Holy Cauldron-bats, is it the caped crusader…Merlin? Guest Blog with Priya Ardis

Holy Cauldron-bats, is it the caped crusader…Merlin?

You've heard the legends. His name pops up everywhere. Merlin. He's some old dude with a long white beard, pointy hat, and robes. But does the most powerful wizard in the world really have to be a cartoon character? Well, I thought, why not trade in the robe for…tights?

While the Legend of Arthur is a classic story and the underlying themes of brotherhood, nobility, and the infamous love triangle still appeal today, when was the last time you looked at them through a more modern lens? If you think about it, Merlin has always been the Arthurian superhero. In My Boyfriend Merlin, I sharpened the focus on this idea.

So, how to modernize Merlin as a superhero?

First, every superhero needs an alter-ego. Okay, no tights I promise. Actually I prefer jeans and a biker jacket. That's what Clark Kent wore when he was being badass—under the influence of red kryptonite, of course. The classic struggle for the superhero is his dual identity. Is he really Clark Kent/Peter Parker/BruceWayne? Or is he really the superhero? Which one does he want to be? In My Boyfriend Merlin, Merlin's alter-ego is Matt. This is a huge struggle in the book for Merlin…does he want to be the "Most Powerful Wizard in the World" or does he want to be plain-old Matt?

Second, every superhero needs an equally powerful super-villain. Yeah, there are minion bad guys but there is only one we truly love to hate. Batman had the Joker. Superman vs. Lex Luthor. When you think about the legends, Merlin didn't really have one. The legends say that Merlin was tricked into defeat by a witch/nymph/girl called Viviane/Nimue. In My Boyfriend Merlin, Merlin has one very powerful and contentious relationship—his brother Vivane, aka Vane. After all, brothers can make the best friends but as archenemies they can be truly devastating.

Third, every superhero needs a super-power. Well, this was a no brainer. Merlin is the most powerful wizard in the world and all that. But his true super-power lies in being able to tell the future. (Not that he can necessarily stop the visions from happening!)

Fourth, every superhero needs to obsess over—the girl. Calling Lois Lane. In My Boyfriend Merlin, Arriane, aka Ryan, gives our hero a run for his magic. Since the story is told from her point of view, it's interesting to see what our hero looks like from her perspective. Also she's the tipping point…leading us into the last superhero modernization of Merlin...

Fifth, every superhero needs a cause in the here and now. Batman saves the city. Superman saves the world. I think Thor saved the galaxy. In My Boyfriend Merlin, the sword and stone crashes out of nowhere into the middle of London. Why is it here? What does it mean? It can't be good. Turn on the Merlin-signal, commissioner. We need a hero!

Want more Merlin? Watch the "If you can't trust your boyfriend, who can you trust?" book trailer on youtube at http://youtu.be/dTMiYHRFEt8


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Title: My Boyfriend Merlin
Format: eBook
Available on: Amazon (US, UK, etc), B&N, iBookstore
Released: December 2011
Publisher: Ink Lion Books
Book Trailer on You Tube: http://youtu.be/dTMiYHRFEt8

Novel Tag line: Merlin goes to high school to recruit Candidates to pull the sword from the stone— one of them his ex-girlfriend.

Favorite quotes:
http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/18272097

Novel Blurb:

If you can't trust your boyfriend, who can you trust?

In this teen Arthurian, 17-year-old student president Arriane, aka Ryan, DuLac just found out her badass biker boyfriend, Matt, is a little older than he was letting on. By a few eons.

In fact, he is really Merlin--the Merlin, King Arthur's Merlin, the greatest wizard who ever lived. But Ryan's not impressed. Tired of being a relationship loser, she'd rather kick his legendary behind.

Sure, the world has been crazy ever since the sword and the stone fell out of the sky like a meteor. But despite gruesome gargoyles, a new world of magic, and the guy driving her crazy, Ryan knows that family is everything. Will Merlin sacrifice hers to save the world? Will she be able to stop him?

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/My-Boyfriend-Merlin-ebook/dp/B006C58CMA/ (also available on Amazon UK, DE)

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-boyfriend-merlin-priya-ardis/1107712999?ean=2940013437937

iBookstore: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/my-boyfriend-merlin/id485487047?mt=11 (also available on iBookstore UK)

About the Author:

Storygirl, Priya Ardis, loves books of all kinds--but especially the gooey ones that make your nose leak and let your latte go cold. Her young adult novel, My Boyfriend Merlin, came from a childhood of playing too much She-Ra and watching too much Spock. She started her first book at sixteen, writing in notebooks on long train rides. While reading My Boyfriend Merlin, she recommends pajamas first and a pumpkin spice anything for taste.

What does she like to read? YA books! Coming-of-age books. Books with fantasy and magic with a cool heroine that's really just the girl next door. Books about mythology and legends. And, hello, Mr. Darcy anyone?

Her favorite Arthurian piece is the poem The Lady of Shalott by Lord Alfred Tennyson.

A hopeless romantic, she's a longtime member of the Romance Writer's of America

Website: http://www.priyaardis.com/

Blog: http://merlinblogs.priyaardis.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/priyaardis

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/priyaardis

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/priyaardis