Guest Post: Stephanie Chong ~ Where Demons Fear to Tread

Guest Post ~ Stephanie Chong

We have a short snippet to share from this new author around her process in creating her paranormal romance novel’s mythology. It is the just released – Where Demons Fear to Tread [US|UK|Canada] and is also offered for giveaway until September 7th here on Layers of Thought.

Lets welcome Stephanie!  Intelligent, extremely educated, pretty, and funny too; Stephanie is an attorney turned novelist. Wow what a combo!

So Stephanie how did you develop the “mythology” in Where Demons Fear to Tread? What kind of research did you do to build this world?

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In other interviews, I’ve talked about how this book came out of my love for yoga. There’s another side to the story. I wrote it for (*gasp*) fun.

When I started Where Demons Fear to Tread in January 2009, it was the week I prepared to defend my Ph.D. in Comparative Literature. After years of intensive research, I needed a mental break. During the last fifteen months of my Ph.D., I also did a master’s in creative writing. The project for that was part of a literary novel based on a friend who died from breast cancer.*

Writing an angel romance was my break from research and emotional heaviness.

I did consider concepts of angels in world cultures. Most cultures have angels. Many cultures describe hierarchies of angels. Angels go by many names. Deva. Malaikah. Boddhisatva.

But ultimately, the angels in Where Demons Fear to Tread are pulled straight from my own imagination. The world in the “Company of Angels” series is as speculative as you can get. My Guardian angels are very close to humans – they’re basically my imagined version of the next step in human evolution. They’re far from perfect. The new ones are still learning. They’re guided by Archangels, who are the closest thing to an evolved being that appears in the book.

The novel’s heroine, Serena St. Clair, is a yoga teacher who died young. As a fledgling angel, she now works for an organization called the Company of Angels. Archdemon Julian Ascher owns a nightclub, and lures the heroine into his demon underworld.

At the core of the novel is a struggle between good and evil. There are various demons at work against the Company. But their organizations are more loosely structured and volatile. The demons butt heads with each other as much as they do with the angels.

My greatest wish for this book is that readers will be able to immerse themselves in the world of Where Demons Fear to Tread. And have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.

*On a side note, yes, I overlapped two separate grad degrees at two separate schools. No wonder I ended up writing a novel that explores concepts of hell. I am totally joking – I loved every minute of my grad studies. And with all kidding aside, one day soon I hope to finish that literary novel about my friend’s journey with breast cancer.

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Thank you for sharing with us Stephanie! 

For a bit about the book link to our giveaway, and if you can’t wait to win we have links for purchasing Where Demons Fear to Tread ~ 368 pages; Mira (August 23, 2011) US|UK|Canada.

Also watch for book #2 in the “Company of Angels” series coming in 2012!

About the author:   Stephanie worked as a lawyer at a top-tier Canadian firm and completed five university degrees before landing her dream job: romance novelist. Her degrees include a J.D. and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, and a Master’s in Creative Writing from Oxford University. When she’s not writing, Stephanie enjoys yoga, traveling and outdoor adventures. She lives in Vancouver with her husband and their pug, Dexter. Website; Goodreads; Twitter; Facebook.

Have an awesome and safe Labor Day weekend, and thanks for reading!