Denise Lynn moves from writing medieval romances for Harlequin Historical to the world of paranormal romance this month with her first Silhouette Nocturne, Dragon’s Lair. Learn more about the wizards, magic dragons, and — of course — love that fill this magical story in Denise’s guest-post!
by Denise Lynn, author of Dragon’s Lair
Hi. Thanks for having me here to chat/blog about my February Nocturne release Dragon’s Lair. I’m happy to be here.
I don’t know about you, but I love family heirlooms. Things like pieces of great grandma’s china, great grandpa’s sea chest, grandma’s costume jewelry, mom’s knick knacks give me a tangible connection to my past. And old, old books are some of the most interesting heirlooms, especially great grandpa’s old, tattered copy of Alice in Wonderland. I never realized the illustrated story could be so…frightening. Thankfully, nobody ever read me that version of the story. As a child, the pictures alone would have given me nightmares.
But what if the old book was an ancient Druid grimoire handed down through the generations with it’s magic still intact? A medieval illuminated manuscript cursed with spells and riddled with dragons? Now, wouldn’t that make the connection with the past a bit more tangible, albeit dangerous?
What if the jewelry was in truth a talisman, a shiny dragon pendant that came to life beneath its master’s touch? And what if the “master” turned out to be not a wizard in the family, but a mere mortal?
While the hero (Braeden Drake) in Dragon’s Lair is a wizard, the heroine (Alexia Reve-Drake), his estranged wife, isn’t—she’s just a mortal. Yet she’s the only one who can translate the ancient manuscript. Unfortunately for both of them, there’s an immortal wizard after the secrets contained in the grimoire and he’s not going to rest until he has possession of those spells. He’s convinced the spells will give him the power to become the Hierophant, the supreme ruler.
Why wizards and dragons instead of shape-shifters, vampires or werewolves? I was seduced by Disney’s Sword in the Stone at an early age. Ah, kids are so impressionable. Even today, there’s nothing more fascinating to me than wizards, knights, swords, magic, and dragons. I could spend countless months on end researching facts and lore and still not be content. So nothing could be more natural than writing medieval romances for Harlequin Historical and paranormal ones for Nocturne.
In Dragon’s Lair, not only do I get to play with wizards, magic and dragons, but I get to explore the question “Does love really conquer all?” How much can two people forgive? How many missteps can be taken on the road to love before one, or both, simply give up? And if the idea of being apart is too much to fathom, how do you work it out? I love “reunion” type stories and all the problems I get to toss at the poor hero and heroine, just to see what they’ll do.
Could you imagine being a High Druid, a wizard possessing the ability to make her see things your way, yet being unable to use such a spell? The hero swore not to do that to the heroine and will honor that promise until his dying breath. I don’t know if I’d have that much willpower. Patience is not one of my virtues.
There may be a few surprises here and there, but I hope you enjoy Braeden and Alexia’s journey in Dragon’s Lair.
I’m currently working on another medieval for Harlequin Historical, but I hope the stars are aligned correctly and that I’ll soon be working on Cam’s story.
Take care,
Denise Lynn
