by Bea Paige
For almost a year now I’ve lived and breathed these characters and it’s going to be hard to let them go! I may or may not have shed a few tears putting the final touches together. I sincerely hope you feel the absolute love I have for these characters and their story within the pages of these books.
If you’ve read my previous author notes or are a part of my Facebook reader group - Queen Bea’s Hive, you’ll know that the idea for Steps came after watching Sergei Polunin dance to Hozier’s ‘Take Me To Church’. I happened across the video on YouTube in June last year and must’ve watched it several dozen times on repeat. I was mesmerised. Enthralled, actually.
What you might not know is that same night I dreamt of an old manor house and a room filled with a run of mirrors, on the middle of the floor in this room was a woman curled up in a pool of her own blood. Morbid, yes indeed, but that dream (nightmare) gave me a backstory to the man I’d already envisioned - Ivan Sachov. Pretty soon, Ivan’s story evolved and his wife’s suicide became the catalyst to this series.
Whilst this story has some very dark themes; depression, suicide, torture, PTSD, rape, child abuse, drug abuse, murder, it also has so much light.
All four characters are broken and defeated in so many ways but together, somehow, they find a place to belong. Throughout writing these books, my heart ached for each of them and the battles they had to face to become whole again. Ultimately, this series is about finding hope within the darkest parts of ourselves, finding redemption and a place to belong.
And, of course, it’s about love. I hope that shines through.
If you’re still with me and still reading, then you would have met some new characters in this book. Alicia, aka Asia aka Rainbow’s story will be told next in the Academy of Misfits trilogy. This will be a gritty, angsty, knock ‘em dead tale about a girl who’s had a tough life and finds love in the unlikeliest of places, namely Oceanside Academy (a last chance reform school for those who are a step away from prison). Asia is an absolute tough nut. She’s my toughest character yet and I adore her. I hope you will too! The first book, Delinquent, will be releasing this summer and is already available for pre-order.
If you’ve been paying attention whilst reading Symphony, you may also have noticed the conversations between Fran and Rose, and the story about the Seekers! This will be another dark reverse harem set in the 1960’s. Think East End gangsters, the Krays, underground nightclubs, gambling dens, bijou Jazz clubs and men in suits! The story of Avery aka Little Bird and the Seekers is going to be one not to miss. Expect book one of the Little Bird trilogy to be out Winter 2019.
Well that’s it from me for now! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my books and my ramblings!
Much love Bea xx