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Frequently Asked Questions What's up next? I have four releases in 2008. First up is my next "Eve Kenin" book set in the Northern Waste. HIDDEN hits shelves July 2008. Then I have three "Eve Silver" releases. HIS WICKED SINS, a historical gothic, will be out in August 2008. Then, in September, comes Kiss of the Vampire, a novella in the trade paperback vampire collection NATURE OF THE BEAST. And in December the second book in the Compact of Sorcerers series, DEMON'S HUNGER, hits shelves. Do I need to read your books in a specific order? The short answer: No. The long answer: I try to write every story as a stand-alone book, even those that are part of a series. My gothics are not connected at all; they can be read in any order. The Compact of Sorcerers stories do include repeat characters that readers will recognize, but I made every attempt to write each story with its own unique plot and conflict so that the series can be read in any order and still be enjoyable. Similarly, my Eve Kenin books set in the Northern Waste may be read in order or out of order. To find out more about these stories, check out the historical gothics, contemporary paranormal and Eve Kenin books pages. Why did you decide to write historical gothics? I actually never planned to write a gothic. The first book I ever wrote was a children's story about an unwanted teddy bear that found a new and loving home. I was nine, and that book garnered me my very first rejection letter from a publisher. As an adult, the first manuscript I completed was a humorous contemporary story. But I'm not particularly funny, and neither was that book. It's buried in the back yard where it belongs. Then I decided to try my hand at a light, fun historical, but every word I wrote wove a tale that grew darker by the page. Eventually, I decided to trust my voice and I let the book write itself exactly the way it wanted. An atmospheric gothic-replete with dead bodies and frightening happenings-emerged. I suppose you could say that I didn't actually choose gothics; they chose me. What inspired your contemporary paranormal series? Credit for that genre leap goes to my agent. I loved reading paranormals but I hadn't considered writing one. Then my agent pointed out that my dark, spooky tone might work for a contemporary paranormal. Once she made that suggestion, the story and characters sprang to life and I couldn't get them out of my head. And why did you decide to write futuristic speculative romance? DRIVEN was inspired by a number of different influences, and once it becan to percolate, the story wouldn't let me rest until I told it. I was inspired by Joss Whedon's amazing series, Firefly, with its vicious Reavers, do-what-needs-to-be-done captain, and the cast of quirky and fascinating characters. At the same time, I was just introduced to Manga and Anime (Trigun, Full Metal Panic, Hellsing, GTO, Ruruni Kenshin, Last Exile, GetBackers...to name a few), and from these stories I learned that a little bit of humor can really work well in a dark story. The frigid environment came from my own personal dislike of the cold, and he heroine of DRIVEN was loosely inspired by a friend of mine who is both tough and vulnerable. DRIVEN was such a blast to write (though in some ways it was also a tough haul), I needed to visit the Northern Waste once more and write Tatiana's story in HIDDEN. Will you always write all three subgenres? What advice or tips can you offer aspiring writers? Just write. You can't sell the book if you don't finish the book. There are only so many hours in the day, but if you want to be a published author, a chunk of those hours must be spent writing. No matter how long your day has already been. No matter how tired you are. No matter that your muse has taken a hike to the Himalayas. If you want to be a published author, you need to write the book. For more FAQs, check out the "Eve Kenin" page.
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