Sci-Fi Encounters: Interview with 'Dragonslayer' author Eleri Stone
I recently went on a binge-read of paranormal romances by Eleri Stone, who writes series in several paranormal subgenres. (We both wrote for Carina Press at one point.) Today I'm interviewing her about Dragonslayer, Twilight of the Gods book three. This particular series takes the classic Norse myths and tweaks them to fit into the modern world while remaining very much anchored in their own reality.
A bit about Eleri (courtesy of the author):
Originally from New Jersey, she graduated from the University of Iowa. She married her college sweetheart and settled in the Midwest where she still lives with her husband and their three children. A lifelong fan of fantasy, she started reading romance as an adult and was instantly captivated by the strong female protagonists and character-driven storylines. All of her stories have some element of speculative fiction and they all end with a happily-ever-after.
About Dragonslayer (courtesy of the author):
One year after his bride left him at the altar for his best man, Christian Jager is stuck in a rut. Working at the local co-op, dating the same handful of women he's known since childhood, riding with the wild hunt twice a month to keep the jötnar who destroyed Asgard from invading earth.
He wants something more, but he's not quite sure what it is until Jacey Morgan blows into his life like a breath of fresh air. A wildlife biologist who's come to Ragnarok to investigate rumors of a strange predator in the area, she's also a native Midgardian who can't ever learn the truth about Christian or his clan. His job is to distract her and get her the Hel out of town as quickly as possible so the Æsir can take care of the problem themselves.
Jacey wants the case wrapped up quickly too, and she's not about to get distracted by the sinfully sexy man who's so unexpectedly determined to help. With a new degree and a plan to get out of Iowa, she's ready to move on to bigger and better things… A dragon isn't quite what she had in mind.
Veronica: What three things influenced writing this book?
Eleri: My love of fantasy: I grew up reading a lot of fantasy and always gravitated toward stories with strong romantic subplots. But sometimes a subplot just isn't enough! The reason I started writing was because I wanted to tell stories with fully developed romantic plots set in fantasy worlds. Sometimes that means an epic or secondary world fantasy and sometimes, like in Dragonslayer, it means that I have dragons flying over the cornfields of Iowa.
An interest in Norse mythology: I like reading books on myths, legends and old fairy tales. When I was younger, I was obsessed with Celtic mythology. That eventually led to an interest in Norse mythology which led to the idea for this story — refugee Norse demigods living on earth and guarding the bridge between worlds to prevent Surtr's host from destroying earth as they did Asgard.
Dragons: Because DRAGONS!
Veronica: I loved the idea of dragons flying over Iowa! And I was thoroughly captivated by the Wild Hunt as portrayed in the novel. Which character was the biggest challenge to write and why?
Eleri: Christian was definitely the biggest challenge. He's been around since book one and going into Dragonslayer I thought I had a really good handle on his character. I was so very wrong. Christian was tough to write because I kept trying to wrestle him into the cold-hearted warrior I thought he was. When I finally gave up and let the story unfold naturally, the writing became less of a struggle. And Christian ended up being much more nuanced and likable than I thought he was going to be.
Veronica: It's always amazing to me as an author how the characters have their own minds, so to speak. Very true, sometimes you have to let the story unfold and see where the characters take you. I became quite attached to Christian in this book — it was nice to see him get his HEA. Which character (in the series or in this book) do you feel is the closest to representing you?
Eleri: Hmm. Probably Grace from Demon Crossings, Twilight of the Gods book one. She's more reserved than some of the other characters in the series. She's slow to trust, but cares deeply about people. She's also an outsider to Ragnarok and has a very human reaction to the discovery that the world isn't the place she thought it was.
Veronica: I thought Grace was a very strong heroine, definitely had an impact on the other characters through all three books. Do you have a favorite quote or short scene from the book you'd like to share?
Eleri: This is from the scene where Jacey and Christian finally figure out what's been snatching up pets and livestock in the area …
—
For one breathless moment, Jacey could only stare. Glittering orange eyes stared back at her from an angular snakelike head that was attached to a long and sinuous neck. It seemed black, but she didn't think that was its natural color. The color shifted as it stepped forward, moving across the surface of its body like water. It wasn't as smooth as water, though. Plated…no. Scaled.
Beautiful, that's what it was. Exquisitely graceful. It was, dear God, it was a…
"Dragon," she whispered.
Slowly, the dragon extended its neck toward her, a narrow forked tongue licking at the air like a lizard. Unthinkingly, Jacey extended her hand.
Before she could touch it, Christian shouted. She jerked her hand back and her gaze up. Sword raised, he ran across the clearing. The dragon reared back. It hissed at her and then leapt into the air. It rose quickly in a rush of wind. Jacey had to fling herself to the ground to stay clear of its barbed tipped tail.
"Are you all right?"
Christian's hands on her shoulders were gentle but firm as he turned her over. She struggled to sit up, pushing his hands away. "I'm fine."
At that moment, the sun finally tipped over the horizon, gilding the very tops of the trees. Christian frowned as he reached out to touch her cheek. "You're bleeding."
She raised her hand to see how bad it was, but he caught her wrist.
"Leave it alone. Alan will be up in a moment."
She smiled but winced when it pulled at her wound. "Well, I guess at least we know what it is we're looking for now."
He looked up to search the skies. "A gods-damned dragon."
—
Veronica: What's next for you? Will there be more books in this series?
Eleri: Dragonslayer was intended to be the last book in the series. I'm considering writing a story for Kamis (the demigod who may/may not have been responsible for the destruction of Asgard), but that's still up in the air right now. In the meantime, I'm finishing up my Reaper series — alternate history fantasy plus Western romance — gunslingers and zombies in a very Wild West.
Veronica: Good to know I'm not the only reader who's been asking for a Kamis story! I have the Reaper series on my Kindle… What's on your personal to-be-read list?
Eleri: So many books! At the top of the list are:
• Dead Heat, Patricia Briggs.
• Lie Down With Dogs, Hailey Edwards.
• The Talon of the Hawk, Jeffe Kennedy.
• Dreamer's Pool, Juliet Marillier.
You can find out more about Eleri and her books at www.eleristone.com.
—
Amazon best-seller Veronica Scott is a three-time recipient of the SFR Galaxy Award and has written a number of science-fiction and paranormal romances. Her latest is Mission to Mahjundar . You can find out more about her and her books at veronicascott.wordpress.com. Please e-mail Veronica at scifiencounters@gmail.com about content related to this column. Due to the volume of mail, e-mails may not be answered personally, but all will be read.