P.M. Amaras and Paul Driggere
United States
Paula and Paul have written together for over 25 years, Usually for other people and not themselves. They have contributed over 400 magazine articles, short stories, blogs, teleplays, and scripts, along with seven non-fiction books. „Shadows in Light” is their first joint effort in fiction. Please follow their website at https://www.scribesunlimited.com
Sexy and dark, glimmering, and forbidding, their desire transcends worlds. However, a serial killer from Earth-Prime stalks the magical environs of Nysi Afallon. As the body count keeps rising, Maia Anemois, a quiet, reserved, and brilliant would-be-detective from „The E,” is recruited to track the killer menacing the island kingdom. Once there, she matches wits and passions with the cold, calculating investigator, Lord Kai Eurus. As she experiences the wonder, magic, and danger of this hidden world, Maia discovers a more profound link to Nysi Affalon and Kai.
Nysi Afallon is the hub and home for millions of the dispossessed, the exiled, the mixtes, different species, creatures, and peoples. The epicenter and gateway to the hidden rims High tech, sophisticated, and magical, the polis shares more than heritage with its E-cousins. Murders, mayhem, organized crime, gangers, and drugs in the form of toxic, addictive dust, threaten to undermine the glittering, beautiful, and vibrant city-state. Only Caer Justice, under the command of the secret Lord Justice, CID Lord Kai Eurus, his brother Captain Aidan Eurus, Demos Cadwgan, and their SFI’s stand between Nysi Afallon and the chaos that threatens it. Add in Maia Anemois and the place will never be the same.
Through a world of fae, demigods, monsters, and myths, the pair attempt to bring a sadistic killer to justice while fighting to save their own lives in the process. Only the gods know if they can survive.
Romelia: WHAT IS A SIGNIFICANT WAY YOUR BOOK HAS CHANGED SINCE THE FIRST DRAFT?
Paul Driggere: It was rather significant. We went from dealing with first-person perspectives via our main character’s (Maia Anemois’) diary, and decided instead to use multiple third-person perspectives throughout.
Romelia: WHAT PERSPECTIVES OR BELIEFS HAVE YOU CHALLENGED WITH THIS WORK?
Paul Driggere: Anything to do with racism, fascism, and sexism.
Romelia: WHAT INSPIRED THE IDEA FOR YOUR BOOK?
Paul Driggere: It actually started out as a dream Paula had. She dreamed about a scene in which a very handsome man was driving down a dark street, taking her to a crime scene. It stuck with her and the rest is history.
Romelia: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BOOK’S IDEAL READER?
Paul Driggere: A huge fan of fantasy fiction, but still loves the crime and detective story, mixed with some romance and erotica.
Romelia: HOW MUCH RESEARCH DID YOU NEED TO DO FOR YOUR BOOK?
Paul Driggere: Well, we have a lot of knowledge pertaining to fairy tales, mythological stories and whatnot, but we had to revisit crime-scene investigations, as well as researching certain words in other languages, like Welsh or Celtic.
Romelia: HOW IMPORTANT WAS PROFESSIONAL EDITING TO YOUR BOOK’S DEVELOPMENT?
Paul Driggere: We’re professional editors already so of course we are our own worst nightmare editors. J
Romelia: WHAT WAS YOUR HARDEST SCENE TO WRITE, AND WHY?
Paul Driggere: Towards the end, where Maia has to save Kai from the betwixt and between, and the emotions she must suppress. Her instinct is to run, what she normally would do, but in this case she’s stopped, and it saves both her and Kai.
Romelia: WHAT CHARACTERS IN YOUR BOOK ARE MOST SIMILAR TO YOU OR TO PEOPLE YOU KNOW?
Paul Driggere: We would have to say most of the secondary characters from earth, which are very loosely based on various friends and relations. Mostly through personalities and not actions.
Romelia: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK?
Paul Driggere: Eight weeks, give or take. Rewrites took much longer.
Romelia: HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE TITLE FOR YOUR BOOK?
Paul Driggere: We have no idea. We think it just came to us, after we were talking about shadows, and realized Maia was so experienced with them, the title just wrote itself.
Romelia: WOULD YOU AND YOUR MAIN CHARACTER GET ALONG?
Paul Driggere: Yes, very well.
Romelia: IF YOU COULD MEET YOUR CHARACTERS, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM?
Paul Driggere: Fellas, just be patient and we promise that movie deal is in the bag.
Romelia: WHAT IS YOUR WRITING PROCESS LIKE? ARE YOU MORE OF A PLOTTER OR A PANTSER?
Paul Driggere: Normally, we start with ideas, or an idea file we keep, and then flesh those ideas out into a lot of words. Sometimes we outline, but it’s really difficult to stick to them, especially if we come up with better ideas as we go. We DO however love to world-build and in fact we teach world-building to other writers at various conventions.
Romelia: WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR WRITING SPACE TO HELP YOU STAY FOCUSED?
Paul Driggere: Maybe less feline interruptions and phone rings. Being cooped up at home so much, thanks to COVID, has truly made us appreciate how much fun a quiet space could be.
Romelia: IF YOU WERE TO WRITE A SPIN-OFF ABOUT A SIDE CHARACTER, WHICH WOULD YOU PICK?
Paul Driggere: Syon. And there’s also Aidan, who would be a fun detective in his own story.
Romelia: IF YOU COULD SPEND A DAY WITH ANOTHER POPULAR AUTHOR, WHOM WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Paul Driggere: Neil Gaiman, hands down.
Romelia: WHAT IS YOUR SCHEDULE LIKE WHEN YOU’RE WRITING A BOOK?
Paul Driggere: There is none! We write when we want to, not when we have to. We hate having deadlines too.
Romelia: HAVE YOU EVER TRAVELED AS RESEARCH FOR YOUR BOOK?
Paul Driggere: No, but we sure could use a lovely European vacation anyway.
Romelia: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WRITING SNACK OR DRINK?
Paul Driggere: Apples. An apple a day keeps the distractions at bay. Also, Diet Cranberry Ginger-ale.
Romelia: HOW DO YOU CELEBRATE WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR BOOK?
Paul Driggere: We happened to have some sparkling wine left over from a New Year’s Eve gathering, so we used that. J
Romelia: WHAT RISKS HAVE YOU TAKEN WITH YOUR WRITING THAT HAVE PAID OFF?
Paul Driggere: None so far. But if we don’t take the risks, we never know what can happen.
Romelia: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU GOOGLED YOURSELF AND WHAT DID YOU FIND?
Paul Driggere: Paula found someone who owned a fancy restaurant in California, and she had her mother’s name. She also found a cousin who is an artist.
Romelia: WHAT IS YOUR KRYPTONITE AS A WRITER?
Paul Driggere: Power failures. Where we have to go out and charge all the phones and tablets. We hate them.
Romelia: TELL US SOMETHING FUNNY FROM YOUR ADULT LIFE.
Paul Driggere: Well, we think it’s hilarious that over the past 20 years or so, neither of us have really considered anything happening to us to be that funny. Certainly nothing at all in the past 2-3 years or so, due to COVID. It’s been rather sad actually. We suppose it’s difficult to find laughter and humor, but God knows we must keep trying, right?
Romelia: DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN A FEW SENTENCES. TELL US SOMETHING WE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU AND SOMETHING YOU HATE ABOUT THE WORLD.
Paul Driggere: We’ll answer the second part first. We hate that stupidity is not only celebrated on social media, but seems to be encouraged. Just how in the Hell did the human race allow this? To describe us, hmm…we would say we are two writers who have much in common, love to interact, and wish they were behind the cameras of motion pictures.
Book link – “Shadows in Light”
P.M. Amaras and Paul Driggere
216-647-6926/216-201-9299
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