Thanks, Carolyn, for your kind introduction and for allowing me to guest on your blog for the day. It was a pleasure to work with you! Y'all I sometimes inundated poor Carolyn with ideas, only to email her back and say, "never mind, it didn't work." Never, not once, did she scream--at least that I know about. ;-) I consider myself lucky to work with someone like her, and we did consult often.

Now before I rattle on forever, I'll talk about my book, number 3 in the Crimson City series.

Thoughts on Through a Crimson Veil

by

Patti O'Shea

Characters can be funny. Just when I think I know who they are, what the underlying theme of their story is, they throw me a curveball. I believed Through a Crimson Veil was about accepting and integrating all parts of one's personality, but while that's certainly a thread, the primary idea Mika and Conor decided to explore was a different question--what is strength? In the book, it's defined in different ways.

The demons of Orcus view strength solely in terms of their powers. Mika grew up in that world. She's from a weak branch of demon, and because she's half human, is considered to be less powerful than the average Mahsei. She believes that she's a weak demon, and is apologetic about it. Yet, she knows she's stronger than vampires or werewolves, and has no fear of these creatures.

Conor is also half human and half demon, but his demon genes come from one of the darkest of the breeds. He's a slayer, not just of vampires and werewolves, but of other demons as well, and he has powers that make him among the most dangerous of his kind. But he views other demons as weak, no matter their branch, because they're overly emotional and they let it control them during a fight. He knows that it's foolish, that only by staying coolheaded can a person win a battle.

But Crimson Veil goes beyond magical strength or even physical strength and looks at emotional strength as well. Mika grew up cocooned in the love of her family—both human and demon—and because of this, she's not afraid to make herself vulnerable. She admits things to Conor that only someone secure could share. These aren't things that slip out, Mika thinks about each of them before speaking—she consciously chooses to risk herself emotionally. But Conor for all his incredible, and deadly power is unable to do the same thing. To be fair, Conor didn't have an easy life. He has good reasons not to trust anyone, and to protect himself after how profoundly he's been hurt.

It's only when Conor learns to trust Mika completely, to reach out past his pain, that he figures out what strength really is. Mika too comes to realize that she is more than her powers. She appreciates that her ability to stand fast, to open her heart, is a different kind of strength, one that she's overlooked for much of her life. Human or demon doesn't matter. Neither does weak or dark. What's important is what's inside.

Of course, since they're in Crimson City, Mika and Conor aren't sitting around, figuring these things out. They're busy fighting assassins and evil demons, and struggling to stay alive as they make discoveries about themselves. I love writing action and adventure, but I also like the emotional growth that these intense moments spur. Sending characters into the fire reveals who they are--not only to the reader, but to the character himself--and when they emerge, they're always stronger than when they entered.

Review Excerpts for Through a Crimson Veil:

~"Paranormal adventure at its ultimate!" - RT BOOKclub Top Pick!

~"Vivid, spellbinding and impossible to put down." - Fresh Fiction

~"Patti O'Shea proves once again why her books are some of the most highly anticipated of the year." - A Romance Review

~"A thrilling and imaginative paranormal fantasy." - Paranormal Romance Writers

Through a Crimson Veil Excerpt

Patti's Web Site

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