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Rinda Elliott Guest Post & Giveaway: Myth and Journey

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Enter to win a copy of Dweller on the Threshold by Rinda ElliottI’ve always been drawn to different mythologies and folklore. Norse, Greek, Celtic, Asian…there are so many wonderful, epic stories out there, I find something new every time I settle in with a fat reference book. If I’m struggling to start a new story, there is always some kernel of an idea that will pop up in some obscure tidbit. And I love when real world stories coincide with those of legend.

My leanings have always been toward Norse mythology first and that started even before I learned my first name is Norse. I wrote a young adult paranormal romance built around Norse mythology, but before that, when I settled in to really dig into Dweller on the Threshold, I’d decided to mix it all up. I took Greek and Norse mythology, then threw in a healthy dose of esotericism. This is another subject I find interesting because I was raised by parents who love to explore all things esoteric. More than likely, there will be more than just Greek and Norse subjects as this series progresses.  The actual villain in the first book, The Dweller on the Threshold, came from a theosophical concept I found fascinating. While that version is more of a nice lesson about reincarnation and reaching true enlightenment, I took it dark.

Dark is fun.

In the world of Dweller on the Threshold, all myths and legends are based in truth, but some were either mixed up in the telling or were deliberately told incorrectly. For instance, the myth of the Minotaur—it’s true—but someone misunderstood a private ritual and made a huge mistake.  The gods and goddesses are real, they’ve just moved into the background for the most part.  The creatures of myth like vampires, werewolves and ghouls also exist, but they stay hidden unless they’re human enough to blend. The events in book one change that up a bit.

When Beri O’Dell first came to me I had no idea what she was or what she could do. Her image and her personality hit me so strongly, I wrote her into other stories—stories just for me.  I began to learn about her capabilities, but I also discovered how very much she cared about things. It’s not something she likes people knowing, so she can be a bit prickly. At the time Beri was stomping through my head and trying to get me to ignore other characters, I was writing romance novels. All contemporary except for one paranormal that had to do with black cat shifters—something that later became funny when I started working with a critique partner who was known for her cat shifter books. (I still plan to release Ian’s Curse someday after a MAJOR rewrite.)

But the other romances I wrote dealt with women working through painful pasts. This is a theme that shows up a lot in my work and Beri is no exception. (Another theme you’ll see repeated in some of my work, is strong friendship and siblings. Nuts about my own.)  I started submitting my work to publishers and putting it into contests. Though editors liked my writing, some had a problem with how strong my heroines were. (I did better in the contests.) After a while, I stopped submitting. But Beri stuck with me. And she was strong. Stronger than all my other heroines. Physically, anyway. 😉

So, I wasn’t sure what I would do with her. But then, others in her story came to me. First, her spirit guides, Phro and Fred. (My esoteric-loving family believes in spirit guides. Ask my mother some time about hers.) Later, Nikolos walked into her world with his impossibly long legs and dark, dark eyes and I could not let this go. Then Blythe, a funny little witch with a fire problem, annoyed Beri and made me love her, and I no longer had a choice.  Beri’s story had to be written.  Strong or not, I went for it.

Luckily, there was a surge of interest in urban fantasy novels around that time and I realized this was a genre my style might fit. I haven’t looked back. I’ve written urban fantasy, paranormal romance and my other huge love, space opera and futuristic stories. I’ve used mythological concepts or in some cases made up my own. One of the best things about writing your own books is you get to make up the world with all its laws and interesting perceptions.  I fell in love with Beri and her friends and couldn’t be happier that they are finally out there. I hope readers enjoy getting to know them too. 😉

Thanks so much for having me! Just comment about anything you want. Share your favorite mythological story, or just say hi. I’ll let the random number generator pick someone to win an e-copy of Dweller on the Threshold.

From VBC: The contest will be open through Monday, March 31. Good luck!

30 Responses to “Rinda Elliott Guest Post & Giveaway: Myth and Journey”

  1. Jillian B says:

    I wouldn’t let the critic about how your characters are “too strong” get to you. From what I’ve gathered, people love a strong heroine! Myself included. I love learning about new mythology stories that I haven’t come across before. My favorite thing is to find similarities in different culture’s stories, makes me feel like we’re all not so different after all. I also really love trying to figure out what might have happened to the people to make them come up with a certain situation or character. I’m definitely interested in your characters that you’ve mentioned, I’ll check out your work!

  2. Jackie U says:

    Does The Little Match Girl count? And is it horribly morbid that it’s my favorite? lol

  3. Jackie U, not morbid. Any story that resonates is a good one to me. But, that one makes me cry. 😉

    Jillian, there’s nothing quite like coming upon a new story. That happened to me recently and it gave me an idea for a book that made me want to dump everything else. I need more hours in the day…

    • Jackie U says:

      I keep waiting for someone to put a modern spin on it! You don’t see many UF/PRs anymore where the main character dies at the end. I kind of missing having that possibility hang over the characters’ heads.

  4. jenn says:

    Thanks for sharing how DWELLER ON THE THRESHOLD came together. I love it when authors share these kinds of tidbits with readers. And thanks for the giveaway!

  5. Victoria Zumbrum says:

    Thanks for the giveaway. Please enter me. I would love to read this book. Tore923@aol.com

  6. Denise Elrod says:

    I’m looking forward to reading this!!! Thanks!!!

  7. Sherri Williamson says:

    I love when authors throw in some mythology, it makes the stories that much more interesting. 🙂 And who cares if it’s real or made-up as long as it works with the story. And I’m looking forward to learning more about Beri.

  8. Laura says:

    I love Mythology! all of it I really do not have a favorite one, this book sound really interesting, I would love to have a chance to win it

    Thank you

  9. Debbie P. (Yodamom) says:

    I love mythology books. I search them out and can never get enough. I love reading the different spins author put on them. Thanks.

  10. Arely Z. says:

    Ooooh sounds interesting!!! Mythology has always been one of my favorite subjects so this book piques my interest!

  11. Barbara Elness says:

    I’ve always loved the Norse myths, as well as the Greek, and having those elements in Dweller on the Threshold sounds like it’s going to be very interesting.

  12. erinf1 says:

    Congrats Rinda on the new release! It sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing! I really want to read your book 🙂

  13. BookLady says:

    Congratulations on your new book! It sounds like a fantastic story. I love the combination of mythology and paranormal. Thanks for the giveaway.

  14. Liz S says:

    Your book sounds great. I started reading mythology books with my son when he was really young, maybe about five. He couldn’t get enough of the stories. Thanks for the contest.

  15. Thank you for all the interest! My Dweller just went live, so I’m pretty excited. Oh, and the cover is going to change slightly. Samhain added an author quote to it. 🙂

  16. Julia says:

    Dark is definitely fun!
    I love all different kind of urban fantasy books and the different mythologies just add to the great variety in them.
    Thanks for the giveaway.

  17. Mary Preston says:

    It must be so much fun researching the mythology & folklore & then deciding what to use & twist to your liking.

  18. Heidi Taylor says:

    I grew up on hard sci/fi and a bit of heroic fantasy. I really love urban fantasy and paranormal nowadays! Your book looks pretty interesting! Thanks for the giveaway chance 🙂

  19. Ruth Ayres says:

    I love the concept of this book. You are a new author to me. I can see that I need to begin reading your work. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.

  20. susana says:

    The book sounds really good. I would really love to have the chance of reading it. Thanks for the giveaway!

  21. Jamie says:

    Your book sounds great and I definitely want to read it! I love mythology- especially Norse and Celtic. Thanks for offering a giveaway!

  22. Sherry says:

    I think this book sounds very good. Congrats on your release.

  23. Tessa says:

    Sounds intriguing and love the cover!

  24. Mel Thomas says:

    I’m a fan of all things mythology so Dweller on the Threshold is right up my alley. I look forward to getting to know Beri and her friends. Thanks for the opportunity!

  25. JenM says:

    I’ve always been fascinated by mythology. When I was 12 or so, Edith Hamilton’s book on Greek mythology was one of my favorites and I also read Norse and Egyptian myths. I think it’s so fascinating to read about the ways various cultures have tried to explain the unexplainable.

  26. Sandra says:

    I’m just glad I found this site! Now I know what other good vampire books are out there.

    The Norse take of vampirism sounds vaccinating and I can’t wait to read it, free or not. You sound like a great writer and I’m going to Amazon right now to find some of your other works. Keep on writing!

  27. Sydney W says:

    Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us.
    The concept and the book look awesome enough to read!!
    My two cents is , if you stay true to the story and if it has potential,you will always find readers who will appreciate it and support you.myself included.
    You just need to stay strong,have lots of patience and be positive 🙂

  28. Michelle says:

    I use mythology as my inspiration for writing. I have several stories in the works that started with me curled up in bed with a gigantic Mythology reference book. Norse is my favorite playtoy, especially after spending several months in Denmark. 😉

    Thanks for sharing – sounds like an intriguing read and something I very much look forward to meeting Beri and Blythe sometime in the near future!

  29. appal says:

    Very nice post. I simply stumbled upon your blog and wanted to mention that I have truly loved surfing around your blog posts. In any case I will be subscribing on your rss feed and I hope you write once more soon!

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