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Tuesday, May 6, 2014

WRITING A MYTHIC HISTORY

By Juli D. Revezzo, Guest Author

I’m a research nerd at heart. After all those years I spent in school, you’d think I’d be done with it, but I’m not. I may be crazy but I love to research. Luckily, I’m a writer so it comes with the territory. Even though I write—mainly—fantasy-laden stories, I always have something that needs a bit of research to get right, even if I’m well-versed in whatever it is I happen to include in the story.

For instance, in my paranormal romance novel Passion’s Sacred Dance, is influenced by Celtic Myths, specifically that of the Second Battle of Mag Thuried (that was a battle between the mythic Tuatha de Dannan and their foes Balor and the Formoire). I’ve studied Celtic mythology for a long time and therefore read about that battle here and there over the years. Still, I had much research to do in the course of writing Passion’s Sacred Dance.

How far back, exactly, was that battle? Where did the Tuatha de Dannan actually come from? Beyond that, there were scenes that take place in Celtic history. What was going on at the times when the Celts clashed with the Romans and Greeks? What did the landscape look like? Worse yet, the battles happen every five hundred years. Where did the first one take place, and what did the world look like?

All these nifty little pieces of the story demanded research from me, and brushing up on what I already knew, led me to new discoveries. (Or new discoveries for me.) Did you know the Celts built some of the world’s first fireplaces? Did you know there was more than one Ice Age? Did you know there was a period in time where the human race almost completely died out? 

I didn’t, before I started writing the novel. J Where I could’ve just thrown in the towel, no, I went diving in looking for the answers I needed. Luckily, I’m a research nerd, so this was a learning experience as much as a novel. 

How about you? Have you ever stumbled across a bit of information that begged you to learn even more?



Here’s an excerpt from PASSION'S SACRED DANCE:

Note: In this excerpt, my heroine is on the trail of her ancestor’s diary. Hopefully, it will tell her about the coming battle. She’s found Aaron, her love interest and mentor in this search, in the local college library, doing a little reading of his own:


“Ms. Macken’s here from the Bitter Thorn Grove Historical Museum about the Hazeltine letter.”

“Hazeltine?” Stacy shook her head. “No, no. It’s the Macken letter, isn’t it?”

Mr. Kaplan nodded. “You mean the Hazeltine letter. It is by Ruth Macken. As we understand it, it was turned over to the college collection by…” he paused, thinking, “Veronica Hazeltine, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Oh.” She blinked. “I’m sorry. Ms. Grenwich didn’t say that. If you have it, I’d like to see it.”

He stood and waved a hand to the main room.
“Take a seat anywhere you like while I retrieve it for you.”

She did as he suggested while Mr. Kaplan turned to the task of finding the letter. Stacy settled into a chair at a table covered with magazines. But she soon grew bored and turned her attention to studying the architecture.

On a floor above, she spotted a handsome man with strawberry blond hair leaning against the shelf. He was reading something. Aaron.

She smiled and stood, hurrying up the stairs.

Aaron looked up as she hit the landing. “Well, I think my luck’s holding out.”

She came to his side and he took her hand and gave it a light kiss. “What are you doing here?”

Delight lit to her toes at the polite, gentlemanly greeting, though she wished it was a little more.

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“Me? I’m just doing a little reading.”

She tilted her head to read the title in his hands. Eternal Journey: A Guide to Peace and Self-Mastery from Ancient Warriors. “Light reading?” she guessed.

“Depends on what the author has to say for himself.” He tucked the book under his arm. “What
brings you so far from home?”

She nodded to the bookcases. “Research. You’ll never believe what I found! Ruth wrote a letter to someone that isn’t in my collection at the gallery.”

“A letter? One you’d never heard of?”

She nodded.

Aaron paused for a moment, eyes narrowed intently. She wondered what thought distracted him.
“What’s it say?”

“We’ll find out.” She scrubbed a hand through her hair. “My source says she may’ve mentioned her diary to someone in it. I’m hoping it’ll tell where I can find it.”

Aaron pursed his lips and nodded. “That would be quite a coup.”

Stacy peered over the railing, wondering when the archivist would arrive. “Wouldn’t it, though?”

She felt a touch on her arm and turned. Aaron winked at her. “On the other hand, you could’ve helped my ego by saying you were stalking me.”

She tapped her finger against her lips as if considering her answer. Then she shook her finger at
him, once. “That’s the true reason I’m here, you’re right.”

****
PASSION’S SACRED DANCE Synopsis:

Battling mounting debt, Stacy Macken is determined not to lose her historic art gallery. When Aaron Fielding appears and offers to help, she fights to keep the attraction sizzling between them from clouding her judgment. He may be her savior in disguise--but can she trust him?

Aaron intrigues her with tales of the Tuatha dé Danann, sworn warriors who protect humanity from the monsters seeking their destruction. If Aaron can prove what he claims, she would give up anything to help--even the gallery he claims is sacred ground. But with her property set to stage the next epic battle, she needs answers. An old family diary will confirm the ancient legend is true, if only they can find it in time.

If the battle is lost, the enemy will take control of Earth for the next five hundred years. Stacy and Aaron's budding love might only complicate things.


If you’d like to read more, PASSION’S SACRED DANCE is available for Kindle and in paperback. The Ebook is on sale for $.99 this week at Amazon:


All Romance Ebooks:


The Wild Rose Press:

Paperbacks are available from Amazon, The Wild Rose Press, and Barnes and Noble:


Thanks for having me, ladies!

Author Juli D. Revezzo
Juli D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a love built by devouring everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of Michael Moorcock, and the classics and has a soft spot for classic the “Goths” of the 19th century. Her short fiction has been published in Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, The Scribing Ibis, Eternal Haunted Summer, Twisted Dreams Magazine and Luna Station Quarterly. She also has an article and book review or two out there. But her heart lies in the storytelling. She is a member of Independent Authors Network and Magic Appreciation Tour. Passion’s Sacred Dance is her first romance novel.

You can find out more about her at her homepage: http://julidrevezzo.com/

On twitter: @julidrevezzo

4 comments:

  1. Nice post, Juli. It seems that research is a major part of writing historical novels. At least with the authors that I read. They all want to be historically accurate. I enjoyed reading about your research.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Karren (and Caroline and Joan). I prefer the authors who are as historically accurate as possible. Sometimes, you just can't be but it's a nice touch when they can. It can be a major part of any writing, if you're not careful, can't it? Joan, those tantalizing facts are certainly little sparks sometimes. You wouldn't believe some of the things I had to track down while working on that scene and one for a current WIP. Like, what foods were available to the Irish at certain points in history and such like.

      Thanks for having me, ladies. I hope you and your readers enjoy the book.

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  2. Thanks for coming by and sharing with us today, Juli.

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  3. Hey, Juli. Nice to see you here. Enjoyed the blurb and the excerpt. I too love those tantalizing facts. They certainly can spark the imagination.

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