UFI welcomes Jane Kindred Author of The House of Arkhangel’sk series. Thanks for Joining us!!
What can you tell my
readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or
reading in another interview?
Well, I feel like I’ve
repeated myself a lot by this point, but I’m pretty sure I haven’t mentioned
that I spent every Saturday at midnight for a year in college dancing and
singing in my underwear—otherwise known as playing Janet Weiss in my local
Rocky Horror Picture Show cast. (Does that even happen anymore? How badly have
I just aged myself with this admission?)
What do you enjoy doing on
your down time?
Writing full time and working
a full-time day job doesn’t leave much room for anything else, but I love
anything sci-fi or fantasy related, so I manage to fit in my favorite shows,
like Dr. Who, Supernatural, Lost Girl, and Once Upon a Time, and if there’s a superhero
movie playing (especially if there are a whole bunch of them in a row), I’m
there.
What is your Favorite part
of writing?
I have to admit, I probably
enjoy torturing my characters more than I should, but it’s the end result of it
that I love more, which is bringing my characters some joy after a long stretch
of darkness. Tearing apart two characters who love each other and then bringing
them back together is even better. I love writing a reunion scene—otherwise
known as kissing and making up.
Do you have any certain
routines you must follow as you write?
I don’t really have any
must-follow routines, but I like to have a good cup of tea at least once during
a writing session. Usually, I write in the evenings, so that generally means a
midnight cup of decaf Earl Grey or vanilla black with some hazelnut wafers, or
if I’m writing in the afternoon on a weekend or day off, I’ll have a cup of
imperial green or a nice Russian black.
What are some of your
Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres?
Right
now, my two favorites are Allison Pang’s series about the fae, starting with A Brush of Darkness (I don’t think the
series has an official name) and Diana Rowland’s Demon Summoner series.
How would you pitch the House of Arkhangel'sk series to
someone who has not heard of it before?
It’s
essentially a dark retelling of The Snow
Queen mixed with Anastasia. Add
some angels and demons, a little romance, modern-day St. Petersburg, and a bit
of BDSM.
Can you tell us a little
bit about the world that the series
is set in?
The
fantasy setting of the series is my own version of the seven Heavens as a rough
mirror of the Russian Empire of the late 19th/early 20th centuries. My favorite
part of the celestial setting is the Demon District of Raqia, where the Fallen
live. There’s also a good portion of the story set in the real world, namely
the Russian Federation.
Do you have a favorite
scene in The Midnight Court?
That
would have to be one involving my demons Belphagor and Vasily. Since it’s near
the end of the book, I can’t go into any specifics, but suffice it to say,
Vasily, the bottom in the BDSM relationship, finally gets what he’s been asking
for.
Which character was your favorite
to write about? What about the hardest to write about?
It’s
a toss-up between Belphagor and Vasily for favorite. Vasily is a lot of fun,
because as a firespirit, his emotions are always at the surface and he says
whatever he’s thinking. Despite being hotheaded, he also has a surprising
vulnerability that makes him really endearing to me. Belphagor, on the other
hand, plays things close to the vest, but he’s a bit of a smartass, and gets
himself into trouble because he thinks he knows what’s best for everyone. I
think Anazakia was the hardest to write, because she’s very internal about
everything, constantly second-guessing herself and everyone around her.
What Other Projects can we
look forward to reading from you?
The
third novel in the House of Arkhangel’sk
trilogy, The Armies of Heaven, is due
out next May, and I’ve just finished the first draft of a second Arkhangel’sk
trilogy. I also have another series that’s been sidelined a bit by my work on
this one, beginning with the prequel novella, The Devil’s Garden, released in June 2011. I hope to be able to get
back to work on the rest of the novels in that series in the near future.
Thanks
so much for having me again on Urban
Fantasy Investigations!
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Jane Kindred began writing fantasy
at age 12 in the wayback of a Plymouth Fury—which, as far as she recalls, never
killed anyone…who didn’t have it coming. She spent her formative years ruining
her eyes reading romance novels in the Tucson sun and watching Star Trek marathons in the dark.
Although she was repeatedly urged to learn a marketable skill, she received a
B.A. in Creative Writing anyway from the University of Arizona.
She now writes to the sound
of San Francisco foghorns while two cats slowly but surely edge her off the side
of the bed.
The Midnight CourtThe House of Arkhangel’sk #2
Against the pristine ice of Heaven, spilled blood and a demon’s fire will spark celestial war.
The exiled heir to the throne of Heaven, Grand Duchess Anazakia, and her demon companions, Belphagor and Vasily, have made a comfortable home in the Russian city of Arkhangel’sk, but their domestic bliss is short lived. When their daughter, Ola, is taken as a pawn in Heaven’s demon revolution, the delicate fabric of their unorthodox family is torn apart—threatening to separate Belphagor and Vasily for good.
Anazakia is prepared to move Heaven and Earth to get her daughter back from Queen Aeval, risen in Elysium from the ashes of temporary defeat. But Aeval isn’t the only one seeking Ola’s strange power.
To conquer the forces amassing against them, Anazakia is prophesied to sacrifice one close to her heart, while Vasily’s fire will prove more potent than anyone suspected. In the ultimate battle for supremacy over Heaven’s empire, loyalties will be tested and secrets will be revealed, but love will reign supernal.
The Midnight Court is available now in print and ebook from Amazon | Barnes &
Noble | BAM
| The
Book Depository | Books On
Board | Diesel
eBooks | Indigo
| Powell’s
Books.
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