ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DE MODE SEPTEMBER 2023 (VOL. 1) (VOLUME VI, ISSUE XXXIII)
Article Published on: 14th SEP 2023 | www.demodemagazine.com
"MYSTERY: THE CURSE" - BY AUTHOR VESELINA SLAVOVA
“Mystery: The Curse" is the first part of the trilogy about the cursed water. It’s a modern fairy tale about the love of a human girl and a werewolf.
Jane Anderson moves to Lanetown to pursue her dream of working as a doctor at the local hospital. She’s an ordinary girl with big dreams, longing to help people. But after only a week in the city, she realizes that nothing is ordinary there. The legends told by the locals come to life before her eyes and… Soon she meets a blue-eyed man with mysterious, addictive beauty - Dean Smith. She saves him in the hospital and once they’ve met, a strong thrill takes over her heart. It doesn’t take long for her to fall in love with him, especially after she is almost killed in the forest and he’s the only one who can save her. While living in his huge estate, deep in the woods, she realizes that the forest is teeming with horrors, born of the cursed waters, scattered in dozens of springs. The most powerful beast, born of the water’s touch, roams the full moon and threatens to destroy our entire known world. Will Jane survive and save her beast, or will the curse destroy him along with his beloved lady?
The second part of the trilogy is coming soon in 2024.
"Mystery: Fire and Strength" is full of adrenaline and love. Jane is kidnapped and imprisoned in a dungeon by the ghost tribes, deep inside the cursed forest. Will her beast have the strength and time to save her? The darkest mysteries of the woods come to life in the epic sequel to a modern-day fairy tale!
BOOK BLURB
There was a captivating charm in this man. His eyes, entwined with the magic of the forest, invited me to give myself to him in every possible way! Lanetown was the place where I had to fulfill my dream, but the desolate forest captivated me with its astonishing beauty. From my first step here, I felt that something extraordinary was hiding. Then the mysterious handsome man appeared and swallowed my soul in his grip. Now I just have to find out what beast I gave my heart to.
DIRECT LINK TO BUY 'MYSTERY: THE CURSE' IN INDIA - CLICK HERE
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JOURNEY OF THE AUTHOR VESELINA SLAVOVA
Veselina Slavova has always loved reading fantasy books. She likes the immense world of this genre. She also loves writing, so she decided to bring together both her passions and create something memorable that will take her readers to a different, fairytale world. The love story of a human girl and a werewolf was born in her mind quite a long time ago.
She loves the Balkan Mountains. For all Bulgarians, it is a sacred place; and especially for Veselina, it is full of mystery and grandeur.
One autumn evening almost a year ago she was watching the sunset somewhere quite high in the Balkan. The sun was barely visible through the impenetrable fog spreading over the high hills, and she was just standing there thinking about the things that could be hiding in the thick forests of this mystical place. And that's how her protagonist Dean was born. And he’s actually very much like Veselina’s beloved man…Then she very smoothly fitted Jane's character to him.
Veselina always wanted to grab readers. To open for them a whole new world that they could hardly get out of, long after they have closed the book. Because it's not just about love. There are willpower, adrenaline, and hard-to-forget landscapes between the pages. She drew up the story and brought to life the beast of the woods and his beauty who rescued him more than once. She turned their lives into a fairy tale and then it was time to share her book with the whole world!
And thanks to her translators, Ivan Handjiev and Maria Samichkovska, and the girl with magical hands who created the book's story on its cover - the best cover creator I've ever met - Iliana Kirilova, she uploaded the complete book to Amazon.
Then the love story of a human girl and a werewolf captured the hearts of thousands of readers! Veselina hopes it will get to even more and more…
Because that’s her mission – to give the world fairy tales!
OFFICIAL AUTHOR ON AMAZON - www.amazon.in/Veselina-Slavova
FOLLOW THE AUTHOR ON INSTAGRAM.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW OF AUTHOR VESELINA SLAVOVA WITH DE MODE
Q: Congratulations on the release of "Mystery: The Curse: The Cursed Water Trilogy Book 1"! Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind this captivating fantasy tale?
A. Thank you! I was extremely excited and it was a dream come true for me to publish my book. My inspiration was my passion for fantasy, my love for the man next to me, and a beautiful place away from the big city in my country. I gathered passion, love & inspiration together and a really beautiful fairytale was born...
Q: The story revolves around a searing love between a human girl and a werewolf. What drew you to explore this forbidden love theme, and what challenges did you face while developing the characters' relationship?
A. The forbidden love theme will always be a thrill for any reader because it is very close to life. I wanted to highlight it well in the novel and that’s why Jane loves Dean despite his curse. No matter if he could kill her during any of his transformations. The way she saves him is real magic. Just like love itself.
Q: Lanetown, the bewitching setting of the book, sounds intriguing. How did you create this unique and enchanting world, and how important was the location in shaping the narrative?
A. The magical, captivating mountain in the novel is actually a real one – it is part of the majestic Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. I simply adore its beauty and my heart flutters every time I look at it. One day I was just wondering what kind of creatures might be roaming the forests at the foothills, and that’s how the idea of Dean and the beasts was born.
Q: Magic and mystery play significant roles in your book. How did you approach building the magical elements and ensuring they complemented the storyline seamlessly?
A. Being a devoted fan of fantasy literature, I effortlessly crafted the protagonists and magical characters within my novel. Additionally, I dedicated myself to researching accurate information about mystical creatures to infuse authenticity and realism into their portrayal, ensuring a captivating experience for my readers.
Q: Your book promises to leave a mark on the hearts of readers. What emotions or experiences do you hope your readers will take away after immersing themselves in your trilogy?
A. I aspire for a lasting imprint of love, honesty, and courage to reside in their hearts. I want them to contemplate the profound truth that loving someone can be challenging, yet in the midst of today's chaotic world, it remains the most meaningful pursuit. Love alone may not suffice; it demands bravery and determination to endure. This theme is most vividly portrayed when Jane entrusts her life entirely to her beast, fully aware that he could take it, erasing all memory of this, yet she embraces the risk.
Q: The protagonist's infatuation with the mysterious man and the surrounding forest adds a layer of enchantment to the story. Can you share more about the development of the protagonist's character and her journey throughout the trilogy?
A. Jane's way is courage. From an ordinary and quite timid girl, she turns into a strong, courageous woman, literally addicted to the world of magic. The world of the cursed forest captivates her to the point where she can't even imagine returning to her ordinary life again. Even though she is well aware that this world could kill her... Jane's character is developed particularly in the second book, where she is kidnapped by the ghost tribes and imprisoned in a dungeon deep inside the cursed forest. There she must withstand the tortures and succeed to preserve herself until her beast comes to rescue her. If he gets to her in time, at all.
Q: "Mystery: The Curse" promises an unforgettable reading experience. Can you share any specific moments or scenes from the book that you found particularly powerful or poignant?
A. I love the scene when the shrieking pack comes for Jane, but that same night the curse has already turned Dean into a beast. Then she entrusts her life to him, even knowing that he could take it from her without a memory left in his mind. I’m sharing with you a few lines from my favorite scene. "The loud howling from earlier was getting closer. It was calling him. The pack was coming for me and all I could do was trust him. To be left in the clutches of the beast. To entrust him with the most precious thing I had. My life..." From "Mystery: The Curse"
Q: What can readers expect from the upcoming books in The Cursed Water Trilogy? Any hints or teasers you can share about the next chapters in this magical journey?
A. Although I've shared a glimpse earlier, I can assure you that "Mystery: Fire and Strength" is set to be truly extraordinary! Packed with an abundance of adrenaline, love, passion, and intriguing new fantasy characters, the novel will unveil profound secrets while extending the bounds of its mystery even further.