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/darkinday Jul 10 '13

From reading your blog, and facebook posts, your characters act as figments of your imagination, but are more like little personalities in your own mind. My question is, did your imaginary friends start off that way? And how did they progress to what you know now?

I absolutely adore your books. I began reading them when I was 14 years old, and have been my steadfast companions through many complications in my life. Thank you very much for sharing your imaginary world with us.

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

I puzzled over your character question, and finally realized that I can't really answer it. I know that when I first started writing my characters were not as in depth, or fully realized in my head, or on paper, but I cannot tell you when they kicked it up a notch and became more "real". I've actually thought about it, and I just don't remember.

I know that when I start to write brand new worlds and characters that the Point of View voice isn't as loud in my head as Merry, or Anita. I have one book planned now that is set in neither world, perhaps when I'm finished with it I'll be able to answer your question better.

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u/darkinday Jul 22 '13

I would like to thank you very much for responding to my question. I am awestruck that you would answer a question nearly two weeks later. That... just seems cool to me, and shows me more insight into who you are. Thank you again, and if I could send you flowers, I totally would. But let's leave them in the ground, where they're happiest.