Nectar of the Gods
Mary Bernsen
(Beyond the Gods #1)
Published by: CTP Pulse
Publication date: November 28th 2017
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Romance

Ambrosia has spent her life preparing for the day she would avenge her mother’s death. Working undercover as a prostitute, she draws in the man who took her mother’s life. Not realizing who Ambrosia is, the man admits to her that her mother is actually still alive—and he’s on a quest to finish what he started twenty-three years ago. Desperate to find the mother she’s never met, Ambrosia convinces him to let her help. It’s a partnership of necessity and founded in deception, but Ambrosia is faced with an uncomfortable truth: this man is not the monster she has always envisioned him to be. Worse yet, she finds herself drawn to him…craving his touch. How can she reconcile these intense feelings for the man who shattered her life?
The first novel in the exciting new Beyond the Gods series, Nectar of the Gods is a fantasy romance steeped in Greek Mythology and full of passion that will leave you breathless.

For the first time in ages, I woke up alone. One might think a woman who had spent months sharing her bed with countless strangers would be relieved at the change. I was troubled to find that I was suffocated by the empty space next to me. I only let myself linger in the sheets for a moment before I needed to get away from the feeling of emptiness.

But the disheartening dark cloud chased me as I wrapped myself up in the sheets and paced the room. Catching a glimpse of myself in the full-length mirror hiding in the corner was sobering. My eyes were glassy and hazed. My spirit was missing from them and had been replaced by throbbing red lines left behind by my night of tearful realization.

My newfound weakness was disgusting and terrifying at once. I tried to think back, to find the point where I had first become so desperately lonely. There was a time when I’d been completely indifferent to any company. The love of a man was the last thing I’d wanted, and I had guarded myself fiercely against it. I had always preferred to be alone.

Well, I supposed that was not completely true. When I was a child, I’d longed for the company of others to play with. I dreamed of escaping the prison of lessons and studies. Instead of learning to sharpen swords, I wished with all of my heart for another person my age to play pirates with using pretend ones.

I mourned for the confident, complete woman I had lost so suddenly. When had I become this lost, dejected little girl all over again?

I pointed a critical stare at my reflection. From the day I’d met Perseus, I had seen the savage destruction love had left him with. It was the kind of pain a shield couldn’t protect against. Almost all the men who frequented the tavern wore the same shattered mask, and now, without a choice at all, I wore it, too.

When I sit down to plan a new book, the first thing I have to figure out are my characters.  Their personalities, backgrounds, motivations… and of course, their looks.  Scenes are way easier to write if you have a full image of the person you’re writing about.  Like many writers, I usually imagine a familiar face for comparison sake. Sometimes my heroine is molded after someone I know in real life (quite often my villains are.  Sorry, not sorry!).  Often times, though, specific actors/actresses come to mind.  If any of the Beyond the Gods books were ever turned into movies, this would be my dream cast!

Introducing the heroine in Nectar of the Gods… Ambrosia (aka: Gabrielle Wilde)

And her love interest, Perseus.  Better known as Wilson Bethel

Perseus’s brother and rival, Hercules the brothel owner (William Moseley)

Their well known, chipper sister, Queen Athena ( Sky Fierreira)

They’ve got a tyrant of an uncle who parades around with a trident, King Poseidon (Donald Sutherland)

And of course Poseidon’s concubine turned sorceress Ursula (Mackenzie Foy)

5) Gargoyles.

Yep, these guys are made of stone, but do their hearts have to be? I don’t think so.

4) Jin (a.k.a.: djinn or genies)   

Okay, how is the romance writing community not all over this?  A magical guy can give his love interest anything she desires.  Anything.  So much potential.

3) Harpies

These violent half-breeds of the Greek underworld weren’t always depicted as hideous monsters.  Maybe it’s time to bring back the original version: stunning but deadly.

2) Other shifters

I know, I know, we were going to stay away from the whole shifter thing.  But, there’s an entire animal kingdom just ripe for the picking.  Why do we have to be so stuck on werewolves and bears?  What about… I don’t know, bees?  Less sexy, but I bet it’d be interesting!

1. Ogres/Trolls

Yep.  Shrek was one of my all-time favorite movies, simply because of its originality.  I love ogres; there’s something about their predatory nature that I think would work fantastically well in a romance.

Author Bio:
Mary Bernsen is a southwest Florida native currently living in North Port with her two beautiful children and a third, much larger child that she affectionately calls husband. She is the Amazon Best Selling Author of Healing The Bayou, The Ganga Shift, and Beyond the Gods series.
She also writes young adult romances under her pseudonym, M.E. Rhines.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter