What inspired you to become an
author?
What inspired me to become an author was
my desire to provide suitable (female) role models for young women and men, and
to inform them about history whilst entertaining them. I hate passive female
protagonists, especially in fantasy or dystopian fiction – if I can’t see them
as interesting people, why would anyone like them? Why would the hero fall in
love with them? There has to be something more to a character that makes them
real to the reader. Ordinary is fine. Boring and insipid is not.
And I also really wanted to tell the
story of a war in the heavens between the angels. This has always fascinated
me. I liked the idea of including real history with theology and myth, so that
the novel would be didactic and readers could also learn some interesting facts
along the way.
Do you have a specific writing
style?
Not that I know of – though
another author friend of mine suggests that I love using figurative language.
My genre, at the moment, is paranormal romance but I have many ideas I’d like
to explore (and other genres) after I’ve finished this series.
How did you come up with the
title for your latest book?
The title of the books in my
KEEPERS OF GENESIS series are SEED, SCROLL, SWORD, and STONE. The title of the first
novel which is out now was inspired by the plot – it’s the artefact that is
found which triggers a quest to find the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and, in
turn, the Garden of Eden. The second novel (out early next year) is linked to
the other artefact needed to complete the quest. The third is about the need to
find a powerful seraph blade to defeat the villain. And, lastly, the title of
the last novel in the series highlights the return to the Garden of Eden.
Do you title the book first or
wait until after it’s complete?
I titled all the novels first so
that there was a consistency (the sibilance of ‘s’ sounds). I wanted them to be
snappy and short, something that popped (but worried that SEED sounded like a
gardening book, so I added the KEEPERS OF GENESIS part).
What books/authors have
influenced your life?
Some of the books and authors that have influenced my life (in no
particular order): Pride and Prejudice
by Austen (Austen’s satiric bildungsroman combines a harsh criticism of society
and a really unforgettable love story – every girl wants a Darcy); The Alchemist by Coehlo (such a truly
moving book; so spiritually enlightening); In
the Skin of a Lion by Ondaatje (his style of writing and his themes of
class and racial conflict are emotionally stirring); The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (for so many reasons!); The Time Traveler’s Wife by Hiffenegger
(it made me cry – such love and loss); To
Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (life lessons everyone should learn); Life of Pi by Martel (a beautiful
allegory of hope and survival and human nature); and Shakespeare’s plays (especially
the tragedies as they are quite philosophical) … and so many more…
What books are in your to read
pile?
Actually, a lot of books that
readers have recommended for me. Rachel Caine’s The Morganville Vampires series and Jennifer Armentrout’s novels
are some that I’ve been looking into (I’m up to book 5 in The Morganville Vampires series). I’d also like to read Richard
Flanagan’s Booker Prize winning novel. And I’m still waiting for the last book
of Isobelle Carmody’s Obernewtyn
series to be published (can’t wait for that one!).
What is your current “work in
progress” or upcoming projects?
My current “work in progress” is
book three, SWORD, in the KEEPERS OF GENESIS series. Book two, SCROLL, will be
published early next year, and then I’d like to eventually try writing a
futuristic dystopian novel (maybe).
Can you share a little of your
current work with us?
I’m writing book three of the
KEEPERS OF GENESIS series at the moment. SWORD takes up Sage’s story again (the
books alternate narratives between the twin sisters, Sage and Saffron) and
she’s caught between her family and the man she loves (who is an immortal).
It’s complicated by the need to return the SEED to the Garden of Eden, as well
as Sage’s jealousy over St. John’s new work colleague, the beautiful Isabella
Donnatelli. Add to this the need to find a seraph blade to kill the villain and
Sage finds her life more exciting than she wants it to be. Here’s a little
(draft version extract):
St. John
was silent for a long moment, his emerald eyes intensely assessing me across
the inches that separated us. I could sense when his eyes touched upon my
injuries, making the heat creep up my throat and face. Ducking my head slightly
to mask my anxiety and shame, I knew that such a flimsy barrier as the chestnut
curtain of my hair was not going to shield me from his knowing observation.
That green gaze missed nothing – not the red mark upon my cheek, nor the sharp,
deep cut where the blade had sliced the smooth skin at my throat, or even the
tender bruises on my upper arm beneath my uniform – narrowing at the sight of
my blotchy, tear-stained face and puffy, red-rimmed eyes. He exhaled sharply,
his nostrils flaring in repressed emotion.
‘I’m
fine.’ This time I spoke with an assertive tone, hoping to reassure him.
‘You are
not fine. They harmed you,’ he contradicted me. St. John’s normally mellifluous
voice was dead with rage.
Do you have to travel much to do
research for your books?
This is my absolute dream – I
hope one day to be able to do research through my travels. At the moment, I
rely on places I’ve been and that I’m quite familiar with such as London and
Paris, and use Google maps and printed tour guides for everywhere else!
Do you have a song or playlist
(book soundtrack) that you think represents this book?
Absolutely! Taylor Swift’s Love Story; Beyoncé’s Halo;
Ed Sheerhan’s Lego House; Ellie
Goulding’s Burn; Adele’s Turning Tables; Il Divo’s Hero; Michael Penn’s No Myth (Romeo in Black Jeans); Bic
Runga’s Sway; 5SOS’s Amnesia; U2’s With or Without You; Deadmaus’s Strobe;
and lots of classical pieces too.
Keepers of Genesis Series
Volume I
DB Nielsen
Genre: YA PNR/ Urban Fantasy
Publisher: LBLA Digital
ISBN: 1908879181
ASIN: B00K75I06E
Number of pages: 432
Word Count: 160,000
Cover Artist: XLintellect PTY LTD
Book Description:
A powerful, hidden artefact is unearthed and, with its discovery, an ancient conflict is reignited. Seventeen-year-old Sage Woods, the daughter of an eminent archaeologist, uncovers the artefact’s disturbing secret and is placed in terrible danger.
Unwittingly, she has stumbled into an invisible war between two primordial dynasties of a supernatural order – a war in which she has a fateful role to play in a race to control the power of the SEED.
Embroiled in a quest that takes her from the British Museum to the Louvre to the Vatican Secret Archives, Sage realises that her blossoming romance with the mysterious, alluring St. John Rivers is inextricably tied to the artefact.
Up until now, St. John has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Sage is determined to delve deeper to uncover his dark secret and his connection to the SEED.
It is a decision that will have a devastating effect on humankind…
Available at Amazon
Excerpt:
I had no idea
where to begin in my quest, so I decided to simply follow the path of least
resistance, working my way around the exhibition. It was like a jigsaw puzzle;
reconstructing pieces of the past and trying to find the bigger picture. I
didn’t really know what I was looking for, I only hoped that there would be
something, some tablet or bas relief, that would be able to shed some light on
the artefact and, more importantly, on what I’d seen. I would have sworn that I
saw it transform before my eyes in Dad’s office but I didn’t know whether I
should doubt myself now. I’d only seen the artefact for a few moments and yet
it had felt like it was speaking to me, imparting some ancient knowledge. Of
course, I didn’t understand any of it, but I hoped to.
Because I was in
a reverie, I almost missed the piece altogether. It was a tablet not much more
than ten centimetres in length, containing a cuneiform inscription and a unique
map of the Mesopotamian world. The symbols on the tablet were an exact copy of
some of the symbols I’d seen on the artefact though a little more crudely
formed.
The cuneiform
inscription composed the top section of the tablet whilst, underneath it, was a
diagram featuring two concentric circles. The outer circle was surrounded by
triangles at what seemed to be random distances. The inner circle held more
geometric symbols and cuneiforms. A rectangle in the top half of the inner
circle in the centre of the tablet represented Babylon. Assyria, Elam and other
cities were also depicted. The tablet and its inscription were by no means
complete as it had been reassembled from the broken pieces found by
archaeologists. Information was obviously missing but I was elated at finding
anything that could tell me more about the artefact.
It was because I
was so transfixed with my find that I initially failed to notice that I was
being scrutinized from across the room. The first I became aware of it was a
prickling sensation down my back, the hairs on my neck and arms raised giving
me goose bumps. I turned my head round nervously, looking back over my
shoulder.
He stood at a
distance, a young man in his mid-twenties perhaps, taller than average. No mere
accident of lighting, his slightly curly locks, the colour of polished brass,
formed a halo around a face that was much too beautiful to be called handsome.
The only way to describe him was golden. His skin was golden, his hair, which
he wore slightly longer than was fashionable, curling into the nape of his
neck, was golden and I suspected his eye colour was, if not golden, amber like
mine.
When I caught
him staring at me intently, he neither looked away in embarrassment nor did he
pretend to know me. Instead, he continued to assess me with an unblinking,
hypnotic gaze. It was I who broke contact first; flushing with embarrassment, I
dropped my eyes at once.
This can’t be
happening! I thought, feeling panicky. Dragging in a deep breath, my eyes
skittered back to his. He was still staring at me, his indescribably beautiful
face unmoved.
My heart
fluttered in my chest. I didn’t know what to think – was this some random
stalker or had he seen me before around the museum and couldn’t place my face,
seeming familiar to him? No serial killer looked the way he did. He was dressed
immaculately all in black; a pair of black trousers was topped by a fine
woollen black turtleneck. He wore the sleeves rolled up, exposing his
sun-kissed skin. And the black only accentuated the perfection of his face. Of
course, I had no idea what a serial killer looked like, but I was fairly
certain it wasn’t this golden god.
As curious as I
was, I did the only thing that made sense; I ignored him – or pretended to.
Deliberately turning my back on him, I tried to refocus on the tablet in front
of me. But I was merely staring blankly, nothing was registering. It was all so
unreal.
‘It’s not real.’
A low, attractive voice remarked by my side.
I almost jumped
out of my skin, whirling to face the owner of that voice.
‘Sorry if I
startled you.’ He smiled, apologetically. ‘I saw you looking at the map of
ancient Mesopotamia.’ He nodded in the direction of the display case.
I blinked. He
was even more stunningly golden up close. He belonged in a museum – he had the
kind of face and figure that artists used as a model. Statues should have been
made of this man, posing as Apollo, Phaenon or David. I almost envied him his
looks; such beauty on a guy wasn’t fair.
I had been wrong
about the eyes though; they were an impossible jade green flecked with gold and
framed by the longest eyelashes on any guy I’d seen. He was also taller than I
imagined; a good few inches above six feet. All in all, he was quite a package
and way out of my league.
I somehow
regained my scattered wits to stutter, ‘S-s-sorry?’
Great! Now he
was going to think I was an idiot! An idiot with a stutter!
I almost groaned
aloud.
About the Author:
db nielsen was born in British Hong Kong and immigrated to Australia in childhood. db likes to travel the world with family; dividing time between residing in Sydney and visits to the cathedrals, crypts and museums the world over, doing research for new projects. The author is a university lecturer in Linguistics and Semiotics, and continues to teach English Literature and Language whilst writing fiction.
Goodreads: http://goo.gl/tfpbLH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/db_nielsen
Website: https://www.dbnielsen.com/
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