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I first came up with the idea for my GODS OF MIDNIGHT series at the Denver airport. I mean, where else do big ideas hit you? LOL! Actually, I find that when I travel and am tired and in a bit of a fog, I do often have a creative field day. My ideas also springboard off of little nuggets that grow as I keep asking, “What if…”

There I was, getting out of the taxi, and this random thought occurred to me, one that I thought would be a truly hysterical way to begin a novel. I can’t say much because I wound up not using that element in this series, and I hope to work it in somewhere else one day. Anyway, as I ambled through the airport—and right about in the security line—I thought: This woman needs the hero to end all heroes. A legendary warrior, the kind that literally no other soldier could surpass. I started mentally considering the greatest battles of all time… and came up with the Spartans.

I came home, started scrambling notes about the project, then set it aside for about two years because I was so busy with my PARALLEL books. During that time 300 came out, reminding the world at large about the incredible Spartan history, and then when my publisher wanted a new series, I had GODS OF MIDNIGHT to offer. At least in its then baby form, which didn’t have a ton plotted out.

They loved the idea! They bought two untitled novels and I set to work plotting and brainstorming, and one thing I was reminded of was this: Starting a series from the ground up is one of the hardest parts of the whole enterprise. Once you’ve established your world, the rules, the characters, the stories begin to magically unspool.

So, here we are a year and a half later, and RED FIRE publishes on October 7th! I have an excerpt up here: http://deidreknight.com/red_fire_excerpt.html

And we are doing the wildest promotion! The hero of RED FIRE is Spartan warrior Ajax Petrakos who has been searching for a great love who was foretold to him more than a thousand years ago by the Oracle at Delphi. He’s nearly given up hope, is wearied from 2500 years of fighting, but then he hears a rumor: that this human, Shay Angel, is living in the current era.

So we are sending Ajax out in search of her, and you can be part of his quest! All you have to do is email me at Deidre@Deidreknight.com and ask to be added to the mailing list for these 300 Not So Flat Ajaxes (he’s not flat everywhere, you see), and you can join in the fun by taking your picture with him. We are offering tons of prizes, including a grand prize of a Ninetendo Wii and we’ll be announcing much more in the next two weeks. For now, you can visit www.deidreknight.com for some of the details. We hope you’ll help a sexy hero find his greatest love!

I have had a total blast here with you guys this week! I’d love to hear from you, too, and we have a terrific e-group. Just go to the link below to join. Meanwhile, happy reading! Hugs, Deidre Knight