A writer from Gran Canaria has published a novel about the pandemic with elements of urban fantasy.
The writer from Gran Canaria, Verónica Ramírez Hermoso, presented her first novel, "The Hidden Essence," an urban fantasy about a biology student who finds herself in a whirlwind of mysterious events during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Verónica Ramírez Hermoso, a writer from Gran Canaria who currently lives in Tenerife, says that her first novel, "Hidden Essence," came about because of her belief: if a person doesn't like to read, it simply means they haven't found "their" book yet. The one that will captivate them, make them dream, empathize, and feel a connection with the characters.
"When I started writing," she says, "I was thinking about my eldest daughter, who is a fan of fantasy, and her friends, who find reading difficult. I was always looking for interesting books for them."
"In a world dominated by chaos and uncertainty due to COVID-19, a young biology student, Sarah, finds herself caught up in events that go beyond science. Collaboration on a vaccine development project turns into a dangerous journey into the deepest corners of her memory."
This is an excerpt from the description of "Hidden Essence," the first part of the "Essence" trilogy. Verónica plans to publish the second book in February-March of next year, and the third, final one, around September.
"The action of 'Hidden Essence' unfolds during the pandemic," the writer explains, "so that readers can better understand the story. COVID-19 has affected each of us, so this background allows us to empathize with the characters and the situations they find themselves in. And at the same time," she adds, "it adds realism to the fantastic elements in the book."
The author calls her genre urban fantasy. In the first novel, as in the entire trilogy, "there are no dragons," but there are many events close to reality, to our time, "with the addition of fantastic elements and magic."
Verónica Ramírez Hermoso, like any reader, wants her books to be captivating and help to escape from everyday life. "Writing is my outlet," she says, "where I forget about all worries and focus on what my characters are 'telling' me. I just start writing, often without a clear plan. I have an idea, and I start turning it into a story."
Verónica admits that she didn't initially plan to make "Hidden Essence" a trilogy: "When I first started writing, I was doing it for myself and for loved ones. My eldest daughter read my drafts and at some point said that I should end the first book that way because she really liked the ending, and continue the story in the next books." It took Verónica two years to create the trilogy.
"Joining a group of scientists, Sarah realizes that the virus is not the only threat. Behind the scenes of the pandemic lies a disturbing truth related to her past... a past she doesn't remember. Soon, she realizes that her role in this story is much more important than she could have imagined," the description of "Hidden Essence" reads.