Confession: I love superhero and fantasy movies. So, when Black Panther hit the big screen in 2018, like everyone else in the world, I was hooked and immediately drawn into this alternative reality. I loved the idea of an African country that did not suffer the trauma of colonization and exploitation, where traditions carried on unadulterated by outside influence, and where the land’s natural resources were not owned by foreign corporations who care little for the local communities.
Wakanda was a sight to behold––the rich cultural traditions, the clothing, the music. I wanted to book a seat on the next flight there!
In the days and months after seeing Black Panther, I started to think “what if?”. What if the indigenous groups in the Caribbean had not been killed? What if the islands had not been colonized? What if enslaved Africans brought to the Americas had somewhere to go if they managed to escape the islands' plantations––a place where they could rebuild their lives on their own terms?
It didn’t take too long for the kernels of Seduced by Passion to take root in my mind, and I had no choice but to put pen to paper. So, I created my own alternative Caribbean history and the island of Akilina.
Akilina is a naturally protected island where descendants of escaped slaves live on one side, and on the other, the Megiri, a fictitious indigenous group who are largely based on the Kalinago of Dominica, the Lokono, and the Taino people.
After months of research, I’ve done my best to bring to life the forgotten and ignored customs of their cultures, and I've stretched my imagination to create new traditions for the Megiri.
Of course, Seduced by Passion will still have all the high-stakes romance, drama, mystery, and passion that you have come to expect from an Ana E Ross romance.
Here on this island paradise, when my hero Rapheus, a Greek-American, meets Xiomara, who is half Megiri and half African, sparks will fly, but a centuries old family secret will force them to question everything they think they know about their own histories.
Get ready for this EPIC series starter! Add Seduced by Passion to your want-to-read list on Goodreads––you won’t want to miss this release!
