Title: Persephone
Series: Daughters of Zeus Book #1
Author: Kaitlin Bevis
Genre: YA Paranormal
BLURB supplied by Girls Heart Books Blog Tours
There are worse things than death, worse people too.
The "talk" was bad enough, but how many teens get told that they're a goddess? When her mom tells her, Persephone is sure her mother has lost her mind. It isn't until Boreas, the god of winter, tries to abduct her that she realizes her mother was telling the truth. Hades rescues her, and in order to safely bring Persephone to the Underworld he marks her as his bride. But Boreas will stop at nothing to get Persephone. Despite her growing feelings for Hades, Persephone wants to return to the living realm. Persephone must find a way to defeat Boreas and reclaim her life.
BOOK LINKS
EXCERPT
The branch crashed in front of me, scraping my legs. I ran for
the parking lot as fast as I could. The frost closed in, surrounding me. I’d
never been claustrophobic, but as the frost cut off my escape path with a solid
white wall, I panicked.
Fog rolled in,
like cold death, cutting off my view of the park. It curled around me, brushing
against my face, arms, and legs. I turned back to the tree and ran faster, my
dress tangling between my legs as the fog and icy wind blew against my skin.
The parking lot is the other way! my
mind screamed. The other way was cut off by a mountain of ice. I felt as if I
was being herded. By ice?
I slipped on the
icy ground, falling face first into the frost. Ice crept up my toes and along
my legs. I thrashed and screamed. I felt the fog becoming a solid mass above
me, pinning me to the ground. The ice piled around me. Am I going to be buried alive?
I dug my nails
into the frigid snow in front of me and tried to claw my way out of the frosted
death trap. I was so panicked I didn’t feel it when my nails broke against the
impenetrable wall of ice, leaving red crescents of blood welling up on
sensitive skin. An hysterical sob worked its way out of my throat as I gouged
red lines into the ice. The ice was above my knees, snaking its way up my
thighs. I shivered.
Shivering’s good, I reminded myself. It
means your body hasn’t given up…yet. The cold was painful, like a thousand
little knives pricking my skin. A violent tremor went up my spine, sending
waves of pain through me.
“Help me!” I
screamed, knowing it was futile. I was going to die here.
Except I couldn’t
die. Could I? Mom said I was immortal, but was that all-inclusive? Did I have a
weakness? Was snow my Kryptonite? If I got hurt, would I heal or would I be trapped
in an injured body in pain forever?
I suddenly didn’t
know if immortality was a good thing or a bad thing. The cold hurt. I was
kicking, screaming, and clawing my way out of the frost, but for every inch I
gained a mountain piled around me. I thought I heard a man’s laughter on the
wind, the sound somehow colder than the ice freezing me into place.
The ground before
my outstretched hand trembled. The shaking increased. The earth lurched beneath
me. The surface cracked and the sound was so loud that for a moment all I could
hear was high-pitched ringing in my ears. The ground split into an impossibly
deep crevice. My voice went hoarse from screaming as I peered into the endless
abyss, trapped and unable to move away from the vertigo-inducing edge.
PLAYLIST
Can you share the playlist you
listened to while writing ‘Persephone’ with us?
I don't listen to music while I
write, and I'm really not a music person. I like songs, but they don't inspire
me to write. But...every now and then, sometimes years after the book has been
written, I'll hear one and I'll think "wow, this really fits." So I've
made a list of a few of those. Full
disclaimer, I'm not a music person. Never have been. So if my song choices feel
completely wrong to you after reading the book, please suggest some, lol.
1) A Beautiful Lie by 30 Seconds to
Mars
"It's a beautiful lie
It's the perfect denial
Such a beautiful lie to believe in
So beautiful, beautiful it makes
me..."
This song makes me think of Persephone because that's what her life was
at first. A beautiful lie, but reality was starting to shine through the cracks,
making her feel that while her life was perfect, she didn't belong in it.
2) (Don't Fear) The Reaper by the
Blue Oyster Cult
Yeah there's no point in even
pulling a quote from this one because the title says it all. This song might as
well be Thanatos' theme song. At least for book one. He spends so much time
trying to convince Persephone not to be afraid of him or his Reapers. Also, the
song is creepy if you think about it, so it fits.
3) Magdalena by Perfect Circle.
I bear witness
To this place, this prayer, so long
forgotten
So pure
So rare
To witness such an earthly goddess
Really it's just the fact that thing song
mentioned a goddess that made me think of it.
4) Into the Night by Santana
"Like a gift from the heavens,
it was easy to tell,
It was love from above, that could
save me from hell,
She had fire in her soul it was
easy to see,
how the devil himself could be
pulled out of me,
There were drums in the air as she
started to dance,Every soul in the room keeping time with there hands,
And we sang."
My friend actual suggested this
song, and when l listened to it, I was thrilled with how well it fit. It reminds me of the scene at the Brumalia
festival wen Persephone and Hades are dancing.
4) A Lifetime by Better than Ezra
or Last Kiss by Pearl Jam
"Allie woke up 8AM
Graduation day.
Got into a car,
And crashed along the way.
When we arrived late to the wake,
Stole the urn while they
Looked away,
And drove to the beach
'Cause I knew you'd want it
That way.
And you were standing
On the hood of the car
Singing out loud
When the sun came up.
And I know I wasn't right,
But it felt so good.
And your mother didn't mind,
Like I thought she would.
And that REM song was playing
In my mind.
And three and a half minutes
Felt like a lifetime"
The only thing about these songs
that makes me think of Persephone is the mood they evoke. Seriously, listen to
the whole song (either one), read the lyrics and try not to cry. I feel like Orpheus sang something
like this to plead his case to Persephone and Hades.
5) Age Aint Nuthin by a Number
Obvious reasons on this one. So obvious the title says it all. Age is a major point of contention for Hades
and Persephone, as it should be.
6) Alive by P.O.D
Sunshine upon my face
A new song for me to sing
Tell the world how I feel inside
Even though it might cost me
everything
I, I feel so alive
For the very first time
I can't deny you
I feel so alive
I, I feel so alive
For the very first time
An' I think I can fly
This song makes me think of the way
Hades feels about Persephone.
8) Bring Me to Life by Evanescence
"Frozen inside without your
touch
Without your love, darling
Only you are the life among the
dead"
This song makes me think of what
happened after Orpheus went public and all the dream stuff with Boreas. Sorry,
it's really hard to describe while this fits without spoilers, lol.
7) Demons by Imagine Dragon
There is *so* much about this song
that fits that I'd literally have to paste the whole song here. I feel like it
perfectly captures that jaded sense that the older gods in my series have, and
the driving need Hades has to protect Persephone from him but his unwillingness
to lie to her that ends up drawing her to him. This is really more Hades'
anthem for the whole series, because it takes him awhile to get past what this
song describes.
10) Roar by Katy Perry.
I used to bite my tongue and hold
my breath
Scared to rock the boat and make a
mess
So I sat quietly, agreed politely
I guess that I forgot I had a
choice
I let you push me past the breaking
point
I stood for nothing, so I fell for
everything
You held me down, but I got up
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, your hear that
sound
Like thunder, gonna shake your
ground
You held me down, but I got up
Get ready cause I’ve had enough
I see it all, I see it now
Persephone started the book shy,
and easily pushed around but by the end of the first book she'd grown much more
confident in herself and her abilities and she fought back. There's a lot to
this song that doesn't fit, but the basic attitude of it fits
Book Information supplied by Girls Heart Books Blog Tours
Title: Daughter of the Earth and Sky
Series: Daughters of Zeus Book # 2
Author: Kaitlin Bevis
Genre: YA Paranormal
BLURB supplied by Girls Heart Books Blog Tours
Some vows can never be broken.
Persephone thought she could go back to her normal life after returning from the Underworld. She was wrong.
The goddess Aphrodite is born among the waves with more charm than she can control. Zeus is stalking Persephone and her loved ones, and Thanatos is no longer content with Persephone's silence.
He wants her soul.
Persephone can't tell anyone about Thanatos' betrayal, and it drives a wedge between her and Hades. Her mother is still keeping secrets, and Melissa's jealousy of Aphrodite threatens to tear their friendship apart.
Alone, Persephone turns to a human boy for comfort. But will their relationship put him in danger?
Sacrifices must be made, and Persephone must choose between her human life and her responsibilities as a goddess. If she doesn't, she could lose them both.
But will either life be worth choosing once Zeus is through with her?
BOOK LINKS
EXCERPT
I'd been
here before. My bare feet glided over the leaf-strewn path, unharmed by the
rocks and twigs crunching beneath me. Massive live oaks draped with Spanish
moss created a canopy above me, transforming the forest path into a tunnel of
speckled sunlight. The air was heavy with humidity. The moist heat pressed
against my skin and stole the breath from my lungs. By the time I reached the
path’s end, my Eeyore nightshirt clung to my skin.
"Dungeoness."
I came to a halt when I recognized the sprawling ruins of the ancient
ivy-covered brick and stone manor.
Athens Academy
took my class on a week-long trip to Georgia's coastal islands freshmen year.
Cumberland Island was a major highlight because of the sea turtles, wild
horses, and these ruins.
"Good job, Persephone,”
I muttered, kicking at a branch. “You’ve figured out where you are, but how did
you get here?" I knelt to pick up a smooth, white stone, tucking damp
tendrils of hair behind my ears so I could see better. The rock looked and felt
real. I ran my hand over the smooth stone, turning it over and tracing the
shape. The weight of it in my hand reassured me.
I turned, hoping
the path held some answers, but it was no longer there. I stood on the
grass-covered shoreline looking out to sea. In the distance, a girl stood thigh
high in the ocean, clad in a gown of strategically placed sea foam. Although
her back was to me, I could tell she was perfect. The curly ringlets of hair
cascading down her flawless cream skin matched the intense orange of the sky as
the sun sank in the sea.
I glanced down at
my sun-kissed skin, self-conscious. She was really pretty. A movement caught my
attention and I glanced up as she looked over her shoulder, aquamarine eyes
meeting mine. Then she spoke. I was shocked to hear Boreas' cold voice roll off
her tongue. "Zeus lives."
I stumbled
backward. Boreas, the god of winter. My mind flashed back to that horrible day
in the clearing last winter. Boreas’ cold laughter. His fingers digging in my
hair as he pulled me across the frozen ground. Melissa’s eyes widening as she
choked on her last breath. The rush of power that gave me the strength to put
Death himself, and Boreas, under my control.
A soul for a
soul. I’d bargained with Thanatos, the god of death, and killed Boreas without
a second thought, saving my best friend.
Now images shoved
their way through my thoughts: Cumberland Island, two sunsets, lightning
cracking in the sky. My mind screamed against the onslaught. I gritted my teeth
and forced myself to think the word that would make it all stop.
I bolted up in
bed with a gasp. A weight in my hand made me look down. I unclenched my fist,
revealing the white stone from Dungeoness.
PLAYLIST
Can you share the playlist you
listened to while writing ‘Daughter of Earth and Sky’’ with us?
I don't listen
to music while I write. For whatever reason I'm just not inspired by it. I like
it, it jus doesn't make me write. Once I've had some time and space from my
book I can listen to songs and go "wow, that makes me think of this character or that scene. So some of
these songs came out after publication.
1) Barbie Girl by Aqua
This song makes me think of
Aphrodite. It fits her character and her character's creation on so many
levels. Not getting into the lyrics because they make me sick.
2) Everybody's Fool by Evanescence
"look here she comes now
bow down and stare in wonder
oh how we love you
no flaws when you're pretending
but now i know she
never was and never will be
you don't know how you've betrayed
me
and somehow you've got everybody
fooled
without the mask where will you
hide?
can't find yourself lost in your
lie
I really can't get into how
perfectly this describes Aphrodite and Persephone's relationship without
getting into spoilers, but it does.
3) Clarity by Zedd
"Walk on through a red parade
and refuse to make amends
It cuts deep through our ground and
makes us forget all common sense
Don't speak as I try to leave
'cause we both know what we'll choose
If you pull then I'll push too deep
and I'll fall right back to you
'Cause you are the piece of me I
wish I didn't need
Chasing relentlessly, still fight
and I don't know why
If our love is tragedy, why are you
my remedy?
If our love's insanity, why are you
my clarity?"
This song makes me think of what Hades is to
Persephone. Her life is falling apart and nothing makes sense, and he is the
only thing in her life that's clear but she has to push him away.
4) Evil Angel- Breaking Benjamin
"Put me to sleep evil angel.
Open your wings evil angel.
A-ah.
I'm a believer,
Nothing could be worse,
All these imaginary friends.
Hiding betrayal,
Driving the nail,
Hoping to find a savior.
No, don't
Leave me to die here,
Help me survive here.
Alone, don't
Surrender, surrender."
This song makes me think of
Thanatos in the second book, or at least how Persephone feels about him. It's
creepy, and dark and it sounds angry.
5) If I Could be Like that by 3
Doors Down
If I could be like that (like that)
I'd would give anything
Just to live one day
In those shoes.
If I could be like that (like
that), what would I do?
What would I do? yeah
This song and the next one make me
think of Melissa. She wants *so* badly to be different, and special, more like
Persephone, but she can't ever say that and never will. She's convinced herself
that she's not jealous. But her sense of control in her life is slipping away
and it's eating away at her, and she takes it out on Persephone.
6) Anything but Ordinary
To walk within the lines
Would make my life so boring
I want to know that I
Have been to the extreme
So knock me off my feet
Come on now give it to me
Anything to make me feel alive
Is it enough to love?
Is it enough to breath?
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed
Is it enough to die?
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be anything but ordinary
please
I'd rather be anything but ordinary
please.
7) Girls just wanna have fun by Cindi Lauper
The title says it all. This song
makes me think of when Aphrodite and
Persephone are hanging out together, just having fun.
8) Savior by Rise Against
That's when she said I don't hate
you boy
I just want to save you while
there's still something left to save (whoa, whoa)
That's when I told her I love you
girl
But I'm not the answer for the
questions that you still have (whoa, whoa)
Just those lines, even if you
ignore the whole rest of the song, describe pretty much all the self-doubt both
Hades and Persephone feel toward each other.
9) Long Way Down by the Goo-Goo
Dolls
"Almost human but I'll never
be the same."
This song makes me think of
Persephone because she spirals so much in this book and she's trying so hard to
find her place.
10) Breaking Inside by Shinedown
"I don't want to live another
day
Underneath the shadow of mistakes I
made
'Cause I feel like I'm breaking
inside
I don't want to fall and say I lost
it all
'Cause baby there's a part of me to
hit the wall
Leaving pieces of me behind
Leaving pieces of me behind
And I feel like I'm breaking inside
I won't be the last one in line,
I finally figured out what's
mine."
This song just captures the way
Persephone feels for most of the book.
11) Go your own way by Fleetwood
Mac
"Lovin you
Isn't the right hing to do
But how can I ever change things
that I feel?"
Had this song going through my head
the entire breakup scene. Then again, I have this song in my head anytime I
even hear the word breakup. Fleetwood Mac is kind of epic that way.
Book Information supplied by Girls Heart Books Blog Tours
Title: The Iron Queen
Series: The Daughters of Zeus Book # 3
Author: Kaitlin Bevis
Genre: YA Paranormal
BLURB supplied by Girls Heart Books Blog Tours
Life is hell for Persephone. Zeus will stop at nothing to gain access to the living realm and the Underworld, and as the only living god with a right to both, Persephone’s in trouble. Captured and tortured beyond the limits of her resolve, Persephone must find the power to stand against Zeus. But will she be strong enough?
Meanwhile, Hades contemplates desperate measures to rescue his queen. Persephone never thought of herself as dangerous, but there’s a reason gods never marry for love. A being with the power to destroy all of creation shouldn’t place more value in one individual than the rest of the planet. But Hades...Hades would break the world for her.
To save the world and stop both Hades and Zeus, Persephone must make a difficult choice. One that may cost her everything.
BOOK LINKS
Audible
EXCERPT
EXCERPT
Hades
Watching my wife chase after a human boy
was hell. The heavy rain drenched the thin fabric of her clothes in seconds,
plastering them to her body in a way that would be appealing…if he wasn’t going
to see her, too. I clenched my jaw. She
just doesn’t want him to get hurt. It wasn’t as though I wanted any mortals
caught in the crossfire when we faced Zeus either. Persephone was just going to
charm the boy into leaving the park.
Tearing my gaze away from her as she
scurried up the hill, I searched the parking lot for Aphrodite, or Zeus, or
whoever he, she, it may be. I had the layout of Memorial Park memorized,
anyway. Who was I kidding? The entire city of Athens, Georgia was embedded in
my mind. The precaution was reasonable. Persephone spent most of her time here,
and she was a magnet for trouble.
I followed her up the dirt-packed path
in my mind’s eye. She’d be rounding the corner now well above the park,
oblivious to the way the plants she passed leaned toward her. Persephone was
beautiful. Vibrant. Light and vitality pulsed from her that like the first warm
gust of a spring breeze promised everything would soon be new and alive again,
that winter would thaw into life. Everything was drawn to her. Unfortunately.
My thoughts returned to the human boy
she was following. I scowled. Rain fell, pinging against the transparent shield
that kept me out of sight while I sat dry atop a metal picnic table. My fingers
worried a spot of rust. I tried not to think too hard about whatever else might
have touched the shining surface.
This realm was disgusting. Insects
swarmed the park, and birds flew through the air, dropping waste
indiscriminately onto the world below. I couldn’t wait to return to the
Underworld. The surface had its charms, but I had no desire to stay for long.
Joel!
Persephone’s voice rang through my mind,
and I tossed up a mental wall. It wasn’t just good manners preventing me from
listening in. This boy had been in her thoughts every night. I’d seen the way
he looked at her like she was something to be consumed, the way he touched her
like her body was his for the taking, the way her heart raced when she felt his
breath upon her neck. I clenched my jaw and studied the parking lot like it
might change shape any moment.
She’d probably think less of me if I
ripped him apart.
Not that her opinion was all that
stopped me. It wasn’t my habit to go around killing mortal children, and not
just because I’d have to deal with them in the Underworld. I liked humans. Just
not when they groped my wife.
My heart thudded at an uncomfortable
speed, filling my body with adrenaline. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. My
hands gripped the edge of the picnic table, and I leaned forward, muscles
tensed. That was strange. I had no reason to be this anxious. He was just a
kid, and Persephone was Persephone; she had no idea what effect she had. I
couldn’t really fault him for being interested, and I had encouraged her to see
other people. A spectacularly stupid move on my part. Not only was it condescending
as hell to tell Persephone what she should and shouldn’t feel toward me, but
I’d managed to push her into the arms of another man. It had taken all of two
seconds for me to realize I really didn’t want her to be with other men.
Apparently on top of all my other
charming flaws I’m over-possessive. Who knew?
I took a deep breath to force myself to
calm down, but it didn’t seem to work. What was the matter with me? Channeling
Persephone’s power away every night had given me a very unwanted front row seat
to her developing relationship with Joel. I’d seen every kiss, everything, and
not felt this before. It hadn’t been pleasant, but—
Cold dread filled the pit of my stomach,
and I frowned. This didn’t even feel like rage. My heart was still beating a
mile a minute, like it might burst free from my chest at the slightest
provocation. I felt strange, no…terrified.
That was it. Fear. But why was I—? It
wasn’t mine.
My thoughts flew to Persephone, crashing
through the mental wall. Her abject terror flooded my thoughts with such
paralyzing force that for a second I lost the ability to move or breathe. All
that existed was her fear. The boy spoke in a harsh voice, grip tight on her
arm. I rose from the picnic table, ready to relieve him of that limb, when his words
filtered through her thoughts.
…Hades.
I blinked. How would he know my name?
A red sports car squealed into the
parking lot, and I swore. Hate to
interrupt, I directed the thought to Persephone. The boy locked gazes with
Persephone and seemed to look through her to me.
I knew those eyes. Images and thought
fragments flashed from Persephone’s mind to catch me up, but I already knew
everything I needed to.
Persephone,
run! I tore through the parking lot to reach the path.
Hades,
it’s Joel! He’s Zeus! The whole story passed through my mind accompanied by
waves of fear and guilt. Persephone gripping Joel’s arm to teleport but nothing
happening, followed by her realization that Joel wasn’t from this realm. Her
shock and horror when his glamour melted away. Why wasn’t she running?
Get
out of there, now! I couldn’t keep the panic out of my thoughts. If Zeus
hurt her…
Our
plan, she protested.
She wouldn’t. Only a fool would risk
going through with our plan now. We’d intended to trap Zeus by having him stand
on an entrance to the Underworld so we could bring some of my realm up and
around him. A little slice of Tartarus. It had worked to imprison some of the
Titans before, and it could work with him. But not like this. Not with her
alone and hopelessly overpowered.
But this was Persephone. The girl who
fled the safety of the Underworld to confront Boreas with nothing but righteous
indignation on her side. It was foolish of me to expect her to do anything
else.
I swore and scrambled up the hill. Just teleport. Leave!
I
can get him to the entrance. Hades, this is our best chance.Her
determination pounded through me coupled with her desperate need for this to be
over. She wouldn’t run. If I couldn’t reach her in time… A bright light seared
my vision as I rounded the corner. She screamed, intense pain flashing through
her and reverberating to me. I stumbled, blinded by her white-hot agony.
Another flash. Pain flared through her, exploding within my mind in a cacophony
of anguish. My vision cleared for a split second, and I saw the ground rush
toward me. Then everything went black.
Chapter II
Aphrodite
Persephone’s anguished scream echoed
through the park. I’d rushed over as soon as she called me for help, but knew I
was too late. The air hummed with energy, setting my hair on end as I jumped
out of the cherry red convertible I’d “borrowed” from some random guy.
I sloshed onto the wet pavement,
twisting my ankle in my haste, and made a mental note not to wear heels next
time Persephone needed me.
Not that she made a habit of calling me
when she needed something. She must really be desperate. I hurried up the
wooded running path and almost tripped over a crumpled shape. Hades. What could
knock Hades out?
“Aphrodite.” A voice as smooth as silk
sent shivers up my spine.
I cast a shield and jumped in front of
Hades. Zeus emerged from a grove of trees holding Persephone like he was some
knight out of a painting. Her limp, dangling arms swayed as he walked. Golden
hair, so bright against her corpse- pale skin that it didn’t look real,
cascaded in waves toward the ground. He strode toward me, strong and radiant.
Like the sun had reached through him just to get a little closer to earth. The
scene would have been breathtaking, like something out of a storybook, if it
wasn’t for the sinister expression on his face.
Damn it, I’d hoped it would never come
to this. She was my sister and my friend, and I’d stabbed her in the back by
pretending “Joel” was anyone other than Zeus. Yes, he’d forced me to help him,
but that was no excuse. I never wanted Zeus to win. But now he had Persephone
and, with her, access to the Underworld and the living realm. We were all
doomed.
“You said you wouldn’t hurt her.” I’d
meant to sound defiant, angry, but it came out petulant and scared.
“I said I didn’t have to. There’s a
difference.”
I closed my eyes. Of course there was.
“You’re leaving me here, aren’t you?” Zeus grinned. “I’m sure you’ll make
yourself useful.”
I was surprised it still hurt. I’d known from the beginning I was no more
I was surprised it still hurt. I’d known from the beginning I was no more
than
a pawn to Zeus. He’d created me from the remains of Uranus to give me
unprecedented levels of charisma and then abandoned me in the world without the
knowledge to control the charm.
Charisma, or charm, is kind of like mind
control if you know how to use it. I can smile at pretty much any human and
make him do what I want, but uncontrolled it’s dangerous. Like, Trojan War
dangerous. Used without direction, it steers humans toward their baser
instincts. They become obsessed. Anything could have happened to me, but either
way, it served Zeus’ purposes. He had backup plans for his backup plans.
Now he was leaving me with two very
pissed off deities who would move heaven and earth to find Persephone. No
telling what they’d do to me.
Did Persephone even know how lucky she
was? I’d sell my soul for just one of the following she collected anywhere she
went. To be someone worthy of worship instead of the obedient abomination Zeus
created, stripped of my free will and forced into servitude.
Zeus shifted and grabbed the necklace
Persephone wore. “Tell Hades”— he cast a knowing glance at the shield behind me
with a smirk—“and Demeter I’ll take their realms in exchange for the girl.” The
silver chain snapped, and he tossed the necklace toward me. “Give him that.”
Before I could answer, he vanished.
Plucking the necklace out of a puddle, I
shook water off the small green plant that sat anchored in a wire basket and
dried the pomegranate charm on my shirt. Oh yeah. Hades was definitely going to
kill me when he came to.
I’d run, but it wasn’t like I had a
choice. Zeus created me with an extra special tweak. I was loyal to family.
Loyal to the point of obedience if they outranked me enough. That was why I was
almost glad I was still “useful” to him; I had a feeling the minute he didn’t
need me anymore, he’d ask me to swear fealty and give him all my power. Suicide
by devotion. And I’d have no choice but to oblige.
If I swore over everything to him, would
he release my soul to the Underworld? Would I finally be free? Or would he keep
me, my thoughts and memories, and everything about me that was me locked in his
head in case he ever found it useful?
I sat beside Hades and pulled my knees
to my chest. Hollow. I felt hollow inside, like Zeus had carved out everything
that mattered, everything I cared about, and left me empty. Hopeless. The rain
dripped down my face, mimicking the tears I didn’t dare cry.
Chapter III
Persephone
Getting struck by lightning hurts. A
lot. Most people die long before they fully process the pain of a storm’s worth
of voltage passing through their body in the blink of an eye. I don’t have that
luxury. Instead, I discovered something that hurt far worse than becoming a
sadistic deity’s living electrical conduit. Healing from a lightning strike at
godspeed.
When I came to, my body felt like it was
pulsing molten lava through my veins with each heartbeat. Gods! An inhuman moan tore from my throat. What happened? It wasn’t until the bed shifted that I realized I
wasn’t alone.
Hades.
I let myself relax. Relief calmed me enough for unconsciousness to threaten to
pull me back under, so I forced myself to take steady breaths. It was too soon
to open my eyes. I knew how to stay conscious through horrific pain. Thanatos
taught me that.
I breathed in too deeply, and a bolt of
pain lanced through me. When I shifted positions to get comfortable, a low moan
worked its way up my throat. There was no comfortable. The lightning had seared
every single nerve ending in my body. Healing from this didn’t feel good at
all.
His hand brushed the hair out of my
face.
“Hades?” I croaked, struggling to open
my eyes.
He shushed me, stroking my arm. I leaned
into his touch as the memories rushed back—Hades finding out about Thanatos and
killing him, destroying his soul, planning to trap Zeus, waiting at the park
for Aphrodite, and realizing Joel was there. What happened to Joel?
The voice shushed me again, and the hand
on my shoulder didn’t feel comforting anymore. His touch felt…wrong. My eyes
flew open, and I bolted upright.
With a horrible certainty I turned to
see who sat next to me on the bed.
PLAYLIST
Can you share the playlist you
listened to while writing ‘Iron Queen’’ with us?
1) Sanctuary Utada Hikaru
"I watch you fast asleep,
All I fear means nothing
In you and I, there's a new land
Angels in flights,
My sanctuary, my sanctuary,
Where fears and lies melt away,
Music will tie
What's left of me,
What's left of me?"
You have to listen to this song to
get it. Go to itunes, best .99 cents you'll ever spend. It's beautiful and
haunting, and I can imagine it playing in library scenes because it becomes
Hades and Persephone's sanctuary. That's what they are to one another. Another
song that conveys that feeling is the next one
3) Heaven by Bryan Adams
"Baby, you're all that I want
When you're lying here in my arms
I'm finding it hard to believe
We're in heaven"
4) Here without you by 3 Doors Down
A hundred days have made me older
Since the last time that I saw your
pretty face
A thousand lies have made me colder
And I don't think I can look at
this the same
But all the miles that separate
Disappear now when I'm dreaming of
your face
I'm here without you, baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you, baby
And I dream about you all the time
Sad song about being separated from
the one you love. It just seemed to fit Hades for this book.
5) You're Cute When You Scream
You know that you are worthless
And I am better than
The games that you play princess.
(I've played) and always win.
(I'll take my time)
To slowly plot your end.
(But now I will)
Spit bullets with my pen.
And all I know is you're cute when
you scream.
Pretty much Zeus' worldview in this
novel.
6) Carry On From the Sailor Moon
soundtrack
So...don't judge me, but I spent
most of my childhood obsessed with Sailor Moon, and I thought of this when I
was writing a scene at the end involving gods swearing fealtly. Literally for
this line, and this line alone
"Alone against my darkest fear
but I sense my friends are near, I'll draw from each the power I need...."
Just because of the whole powers
combining thing.
And that...is all I can think of.
I'm not a music person. But I asked my fans, and I got the following responses
of songs THEY thought of when they read Iron Queen. They are listed below.
7) A Thousand Years by Christina
Perri
8) Found by The Letter Black
9) Keep Holding on by Avril Lavigne
10) Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip
Phillips
11) My Immortal by Evanescence
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kaitlin Bevis spent her childhood curled up with a book, and a pen. If the ending didn't agree with her, she rewrote it. She's always wanted to be a writer, and spent high school and college learning everything she could so that one day she could achieve that goal. She graduated college with my BFA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing, and is pursuing her masters at the University of Georgia.Her young adult series "Daughters of Zeus" is available wherever ebooks are sold. She also writes for truuconfessions.com and Athens Parent Magazine.
AUTHOR LINKS
ARE
AUTHOR'S DREAMCAST
I've put way more thought into this
than I should. If Persephone gets picked up for a movie, I don't imagine I'll
have much say and the ages might be wrong by the time it happens, but come on.
Who doesn't imagine their books going to the big screen. I realize my choices
aren't that realistic, some of my minor characters are dream cast as big league
actors, but hey, this is a dream cast, not a realistic one :). In a perfect
world...
I would cast Skyler Samuels to play
Persephone . She was awesome in The Nine Lives of Chloe King and everything
else I've seen her in. She definitely has the range to pull off the changes
Persephone is going to go through during the series, and she looks the part.
Hades is tougher. I picture someone like David
Tenant, the tenth Doctor, not for any reason in terms of description or
attitude, but just because I love him. And authors get to meet the actors
playing the parts of their characters, right? Honestly, he could be anyone in
any of my books, up to and including Persephone. He's SUCH a good actor. You
have to watch his version of Hamlet. He was incredible.
David Giuntoli from Grimm would
also do nicely. I know, I never would have thought it either, but there's this
one scene (he just figured out Juliette got scratched by THAT cat and is ready
to tell her everything) where he gets this look on his face and talks so
seriously, so ominously, that I literally jumped out of my seat and paused it
so I could try to write down and describe every single thing from that moment
because it was SO Hades, and I'd been working so hard to picture how he would
look/act during a scene near the end of book two, and that was IT.And I know,
both of those men are quite a bit older than Miss Samuels. I wouldn't want to
cast Hades as a teenager (or in Holywood land, anyone between twelve and
thirty) but I don't want him looking like a creepy old pedophile either.
I've been told by a lot of fans
they picture Ian Somerhalder, the guy who plays Damon from the Vampire Diaries,
and he absolutely looks the part, but for some reason, he's not what I picture.
He'd be a better fit for Thanatos.
I would choose Holland Roden to
play Aphrodite. She plays Lydia Martin in Teen Wolf, and she probably wouldn't
want to play Aphrodite since she's almost the exact same character, but it
would work so well because she nailed the part. Plus she's gorgeous, which is
kind of a a requirement for Aphrodite.
I would cast Hailee Steinfield as
Melissa. Look for her in Ender's me, she's a phenomenal young actress, and
she's exactly what I pictured when I described Melissa. It's really a shame
Melissa doesn't get more "screen time" in my books because she's one
of my favorite characters. I kept trying to come up with excuses to get her in
the book more, but it just didn't pan
out. I had a similar problem with Cassandra. Loved the character, just don't
need her all that often. Cassandra at let is likely to get her own trilogy with
Helen of Troy. Speaking of Cassandra, I would cast her as Ellen Page, she's not
who I pictured when I wrote the character, but that sarcastic, dry attitude she
has in all of her movies fits Cassandra to a "T".
I have no clue who I would cast to
play Helen of Troy. I don't know why it's harder to choose THAT "most
beautiful girl ever" than it was to choose Aphrodite, but it feels like a
lot of pressure choosing a Helen of Troy, lol.
If I could time travel AND choose my perfect cast, I'd get Katherine
Heigle from her Roswell days, because I remember watching that show as a teen
and thinking she was the most beautiful person ever.
I'd cast Joel as Josh Hutcherson.
He has that good natured, boyish, good guy vibe and that's very important to
Joel's character.
I don't tend to cast the bad guys
in my head. It just feels insulting to say someone would do a great job
being...evil. And...I'm going to leave off most of the book three characters
because I don't want to spoil which gods pop up in it :) But I'd be pretty
happy with that cast.
***GIVEAWAY***
No comments:
Post a Comment