When I was four years old, my parents took me to Paris. They told me we were moving there for my birthday. My mother and I went to the Louvre almost every day where she told me the stories that corresponded to the paintings of Greek myths. I learned about them as if the paintings and statues were a TV. I later found out the real reason my parents took me to France was a last ditch attempt to save their marriage. They got divorced, but I still think a trip to Paris is a great birthday present.
The famous statue Amore and Psyche, which is the inspiration for the book cover for Psyche Unbound, is in the Louvre. Like many artists who have gone before me, I was also inspired to retell this tale of the trials of love.
Part Beauty and the Beast, part Rumpelstiltskin, the story of Cupid and Psyche has resonated throughout the ages. Not only is it a story about the monstrous nature of love, but it questions what love is. Like all Greco-Roman myths, the story of Psyche easily lent itself to erotica.
Psyche, a mere mortal, basically takes on the Goddess of Love and Beauty. Having Venus as an antagonist was delightful. I love the idea of enraging the Goddess of Love because we think of love as such a wonderful thing. The Romans did not. They thought love was dangerous because it could not be controlled. Someone in love would make rash decisions which they would later regret. I love this idea especially since the very word “romance” has its root in Rome. And I’m thrilled that Psyche is published by the Tule imprint Eros, our root for erotica.
I hope that you enjoy reading Psyche Unbound as much as I enjoyed writing it. Though it might be a different kind of romance, I think the magic of the gods and goddesses will be as inspirational for you as it was for me.
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Zenobia Neil was named after an ancient warrior queen who fought against the Romans. A lifelong lover of Greco-Roman mythology, she writes about the ancient world and Greek god erotica. An English teacher by day, Zenobia spends her time imagining interesting people and putting them in terrible situations. She lives with her husband, two children and dog in an overpriced hipster neighborhood of Los Angeles. Psyche Unbound is her first book. Zenobia would love to hear what your favorite Greek myth is. Visit her at ZenobiaNeil.com
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