Friday, September 20, 2013

How a piece of Renaissance art influenced a paranormal romance By Juli D. Revezzo



Ask any author about the inspiration behind their works and you’ll get all kinds of answers. Some authors are people-watchers, some let music inspire them, some the muse comes to, uninvited. The reasons for inspiration even vary from book to book, short story to short story.

For me, one of my biggest interests in my life has been mythology, and alongside it, art. I even pursued a degree in art history, lo, many years ago. My favorites pieces were always (no shock to my friends, I’m sure) artists who themselves were inspired by Classical mythology.

So when I began kicking around the idea for what became my debut paranormal romance novel, PASSION’S SACRED DANCE, I wasn’t exactly sure what the story might entail. Poking through my collection of books on Mythology, yes, gave me something of an answer. I knew it was to be a war based on the Second Battle of Mag Tuired, but it was an art piece that really set the book in motion. During those years that I studied for my degree, I fell in love with the art of Sandro Botticelli. I enjoy his work so much, I have a collection of books, postcards and other assorted goodies which his work graces.



 My favorite is his piece La Primavera (or the Birth of Spring). It hangs on my wall even now. In this piece you have various gods, prancing around in an idyllic garden, Venus at its center denoting the world’s interest turning to love with the spring. (You know that old cliché) To her right, the lovely Flora spills flowers from her skirt as she dances. Littering the world with beauty. But it was the three graces, dancing to Venus’s left that always drew my attention. What a wonderful way to celebrate the light side of the year! It does bring to mind maypole dances, and Renaissance fair dancers. I even wrote papers about it in school.


However, if you look to the far left, you will see a figure out of place. This fella I always thought was Mars, the god of War, and what an odd place for him to show up. So that set the wheels in motion, what could War be stirring up in those leaves above and why? So when my characters started chattering in my head about the upcoming beginning of spring, I heard rumblings of war, and wondered why. Aaron and his warrior buddies came along and said, “The ancients knew. They had it right. War’s coming and spring might not. Do you know this girl?” He pointed to the dancers. “And where the heck do we find her?”

(It was hard for me to tell him later that I had the interpretation all wrong. The god’s actually Mercury, not Mars. But messengers are messengers, all the same, right?)

So that’s how Boticelli’s Primavera tied into the Second Battle of Mag Tuired and became PASSION’S SACRED DANCE.

Blurb:
 Passion’s Sacred Dance

Battling mounting debt, Stacy Macken is determined not to lose her historic art gallery. When Aaron Fielding appears and offers to help, she fights to keep the attraction sizzling between them from clouding her judgment. He may be her savior in disguise--but can she trust him?
Aaron intrigues her with tales of the Tuatha dé Danann, sworn warriors who protect humanity from the monsters seeking their destruction. If Aaron can prove what he claims, she would give up anything to help--even the gallery he claims is sacred ground. But with her property set to stage the next epic battle, she needs answers. An old family diary will confirm the ancient legend is true, if only they can find it in time.
If the battle is lost, the enemy will take control of Earth for the next five hundred years. Stacy and Aaron's budding love might only complicate things.

 About Juli D. Revezzo:

Juli D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a love built by devouring everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of Michael Moorcock, and the classics and has a soft spot for classic the “Goths” of the 19th century. Her short fiction has been published in Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, The Scribing Ibis, Eternal Haunted Summer, Twisted Dreams Magazine and Luna Station Quarterly. She also has an article and book review or two out there. But her heart lies in the storytelling. She is a member of Independent Authors Network and Magic Appreciation Tour. Passion’s Sacred Dance is her first romance novel.

If you’d like to read more, PASSION’S SACRED DANCE, from The Wild Rose Press, is available at Amazon (and Amazon.co.uk) in the Select program http://smarturl.it/xc5d7a  and coming soon to other e-tailers.

 Thank you, Vijaya, for inviting me here today!

You can find out more about Juli at her homepage:
On twitter: @julidrevezzo


2 comments: