The Authors Speak: Kelley Armstrong

A few weeks back (on July 26th, in fact, the day her last book dropped), we offered a few thoughts on Kelley Armstrong's latest Otherworld entry.  I've been a long time fanboy of Armstrong's work.  It's been a solid display of a true virtuoso writer.  That makes the close to this series all the more chilling for me.  Could we be heading to a world where there will be no more Otherworld?  No more new characters? 

Regardless that the series will end next year with the thirteenth installment, Armstrong's still sticking to her talent.  SPELL BOUND is a solid part of the series, one that breaks a lot of the molds already created by authors trying the same feat.  Specifically, when authors revisit all their former characters and shove them into the mix, it comes out, most cases, as a blended convoluted mess.  This is something Kelley Armstrong didn't do. 

Once I realized that her game was truly amped up, it made the disappearance of the series just devastating.  I needed to know WHY was Otherworld fading, and WHAT would I have from Armstrong to tide me over.  Would an Otherworld "novel of the year" might sneak up in a decade or so.  Kelley answers these questions and many more, in our latest The Authors Speak interview.

The Authors Speak: Spell Bound is remarkable, so a special thanks for being as dedicated and loyal to your series as you are. When you put together SPELL BOUND, you brought to us all the protagonists within the Otherworld series. When you started the series, did you expect it to integrate every storyline?

Kelley Armstrong: Not at the beginning, because I had no idea how long the series would be. But after a few books, I started keeping all the narrators integrated in the overall series, so even if they hadn’t narrated in a while, readers didn’t forget them. Then, with Broken, I saw my end-game and started laying down clues and unresolved minor plot threads in every book.

TAS: Now, most authors who start to dabble into the "crossovers" tend to water their prose down and lose a little steam. This one didn't feel like that at all. In fact, quite the contrary, it felt very organic. What process - and execution of tedium - did you utilize to insure that this didn't happen to your babies?

KA: Changing narrators has always kept things fresh for me. With this one, bringing them all back without seeming too much like a reunion book was tricky. But one reason I’d selected Savannah as my final narrator was because she has grown up with all these people and is the character who is most tightly bound to all of them. So it made sense for her to be seeking each one out for help as she deals with her biggest personal and professional challenge.

TAS: I wasn't sure I'd like Savannah Levine as much as I do. I think it was the young edge, the under-experienced detective, though I'm not sure. Much to my surprise, you've really dipped Savannah in the fire to see who she truly is. In fact, at the beginning of this book, she's rendered powerless. Correct me if I'm wrong, but is this the first time one of your supernaturals has not had their supernatural talent? And, follow-up, did you find that this helped in your writing - by adding true fear and paranoia - or challenged your style?

KA: In Waking the Witch, we saw Savannah maturing. However, she was still very “young,” even for twenty-one. She was overly confident, because of her extraordinary level of powers. If I wanted to help her grow up, then, the best way to jumpstart the process was to take away her powers. Spell Bound is about her coming to realize that she needs to be more than just a very powerful witch. Taking her powers made the book more difficult to write, but it’s supposed to be difficult—for her—so it worked.

TAS: We're building to quite the grand finale. Frankly, I'm excited to see what the final Otherworld book will look like. I'm sure fans are in an uproar by the series closing out. What prompted you to sit back and say it was time to bring it to a close?

KA: I’ve known since Broken that I wanted to end at book 13. When I actually drew close, though, I started getting cold feet and thinking maybe it could be a shake-up, rather than a conclusion. After giving it a lot of thought, though, I realized that it was better to end while I was still happy with the series, rather than drag it out until the writing became a chore…and readers started begging for a mercy killing!

TAS: You know (or at least I hope you know) that I'm a bit of a fanboy of yours. Since BITTEN, I've been ravenous about the next Kelley Armstrong - pun intended. Where will your focus go when Otherworld comes to a close? Will it be your YA series or Nadia Stafford?

KA: As much as I love writing YA, I started in adult, so my focus remains there, even if I’m ending a series. I’ve sold a new adult trilogy (Omens & Shadows) that has some supernatural elements, but is more mystery. I’m also trying my hand at middle grade, having just sold a Norse-myth-based trilogy that’ll be co-written with Melissa Marr. Both will start in 2013.

TAS: Thirteen is unlucky for some, but fairly appropriate to the supernatural Otherworld. What can readers expect of your next book - the epic conclusion that will leave a stamp of these characters on the readers brain?

KA: I’m going to answer that with a quote from the book that one of my editors pulled out as a good summation. “Anything you thought you knew about our world? Forget it. Someone has tossed out the rulebook. Ghosts can cross the divide. Hell-hounds can manifest. Demi-demons can possess living children And it’s not going to get any better until it’s over.” As you might guess from that, 13 is my Otherworld upheaval book, when everyone comes together to fight the biggest threat they’ve faced.
TAS: It's an unfair question - I'll start off by saying that from the get-go - but, if you absolutely had to choose your favorite protagonist from this series, who would it be? (Discarding the fact, of course, that there are no absolutes!) Who do you relate to the most?

KA: I don't have a favourite, but some are easier to write than others. Elena is the easiest because I've written the most from her point of view. Because she was the first, she was also the most relatable one for me--I made her my age, from my geographic area, with my education level, etc.

TAS: On the genre front, I'm a sucker for urban fiction. Naturally, others are too! It seems that for every Kelley Armstrong or Jim Butcher or Marjorie Liu, there is a veritable sea of copycats that can best be described as lackluster. You're sort of taking this series out of the arena by closing it. Looking from the (sort of) outside, do you see this subgenre oversaturated and collapsing? Or is it thriving?

KA: Oh, it’s so hard to say. I remember back when I was on my first urban fantasy panel at a convention in 2004 and someone asked an editor how we’d know when this sub-genre was oversaturated. She gave a few warning signs, and I have to admit, they’ve all come to pass in the last few years. Does that I mean I think it’s collapsing, though? No. I would predict a contraction, but those who love the genre will continue reading it.

TAS: Now to the bad news...Borders. It seems with the closing of the Borders franchise, we're headed towards a more electronic future. While you don't write about the future, so much, you do scribe about the unknown. Look into your crystal ball, Kelley, and tell me where you think writers, book lovers, and all those who put them together are headed?

KA: Things are clearly changing, but I don’t agree with the doom-and-gloom hand-wringing I see and hear. I hate to see Borders go. Competition is good for the business. My hope is that it will be seen by others—chains and independents—as a sign that these changing times require changes in the book-business, rather than being seen a death omen for all. Ebooks are causing some grief for writers, publishers and booksellers alike, but they’re also bringing in a fresh crop of tech-savvy new readers. What I can envision is smaller bookstores, with a wider range of titles, but fewer of each, allowing readers to browse (which is very tough in ebook stores) Then, when they have their titles picked, they buy them, on the spot, giving the store credit for the sales. The problem is that there would need to be some incentive for that on-the-spot purchase, to keep customers from browsing in an indie, getting suggestions from their knowledgeable staff, then buying from the deeply discounted online store. Whatever happens, though, I’m optimistic that it will work out—we just need to get through this rough transition patch.

TAS: In closing, and just maybe for a glimmer of hope, will we ever see the occasional pop-up book from Otherworld? You know, it would be like the Jesse Stone movie of the week from CBS or some such.

KA: Actually, yes, and that’s part of the reason I’m okay with ending it now, rather than waiting until I’ve run out of steam. Because I still love working with these characters, I can foresee future short stories with them, and even a future novel or two, when I have an idea I can’t ignore.

TAS: What are you looking forward to most this summer?

KA: Relaxing with my family! Summer isn’t my favourite time for a release, but this year, I’m not doing an official Spell Bound tour, so I’ve been able to enjoy being home with my family.

TAS: Thanks, Kelley!

You can purchase SPELL BOUND by clicking through the link above.  Her latest has already been out two weeks, so no excuses.  Round out your summer reading list now.

Tomorrow we'll be with you for a snapshot of our Must Read of the Week, a little thing I've been giddy about - The Copeland Valley Sampler.