We had so much fun with the Enchanted trilogy that we couldn’t let it go! The three stories in each book are a mix of magic and romance by three different authors.
This month’s spotlight delves into Destiny’s Dark Light by Sara Dobie Bauer. The story of Cyan, Liam, and their attempt to stop a magical war is spread over the trilogy.
Today, Sara tells us how this story came to be.
“Destiny’s Dark Light:” The Birth of a Novel
By Sara Dobie Bauer
In February of 2016, my pal Cori, publisher and editor of Pen and Kink Publishing, asked me to be part of a three novella series that would feature two other authors. The only caveat: feature magic and romance.
I started writing my addition to the trilogy in April of 2016. I wish I could tell you where the inspiration came from for “Destiny’s Dark Light”—but I honestly can’t. See, that’s the thing about birthing a novel. You give birth and then, for about a year, you never think about that novel again. This is the antithesis of good parenting … and this is my life.
I completed the first draft of “Destiny’s Dark Light” in June of 2016. The first part of the series hit bookshelves January of 2018. What in the heck did I do in the meantime? Well, lots of stuff, but what about my characters? Were Liam and Cyan left languishing in the Charleston mud? Not necessarily.
There are preliminary edits, followed by rewrites, followed by line edits and proofreading. There is cover design and review copies and initial promoting and Big Time Promoting as release date approaches. Then, the book springs forth, fully formed, despite having been neglected by the author for several months. Nothing moves quickly in the publishing world.
When I reread “Destiny’s Dark Light,” parts one through three, I felt like I was meeting up with old friends. I was back in Charleston, South Carolina, again. I was drinking martinis at Charleston Grill and eating seafood along the famed Battery. Most importantly, I was doing magic and watching two people fall in love.
After I birth a new project, I relax—until I start writing the next project and the next. That’s the thing about being an author: you can’t write one novel and rest on your royalties forever. A first novel might be successful. (I’m blessed that mine was.) However, we must continue creating or risk going mad.
It’s been over two years since “Destiny’s Dark Light” glowed and grew to flame in my imagination. Now, its three parts are free and flying. Witches throw fire in the Lowcountry streets, and a handsome Irishman fights his feelings for a fiery blonde enchantress. I feel so lucky that Liam and Cyan chose me as their parent—and luckier still to have had such an amazing ride with my sisters-in-magic Cori, Em, and Wendy. Blessed be.
Sara Dobie Bauer is a bestselling, award-winning author, model, and mental health advocate with a creative writing degree from Ohio University. Her short story, “Don’t Ball the Boss,” inspired by her shameless crush on Benedict Cumberbatch, was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She lives with her hottie husband and two precious pups in Northeast Ohio, although she’d really like to live in a Tim Burton film. She is author of the paranormal rom-com Bite Somebody series from World Weaver Press, among other ridiculously entertaining things. Learn more at http://SaraDobieBauer.com.
