trueromance

Thief of Light by Denise Rossetti

Setting: The sword and sorcery world of Palimpsest

Subgenre: Fantasy

Hero: Erik Thorensen

Heroine: Prue McGuire

One sentence summary: In a world where the gods play and black magick lurks in the shadows, a singer with an irresistible voice meets the only woman in existence strong-willed enough to challenge his extraordinary powers of persuasion.

Scene you like most and would never cut: I love the scene in which Erik proves to a skeptical Prue that seelies really do exist. (We would feel the same about unicorns.) They’re small, blue-furred marine creatures with long snouts and expressive bulgy eyes. The elegant canal city of Caracole is built on the mile-wide leaves of a gigantic titanplant. In a cave under a Leaf, the walls glowing with phosphorescence, he calls the mythical animals with his beautiful voice. Not only do the seelies join in Erik’s song, they dance on the water like dolphins.

It’s a magical moment, in every sense, and it leads to a tender, sensual scene between Prue and Erik.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Prue would never say, “Hey, girlfriend, let’s head down to the mall! I want a killer pair of stilettos, with velvet bows and stratospheric heels. Red ones.”

The poor darling is far too sensible and responsible to do something so extravagant and impulsive. She’s the original ‘good girl’ - until she meets Erik, and then the sparks really fly! And anyway, there are no malls on Palimpsest. It’s a fantasy world. Duh.

Scene in the book moved you the most as you wrote it, or made you the most happy?’

There’s a scene toward the end, in which Erik finally confesses to Prue about a terrible crime he committed as a boy. He knows they have no future together unless he tells her, but he doesn’t expect forgiveness so he’s in despair, sure he’ll lose her forever. Prue’s furious all right, but not in the way Erik expects.

After everything Erik goes through, it gave me enormous satisfaction to write that scene. I even shed a tear. It confirmed for me that Prue was his perfect match, the right woman for him in every way. When I type ‘The End’, I need to be confident the hero and heroine belong together. With these two, I was.

Have you learned or found any bizarre facts while doing research?

I’ve done some reading about Near Death Experiences (NDEs) for the Four-Sided Pentacle series. What’s fascinating is the consistency of the reports – the sensation of hovering near the ceiling, the bright tunnel, the presence of another loving Being. But the most bizarre fact I’ve come across in my research is about wings. At the time, I was writing a book for Ellora’s Cave called Tailspin, with two drop-dead gorgeous heroes with magnificent wings and wicked feathery tails. Did you know that in order for a human being to be able to use wings to fly, his or her chest would have to be six feet thick with muscle? It’s plain physics, but I squeezed my eyes shut, invoked artistic license and ignored it.

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: I know I’m awful, but I really love villains. I had a lot of fun with the Technomage Primus, a brilliant scientist, whose personality disintegrates bit by bit. Although she finishes up quite loopy, she retains her cold logic and incisive intelligence. All spookily good.

What is one thing in your history that has influenced your writing, whether it’s a character, your work habits, or your favorite plot conflict? It’s so hard to pick one. I’ve had a job for many years in academia and that has definitely affected the way my mind works. But I think the single greatest influence is my love of language. I simply adore words, too much I fear. I have a range of favorites, the current ones being discombobulate and transmogrify. I’m trying to work out how to include them in a manuscript without frightening my long-suffering editor.

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Music in all its infinite variety. Music and more music. Erik’s also partial to sex, in all its infinite variety.

What you think readers will like best about this book: Honestly?  Beyond the slum kid, the seelies and an endearing mongrel dog, I have no idea. I know I hope they’ll enjoy the sizzling chemistry between Prue and Erik and the colourful world I’ve built for them. I try to write as vividly as possible so the reader feels as if she’s right there – for the adventure, the terror, the humour, the sex, the love – the whole gamut of human experience.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: I already have readers asking me for Florien’s story. He’s the slum child who first appeared in a bit part in The Flame and the Shadow and insisted on a larger role in Thief of Light. He’s a foul-mouthed, bad-tempered urchin with no manners and an aversion to soap and water, but somehow, he’s managed to wind his grubby little fingers around my heart. Readers too, apparently. *smile*

What’s next: The Laced with Desire anthology will be released in February next year, a follow-up to Unlaced, with stories by Jaci Burton, Jasmine Haynes, Joey. W. Hill and myself. The theme is corsets! My novella, Rhio’s Dancer, is set in the Four-Sided Pentacle universe. The hero is a secondary character from Thief of Light, but it can be read as a stand-alone.

My editor has the proposal for Book #3 in the Four-Sided Pentacle series now. The hero is the swordmaster, Walker, an earth shaman who appears in Thief of Light as a secondary character. He’s all dark and brooding and deadly.

His heroine may well be the most unusual character I’ve ever attempted. Deprived of touch and affection from babyhood, she has never learned about normal human relationships, so she’s essentially ‘empty’. She cannot interpret facial expressions and body language, has no idea of what empathy means, let alone sympathy, and little understanding of conventional morality. Yet she has a childlike innocence and curiosity that’s extraordinarily endearing. Put her together with the deeply reserved Walker and the conflict is going to be luscious. All being well, it’s slated for release about this time next year.

I also hope to complete the next in my Phoenix Rising series for Ellora’s Cave next year. Day job? What day job?

Question:

Like Prue and Erik in the cave under the Leaf, have you experienced the magic of a special place? Somewhere you will never forget? I remember sitting on the walls of Rothenberg, many years ago, watching dusk come down over the Tauber…

I’m delighted to offer a prize to one commenter. Either The Flame and the Shadow (Book #1) or Thief of Light (Book #2). Your choice.