Ask the Author: Laurell K. Hamilton

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Hi! Huge fan of Anita Blake! With such a huge cast of characters, how do you keep track of all of them? Do you ever reflect on who's had attention lately to decide specifically who you want to include in a new novel, or do you sort of let them pop up when they want to?

Laurell K. Hamilton Sometimes I do think who hasn’t been on screen recently and try to put them front and center, but most of the time the characters choose for me. One way I know I’m doing my job right is when characters become so alive they start making decisions I didn’t plan on.

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This question contains spoilers… (view spoiler)

Laurell K. Hamilton

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This question contains spoilers… (view spoiler)

Laurell K. Hamilton From your question I take it you have not read my book, Jason. Read and enjoy. :-)

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Was it always your intention to inject highly charged pornographic eroticism in the books (I don't mean as an insult), or did that just happen as an unintended consequence of book after book of plotlines (Harder time enjoying Narcissus in Chains, as a result of the focus on sex rather than story)? I was in it for the action, and the story. But now it seems just sex focused. Quality of writing hasn't lessened mind you.

Laurell K. Hamilton No, it wasn’t my plan to have the sexual content go up in the Anita books. In fact, the Merry Gentry books were created in part to have a main character that was more comfortable with sex. I wrote the first Merry book, Kiss of Shadows and then sat down immediately to write Narcissus in Chains. I was surprised that the higher sexual content continued into Anita. But I’ve struggled over the years with the fact that I was more comfortable with the violence in my books, but not as comfortable with the sex. I asked myself why was I okay with the amount of violence necessary for my stories, but not okay with the sex between people who cared for each other? I’m truly sorry that the change in the books bothered you, but I believe that I have some kick ass mystery and thriller plots in the latter books, as well as the early books, so sorry that you are missing the latest Anita adventures.

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Are you going to continue writing Merry Gentry or not? It's been six years since the last book!!!!! I just want to know so I can move on.

Laurell K. Hamilton Yes, I am going to write another Merry book. Sorry for the long wait, but both Merry and I were pretty beat up after the last book. I am making notes on the next book, but it’s not ready to be written yet.

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I was wondering if A Shiver of Light was the last book in the Merry Gentry series?I hope everything is going well for you and thank you for reading and responding to my question.Have a wonderful day.

Laurell K. Hamilton No, there will be another Merry Gentry book. I’ve been making notes on it, but I know there are at least two novels ahead of it in my creative que.

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I have heard that if you could you wouldn't write about JC . Is this true? If so, why? To me Micah and Nathaniel are too accommodating to Anita most of the time. JC tells her the way reality is whether she wants to hear it or not and we all need someone like that. Also Asher is becoming a real pain in the rump.

Laurell K. Hamilton I tried to write Jean-Claude out of the series in book three, Circus of the Damned, but I couldn't do it. I realized that both Anita and I would miss him too much. I tried again in book eight, Blue Moon. Once I realized Jean-Claude was here to stay, I don't believe I ever said I didn't want to write about him. My instincts were right on one thing though, by letting him stay in the series past the early books his special brand of vampiric powers changed the direction of the series from what I had planned.

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Hi Laurell, not a question, but a comment that may amuse you. I'm in the middle of re-reading Anita's story, and I had one of my lucid dreams last night, and woke 'knowing' that: "Jean-Claude's eyes are sultan blue" and thought - "What the heck color is that?" Darned if I ever remember you using that description, but apparently it's Pantone color 288C Not as dark as the midnight you use, but still pretty...

Laurell K. Hamilton What a lovely color name, Sultan Blue. It's not the color of his eyes, but it is a great color name.

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I was wondering if raphael will be in any other anita books? Also will anita and her father be making any amends?Thank you for answering if you can. I love your books.

Laurell K. Hamilton Funny you should ask, because Rafael is in Dead Ice. He has more on screen time in this book then he has since, I think, Narcissus in Chains.

I have no idea when I'll get to the book where Anita goes home to visit her father and stepmother, but I do have it planned out.

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I read that you don't want people writing fan fiction with any of your series. If this is true, why?

Laurell K. Hamilton It has the potential to damage my copyright on my own characters and world. You can write it, but please don't tell me about it. I'll pretend it doesn't exist and we'll all coexist in blissful "ignorance".

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After Affliction, Anita stated that she wasn't engaged to her men since her 2 of her other men, her girl and JC's girl had a problem with not having rings as well. There was no mention of this being resolved in Shutdown, does that mean because of these 4 somewhat insignificant people (as in not people Anita/JC love) they can't fulfill their happiness and get married?.. That seems like to much drama.

Laurell K. Hamilton Shutdown takes place a little before Affliction, so nothing to resolve yet.

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I Love love LOVE Anita Blake books! Is the story finished? The last book gave me this impression...

Laurell K. Hamilton Not the last. :-)

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Loved Shiver of Light! Where did you get those awesome boots?

Laurell K. Hamilton Macy's and they're from the Jessica Simpson collection, actually.

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Anita now uses condoms with all the guys she doesn’t love, does that mean Jean Claude always uses condoms with Envy to prevent pregnancy?

Laurell K. Hamilton Yes, safetly first.

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i love reading your books I got started by reading your Merry Gentry series and the Anita Blake graphic novels. I am now reading the actual books Anita Blake and love them. I was wondering if you will do another graphic novel of a anita blake book or if you plan to ever make one for the Merry Gentry one? I would love to see all of them I think it would be really cool. :)

Laurell K. Hamilton We are currently looking for an artist to continue the Anita Blake graphic novels, but no plans in the works to do Merry Gentry in graphic format. Glad you're enjoying the regular novels that started it all.

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So I am a huge fan and I am kicking myself in the arse for missing you when you came to Beaverton, OR on June 3rd. Do you know if you'll make it to Oregon again on another book tour?

Laurell K. Hamilton I won't know until my publisher tells me the final desitantions of the next tour, sorry.

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i absolutely love your books. Both anita blake and merry gentry. I was wondering if you plan on writing more merry gentry books? Will we get to find out what happens to holly and ash?

Laurell K. Hamilton I've already made notes for more Merry stories. I believe we'll see more Holly & Ash, but I can't give an absolute guarantee. 80% sure we'll see them at some point.

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Would you ever be willing to do short stories from the Merry Gentry series showing the more mundane sides of their life, like their everyday lives or something along those lines, kind of like Shutdown for the Anita Blake series?

Laurell K. Hamilton I'm not sure that Merry has as much mundane in her life as Anita does, because the magic is even more intrinsic to Merry. I have a couple of short story ideas for Merry and her world, but they are as full of magic as the novels.

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This will be random: I've just arbitrarily selected you for a question. After ten years.....would you now say you find it considerably harder to imagine your novel's internal reality?

Laurell K. Hamilton I've actually been writing the Anita Blake series for over twenty years, and Merry Gentry for ten years, and each book makes it easier to get into the reality of each of my fictional worlds. Practice makes me a better writer, in all ways.

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This is kind of similar to my last question but slightly different so I feel justified in asking. Would you ever be willing to write short stories of her and her loves relationships deepening? What I mean by that is, Frost and Merry fell in love largely off screen. It would be nice to see just them going about their daily lives and/or hanging out and seeing what they fell in love with and how

Laurell K. Hamilton I almost never do prequels in novel form, it's like breathing the same air, stale. But I do have two ideas for short stories featuring other characters that didn't get on stage much, or at all in A Shiver of Light.

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