A brilliant neurobiologist, Keesha Brown, trying to isolate the chemicals in the brain that influence intelligence, finds more than she’s looking for in Fiona McGier’s paranormal romance Prophecy of the Mayan Undead.

Fiona McGier, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about Prophecy of the Mayan Undead.

Prophecy of the Mayan Undead by Fiona McGier

Genre-Paranormal Romance

Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

Part One

Keesha is a neurobiology researcher determined to discover the secret to intelligence to save humanity from itself. What she learns leads her to realize a bigger threat comes from beyond the stars. Yuri is a Russian vampire whose long-dead feelings respond to the scientist whose brain he admires but whose curves he can’t resist. Will his love reach the places in her heart that she has ignored for so long? And can they defeat the ancient Mayan mummy who has invaded Keesha’s mind in order to stop her from discovering what the Propecy of the Mayan Undead reveals?

Part Two

As Keesha and Yuri continue to try to eliminate the Mayan threat to humanity, they have to enlist the aid of Niu Ying, a brilliant Chinese neurobiologist. As a gifted child Niu Ying was given to the state by her Chinese parents, leading to a harsh life. Her un-dead existence has been worse. When other vampires urge her not to further the destruction of humans, they bring a blue furry alien Visitor. She never expected to discover her own humanity in the arms of an alien–he never expected to fall in love. Can their passion bridge the gap between their races? And can they join forces with the others to face the return of the Mayan aliens and save humanity?

What species/races of people are in your book?

The characters in this book are mostly human, although many have been turned into vampires. Some are newly-turned, some are centuries old, and one Mayan mummy has been “alive” for thousands of years. In Part Two, there is a blue-furred alien who calls himself a “visitor.” He says that his race is eternal, traveling the universe seeking planets with promising life-forms. They nudge the dominant life-form in the direction of achieving self-awareness, in hopes of someday meeting that race traveling through space also.

Do you have non-sentient creatures or animals in your story? If so, what are they?

No.

Language and Culture

This section describes languages and culture in your story world.

What languages are spoken in your story universe?

English, Chinese, and Mayan.

If you created a language for the story, what is it called?

N/A

Please give us a few words in this language and their translation.

N/A

In the culture of your story world, what is different from ours?

Vampires exist and there is a logical, scientific explanation for how they were created, which Keesha discovers once Yuri makes her into a vampire.

What special laws are important to your story world?

The law of gravity is defied as the other older vampires teach Keesha how to fly.

What rights (such as equality) are challenges for your characters?

The ancient Mayan mummy thinks all non-vampires are like cattle, and females are beneath his notice, except to be used as sacrifices to his gods.

Story Setting

Writers usually know more about their story world than they can say in a book. This is your chance to show off things you couldn’t say or had to imply rather than state.

Describe one of the worlds where your story takes place.

This version of Earth is very similar to the real one. Vampires exist, and have always lived on the periphery of human existence. Earth was visited by aliens thousands of years ago, and they took many humans back with them to their planet. They appointed vampires they created in many countries around the world at that time, to put a plan into motion that would ensure that humans progressed, but not far enough to be able to travel into space to face the returning aliens off-planet.

We don’t get to visit the planety of the aliens, because at the end of the book, they arrive here on Earth.

What makes this world unique?

Vampires really exist.

Tell us about the age of the culture in your story, i.e., are the people part of an ancient civilization, a newly formed group within an established culture, pioneer colonists, etc.

There are vampires alive who were born back in the BCE days of humanity. Few survive the eternal existence for thousands of years, but many are still alive who have seen centuries of existence. They all regard today’s human beings as “cattle,” though many enjoy the recent scientific and technological inventions.

What food or drink is available to your characters?

Humans eat and drink as they always have. Vampires can live off mammal blood of other species for a short time, but they crave human blood. Eventually, Keesha invents a synthetic blood that is flavored to entice vampire taste buds. She also creates a company to sell the synthetic blood for use in surgeries, eliminating the need for blood donations.

In what ways was it helpful to have a map (or sketch of one) for your story? (Provide a link to an image, if available)

(Note: I will attach an image of the aliens who visited Earth before, and who return at the end of the book. This will be attached with my cover art.)

Character Physiology

Whether your characters are humans on a new world, aliens on our world, or something in between, this section discusses their physical nature.

What are the physical characteristics of the race/species of your main characters?

Vampires do not age. If teenaged when “turned,” they remain eternally young, despite being alive for centuries. All can fly. The older ones can survive the sun, though it makes them uncomfortable and quickly burns their skin. The older ones don’t even need to sleep during the day–they can choose to remain awake, though indoors. Beheading, stakes, all of the mythical ways to destroy a vampire are useless. They truly are eternal. But cross them and their faces will change to look like the monsters of myth. And starving a vampire will result in a mummy-like appearance.

What physical differences exist in the way your characters communicate (i.e., telepathy, empathic abilities, etc.) with each other?

Vampires can speak in each others’ minds. And when they share blood with another vampire, they exchange memories. The older vampire will be the one to lead the exchange, to discover what interests them the most from the younger one–but they will “filter” their own memories so as not to overwhelm a mind that isn’t used to holding so many images and memories.

What differences, if any, exist in the way your characters reproduce?

The blue furry alien says that he isn’t aware of any of his race reproducing. None of them remember the birth of any new members of their race. He assumes they’re eternal–they have always existed, and always will. But he is physically capable of having sex with a human.

Are there more than two genders in your story world and if so, what are they?

N/A

Sharing World Building Expertise

This section lets you share things you learned while writing.

Please give us three tips you find helpful when creating a story world:

I started with our current contemporary world, and added paranormal aspects to it.

There are good and bad people in all races, species, and sexes.

I created a world that I’d like to live in, and tried to make the reader feel the same way.

When you researched for your story setting, what kinds of things did you learn?

When I started this book it was supposed to be a contemporary romance. But I got writer’s block, so I put it aside. A few weeks later, I had a dream in which a tall, pale, blond man told me I was having trouble writing the book because I was giving the heroine the wrong hero–it had to be him. He smiled, showing me vampire fangs. I told him that I don’t write vampire romance–too overdone. He told me to research the Mayans, since I was incorporating their Long-count calendar and the end of the tonne in 2012 into the story.

I researched extensively into the Mayan culture. I learned that all of their public cermonies involved blood-letting. Their priests and rulers would wound themselves with knives, thorns, etc. and would collect their own blood into containers. I found no explanations of any use for that blood, so it was easy to assume that it was collected for their vampire alien visitors, whom they regarded as gods.

What things should writers avoid when building a science fiction world?

N/A

Share a resource you found helpful when researching for your story.

I did all of my reseach into the Mayan culture on-line.

What’s your advice for writers who want to create a solid background for their story world?

Let them live in your mind for long enough for them to show you the parameters of their world and how they live in it.

Where to buy Prophecy of the Mayan Undead

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1023111
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prophecy-of-the-mayan-undead-fiona-mcgier/1137061557
iBooks https://books.apple.com/us/book/prophecy-of-the-mayan-undead/id1514520795?uo=4&mt=11&at=1010l9S2
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/prophecy-of-the-mayan-undead
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1023111
Scribd https://www.scribd.com/book/462376195/Prophecy-of-the-Mayan-Undead

Fiona McGier Social Media

I have always had characters intruding into my thoughts, showing scenes from their lives. When I ignore them, they start to yell louder. If I write their stories so they can live in readers’ heads as well, they usually leave me alone. Soon the next voices appear. I like the noise. I write romances that involve strong, independent women who enjoy casual flings, but are not looking to fall in love. Enter the man who feels the same way–until they both realize this is different. I love the passion of new love!
I keep busy with multiple jobs, and have to squeeze in writing when I should be sleeping. As often as possible, I go out with my family, or just my husband, to view the night stars around a campfire. Stories present themselves to me while driving, while dreaming, and especially while camping.
I write romances that involve strong, independent women who don’t mind casual flings, but who are not looking to fall in love. Enter the man who decides this is the woman for him. I thinks that how they ultimately both realize that they have found the one, is the most interesting part of a romance.
Website www.fionamcgier.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fiona.mcgier/
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Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Fiona-McGier/e/B003J8QJGE
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