Introducing Marian Perera

Whore…gift…and unexpected ally.

Eden Trilogy, Book 1

In Dagran society, Alex is the lowest of the low—a “mare”, an object to be used by the nobility. When her owner, Stephen Garnath, gifts her to his greatest rival, she begins plotting her path to freedom. Nothing and no one will ever control her again. Not her degrading past, and certainly not her growing attraction to a man reputed to be an even crueler master than Garnath.

Robert Demeresna is instantly suspicious of such a generous gift. Yet she comes to him armed with only her sharp mind—a potent weapon he can use to defend his people from the enemy. And underneath, an unbreakable spirit that besieges the walls of his heart.

Slowly, Robert chips away at Alex’s defenses, striking sparks that make her begin to believe even a lowly whore like her could be worthy of him. Until Garnath springs a trap so cleverly hidden, war is unleashed before either of them sees it coming. A new kind of war fought with steam engines, explosives—and magic with a killing edge…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

What was the inspiration behind Before the Storm?

A few years ago, I read Anne Bishop’s Daughter of the Blood, which features a dark and corrupted land where male pleasure slaves are common. One of them has been forced into such a position for years and is cold, bitter and lonely – but of course he’s also very, very appealing.

I put down the book and wondered, “Can I do the same thing, except with a woman?”

Right away I had the heroine and hero of Before the Storm. Alexis Khayne is a mare, a woman kept for the pleasure of the nobility and considered lower than a prostitute, because at least whores get paid. But her training made her manipulative and charming. It sharpened her already quick mind into an icy intelligence and turned her beauty into something she uses to get the most out of the men to whom she’s lent.

Until she’s actually given away to one of them.

Robert Demeresna is quite different. Although he’s extremely conservative – you can tell he went to boarding school and called his father “Sir” – he’s honest and straightforward and always treats women courteously. Not that there have been a lot of women in his life, since he’s as plain in looks as in speech. He’s also a little preoccupied by an impending invasion of his land.

And the man who handed Alex over to him is behind that, which makes Robert suspect that his gift wasn’t given out of generosity. No, she’s probably an assassin. So now he’s even more reluctant to touch her, much to her confusion.

Two other novels which influenced me very much were Phillipa Gregory’s Wideacre and Gone with the Wind. The English countryside forms an beautiful background to Wideacre, as much a living and breathing part of the novel as any character. So Before the Storm is set in a land that’s part Victorian England and part medieval fantasy, with the formal elegance of the one balancing the strange and sometimes brutal nature of the other.

As for Gone with the Wind, that’s simply my favorite novel, so I wanted to give Alex what Margaret Mitchell gave Scarlett. Overwhelming challenges, but enough strength to face them. A man who fell in love with her, but who wouldn’t let her take advantage of him. And a proposal which ends in a passionate kiss when words alone don’t work.

Reading those books was wonderful. Writing this one was even better. I hope you enjoy it!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Many thanks to Marian for being our guest today. You can find out more about Marian at her website and her blog where she discusses writing and publication. When she’s not writing, she studies medical laboratory technology (one more year of college to go!). Comments always welcome! Don’t forget to leave a comment to win a download of Before The Storm. Good Luck!