Exploring the Dark Side of Love

Congratulations to Sue H. on winning the Christmas Blog Hop Contest!

I've always loved everything to do with fairy tales-from their fantasy settings to their happily-ever-afters. Lots of authors have started to rewrite fairy tales lately. I buy and read those books like crazy. I want to read about the new takes on stories I grew-up with and loved. It's fun to see authors reinvent characters.

When I decided to re-write Greek Mythology, it was very different from rewriting fairy tales. Beloved characters exist in them like Hercules, Pegasus, Perseus, and more, but their stories don't always end happily.

I was asked to sum up in a sentence what the Death of Eros series was about recently. I thought about it and realized that it was best summed up in the words "Exploring the Dark Side of Love."

Greeks are famous for their tragedies, for the way they are fearlessly willing to explore the dark side of life. When I decided to write about Greek myths, I knew I wouldn't be true to the original stories unless I did the same.

So while there is giddiness in my novels, there is also depression. Bliss and devastation run side by side. There is security and jealousy. Both happy endings and sad ones.

It's hard to read about these things and I think that's partly because some of it is so real. While love is wonderful, it can also be dark. I explore both sides and try not to be shy about it.