Q&A: Gena Showalter on her fave characters, books, Kresley Cole

Gena Showalter

When I picked up my first Gena Showalter novel — THE DARKEST NIGHT — I was skeptical. A series based on immortal warriors who were naughty and opened Pandora’s box? And now each must live with a demon released from the box? But that Gena. What an imagination. Now I’m hooked on her LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD series. Ditto for her ALIEN HUNTRESS books. Haven’t started her ATLANTIS series yet, but did devour DEEP KISS OF WINTER, which has a story by Gena and one from the fab KRESLEY COLE. Here’s what Gena had to say about some of her characters and why she likes writing paranormal romance. CLICK HERE for part 2 of the interview, where she talks about how she writes!

Q. What did you do before you started to write?
A. To be honest, I was a professional slacker.  I couldn’t hold a job for more than a week or so, and was even voted Worst Employee Ever – by my own mother!  I wasn’t lazy at fault, you understand.  I was training for my romance writing career.  Stories were constantly floating through my head, so I daydreamed.  A lot.

Q. Why write paranormal romance?
A. I’m fascinated by relationships and “what if.”  With the paranormal, anything is possible.  There are no limitations to what I can write about.  What if immortal warriors unleashed the demons from Pandora’s box?  What if an ordinary girl developed unexpected superpowers?  What if aliens walked among us?  What if a young boy had four human souls trapped inside his head?

With romance, I get to watch a relationship develop from the very beginning.  What attracts these two people to each other?  What makes the other special/different than any other boyfriend or girlfriend?  How do they compliment each other?  How do they make things work?

Q. What’s your favorite world you’ve created and why?
A. Well, my two favorite characters are William from Lords of the Underworld and Devyn from Alien Huntress.  I would want to live with them in their worlds.  Maybe I’d even like to watch them fight over me.  Not that I’d encourage such behavior, you understand.  But if one of them were to throw a punch, who would I be to stand in their way?

Q. Do you have a fave character/tortured soul from your books?
A. I adore the rogues.  There’s just something so wonderful about watching a womanizer being brought to his knees and becoming a virtual slave to the female he loves.

Gena and Kresley at a book signing.

Q. How did you and Kresley Cole hook up? What is it that you like about her stories?
A. I met Kresley years ago at a writer’s conference and told her how much I loved her books.  I might have even drooled on her. I just adore that woman and love her more every day.  She’s one of the sweetest, wittiest people I know.  And her books . . .  wow.  Amazing!  They are sizzling, thrilling and fun.  I want to marry every single one of her heroes.

Q.  Who are you reading now? Any fave paranormal romance books/authors?
A. I have lots of favorites!  Jill Monroe, PC and Kristin Cast, Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, JR Ward, Candace Havens, Karen Moning, MelJean Brook, Deidre Knight, Jessica Andersen, and many more.  Up next, I’m excited to read When Blood Calls, an ARC by J.K. Beck.

Q. What’s up next?
A. Right now I’m working on the rough draft to ECSTASY IN DARKNESS, McKell’s story from the Alien Huntress series.  After that, I’ll probably work on the next Lords of the Underworld novel.  That will most likely be Amun’s story.   Then Strider’s story.  Then, dare I say, Paris’s story.

Look for Part 2 of her interview this weekend!

Here is a list of author interviews on the blog.

Keri Arthur – On her Riley Jenson series and why it must end!

Christine Feehan — Drake Sisters and Dark Slayer

Alyson Noel — Her Immortals Series

Charlaine Harris — Her latest Sookie book and HBO’s TRUE BLOOD

Jennifer Lyon: BLOOD MAGIC

Shana Abe: THE TREASURE KEEPER

Susan Squires: TIME FOR ETERNITY

Linda  O Johnston: ALPHA WOLF