Sexy, exotic dieties … make such exciting characters! #Orishas #PNR #MFRWAuthor @AnnDrayton5

 

By Amara Dey (Guest Blogger)

Hi, I am Amara Dey, and I write Paranormal Romance for Extasy Books.

I was motivated to write the Decagon Series through reading and enjoying saucy paranormal romances. And if my books had a candle, their scent would be Passionflower for sure. Sweet, salty, erotic, earthy – a sharp shaft of desire.

But for me, wanting to be different and bring something new to the table, I chose to base my characters in the entire series on the Latin American pantheon of Gods known as the Orishas. Similar to Greek/Roman/Norse in their magical abilities, but of a more tropical flavor.

I learned of the Orishas from a Cuban friend who told me his childhood folklore stories. I was born in Guyana, a British colony, and steeped in its own multi-cultural lore, but that’s a discussion for another day.

I became enchanted with these powerful, helpful, gorgeous, extraordinary immortals and their adventures. They are sexy, naughty, passionate, and they stand up for the little guy. Each has their own personality, strength, weaknesses, and interests. Like the Greek gods, the Orishas represent forces of nature along with specific human characteristics—for example, the Orisha of the sea is also the Goddess of motherhood.

So, there is lots of exciting background with which to help create fabulous paranormal characters. In the Decagon novels, the ‘real’ Orishas pop up from time to time as brothers-in-arms alongside my fictional pantheon, the Decagons. Each book in this series features different Orishas, from the twelve or so that are the most popular, as helpers.

The main female character in NO MERE MORTAL (Book 1) is Venus. Human, a dancer, and loosely based on the Latin River Goddess Oshun, beautiful, sensual, and loves to dance. Bolt, her love interest, is a hot-tempered, womanizing deity of Decagon inspired by the fiery God Chango, who incidentally is Oshun’s husband. The antagonist, Ansa, is a powerful witch. Ansa controls the wind in all its forms, from gentle to stormy, and in her, I see the tempestuous Goddess Oya.

Another important character is Marco, the heroine’s best friend and business partner. He’s human and believes in the Orisha Gods, and therein lies the link between my personal experiences and this series, as Marco is a nod to my Cuban friend Giovanni.

This unique route I decided to take with my characters involved a lot of research. I read tons of literature on the Orishas—books and online articles—I remember the BBC did a great one on this topic. YouTube has several documentaries as well to watch. But most enjoyable of all, I immersed myself in some real-world research visiting the parts of Cuba featured in the series for vibe and atmosphere and attending Orisha rituals, which gave me a real feel for the esoteric nature of their rites and ceremonies. (Oh, for the days when world travel opens up again).

I’d love to hear about other rare ‘Gods’ from you, lovely readers. I mean, every corner of the Earth has mythical beliefs and fantastic folklore. Right?

Thank you all for joining in, and thank you, Lisabet, for having me as a guest today. And if you leave me a comment, you could win a $5 gift certificate from eXstasy Books! (I’ll give away several, depending on how many people enter.)

Blurb

NO MERE MORTAL – Decagon Book 1

Where the normal and paranormal collide to enchant you

Venus Myles, orphaned at birth, is a London-based dance teacher and unaware of her divine lineage – that is until a strange encounter thrusts her into a world of gods and magic.

She learns from Bolt, a disgraced deity from the planet Decagon, that she is his realm’s savior, and a passionate connection sizzles between them. But when Bolt unexpectedly disappears, a determined Venus travels to Decagon to find him and learn more about her destiny.

Assuming, of course, she can escape the powerful and deadly witch Ansa, who wants her dead, find Bolt, and tap into her dormant magical abilities.

And do it in time to stop an apocalypse that will destroy her, Bolt, his world, and his kind.

Fans of sexy paranormal romance with a blend of action and adventure will love this series. (www.amaradey.uk/series-and-extracts#Extract1).

Excerpt

…He caught her hand and kissed the painful bruise on her wrist. The red imprint faded, and a shock trickled up her arm. Scary yet erotic, it spread warmth through her body.

Venus held her breath when Bolt stood and pulled her to her feet. With a tap from his foot, the box slid aside. Bolt drew Venus closer and placed both her hands behind his head. He rested his at the curve of her waist.

Bolt’s deep blue gaze said, you are all that matters, and her senses filled with Bolt’s scent as he lowered his mouth to hers. Venus closed her eyes and parted her lips, which fitted perfectly when hers met Bolt’s. Featherlike at first, then with more intensity, Bolt’s tongue encircled hers. Sweet surrender. Venus drank in his apple cider tang and tightened her arms around him. While Bolt devoured her…

Buy Links

https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-1977-6-no-mere-mortal/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Mere-Mortal-Decagon-Book-ebook/dp/B07MLMQYYJ/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-mere-mortal-amara-dey/1130327026?ean=2940156307777

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/no-mere-mortal

About the Author

Author AMARA DEY lives in London, England, and has done so for most of her adult life. She loves to write novels with a mortal/immortal love connection, served with a massive dose of sensuous other-worldly desire. With the added three D’s – daring, dangerous, deadly – she delivers hot, fast-paced page-turners.

Born in Guyana, South America, her stories are multi-racial and multi-cultural, and her main female characters always have to overcome adversities to achieve their goals. A trait Amara hopes will empower her young women readers.

Apart from writing, reading is Amara’s favored pastime and watching movies, Salsa dancing, and travel. She often wishes she were her chosen avatar, a mermaid, and could swim off to faraway lands.

She holds a Degree in Business Studies and has worked in the Admin side of finance, law, and law enforcement over the years. Since high school, she has been writing on and off but felt like an Author when she finished her first novel – NO MERE MORTAL. (www.amaradey.uk/bio).

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