Hello, everyone! Today we have another mythical and amazing author, MarcellaLunaAuthor, whose story was a Fantasy winner in the Amby Awards 2022. 

About the Author: Marcella Luna was an avid bookworm as a child, who has now grown into a book dragon and an aspiring fantasy author. She writes because she hopes that her words can provide someone with solace for a few precious moments, just as reading has done for her. She has many fantasy novels in store for the future, but she's currently focusing on the Ordained Trilogy (of which Heir Arising is the first book). The trilogy is a new adult fantasy saga that follows Valeria Andarta on her quest to save the realm of Asteria. The story involves a host of strong female characters and has a pervading message of female empowerment. It is a tale of overcoming adversities, interspersed with magic, mayhem, mythical creatures, and romance.She's currently in the process of writing book two, titled "Death Incarnate" (the cover and blurb for which have been posted), while simultaneously editing book one. So, chapters for Death Incarnate will only be uploaded once she's completed writing the novel and editing the manuscript for Heir Arising.

About 'Heir Arising': The realm of Asteria has been devoid of magic for centuries. But Valeria Andarta has been having oddly vivid nightmares lately about a battle in which the Fae are wiped out by demon hordes... and in these dreams, she is at the front lines... wielding magic...Valeria was once an arcane scholar, but after her parents were brutally murdered by Nefas demons, she began training to be a member of the Ares battalion—an elite squadron of warriors that protect the Fae Queendom, Somnium. She had been on track to achieve her goal. However, after being plagued by strange nightmares... and an inexplicable incident during the duels when a glyph entered her mind's eye—causing her opponent to be blasted away from her—Valeria's life was plunged into chaos...To add to her growing pile of problems, Prince Elrik witnessed the odd occurrence when she was dueling, and now he is after answers. Try as she may, Valeria can't seem to be rid of the prince and his piercing gaze. He unnerves her with every encounter... but he may be the only one able to assist her in making sense of the mayhem. As Valeria struggles to uncover just what on Asteria is going on with her while trying to prevent Elrik from getting under her skin... tempers flare, sparks fly, and heads roll.

1. What made you start writing on Wattpad? What has been your favorite moment so far on the orange app?

I've always written fantasy stories ever since I was a child. It was a therapeutic, creative outlet and a way for me to unwind. A friend introduced me to Wattpad and prompted me to share my writing, and I took the plunge to upload one of my books and put my words out there for others to read for the first time. Some of my favourite moments on Wattpad involve the wonderful people I've met and friends I've made on this app who have supported me on my writing journey. A definite highlight is when readers who enjoyed my book left encouraging comments.

2. Which mythology and/or legends influenced your story? Why did you choose those?

The tree of life is one of the central mythologies featured in my book, which has origins in various legends globally, including Norse and Celtic mythologies. I've also included mythical creatures inspired by folklore from all around the world, and I've created a few of my own creatures as well. I chose these specific myths and legends because they intrigued me and engaged my imagination.

3. Tell us about the main character of one of your stories. What inspired their creation?

Valeria Andarta is a scholar and bookworm who trained to become a warrior after her parents were murdered by Nefas demons. She is intelligent, witty, and prone to overthinking; but is also courageous, formidable, and a lethal warrior. I created Valeria because I really wanted to write about a strong female protagonist who was not a damsel in distress waiting to be saved, but who was the one doing the rescuing instead.

4. What were some challenges you experienced while writing the story?

Trying to remain focused on one WIP at a time and complete the novel, while suppressing the overwhelming urge to start writing three more series that I have ideas for (which I'm sure many authors can relate to, lol 😂 ). Additionally, it was difficult to find the time to write while juggling all of life's responsibilities and struggling with poor health at times due to fibromyalgia.

5. Do you have a song playlist for writing? Can you share one with us?

I listen to a lot of Ruelle and Neoni. Both artists are great for getting into the right frame of mind for writing fantasy.

6. What is your favorite myth or legend? Why?

There are a ton of them, I don't think it's possible to only pick one. However, I tend to favour those involving triumphant tales of overcoming adversities.

7. What is your favorite mythical creature? Why?

Fae, because their heightened senses, strength, speed, agility etc. as well as their magical abilities makes them formidable and fascinating to me.

8. If you could have the same powers as a creature and/or deity from mythology or legends, what would it be? Why?

I'm going to have to choose one of my own characters, I'd pick Valeria because she is Fae (which I love for all the reasons listed above) and incredibly powerful. She has a host of magical abilities and is able to wield the power of creation and destruction.

9. What is your advice for other writers who want to use mythology in their stories?

Do your research and take notes of important information that you can easily refer to throughout your writing process. Read other books featuring similar tropes for a better understanding of what has already been done. Make sure to be original, you can incorporate aspects from various mythologies and folklore but remember to put your own spin on things and adapt them to fit harmoniously into your own unique story.

That's it for the month, it was fun getting to know about MarcellaLunaAuthor. You can check her stories featured in our reading list as well as her other works.

Until next time!