history of the universe, so why not share the gold? In fact, my youngest sister once called to tell me she’d read my book and discovered a line she’d once said to our mother.
Roxanne St. Claire: Describe the Lords of the Underworld series in three compound words. Must use hyphens!!
GS: Racking my brain... Okay, I’ve got it! I’d go with: Mouth-watering, ride-or-die and redemption-not-optional.
I asked my editor (the wonderful Allison Carroll) the same question and here’s what she had to say:
Un-put-downable, magically-delicious and epically-alpha.
Kristen Painter: Which Lord is most likely to become a crazy cat guy?
GS: I have to go with... Paris! He’s such a lady magnet. Females the world over—whether human or otherwise—flock to him. They just can’t help themselves. But now I’m kicking myself for not writing cats into the storyline! I can see them all over the fortress, bugging the warriors while they train. Okay, don’t be surprised if this happens in future stories!
Deidre Knight: Which Lord would you like to take on vacation—and where?
GS: I’d have to go with... Strider! Even though he’d be the last person I picked for playing games, the keeper of Defeat would ensure I had the best time ever. (Because I’d challenge him, of course.) And I think I’d want to go to a cabin in the mountains, surrounded by snow. Cuddles by the fire...seclusion... Oh, oh! Maybe I’d tour Scotland and Ireland instead. I’ve always wanted to visit, and Strider would look oh, so delicious in a kilt.
Amy Lukavics: Which Lord surprised you the most?
GS: I’d have to say... Torin! Because he hosts the demon of Disease, he’s spent his life locked inside the fortress, interacting with people through a computer screen. He feared kicking off another plague. The moment he was forced out of his comfort zone, however, a ferocious, battle-loving bad-ass overtook him—the warrior he’d locked up on the inside as surely as he’d locked himself in the fortress. I was as shocked as I was delighted.
Lily Everett: Katarina is such a dynamic heroine and she’s absolutely perfect for Baden! In particular, her background as a dog trainer and her relationship with the hellhounds is genius. How did you pick such an inspiring profession for Baden’s heroine?
GS: When I sat down to write The Darkest Torment, I knew I wanted to create a beauty and the beast storyline. But in order for Katarina Joelle to survive this particular beast—an immortal who could snap her neck like a twig with a single twist of his wrist—she had to have an edge. Plus, I loooooved the idea of a woman training a fearsome Lord of the Underworld like a dog. I chuckled like a schoolgirl from start to finish.
Kelli Ireland: Every fan has a favorite Lord (or, ahem, four). Then there’s William the Ever Randy. Can you tell us something about William that the Lords—and we—don’t know yet? Maybe something William really doesn’t want anyone to know.
GS: Oh, Willy. My sweet Willy. I knew his threads in The Darkest Torment would anger some of my readers. I also knew the threads would utterly enrage William. But what happened, well, it had to happen. William is so freaking stubborn. He needed a kick in the pants (and now he needs someone to kiss his wounds and make him better, LOL). As for a secret...
We learned how William became Hades’s son. But what about his biological parents? What about other blood relations? They’re out there...and they are looking for him...
Beth Kendrick: What’s your favorite Lords of the Underworld quote?
GS: There have been lines that made me laugh out loud, lines that made me gasp. Lines that made me shiver. But one of the ones that stands out the most actually comes from this book.
William: You can’t fight the darkness.
Baden: I am the darkness.
To me, it shows the terrible state Baden is in, his lack of hope. Little does he know, light is on the way!
Recruit or Kill?
FROM THE PRIVATE FILES OF HADES,
ONE OF THE NINE KINGS OF THE UNDERWORLD
Ruling an army isn’t a job for the weak. Ruling a legion of armies is a job only for the strongest of the strong. I am that male. The general. The puppeteer. The ultimate gamer. The head coach. The master of all I survey.
Call me whatever you wish. I’m all that, and more.
But if you aren’t for me, you are against me. If you are against me, you are as good as dead. Either way—if you’re alive or dead—I’ll get my hands on you.