Hidden – Triquetra Prophecy Book One was the winner in the Romantasy category in the 2025 IndieReader Discovery Awards, where undiscovered talent meets people with the power to make a difference.
Following find an interview with author Melody Hicks.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Hidden – Triquetra Prophecy Book One, published in 2024.
What’s the book’s first line?
Of all the days for Shannon Murphy’s controlling ass of an ex to show up and harass her in her driveway, Trent just had to pick today.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Dr. Shannon Murphy never planned to become a goddess. Heck, she didn’t even know they existed. A steamy night with a bad boy unlocks her genetics and tumbles her into dangerous mythological worlds and powers she’s never imagined. How was she to know her fling wasn’t human?
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
A dream inspired the initial idea of hidden gods and unknown identities.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Shannon is distinctive through her fight to remain strong and independent, to balance her needs for her career, friends, and love, while dealing with an identity crisis and shattered world-view. She’s a successful scientist who wants an equal partner, not someone to rescue her.
As a scientist and professor myself, with numerous friends and colleagues who are also fellow scientists and professors, there are elements of multiple women that Shannon reminds me of. In my observations, successful career women commonly struggle in romantic relationships to find partners who aren’t threatened by that success, but are instead supportive of their achievements.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Shannon’s emotional journey is one many readers can relate to. As a strong, independent career woman, she struggles to be loved and emotionally supported in her choices. When her life gets upended by becoming a goddess, gaining powers, and dealing with secrets in her background, Shannon has to find her emotional balance and decide who she can trust and what is most important to her. Is she willing to risk her previously exploited heart to see where a relationship with a dominant sexy god might go? For Loki’s part, can he move past the tragedy that killed his past wife and child to support Shannon’s independence and treat her as an equal? Or is he too damaged to let her out of his overprotective cage? With this emotional rollercoaster swerving as Loki’s enemies try to kill Shannon and screaming from the sizzling heat between Shannon and Loki, this book is one ride that will keep readers in their seat, turning pages right to the very end.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
I’d love to see Shannon played by Bryce Dallas Howard and Tod/Loki played by Christian Bale.
Is this the first book that you’ve written?
It’s not the first story I’ve written, but it’s the first full-length novel that I’ve published.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best part is the freedom to craft my story and characters the way I want, on a timeline that works for me around my other commitments. The hardest part of being an indie is marketing, especially via social media. It’s not an area I’m particularly comfortable or adept at.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
Sure, particularly if they would take some of the marketing stress from me so I could focus more time on writing.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
While I’d love to see my books become popular enough to find on supermarket shelves, what actually motivates me is simply seeing that others are enjoying the stories, that they found something with the characters that resonates with them, and especially when I read a comment that they can’t wait for the next book.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
There are actually quite a lot since I’m an avid reader, but I’ll just mention a couple. I absolutely adore Anne McCaffery’s books, having grown up with them as she inspired my interest in the combination of science fiction and fantasy. As an adult, I admire Nalini Singh for her rich world-building and characterization that allows her to weave fantasy romance stories with a cast of characters across multiple books in a single story universe. She writes plot arcs that keep me interested both within an individual book but also across the series.