurinia, Kelan and Graak as they take on the Shadow God, Cholios.
“I am ready to tear you apart for that alone, regardless of all the other terror you have inflicted on our lives. How am I ever supposed to trust you even if I dare thought to?”
That smug smirk appeared on his face again. “Because I can promise the alternative is going to hurt a whole lot more. Even if you win, you will lose. Lower the barrier on Voreios and join me in destroying the elemental balance. I’ll even sweeten the deal for you, and we can talk about Artemesia’s future, but you have to give yourself over to the shadow.”
“You are delusional. I would never agree to teaming up with you and I’m done having this conversation. The next time we meet will be the last of it, and I’m not going to lose. Count down the days with this egg all you want, but you are done hurting people I love.”
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/223/2/author-at-glance-callie-pey.html
Currently she has four books out in her Dryad Chronicles series available in KU and eBook formats. Book 5, which is the final book in the series will be coming out in 2023. She has two Novellas that spin off from this series. Cursed was released on Nov 18th and To Make a Monster comes out in Feb 2023.
Melissa thought when she’d decided to clean up her life that her luck would change. With her dream opportunity slipping through her fingertips once again; she prays for one final chance to prove herself before she settles for a life in someone else’s cage.
The answering call of otherworldly beings transport her to a fantastical place with mythological creatures that shouldn’t exist, where she dances between a dream and a nightmare she can’t awaken from. With the eyes of the world leaders following her every move, she’s left to quickly decide who’s a friend and who might not be all that they seem. One wrong decision could cost her everything.
As if learning to navigate a new planet isn’t enough, Melissa finds herself caught up in the attentions of a handsome elf who can’t seem to stay away. As she allows herself to be whisked away into a whirlwind courtship, she can’t ignore the other pair of eyes watching her from the dark.
With the options of where she can begin to set up a life dwindling, Melissa is left to wonder if she made the right choice. She can’t go back now. The only way forward is through a precarious negotiation and accepting a destiny that everyone else seems to have second thoughts about. Can she hold herself together through the trauma to find out what she is made of? Will the bonds of a destined call be enough to see them all through if it will break the heart of the only young dryad who can save Voreios?
THE WHISPERS OF THE WIND by Callie Pey
The Dryad Chronicles - Book Three
Aurinia has everything she was waiting for. She's free from the confines of her tree with Graak firmly at her side, even with the grove elders challenging his intentions. The solution requires finding the last piece of their triad, and there are fewer places to look with each passing day. As the knowledge of what her role as a Vasilissa entails evolves, she finds herself wishing for a simpler life. One that she can never have if Voreios is to return to normal.
When the king of the fae approaches the groves looking for assistance with a deadly air toxin affecting the Feylands, Aurinia is forced to confront her emotions about the history of events that took place before she’d even rooted. Lilise and Ferox encourage her to pursue peace and growth, but a deep resentment lingers in the land and in her people. The situation complicates further when Helio reveals an old scroll of a promise from Voreios to the Seelie court, one directly involving her.
Confused and infuriated, Aurinia will have to decide between doing what is right for the grove and what she wants in her heart. With the Watchtowers' advisement and grooming for her ascent to power, can she confidently take that next step? Even if doing so puts Voreios back in direct confrontation with the enemy that destroyed them a century ago?
THE SUMMONING OF THE FLAMES by Callie Pey
The Dryad Chronicles - Book Four
CURSED by Callie Pey
The Dryad Chronicles - Novella
What do a guard, a murderer and a thief all have in common?
The day Zrif met Elura on the beach under the full moon, he knew that she was one of his fated mates. But after a decade of regular intimacy, he is no closer to claiming her as she flees each encounter without even exchanging a few words. This continued rejection is bolstered by the arrival of the handsome Wild Elf Alpha, Arbane, who doesn’t seem to remember their own passionate encounter a few months prior. Zrif’s duties require him to continue as if he isn’t drowning in despair over his looming heartbreak.
Keane and his band of brothers have always been outcasts in the villages around Lough Greney Bog. Without the prospects of money, love, or lineage; they settle on doing what they can to make ends meet. When Declan fails to return to the tavern one blustery winter evening, the rest of his brothers are desperate to find him. A haunting blue glow in the darkness offers whispers of everything they could ever hope for if only they will follow her call despite their search.
Rumors of riches and old gods taunt the men, as one by one they are stolen away. Forced to make a choice between what’s right and each other. They will have to decide whether or not they embrace the monster within or all could be lost. It’s a unique opportunity to change their fate, but will it be worth the price of their soul?
A shortened version of this story has been released previously on Kindle Vella.
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