FAQ: Amaranthine Saga

Who’s Curious? As people are finding out about the upcoming original series, there have been questions. I can (and do) answer them, but those answers are scattered across assorted PMs, review replies, and several comment threads here on my blog. So we’ll do a few FAQ posts leading up to release day (February 22). I’ll also collect some of these questions and answers in the comments over on this site’s Amaranthine Saga tab.

Is it true that the books are linked to your fanfiction?

Yes. For readers familiar with my stories, the ties will be obvious. I’ve borrowed from several of my favorites, taking pieces of their plots or settings and adapting them to fit into the Amaranthine universe. But I don’t simply retell those stories. They’ve become something new.

Which fanfics will you use?

I’m keeping that a secret because it’ll make upcoming reveals more fun.

Will Sesshoumaru and Kagome be there?

In adapting my fics, one of the biggest revisions I had to make was to the main characters. No one wants to read seven versions of SxK … oh, wait. That’s exactly why we read fanfiction! However, in building the Amaranthine universe, I needed a new cast. Some of you will probably still try to back-hack my writing. “I found Miroku!” or “She might as well have named him Inuyasha.” But if I do my job right, the stories will take on a life of their own.

Why did you label Book 1 “the first miko”?

Are all of the main characters in your series shrine priestesses? No. While this certainly hints at the legacy of Japanese culture that helped inspire my fandom storylines, miko refers to the main characters’ first names. Book One is about Tsumiko. In Book Two, I’ll introduce Kimiko. Book Three’s story belongs to a lady named Tamiko… and so on.

More questions? Ask away!