The Cities Below by Jen Colly
Which cities? Below what? I see I’ve got some explaining to do. When I began writing about vampires I had one question that badly needed answered: What if vampires are real? Not were real in the past, but are real today. I certainly haven’t seen any, so where are they? Simple. They live out of sight. It’s hard enough to get on in this world without having an aversion to sunlight, the abnormal ability to process blood internally and heal most anything that ails you, not to mention fangs and an excessively long lifespan. I can hear the town folk with their pitchforks coming as we speak, and in all likelihood, that would be exactly what they’d faced centuries ago. Who wouldn’t want to protect their families from that kind of persecution? With sunlight being a death-inducing weakness, it only made sense for my vampires to live underground.
Several underground vampire cities are scattered throughout Europe, but France holds the largest population. The Cities Below series centers around the four major cities in France. Two cities, Balinese and Valenna, are in norther half of France. Talvane is within Paris (I can’t tell you where yet. It’s a surprise!), and Galbraith is farther south. A city full of vampires seems like it should be easy to find, right? Three of these cities are beneath structures, and though while one building is abandoned, and another visited infrequently, the third building is incredibly active. The fourth city is marked by a shed built into a hillside. Should you manage to discover which building, or which shed on a hillside marks the entrance to a city, you’ll never make it inside. Vampires guard their city’s gate, their people, and the knowledge of their existence viciously.
Do vampires live outside these cities and above ground? Of course. As with any society, this is bound to happen. But because of the creatures they are, even those living on the fringe have a rigid set of rules to follow. Exposing the existence of vampires could mean their extinction.
Most frequently asked question:
How did you come up with the idea for this book?
My unique take on vampires living in underground cities scattered throughout France came about in a rather strange way. I intended to write about a pirate. You heard me right, a pirate. I had this hot picture of a man in black slacks, an unbuttoned white shirt, and long black hair that disappeared behind his back. After staring at his picture for over a week (such a hardship), I had nothing. Not a name, title, plot, or even a heroine. Just him. Why could I picture him speaking, moving, and wielding a sword, but could never place him on a ship? Then it hit me. He wasn’t a pirate, he was a vampire. Looking at him in this new light…er, moonlight, all the answers fell into place.
The thing is, I have a husband, and he’s nothing but trouble. After reading only a few pages, he said, ‘I like this, but I want to know what happened before this book.’ I didn’t know. I’d never considered what happened prior to this story, or that there might be other stories revolving around this character. He got me thinking. Long story short, there are now four vampire cities in France, and multiple books planned for the series, The Cities Below.
The first book, In the Dark , brings a human into the vampire’s secluded underground city, introducing you to their culture and laws through her. You get the chance to explore a new city with entirely different dynamics in, Bound, book two. And the pirate turned vampire? He is Navarre Casteel, Lord of Balinese, and hero of book three, Beneath the Night.
BENEATH THE NIGHT (The Cities Below #3) by Jen Colly
Sometimes survival means surrendering everything . . .
Lord Navarre Casteel wakes from a long sleep to find the vampire city he rules forever changed and his future in the hands of a mysterious beauty who offers her life for his. Fiery-haired Cat survives his feeding, fueling Navarre’s body and mind—as well as his suspicion that she is one of the Forbidden—a lethal mix of vampire and human blood. Yet that doesn’t stop the throb of Navarre’s desire, the feeling that she is destined to be his mate, to hell with consequences. . .
A solitary fighter sworn to protect the children in her charge, Cat never expects to feel so much for Navarre in the face of his savage feeding. Which is why his offer of protection is nearly her undoing. For how can she let down her guard when she has always walked alone? But Cat has never faced an enemy like the one she faces now, never felt such a powerful need to surrender to the force of love . . .
You can purchase BENEATH THE NIGHT at:
Kensington Books
About the Author:
Jen Colly is the rare case of an author who rebelled against reading assignments throughout her school years. Now she prefers reading books in a series, which has led her to writing her first paranormal romance series: The Cities Below. She will write about anything that catches her fancy, though truth be told, her weaknesses are pirates and vampires. She lives in Ohio with her supportive husband, two kids, one big fluffy dog, and four rescued cats.
Author URLs:
Website: http://www.jencolly.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/collyjen?lang=en
Most frequently asked question:
How did you come up with the idea for this book?
My unique take on vampires living in underground cities scattered throughout France came about in a rather strange way. I intended to write about a pirate. You heard me right, a pirate. I had this hot picture of a man in black slacks, an unbuttoned white shirt, and long black hair that disappeared behind his back. After staring at his picture for over a week (such a hardship), I had nothing. Not a name, title, plot, or even a heroine. Just him. Why could I picture him speaking, moving, and wielding a sword, but could never place him on a ship? Then it hit me. He wasn’t a pirate, he was a vampire. Looking at him in this new light…er, moonlight, all the answers fell into place.
The thing is, I have a husband, and he’s nothing but trouble. After reading only a few pages, he said, ‘I like this, but I want to know what happened before this book.’ I didn’t know. I’d never considered what happened prior to this story, or that there might be other stories revolving around this character. He got me thinking. Long story short, there are now four vampire cities in France, and multiple books planned for the series, The Cities Below.
The first book, In the Dark , brings a human into the vampire’s secluded underground city, introducing you to their culture and laws through her. You get the chance to explore a new city with entirely different dynamics in, Bound, book two. And the pirate turned vampire? He is Navarre Casteel, Lord of Balinese, and hero of book three, Beneath the Night.
