Premier Paranormal Romance author Sherrilyn Kenyon has had so much success
with her
Dark-
Hunter
series.
DRAGONBANE, which hits bookshelves on August 4th, marks
another
return to this complex world. Annie Tegelan, Fresh Fictionโs
Into the
Night
columnist chats with her about tortured heroes, writing advice and her
upcoming
series, Deadmanโs Cross.
Annie: You possess the astonishing ability to create such epic worlds
in your
stories.
DRAGONBANE is just one book in the span of many others
in the same
universe. How on earth do you manage to keep track of all the details?
Sherrilyn: I have no idea, except to say if you went through my house
and saw
the trail of โSherri droppings,โ youโd realize that I keep track of very
little else.
My mind is so cluttered and consumed by my worlds that I tend to forget
where Iโve put
my keys, shoes, and most days, my mind. I guess itโs the same part of the
brain that
stores where we keep data on our families and friends. Since I think of my
fictional
people as real, they inhabit the same part of my mind and I donโt
differentiate them
from my blood family and friends. So just as I remember that my youngest
hates spiders
and loves broccoli or that my oldest speaks Japanese and is an Imperial Rome
buff, and
which Japanese manga and anime my middle son reads and watches, I can
remember that
Acheron prefers chocolate ice cream not that Tory won him over or that Styxx
likes to
stay up late at night and stare at the stars.
Annie: Some readers consider your heroes as some of the most tortured
in the
genre. Can you tell us a bit more about Maxis Drago? Do you think heโs the
most
tortured hero youโve written?
Sherrilyn: I donโt believe in qualifying pain. Everyone has a hard
battle they
fight and we are all warriors in life. And I donโt believe in trivializing
anyoneโs
pain by saying someone else has had it harder or easier than someone else.
You donโt
know the โtruthโ until youโve seen inside that personโs heart. What is
bravely shown
to the world in an effort to protect a shattered dignity may not be the
truth of a
battered soul. When a three year-old drops his or her cookie, that can be
traumatic
for the child, even though it seems โsillyโ to an adult. Pain is pain,
regardless of
cause, and it is real and deserves understanding and empathy. Maxโs past is
different
and he deals with things differently than other heroes, thatโs really the
best
description of it. He wasnโt born human; he was born a dragon so heโs
lacking a human
upbringing. That alone means he views the world and human behavior very
differently
from other types of characters.
He and Illarion are two of the originators of the Were-Hunter drakos and
thatโs all I
can really say without spoilers. Through them, you see how the Were-Hunters
were
created and why Savitar set up the Omegrion.
Annie: Youโve mentioned before that youโve been a storyteller all
your life.
But if you werenโt writing, what would you likely find yourself doing?
Sherrilyn: A hired assassin. Oh wait, youโre serious. Iโd go back to
being a
historian or archaeologist, which is just another way of telling other
peopleโs
stories.
Annie: Inspired by the fact that your son was writing his own book
earlier this
year, what inspirational words or advice would you give to aspiring writers
who look
up to you, your books and the success youโve had?
Sherrilyn: Donโt look up to me. No one wants my career. You want one
thatโs a
lot easier and smoother. I wouldnโt wish my career on my worst enemy. The
success,
yes. The journey, NEVER. That being said, follow your dream. Write from your
heart and
donโt pay attention to anyoneโs career but your own. Remember the only
career that
matters is yours. Never let anyone tell you how to write your stories,
except your
characters. Believe in them and theyโll never steer you wrong.
Annie: Excellent advice! One last question before you go โ Whatโs
next for
Sherrilyn Kenyon? I hear you have a new series on the horizon!
Sherrilyn: Itโs not a โnewโ series. Itโs a trilogy from inside the
world of
Dark-
Hunter
called
Deadmanโs Cross and is about Thorn and his Hellchasers.
Set on the
High Seas during the Golden Age of Piracy, itโs about Captain Devyl Bane and
his
crewmen of the damned who are called Deadmen. And itโs where Deadmen tell
their tales
. . . and save their souls and humanity along the way.
Aside from that, Iโve heard from the producer that they are shooting to
start filming
the first movie this coming February. So hopefully weโll have more news on
that front
very soon! Iโm really excited!
Annie: So exciting! I cannot wait to see the movie! Thanks so much
for chatting
with me today, Sherrilyn!
#1
New York Times bestselling author,
Sherrilyn Kenyon lives a
life of
extraordinary danger... as does any woman with three sons, a husband, a
menagerie of
pets and a collection of swords that all of the above have a major fixation
with. But
when not running interference (or dashing off to the emergency room), sheโs
found
chained to her computer where she likes to play with all her imaginary
friends. With
more than seventeen million copies of her books in print, in over thirty
countries,
she certainly has a lot of friends to play with too.
Kenyon is an international phenomenon and the leading pioneer of the current
paranormal craze (her first paranormal novel was published in 1994โobviously
when she
was just a small child). Sheโs the author of several series including: The
Dark-
Hunters, The League, Brotherhood of the Sword, Lords of Avalon and the
forthcoming
Nevermore and Chronicles of Nick. Her Lords of Avalon novels have been
adapted by
Marvel and her Dark-Hunter novels are now manga published by St. Martins and
packaged
by the talented Dabel Brothers.
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Out of all the mysterious boarders who call Sanctuary home, no one is
more
antisocial or withdrawn than Maxis Drago. But then, it's hard to blend in
with the
modern world when you have a fifty foot wingspan.
Centuries ago, he was cursed by an enemy who swore to see him fall. An enemy
who took
everything from him and left him forever secluded.
But Fate is a bitch, with a wicked sense of humor. And when she throws
old enemies
together and threatens the wife he thought had died centuries ago, he comes
back with
a vengeance. Modern day New Orleans has become a battleground for the oldest
of evils.
And two dragons will hold the line, or go down in flames, in DRAGONBANE, the
next
explosive Dark-Hunter novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author
Sherrilyn
Kenyon.
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