THE TECHNICAL STUFF
GENRE: Young Adult (Books 1-3 and the Prequel), Mature Young Adult (Books 4 & 5), Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance
SETTING: The Unintended (Book One) is set in the San Fransisco Bay area in the Silicon Valley cities of San Jose and Campbell, California. The majority of the action takes place at a fictional private high school, the protagonist’s home in Campbell, and the fictional Campbell Perk Coffee Roasting Company (based on the real Orchard Valley Coffee in Downtown Campbell).
In The Nexus through The Fallen Part Two, Aleria is no longer at home, so her world becomes faster, darker, and sexier as she tackles new threats. The action takes place in England, Ireland, Germany, Romania, and France.
PLOT STRUCTURE: The first novel is an urban fantasy using a ‘Boy Meets Girl’ plot fused with ‘Good versus Evil’ structure (also called an ‘Overcoming the Monster‘ story).
Books two through five focus primarily on ‘Good versus Evil.’
THEMES & MOTIFs: Fate versus Free Will, Doing the Right Thing, Loss, Sacrifice, Loyalty, and Redemption. Redemption plays a small role in The Unintended, but becomes a dominant theme in the rest of the series.
SYMBOLS IN BOOK ONE: Angels, The North Star
MAJOR ALLUSIONS IN BOOK ONE: Shakespeare’s The Tempest (What if Caliban had been beautiful?), Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet (Letter 8, paragraph 4), and ee cummings “i carry your heart with me“
Light & Shadow: Shorts & Extras
Get even more behind the scenes AND a series of short stories, alternate point of view, and more. Each designed to answer fan questions. I noted a few of the questions on this partial table of contents:
1.0_Concilium_Heirarchy_Flow of Power (PDF) The structure of The Concilium of Watchers after the schism. The Council v. The Conclave.
North Star & Birthmark
French Coven Crest
My original sketch and Vera Walker’s completed illustration.
The Slayer Tattoo
My concept art mock-up where I kept track of the symbolism in the tattoo. Plus, Vera Walker’s formal illustration. Click pictures for a closer look.
Cover Art Analysis
The Unintended―Book One
1.1_Timeline_for_The Unintended (PDF) This is based on the first edition, but it still gives you an overall timeline of events.
1.2_Character_Descriptions_for_The_Unintended (PDF).
The Nexus―Book Two
2.2_Timeline_for THE NEXUS (PDF)
Allure―The Prequel
My 1920s research for Allure on Pinterest. Click here.
0.1 Allure Cross Over Moments with books one through three (PDF).
The Fallen Part One―Book Five
The Fallen Part Two―Book Six
Character Interview: Author Tamar Hela fell in love with my character, Tyran, during The Fallen Part 1 & 2 and asked to interview him. I had a blast doing this and it turned out delightfully funny.
Interview with Tyran by Tamar Hela
Fan Questions
I have answered many fan questions over the years. Here are a few of my favorites with the answers. If you would like to dig through and find more, click on the Fan Questions tag on the posts.
Values [Spoiler warning for The Nexus: Book Two]
Watcher Series on Pinterest
I pin ideas onto a secret board and reveal the board after I have published. Here are some of the images I used for inspiration.
Check out my Watcher Series Board on Pinterest. Click here.
Concept Art
Poetry
Sometimes, I write poetry from the perspective of one of my characters to get into writing a scene. I find it the easiest way to tap into romance. 🙂
Click to view a larger image.
Music Playlists
Listen to The Nexus Playlist on Spotify. Click here.
Listen to the Muse Mix on Spotify. Click here.
Fan Art
I have been honored to have had fans send me things that they have created involving my series. Here are a few of my favorites.
Click the picture for a larger view.
