Danielle’s Comments (group member since May 19, 2014)

Danielle’s comments from the Danielle L. Jensen's Reader Group group.

The most frequent questions I'm asked lately are whether there will be more books about Lara & Aren and how much of them we'll see in future books. My answers are here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CTF7vxrh...

A place for readers to ask Danielle questions about the Dark Shores series! Spoilers are okay!

A place for readers to discuss their thoughts and theories about The Bridge Kingdom series! Danielle will give her thoughts/opinions if asked!

Readers may ask Danielle any questions they have about The Bridge Kingdom & The Traitor Queen. Spoilers for both books are okay!

Shreya wrote: "Hi Danielle!
I was wondering if my copy of warrior witch was sent out with the others since I provided my info a little late!"

Unfortunately I didn't have your address when I mailed that bunch. But I'm sending the rest out tomorrow :)

Kelsea wrote: "Was there a winner chosen for this thread?"

Hmmm. It doesn't look like it! I'll send Penny an email. Thanks for letting me know, Kelsea!

Cassy wrote: "Danielle wrote: "Swag mailing issues…
So here is the scoop. I included super cute buttons in my first batch of swag mailings, which was apparently more than the postal service could handle, even wh..."

Hi Cassy,
You will for sure get more information about the fey. As for the rest, I will give no spoilers.
You are right to be worried about what the release of the trolls means for the humans. There are some NOT NICE trolls lurking under that mountain.

Shreya wrote: "1. Warrior witch is a wild card for me. I don't want to expect too much and be let down, but at the same time I can't help it! But I guess one thing I'm really hoping for is fae involvement (which ..."

Hi Shreya,

AWESOME answers - you've made some good predictions. And raised a good point about the pros/cons of anticipating the next book in a series. As an author, I always consider it a double edge sword. It's wonderful that people are super excited for the next book, but when readers have a lot of time to think about how great they want it to be and what they hope will happen, you do run the risk of disappointing a few people. Because no matter what you write, it's not going to be what everyone wants or envisions :)

Louisa wrote: "I didn't guess her identity :) And I loved Hidden Huntress as it is, and I can't wait to read your next book (already read Warrior Witch :) )"

You aren't alone! That was another lesson for me - that sometimes what I think is obvious isn't for every reader.

Let me start by saying that this read-along has been a really fun experience. I have been overwhelmed by how thoughtful your responses have been, as well as your enthusiasm for both STOLEN SONGBIRD and HIDDEN HUNTRESS. I hope you all have enjoyed our chats and the extra content, and that you are all primed and ready to start WARRIOR WITCH if you haven’t already!

Disclaimer: For anyone else reading this, I’m going to discuss the ending of HIDDEN HUNTRESS, so spoilers ahead if you haven’t read it.







The title of this post is Who Is Anushka, but what I really want to discuss is something called authorial intent, which is a much discussed factor in literary criticism, particularly whether or not a reader should consider it when assessing a piece of work (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authori...). My personal view is that what the author intended is irrelevant when the novel in question is something I’m reading for pleasure. But I DO find it interesting to learn more about why an author made certain choices, even if it doesn’t impact my rating of the novel. To that end, I’m going to discuss why I chose to reveal Anushka’s identity so early in HIDDEN HUNTRESS.

I don’t typically address criticism of my books for a few reasons. Firstly, I don’t want to come across as defensive, because I don’t like creating that sort of negative relationship with readers. Secondly, I can’t change the book after I’ve written it. Thirdly, I don’t want readers/reviewers to ever feel like I’m attacking their response to my novels. That said, I do want to talk about one of the big criticisms of HIDDEN HUNTRESS, which was that people were disappointed that they guessed Genevieve was Anushka so early in the novel.

The thing is, I WANTED readers to know to know it was her by the end of chapter five (the scene where Genevieve drugs/spells Cecile and asks her questions about what the trolls wanted). The central mystery, in my mind, was not WHO Anushka was, but the answer to the riddle of the prophecy. Why were Cecile and Tristan important? What was it about their bond that would see the end of the curse? So my focus was on having them follow the path of clues to that answer, which is the climax of the novel.

Still, I could’ve gone the direction of making Anushka’s identity more of a mystery. But I chose not to, because I was really interested in creating a circumstance where the reader knew who the villain was while the protagonist did not. It has always fascinated me how when serial killers are caught, those closest to them are often so shocked. How the idea that their family member or friend could be carrying on these horrible activities never once crossed their mind. How being so close to the murderer actually made them blind to what is so obvious to an outsider looking in. I wanted to create a situation where Cecile’s closeness and affection to the villain actually made her the worst person to guess her identity.
But, unfortunately, I don’t think my intentions were picked up by readers in the way I’d hoped. Do I regret that decision now? A little bit. But I think that’s the nature of publishing novels. There will always be something that some readers react to that you wish you could go back and fix. But it’s much better to take what you learn and move on to the next novel.

Thanks again to everyone who read along with me!

XO
Danielle

Karim wrote: "Danielle wrote: "Karim wrote: "1. I’m a sucker for happy endings so I am hoping that Cecile and Tristan will get one however I have read, and I shouldn’t have, the spoilers from the Ask Danielle qu..."

I did indeed.

Karim wrote: "1. I’m a sucker for happy endings so I am hoping that Cecile and Tristan will get one however I have read, and I shouldn’t have, the spoilers from the Ask Danielle questions about Warrior Witch so ..."

Hi Karim,
I saw your post on the Warrior Witch threads, so I know you satisfied your need to know the ending ;-) Your copy of the book is in the mail - hopefully it reaches you soon!

Melissa wrote: "1. To magically announce at the end that there will be a 4th book starring you know who (not voldy!) :D

2. I did feel sympathetic towards her. What THEY did sucked, and she had a right to show the..."

Hi Melissa,
I DO KNOW WHO!!!

Ellie wrote: "1. I've already read WW. And I was hoping for Tristan and Cécile love. And I got it! And then.. not and then yes! and aaaauughhhhnnngg I'm thinkign of the ending again and I need to curl up in a ba..."

Hi Ellie,
I think Anushka cracked during the events she showed Cecile, but I also believe she grew worse and worse over the centuries. Immortality and her obsession drove her a bit insane, imho.

Erika (The Nocturnal Fey) wrote: "1. As someone who already read the book, I hoped for so much from WW... and now, I can say that it exceeded my expectations.

2. Honestly, yes... I felt a little sympathetic, but at the same time, ..."

Hi Erika,
LoTR has GREAT horns!!!

Lillian wrote: "2. Seeing what happened to Anushka made me understand her intentions. I suspected that there must've been a reason on why she was so vengeful, though I never figured out exactly what it was. Still,..."

Hi Lillian
I've always considered a villain's backstory to be really important. There needs to be a reason for evil, not just evil for evil's sake.

Pili wrote: "1. I've just finished Hidden Huntress, so right now I'm hoping for Tristan and Cécile working as a team and finding a way to level the field somehow, even if I fear the trolls aren't the only ones ..."

Hi Pili
Yes to #3! A lot of people have interpreted Tristan's comment about it needing to be Cecile's choice whether to kill Anushka as reluctance or hesitation on his part to release the trolls, but that wasn't it. He merely recognizes that Cecile still sees the woman as her mother, and wants to be sure she's willing to take that step. If Cecile had asked him to kill Anushka for her, he would've done it. But Cecile isn't a coward – she does her own dirty work :)

Cecile and Tristan had the option to follow through on Aiden's plan. They could've taken her down to the beach and released Cecile from her word that way, but they chose not to. The fact that they chose to kill her suggests to me that they were ready to take the plunge.

Ashley wrote: "1. I’m hoping that Cecile and Tristan will work together with their friends more. They’re going to have a lot to deal with, and I like seeing them interact with their friends and having those littl..."

Hi Ashley,
Yes... The King certainly had to be alive for Cecile to feel the affects of his compulsion - good catch!
I think Cecile was thinking much the same thing after witnessing Anushka's memories. It's one thing to punish those who did you harm, but quite another to punish an entire race for the actions of a few.
Wars do tend to have casualties...

Adriyanna wrote: "1. I loved the way Hidden Huntress ended and how in the book you began connecting the trolls with the Fae, so I hope to see more of that in Warrior Witch. When the world building grows, I'm so into..."

Hi Adriyanna,
The fey play a big part in the plot of Warrior Witch, so hopefully you'll enjoy that!

Kelsea wrote: "1. Oh man I am just hoping everyone stays alive!! I really can't wait for Warrior Witch, I just want another great story and to see more of Tristan and Cecile!

2. I was definitely sympathetic towa..."

Hi Kelsea,

Uh oh! There are a few character deaths in Warrior Witch, so keep your Kleenex box ready.
Roland makes many appearances in the third book. One of my favourite quotes is from him:

"If you were king and able to do anything you wished, what would you do, Roland?"
He rested his chin on one small fist, expression dreamy. "I would paint the world red."