The Rape of Persephone was the winner in the Historical Fiction category of the 2023 IndieReader Discovery Awards, where undiscovered talent meets people with the power to make a difference.
Following find an interview with author Monica Brillhart.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
The Rape of Persephone was published on July 21, 2022.
What’s the book’s first line?
“The day the earth opens, a little ghost flies to the cargo ship.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Interweaving Greek mythology into a Bronze Age setting, The Rape of Persephone unravels the provocative origin story of Persephone and Hades. It is the first novel in a trilogy.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
The gods! After almost thirty years of striking out, I vowed that I could no longer suffer the life of a struggling writer (*cue angst*), so I went back to school. Midway through my master’s thesis on archetypes of the collective unconscious, I was re-introduced to the gods. Smart folks like Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell not only helped me analyze mythology in a more meaningful way, but they helped me see fiction and truth in more meaningful ways. What are the old gods and goddesses if not archetypes that we, ourselves, embody? In life, as in art, we timelessly carry out these tales from mythology, Greek or otherwise. And what better archetypes to write about than the ones I align with myself? Plus, all women are likely to see their own life cycles in the Persephone/Demeter/Hecate (maiden/mother/crone) pattern.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Persephone is a child-woman, both innocent and desirable, and she makes easy prey for the controlling, older, or “mysterious” man. She is sweet on the outside and a little dark on the inside. In fiction, we can find Persephone in classic characters such as Mina Murray in Dracula or Christine Daaé in Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera. A more contemporary example would be George R.R. Martin’s early portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
The Rape of Persephone is an epic heroine’s journey, brought down to earth! Don’t let the mythology scare you away.
Is this the first you’ve written?
The Rape of Persephone is my first published work, but I have several unpublished novels collecting metaphorical dust in my hard drive. Meanwhile, I’m focusing on the second book in this series, A Mother’s Nature, which will be released in July of 2023!
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I’m an administrator at the University of Metaphysics/Sedona, where I handle the ministerial component of our school.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
I work better with a word-count goal. Time can tick on forever without a single word written; but, when I say “write 250 words/day,” I write 250 words/day.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
Joyce Carol Oates, hands down.