Christine Feehan's Blog - Posts Tagged "carpathians"
Men of the Monastery: Dark Promises
High up in the Carpathian Mountains sits a monastery that is both sanctuary and self-imposed prison to ancient Carpathian warriors. These men know they are dangerous. They hope to keep others safe and prolong their existence by remaining within the walls of the monastery and keeping their darkness at bay. They are men, not of humanity, but of honor; not of this world, but of one long gone. The ways of the world are not known to them. Their savageness, needed to protect the world from evil vampires, is now their downfall. Who could love them, even if a lifemate was found? Who could overcome their savage nature, understand their break from humanity, accept their darkness enough to bring them into the light?
I created the monastery and the Carpathian warriors in it because I thought it would offer a unique hero, or heroes, to the Carpathian world. These are men who never served the new Prince. We don't know how old they are and how they felt about Mikhail's father. All we know is that they served as warriors who fought evil and kept us safe. They gave of themselves knowing it could kill them. Knowing they could be sacrificing their chance at finding a lifemate. And to ensure they remain honorable now that they have slipped into such darkness they are nearly savage, they shut themselves away to protect those around them.
I know there will be some people who will not care for the monastery Carpathians. They are too savage, too primal and lack even empathy. They feel nothing. They go entirely on instinct and what they remember of feelings. And therein lies the opportunity for me to create amazing heroines. The women who become lifemates to these men will have to have great courage and selflessness. They will need to be strong in ways they never imagined.
Dark Promises gives us a look at some of these men. We get a chance to look within the walls of the monastery. We have an opportunity to see the struggles of these men and just how far outside humanity they have come.
Who will save these men? Who would care for such savage warriors? Who would give of themselves to bring them back from the darkness. And if they cannot be saved, what should be done with them? It's these questions that I think make the monastery and its inmates so intriguing.
Dark Promises
I created the monastery and the Carpathian warriors in it because I thought it would offer a unique hero, or heroes, to the Carpathian world. These are men who never served the new Prince. We don't know how old they are and how they felt about Mikhail's father. All we know is that they served as warriors who fought evil and kept us safe. They gave of themselves knowing it could kill them. Knowing they could be sacrificing their chance at finding a lifemate. And to ensure they remain honorable now that they have slipped into such darkness they are nearly savage, they shut themselves away to protect those around them.
I know there will be some people who will not care for the monastery Carpathians. They are too savage, too primal and lack even empathy. They feel nothing. They go entirely on instinct and what they remember of feelings. And therein lies the opportunity for me to create amazing heroines. The women who become lifemates to these men will have to have great courage and selflessness. They will need to be strong in ways they never imagined.
Dark Promises gives us a look at some of these men. We get a chance to look within the walls of the monastery. We have an opportunity to see the struggles of these men and just how far outside humanity they have come.
Who will save these men? Who would care for such savage warriors? Who would give of themselves to bring them back from the darkness. And if they cannot be saved, what should be done with them? It's these questions that I think make the monastery and its inmates so intriguing.
Dark Promises
Dark Legacy Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ Celebration!
Starting Tuesday September 5th I'll be posting an exclusive blog each day to celebrate the release of Dark Legacy!
Here's the line-up!
Sept. 5th- The New Guard- Unsworn Ancient Warriors
Sept. 6th- The Lifemate Mythology
Sept. 7th- There's Something About Gary
Sept. 8th- What Has Happened to Aiden Savage?
Sept. 9th- Sympathy for the Devil - A Look at Carpathian Villains
I will be reading comments and responding. Please feel free to ask questions, but know that anything that's a spoiler I may not be able to fully answer.
Here's the line-up!
Sept. 5th- The New Guard- Unsworn Ancient Warriors
Sept. 6th- The Lifemate Mythology
Sept. 7th- There's Something About Gary
Sept. 8th- What Has Happened to Aiden Savage?
Sept. 9th- Sympathy for the Devil - A Look at Carpathian Villains
I will be reading comments and responding. Please feel free to ask questions, but know that anything that's a spoiler I may not be able to fully answer.
The Lifemate Mythology � Dark Legacy
With over 30 books in this long-running series that began in 1999 the challenge is always how to keep it fresh and expand the Carpathians and their mythology. At the time the first book in the series, Dark Prince, was published, there weren’t any vampire books being written for the romance genre. The idea of vampire-like creatures that protect humans and kill vampires was new. That vampires came from these same Carpathians, ones who had not found their lifemate and gave in to the darkness, was unique.
At that time, the mythology behind the Carpathians included the fact that converting a human woman into a Carpathian took three blood exchanges. Like classic vampire lore, Carpathians, as well as vampires, could not withstand the sunlight, and they slept in the earth during those hours. Two very unique pieces of Carpathian mythology included the fact that vampires came from Carpathians. A Carpathian who gave in to the darkness and became evil turned into a vampire. Vampires were once the friends and loved ones of Carpathians, making their turn to evil both dangerous because these beings knew Carpathian people, lands and law, and made it sad because Carpathian hunters were sent to kill those who were once their friends or family.
The second unique piece of Carpathian lore had to do with “Lifemates�. A Carpathian had one and only one lifemate. But, they didn’t necessarily know who that lifemate was or where they were. And, if the Carpathian male didn’t find his lifemate he lost his ability to see in color and to feel emotion, sending him beyond the brink of darkness where the allure of becoming a vampire called to them. If the Carpathian never found their lifemate they could choose to become a vampire, or they could choose to meet the sun, thus taking their own life instead of becoming an evil thing.
There was a shortage of Carpathian women, so when a soul was split the soul had to go somewhere, and in light of the lack of available Carpathian women, it went into human women who had psychic ability. Finding a lifemate was important, and once found, three blood exchanges to convert a human woman was necessary. Whether human or Carpathian, to be bound as a lifemate, the male had to say the ritual binding words. Once said, that couple were together, as one, for life.
Carpathian males were hunters, keeping humans safe from vampires or any others who would do harm to them. It was their duty to safeguard their lifemate at any and all cost. Carpathian men were born protectors. Women and children were sacred. And in Dark Prince we discover that the Carpathians are nearly extinct and there aren’t enough Carpathian women. But, as fate would have it, human women with some psychic talent could become lifemates. Whether an act of evolution or simply an unknown fact until Mikhail, the Carpathian Prince, found Raven, a human woman who’d become his lifemate, it’s not exactly clear.
With Dark Legacy, book 31 of the series, the issue of lifemates is once again addressed. The idea of lifemates hasn’t changed. Some people seem to understand exactly how lifemates work, but as time passed and there were more books it became clear that not everyone had a clear understanding. People would ask questions about why this couple couldn’t be lifemates, or why someone had to wait so long for a lifemate. There are rules that govern that and can’t simply have an exception made and still be true to the initial mythology.
Dark Legacy clarifies the issue of lifemates and revisits, briefly, what lifemates are, why they’re important and where the pairing comes from. The clarification may give some readers an epiphany regarding current characters who are still unclaimed, or it may validate what some readers already knew about lifemates. Certainly, the issue of lifemates is bound to be an interesting topic of conversation for readers of the series as they discuss characters still searching for a lifemate.
At that time, the mythology behind the Carpathians included the fact that converting a human woman into a Carpathian took three blood exchanges. Like classic vampire lore, Carpathians, as well as vampires, could not withstand the sunlight, and they slept in the earth during those hours. Two very unique pieces of Carpathian mythology included the fact that vampires came from Carpathians. A Carpathian who gave in to the darkness and became evil turned into a vampire. Vampires were once the friends and loved ones of Carpathians, making their turn to evil both dangerous because these beings knew Carpathian people, lands and law, and made it sad because Carpathian hunters were sent to kill those who were once their friends or family.
The second unique piece of Carpathian lore had to do with “Lifemates�. A Carpathian had one and only one lifemate. But, they didn’t necessarily know who that lifemate was or where they were. And, if the Carpathian male didn’t find his lifemate he lost his ability to see in color and to feel emotion, sending him beyond the brink of darkness where the allure of becoming a vampire called to them. If the Carpathian never found their lifemate they could choose to become a vampire, or they could choose to meet the sun, thus taking their own life instead of becoming an evil thing.
There was a shortage of Carpathian women, so when a soul was split the soul had to go somewhere, and in light of the lack of available Carpathian women, it went into human women who had psychic ability. Finding a lifemate was important, and once found, three blood exchanges to convert a human woman was necessary. Whether human or Carpathian, to be bound as a lifemate, the male had to say the ritual binding words. Once said, that couple were together, as one, for life.
Carpathian males were hunters, keeping humans safe from vampires or any others who would do harm to them. It was their duty to safeguard their lifemate at any and all cost. Carpathian men were born protectors. Women and children were sacred. And in Dark Prince we discover that the Carpathians are nearly extinct and there aren’t enough Carpathian women. But, as fate would have it, human women with some psychic talent could become lifemates. Whether an act of evolution or simply an unknown fact until Mikhail, the Carpathian Prince, found Raven, a human woman who’d become his lifemate, it’s not exactly clear.
With Dark Legacy, book 31 of the series, the issue of lifemates is once again addressed. The idea of lifemates hasn’t changed. Some people seem to understand exactly how lifemates work, but as time passed and there were more books it became clear that not everyone had a clear understanding. People would ask questions about why this couple couldn’t be lifemates, or why someone had to wait so long for a lifemate. There are rules that govern that and can’t simply have an exception made and still be true to the initial mythology.
Dark Legacy clarifies the issue of lifemates and revisits, briefly, what lifemates are, why they’re important and where the pairing comes from. The clarification may give some readers an epiphany regarding current characters who are still unclaimed, or it may validate what some readers already knew about lifemates. Certainly, the issue of lifemates is bound to be an interesting topic of conversation for readers of the series as they discuss characters still searching for a lifemate.
What Has Happened to Aiden Savage?
Aiden is one of the “Golden Twins�, brother to Julian Savage and lifemate to Alexandria. In Dark Gold we find him living in San Francisco, California and discover that he has embraced life with humans in a way other Carpathians have not. This makes him a valuable warrior to his Prince. But, he is never mentioned in Dark Legacy as we discover that Mikhail has asked Tariq to be the leader of Carpathians in the United States. Tariq also lives in California which begs the question � What has happened to Aiden Savage?
Aiden has been a beloved Carpathian for many years and has appeared in or was mentioned in over ten books with Dark Lycan being the last we heard about him. So why would the Prince ask Tariq to lead in the US when Aiden has been there so long? Why hasn’t Tariq turned to Aiden for guidance or help?
It’s not an oversight. During the writing of Dark Legacy the character was purposefully omitted. Other Carpathians known to be in the United States haven’t been mentioned either, but it’s Aiden that I think most people will be curious about. And, the why of it isn’t something that will be answered here. There is a reason and it will eventually be revealed, though when isn’t certain. Readers may speculate as to the historic warrior’s fate and future, but for now it remains a mystery.
Aiden has been a beloved Carpathian for many years and has appeared in or was mentioned in over ten books with Dark Lycan being the last we heard about him. So why would the Prince ask Tariq to lead in the US when Aiden has been there so long? Why hasn’t Tariq turned to Aiden for guidance or help?
It’s not an oversight. During the writing of Dark Legacy the character was purposefully omitted. Other Carpathians known to be in the United States haven’t been mentioned either, but it’s Aiden that I think most people will be curious about. And, the why of it isn’t something that will be answered here. There is a reason and it will eventually be revealed, though when isn’t certain. Readers may speculate as to the historic warrior’s fate and future, but for now it remains a mystery.
Sympathy for the Devil: Carpathian Villains
When you have heroes that are as powerful as the Carpathians it can be a challenge to create a villain or villains to challenge them. In the beginning of the Dark Series the main villains are a society of humans who hunt vampires and Carpathians alike, but more importantly we discover that the origins of vampires are the Carpathians themselves. When a Carpathian male doesn’t find his lifemate, the woman that is the light to his darkness and the other half of his soul, he loses his ability to see color, his ability to feel emotion and soon the only thing that keeps this fierce warrior from becoming a vampire is his perseverance, integrity and honor. Killing is like a drug because it allows them to feel, but by giving into this they become evil and turn vampire. Sadly, though not entirely in their control, in a very real way, the Carpathians can become their own worst enemy. This fact is in reflection to our own, real-life society, which may be a contributing factor as to why the idea of the Carpathian race became so interesting to so many people. In the end, it is up to the Carpathians to police themselves, be held accountable and be responsible for what happens when their people turn evil and to protect everyone against that evil. 
In addition to vampires, who were once Carpathians, people who were friends and family and now have to be hunted and killed because they turned evil, we add in mages, then lycans, all who, if they become evil, are a force to be reckoned with. But, at the end of the day there’s never really been a greater villain to the Carpathians than vampires. Yes, mages or evil lycans can use magic or brute strength, but vampires have a psychological advantage that continues to make them such great adversaries.
Vampires were once great warriors. They know the Carpathian race better than any other adversary. And they were once beloved. An enemy can pretend to be your friend and betray you which can make you angry and hurt. But, before they were vampires, these beings really did love and were loved. They were family and true friends. With a few exceptions, most of them simply gave up hope and traded away their honor to stop the all-consuming loneliness of life. Yes, the high standards and expectations for honor and integrity in the Carpathian race demand that a warrior give his life before harming others by turning vampire, but whether considered a coward or selfish or simply giving in to evil because it feels good, the fact is, a Carpathian warrior will be sent out to stop the vampire, to kill the being that once was his brother, cousin, best friend.
Of course not all Carpathians will personally know each vampire, but the fact remains that when a Carpathian is faced with having to hunt a vampire, they stand the chance of knowing who that vampire used to be. Knowing the only mercy they can offer is a quick death.
Vampires have another advantage over the Carpathians. Carpathians have been in recovery for a very long time, which has split their focus and put them behind when it comes to normal world evolution. First, they were at war and took heavy losses. Vlad, the original Prince of the Carpathian people, made some huge miscalculations during his reign. Though he had precog he either ignored signs or purposefully hid them in order to save his own son and salve the heartache of his lifemate. This cost the Carpathians much during the Turk wars, caused inner-conflict with the people and cost lives. It also marked the beginning of the near-extinction of the entire race. The domino effect of this was that the remaining Carpathians were scattered, they lacked enough females to keep the males from turning vampire and the race went into despair. The new Prince, Mikhail, was seriously considering ending his life, because he was so close to turning, and because as the Prince he was the “vessel� of his people and could feel their collective despair, when he found his lifemate and discovered that human women could become lifemates, though it included a dangerous and painful conversion process. All those years before that discovery was full of darkness, sadness and loss. The focus was on survival and protection.
But, for vampires, their only concern was staying hidden from the Carpathian vampire hunters. Though many of them simply lost their minds, going mad with the transformation into vampire, some of them went on to become Master Vampires, learning enough control to live long lives, kill hundreds of people, and eventually learn to work together to stay alive.
Soon, as time passed and Carpathians continued to focus on finding lifemates and hunt vampires, the vampires themselves learned more self-control in varying degrees. They evolved far more quickly than their adversaries because their focus wasn’t as scattered. Because hate was stronger than despair, they evolved further, faster than the Carpathians. And now, in Dark Legacy, we begin to see the tip of the ice burg on what the vampire’s evolution has become. These newly evolved villains have the advantage of focus, time, evolution, technology and the first heartbeat of birth to something so terrible it could through the Carpathians into the extinction they have just narrowly escaped.
Even evil has a legacy.
Time for a Dark Celebration! And some Gifts!
I love the Christmas holiday so much! It’s always been a special time for me and for my family. I realize not everyone celebrates Christmas, but I hope you’ll celebrate your holiday with me this winter season!
WalMart is releasing Dark Celebration with a limited edition cover. You can only get this special cover edition by going to WalMart to purchase it. And, it’s a limited run, so once these are gone, they are truly gone.
Dark Celebration has always been special to me. I receive more reader requests for another reunion book than just about any other request. This book was a gift to my readers, bringing together old friends like Mikhail, Gregori and many other Carpathians from years gone-by.
Over on Facebook we’re doing a giveaway where you have a chance at winning one of eight stockings stuffed with gifts from one of the older Carpathian characters! Mikhail, Raven, Jacques, Shea, Gregori, Savannah, Darius and Tempest each have a representative stocking that reflects that character and there are a lot of goodies in those stockings! I hope you’ll stop by Facebook by November 16th to enter!
And as an added bonus, you can enter for ALL the stockings! So lots of chances to win! And the books are signed!
You can read the first chapter of Dark Celebration here-
WalMart is releasing Dark Celebration with a limited edition cover. You can only get this special cover edition by going to WalMart to purchase it. And, it’s a limited run, so once these are gone, they are truly gone.
Dark Celebration has always been special to me. I receive more reader requests for another reunion book than just about any other request. This book was a gift to my readers, bringing together old friends like Mikhail, Gregori and many other Carpathians from years gone-by.
Over on Facebook we’re doing a giveaway where you have a chance at winning one of eight stockings stuffed with gifts from one of the older Carpathian characters! Mikhail, Raven, Jacques, Shea, Gregori, Savannah, Darius and Tempest each have a representative stocking that reflects that character and there are a lot of goodies in those stockings! I hope you’ll stop by Facebook by November 16th to enter!
And as an added bonus, you can enter for ALL the stockings! So lots of chances to win! And the books are signed!
You can read the first chapter of Dark Celebration here-
Dark Sentinel Heroine: Lorraine Peters
I’ve had a vague idea for a heroine for quite some time, but I only knew certain things about her in the beginning. I knew she had to be strong, both physically and mentally. I knew she was a fighter. And I knew she had experienced a great tragedy that left her alone in the world on many levels.
But, until I found the right lifemate for her she had to stay in the background.
As I began Dark Sentinel I knew the hero would be one of the monastery ancients and realized it would be Andor. Unfortunately, Andor was at the end of his long life and ready to die. That’s when I knew who my heroine was and that her time had finally come. Lorraine Peters was absolutely the only person who could save Andor. Not just because she was his lifemate, but because of her life experiences and who she was as a person. It couldn’t be anyone else.
Lorraine came from a family of fighters. They trained daily. She was disciplined and fast. She was strategic and level-headed. She was brought up that way and it became a natural part of her. And, like most of the women who become lifemates, they are born with light and love in them. Lorraine loved her family. She was loyal and dependable. And even though her brother struggled with anger issues, she showered him with love and encouraged him to be good.
So, you can see how Lorraine would be a wonderful lifemate to any Carpathian male. Strong, yet loving. Loyal and accepting. But, I needed someone who would, in a split second, decide to help a stranger who was being attacked by murderers, even though she was all alone. It had to be someone who wouldn’t run for help because the odds were so astronomically against her. Something in her had to be so infuriated at what was happening that she would give her own life to stop it.
Years ago, there was a terrible crime that happened around the area in which I live. A local family had a son who was mentally ill and had anger issues. They had asked for help from the medical community. They’d even asked for help from law enforcement. No one helped them. One day their son lost control and killed several people from another local family and then was shot and killed by police.
Of course everyone was devastated by the tragic loss. There was such an outpouring of grief and support for the family who’d lost their loved ones. The victims were good people and now their family had to deal with their loss. As the community talked about what happened it occurred to me that the family of the boy who was the murderer also lost a child. They were also victims. No one talked about them. I wondered what it was like to be the family members of the killer. These were good people who had tried everything they could think of to get help and who had told law enforcement they were afraid something terrible would happen, but they were left on their own to manage their adult son. Did they feel alone? Did they feel guilt? Weren’t they just as devastated? These were the questions I thought of as I created Lorraine Peters. This scenario happened to her and everyone she loved was involved in this single event.
The stigma of what happened left Lorraine friendless and utterly alone in the world. She was the woman whose brother was a murderer. After some time she realized she had to get away and find herself again. So, she decided she’d go camping out where no one would know her secret guilt and shame. She wanted to find a way back to who she was. And the perfect opportunity for that opened up in that moment when she saw several men torturing and about to murder an unarmed, beaten, bleeding man who had no fight left in him.
Lorraine saw her chance to stop a murder. Those men were not going to get away with murdering anyone. Not on her watch. She wasn’t there to save her family, but she would save this man no matter what.
It is always satisfying when you find a perfect match. It took a little while for Lorraine to be fully realized as a heroine. It took the perfect lifemate who needed her and only her. It had to be Lorraine for Andor. And I think she was totally worth the wait.
(Exclusives, Sneak Peeks, Discussions and more) -
But, until I found the right lifemate for her she had to stay in the background.
As I began Dark Sentinel I knew the hero would be one of the monastery ancients and realized it would be Andor. Unfortunately, Andor was at the end of his long life and ready to die. That’s when I knew who my heroine was and that her time had finally come. Lorraine Peters was absolutely the only person who could save Andor. Not just because she was his lifemate, but because of her life experiences and who she was as a person. It couldn’t be anyone else.
Lorraine came from a family of fighters. They trained daily. She was disciplined and fast. She was strategic and level-headed. She was brought up that way and it became a natural part of her. And, like most of the women who become lifemates, they are born with light and love in them. Lorraine loved her family. She was loyal and dependable. And even though her brother struggled with anger issues, she showered him with love and encouraged him to be good.
So, you can see how Lorraine would be a wonderful lifemate to any Carpathian male. Strong, yet loving. Loyal and accepting. But, I needed someone who would, in a split second, decide to help a stranger who was being attacked by murderers, even though she was all alone. It had to be someone who wouldn’t run for help because the odds were so astronomically against her. Something in her had to be so infuriated at what was happening that she would give her own life to stop it.
Years ago, there was a terrible crime that happened around the area in which I live. A local family had a son who was mentally ill and had anger issues. They had asked for help from the medical community. They’d even asked for help from law enforcement. No one helped them. One day their son lost control and killed several people from another local family and then was shot and killed by police.
Of course everyone was devastated by the tragic loss. There was such an outpouring of grief and support for the family who’d lost their loved ones. The victims were good people and now their family had to deal with their loss. As the community talked about what happened it occurred to me that the family of the boy who was the murderer also lost a child. They were also victims. No one talked about them. I wondered what it was like to be the family members of the killer. These were good people who had tried everything they could think of to get help and who had told law enforcement they were afraid something terrible would happen, but they were left on their own to manage their adult son. Did they feel alone? Did they feel guilt? Weren’t they just as devastated? These were the questions I thought of as I created Lorraine Peters. This scenario happened to her and everyone she loved was involved in this single event.
The stigma of what happened left Lorraine friendless and utterly alone in the world. She was the woman whose brother was a murderer. After some time she realized she had to get away and find herself again. So, she decided she’d go camping out where no one would know her secret guilt and shame. She wanted to find a way back to who she was. And the perfect opportunity for that opened up in that moment when she saw several men torturing and about to murder an unarmed, beaten, bleeding man who had no fight left in him.
Lorraine saw her chance to stop a murder. Those men were not going to get away with murdering anyone. Not on her watch. She wasn’t there to save her family, but she would save this man no matter what.
It is always satisfying when you find a perfect match. It took a little while for Lorraine to be fully realized as a heroine. It took the perfect lifemate who needed her and only her. It had to be Lorraine for Andor. And I think she was totally worth the wait.
(Exclusives, Sneak Peeks, Discussions and more) -
Brothers: Isai, Iulian and the Ancients
How important is brotherhood? Do men form bonds outside of the family that are as strong as any “sisterhood�?
For Isai Florea this is something he has to face in . While he tried to keep himself from becoming a monster, sequestering himself at the monastery, his brother Iulian was faced with hardship and challenges of his own. Something Isai would be surprised when his brother’s story is revealed.
I come from a very big family. I have ten sisters and three brothers. I love them all. I learned early on that sisterhood was as essential as breathing for me. My sisters, both biological and my sisters of the heart, are incredibly important to me and I appreciate them all.
Recently, my brothers Matt and Phil came to visit for a few days. I love them so much and we had such a good visit. Getting together with my brothers seems to bring out the “kid� in them so there was a lot of teasing and laughter and rolling-of-the-eyes. Brothers are every bit as important as sisters and watching my brothers together always reminds me of how important a strong brotherhood is.
Most readers recognize the “sisterhood� of the Drakes, Sisters of the Heart, GhostWalkers and other female friendships that happen through all of my series. But, I feel I have a strong “brotherhood� throughout my many series as well. The Carpathian ancients, , Prakenskii brothers, , there’s brotherhood there. Even the , who are often solitary, they found a way to work together as a team.
Isai found brotherhood with the other Carpathians at the monastery. They were all there for the same reason. They all felt honor-bound to protect humanity from themselves. They wanted to hold on to life, hoping their lifemate would be in the world. They had to watch over each other to ensure no one turned vampire. They shared blood. They had a promise to their lifemate carved into their skin. Once they found out that human women could be lifemates and they would need to go out in the world to look for theirs, they knew they could come to need each other out in the modern world.
But, these are ancient warriors who know nothing of modern women. The rules of today are not only unknown to them, but some are completely unacceptable to them. When Isai finds Julija there’s a clash that becomes nearly devastating for them both. Isai makes a decision to return to the monastery. But first, he would fight the evil mages Julija is trying to escape. Often you must call upon your brothers for help. But sometimes, only love will save you.
(Exclusives, Sneak Peeks, Discussions and more) -
For Isai Florea this is something he has to face in . While he tried to keep himself from becoming a monster, sequestering himself at the monastery, his brother Iulian was faced with hardship and challenges of his own. Something Isai would be surprised when his brother’s story is revealed.
I come from a very big family. I have ten sisters and three brothers. I love them all. I learned early on that sisterhood was as essential as breathing for me. My sisters, both biological and my sisters of the heart, are incredibly important to me and I appreciate them all.
Recently, my brothers Matt and Phil came to visit for a few days. I love them so much and we had such a good visit. Getting together with my brothers seems to bring out the “kid� in them so there was a lot of teasing and laughter and rolling-of-the-eyes. Brothers are every bit as important as sisters and watching my brothers together always reminds me of how important a strong brotherhood is.
Most readers recognize the “sisterhood� of the Drakes, Sisters of the Heart, GhostWalkers and other female friendships that happen through all of my series. But, I feel I have a strong “brotherhood� throughout my many series as well. The Carpathian ancients, , Prakenskii brothers, , there’s brotherhood there. Even the , who are often solitary, they found a way to work together as a team.
Isai found brotherhood with the other Carpathians at the monastery. They were all there for the same reason. They all felt honor-bound to protect humanity from themselves. They wanted to hold on to life, hoping their lifemate would be in the world. They had to watch over each other to ensure no one turned vampire. They shared blood. They had a promise to their lifemate carved into their skin. Once they found out that human women could be lifemates and they would need to go out in the world to look for theirs, they knew they could come to need each other out in the modern world.
But, these are ancient warriors who know nothing of modern women. The rules of today are not only unknown to them, but some are completely unacceptable to them. When Isai finds Julija there’s a clash that becomes nearly devastating for them both. Isai makes a decision to return to the monastery. But first, he would fight the evil mages Julija is trying to escape. Often you must call upon your brothers for help. But sometimes, only love will save you.
(Exclusives, Sneak Peeks, Discussions and more) -
The Making of the Dark Melody Trailer
I thought we could celebrate the release of the new cover for by taking a trip back to 2003 together. COS Productions who created the book trailers for Dark Melody did a “behind the scenes� articles many years ago. The article is no longer available, but they sent it to me to use in order to celebrate the re-issue and beautiful new cover for Dark Melody. I hope you enjoy it!
The Making of the in 2003
(Use with permission) by
For those of you who read Christine Feehan’s this is going to rock your world! Dark Melody is much different than the other Dark books and as a fan myself, I have to say that this is my personal favorite. I couldn’t stop thinking about it even after I finished reading it.
The book meant so much to me after reading it that the teaser scheduled to be shot July 21st became a full blown . It was so hard to choose the scenes that would adequately share with all of the other Dark Series fans what this book promises to be. All the elements that we’ve all grown to love about this series are there, but there’s more. There is something in this that will touch your soul.
Finding the right actors was not an easy task. We needed someone who could adequately portray the sweetness of Corrine, and Terese Aiello was perfect for the part. In one scene, Corrine lays on a table dying with a helpless Dayan looking on. When she called out his name I got goose bumps. By the end of the scene I had teary-eyed crew and a scene that was worthy of this wonderful book.
This book brings back some beloved characters and the part of Gregori is played by actor Mark Alexander. Although not exactly matching the description of the original Gregori, Mark had an essence that was Gregori that transcended onto to film. Mark was great! Once we started talking about the scene and what was happening to his good friend “Dayan� and Dayan’s lifemate, Mark got so involved in the story he wanted to know why Gregori couldn’t just “save her� or “bring her over� himself. Mark hadn’t read any of the books, but I would be willing to bet that he has by now. He loved the fact that he was playing a beloved Carpathian and took the responsibility of his role very seriously.
The hardest role to fill was that of our hero, Dayan. We needed someone who could be a rock star, look lost and forlorn, and convince us that he had just found the love of his life and would be willing to die or her. We held two auditions looking for the right person. In the end, we found him…sitting next to me at the audition table. Circle of Seven Productions own . Isaac, as many of you know, played Aden in The Gemini Keys and will play Aden again in the upcoming release of The Brethren this fall. Isaac is also the Artistic Director of Circle of Seven Productions and many of you have met him at the various book conventions over the last few months. Isaac was introduced to Christine’s Dark Series when he joined us and saw Dark Symphony. He met and became friends with Mrs. Feehan, learning a great deal about the Carpathians and lifemates. Playing Dayan was very personal for Isaac and he really put himself into the character. Not only did he want to do this for Christine Feehan, but he wanted the fans to really feel and see the kind of love and longing the Carpathians are capable of. And let me tell you…he delivered!
The day was going to be a long one. We had a band, three actors, a full crew and enough extras to make the tavern scene look believable. Thanks to the Feehan family and many of the wonderful people of Lake and Mendocino County, we got our crowd and the filming began.
The band that Dayan plays with, in the book, is a local band that he jams with. We wanted to have music that would be unique and we found a band with a very original sound � Modalities. This band has a sound that is hard to describe, but great to hear. They are a cross between rock, world music, and hip hop. The band plays two songs during the trailer and is currently writing a song just for Dark Melody. The music will be made available soon. All the music in Dark Melody is original music by Modalities.
As a special treat, Christine makes a cameo appearance in the trailer. You may recognize other people as well if you look hard. Screen play writer and director, Sheila Clover English, Dark Symphony’s Antoinetta - Domini Stottsberry, Shadow Game stars Jen Miller and Jay Henderson all make guest appearances in the trailer. You may also recognize Circle of Seven “Behind the Scenes� cameraman, Jacob Henderson and Feehan family members, Denise Feehan and Brian Feehan. It was so much fun to have so many people come back to participate in such a big production. It was like a family reunion! Or…a Carpathian one…like the book.
Isaac had to learn to play the guitar in less than an hour, so our band consultant, Wayne Miller, gave him a quick lesson. No, he didn’t really play, but he learned where to place his hands.
The band played a few songs to warm everyone up and it was like a great big party!
