About the Author

S. E. Reid

About the Author

S. E. Reid
Born in 1949 in the “old city” of York (better known as Toronto, where the only ancient curse is rush-hour traffic), the author skipped the fancy English degree and went straight from high school diploma to psychiatric nursing—because nothing says character development like wrangling midnight meltdowns in a sprawling Ontario asylum. She later traded bedpans for big rigs, hauling freight across the United States with her boyfriend for five years, dodging truck-stop carnies and learning that the real highway to hell is I-95 on a holiday weekend.
Undaunted, she pivoted to the funeral trade, studying embalming and running a no-frills downtown Toronto service—where “cut-rate” meant heartfelt goodbyes on a budget, and she occasionally talked a grieving widow out of a polka-dot casket. A three-month journey through Egypt and Israel fueled her fascination with dusty tombs and divine mischief, proving that pyramids beat therapy when it comes to unpacking ancient baggage.
Beauty was never her strong suit (she jokes she’s been auditioning for the role of “hag in the hag’s tale” since birth), yet she somehow managed to marry, and birth to a son and daughter. These days, in her imagination, she’s the white-haired crone perched in a tower window of some creaky old manse, cackling at terrified passing children and plotting world domination via word processor.
The Persephanie Chronicles is her gothic love letter to curses, demons, and the families that haunt you best.

"Every monster was something else first. That transformation—that journey from one state of being to another—is the story I'm most interested in telling."

On Writing The Persephanie Chronicles

The Inspiration

The Persephanie Chronicles began as a question: what if the beings we've cast as villains in our oldest stories had their own perspectives, their own journeys, their own transformations? Not to excuse or justify, but to understand.

The character of Persephanie emerged from a deep dive into the marginalized figures of religious mythology—the demons, the fallen, the punished. What were their stories before they became cautionary tales? What might they become after?

The Research

Writing across nearly two thousand years of human history required extensive research into everything from ancient Mesopotamian religion to medieval English politics, from Renaissance art techniques to the geography of modern Manhattan. Every era Persephanie passes through is rendered with attention to historical detail, even as the supernatural elements weave through them.

The Themes

At its heart, The Persephanie Chronicles explores themes of identity and transformation, the nature of good and evil, and the question of whether redemption is possible—or even desirable—for those who have walked in darkness. It's a story about becoming, unbecoming, and becoming again.

Literary & Artistic Influences

Old & New Testiment

The accounts and descriptions of Lucifer and the old gods Molech, Baal, Ishtar and their demonic legions as worshiped by the ancient civilisations.

Ancient Texts

The Book of Enoch, the Talmud, and various apocryphal texts that fill in the spaces left by canonical scripture.

The Return of the Gods

"Is it possible that behind what is happening to America and the world lies a mystery hidden in the ancient inscriptions of the middle East? Is it possible that the ancient entities known as the "gods" have returned to our world?" -- Jonathan Cahn

Get in Touch

Have questions about the series? Interested in interviews, reviews, or collaborations?

Contact S. E. Reid