The Jazzy World of E's Bookshelf Author Spotlight is on Victoria Danann today. Danann is the author of the Knights of Black Swan series. The current seven book series has become a fan favorite with it's mix of Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance elements. It was even voted the best Paranormal Romance Series by the Paranormal Romance Guild. To learn more about the series and upcoming projects from Danann, see my interview with her below. It's my pleasure to present to you today's Author Spotlight, Victoria Danann.
Victoria Danann's Biography
I live in The Woodlands, Texas which is why I sometimes joke about being the witch in the woods. Married. Four children. One very smart, mostly black German Shepherd dog.
What inspired you to write the Knights of Black Swan Series?
I
actually formed the framework of the story when I was a child. Over the
decades the characters have matured and taken on the multilayers of
actual personalities, but the heart of the story hasn’t changed much.
You've said your style of books are a cross-genre. "A delicious ménage à trois of sci fi, fantasy, and paranormal romance.” Has combining those three genres been easy from the beginning? Or are they times when you want to focus on one of the three more?
Yes. Combining the three genres is effortless because I have big love for each. I don’t think in terms of what will I focus on. I basically let the story tell itself.
When you’re writing a series like like the Knights of Black Swan
series that has seven books, did you go into having that many books
mapped out? Or was it a more organic process where the idea for more
books came about as you wrote and developed the story?
I
knew there would be at least seven books (at present it looks like
there will be a total of 10). I started with a plan that was scrapped
because the first book took me in a direction that wasn’t what I’d
counted on. Toward the end of Book One, I began to realize that the
process seemed more like reporting on the events of a group of people/creatures in an alternate reality like creating.
This next question might be a tough one. I liken it to asking a parent
to pick a favorite child, but I’ll ask anyway. Is there a particular
book from the series that is your favorite?
Without a doubt, Book Three, A Summoner’s Tale
is my masterpiece. That’s partly because of the soul-wrenching events,
partly because of the metaphysical premise, and partly because it took a
lot of careful planning to have a timeline with so many (seemingly)
unrelated things happening at the same time while driving toward an
ending that brings all the threads together.
I saw on your website that you are going to start a companion series to
the Knights of Black Swan, called Exiled. What can you tell us about
that?
Hmmm. I probably should correct whatever I said that led to the notion that Exiled
will be a companion series. It will share a couple of characters with
Black Swan, initially, but that and the fact that it’s set in an
alternate dimension are the only things the two series will share in
common. Exiled is about a pet project of Kellareal, the “angel” who serves as watcher for Litha and, especially, Rosie. Following is the introduction that was given in Book 6 of the Knights of Black Swan, A Tale of Two Kingdoms.
(Excerpt)
Rosie
had waited on a tabletop boulder on a windswept mountaintop of
Prescient Dimension where she went when she needed to contact Kellareal
for longer than usual. She explained that she wanted a change of
environment, where she could take a break from her life and rethink the
direction of things.
She
knew she’d pushed things with Glen, but she also knew that, despite her
feelings and desires to the contrary, the relationship wasn’t serious
and wasn’t going to be. Not for a while. He’d made his decision. He was
going wherever Z Team went and at least she had enough pride to know she
wasn’t going to follow along like a camp whore. Even if he’d let her.
Which he probably wouldn’t.
So she’d take a lesson from that and maybe look for a little adventure of her own while she was young. While she was young.
The
breeze that blew her wild hair back from her face grew a little softer.
Kellareal appeared to float down from the sky wearing a long white robe
that billowed around him, arms outstretched as if inviting embrace, and
landed in front of her soundlessly. She knew he would want to be
congratulated on the theater, so she clapped. He bowed.
“Lally. How long do you think I’m going to live?”
“You
called me for that?” He picked up a pebble, sat down beside her, and
threw it out over the canyon overlook. “We may have to rethink your
summoning privilege if you’re going to abuse it, young lady.”
“No, that’s not why I called, but since you’re here…”
“Well,
your elemental side is very long lived, meaning eons. Your human side
is cursed with short life under the best of circumstances. Then there is
the issue of fragility, the moment to moment uncertainty, the… risk, if
you will, of being human. I tell you, it causes me to marvel constantly
at their courage. Living under those circumstances, I’m not sure that I
wouldn’t just curl into a ball and hope for sudden death to put an end
to the suspense.”
“If they only knew how cynical real angels sound, you would never get your own TV shows.”
“Hmmm. No doubt.” He grinned. “But a few feather sightings would bring them right back around.”
Rosie giggled. “You’re hopeless.”
“And is that why you wanted to see me?”
“No. I need to get out of town for a while, change of scenery. Maybe I need to broaden my experience.”
“Get out of town,” he repeated drily. “What does your mother think of this?”
“She thinks she can get in touch with you if there’s an emergency and that you’ll know where to find me.”
The
angel pursed his lips, stood and paced for a while. “Vacations are fun.
Sabbaticals are informative. Quests are enlightening, sometimes
cathartic. Retreats are rejuvenating. Treks are adventurous. This?” He
stopped and looked at Rosie. “This sounds like running away. Hard to put
a noble spin on running away.”
“I’m not necessarily asking for your blessing, Lally. Just a place to…”
“…hide?”
Rosie flushed. “It’s a favor.”
Kellareal
looked at her for a long time. “I can’t decide without hearing the
whole story. I want to know exactly what it is you’re running from and
what you’re hoping to gain.”
By
the time Rosie finished spelling it out, she was sorry she had started
the whole thing. Spelling out what had brought her to that mountaintop
sounded spoiled, selfish, childish and silly, even to herself as she
said it. She supposed that was one of the angel’s goals in having her
connect the dots out loud. She hoped that the worst of it,
humiliation-wise, was over.
“Have you thought about how long you want to be away?”
She hadn’t thought about it.
“Do I have to decide that now?”
“No. I suppose you can do a pay-as-you-go plan.”
“Wait. What do you mean pay-as-you-go?”
The
angel took her elbow and pulled her to her feet. Standing several
inches taller, he looked down into her face. “You’re right, Elora Rose.
It is time for you to learn something of the world. First lesson,
nothing’s free.”
A
few minutes later they were standing on the periphery of an enclosure –
a crude, gray stone wall. From what Rosie could see, there were homes
and buildings built around a park-like commons area with sparse gas
lighting, but the overall impression of the place was of a fort. Through
a break in the wall that formed a gate with iron bars, she could see
that they were on a hilltop overlooking the lights of a large town.
The
air was scented with the welcoming smell of wood burning fires
releasing white smoke into the atmosphere. The prominent feature of the
compound was a long row of motorcycles, some of which had parts shiny
enough to reflect in the cold moonlight.
“Where are we?” Rosie asked.
“It’s a project of mine, Rosie. A secret. You can’t ever tell anyone.”
“Okay.”
“Promise.”
“I do.”
“They’re what’s left of Telstar.”
“Telstar? Isn’t that one of those worlds that went crazy with genetic engineering?”
“I guess it depends on what you mean by ‘went crazy’.”
“Okay.
Let me put it this way. You start out with a wolf. You end up with a
Shih Tzu or a Pug. You start out with a human, you end up with a …”
“The flaw in your argument is the owners of dogs like that would say they’re an improvement on the prototype.”
Rosie
blinked. “So you’re saying you’re taking me to a place where I should
be prepared for…” She left the end of that sentence for him to fill in
the blank.
“Okay.
Consider this your briefing in a nutshell. There were some experiments
that went on for a couple of generations. People became concerned and
even invoked religious invective to fuel a movement to eradicate all the
produce of the experiment.”
“Produce?” He nodded. “You mean the people?”
“That
is what I mean and I, ah, intervened. I saw an opportunity to solve two
problems. There was a group of people here in need of protection, which
is one of the ways Telstar skills might be used. This group was under
threat of genocide. I knew the Telstar survivors would relate. So I
paired them with the humans that needed them. “
He
waved his hand at the darkness. “It’s pretty here. This dimension
hasn’t been ruined yet. Lots of everything. Gives them a chance.” He
looked at Rosie. “You know?”
“Wasn’t that against some rule?”
The
angel pursed his lips and heaved a big sigh. “Rules need to be placed
in the context of knowing the rule makers. And their agenda.”
Rosie studied his face in the darkness. “Lally, you’re an anarchist.”
“Guess that depends on who you talk to.”
“Are there others?”
“Other
elementals who think like I do?” She nodded. “Yeah. Anyway. They’ve
been here for a while now. Some have started families. Their own take on
culture is starting to emerge. Interesting to watch. The one in charge
of the place is a nice fellow with a nice family. Owes me a favor.
Simple as that.”
“Does everybody in the multiverse owe you a favor?”
His
mouth twitched at the corner as he looked down at her. “Working on it.”
His eyes drifted back to the settlement. Rosie thought she saw a hint
of pride. Proud sponsor perhaps.
“This
could be a good place to get your thoughts sorted out. They’ll give you
a job and who knows? Maybe a new perspective. So welcome to the EC.
That’s what they call it, short for Exile Camp. By the way, don’t
mention Telstar. They don’t like to be reminded. I don’t blame them.
They left that behind to start a new life.” He turned to face Rosie. “A
new world really.”
She looked around again. “What’s with the motorcycles?”
His
expression was definitely sheepish. “Oh, they, the Telstar, like them. A
lot. So they became part of our arrangement. I made an adjustment to
the engines so they’ll run on water and threw tools and maintenance
stuff in with the deal.”
“Are you saying that they’re weren’t motorcycles here before?”
“No. Every dimension develops differently. You know that.”
“Well, yes… So how did you get motorcycles here?”
He laughed. “Rode them.”
“You did not.”
He nodded, grinning. “One at a time.”
“I didn’t know you could ride a motorcycle through the passes.”
“For all I know, I’m the only one who knows it. Let’s keep it that way. Okay?”
She shrugged. “Okay. What do they look like?”
“Look like?” Kellareal laughed out loud. “Oh, sweet baby.”
When you’re not writing, what do you like to do for fun?
Reading
and music. Right now my music room is below my study, where I write,
but I’m building a house right now with a studio that will include my
writing space and music room. I decided a few years ago that I need to
keep working on my voice and instruments if I want to come back as a
better musician in my next life.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
Anne Rice Memnoch the Devil
Sherry S. Tepper The Gate to Women’s Country
Stephen King Christine
Karen Marie Moning, The Fever Series
Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman Good Omens
What is your favorite part about writing and publishing books?
As
a person who has had A LOT of truly sucky jobs with wildly sucky
bosses, I have to say the best thing is 1.) working from home and 2.)
working by myself.
In 10 words or less can you tell readers why they should read your books?
Sure.
Knights of Black Swan is about Elora Laiken who fell into another world
where modern day knights, vampire, shifters, werewolves, demons,
angels, berserkers, elves, fae, fairy tale characters, and psychics
became her family and friends. If you recognize yourself in this
profile, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy my books.
1.
Black Swan readers don't see description as unnecessary and
superfluous. They understand that it's the details that layer richness
and depth into the story. They also have the maturity to know that
patience brings greater rewards.
2. Black Swan readers value characterization and believe that who characters are is as important - if not moreso - than what they do. In my books, the major struggles are often internal.
3. Black Swan readers are receptive to new experience. If you’ve established a comfort zone in formulaic writing, Black Swan is not for you. No two books are the same because each is a building block in a larger story. (No cliffhangers.)
2. Black Swan readers value characterization and believe that who characters are is as important - if not moreso - than what they do. In my books, the major struggles are often internal.
3. Black Swan readers are receptive to new experience. If you’ve established a comfort zone in formulaic writing, Black Swan is not for you. No two books are the same because each is a building block in a larger story. (No cliffhangers.)
Is there anything you would like to say to your fans and readers new to you?
TO
FANS: Thank you for making it possible for me to make a living writing.
Your opinions mean the world to me which is why I read each and every
email, Facebook post, and review.
TO
NEW READERS: I hope you will join me on this journey that is now a
little over two years old. You can begin the adventure for free by
downloading a copy of My Familiar Stranger at any e-book retailer.
The Knights of Black Swan
My Familiar Stranger
Bestselling author, Victoria Danann, brings us a complex, unique, and
wonderfully heartwarming serial that begins with this story.In a matter
of minutes Elora Laiken lost everything familiar. She escaped death by
being forced into an experiment that left her in another world where
modern day knights, elves, vampires, werewolves, witches, demons and fae
became her allies, friends and family. She discovered a place where
adventure intersects fairytales, where honor converges with ideals, and
she learned that love can find you in the strangest places, when you're
least expecting it, even when you're far, far from home.
If you love romance, paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and complex storylines, this series is right for you. 17+
If you love romance, paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and complex storylines, this series is right for you. 17+
The Witch's Dream
Elora Laiken broke Sir Storm’s heart when she chose his best friend. Now
the handsome vampire hunter wants nothing to do with love or even women
for that matter. Litha Brandywine is a witch who has other ideas. Like
Storm, she works for The Order of the Black Swan and is known as the
best tracker on earth. When he arrives at headquarters in Edinburgh,
where Litha is currently assigned, she falls hard enough to be up for a
test of wills. Though LItha might be perfect for Storm, he's hardened
his heart and is determined that he won't be taking any chances on
romance.
Litha: "What is it you're looking for?"
Just to get rid of her, Storm tossed off, "Someone entertaining."
Litha: "I can be entertaining."
When B Team arrives in Edinburgh, the afterglow of an elftale wedding ends abruptly when Sir Kay's fiancé, Katrina, is kidnapped by a demon with a grudge. While the tracker, Litha, searches for the missing girl with Storm assigned as her escort, other members of B Team are tasked with bringing in a stray werewolf causing havoc in London and finding him a suitable new home.
If you love a grand mix of romance, fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, tears, laughter, and complex stories, this serial is right for you. Age 17+
INCLUDES: The first chapter of Book 3, The Summoner’s Tale, named BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVEL of 2013.
Litha: "What is it you're looking for?"
Just to get rid of her, Storm tossed off, "Someone entertaining."
Litha: "I can be entertaining."
When B Team arrives in Edinburgh, the afterglow of an elftale wedding ends abruptly when Sir Kay's fiancé, Katrina, is kidnapped by a demon with a grudge. While the tracker, Litha, searches for the missing girl with Storm assigned as her escort, other members of B Team are tasked with bringing in a stray werewolf causing havoc in London and finding him a suitable new home.
If you love a grand mix of romance, fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, tears, laughter, and complex stories, this serial is right for you. Age 17+
INCLUDES: The first chapter of Book 3, The Summoner’s Tale, named BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVEL of 2013.
A Summoner's Tale
This is the story of Heaven McBride, a Black Swan demonologist who was temporarily assigned as Baka's assistant. When he turns up missing, Heaven agrees to submit to hypnosis to help the rescue effort with possible clues about his disappearance buried in her subconscious mind. During those sessions, she proves that love can wait patiently through lifetimes for the chance to blossom and be fulfilled. She also inadvertently reveals that she's been hiding a unique musical talent. She's the once-in-a-generation summoner, who can call any creature with her flute. Even vampires.
Moonlight
The sexy, but ill-humored werewolf king, Stalkson Grey, embarks on an
adventure beyond his wildest dreams in a bid to save the Elk Mountain
tribe from extinction. In the process of mass migrating to a new home,
Grey learns that even old crusty werewolves can be struck dumb by second
chance love and driven to the desperate, foolish actions of the young
when he kidnaps a young innocent who has spent her entire life in the
cloistered sheltered environment of a cult.
Meanwhile, B Team learns the shocking truth about the origin of the vampire virus when Jefferson Unit hosts immortal teenage vampire who turn things upside down with their interpretation of Animal House.
Meanwhile, B Team learns the shocking truth about the origin of the vampire virus when Jefferson Unit hosts immortal teenage vampire who turn things upside down with their interpretation of Animal House.
Gathering Storm
Black Swan Knight, Sir Engel Storm, is acting like somebody else. HIs
friends, former members of the preeminent team of vampire hunters,
reunite to try to salvage his image and reputation. Meanwhile,
Ralengclan assassins from Elora Laiken's home dimension send a second
wave assassination team to Jefferson Unit at the worst possible time,
when it’s been left defended by only the misfit bad boys of Z Team, the
rookie - Glendennon Catch, the Lady Elora Laiken, Sir Fennimore, and the
boys in training who may someday make the cut and the choice to be
knights.
A Tale of Two Kingdoms
Duff Torquil is heir to Scotia, the kingdom of Fae, who have been at war
with the Elves for two thousand years. Fae and Elves are both species
who have evolved to respond to one fated lover with whom they will mate
for life. Duff Torquil’s predestined mate is perfect for him in every
way: beautiful, smart, polished, strong willed and a talented psychic
who works for The Order of the Black Swan. The only problem is that she
happens to be Aelsong Hawking, talented Black Swan psychic, younger
sister of vampire hunter, Sir Rammel Hawking, AND the only daughter of
the royal house of Elves.
After escaping together to establish a quiet obscure life away from both families and the politics of elf/fae differences, the young lovers are captured, separated, secluded, and left to die as mated pairs of their species tend to do when permanently parted. Fortunately, an angelic intervention persuades the unlikely "powers that be" to get involved.
Solomon's Sieve
When Sovereign Solomon Nememiah lay dying on a beach under an overturned
vehicle with his fiancée helplessly sobbing next to him, he made a vow
to himself that he would refuse to stay in some arbitrary afterlife. He
silently promised to return and finish what he started with The Order of
the Black Swan and the love of his life. When the new Sovereign of
Jefferson Unit begins saying and doing things that remind people of Sol,
it raises suspicion in the minds of people who were closest to him.
Dr. Mercy Renaux is a new hire archeologist seeking to change her life and find something to blot out the guy she can’t forget. Sir Rafael Nightsong, bad boy member of the infamous Z Team, is the guy she can’t forget. When his team is assigned to escort the recent recruit to Bulgaria on a mission to contain irrefutable evidence that vampire exist, they both wish they worked for somebody else.
Dr. Mercy Renaux is a new hire archeologist seeking to change her life and find something to blot out the guy she can’t forget. Sir Rafael Nightsong, bad boy member of the infamous Z Team, is the guy she can’t forget. When his team is assigned to escort the recent recruit to Bulgaria on a mission to contain irrefutable evidence that vampire exist, they both wish they worked for somebody else.
The Knights of Black Swan Series is available on Amazon
Awards
2013 Winner in the categories of:
BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES - Knights of Black Swan
BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVEL (GENERAL) - A Summoner's Tale
BEST PARNORMAL ROMANCE NOVEL (Vampires & Shifters) - Moonlight
Stay Up-to-Date with Victoria Danann
BLOG: http://VictoriaDanann.me
FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: www.facebook.com/vdanann
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: www.facebook.com/victoria.
PINTEREST: www.pinterest.com/vdanann
GOODREADS FAN GROUP: https://www.goodreads.com/
TWITTER: @vdanann
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