Hello, and welcome back. I hope you´re enjoying this chat with Susan Krinard. On to part two.

Bella: Why paranormal romances? What do you get from them that you don´t from straight romance?

Susan Krinard: I grew up reading Science Fiction and Fantasy, so combining that with romance was natural for me. What I like about SF and paranormal is that it gives me far more latitude to explor the themes and characters that I enjoy. And, above all, I want to "escape" reality. "Regular" romance, particularly contemporary, doesn´t give me that...I live in the real world! I either want to disappear into a previous era, or travel to another world, or get into the mind of someone who isn´t quite human. My imagination is just too wild to be satisfied with less.

B: Who are some of your favorite authors?

SK: My favorite authors are Lois McMaster Bujold, C.J. Cherryh, and Sharon Lee/Steve Miller. They usually include some element of either romance or strong character focus and personal relationships in their stories.

B: What´s coming up on your schedule, book-wise, in the next year?

SK: I´m currently completing another historical fantasy romance, non-werewolf, set in Regency England. It´s called "The Forest Lord," and it should be out in about a year. it was fun to set a story during the Regency, which is a period that has always fascinated me. In fact, my first romances as a reader were Regencies, beginning with Georgette Heyer. But it has been a real challenge to try to get the details right!

Though it´s not a werewolf romance, it has animals, shapeshifting, and the same "otherworldly" elements of my werewolf stories. My next book after that, which I hope to start soon, will be another in the werewolf series. And I´m hoping to write a follow-up to my novella "Kinsman" in the anthology "Out of This World."

And so ends our interview. I hope you´ve enjoyed it as much as I. But I´m not done just yet. I´ve also read
Secret of the Wolf (Berkley) and want to share it with you. The release date is set for October 10, 2001, but you can preorder via Amazon or B & N.

Doctor Johanna Schell has moved her "family" all the way to the hills of California, hoping for a sanctuary on the land she´s inherited. She doesn´t expect to add another misfit to the group of patients she considers her family, especially not one like Quentin Forster, who may be dangerous. Quentin, a flirtatious ne´er-do-well on the surface, suffers from blackouts, and when Johanna wants to try to hypnotize him, he reluctantly agrees. Johanna is a very strong woman, particularly given the time period. Then again, women in the late 1800s had to be strong, and Johanna moreso that others--not only does she have other patients to care for, but she must also care for her ailing father. It would be safer for everyone if Quentin didn´t stay, but when danger attacks their home, he does what he must, even though it may mean the end of his life. I really enjoyed this story, cheered for Quentin and Johanna and wanted to get the bad guy myself. This one earns four of Cupid´s five arrows. I hope you all enjoy it, too.

Until next week, happy reading!

Susan Krinard: The Interview, Part One