About SON OF THE SHADOWS and SON OF THE SEA:
I met a couple of hundred thousand of my closest friends during the San Diego Comic-Con, and a lot of them love paranormal romance! So I was able to talk in depth with fellow romance fans about my world of the Gifted—long-lived magic users who exist under the radar of us normal, Ungifted folk.
In my Nocturne novel, Son of the Shadows, three ancient magical families go to war with each other—the House of the Flames, the House of the Blood, and the House of the Shadows. The soul of the hero, sexy French-Canadian Jean-Marc de Devereaux, is mangled by Lilliane, the mad twin sister of his beloved Isabelle de Marco, known as Izzy.
All three Houses are descended from French noble families that rose to power during the Hundred Years’ War, when Joan of Arc fought against the Dauphin’s enemies, lost, and was burned at the stake for heresy. St. Joan has always favored Izzy’s House of the Flames, until one terrible day, Izzy must use dark magicks to save the lives of those she loves. In response, Joan abandons her.
Jean-Marc, Lilliane, and Isabelle are the Guardians of their Houses—fierce protectors and the first line of defense against rival Gifted factions and Supernaturals alike. Vampires and werewolves hunt in the dark shadows, and it is up to those who have sworn to protect the innocent to hold them in check.
After his torture at Lilliane’s hands, Jean-Marc’s soul is filled with dark impulses he can barely control. Izzy has been stripped of all her magical powers as well as her memory. Yet the two must travel to Haiti to stop Lilliane from unleashing unspeakable evil on the world. Their sexual tension and Izzy’s fear of Jean-Marc torment them both as they face death, and worse…and are changed forever by love.
While talking to Nocturne fans about the Gifted, I relived my trips to France and Montreal, two of the important homes of the Gifted. I’ve walked the streets of Carcassonne, the ancient French medieval walled city, and slept in a fourteenth century farmhouse near Cahors. I’ve lit candles to St. Joan at Notre Dame, and found her in a tiny village chapel, where one of the devout had laid fresh roses at her feet. I’ve ridden in a horse-drawn carriage through Old Montreal, and dined in an ancient wine cellar while the rain pounded the slate roof. France and Quebec are two magical places, surely.
Check out the first two books in the Gifted series, Daughter of the Flames and Daughter of the Blood, now available as eBooks at eHarlequin.com. Or download the entire series — including my Nocturne Bite, Son of the Sea — in The Gifted Bundle.
DC | 13-Dec-08 at 1:34 pm | Permalink
Alright. I had to stop after the first paragraph. I am soooooo glad that you are doing well in the writing community. It’s something that I hope for soon. BUT. Girl…everyone is gifted! Y’all just need to focus, meditate, or at very least, accept that there are thing out there that you know exist, but have never tapped in to. Coming from a Pagan who studies vampyrism (Such funny folk they are, but very very enlightening), you need to know that no one is ungifted…And Nancy, I have to say this…please, let everyone who comes to this site feel as gifted in EVERYTHING they hold near and dear to their heart as I and you do. Gifts come in every shape and size…as far as I am aware, the best gift in life is life itself. Live to the fullest, love to the best, and be who you are! Nancy, I don’t want you to feel that I am being less than honest with you, but…every one of your readers are gifted…and you are gifted too. Pagan folk are no different than anyone else, we just tap into things differently. Hugs and love.
-DC
Amanda | 27-Apr-09 at 10:38 pm | Permalink
I just finished reading the Gifted series. I loved it but was a bit disappointed in the end. I hate to ruin it for anyone who hasn’t read it, but I want to know if Izzy is in a coma at the end like her mother or if she is well and whether she and Jean-Marc are going to live happily ever after building a new house or not. Just a bit more closure would have been nice. Other than that I loved this series. I am telling all my friends about it.