Thursday, June 14, 2012

Guest Post & Giveaway with author Priya Arids

Locations, Locations, Locations 
(of My Merlin) 

The setting makes the story. One of the cool things about writing an epic story that is set in today’s world is the opportunity to include all the wonderful places that surround us. You’ve probably seen them on TV and may have been lucky to visit some. As the world becomes increasingly virtual, I found I was starting to forget what actually walking in these various places felt like.

So in My Merlin you have a chance to step into Ryan’s shoes and explore them with her. Here are a few that I have a connection to which make up a big piece of the My Merlin story.

Concord, Massachusetts – The birthplace of the American Revolution. “The shot heard around the world.” Why does My Merlin start off here? I thought it fitting that if the world should be turned-upside, the origins should be here. Concord (a town just outside Boston) has a wonderful flavor of American history and its rebellious spirit. One of the places I toured years ago was the House of Seven Gables. I always wanted an excuse to put this truly haunted house into a story. In Book 2, My Merlin Awakening, I got the chance.

Glastonbury, England – In Book 1, My Boyfriend Merlin, we spend a good deal of time in this place that evokes images of ruined castles, rolling hills, and all things Arthur. (I was that gaping tourist trying to hang my head out of the tour bus as we went through Wales.) It seemed a fitting palace to put the seat of the Wizard Council. Plus, it’s a truth universally acknowledged that all badass wizards must be British (Thank you, JKR) and the perfect place to meet up with some fang-bearing gargoyles.


Athens, Greece – In Book 2, My Merlin Awakening, I expanded the tableaux to include Athens and the Island of Santorini. I went to Greece when I was about fifteen. I’ve always been in love with Greek mythology but when I went there I was overwhelmed—the hills of Athens at lit up at night, the Parthenon and its surrounding park in the middle of the city, the museums, the food, the narrow alleys with high lofts and balconies, and the night clubs (that I wasn’t allowed to go into but wanted to). Then, the islands were even more gorgeous—the crystal clear blue-green of the Mediterranean, archeological sites, and, of course, there are the beaches. A place of great knowledge matched with equal amounts of bloody mythos made this the perfect setting for the darker story sea-centric of My Merlin Awakening.

So, what’s next? In Book 3, Ever My Merlin, you can be sure the locations will be just as colorful!

Want more Merlin? Watch the “If you can’t trust your boyfriend, who can you trust?”



My Boyfriend Merlin, Book 1, is available through most major book retailers. My Merlin Awakening, Book 2, is now available in limited release at Barnes and Noble. It will be out in full release in mid-June 2012. Ever My Merlin, Book 3, will be available in late 2012. Add it to-read on Goodreads.


Read Reviews and Excerpts at:
Author Website: http://www.priyaardis.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Boyfriend-Arthurian-Paranormal-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B006C58CMA B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-boyfriend-merlin-priya-ardis/1107712999
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/priyaardis



a Rafflecopter giveaway


About the Author:

Priya Ardis loves books of all kinds—but especially the gooey ones that make your nose leak and let your latte go cold. She started her first book at sixteen, writing in notebooks on long train rides in India. 

When not living in her character's world, she might be found at the local coffee shop—her nose buried in a book. A hopeless romantic, she is a longtime member of the Romance Writer’s of America. 

Links: Website: http://www.priyaardis.com

The Merlin, YA Books, and More Blog: http://merlinblogs.priyaardis.com 



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