motion and word. From the first moment of eye contact—that first spark of awareness—to the final, well, explosion, they are in charge. And really, every character has a different past, different likes and dislikes, different hopes and dreams, different experiences. Those differences keep everything fresh. (Fresh. Ha! See what I did there?)
Karen Marie Moning: Is there a supernatural or mythological race you’ve always dreamed of introducing to the world, either as a love interest or a kick-ass secondary character?
GS: Yes, oh yes! I wanted to introduce the Harbingers to the Lords of the Underworld universe and in The Darkest Torment I finally had the chance. Well, to at least mention the Harbingers. In the next Lords of the Underworld book, the war between Hades and Lucifer will hit a new level of dangerous, and I’ll be able to delve more deeply into the Harbinger mythology. I’m bubbling over with excitement. Get ready for my freakiest, deadliest race yet!
JR Ward: Gena, I need to know—which Lord would you play Never Have I Ever with? And which one would you NOT do it with? Wait. That sounds dirty. Also what’s your never ever??? Okay, okay, I’ll stop!
GS: Ha! I think I would hate playing Never Have I Ever with... Strider. Actually, hate is too strong a word. Dislike, maybe? The dude is keeper of Defeat and he can’t lose a single challenge without suffering agonizing pain. I imagine he’d bust a freaking nut in his effort to outdo me, and I’d laugh and then he’d curse at me and then I’d throw something at him. And my never ever...this is probably horrible to admit but when it comes to these warriors I don’t think I have a never ever, LOL. Gimme some sugar!
Jeaniene Frost: If you could go back, would you change anything in the series?
GS: Every time I’ve sat down to write a new Lords of the Underworld book, I’ve wanted to go back and change something so badly. Now, without a manuscript in front of me and certain rules influencing the direction I can go, I would limit my changes to a handful of character arcs. I would rewrite Sienna’s journey. I would pair Paris with Viola, even though a lot of readers would revolt. I would do Gideon speak differently. But most of all, I would plot out the entire series before ever writing book one—The Darkest Night—so that I would have a clear path to follow.
Kathryn Smith/Kady Cross: Knowing how much you love your fur kids, and animals in general, which Lord would you trust to babysit your pets?
GS: Oh, man! Trust one of those naughty men with my babies? I never say never...until today. Never! Okay, okay. They aren’t that bad. When they love a woman, they are willing to die to protect her and everything she holds dear. So I’d go with Baden. Now that he’s hooked up with Katarina, the alpha of the hellhounds, all canines are precious to him. He’d take excellent care of my pack...and I’d enjoy watching him on my nanny cam.
Kresley Cole: My dearest, glorious Gena, moon of my life, my sun and stars, which Lord would you like to be stuck with on a deserted tropical island? (Keep in mind that I would be paddling madly to reach said island to join you two.)
GS: Because I love and adore you—my darling love bunny—I’d be willing to share my bounty with you! We’d need to pick the Lord most likely to 1) hunt and prepare our every meal 2) give us daily massages 3) build the best shelter for us 4) never attempt to escape our clutches, and 5) not get jealous when I choose to spoon you instead of him. With all of that in mind, I think I’d go with... Lucien! He can see into the spirit realm as well as the natural realm, so he can better stop any threat to our paradise. He can flash in the best food, and he’s very good with his hands... (P.S. bring a laptop because I will insist you write stories for me!)
Jill Monroe: I know so many of your characters are based on me, but are there others based on real people?
GS: My inspired-by-JM characters are my favorites! As for the other characters...well, none are based solely on one person, but I do take bits and pieces/personality traits from the people I love. I mean, I just happen to have the most amazing cast of family and friends in the