People ask me why I chose to write about sirens.

The truth is, I didn’t choose them. They appeared in a dream, and I couldn’t let them go.

Here’s the story behind the mythology of the Sirens in the Shadows series.

The Dream That Started Everything

I had a dream once—a vivid, detailed dream that stayed with me long after I woke up.

In that dream, there was a final trial. Danger. A tentacle wrapping around an ankle in the water. And sirens.

The dream didn’t give me the whole story. But it gave me the foundation. The feeling. The spark that wouldn’t leave me alone.

After that, when I’d fall asleep, I’d imagine the dream again. Not dreaming it exactly, but revisiting it, expanding it, letting it unfold in my mind.

The more I imagined it, the more the world took shape. The sirens became real to me. The Rens—their natural enemies—emerged. The dynamics between them became clear.

That dream was the seed of everything that became the Sirens in the Shadows series.

Why Sirens Felt Right

I didn’t sit down and decide “I’m going to write about sirens.” They were already there in the dream, fully formed in concept if not in detail.

But looking back, I understand why sirens worked so perfectly for what I wanted to write.

They’re Misunderstood

Traditional siren mythology paints them as dangerous seductresses who lure sailors to their deaths. Beautiful but deadly. Monsters in a pretty package.

That fascinated me.

What if sirens were more complex than that? What if the stories about them weren’t the whole truth? What if they had their own perspective, their own reasons, their own struggles?

The mythology gave me a foundation, but it also gave me room to explore a different interpretation.

They’re Powerful

Sirens in mythology have incredible power—their voices, their beauty, their connection to the ocean. They’re not weak or helpless. They’re formidable.

I wanted to write about powerful women. Women who had abilities that made them dangerous, who could defend themselves, who weren’t waiting to be rescued.

Sirens fit that perfectly.

They’re Mysterious

There’s so much we don’t know about sirens in traditional mythology. Are they born or made? Where do they come from? What do they want beyond luring sailors?

That mystery gave me creative freedom.

I could take the basic concept—women connected to the ocean with dangerous power—and build my own world, my own rules, my own mythology around them.

What I Already Knew

I love watching documentaries. Always have.

Over the years, I’d watched countless documentaries about mythology, folklore, and ancient legends. Siren mythology was part of that knowledge base I’d absorbed without even trying.

So when sirens appeared in my dream, I already had context.

I knew the traditional stories. I knew how sirens were portrayed in Greek mythology. I understood the cultural significance and the various interpretations.

That meant I didn’t need to do extensive research to write about them. I already had the foundation. I just needed to decide how I wanted to interpret it.

Creating My Own Version

Here’s the thing about mythology: it’s meant to be interpreted.

Every culture, every storyteller, every generation reimagines these creatures in ways that speak to their time and their needs.

I gave myself permission to do the same.

Not Traditional Mermaids

My sirens aren’t the traditional half-fish mermaids. They’re their own thing entirely.

I wanted them to feel fresh, not like every other siren story. I wanted readers to see them in a new way.

Their Own Society

I created a whole culture for them. History, traditions, power structures, family dynamics. They weren’t just beautiful creatures in the ocean—they were a people with their own complexities.

Mates

The Rens were also part of the dream. Half-octopus beings with their own powers and society.

Creating mates meant building in conflict from the start. Sirens and Rens are no longer mating. That made the romance forbidden, dangerous, and all the more compelling.

Male Sirens Don’t Exist

In my mythology, male sirens don’t exist. That’s the twist.

Traditional mythology doesn’t really address male sirens. I made it explicit: they don’t exist in my world. Sirens are exclusively female.

This created the need for the Rens. If sirens need partners, and male sirens don’t exist, where does that lead?

It led me to fated mates between species. To forbidden love. To the entire foundation of my series.

The Six Sisters

In my imagination, there were six sisters. Not five, not seven. Six.

I can’t tell you why six specifically. That’s just how many there were when I pictured them. Six distinct personalities, six different stories, six siren sisters navigating this world together.

Each sister would get her own book. Each would find her fated mate among the Rens—the very beings they were raised to fear and distrust.

The found family dynamic was essential from the start.

The sisters had each other. Their bond was unbreakable. They’d face everything together, even when it meant falling in love with their enemies.

Six sisters, six love stories, all interconnected. All part of one larger narrative.

Freedom to Interpret

What appealed to me most about choosing sirens was the freedom to make them my own.

Mythology isn’t rigid. It’s fluid, interpretive, constantly evolving.

Different people see these creatures differently. That’s part of the magic of mythology—it belongs to everyone who tells the stories.

I wanted to tell my version. To show sirens in a way that felt true to the spirit of the mythology while being entirely new.

That freedom to interpret, to reimagine, to create—that’s what made sirens the perfect choice.

What My Sirens Are

In the Sirens in the Shadows series, sirens are:

Powerful women with abilities tied to the ocean and to magic. Each has her own unique powers, but all share some connection to water and to certain mental abilities.

Part of a rich society with history and culture. They’re not isolated creatures—they’re a people with traditions, conflicts, and complex social structures.

Forbidden to love the Rens. Their enemies, the beings they’re taught to fear and distrust, are the only ones who can be their fated mates.

Six sisters navigating impossible situations. Found family facing danger, betrayal, and forbidden love together.

Not the monsters from the myths. Complex, flawed, brave, and deeply human despite being anything but.

Why This Mythology Matters

The siren mythology I created isn’t just window dressing. It’s fundamental to every story in the series.

The forbidden nature of siren and Ren relationships creates the central tension.

The absence of male sirens explains why fated mates are necessary and why they’re found among enemies.

The six sisters and their bond provides the emotional anchor through all nine books.

The powers each siren has drives plot, creates conflict, and affects how romance develops.

The history between sirens and Rens gives weight to every choice the characters make.

It all matters. It all connects. It all serves the story.

The Balance: Familiar and Fresh

I wanted readers to recognize sirens—to have that immediate connection to the mythology they already knew.

But I also wanted them surprised. I wanted my sirens to feel fresh, unexpected, uniquely mine.

That balance was everything.

Too close to traditional mythology and the story feels derivative. Too far from it and readers might not connect with the “siren” label at all.

I tried to find the sweet spot: sirens that feel like sirens, but sirens you haven’t quite seen before.

What I Learned

Creating my own mythology taught me that you don’t have to follow the rules exactly.

Mythology is a starting point, not a restriction.

You can take the pieces that resonate, discard what doesn’t serve your story, and build something entirely new from the foundation.

The freedom to interpret, to reimagine, to make it your own—that’s what makes writing fantasy so powerful.

I took sirens from my dream and my love of mythology, and I created something that belonged to me.

Six sisters. Their enemies as fated mates. A world where sirens are powerful, complex, and fighting for love despite everything that says they shouldn’t.

That’s my mythology. That’s why sirens.

For Other Writers

If you’re drawn to mythological creatures for your own stories:

Start with what speaks to you. Don’t choose a creature because it’s popular. Choose it because it resonates.

Research the foundations. Know the traditional mythology even if you plan to change it.

Give yourself permission to reinterpret. Mythology belongs to everyone who tells the stories.

Make it serve your story. Every element of your creature lore should support your narrative.

Find the balance. Familiar enough to connect, fresh enough to surprise.

Trust your instincts. If something appears in your imagination fully formed, pay attention.

That dream of sirens and tentacles and danger? I could have ignored it. Could have dismissed it as just a weird dream.

Instead, I followed it. I built a world around it. I created nine books worth of stories from that single dream.

Sometimes the best creative choices are the ones that choose you.