Interview: Faith Hunter

Q. Can you share with us how you got started into writing?

A.  In tenth grade, a teacher told me I had a talent for writing, and that I should make my career. I believed her, and started researching the writing life immediately. It still took a lot of years to find an agent and a publisher, but all the prep time was worth it! I tracked that teacher down a few years ago and thanked her. She has meant a lot to my life, probably one of the top 5 or 6 people to influence the person I became.

Q. How were you inspired to write the Jane Yellowrock series?

A. Most of my best writing concepts come while sitting at tea with writer friends. For Jane Yellowrock, it was Kim Harrison. We try to do tea once a month, to catch up on each other’s lives, though the once-a-month goal doesn’t always get met either. (smiles) Anyway, we were brainstorming—tossing out ideas (most impossible or too fanciful for the market) to clear our heads from deadlines that had started to grind on both of us. And I said, “I keep getting this line, ‘Katie’s Ladies, the oldest continuously operating whore house in New Orleans’.” Kim said, “Go with it.” And I did, for maybe 20 minutes. And by the time we left, I had Jane Yellowrock (though she was called Jane Doe at the time) and the beginning pages (in my head) for Skinwalker, the first book in the series.

Q. Fans of Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance love this series, what made you decide to write in this genre?

A. I love to read UF. It’s a combination of hardboiled mystery/thriller and fantasy, in a world I can recognize. It has a contemporary voice and a tone that is dark and edgy. And, since I started my writing career in the mystery/thriller genre, writing under the pen name Gwen Hunter, there is a continuity of writing style that suits me well.

Q. Which actress do you see playing Jane?

A. I haven’t seen her yet. I know she must be out there, but the physical requirements are going to be hard to match. Jane’s is no powder-puff. She’s a six-foot tall, Cherokee warrior with yellow eyes, a big mouth, a tender heart, and love of edged weapons and guns. She has superb fighting skills. Big shoulders. So… I just don’t know. But I’m watching for her!

Q. How much time goes in to putting a novel together?

A. I spend 3 to 4 months writing the rough draft, 1 month on the authorial rewrite, 1 month on the editorial rewrite, and another few weeks on the copy and line edits. The planning stage is 1 to 2 months, but that goes in between other things.

Q. What is a guilty pleasure for you?

A. Really good malty beer. Guinness on tap. Oh, hear me moan. J I allow myself to have one when the hubby and I go out to dinner. More than one just puts the fat on my hips, which are big enough already.

Q. Can you share with us a little about Mercy Blade (of course no spoilers)?

A. Jane has learned that there are other supernatural beings in the world besides witches, vamps, and walkers. In Mercy Blade, Jane gets to meet three more species of beings (four if you count subspecies.) And she learns that love hurts, that maybe it isn’t all it’s cut out to be. She also gets to spend time with Evangelina, Molly’s elder sister, when Molly forces Jane to allow Evangelina to stay as a houseguest. Oy. Talk about oil and water. Jane and Evangelina do not get along at all! Mercy Blade is a more complex book than BloodCross, and it has layers to it that the earlier books didn’t have. And of course, Bruiser and Leo and Rick are big parts of the novel as well. J

Q. What can readers expect to see from you in the coming year?

A. Mercy Blade is out on Jan 4, 2011. I have 5 short stories to write, 2 in the Rogue Mage world, 2 in the Jane Yellowrock world, and one in a crossover world with CE Murphy. The Rogue Mage Role Playing game will be out. (It only took 4 years to write!) I want to explore some Jane Yellowrock spinoffs. And I’d like to get back to writing 2 books a year, one JY books and one spinoff for fun, based in her world. 

Thank you Faith, I am a huge fan!

A. Thank you! I am truly honored to be here!

Faith