By Christina Radish
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Keri Arthur at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention Book Fair held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Houston, Texas on April 28, 2007. |
Born in Melbourne, Australia, Keri Arthur’s supernatural Guardian series follows Riley Jenson, a rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf. Riley, along with her twin brother, Rhoan, work for the Directorate of Other Races, an organization created to police the supernatural races and protect humans from their wrongdoings. The fifth installment in the sexy New York Times best-selling series, Embraced by Darkness, sees Riley thrown yet another curve ball, when the alpha of her estranged pack -- and the man who tried to kill her -- demands her help to find his missing granddaughter. Riley would love to refuse, but if she does, her mother will die. And, if that isn’t enough, something is tearing humans to shreds, and it’s up to Riley to track down the killer before another soul is claimed. Packed with fast-paced action, paranormal intrigue and passion at every turn, Embraced by Darkness is a steamy addition to this thrilling series.
Currently hard at work on the sixth Guardian book, The Darkest Kiss, scheduled for release in September 2008, Arthur (www.KeriArthur.com) talks to MediaBlvd Magazine about writing Riley, as well as her upcoming Myth and Magic series, scheduled for release in February 2008.
MediaBlvd Magazine> How long have you been writing?
Keri Arthur> I’ve been writing since I was, roughly, 12 years old, just for the fun of it, mostly. I think it all started when I read a book, as a kid, and didn’t like the ending and decided to rewrite it. And, I basically haven’t stopped writing since then.
MediaBlvd> Had you had any training, as a writer?
Keri> My only training has been learning as I’ve been writing. I’ve been a member of the Romance Writers of Australia for quite awhile, and have learned a lot through the authors there. But, basically, I’ve just been learning by my bootstraps.
MediaBlvd> In what ways do you think your background and childhood have influenced your writing?
Keri> I’ve always loved horror books and fantasy books, and that’s the combination I tend to write a lot. I’ve always been a bit of an escapist, even as a kid, so writing fantasy worlds has always been natural to me.
MediaBlvd> Why do you think those types of stories have become so popular?
Keri> It’s just another form of escapist fiction. People don’t want to read so much about the realities of the world, and it’s fun to read about vampires, and stuff like that.
MediaBlvd> For those who aren’t familiar with your Guardian series, who is Riley Jensen?
Keri> Riley is a dhampire, which is half-vampire, half-werewolf. Her twin brother, Rhoan, is a Guardian who works for the Directorate and, in the first book, Full Moon Rising, he goes missing. That book starts off with Riley trying to track him down and find out what’s happening with him. Kissing Sin deepens the mystery of who is after Riley and why. And, the third book, Tempting Evil, is the confrontation between Riley and the people who want her.
MediaBlvd> There were glimpses into Riley’s past in the latest book, Embraced by Darkness, with regard to her pack and her mother. Will the renewed contact with her pack force her to examine more of her vampire side, which she seems to ignore, as well as her werewolf side?
Keri> You certainly see the dynamics between Riley and the pack leader and his son, and how differently Riley handles it now that she is older. She’s still ignoring her vampire side, mostly, though it will be something she has to deal with in later books.
MediaBlvd> Will you be exploring her love life throughout the series, and do you expect to have a resolution to her relationship with Quinn, at some point?
Keri> Her relationships are very important, in the books. Quinn is an ongoing problem with her, so he’s featured in most of the books. Yes, there will be a resolution. It’s currently planned for book 8 or 9. I’m not sure which one it’ll be, until I write book 7.
MediaBlvd> How did you initially come up with the characters of Riley and Rhoan? Was there a specific inspiration for them?
Keri> I’ve always loved werewolves, and the world itself developed from two werewolf books(Beneath a Rising Moon and Beneath a Darkening Moon) that I wrote for ImaJinn. Basically, that crystallized all the mythos for all my werewolves. The actual inspiration for Full Moon Rising came from an article I was reading on cloning, discussing the possible uses, and it mentioned things, like bringing dead relatives back to life. I thought, “Ooh, creepy,” and it just sort of all developed from there -- mad scientists wanting to create perfect humans and fighting machines, and stuff like that.
MediaBlvd> Did you always know that Riley would be the main character, or had you ever contemplated having it be Rhoan?
Keri> No, it’s always been Riley because I’ve always liked kick-ass heroines. And, it’s easy for me to write from a female perspective, naturally. A lot of my books are third person, in male heads, but I just loved first person.
MediaBlvd> Did you have any specific goals to make Riley different from all the other characters in this same genre?
Keri> We all like to try to make our characters different. We don’t set out to make them similar, at all. But, I just wanted to make her fun and dangerous and sexy, and hopefully I’ve achieved that.
MediaBlvd> Riley isn’t always the most likable character, which makes her more interesting. Was that complexity intentional, or did that develop as you were writing her?
Keri> That developed as I was writing her. I tend not to plot, so all my characters and plots develop as I’m writing.
MediaBlvd> Does that make it more difficult to write her, or does all of that complexity make it easier?
Keri> It makes it fun to write her. It’s really a journey I take with the character, which I think is a great way to write. I think it does help.
MediaBlvd> You have a definite humor and sarcasm in the tone of your books. Does that come from you, personally, or is that just how the characters are?
Keri> A lot of it is the character, but I love humor and sarcasm in books, so I do try to put it in there a bit.
MediaBlvd> Your stories tend to be very character driven. Are any of the characters like you?
Keri> No, not at all.
MediaBlvd> How soon after you began to explore Riley did the secondary characters come into play with the story?
Keri> Her brother wasn’t originally meant to be gay. That just happened. And, his relationship with Liander developed right through the books, and will continue to develop. His relationship will contrast to Riley’s relationships, throughout the books.
MediaBlvd> Where did the idea for the Directorate come from?
Keri> It just seemed natural, to me, that if vampires and werewolves were real and accepted into society, then society would have some means of policing them because ordinary humans wouldn’t be able to cope, since they’re stronger and faster, and stuff like that. So, naturally, it seemed that they’d have a specialized police force that would be able to police them.
MediaBlvd> You have an ability to write very steamy, sensual sex scenes. When you started writing sex scenes, did they come easier or harder for you than you expected them to?
Keri> My earlier books hardly had any sex scenes in them at all. It wasn’t something I started off being comfortable with. But, the more I’ve written sex scenes, the more comfortable I’ve become with them. If the characters are sexual characters, then you’ve got to put those things in to make them sexual and sexy, and full of tension too. There’s a lot of rewriting involved. I used to write a little bit and say, “Oh, no, that’s enough,” and then I’ll go and write an action scene because I love the bloodshed scenes. Then, I would come back and write the sex scene a little bit more, and make it steamier. I got into writing the sex scenes better by just doing a little bit at a time, and then gradually working it up. It’s got to fit the story and the characters.
MediaBlvd> How long ago did you write Full Moon Rising compared to when it was published, and was it a hard sell?
Keri> It was written about three years before it was actually accepted. It went through quite a few rewrites. I actually didn’t send it to publishers. I sent it out to agents. The agent before I got Miriam Kriss, from Irene Goodman, loved it and suggested a series of big rewrites, which were absolutely brilliant, and then decided, in the end, that she didn’t know where to place it. But, it was those rewrites that got me Miriam’s interest, and then Bantam’s. It was about two years of rewrites before it was sold.
MediaBlvd> Were there major changes made to it, or just little tweaks?
Keri> The first three chapters of the story were majorly changed from the original. Riley wasn’t as active, in the beginning, as she is now. She was a bit more passive in the original draft.
MediaBlvd> When did you know this would be a series, or was that something you had always intended?
Keri> I didn’t start off wanting to do a series, but I got half-way through the book and thought, “This could be a series.” Originally, it was just going to be two books, and then I got to the end of the second book and thought, “Nope, this is going to be three.” Then it was five books. Now, it’s open-ended. .
MediaBlvd> Do you have some sort of idea about where you want to end it?
Keri> I have definite ideas for where the emotional plot is going. The mystery plot is more open-ended.
MediaBlvd> How do you find the right balance between the action and the emotion of the story?
Keri> That’s tough. I tend to go up and down a little bit. I tend to build, right through the book. If I’ve got a big action scene, I try to give the reader a little bit of relief before I hit them again. That’s what I aim for, when I’m writing. I usually don’t know if I’ve succeeded or not until it’s had a read-through, usually by my crit partners or by my agent. I rely on them a lot.
MediaBlvd> Why do you think it turns out that so many of your strong female characters have to suffer so much?
Keri> It’s fun to read about these people who have to go through so much, and then come out, at the end, sane and whole.
MediaBlvd> Is there one of your characters that is easiest or most fun for you to write? And, is there one that is particularly difficult?
Keri> I love writing Riley. I actually love writing whatever book I happen to be writing at the time. The only book that gave me trouble was the third book of the Spook Squad series for ImaJinn. I had terrible trouble with that book because the characters stopped speaking to me. It had been two years since I’d written the previous book and I just couldn’t get into the characters, so that was hard. But, I love writing. Whatever I’m writing at the time, I love the characters to death and I just want to keep being with them.
MediaBlvd> When you hear from fans, in regard to Riley, what have you gotten the most comments about?
Keri> They’re just desperate to see what happens to her, and what happens with her and Quinn.
MediaBlvd> Were you surprised that people are as interested in Riley and Quinn as they have been?
Keri> Yeah. You never really know how people are going to accept your books. You wait on tender hooks to see if people like it or not. But, it’s been a good response, so that’s been good.
MediaBlvd> How does it feel to have each of the Riley books hit the best seller list?
Keri> Every author dreams of it happening, but I certainly didn’t expect it to happen so soon! It’s exciting and scary, all at the same time
MediaBlvd> Was that anything you ever expected? And, does that create added pressure for you to do that every time?
Keri> Did I expect it? No. Did I hope that it would happen one day? Oh, yeah. And, I guess it does create a certain amount of pressure to create books that sell as well, but really, all any writer can do is write the best book they can, and hope the readers love it.
MediaBlvd> Have you ever had any desire or hope to turn Riley’s story, or any of your other work, into a film, at some point?
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Keri Arthur at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention Book Fair held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Houston, Texas on April 28, 2007. |
Keri> I think all authors want that, don’t they? It would be interesting to see someone else’s vision of my books on screen, but it would have to be good.
MediaBlvd> What is the Destiny series going to be and when that will be released? Who is that character and what is that world about?
Keri> Destiny Kills is the start of my Myth and Magic series. It’s the story of a woman who’s washed up on the beach with no memory. It’s about her trying to remember who she is and what she is, while trying to escape someone who’s desperate to kill her. It’s a fantasy romance series set around different mythical, magical creatures. So, we’ll have dragons, sea dragons, monsters, the Loch Ness monster, a phoenix, etc, starring as our main characters. There are no weres or vampires in this one.
MediaBlvd> Was there a specific inspiration for Destiny, or were you just looking to do another series?
Keri> I wasn’t actually planning to write another series. I was just sitting there in front of The Bourne Identity, one of my favorite movies, one day, and I just started thinking, “Now, why don’t they write movies like this featuring a female hero?" So, I thought I’d write one about a female assassin who’d lost her memory. Of course, once I started writing, my heroine became something more than human, and certainly not an assassin. Then all these other paranormal elements snuck in, as well as our pushy hero, and the whole novel became something totally different than what I’d originally intended.
MediaBlvd> Does writing two series at once help keep things fresh for you, as a writer?
Keri> I think it keeps the muse on her toes, but sometimes it’s really hard to switch off the voice of one character while you’re writing the other, especially since I’ve now written 5 books in Riley’s voice.
MediaBlvd> Was there a specific inspiration for your novella Lifemate Connections: Eryn? Why decide to do it in novella format, instead of a longer novel? And, is that a story you hope to continue, since it was left with room to expand?
Keri> I wrote Lifemate Connections simply because my other publisher, ImaJinn, was looking for short stories to put in an anthology. The story kept growing, however, and became a novella, rather than a short. I’m not planning to write a sequel, but I am hoping to write a few more novellas in that world for ImaJinn.
MediaBlvd> How did it feel when you found out you’d be getting your first book published?
Keri> It was just amazing. I’d been writing for so long. I’d been seriously trying to get published for 15 years, and to have my first acceptance with ImaJinn was just a brilliant feeling. I think I danced about.
MediaBlvd> How many books had you written prior to that first one that got published?
Keri> I’d actually written quite a few. Dancing with the Devil was the fourth book I’d completed, but I’d completed that about 10 years ago, and had just been working on rewrites since. I had about 8 or 9 books completed, by the time Dancing with the Devil was accepted.
MediaBlvd> How close was the published version of Dancing with the Devil to the first draft you had written?
Keri> Not very close at all. Ten years is a lot of rewrites. ImaJinn actually rejected the first copy of Dancing with the Devil that I sent to them because it had too much Aussie slang in it, as well as a few other problems. So, I rewrote it and sent it back to them, and they accepted that version. Even with the Riley series, there’s stuff I say in there that I actually have to change because my editors don’t understand what I mean. Little words that are in common, everyday use in Australia, most Americans wouldn’t really understand. We get a lot of American content here, in the news and on TV, so American slang, to us, is more understandable than what Australian slang would be to most Americans.
MediaBlvd> Do you ever look back at any of your earlier work and just cringe, and hope that some of the things you’ve written never see the light of day?
Keri> Well, the first three books I ever wrote will never see the light of day. I actually pull them out of the drawer occasionally and think, “Oh, my God, that is so bad,” then shove them back in the drawer again.
MediaBlvd> In what ways do you think you’ve changed, as a writer, since publishing your first novel?
Keri> I’ve learned a lot from being published. It’s amazing how much you think you know that you don’t, until you are actually published. I think it’s improved my writing a whole lot. That’s been good.
MediaBlvd> Will you be revisiting any of your previous characters in future books at all?
Keri> No, I probably won’t revisit any of the characters in past books. I’m going to revisit some of the worlds I’ve created, but using separate characters, not using the same characters.
MediaBlvd> You’ve written so many fascinating, complex characters. Do you have a favorite character that you’ve written?
Keri> At the moment, Riley is my most favorite character, probably because I’m still so deeply in her world. Although, I am enjoying writing my Myth and Magic books. That will be interesting.
MediaBlvd> With all of your current success, do you still think about the possibility of failure, or do you feel pretty confident in yourself now, as a writer?
Keri> Oh, God, no. I think about failure every day. I work alone, which is basically what most writers do. It’s very hard. Most of us aren’t overly confident. At least, most of my writer friends aren’t overly confident about what they do. And, yeah, failure is in my thoughts, every day.
MediaBlvd> When you read good reviews about your work and people tell you how much they love certain things, does that create added pressure for you, when you sit down to write the next book, or are you able to put all that stuff out of your head?Keri> When I’m writing, I put it out of my head. Although I’ve finished a book, I worry about whether it’s going to live up to the expectations, action wise and sexual tension wise, and all that.
MediaBlvd> How do you feel when you get compared to other authors? Are you okay with that, or would you prefer to just be known for your own style?
Keri> It’s fantastic to be compared to other great writers. But, at the same time, I’d like to be known for my own writing. It’s a bit of both. It is very strange, but it’s something that happens all the time, so you basically accept it.
MediaBlvd> Do you enjoy getting feedback or suggestions from fans?
Keri> Other than the fact that fans want me to write some of my older series, asking “When are you going to write the next Nikki and Michael book?,” or “When are you going to finish Spook Squad?,” I haven’t had many requests or suggestions.
MediaBlvd> Have you ever written a character that your fans just hated?
Keri> No, not yet.
MediaBlvd> What do you enjoy about meeting fans at events, like the Romantic Times Convention (www.RTConvention.com)?
Keri> Romantic Times is just amazing. I was just blown away. It was great meeting all the different authors and all the different fans, and having people come up to me and say, “Oh, I love your books.” It was just good, putting faces to names, and meeting everyone who loves the genre that I write in, and talking to everyone. It’s just amazing. I’ve been to Romance Writers of America conferences and they’re more writer aimed, whereas Romantic Times is more fan aimed. It’s just fantastic. It’s a great lot of fun.
MediaBlvd> You have so many different elements to your stories. How would you classify your work, and does that ever coincide with where it’s actually filed in bookstores?
Keri> I tend to classify it as urban fantasy or, in the case of Riley, dark urban fantasy. It’s not romance because it hasn’t got a happy ending, although it has romantic elements in it. Most of my books have been filed where they should be, in paranormal romance or urban fantasy.
MediaBlvd> Have you ever had an editor want you to make corrections that you just didn’t agree with?
Keri> I haven’t actually reached that point yet. Most of the corrections that I’ve been given, I totally agree with. Usually, they just add more to the story, like more depth or more sense. Editors are there because they know what they’re doing, so I tend to trust them.
MediaBlvd> Do you have any specific writing habits, like a particular location or time of day that you prefer to write in?
Keri> My biggest writing habits are having the music blasting, and having a cup of tea or water beside me. Other than that, I can pretty well write any time. I find the music takes away the other noises, like the TV in the background or the traffic, or whatever.
MediaBlvd> Do you write every day, and do you have a set amount of time you like to write for?
Keri> I try to write every day, and I try to do a minimum of five pages, every day.
MediaBlvd> Do you ever plot, or do you just prefer to see where the story and the characters take you?
Keri> Most of the time, I try to see where the story goes. With the 5th Riley book, Embraced by Darkness, I plotted the last bit because I just couldn’t figure out where I was going and I needed to sit down and just have an outline. But, my outlines are very rough. They’re not detailed. They’re just a couple little words, like “go to club, get into a fight,” stuff like that, that gives me a rough idea of where I’m going.
MediaBlvd> How often are you surprised with the direction a story takes?
Keri> Quite often, but that’s part of the fun of writing, for me. You get into these situations where you had no intentions of going and, all of a sudden, you’re there.
MediaBlvd> What do you do if you’re working on something and the story just isn’t working out? Do you try to rework it, or do you throw it out and try to start over?
Keri> If it’s a contracted book, I will keep working on it, regardless. If it’s not a contracted book, I’ll put it aside, work on something else for awhile, and then come back to it and see where it went wrong, and try to rework it from there.
MediaBlvd> How do you juggle being a full-time writer with being a full-time mother to a teenage daughter?
Keri> I prioritize. I don’t do housework. My first priority was motherhood and writing, so I basically gave up housework. I thought that was a good compromise.
MediaBlvd> Does your daughter read any of your work?
Keri> No. She could read it now, but I stopped her from reading it when she was younger because it tends to be a bit gory. She’s not interested in reading any of it.
MediaBlvd> Have there been any writers who have particularly influenced you and your work, over the years?
Keri> My favorite writers aren’t actually in the genre I’m writing in. I love Stephen King. I love James Herbert. I love Dick Francis. When I grow up, I want to be Dick Francis. I just adore his writing.
MediaBlvd> Did you intentionally look to authors that were outside the genre that you’re writing in?
Keri> I do read authors in the genre. I love Lilith Saintcrow’s stuff. I love a lot of Laurell K. Hamilton’s stuff. I do read it, but I don’t tend to read a lot of it.
MediaBlvd> Have you ever had any moments when you thought you might just give up writing entirely and do something else?
Keri> I’ve had moments where I never thought I’d get there. I thought, “Why am I bothering because no one’s ever going to like it?” But, I’ve never had moments where I’d give up writing entirely because it’s something I have to do, regardless. The stories just keep going in my head, so I have to get rid of them.
MediaBlvd> What is your proudest accomplishment thus far, either personally, professionally or both?
Keri> Personally, I think bringing up my daughter to be sane and sensible, in this world, is a great accomplishment. Professionally, just the mere fact that I got my books out there is a great accomplishment. This lone writer in Melbourne, Australia has managed to get my books published in America. I think that’s a huge thing.
MediaBlvd> Have you given any thought, as to what you’d like to do in the future, if given the chance?
Keri> I just really want to keep writing great books. I want to write great books that people want to read. I’m not sure how far I’m going to go with Riley. It depends on how I go with the ideas. If she ends, I’ll write something else, that will probably be another urban fantasy with a tough, kick-ass heroine because that’s what I love.
MediaBlvd> Have you given any thought to writing outside of the genre, or is this the genre you want to stick with?
Keri> I have written outside the genre. I’ve written straight romances, and I’ve written a few mysteries. But, I just keep going back to the paranormal romance and the dark urban fantasy genres. I tend to want to shoot things or create havoc, which is not good in the romance genre. It is so much more fun.
MediaBlvd> What sort of advice can you offer to aspiring writers who are looking to get published?
Keri> Never give up your dream because it can happen. It just takes persistence. I’m proof of the pudding.
