Midsummer Move

I’ve spent most of June frantically packing instead of writing; it’s amazing how much stuff you accumulate over time (and how much you can find in a move)! For example, I discovered the Greek watercolors I’d planned on framing 15 years ago wrapped in cardboard and tucked on the back of a shelf. When I was in Athens, I remember thinking how magnificent the Parthenon must have looked with its original bright paint: imagine the stark white ruins of the Acropolis painted in brilliant shades of green, red and blue. I picture gold leaf everywhere – though the ancient Greeks probably had better taste than that ;)

Greek Mythology

The term for sacrificial love in Greek is agape, and self-sacrifice is such an extraordinary and noble act. I love to use mythological figures into my writing, even though I take liberties with their stories. The tale of Aphrodite as a great mage who sacrificed herself for love of a fae lord is such a wonderfully tragic backstory in the Fifth Mage War series: to save the fae from extinction, Aphrodite sacrifices herself to create the sirens. In my world, a mage-cast spell dies with its caster, unless the spell is fueled by a life-sacrifice. But mages are not known for their selflessness, and Aphrodite is unique in that she didn't make her sacrifice out of desperation or dire need, but out of love instead.

Love

Love is a theme that flows through the Fifth Mage War series: in Sirens Unbound, we discover the depths of the bonds uniting the Bant family. Mira has to reckon with her troubled past in order to protect her children. Thomas investigates a prison camp out of love for his youngest sister, and Mary comes to Amy’s aid (even though she doesn’t approve of her sister’s choices). In Mages Unbound, I explore romantic love that doesn’t emerge organically. Is love real if it springs from a spell? Does its origin even matter? After all, you still feel the emotion, regardless of whether it results from a spell, or a pill, or even when it erupts from the depths of your soul. Why should only the latter be "valid?" June 24th is midsummer & I must say Titania's story in a Midsummer Night's Dream was a key inspiration for this part of Mages. While Shakespeare has the comedy locked down, I like to think my take on bewitched love highlights another angle to the story.

Writing Update

Editing Mages Unbound is going more slowly than I expected — between remote learning, the move & everything else we're all experiencing now — it’s been difficult to find the time to focus. I refuse to sacrifice quality for speed & while I could send it off to the typesetters tomorrow, I want to devote more time to polishing it. Once I'm in the new house, I promise CONSTANT focus until I finish it for you!

My writing may have stalled a bit, but I'm making progress in rebranding the series. While I LOVE the cover design for Sirens Unbound, some of you have pointed out that it's a bit too YA and urban for the story. So, I'm going in a different direction. Over the next few weeks, I'll post sample covers for both Sirens and Mages on my Facebook page, so stay tuned!

Stay safe & keep well,

Laura

PS-For you modern opera lovers out there, the Met is streaming this season's Akhnaten on Friday.