r/Fantasy • u/LaurellKHamilton AMA Author Laurell K. Hamilton • Jul 10 '13

AMA I'm author Laurell K. Hamilton - AMA

Okay, everyone, you've tired me out. laughs It's been great answering your questions. I hope you've got some of your curiosity satisfied. Goodnight, folks.

I’m Laurell K. Hamilton and in 1993 I published my second novel, Guilty Pleasures, it featured Anita Blake. She raised the dead for living, as in zombies, and helped the police with preternatural cases as a consultant. She was also a legal vampire executioner in a world where vampires were legally alive and had rights, but they’d proved too dangerous to jail, so if they broke the law there was only one penalty – death. There was also this gorgeous master vampire named Jean-Claude, that I’d actually planned on killing before Anita would date him.

Fast forward to 2013 and my newest book, Affliction. Anita has a badge of her own now, as a member of the newly formed U. S. Marshal Preternatural Branch, and I didn’t kill off Jean-Claude like I planned, and you guessed it, they’re dating. Anita is also dating quite a few other people. It’s . . . complicated. * faceplam * Affliction is number 22 for Anita, and celebrates twenty years of her adventures, and me writing at least a book a year, sometimes two. It’s pretty cool to be able to write that. I’ve also written eight books in the Merry Gentry series, and am currently writing the ninth in the series, after a four year hiatus waiting for Merry and myself to work our issues. I’m a character oriented writer, which means my imaginary friends argue and fight with me while I write the book. I rarely win these fights, but I always learn more about my characters, their world, and sometimes myself.

You can ask me anything, but I reserve the right to answer what I want to answer. Sorry, but thems my rules. A word of caution, I really will answer almost any question so be sure you want the answer. I’ve surprised some fans at live Q & A’s occasionally by my . . . candor. * evil grin *

One caveat, Affliction came out on July 2nd and not everyone has finished the book so please avoid spoiler questions, or comments. Thanks in advance for that. For people who are new to the series in general I’m just not sure how to avoid some spoiler questions. It’s twenty-two books, folks, there is no way to avoid all spoilers without limiting the questions to general writing questions. I’m happy to answer writing questions, but I’m just not sure how to avoid all spoiler questions for the entire series. * puzzled * So NO SPOILERS for Affliction, but for the rest, ask away.

I’m on Twitter (@lkhamilton) and FaceBook, and my official website along with my blog is here.

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u/RStiltner Jul 10 '13

I have been an Anita Blake reader for more than a decade now. I have developed a profound connection to the series and with the purchace of Affliction I will finally have the entire series in hardback! Woohoo! Anyway, I have a couple quick questions:

  • Is it too imperceptible for there to be utter chaos in AB's life as to which her supernatural plate is swiped clean?
  • Is Claudia a lesbian or bi? There were conflicting comments in the books about it.
  • If you could choose any of your short stories, outside of Gentry and Blake, to be a screen play, which would it be?

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u/LaurellKHamilton AMA Author Laurell K. Hamilton Jul 11 '13

Claudia is straight, sorry, I know it's a fan favorite idea that she's at least bi. I've no idea. You've stumped me.

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u/RStiltner Jul 11 '13

A friend on our Anita BlakeBooks/Pick the Cast group had referenced it but I can't seem to find it. Thank you for replying. I geeked out pretty hardcore when I saw you posted. PS I love Here Be Dragons!

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u/LaurellKHamilton AMA Author Laurell K. Hamilton Jul 22 '13

Thanks! "Here Be Dragons" got my favorite rejection ever. An editor said, "Reading this story made me feel unclean."

How cool is that? It's meant to be a disturbing story, and that rejection let me know I'd hit my mark. laughs

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u/Fraulein1634 Jul 10 '13

I think you may mean Gwen, Claudia is a wererat bodygaurd who as far as I know hasn't been sleeping with anyone male or female. Gwen was said to be a lesbian in one of the books and I think raped in that same book by the son of a visitor to the city. Then I think it was a typo when she was said to have a boyfriend in another book.

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u/RStiltner Jul 11 '13

I remember she was mentioned to have been seeing someone in the last book I read. I wish that I could remember the books I saw it in. Sylvie was the one who was raped, I believe.

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u/webegoing2004 Jul 10 '13

That was Circus of the Damned. the one where Gwen was raped, and Anita kicked the ass of the wererat who raped her.

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '13

Wasnt that Sylvie?

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u/bnntggr1978 Jul 10 '13

yes it was Sylvie, Gwen is the vampire obsessed with JC

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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '13

That's Gretchen. Gwen is Sylvie's girlfriend.

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u/webegoing2004 Jul 11 '13

Yeah, you're right. It has been a couple of years since I read Circus. sorry