Behind the scenes: Marked by Moonlight

Curious to hear how Mina and Marius end up entangled in another iffy art deal, this time, in London? Read on to learn all about “the making of” Marked by Moonlight, Book 2 in the Château Nocturne series.

THE STORY

Book 1 of this series left a number of threads open, so plotting Book 2, Marked by Moonlight, was very much a case of making sure I tied those together neatly. All I needed to add to the mix was an interesting location and a worthy new masterpiece as a backdrop to Mina and Marius’s evolving love story. Once I decided on those, I could fit together the puzzle pieces of this story — things like showing Mina practicing magic, intensifying the pressures weighing on Marius, deepening the conflict with Clement, upping the threat factor of Henrik, and developing Mina’s resolve to confront Gordon. All of those elements had to hold their own weight in this story AND set the groundwork for some major moments in Books 3, 4, and 5 of this series. That took some tinkering, but they gradually fit together.

With all that in place, I only had to resolve some open details, such as which artwork to showcase in this story. That was easy, since I’ve long been a fan of Franz Marc and knew early on I wanted to use his art in this series. I love the soft, curved lines of his works, the vibrant colors, and his way of using animals as a window into emotions and landscapes. And I’ve always lamented the fact that his stunning painting, The Tower of Blue Horses, was lost in WWII along with many other great masterpieces. So, this was my chance to resurrect it. Too bad this story is fiction…but who knows? Maybe someday, some unsung heroine will help bring that incredible painting to light for us all to enjoy!

THE CHARACTERS

Mina, Marius, and the cast of characters at Château Nocturne were introduced in Book 1, but they all continued to develop throughout this story. I really enjoy their push-pull interactions and banter! As for new characters, I had a hoot working out what kind of people might be interested in a black market deal on a long lost painting. Multimillionaires, obviously! But I also had to work out how each of them had earned their wealth and why they were interested in parting with a huge chunk of it for a single painting. Mr. Lowe often found me chuckling over my notes as I worked out that aspect of the story! The mix of unique, quirky characters helped keep humor in the story and helped maintain a high level of tension due to the way each challenges Mina’s ideals.

That’s very much the overarching theme of this series: holding true to sorely tested ideals, and the difficult real-life trade-offs that must be made when values and hard realities intersect in an imperfect world. I think this is something we can all relate to, even if our paths don’t cross shifters, vampires, or long-lost masterpieces!

ON LOCATION IN PARIS and LONDON

I love traveling, and I often set scenes in interesting new corners of places I’ve visited — in this case, Paris and London. A few years ago, I stayed in a cozy AirBnB along the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris and was fascinated by the mix of grime and glitz of the area. So I chose that as the location for Gordon’s penthouse apartment and for Mina and Marius’s out-of-the-way meeting by the boat basin at the end of the canal. Having been there personally helps me capture the atmosphere of a place in writing for readers, and it’s always fun to mix real life with my imagination!

Similarly, London was fresh in my mind after a recent visit for the RARE London book signing event. It’s also a believable place for a painting like The Tower of Blue Horses to turn up. During that trip, I took a very long walk on my way to meet a friend (shout out to Tracey - Hi, Tracey!) at The Orangery restaurant in Kensington Gardens. I spent part of that time eyeing the upscale neighborhood around there, which I ultimately used as the setting for Anastasia’s townhouse.

I also enjoyed taking the Über Boat (ferry service) along the Thames, which inspired Mina’s own nighttime journey across the river. Another way I “borrowed” from real life was the Belgravia AirBnB one particularly spicy scene is set in. It’s 100% based on the place I stayed during my trip to London. (A solo trip, sadly, so not quite as…er, active as Mina’s stay there!)

Yet another discovery I recently made was the pedestrian tunnel under the Thames at Greenwich. I’d gone there to see the Cutty Sark and retrace the steps of a family trip when I was young (hence Mina’s recollection of a similar moment). But way back then, I hadn’t noticed the tunnel, so it was fun to descend the stairs and walk under the Thames on this recent visit. Lucky for me, there were no vampires in hot pursuit — but it was easy for my imagination to set a culminating scene in that dim, claustrophobic space!

MY FAVORITE SCENE

My favorite scene is Chapter 11, when Marius and Mina meet Anastasia and see the masterpiece she’s secretly owned for years. I can easily imagine that sense of anticipation and the thrill of a great discovery!

I also love the scene where Mina stands up to Gordon, and the clever way she wrings a huge concession out of him. A final favorite is the scene in which Mina, Bene, and Roux come up with the idea of painting each room of the château in the style of a different artist. Wouldn’t it be amazing to paint or stay in a place like that?

How about you? What’s your favorite scene?

BIGGEST CHANGE from early drafts to final edition

This story didn’t change that much as I wrote it, but figuring out some details took me a long time and therefore complicated the writing process. For example, who exactly the villains were and why, and how different motives brought them together. On the whole, however, this was one of those rare stories where I didn’t make a huge change from early drafts to final edition. Whew!

So, that’s it — the “making of” story of the evolution of Marked by Moonlight! I hope you enjoyed this peek behind the scenes and that you’ll go on to read Touched by Magic, Book 3 in the Château Nocturne series. Happy reading!