May Author News + FREE Urban Fantasy Books
Happy Birthday, Cassie and Evan
May is a big birthday month for the Cassie Scot series as both Cassie and Evan were born in May.
Cassandra Morgan Ursula Margaret Scot was born on May 18, 1989.
Evan Warren Blackwood was born on May 17, 1989.
What's in a Character's Age?
Age alone cannot define a character, but it is a telling detail. None of us are now exactly the same person we were ten years ago. The change goes a little differently for each of us, depending upon our personal experiences, but it's always there. This truth makes the concept of age particularly important for writers of dynamic characters.
In terms of the romance, too, I had to think carefully about stage of life, emotional development, and even balance of power. Evan is exactly one day older than Cassie, and despite his superior magical strength and overprotective attitude, he is her equal. This idea was very important to me, which is why I decided to make them almost exactly the same age. This fact came in handy when I decided...other things I won't spoil for those who haven't read the second book...but originally, the choice was purely symbolic.
I didn't choose their ages (21 during the books) by accident. (For those of you doing the math, yes, this series takes place in 2010. If you check a calendar for that year, the days of the week will match perfectly, as will the dates of the moon cycles.) I easily gravitated towards the early 20s because, peering into my youth from the advanced age of 31 (my age when I came up with the idea), I recalled the early 20s as a time when I learned a lot about myself, and truly discovered who I was. In books, I see a lot of this happening in the teenage years, a trend that goes hand-in-hand, perhaps, with our culture's current love of YA (young adult). But my teenage years left me feeling broken and confused. My early 20s were full of far more new experiences and opportunities for growth.
I might have gone with 23 or 24 (that was my first inclination), but then I hit on the idea of having Cassie be the oldest of 7 children, each spaced 3 years apart, and of having her mom be pregnant again. When I wheeled out the math on that, it came to … 21 (more or less). And once I determined her age, I set out to make her act it (for better or worse :) ).
May Giveaway
This month, I’m giving away Cassie Scot #1 as part of a free urban fantasy giveaway – 74 titles for you to download, enjoy, and maybe find your next favorite author!
Author’s Corner
Right now, I’m working on a novella as a palate cleanser between novel drafts. The novella, tentatively entitled The Cure, is a paranormal romantic suspense featuring two lab-grown werewolves, one of whom initially wants to work with his captors, one of whom wants to escape. This story is technically set in the Cassie Scot universe – if you’ve read Madison’s Song, you might remember that the army has been experimenting on werewolves – but no characters from the Cassie Scot books appear in the novella. It is 100% stand-alone.
Thank you for supporting me. Don’t forget to take a moment to rate and review my books to help other readers find them.
Best,
Christine Amsden
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