Interview + Giveaway: Faith Hunter

Mercy Blade, the 3rd Jane Yellowrock book by Faith Hunter, is being released today. Faith is here with us answering some questions about the series and her latest book.

Things are heating up in the Big Easy. Weres have announced their existence tot he world, and revived the bitter tensions that run between them and their old enemies: vampires. As a trusted employee of Leo Pellissier, Blood Master of the City, Jane finds herself caught in the cross fire.

When Jane is attacked by a pack of marauding were-wolves, she is thankful for the help of a mysterious stranger named Girrard. He explains that he used to be Leo’s “Mercy Blade,” a sacred position charged with killing vampires who have gone insane. What Jane doesn’t know is why this powerful assassin left New Orleans − or, more troubling, why he’s now returned. It’s definitely not to make Jane’s life easier...

Which of all your books did you have more fun writing?
Hmmm. That’s like asking a mother which baby was easiest to birth. Hard to answer, because it’s all hard work! But, I suppose, Skinwalker was the most pure fun. There is something exhilarating about creating a world, where it’s all new and fresh and full of discovery. Learning the way that Jane and Beast live was like journey into the darks of their minds.

What are you working on right now?
Raven Cursed, book four of the Jane Yellowrock series.
Rogue Mage, the role playing game / world book for the Rogue Mage series. Five short stories, 2 set in Jane’s world, 2 in Thorn St. Croix’s world, and one just for fun! Whew! I’m busy!

What can you tell us about Mercy Blade?
Kirsten Nolan a reviewer for bookseriesreviews.blogspot.com came up with a great blurb for it. Hope you don’t mind me posting it here… It’s way better than any I came up with!

Jane Yellowrock, Rogue Vampire Hunter, is working for the vampires. That means delivering unwelcome messages to snarly supernaturals, and overseeing security for parties and balls, amongst other things. And it means she's got to work closely with Bruiser, which makes Jane uncomfortable and Beast very happy. When the werewolves and werecats come out of the closet on international television Jane begins to learn that there is still a lot of Vampire and Supernatural history she hasn't learned. Unfortunately, not knowing what happened 100 years ago can mean the difference in understanding current events and being totally out of the loop. Jane doesn't deal well with being out of the loop, but between an absent boyfriend and pieces of history she doesn't understand -- she has to survive as best she can.

How much control and/or influence does Beast have over Jane?
A lot more than Jane thinks she does. And Beast is amused that Jane thinks she is alpha and Beast is beta. Not always so. They have a love-hate relationship, made very difficult because their two souls share the same body. And … they keep secrets from one another. Sometimes big secrets!

At this point, how many people know Jane is a skinwalker and how many suspect?
Hmmm. (thinking) Knows: By the end of Mercy Blade, Molly, Big Evan, and Angie Baby. The vamp priestess, Sabina. The Mercy Blade. Those who suspect: Leo. All the vamps have always known she isn’t human, because she smells so different. Bruiser suspects something, but isn’t sure what. The weres suspect. Bethany suspects. Derek Lee and his soldiers. Evangelina knows something, but not what.

One of the things I've been wondering about is: what happened with the sliver of the cross?
The item from vamp history that was featured in BloodCross comes back into play for a brief moment in Mercy Blade. And also maybe in book five (as yet untitled). However, just for you I’ll say, Sabina gets it back.

It seems like right now Leo is in grieving mode. How has he been doing? Is that going to change anytime soon? Does he still blame Jane?
One major plot line in Mercy Blade is all about Leo, and why he is so out of control, and how he might be better. By the end of Mercy Blade, Leo is well on the road to working through his grief. I’m not finished with Raven Cursed yet, but it feels as if he will be over his grief by the book’s end and ready to move forward. In lots of ways! Leo is a survivor. He sees the long-view, meaning that he isn’t bothered by the short term setbacks of life. If he doesn’t get what he wants today, he’ll simply play a waiting game and get it tomorrow. Jane hasn’t figured that out yet!

Can you tell us a bit more about how the witches work? Also, are we ever going to see where Jane lives?
Second question first. Mercy Blade opens in Jane’s apartment in the Appalachian Mountains. Raven Cursed takes place in the Appalachian Mountains. But Jane is growing and changing, and is a woman without a true home, for now. When she finds her home, her true home, then I can share with everyone. Right now, I’m in the dark too!
Witches are going to explained a lot better in Raven Cursed, and we get to see the working of a full coven, which is always at least five witches. There can be fewer witches in a working group, as long the non-witches have some gift, or awareness of power. Such people can be used as power sinks or to funnel power through to but for a big working, you always need five. And for the biggest workings and the best strongest covens, one needs one witch of each major power: water, air, stone (mineral), earth, moon are the most common, but there are also a few fire witches, and a very few rare others.

Bruiser and Rick are both love interests for Jane. Is the choice she made at the end of Blood Cross final? Is there still hope for the other guy?
As Beast says, “Big cats do not mate for life.”
Jane is never going to be an easy woman to love or to live with. I think she will always have rocky relationships. Hope for another guy? Heck yes! And her Beast reeeeeally likes Bruiser and Leo.

Is there yet a release date for the 4th book, Raven Cursed?
Nothing is written in stone yet. I hope for an early release. Keep your fingers crossed!

Thanks so much for being here today, Faith.
It was and is my pleasure!

You can learn more about Faith on her site.

Giveaway
I have one copy of Mercy Blade to giveaway.
US only / Ends January 11th.
All you have to do is fill out the form.