Twisted

Q & A with Gena Showalter

Q: Aden Stone has grown up with little understanding and a lot of pain and still has become a caring, compassionate person with a healthy sense of right and wrong. What was the inspiration behind this strong and complex hero?

A: I am surrounded by heroes. My father, husband, brothers. They are men who would take a bullet to protect their loved ones. (And, yes, even me.) I like to think Aden has their courage and their deep sense of loyalty. And I so admire them for those traits because, honestly, I curl into a ball and hide at the first sign of trouble.

Q: In Aden’s first story, Intertwined, you included yourself in your dedication, “Because this one almost killed me,” you said. Has writing the Intertwined Novels gotten easier as you’ve continued? How do you keep all the story threads straight?

A: Gotten easier? God, no! Each one has been more difficult than the last, and I swear Twisted grayed my hair. (I’d also swear that extra ten pounds I picked up is Twisted’s fault, too, and has nothing to do with that bread pudding.) The characters are growing, evolving, and so are the happenings around them. As for keeping the threads straight, I’d love to tell you how organized I am, how I keep everything in a Word doc or a notebook. Yeah. I’d really love to tell you that. Instead, I have to admit that everything is jumbled inside my head, and I have to fit the pieces together after I’ve written my first draft.

Q: Which one of the Intertwined Novels characters do you relate to most, and why?

A: I’m probably a mix of Aden and the souls. All my life I’ve had people living inside my head—story characters—and they do talk to me. I talk to them, too, and it used to freak my family out. I’m a homebody who rarely leaves the house. My smart mouth sometimes gets me into trouble, and yet I’m a mediator who wants everyone around her to be happy (except when I’m the one who’s angry, and then all bets are off). I love my family and friends more than anything, and—I’m just gonna say it—my mind sweeps through the gutter upon occasion.

Q: In the Intertwined Novels, vampires are living, breathing creatures who sleep in beds and can go out in daylight. How did you come up with the vampire mythology for this series?

A: One of my favorite things to do is play with mythology. Using certain already accepted aspects helps ground the world I hope to create in reality, and twisting those same aspects adds flavor. I knew I wanted my vamps to exist in differing stages. The younger vamps, who are the most humanlike (except for their raging need for blood), the middle-of-the-roaders, who begin to exhibit more vampirelike/supernatural abilities, and the elders, who are very much like the vampires of legend. That way, there is always a change to anticipate…or dread.

Q: Aden and Mary Ann have evolved from students working to get through high school into targets for all of paranormal-kind. What’s your most memorable moment from high school, and how did it change you?

A: Once I walked in the cafeteria and a “friend” lifted my skirt—and held it up while I twisted and turned trying to cover my…assets. She thought it was hilarious. I was mortified. For several seconds that seemed like an eternity, everyone got a peek at my undies. While there was nothing I could do to change what had happened, I learned that being treated with respect is hugely important, there are boundaries friends should never cross, and that it’s okay to end a toxic relationship.

Q: Riley’s primary job is to guard Victoria, a duty that is both rewarding and frustrating. What are the best and worst jobs that you’ve ever had?

A: I’ve worked as an aircraft title searcher (interesting), a calendar sales girl (frustrating), a food service provider (stressful), a day-care worker (really stressful), and a nurse’s assistant (really, really stressful). What I learned: I truly enjoy sleeping in, and I suck at customer service. My favorite job is, hands down, writing. I’m doing what I love: creating, weaving stories. And I get to sleep in. Of course, I work seven days a week and sometimes fifteen hours a day, but it’s totally worth it!

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be an author, and what was your journey to publication like?

A: I’d already dropped out of college three times and quit what seemed like a thousand jobs. Before I could allow myself to venture down the writing road, I had to prove I could actually finish a book. So, I wrote that first one in three months—and it sucked. But I’d done it, I’d written it from beginning to end, and as difficult as it was, I loved the process. I wrote another and another and kept sending them to publishers—and kept receiving rejections. Until that seventh book, about five years later. Finally, in 2004 I had a taker! Harlequin and I have been working together ever since.

Q: What advice do you have for anyone who aspires to be an author?

A: Read, read, read, and write, write, write. The more you read, the more you’ll subconsciously understand story structure. The more you write, the more you’ll understand your own process and how to maximize your strengths. Also, write from the heart, not what you think others would want you to write. You do, and you’ll find your story magic. Oh, and never give up. Giving up is the only sure way to fail.

Thank you, Gena!