A lot of people ask me how do I come up with the stories I write. I get my ideas from so many places. I already shared with you how Death Knows My Name was inspired by the movie Prophecy II. I guess it is time to share what inspired The Reborn series.
About a year and a half ago
[edit: Wow more like closer to 2 years ago!] I use to be a huge blog surfer. My book blog roll was massive. Reviewers, writers, anything book related I was there. One day while I was surfing the
Deadline Dames and they do this meme type thing called ROD ( Readers on Deadline) where they post a picture and us readers get inspired and write a little flash fiction. Well, I did get inspired and my flash fiction (which I did not even enter to the contest) turned into an entirely new animal.
I posted the fiction chapter by chapter on Textnovel.com (was huge into textnovel back then and the story even got editor's choice.) When I came to the end of my flash fiction one devoted reader demanded that it not stopped there. I also did not want to say goodbye to Tara and Dain, so I obliged.
That one ROD picture inspired a whole new world that includes two prequel short stories (both available now on Smashwords.com for free) and 3 novels (coming soon...I hope!)
The opening scene I wrote for the picture that was the initial first thing I wrote for the world, didn't even end up in the final version of Reborn which I am currently editing one last time (I hope. But 1 turns to 3 so quickly.) and then querying. *fingers crossed*
But I am deciding to post the cut prologue below and the picture. Also don't forget to download your copies of Lord of Requited Love and The Life That Ends
here for free!
Forever- By Michelle Monique (click pic for her page)
Deleted Scene
I shouldn't be here. I know I shouldn't, yet, here I am. Sighing heavily I ran my hand through my hair which was a little damp from the sweat on my brow.
“Why are you here Dain?” I murmured to myself. That's right, I am a glutton for punishment. I can't have her. I shouldn't even want her since I had been purged not even a century ago, but I do.
Tara sat under the knotty oak tree, her dress flowering around her like the petals of the prettiest flower on earth. By God she was breathtaking in this light. The moon shined down it’s silver light over her skin and shone off her nutmeg colored hair. The wind blew slightly and tangled in the strands as it tugged at them softly. The stirring of the breezed brought her soft scent to me and I shivered remembering the taste of her mouth and the feel of her skin on my lips and tongue.
I sighed. No, that was another lifetime. Centuries ago. I couldn’t remember that now. Not with the danger it would now bring. We were the reborn they wouldn’t allow us to be together again. Only once and we had already lived that chance.
They had purged us both. Me more than once but unless they purged my soul and replaced my heart it would never last. My love for Tara was branded on my soul and my skin would never forget her touch. Not in this lifetime or my next. Damn-it we had a family together, though I shouldn’t remember them either.
Tara lay back on the grass eyes focused on the stars, mouth set in a soft pillowy pout. Oh to touch those lips once more with mine, to take them gently between my teeth teasingly and sooth away the sting with the tip of my tongue.
But this time they had screwed us. I turned away. Tara was a Fifty-six years old women and I was but a boy at Sixteen years old. Maybe in the next lifetime. I walked away with a longing heart.
