Interviews

A Message from Laurell K. Hamilton's Editor

Dear Readers,
Nothing brings as much buzz into the office as having a new Anita Blake novel coming out, believe me. First there's the manuscript -- the manuscript for Danse Macabre was 1,000 pages long! (And fans who happened by my office while it was on my desk said "Oh, that isn't even long enough; I wish it could be longer.") Then there's the editing, hours on the phone with Laurell, trying to find just the right words. And then there are the galleys, and the constant problem of finding a new place to hide them so they don't all get stolen the first day…

People wonder what Laurell Hamilton is like to work with, and they're surprised when I say, "She's the hardest-working person I know." Somehow, maybe because her books are fun to read, and sexy, and full of magic and power, people get the impression that it's an easy thing to write 1,000 pages, and I'm here to tell you that is not the case. Laurell has carved out her own success, one book at a time, and that isn't a kind of success that comes to a writer who likes to take things easy. And Anita Blake is not always a gentle taskmistress.

This particular novel is special, for reasons you already know if you've read the cover copy: Anita may be pregnant. And, if she is, the list of possible fathers is pretty daunting: he could be a vampire, a werewolf, or a shapeshifter of another kind. Every one of those situations would involve special risks to the mother, and the baby. (Wait till you read the details…) And not one of them is the kind of situation likely to endear Anita to the social workers of the world, who would much prefer a single mother not be a vampire hunter. There isn't even a space for that on the checklist.

So, that's the mystery this time: Is she or isn't she. And to find out, as you will have said in your fourth grade book reports, you have to read the book! Which will be a pleasure.

All best wishes,
Susan Allison
Editorial Director
Berkley Publishing Group