What if
Written by S. J. Day
In January, Tor will rerelease #1 New York Times bestselling author Sylvia Day’s Marked series, first published in 2009 under the name S.J. Day. Here, the author asks the “What ifs?” in this sexy urban fantasy series.
That’s the core question that sparks story premises. In the case of the Marked series, that simple question blossomed into hundreds more. The end result is a heroine and world that continually surprise and delight me.
What if an ordinary person was suddenly sucked into a heretofore unknown preternatural underground? What if she was completely mortal, with no fangs or claws or magical tricks? What if she had a close family unit, a great job, and an upscale condo on the beach in Orange County, CA — all of which would be jeopardized by her new circumstances? What if she wasn’t trained in combat techniques, was terrible with knives, and was clueless about the skills of her new supernatural enemies? What if everything was stacked against her—she’s an agnostic forced to work for God, a woman mentored by two on-again-off-again lovers, and a newbie with a big target stuck to her back because she’s important to important people?
The what ifs also encouraged me to explore different perspectives on familiar Biblical stories. What if Cain wasn’t a villain? What if Abel wasn’t a saint? What if the archangels are as famous and powerful in their mortal guises as they are in their celestial lives? The more I researched, the more it all fell into place. Some projects seem to take on a life of their own and the Marked series definitely did that for me.
The books were so much fun to write. The process was an experience unlike anything I’ve known before. Although Evangeline Hollis is an ordinary person in an extraordinary world, she is a force to be reckoned with because she makes her liabilities work as strengths—for instance, her agnosticism gives her a unique perspective. As a writer who considers herself more of a narrator than a creator, I have been amazed by her resourcefulness in getting out of the amazing amount of trouble she runs into. She manages to come out on top every time using mulish determination and keen intelligence. It’s easy for me to say that Eve is one of my favorites out of all my heroines.
So now it’s your turn to answer a question. What if you picked up Eve of Darkness on your next trip to the bookstore? Would you enjoy Eve’s adventures as much as I enjoyed writing them? I’d love for you to stop by my website and let me know!
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From the Tor/Forge December newsletter. Sign up to receive our newsletter via email.
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More from the December Tor/Forge newsletter:
- The Toughest Part of Writing Cold City by F. Paul Wilson
- A Letter from Harry Ransom by Felix Gilman
- Crying Bully by J. A. Souders
- Big Fat Books for the Holidays Sweepstakes
