Midnight Brew presents Gena Showalter

Today's guest sold her first book at the age of 27. Four years later, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen books, with eleven more on the way in a thrilling blend of genres. Two of these being urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, MTV, Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated in French, Italian and Korean. The Midnight Moon Café has the honor to present Gena Showalter! MMC: Welcome to the Midnight Moon Café, Gena. When did you first become interested in writing paranormal romances? Gena: Thanks for having me. I read Warrior’s Woman by Johanna Lindsey and Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning, and both books introduced me to the wonders of the paranormal. I was instantly hooked, stories of my own suddenly floating around in my head. MMC: Let's talk a little about world-building in Lords of the Underworld series. How did you come up with your backstory for this series? And how does that setting affect your main characters? Gena: My ideas come to me in pieces and those pieces begin to fit themselves together through the power of “What If.” I knew I wanted to write a story about the Grim Reaper. I knew I wanted to write a story about immortal warriors for the gods. I knew I wanted to write a story about a man who was murdered over and over again. I knew I wanted to write a story about Pandora’s box being stolen. Through “what if” I was able to combine them. What if the immortal warriors opened Pandora’s box? What if they are cursed to host the evil they unleashed inside themselves, and one of those demons is death? What if the warrior who kills Pandora’s is cursed to die every night exactly as he killed her? What if Pandora’s box is now missing and there’s a hunt for it? MMC: What was the inspiration for this series? Gena: I had never liked the myth of Pandora’s box, where one curious female was blamed for all the world’s misery. I decided to rewrite it and blame men. (But according to Author Talk, I did it because I hate men. LOL) MMC: There are 3 previous books in this series – Darkest Night and Darkest Kiss. For those who aren’t familiar with these, tell us a bit about them. Gena: Darkest Night features the warrior possessed by the demon of Violence. Maddox is the one who has been cursed to die every night only to awaken the next morning knowing he has to die again. His love interest is able to stand in one location and hear every conversation that has ever taken place there. Her arrival brings a powerful enemy back into the warriors’ lives. Darkest Kiss features the warrior possessed by the demon of Death, eternally doomed to escort souls to the hereafter. Lucien has an iron control and believes in duty and honor above all, and he has been ordered to slay the goddess of Anarchy, Anya. This goddess is wild and fun-loving...and determined to be his lover. MMC: There is a prequel – a novella - available in ebook format from Harlequin, The Darkest Fire. Why was Geryon’s story released as a novella? Gena: We had pushed the release of Darkest Night back by eight months to give me time to write the other two books in the series so that they could be released closely together. I didn’t want readers to have to wait that long so I decided to write a short story to give them a peek at how Pandora’s box came to be and exactly what evil was caged inside. There just wasn’t time to give Geryon a full-length book, not if we wanted the story to come before Darkest Night. MMC: Now Darkest Pleasure is the third installment in this series. How does this story continues your series? Gena: This book features the warrior possessed by the demon of Pain, a man forbidden to know pleasure. Actually pain is his pleasure. Reyes is in love with a mortal woman, Dannika, who as been marked for death by his best friend, the keeper of Wrath. In this book, more is learned about the box, the artifacts needed to find the box, the gods and the Hunters intent on killing the Lords of the Underworld. MMC: What challenges have you faced in the process of writing Darkest Pleasure? Gena: This was a very emotionally draining book to write. Reyes is by far my most tortured character, both physically and mentally, and delving into the darker aspects of his need for pain for were not always pleasant. But I did it because I wanted to show exactly what he goes through every day. MMC: What attracts you about the paranormal characters you write about? Gena: I love the possibilities. Anything I can think up, I can write. MMC: What do you think is the key writing a truly memorable story? Gena: Characters that come alive. Everything always boils down to characters. MMC: Let's say you've just landed a movie deal, and you get to pick the actor who'll play one of your Lord of the Underworld, who would you pick and why? Gena: I’m just not sure! I could name the actresses I’d like to see in the female roles no problem. But the men? They’re just so larger than life to me. MMC: The question that all Lord of the Underworld fans are asking is, would there be other books in this series? *g* Gena: Oh, yes. I plan to write a book for every Lord. In fact, I just finished writing Sabin’s story, The Darkest Whisper, a May 2009 release. Sabin is a man who places victory above all else, even love. At first I had no idea who to pair him with and wasn’t going to write his story until further down the line. But one night I dreamed his heroine and I was utterly fascinated by her. I had to tell their story next. And just to tease you...this book will finally delve into the lives of Gideon and Torin. MMC: You also have a short story in the upcoming anthology Mysteria Lane, which will be released in October. Tell us more about this story. Gena: My story features Glory Tawdry, a love witch who is given a magic pen. Anything she writes with it comes true -- and she’s out to torture Falon, once a prince of the Fae and the man who broke her heart. MMC: Now to the fun questions. What's something that your readers may not know about you? Gena: I can’t watch horror movies. Ever. MMC: Do you have a favorite food/beverage/music do you always have on hand while you're writing? Gena: I am addicted to coffee and water. I hate soda. MMC: When not writing, how do you relax? I’m not even sure I know what that word means. But when I’m not writing, you can find me on the phone with BFF and fellow author Jill Monroe, reading or snuggling up to my three dogs. MMC: What’s your favorite guilty pleasure? Gena: Chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven! MMC: Do you have a newsletter, blog, or website where fans can read about you and your books? Gena: I’m everywhere! www.genashowalter.blogspot.com www.genashowalter.com www.lordsoftheunderworld.net ---- Contest Time! Here is The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld Series #1). Blurb: All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member—a man trapped in a hell of his own. Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments…and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction—and a soul-shattering test of love... Ms. Showalter is giving away a copy of it among those who leave comments. This contest will end tomorrow at mid-day.