Welcome back to Duck Chat!
Today we’re talking to Jessica Andersen, so pull up a chair and get comfy!
With the ancient Mayan prophecy as the backdrop for her Final Prophecy series, Jessica is right on track with some thrilling and intriguing work that readers are clamoring for, and it will take them straight to the supposed end of the world late 2012.
Born and raised in Massachusetts, Jessica is, of course, a New Englander at heart. During her grad school years, she did some scientific work and research for the genetic changes responsible for certain types of glaucoma, all of which help hone her writing skill to give thousands and thousands of romance readers such terrific books today.
Jessica will be popping in and out today, so now’s your chance to ask her a question to find out what you’ve always wanted to know when it comes to to her and her writing. So let’s chat!
DUCK CHAT: Jessica, congrats on the success of your series, Final Prophecy. First, would you tell our readers about the series overall, then we’ll talk about the books themselves.
JESSICA ANDERSEN: Hi, and thanks so much for having me for a visit!
Hmmm… a quickie on the series, eh? Okay, here goes: Ancient prophecy holds that 12/21/2012 will bring a global cataclysm. Mankind’s only hope lies with the Nightkeepers, modern magic-wielding warriors who must find their destined mates and fulfill dire legends to defeat the rise of terrible Mayan demons.
In Nightkeepers, the king of the magi falls for a cynical narcotics detective and must decide between duty and desire when the gods choose her as their next sacrifice. In Dawnkeepers ex-lovers reunite to track down several critical antiquities, and must learn to trust each other in order to defeat an ancient and unexpected enemy. In Skykeepers, a driven warrior-mage rescues a beautiful nonbeliever who may be the key to a vital cache of artifacts, but his dark past threatens their growing love. The fourth book, Demonkeepers, will be out in April 2010!
DC: Has the series evolved as you originally envisioned it?
JA: I’d say that the overall arc has been pretty much how I originally sketched it out (so far, anyway). However, there have definitely been some surprises! Two characters have refused to die on me, even though that was what I had thought would happen. Another was killed unexpectedly. And a couple who I thought was a couple turned out not to be! Eeek!
DC: What was it about the Maya Prophecy that drew you to begin writing your series?
JA: My parents took me out of school so we could travel down to the Yucatan a number of times when I was a kid, back before Chichen Itza was fully restored, and before many of the major ruins became tourist-ified. The ruins, roads, cenotes all made a huge impression on me, as did one particular Maya guide, who talked to me about anti-Mayan prejudice and some of their beliefs. So when I was researching for a story and came across the concept of the 12/21/2012 end to the Maya calendar, I sat there and thought “I totally have to write about this!”
DC: If you could retire any question and never, ever have it asked again, what would it be? Feel free to answer it.
JA: LOLOL! Okay … you know what? I’m quite honestly drawing a blank here. I guess I figure that if I’ve agreed to speak, blog, or otherwise, then I’m offering myself up to talk about whatever interests readers. That’s one reason why I try these days not to just cut and paste canned answers when I do interviews and whatnot. I may be giving the same information to similar questions, but I try not to let it sound the same too often. Besides, you never know … you might catch me in a weird mood and I’ll let rip with something I would normally keep under wraps!
DC: I’ve heard writers often say their stories take them in surprising directions, or dialogue flows from some unknown place. Is it the same with you? Do your characters surprise you sometimes?
JA: Most definitely! I’m usually in charge through the first two hundred pages of the manuscript, but after that, all bets are off!
DC: Let’s start at the beginning with book one, Nightkeepers. Would you tell us about Jaguar and Leah, with a look inside their story?
JA: Here’s a place where I’m going to deviate from my ‘no canned answers’ thing, because I think that the back-cover blurbs describe these stories very well:
As a Miami narcotics detective, Leah Daniels never knows how her day will turn out. But she certainly doesn’t expect to be strapped to a stone altar as the human sacrifice in an ancient Mayan ritual designed to coax a demon from the underworld—or to be saved by a handsome warrior-priest king who claims to recognize her from his visions.
Striking Jaguar thinks he is the last of the Nightkeeper warrior-priests, but as the end-time approaches, his mentor reveals that there are twelve others. In reuniting them, Strike—king by birthright—gains the power to summon a Mayan god to combat the demons. But the woman of his vision is the gods’ chosen sacrifice. Now he must decide between love and duty … or find another way to invoke otherworldly magic in a death-defying race against the end of time.
DC: Do you ever argue with your characters while you’re writing? Who usually wins?
JA: I wouldn’t say that I argue … it’s more that the words stop coming. If I think the story should go one way and the character needs it to go another way, I get blocked. Then it’s time for me to take a shower, muck a stall, go for a drive, do some mowing … something that’ll get my brain wrapped around what, exactly, isn’t working.
DC: What is sure to distract you from sitting down and working/writing?
JA: When I’m at the beginning of a story, almost anything. When I’m at the end of a story, almost nothing.
DC: The second book in the series is Dawnkeepers, where we meet Nate and Alexis. Please tell us about them.
JA: Again, from the back:
Nate Blackhawk can’t help but resent the demands of his bloodline. Unlike his fellow Nightkeepers, he isn’t about to let the gods determine his destiny—especially when it comes to love. Which means he refuses to submit to the unquenchable desire he feels for Alexis Gray, the shockingly beautiful trainee who first appeared in his visions. But that’s easier said than done, considering that Nate needs Alexis’s help in uncovering the seven Mayan artifacts inscribed with clues on how to defeat the demons.
Alexis is willing to do whatever is necessary to prove herself as a Nightkeeper. She believes in the life she was born into and the future the gods have written for her—even when it comes to Nate, who seems intent on ignoring the intense passion between them. But as she and Nate test their powers in a race to recover the seven statuettes before the demons do, Alexis finds it impossible to deny her feelings for the one man who’s destined to be hers.
The latest book in the series is Skykeepers, and Michael and Sasha are featured. Would you please give us some insight into their story?
Again, from the back:
Michael Stone is a man with a dark secret that has skewed his magical abilities dangerously toward the underworld. Seeking redemption, he sets out on a perilous mission to save the daughter of Ambrose Ledbetter, a renowned Mayanist who died before he could reveal the location of a hidden library. The Nightkeepers must find the library before their enemies gain access to its valuable cache of spells and prophecies.
Sasha Ledbetter grew up hearing heroic tales of an ancient group of powerful magi who were destined to save the world from destruction. She never expected that her bedtime stories would come to life in the form of Nightkeeper Michael Stone, or that she’d hold the key to the warrior’s survival. As Sasha and Michael join forces to prevent the imminent battle, sparks of attraction ignite between them, and they’re forced to confront the unexpected passion that brings them together … and also tears them apart.
DC: You have an undergraduate degree in biology and a PhD in genetics. Did your education help when writing your books? How?
JA: My research training definitely helps me track down the information I need and want when I work on these books. I love the history and the science of the Nightkeepers’ world, so the research has become as much a hobby as a job. That’s the good news. The bad news is that as I write, I keep wanting to include all the cool details I’ve learned about. . . and usually wind up with a really fat manuscript. So then I have to cut it back by focusing on the details that need to be in the story for the sake of the romance and the plot, and aren’t just cases of me thinking ‘ooh, that’s cool!’
DC: How many books are planned in the series?
JA: I’m planning nine books and at least one novella, with the series finishing (you guessed it) at the end of 2012!
DC: What’s on the horizon for Jessica Andersen?
JA: The fourth Keepers book, Demonkeepers, will be out in April 2010, followed by Visionkeepers in October (or maybe November? I’m not sure). I can’t wait to share these stories with readers!!!
Lightning Round:
– dark or milk chocolate? Milk all the way!
– smooth or chunky peanut butter? – Hmmm… depends on whether I’m feeling mellow (a smooth day) or kind of sharp (definitely chunky).
– heels or flats? – OMG flats! I have one pair of high-heeled boots—if the dress doesn’t go with those boots, then it doesn’t come home with me!
– coffee or tea? – Tea! Preferably Taso Awake.
– summer or winter? – Can I say fall? I’m a New Englander, so autumn has that perfect-temp-not-too-rainy-pretty-foliage thing going on.
– mountains or beach? – Mountains, definitely. I love hiking and being active, and am not so much into water sports outside of chlorinated pools (somehow I’m always the one who steps on the jellyfish and/or snapping turtle).
– mustard or mayonnaise? – A light scraping of both, one on each slice of bread. What? Me particular? Never!! (Snicker)
– flowers or candy? – Candy. Total sweet tooth here. Though flowers are a lovely touch, too J.
– pockets or purse? – Purse. I’m not a girly-girl by any stretch, but I’m also incapable of remembering to check my pockets before putting things in the laundry. Having destroyed entirely too many paychecks in my time, I’ve forbidden myself to use my pockets.
– Pepsi or Coke? – Coke. Or Red Bull. Both diet!
– ebook or print? – I’m still a print girl, all the way. I’d like to say I’ll change for the sake of the earth, but I haven’t managed it yet…
And because we still enjoy the answers we get:
1. What is your favorite word? – This week it’s ‘douchebag.’ I don’t know why, but it keeps popping up in my dialog.
2. What is your least favorite word? – Colic.
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? – Seeing someone do something amazing that I could never, ever do (e.g., Olympic-level athletics, great hip-hop dancing, etc.). It makes me want to go do the things I can do that not everyone else can!
4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally? – Arguing with my fiancé, worrying about the health of my family members, friends, or pets.
5. What sound or noise do you love? – A really deep, strong bass line.
6. What sound or noise do you hate? – Smoke alarms and snoring.
7. What is your favorite curse word? – Frak.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? – Helicopter pilot.
9. What profession would you not like to do? – Bad helicopter pilot.
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? – “The Rainbow Bridge is to your left.”
DC: Jessica, thank you for spending the day with us. It was a pleasure!
Hi Jessica, your books sound fabulous! What type of books do you read? I read a little of everything. Do you enjoy the research part of writng?
Hey Quilt Lady! Thanks for taking the time to check out the interview Sandy put together with me 🙂
Re: reading, I usually read outside of the genres I write in (suspense and paranormal). So lately I’ve been reading mostly historicals (Brockway, Hoyt) and sci-fi romance, with the occasional straight contemporary. I will also pick up non-romance fantasy/sci-fi as well as mainstream thrillers, mysteries, etc. I’m not much of a literary reader, and most of my non-fiction is for the Keepers books. So to answer your Q on the research, YES, I love doing the research for these books. I find it fascinating how so much of the ‘real’ history dovetails into the Keepers’ world, and vice versa. For the writers out there– make sure you love what you’re writing, because if/when it sells, you’re going to need to write more of it! I”m very lucky to be writing a series on a subject that I find completely fascinating … and I hope that comes through on the page!
Jess
Just wanted to pop in and say I love your series! Anything Mayan is a favorite topic of mine. Can’t count how many times I’ve been there and other out of the way places in the Yucatan. Looking forward to the next books in the series. Smartly written with lots of heat (thanks for writing these books and actually making me feel like part of the landscape) Love these books!
Hi Sam, and THANK YOU! I really appreciate you being along for the ride, and hope the stories keep bringing you back to the Yucatan (and elsewhere!). The next one, DEMONKEEPERS, brings Lucius and Jade into the Mayan/Aztec ballgame, so if you’ve been to one or more of the ball courts in the Yucatan, you’ll recognize some things! Until then … happy reading 🙂
Hi, Jessica!
I was wondering when we see the cover for Demonkeepers.
Also, if it’s not a huge spoiler — who was the couple that turned out not to be one?
I’ve really enjoyed the series and was surprised when I read the excerpt for Demonkeepers — Jade and Lucius??? I’ve always thought Lucius would play a bigger role. 🙂 I would have never have thought of those two together, but it makes sense, and I’m eager to see how that all pans out.
Nine books total? I keep looking at a list of the remaining unattached characters and thinking, “There are five more couples? HOW?” I’m looking forward to seeing how that all works out, too! 🙂
Hi Jessica .. it’s great to know that there are still a few more books to come in this series. I’m looking forward to the release of Demonkeepers and like Christina, I’d love to see the cover for Demonkeepers.
I have just a couple of questions, so apologies if I ask too many!
Can you give us any clues on who the hero and heroine are in Visionkeepers?
With Harlequin books the formula is pretty standard – happy ending, set number of words etc whereas with the Final Prophecy novels you have a continuing story arc across the whole series, as well as having each hero/heroine find their significant other in each novel. When you are writing, how do you cope with going from writing an HI book to writing a Final Prophecy novel? How do you keep track of specifc characteristcs of the Final Prophecy characters and the various storylines that are going on or have gone on. How do you keep the continuity going through the books in the series without making any (or too many) mistakes? Have you made any continuity errors?
Keep up the great work
Shelley
Christina- Hi, and thanks for loving the books! Interestingly, I originally thought Michael and Jade were a couple, but then in Dawnkeepers, Jade and Lucius hooked up while working together in the archive, and I was like *of course*! They’re both kind of the geeks of the group, and work on that level, and both of them long to be more than they are, but have deep insecurities that keep getting in the way.
RE: the DemonK cover, I’ll send a copy to Sandy M. and see if she can post it for me– so far it’s only seen the light of day in my newsletter and on my message board, so this’ll be it’s first ‘public appearance’ if we can make it happen! Thanks for asking 🙂
ShellBell– Hey, and thanks for the shout-out, and for being on board for the next few books! Re: the DemonK cover art, I’ll see what I can do (see above). Visionkeepers is …. Patience and Brandt’s book! I just turned in the first draft last week, and *love* the book. I’ve always been drawn to the question of ‘what happens *after* love at first sight’? That’s particularly true for these two, whose marriage was based on a mutual lie (them not revealing that they’re Nightkeepers), and is complicated by the situation with their twin sons. It was a difficult book to write from an emotional standpoint, because so many of the threads come back to family, but I think it really resonates, and I love how it all comes together in the end!
Re: going back and forth between Harlequins and the big fat Nightkeeper books, I’ve got a simple trick: I switch fonts. I’ve trained my brain that when it sees Courier New, we’re writing an Intrigue, whereas Times New Roman is for the big books. That’s a trick I learned from Suz Brockmann. Re: continuity, the world at this point is so alive in my head that I instinctively keep things pretty clean. I also have two beta readers who read the manuscripts for me, in addition to the editorial team at Signet, who also help keep me on the right track. I’m not aware of any continuity errors in the series. There are a few things that might seem like continuity errors, but are actually deliberate decisions on my part, and will play into future stories. Other details that may change a little from book to book are often because the nature of the magic is changing as we get closer to 2012 and the magic destabilizes, and/or because the magic itself is somewhat unpredictable. Phew, that was an answer! LOL. Thanks for the questions, and have a great day!
I enjoyed your interview very much. I can’t wait to read Skykeepers.
Hi Jessica
I love the series and am very glad you would write Patience and Brandt’s story. I found those two characters very fascinating since the first time they appeared in Nightkeepers. I am very curious to see how the relationship grow and how they cope with all things coming for them. And their twins are so cute.
Reading Nightkeeper is the first time I heard anything about 2012. Now it is everywhere and I am very pound that I can explain all about 2012 to my mom when she asked. Oh, the thing you can learn from romance.