Top 10 Things You Don’t Know About DIES IRAE and the Requiem Series
Thanks for inviting me Michelle. I had a blast thinking about ten things readers don’t know about the series. After collaborating with my teen group a bit, I think I finally came up with something:
1. The first book written was actually the novel, LACRIMOSA. The idea for the DIES IRAE came more than a year later, though the premise for it was always in the novel.
2. After DIES IRAE was written, I had to change several things in LACRIMOSA, including reviving a character—one I had cut during the millions of rounds of edits the story had in its early stages.
3. I came up with the name Mikayel after mis-typing Michael on a million emails at work. I seem to naturally type Michael, Micahel. Mikayel was morphed from that.
4. When I was in the early stages of writing LACRIMOSA, it was suggested that I change Azza’s name as it was too close to Aydan, a main character in that book. So, I tried many other names including Belial. BUT…in the end, I had to stick with Azza. Nothing else seemed to fit.
5. Thank goodness my youngest daughter just finished studying Ancient Greece in school. Her notes came in handy during the initial drafting of DIES IRAE. I should probably thank her sixth grade Social Studies teacher for that.
6. My typical Google searches while drafting DIES IRAE included “sword fighting”, “Jinn mythology”, “the anatomy of a cave”, “ancient Greek maps” and “demons”.
7. LACRIMOSA was intended as a stand-alone book until some writer friends—all of my writer friends, actually—suggested that it was really a series. Thank goodness they did. The entire storyline has so much more depth now.
8. The series is built from the structure of a Requiem Mass (thus the series name). Each title comes from a piece of the mass. The specific lyrics that inspired each book are in the books as well.
9. LACRIMOSA and the rest of the series is actually set about 3000 years after DIES IRAE. Amazing how long an angelic feud can last, yes?
10. It took about 20 hours at my favorite Starbucks, and at least 10 sugar-free cinnamon dolce coffee mistos to write the first draft of DIES IRAE. It took at least 20 more mistos to finish revisions. Maybe 30.
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Some sacrifices should never be made—even for love.
Mikayel lives by one rule—obey the orders of the angelic Council at all costs. But when he and his friends, Azza and Demi, are sent to Earth as teenagers, following the rules is more difficult than they expected.
Being human isn’t the only problem facing the three angels. Unbeknownst to the Council, demonic activity is on the rise, threatening to break a tenuous peace that has existed for a millennia.Caught in a struggle for power with unseen demonic forces, and fighting against his rising emotional, Mikayel must now decide how many rules he is willing to break to save his friends, a decision that could reignite an ancient war and will threaten the only thing that matters to the angels, the survival of humanity.
The book trailer can be seen by linking to YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwTQoOFKEZg
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Gaby Pendragon
Good versus evil,a angels and demons! my favorite kind of thing! I so want to read it!
Amber Garcia
love the giveaway!!
Heather
I had no idea you came up with the name Mikayel by mistyping Michael. That’s kind of cool. Thanks Michelle for teaching me things that even I didn’t know about Christine and Dies Irae. Truly great interview!
Nawnee Savage
This sounds like a great new series I can’t wait to read.
searching4princecharming
I love hearing how you came up with the name for the character. How neat!
Denise Z
Thank you for the fun and sharing the link for the trailer. I love trailers 🙂
Brenda Demko
This sounds awesome! Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I can’t wait to read it!
Christine Fonseca
Thanks everyone! I so appreciate the kind words.