Terrene Davenport - Romance, Suspense and Fear

Terrene Davenport (affectionately called Storm) is a Jersey native with big ambition from day one, she's had the pleasure of traveling to different parts of the world early in life. Every experience has shaped her into who she is today. She's always had a natural talent for writing, winning awards as early as elementary school. Sometimes life deals you lemons and she has done well to make lemonade; the biggest lemon being diagnosed with cancer in 2017, only two months after her second child was born. After a week of being numb and uncertain of the future; she realized one thing for sure, tomorrow is never promised and there is no time like the present! She's doing more than she ever thought possible and it feels great! She enjoys reading, dressing in cosplay, visiting comic cons, and inspiring people whenever possible. More importantly, her favorite thing in the world is spending time with her son and daughter whenever she has some down time.  As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, The Great Balance.Please give us a short introduction to what The Great Balance is about.The Great Balance is the first book in my Angel-Savior Fantasy Adventure Saga and it follows Briellyn Donado, a head strong entrepreneur who deals with her own inner demons, not realizing there are actual demons after her that have been trying to kill her before she fulfills an ancient prophecy. She’s a fashion designer, doing what she loves. But as any good entrepreneur would, she’s ready to scale it up so that she can focus purely on the designing instead of the business as a whole. This brings the handsome angel investor, Eric Windsor, to her attention but with way more than she bargained for when he reveals that her supernatural ability is not only why he needs her, and that it’s what will save the world.This first book is a quick read that throws the reader into the BEYOND world pretty quickly. Be prepared for the flirting, overthinking, the comedic undertone, all wrapped into one fun-filled package.The dynamic between Briellyn and Eric is central to the story. How did you balance the romantic tension with the overarching themes of destiny and good versus evil?It's a maniacal slow burn! Just kidding… well I guess not really. The slow build of their romance is the foundation of the series and is very evident throughout the first two books in particular; it was easy to intertwine them getting to know each other while introducing her to the world beyond ours because of their personalities. She's learning it as the audience is learning it, much like a short television series.Throughout the first book, he is much like her guardian, but understands his role and hers. Eric is also a professional and a warrior, calculated in all that he does. Whereas Briellyn who’s always a professional and never for personal, hasn’t dove into a romance since her last short lived fling. Her love life has never been consistent or forgiving so she decided to hyper focus on what's she has full control over... her businesses. She’s modern and independent, he’s classic and more traditional. But with the fantasy element thrown in, and as she learns about herself, the audience gets to see this relationship and her personality blossom through her eyes, discovering a very tangible magic that feels believable.The interplay between angels, demons, and biblical inspiration adds depth to the story. How did you approach blending religious mythology with modern fantasy elements?I was told when I first started writing that people may shy away due to the religious mythology intertwined with the book. But I’m a firm believer that some of the best stories build on our realities, and it makes these fantasy stories easier to immerse yourself in. Some people may not care for it, but it’s something I love tremendously when reading or watching anything fantasy themed and I know others will too. You can then build on that to create the more fantastical elements. I take themes from all backgrounds of religious mythology and blend it throughout the story, everything from Greek Gods, to Christian ideology, Hinduism, and spirituality, mixed with ancient stories of how the Earth has come to be, then how ALL of them come from one race of people called Empyreans and over time cultures called them different names. Whether they are known as Angels and the Devil or Demigods, or Zeus and Poseidon, these powerful beings are the foundation of the saga that move to the forefront as the story goes on.The book explores profound themes such as fate, deception, and human resilience. What inspired these themes, and how do they connect to your personal experiences?Funny you should ask that. In 2008, I found myself on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific praying for guidance in a bad situation. It was horrible, and for the sake of people's identities, I'll just say the devil was after me. But when I met my now husband on this same miniature landmass you can barely find on a map, both from the east coast of the US, our personalities meshed perfectly, and never mind the fact that I wrote in a journal what my soulmate would look like when I was like thirteen… and my husband matched ALL of those qualities? Fated? Absolutely. And we've now been married fourteen years and have two beautiful children. I believe we all experience moments of fate. And true romance, one that feels like a fairytale where a man can be a gentleman and caring, inspired my main male characters.On the negative end of the spectrum, we experience variations of deception, namely in people we meet who don’t want the best for us. And at the tender age of twenty-seven when I first envisioned the series, I’d had my fair share of devils, deceptors, and users. What I had to do overcome sometimes dangerous situations feels unfathomable and I forget how much appreciation I have for that autopilot resilience. It's something that so many, we go through moments that make us stronger mentally, definitely more than we give ourselves credit for despite the struggle. To still smile and laugh after trauma is truly a blessing, and I wanted to share that through Briellyn’s character.The dual POV structure between Briellyn and Eric adds complexity. What challenges did you encounter in writing from Eric’s perspective?Thinking like a man is not easy!! I studied my husband unintentionally in a lot of ways, memorizing our very natural interactions and appreciation of each other. Trying to write an intimacy scene from a man’s point of view is HARD! And then, make it where a woman would still appreciate it and believe it’s in a man’s head? Or better yet, have a story that is appreciated by both male and female readers that both can appreciate and believe? I’ve rewritten so many scenes. But now Eric as well as a few awesome male characters you’ll get to know, each have their own voice in my head and personalities that come out when writing their POV. That sounds like I’m crazy, I promise you I'm not.Were there any specific scenes or plotlines that were particularly challenging to write or required multiple revisions?Perfect segue question! All the intimate scenes. Yes… this series has multiple spicy scenes but not many in comparison to other ‘romantasy’ books so please don't confuse it. My book really falls firmly under that fantasy umbrella with romance elements. I love the wooing and the dialogue, those were easy. But writing any variation of spice is difficult, if it’s too fast…. It’s anticlimactic. If it’s too long… you forget where you were plot-wise. And then word choice, do you use this word to describe this body part? Yikes! The first spice scene I revised at least twenty times in the first sitting. I also wanted conflict to be believable without issue, so there was some dialogue I went back and fixed after re-reading. But those spicy scenes… boy do they frustrate me!The book has been praised for its unique mix of romance and adventure. What reader feedback has resonated most with you?I remember reading a review from a woman about my age, perhaps a little older, and she said I was the first fantasy/paranormal romance she had ever read. She didn't think that brown skinned women wrote fantasy. It wasn't exactly a popular subject amongst my peers growing up and to this day, some would consider it to be nerdy or weird to like the fantasy genre. But she said she binged the entire series and went to work tired until she reached the end of part one (four books, half a million words) and how she absolutely LOVED it! That motivated me to no end and I will never forget her. One day when this series is being produced and turned into a show, I want to invite her on set for a couple days and just show her what she helped me to accomplish. I wanted to give up publishing publicly because I didn't know how to get traction and I was broke. Plus, witches and vampire were 'in' and angel mythology [adult] fantasy, wasn't.Some reviews mention occasional typos that disrupted the reading flow. How do you view this critique, and how have you addressed it in subsequent works?When I first started writing, I couldn’t afford an editor. I’ve since cleaned up the manuscripts significantly. I love constructive criticism as it allows me to not make the same mistakes. The only way to get better is to keep writing. But I also don’t hold too much stock because some people are EXCEPTIONALLY picky about typos while other will overlook them. I strive to find all of them but it isn’t easy. And certainly isn’t cheap. Most newer authors aren’t made of money and hard to find good ones [editors that is]. Especially knowing how many famous books still have typos as well. I do the best I can with what I have. Editing 140k+ words isn’t a walk in the park, let alone at now a whooping half million. I have a small team that assists now to help me catch the few phrasing/grammar issues.The Great Balance has drawn comparisons to popular paranormal romance novels like Hush, Hush. What do you think sets your book apart?This is the first I’ve heard of the Hush, Hush series, so that’s intriguing! I read the Demigods of San Francisco by KF Breene earlier this year and found several comparisons too. Older FMC, powerful MMC, etc. I’d argue that mine is firmly planted in the adult realm of fantasy romance and can be felt through the characters, due to certain themes of the book and the maturity of my main characters. Briellyn is in her thirties, all the supporting characters are over thirty and only a few characters are younger. She has hardened memories and a painful past. There's no virgin trope or ridiculous notions of love at first sight. And certainly no over confidence with no experience. She accepts her lack of experience in the supernatural realm and has her doubts of validity. She has a realistic view of what she can and can't do. Briellyn also recognizes being attracted to another person and experiences the very real concern of whether they are interested in return, but in mature and funny way. YA fantasy/romances also tend to have a shallower goal, the Beyond Saga has a very lengthy goal that wouldn’t interest many ‘young’ readers. True romance isn’t abusive or cruel, and it’s painted that way in many of the YA fantasies I’ve read lately. The story doesn’t sound anything like the stories you have picked up before. Not one person who has read it has been able to foresee the twists and that adds to the intrigue. A lot of themes will be based on Greek Gods or typical angels as we know it, but because I intertwine those themes and don’t follow the usual rules, my world is unpredictable in many ways. The moment you think something sounds familiar, it won’t be. I pride myself on that. It’s also written much like the pace of a television show.The Great Balance is the first in a five-book saga. How did you plan the arc of the series, and what can readers expect from future installments?The Great Balance is one in eight books actually, with the fifth coming out in April 2025. The series should be completed by 2028 ideally, the last books each being introduced with a party from the story of its predecessor. Starting with the first one in March of 2025, which will be an 18th century style theater party that follows three chapters from book four. At the end of the party, book five’s title and cover will be revealed and the participants will be the first to receive the early release special editions. This will occur again with a scene from book five introducing book six, one from book six that introduces book seven, and the last one introducing book eight. Each experience unique and a great way to immerse yourself into fantasy and make it feel real.Anyway, to answer the question, the entire series plays out in my head daily. It started after my son was born and I know how every book begins and ends, and the overarching plot for each one. Even all the excitement that occurs in between the pages tends to run through my head. I wish I wrote full time, all eight books would be done already! And I have so many stories I’d like to pursue but is my prized jewel. I just love everything about it. It’s a story that’s epic like a comic book, with superheroes, home grown drama that’ll make your jaw drop, it gets darker. The first four are lighthearted in comparison to the last four. And there will be four novellas that will be stand alones that you can explore certain characters more in depth. Add that with the live experiences and I believe this series will be one that will go on to be one of the greats!Has your series led to any unique experiences so far?Fun fact, Henry Cavill actually has a signed copy of one the first versions of my book. And I have a copy with his verified signature in it. I hope to get Chris Pratt to sign that one too because the two of them I always envisioned playing Eric Windsor and Justin Vandegrift respectively. On my journey to get Henry's signature, I met the light hearted and handsome Jason Mamoa and he loved the concept costumes I created for my Empyrean cosplay. At the time Game of Thrones was in its prime and everyone thought they were related. It was so cool to promote my book like that!