Two Common Reader Questions

(Click to watch the Vlog)

"A Favorite?"

CBCheek654 asked, "As the author, which story in the Draoithe Saga is your personal favorite?"

My first reaction was, "Why do they always have to ask the hard questions? I mean, did I mean it when I wrote that I wanted readers to comment, offer suggestions, and ask questions?"

Looking at the spinoffs and books I never wanted to write that turned out so awesome, the answer to the last part was yeah, I meant it. But wow, the answer to the reader's question was super hard. In the end, I have to say, Draoithe: The Dark Gift.

Flame is scarred from a past filled with lies, deceptions, and heartbreak. He isn't guilty of what his brothers believe, but Blaze is the only one who knows the truth. He was betrayed by the king he once served. The girls he gave the dark gift to had been innocent. When he finds his Valkyrie, beaten, raped, broken, and fading after having been forced to accept the dark gift without her consent, Flame vows that he'll do anything to save her.

The light seems gone from both her and the world she finds herself in. Little does Flame know that for her to have the light again, he'll sacrifice his honor, his integrity, and his life after breaking every law he can manage to break and even demand absolution for crimes he never committed. Many men say they'll die for the love of their lives. Flame somehow needs to do it four damn times, find a way to fix not only her broken magic but fix her broken spirit as well. Flame has to figure out how to live for Nightshade!

All men wish to love a vampire. Flame burns in his soul for one who holds the fire and has been granted the dark gift of an immortal vampire princess. Can he save his everything?

Draoithe: The Dark Gift is now available on Amazon, and is coming soon to many more venues. Welcome to the dream...

When I wrote The Dark Gift in 2017, the story poured out onto the page. It was Nightshade's story. A lot of it gets told from Flame's perspective, but it's essentially her story. His story is larger and if you love his character, keep reading the saga because more of his past will be revealed later. While this miniseries is about Nightshade, Flame makes this one great.

Alpha males go hard after what they truly desire. They refuse to give up, give in, or give over. The win is all there is and the drive to achieve it is in their souls. It's that kind of man that a broken vampire needs. Only, Flame has to do all of that as a broken man.

The HEA in this one is awesome. For her, he would Tango in the rain and if she never loved him, he would find oblivion remembering until the last one perfect late-night kiss. This book is likely the purest paranormal romance in the saga. Maybe. But I think I better let you decide.

"How do I write the stories?"

It's one of those questions that gets lobbed around a lot. I think it is asked most often by people curious as to whether they could write their own books. If that is the case, then my answer is likely worthless as every author has their own style, but I will try to answer it again anyway in the hopes that it may help give another the confidence to tell their stories even if they write in an unconventional fashion.

Most of the stories in the Draoithe series are adult urban fantasy. They have elements of paranormal romance and are told from the perspective of different characters, but aren't pure romances. A Pack Forms is more of the true traditional paranormal romance with the fantasy elements as is The Dark Gift. 

If you've been following my author's walk, then it may have become apparent a ways back that I have no formal training to write. I do have college degrees, but they aren't in literature, creative writing, or English. I knew nothing of the writing, publishing, or book marketing industries when I began writing in 2016. (I still might not know very much.) I just needed a creative outlet as the career I once loved became progressively more prescripted. 

I don't write to the trends nor am I trying to be politically correct. I don't even consider those things as I'm writing. I'm sure that my stories follow some serious fantasy tropes, but I don't worry about that either. I wish only to tell a good story. The scenes that I see in my mind are what I write. I try to describe them as accurately as I can so that hopefully others will see a similar scene on the 'mental movie' as the one that I saw. 

I don't even write the story in order. I write the scenes as I 'view' them, then later I put them into the order that it feels as if they should be told in. That's why the calendars are so overloaded. I'm constantly needing to review what other characters are doing and ensure that the story doesn't have a character in two places at the same time. Why so complicated? I honestly don't know.

I hope you've enjoyed the trip down memory lane and my answer about which book I love the most and how it came to be. I have to get busy publishing. I hope you enjoy The Dark Gift. It is still my favorite story in the Draoithe saga. (A hint from me, Part 8 in the miniseries will have you on the edge of the seat.)

If you read, please remember to be kind and leave your reviews. There are few better ways to tell an author that you want them to keep writing than an honest short review. Plus, it helps other readers decide if they want to read a book by a new author. None of us want to take a huge risk with our hard-earned money. So thanks in advance for the reviews.

Be Careful!

Happy reading,

​Ophelia Kee