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I thought it was about time I posted a blog about Hunter’s Dawn, White Haven Hunters #4. It’s been a couple of months since its release, so I feel it’s okay to talk about a few spoilers. If you haven’t read it yet, maybe don’t read anymore!
I decided I wanted to delve into the Nephilims’ life before the flood. Seeing as I like exploring new places in my writing, (and real life, actually), I thought visiting the desert and the area around what was ancient Mesopotamia and Sumer would be fun. The time frame for these civilisations fits with the Nephilim. There are so many legends about those civilisations that it was irresistible. Mixed with that was the need to explore Black Cronos and their origins, so the storyline ended up splitting into two, which I really enjoyed. Jackson and the Paranormal Division have taken on a life of their own, and it’s been so much fun to write about them.
Is any of it real? I know that’s a weird question considering that this is a fictional story, but as most of you know, I do quite a bit of research for my stories and like to weave myths and legends into my fiction. Sometimes I look things up and end up going down a rabbit hole… To be more specific, what about the Igigi, or the Comte de St Germain? Well, both have generated lots of speculation, and there are arguments to support they both really existed.
The Igigi
You can find lots of websites, books, and YouTube videos that investigate Sumer, their Gods, and the Igigi. Sumer is part of Mesopotamia, and they had their own gods, called the Anunnaki. They were renowned for their cities built around ziggurats, cities which have long vanished into the sands. The Sumerians are remarkable because of their achievements. They were the first civilisation to develop writing, later known as cuneiform. They mass produced pottery, built complex irrigation systems, developed a chariot, and worked with metals, particularly copper, amongst many other things. This is a great webpage to check out: https://www.history.com/news/sumerians-inventions-mesopotamia
Or check out this YouTube video on their history.
However, because of these technological advances, rumours later circulated that they were aliens who had brought their technological knowledge from space! There are so many rumours that it’s baffling. I won’t go into it here, but this video is about the mythology. The Igigi are as I write them, the slaves to the Anunnaki. According to myth, they did rebel against their captivity, but of course the story in Hunter’s Dawn is completely made up by me…
The Comte de St Germain
The count is a real historical figure, and the myths that surround him are many, as Jackson and Harlan find out when they start researching him.
There are numerous books and articles written about him, speculating about his birth, rumoured longevity, interests, and friends. Was he born in the late seventeenth century, or 1700 years earlier? Did he really never age? Many reports at the time say he didn’t. However, it does seem clear he loved to court controversy. JD is right to think he might have been a charlatan. He was rumoured to be royalty, but he also had plenty of other aliases, too. I am certainly not well read enough to comment, but there are plenty of books out there that do. This YouTube video gives a summary.
He crops up in plenty of fiction books, too. I am certainly not the first fiction writer to weave him into my stories. I haven’t decided quite how I will develop him – yet! However, there’s plenty of places I can explore chasing him…
Other things in Hunter’s Dawn
The Paranormal Division and Jackson Strange have become a big part of this series. I had no idea Jackson would develop into such a big character, but I love him! He’s so quirky, and such a good foil for Harlan. Exploring his family’s past with Black Cronos as well is proving irresistible. There’s more of that to come.
The Retreat, The Paranormal Division’s new/old office, was designed by Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, a real life person who was a striking individual. She was a sculptor and artist, and a strident feminist. She married but didn’t have children. Her husband became the Governor General of Canada, and Louise was viceregal consort, starting a lasting interest in Canada. I thought she was a fitting individual to champion and build the PD’s secret offices.
So, I think that’s it about Hunter’s Dawn.
Midnight Fire, the fifth book in the series, is on pre-order now. Get your copy here.
Wow, so fascinating! I love that you interlink fact and fiction. Like your Pagan calender! Love, love it!
Thanks so much, Paula! 🙂
This is facing – thank you for,sharing. .
Cheers! 🙂