TELL US YOUR BACKSTORY with Athena Daniels

Posted on August 1, 2016 by ausromtoday in Tell Us Your Backstory // 1 Comment

Tell Us Your Backstory with Athena Daniels

Hi, I’m Athena Daniels. *waves* I live on the northern beaches of Perth, Western Australia, where I juggle working full time, bringing up three kids, keeping track of a variety of mischievous pets and… writing.

I have always loved reading, and would rather read than do almost anything else. I remember during a footy match once, the camera zoomed in on someone in the crowd reading a novel during the game. While everyone was laughing and poking fun, I was thinking, that could be me!

Throughout my professional career I have always written non-fiction, but it wasn’t until later in life that I started writing fiction. My debut novel Desperate, a steamy romantic suspense, was published in January 2015. The Seer’s Daughter (Beyond the Grave Series, Book One) was released October 2015 and The Alchemist’s Son (Beyond the Grave Series, Book Two) is scheduled for release in August 2016

My writing style is influenced by my fascination with metaphysics and the paranormal. I have studied Chinese metaphysics (Feng Shui, Four Pillars of Destiny, and I-Ching) for over ten years. I am also an NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) Life Coach and hold certifications in Ericksonian hypnosis, crystal healing, and aromatherapy.

In the beginning, I struggled to find the quality, uninterrupted time required to be able to write creatively. But pursuing my dream meant finding a way. No one hands you time, you have to carve it out for yourself.

My debut novel, Desperate was written during the hours of 4am and 6am. This was, and still is, my time. It’s the window of opportunity I have to be alone with my thoughts and imagination before the demands of two young boys and work responsibilities take over. I do not set an alarm. I don’t need to. Passion (and strong coffee) are louder than any alarm could ever be!

My peaceful writing time ends when one of the boys wakes up. (Of course they know where to find me.) They crawl onto my lap and cuddle while the last remnants of their sleep drains away. I treasure these moments just as much as writing.

I wasn’t always a morning person. When I was working in the oil and gas industry, the letters on my snooze button wore off. But now I’ve found that the peace and solitude of the early hours of the morning are when my thoughts are the purest and untainted by the daily grind.

These days, I am lucky to be able to dedicate extra hours during the daytime for my writing as long as I balance it around the responsibilities of my job. I have discovered that if I get the opportunity to spend that precious time in the morning writing, then it doesn’t matter what dramas happen during the day. I can always escape to the alternative world that is alive and well in my imagination. And now that I have discovered that possibility, I wouldn’t have life any other way.

The Alchemist’s Son
Athena Daniels

A town with a dark secret. A detective digging for the truth. A discovery that will lead to an unthinkable sacrifice…

For one hundred years, a demon has been watching, plotting, waiting…

Cryton is a small town hiding a sinister secret and a sordid past. In his quest to capture the serial killer threatening Sage Matthews, the woman he loves, Detective Sergeant Ethan Blade finds himself embroiled in an ancient prophecy and a cover-up the Australian government is determined to keep buried.

At midnight on the night of the blood moon, the veil between this world and a far darker one will be at its thinnest, unsealing a doorway that should never be opened, allowing the unspeakable to come through and unleash Hell on earth.

Ethan and Sage have run out of time. With the blood moon looming, and armed with only his special operations team, an ancient book of spells, and the help of an inexperienced witch, Ethan uncovers a shocking truth about his own history and who, or what, he really is.

Ethan’s love for Sage may have been his destiny, but will he be able to make the ultimate sacrifice needed to end this struggle between light and dark forever?

Want to keep up-to-date with everything Australian romance? Become an AusRom Today VIP member: