Q&A with Faith Hunter
1. How did you come up with the plot line for BROKEN SOUL?
The premise of the series is a Cherokee skinwalker, a Paladin-style rogue-vampire hunter. Throughout the series, Jane has been introduced to supernatural sentient beings. But what happens when one attacks her—and current boss, Leo Pellissier—but it’s one that no one can see? A simple question that I just have to answer!
I like to throw things, dangerous things, at my characters and see what happens. It’s a kind of laboratory of torture only it’s inside my head. Yeah. Kinda scary now that I think about it.
2. How does BROKEN SOUL connect to the short stories you’ve done that fit in between the books?
You noticed! Yes, most of the short stories I write take place in the in-between spaces of books. I love to show what was going on in the between times, the things that make a relationship or doom it. So I wrote Beneath a Bloody Moon and Black Water, showing that things were not yet impossible between them. That there was hope.
But then, Rick screwed up so badly and took off with Paka in one of the books, ruining any hope Jane had that they would find a way to make things work in their bizarre personal, professional, and romantic lives. Yeah. It was kinda awful. Jane’s heart was still open to him when Rick made his massive boo-boo.
The shorts also show the direction he’ll go off in the new series. (Did anyone hear me say a new series? Shhhh. {whispering} With Rick as a major secondary character…)
3. Which do you find harder to write, shorts or novels?
I get asked this often and the answer keeps changing. Once upon a time I was terrified of the shorter format of stories. Now that I’m used to them, the shorts give me a break from novels (which can sometimes feel like work) and a chance to recharge my creative energies. In many ways, shorts are much easier simply because they don’t have to be so intensely plotted or so interwoven. But the drawback is that they fit into the reading order of the series and don’t always stand out as must-read entities and so fans who miss the shorts miss the interconnectedness of the plot and the relationships!
4. You recently edited (and contributed to) the anthology KICKING IT. And you mentioned the shorts Beneath a Bloody Moon and Black Water. Though all are shorts, the format is different. Share with us those differences.
KICKING IT was all about boots. Killer boots. Our working title was, “These Boots Were Made For Stalking!” which became the tag line on the cover. The writing part for me was the easy part, just write one story, set in Jane Yellowrock’s world, but not specifically about her. In case you missed reading it, Jane appears as a secondary character in the story and the readers get to see her from the outside, from other characters’ point of view, which is always fun! But on KICKING IT, I also had to do the editing, which including approving contracts, getting the other writers, and dealing with the agent of record (who also had a story in it!), as well as doing the actual editing of the other stories. It was work! Black Water is all me, in Jane’s world, even though the story is not from her point of view. So, I’d say that overall, Black Water was easier. Certainly less time consuming.
5. Tell us a little about your next book coming out.
BROKEN SOUL! I adore this book. SO much happens in it! Yes, I know I always say that. But this time it’s totally true. The book blurb is: Jane Yellowrock is a vampire killer for hire—but other creatures of the night still need to watch their backs....
When the Master of the city of New Orleans asks Jane to improve security for a future visit from a delegation of European vampires, she names an exorbitant price—and Leo is willing to pay. That’s because the European vamps want Leo’s territory, and he knows that he needs Jane to prevent a total bloodbath. Leo, however, doesn’t mention how this new job will change Jane’s life or the danger it will bring her and her team.
Jane has more to worry about than some greedy vampires. There’s a vicious creature stalking the streets of New Orleans, and its agenda seems to be ripping Leo and her to pieces. Now Jane just has to figure out how to kill something she can’t even see…
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Find Faith and her books
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Broken SoulJane Yellowrock #8
Jane Yellowrock is a vampire killer for hire—but other creatures of the night still need to watch their backs....__________________________________
When the Master of the city of New Orleans asks Jane to improve security for a future visit from a delegation of European vampires, she names an exorbitant price—and Leo is willing to pay. That’s because the European vamps want Leo’s territory, and he knows that he needs Jane to prevent a total bloodbath. Leo, however, doesn’t mention how this new job will change Jane’s life or the danger it will bring her and her team.
Jane has more to worry about than some greedy vampires. There’s a vicious creature stalking the streets of New Orleans, and its agenda seems to be ripping Leo and her to pieces. Now Jane just has to figure out how to kill something she can’t even see….
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