Monday, July 22, 2024

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY - THE SHADOWED MOON by Elli Morgan


THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
The Shadowed Moon

 

Get a behind-the-scenes all-access pass to The Shadowed Moon by Elli Morgan!


***Synopsis***

The book features several characters from my debut, The Waxing Moon, but it can be read as a standalone.

 

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

Genre: Paranormal romance

Tropes: slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers, forbidden love, vampire heroine, trauma

I knew it would be a paranormal romance from the beginning, since it’s my favorite genre.


Are you more character or plot driven?

More plot driven. I developed the idea for this story as a teenager and just needed to build the characters to play the role.


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?

It’s all in my head.


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?

Well, all the main characters did exactly as they were supposed to. But there was one minor character who was supposed to be a no name secondary character with an unimportant role. 

He didn’t like that and put himself in the spotlight, changing the course of an important battle. Most importantly, he changed the course of his life since he was supposed to die and didn’t.


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

No.


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

My female main character, Sarah, was pretty hard to write about. In the beginning, she had a pretty dark outlook on life. She hated herself and didn’t value her life. So, she put everyone else before her and would sacrifice herself in an instant to save a stranger.

It was tough for me to relate to someone with such a negative view of herself. Luckily, she changed her attitude later.


What is your favorite book in the series? 

If you consider my debut and this book as a series, then I actually prefer my debut because I can relate to Lilah, the female main character of The Waxing Moon, better than to Sarah.


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

In The Shadowed Moon, my favorite character is still Lilah, even though she only plays a supporting role. However, I love her direct and playful attitude.


Series question - Who is your favorite couple and why did you decide on their dynamics?

Lilah and Cain: Lilah knows exactly what she wants and Cain just loves having her around and supports her and her ideas (after getting over his old-fashioned beliefs).


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

I always picture myself in their shoes and play through their scenes in my head.


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

I love the scene where Sarah and Dave meet Lilah and Cain, because the two vampires challenge their dynamic, their views, and their relationship.


Series - Were any of the books harder to write than others?

I felt like The Shadowed Moon was much harder to write than my debut because I had trouble relating to my female main character in the beginning.


How long did it take you to write this book/series?

I started with the first chapters of The Shadowed Moon in the summer of 2020. I put the book down several times in favor of working on my debut and I often considered giving up. 

In the end, I finished writing and self-editing in April 2023. Then I still needed to get a contract and work through the manuscript with my editor. So, I signed off on the final version in February 2024.


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

I wanted something with “moon” in it. Since Sarah needed a long time to find her path and see herself for what she really is, I thought “Shadowed” would be quite fitting.


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

I would probably get along with Dave. I’m not so sure about Sarah because I find the negative attitude she had in the beginning exhausting.


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’d always had these two books in my head. I even hinted at the second book at the end of The Waxing Moon.


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

I don’t really know too many actors, so I’ll keep it brief and only choose actors for my two main characters.

Sarah would be Florence Hunt and Dave would be Michael Trevino.


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?

Some of my minor characters might demand their own story soon. I’ve got some vague ideas for new books, but nothing definite yet.


Check out all my interviews/reviews for Elli Morgan!



 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 US.

As a teenager, she devoured countless fan fiction and vampire novels. During that time, she also developed the idea for her first two books.

Her debut, The Waxing Moon, won the Reader Views bronze award in the romance category.

Apart from being a writer, she’s also a trained mathematician, working as Business Intelligence Developer at an IT company. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and all kinds of games.


Connect w/ Elli:



The Waxing Moon by Elli Morgan

https://books2read.com/The-Waxing-Moon-1

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?



THE SHADOWED MOON by Elli Morgan

https://books2read.com/The-Shadowed-Moon

After they took everything from him, Dave Patton dedicated his life to hunting vampires. But he can’t bring himself to destroy their newest vampire prisoner Sarah—a young woman with a tragic past, who awakens forbidden desires in him.

Sarah McAllister spent her childhood in the hands of ruthless vampires aiming to turn her into a perfect soldier. To take revenge, she hides her true strength and surrenders to a group of hunters, hoping her knowledge will help them bring all monsters to justice.

When the hunters’ compound is attacked, Sarah has to reveal her powers to protect them from certain death. How will Dave react when he learns the truth? And how much will she have to sacrifice to defeat her tormentors?

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