The Morning Star

by Tania Penn

The Morning Star Series, Book One

Book Description

Being the daughter of Lucifer keeps seventeen year old Dawn Belial busy. For almost her entire lifetime, she has been trying to think of a way to free her Archangel mother, Michaela, whom her father has held captive for centuries. She’s also attending high school – balancing trigonometry, history, and recruiting souls for her father along with her wicked half-sister, Venus.

There has been no time for love until she meets mysterious Gabriel, a British exchange student. As they fall in love against their will, she discovers a startling secret about him, and a shocking connection to her mother that changes everything.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m a wife and mom to a deliciously adorable six year old spazmatic son. I live in the Pacific Northwest and am addicted to kayaking, snowboarding, hiking, travelling, watching The Walking Dead, fine wines and all-around merriment! I occasional, when hiking in the Olympics, search for Bigfoot, and still have yet to see that other elusive Washington creature known as the “Orca.” In my previous life I was a police and fire dispatcher, fitness trainer, singer/songwriter/musician and small business owner. I’m a Jackie of all trades, master of none! I’m also quite the shameless one and have no problem making a complete ass out of myself!
2. What made you become a writer?
I think I came out of the womb with a pen and pencil, because since I can remember, I have always created stories. It started out as picture books and cartoons, then by the time I was in eighth grade, I started writing novellas. That graduated to one full on Judy Blume-esque novel that is collecting dust somewhere safe and will never, ever, like ever, see the light of day. Like, ever. There’s a greater chance of finding Jimmy Hoffa’s body then ever seeing that novel! (Did I just date myself there a bit with the Jimmy Hoffa bit?) In college, I also wrote a couple of screenplays for a screenwriting class. And in my previous musician life, while fronting my band, I was the songwriter as well, something I still love to create and do in my spare (when I can find it!) time.
3. Who or what gives you inspiration?
It can be the most random, unrelated thing! I can be watching TV, or listening to the radio, and from just one word, one word, an entire novel idea will come to me! The other half come from my martini induced dreams. Those are usually the sci-fi and thriller ideas!
4. Tell us about The Morning Star.
It was a project that had been brewing in my mind since 2005. I wanted to write a story about Lucifer as a father, and someone who was misunderstood. Since he was created out of love, was the beautiful angel, I reckoned that there still had to be goodness inside of him still, and didn’t want to depict him as this wicked, evil, red and scaly horned demonic entity. I wanted to make it a little lighthearted, so I sat on it for a while. What was his motivation? Why is he so bitter and sad? My original concept was just about Lucifer and it being a love story with Michaela. Then I dwelled on it some more, and thought it to be more appropriate for it to be a love story involving one of his daughters.
I thought about the daughters, and originally the were named Venus and Serena — Venus being Dawn now, and Serena was Venus. Then it hit me, hmmm, wait that won’t work, those are the tennis playing sisters! It was originally a love story between Dawn and Ramiel the archangel, but I wanted to add some more depth with Ramiel being Michaela’s true love, hence the reason for Lucifer’s feelings of betrayal, compounding that with Dawn being in love with Ramiel’s son. Also, with Dawn being portrayed as a teenage girl, Ramiel just seemed a bit….older for her.
5. What is the hardest part of being a writer?
Even though I’m not ADD, I have ADD tendenc……squirrel! Oh, sorry, as I was saying, I sometimes have a hard time focusing on what is in front of me. I’ll really, truly want to write but just get distracted sometimes by irrelevant things!
6. What do you need around you to write (special drink, lucky items, etc.?)
Absolute and complete silence, with the exception of my “soundtrack”! Luckily we live in the woods, so I get plenty of that, with the occasional exception of yapping coyotes, the sound of a chainsaw (as I am currently listening to at this moment) and flying monkeys. (kidding.) A good
glass of wine never hurts!
7. What are some of your favorite books?
I am addicted to anything James Patterson, I love him! I also love all the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse books, but I am a True Blood addict as well. (Team Alcide!)
8. Are your characters based on anyone you know?
Oh yes. Definitely yes. I won’t divulge who or which character(s) , but I’ve said before – revenge from the pen is mightier then the sword, don’t mock me or tick me off, you will end up in my novel! Quite therapeutic, I may add. Immature? Possible, but nonetheless therapeutic.
9. What, if anything, are you working on right now?
The sequel for The Morning Star, titled “Equinox”. I’m also writing and shooting for an end of April deadline, chick-lit/rom-com/mildly sleazy with a twist book called “Catching Frogs.” I’m having a lot of fun with that one and can’t wait for people to read it! Also, I have on the back burner that keeps getting pushed back but is almost complete, a sci-fi aquatic thriller called, “The Thallasic Incident”. I have twelve other ideas with at least one chapter written as well, including a horror story, another young adult, a thriller and a dystopian political thriller.
10. Why do you love writing?
I just love make believe and creating, and it’s amazing the things our mind can come up with! It’s so rewarding to see it come to fruition, it’s like giving birth! (Not as painful and weight inducing though!)

About the Author