Sherri: I live outside of Nashville in a small Tennessee town with my husband of twelve years, my three young sons, and a zoo. Really. I have chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs, cats, and fish (and yes, those are all plural). I even have a collection of dragons, but unlike the rest of the zoo, those don't bite or eat.

I was raised in the middle of eight extremely rowdy boys and am a professional web developer. I've even designed websites for Hollywood and local rock bands.

In my spare time (believe it or not, I actually have some), I play the flute, read voraciously, quilt, do all kinds of needlework, am an amateur jewelry designer, and am the room mother for my sons' classes. I also love to play around with my house, which holds an interesting hodge-podge of antiques and medieval memorabilia, and I collect ancient rings. My most prized ring (aside from my medieval wedding set my husband gave me this past Valentine's Day) is a Celtic warrior's ring from the first century BC.

Donna: When did you decide to become an author and why did you choose to write romance?

Sherri: I didn't choose to be a writer, it chose me [:)] I was born to write and it is all I have ever wanted to do. I wrote my first novel, which was a paranormal, at age seven and self-published it. As for romance, I actually started writing professionally in science fiction and fantasy. But I had a nasty tendency to let the romance subplot take over my books. I had started reading romances at age fourteen and realized that I was reading more of those than science fiction. Still, I wasn't sure I wanted to leave behind the success I had attained in Science Fiction for Romance. I was afraid I wasn't good enough. But in 1990, I finally bit the bullet and decided to try my hand at writing a futuristic that would allow me to combine my two loves.

Donna: How does your family feel about you writing romance - are they supportive?

Sherri: I have been very blessed with a wonderfully supportive family. My mother and husband even read my books and at times my husband will help me with suggestions and critiques.

Donna: How long did it take to sell your first book?

Sherri: I was submitting novels just under two years when I sold my first book. I published six very successful books when the paranormal/futuristic market crashed, and it took me four years before I sold another one. It was a long, hard four years, but it taught me a lot - he most crucial lesson being that in the end, published or not, I will always be a writer. Nothing will ever stop me from creating the people who live in my heart and mind.

Donna: Where do you get ideas for your stories?

Sherri: I honestly have no idea. They just pop into my head and start the gears turning.

Donna: Do you ever use personal experiences when writing your stories?

Sherri: Not per se. What I use is my unique view of things, my quirky humor, and the life experiences I've had. I've done a lot of interesting things, from being a DJ and video producer to amateur archaeologist. I have an equal love of history and technology that has allowed me see where we're going by knowing where we've been. I think Buckaroo Bonzai said it best, "No matter where you go, there you are."

Donna: Do you work from an outline? Do your characters ever try to take over and rewrite their scenes?

Sherri: I never use an outline. If I knew the ending, I'd have no reason to write the journey. The main reason I write is to see what's going to happen to the people I've met. I'm never in charge of what's going on. I meet people and they tell me the story. I'm just the stenographer who listens to them and is lucky enough to hear the story first.

Donna: Do you ever find your characters in situations that are hard to write them out of?

Sherri: Never. I trust the people in my heart. Just like in real life, if they get themselves into something, then they have to get themselves out of it. To date, they have never disappointed me.

Donna: When do you know which secondary characters will have their own stories?

Sherri: When I hear their story and it makes me weep for them and I want to give them a happily-ever-after. I have a chronic problem in that I hate to see anyone hurting. In fiction, unlike real life, I can make things better. I can take someone who doesn't trust and help them find the person who can heal them. A person who can listen and respect them.

Donna: How long does it take you to write a story?

Sherri: It depends on what is going on around me, but generally I can draft a novel in three to four weeks. There have been cases, though, where I have written a novel from start to finish in less than four weeks, and that includes doing my five stage layer rewrite that I use on all my books.

Donna: What type of research did you do for your books?

Sherri: Well, since I have the Ph.D. in History and have a lifelong love of history and technology, I've been doing research all my life. That doesn't mean I don't have to occassionally look things up - I'm human and sometimes forget - but I have an extensive library and a network of historian friends I can call and ask if it's an area or subject I'm not well versed in.

Donna: With all of your characters and stories, you must be writing all the time, but have you ever found yourself with a case of "writer's block" while in the middle of a story? If so, how do you handle this - what helps you get beyond this problem?

Sherri: My husband tells a joke whenever anyone asks this question. He sits on the couch and says, "Look, Sherri has writer's block. Aaaachooo! Okay, all better. Have to write now." No, I don't get writer's block. I see my characters so clearly and feel them so deeply that I can barely keep up with what they're trying to tell me. I wish I could type faster and get to the end as quickly as they want me to.

Donna: With so many different characters, both as Sherrilyn and as Kinley, how do you keep them all straight?

Sherri: I always love this question [:)] The people in my books are so alive to me that I can tell you anything you want to know about them - many things that never make it into the books. Just like with my friends and family, I never get them confused. They are living, breathing people with their own birthdays, hair color, quirks, etc., that I could never confuse one for another.

Donna: Your books are very sensual. Where does this inspiration come from?

Sherri: The inspiration comes from the characters, and the level of sensuality comes out of them, which is why some books are much hotter than others. I never "shoe horn" sex in. If it doesn't fit with who and what they are, then it doesn't fit. I leave the when, where, how, and how often entirely up to the couple I'm writing about.

Donna: Is it easier writing explicit love scenes knowing that mostly women will read them?

Sherri: I never think about that when writing them. Again, I leave it entirely up to the couple and am often very surprised by what they do.

Donna: What is the hardest part of writing a story?

Sherri: Finding the uninterrupted time to just sit and channel them.

Donna: What is the funniest thing that has happened related to your writing?

Sherri: Finding out that Laurell K. Hamilton is my long lost twin. I had a friend email me a link to one of her pictures and flipped out when I saw it. It's a picture identical to one I have - we're even wearing the same clothes and are sitting in the same position. My husband saw it and wanted to know how they got my picture for her site. It was really odd.

Donna: Do you let anyone read what you have written before you send it to your editor?

Sherri: Absolutely. I have several friends and writers who scope out my books for blunders and typos.

Donna: What kind of books do you read for pleasure? Who are some of your favorite authors?

Sherri: I read everything, but romance is my primary love. My favorite authors are: Nicole Jordan, Cathy Maxwell, Susan Krinard, Teresa Medeiros, Karen Marie Moning, Stephanie Laurens, Christina Dodd, Dara Joy, Sharyn McCrumb, Gordon R. Dickson, and David Drake - and I've recently discovered Laurell K. Hamilton.

Donna: What has been your favorite question or comment by your fans?

Sherri: That they love my books [:)] I can't hear that one enough. The other is that they like my websites. I work very hard on those and am glad to know that people do enjoy visiting them.

Donna: What is your least favorite question from fans?

Sherri: That they can't find one of my books. I wish everything was still in print and easy to find. But I'm grateful that they are interested in looking for them.

Donna: Were you surprised by the popularity of your Hunter books even before the release of FANTASY LOVER?

Sherri: Yes, very pleasantly so. I've had these books for a long time and have been the only one to believe in them for so many years that it is extremely gratifying to know that people really do want to read them. I have been overwhelmed with gratitude that people are waiting to read them, and that the response to FANTASY LOVER has been so incredibly positive. I really can't adequately express the depth of my emotions and joy.

Donna: The cover for FANTASY LOVER is gorgeous! Did you get to choose it?

Sherri: It was a joint effort among me, my editor, and the art team at SMP. I have to say they did a really bang-up job and I owe each of them a really big hug.

Donna: Have you seen the cover for your first Dark Hunter book yet?

Sherri: Not yet, but I've been told it will be every bit as hot and great as Julian's, and judging by the beauty of that one, I am sure I won't be disappointed.

Donna: Julian is the perfect FANTASY LOVER. He is the fantasy of all Rebels everywhere - is he based on anyone real?

Sherri: Don't I wish! :) No, unfortunately not. He's just Julian the general, lover, and oracle.

Donna: It was fun to watch Grace's character develop and grow as she learned to be much stronger than she ever believed she could be. Is there some of you in Grace?

Sherri: No, not really. I am very much a steel magnolia forged by hell fire. I have no doubt of the depths of my strength. Where we are similar is that we both have tragic pasts that haunt us still and insecurities that won't go away.

Donna: While Grace is the perfect heroine for Julian, I love that she is not truly "perfect." While most heroines today are "stunning enough to stop traffic," Grace is just an ordinary woman with insecurities like the rest of us, but with her own beauty. Is she typical of the heroines you will write about?

Sherri: Yes, she is. I hate to read about the perfect heroine whose hair never gets caught in her zipper and who has had the great, perfect life. I've never met anyone like that, and to me the best books are the ones where the heroine is just like me - eaten alive by insecurities and a body that she wishes was three to five sizes smaller, hair that didn't frizz or blow out of control, and a quirk or two that only her best friend and the hero can find amusing.

Donna: You really put Grace and Julian through some terrible stuff. Was it hard to write scenes that caused them emotional or physical pain?

Sherri: Yes, it is. I am very passionate, but never let anyone see me cry. That being said, I often bawl like a baby when I write those scenes. If I can't feel the joy and pain of their situation, then I know the reader can't either.

Donna: Will we be able to visit Grace and Julian in future HUNTER books?

Sherri: Absolutely! They are both back in NIGHT PLEASURES, and Julian returns in NIGHT'S EMBRACE and others whose titles are tentative.

Donna: I mentioned the Hunter Legends series - can you please tell us more about them?

Sherri: Hunter Legends is the umbrella that encompasses the three branches of Hunters. Each branch is part of the Pyramid of Protection that the ancient Greek gods formed to protect the human race from supernatural predators and to protect the order of the universe.

Dark-Hunters protect the night, Dream-Hunters protect the subconscious and unconscious, and Were-Hunters protect the outer reaches of our world. Each group is vastly different and distinct from the other. The only guarantee to the series is that each book is vastly different from the one before it. Every time you think you know something, that something will be challenged. In this series, the gloves come off and the old rules don't apply.

Be prepared to meet ancient gods, warriors, wizards, vampires, and other things that have yet to be defined, all of whom are alive and well and doing battle in the modern world.

Donna: How much time is scheduled between the release of each book?

Sherri: That depends - anywhere from one to nine months apart. It's still very much up in the air, but I will keep the site updated with any and all changes as they are given to me.

Donna: You have such a terrific website. How has the Internet affected you as an author?

Sherri: Basically it allows me to give a new depth to the books that wouldn't have been there before. I can allow readers to interact with the characters and learn things about them not in the books - not to mention the internet and technology play a big part in many of the Dark-Hunter books.

Donna: What are some of your favorite websites and discussion boards?

Sherri: I have to admit, my favorite haunts are my own sites [:)]

My other faves are: RBL Romantica, Elizabeth's Book Collections, ParaNormalRomance, Romantic Times, Romance and Friends, and The Avon Ladies.

Donna: How can we as readers help to promote authors such as you?

Sherri: If you enjoy a book, tell a friend. Tell lots of friends [:)] and tell bookstore personnel! It's the best way to help anyone.

Donna: Do you have any advice for the aspiring authors here at RBL?

Sherri: Believe in yourself. No matter what. FANTASY LOVER was turned down by every single publisher in New York and several epubs and small press publishers, and this after I had sold several extremely successful books. There was many a time when I thought that the Dark-Hunters would never see the light of day. Times when I thought I'd have to publish them off my site if I ever wanted anyone other than my hubby to read them. I know it's hard. I know rejections stink. But the only guarantee you have in this business is if you don't send it out, they can't buy it. Never give up, never surrender [;)]

Donna: Do you have anything you would like to say or questions you would like ask the readers here at RBL?

Sherri: I would just like to thank you for letting me do this interview and to thank all my supporters. I owe a serious debt to all of you and here's big hug!

Sherri, on behalf of everyone at RBL Romantica, I would like to thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to do this interview with us. We have enjoyed learning more about you. We hope you will join us on the RBL Romantica Message Board. You will fit right in with all of us rowdy Rebels!

~Donna~



Ketchup
April 2006

Donna: Sherri, you have done so much since our first interview in 2002! Most of us feel that we have been right there with you, each step of the way - especially since you have become a ReBeL sister and spend time with us on the board.

Speaking of RBL, CONGRATULATIONS! You have been voted the RBL Hughie for Best Author for 2003, 2004 and 2005 - and for Best New Author in 2002!

Sherri: And for that I have to say THANK YOU to all the fabulous RBLs - you guys have been there right along with me and I adore you for it! You are part of my family and you all mean the world to me!

Donna: You have a new series starting this month as Kinley MacGregor. Please tell us more about it.

Sherri: Oh boy, that's easier said than done. It's the Arthurian tale with a giant twist. My series is about what happened after the fall of Arthur. Avalon and Camelot ended up being pulled out of time in order to protect the world of man from Morgen and her evil crew who now rule Camelot, and who now seek to find the sacred objects that Arthur used to rule - objects that would be extremely lethal in the wrong hands. It's the ultimate battle of good versus evil, but what you find is that the line between good and evil isn't always clear cut. It's a story of heroes and heroines who don't always know just how important they are to the world, any more than they know how much strength and courage they have until they're put to the test.

Donna: Last week I opened up this month's SciFi Magazine and found a full-page ad for SWORD OF DARKNESS! How cool is that?

Sherri: VERY!! I am so thrilled over the new series that words fail me. And when you consider the fact that I'm a major talkaholic, that says something :D

Donna: I got a chuckle when I saw the quote from author Sherrilyn Kenyon saying that "Kinley MacGregor writes fantasy the way I would." Was that done tongue-in-cheek?

Sherri: Absolutely. I made the joke to my editor and what I learned is that an author should NEVER make a joke to an editor - they don't have a sense of humor. She loved the idea and so we went ahead and did it. I have an author's note in the book that explains it was a joke done in good humor and that no one should take offense to it.

Donna: How many different series do you have now?

Sherri: I have four that are currently ongoing, and another three from the past. And I have a new one that I am dying to launch.

Donna: I remember asking you back in '02 how you keep up with so many characters. And you have added so many since then, so I am asking again - how do you keep them all straight (not just the main characters, but all the secondary ones too)?

Sherri: I have no idea. I guess it comes from the fact that they're like family to me (and I have a really large family). Ever notice that you never forget what your family members look like? You know what their favorite things are, when their birthdays are, etc. My people are like that to me. They're so real that I have no problem keeping them separate.

Donna: How do you decide whose story you are going to do next? Which story has been the hardest to write? Do you have a favorite so far?

Sherri: I don't decide. Ever. The people do. It's whoever is burning inside me. It's the story that *has* to be told. I never write anything I'm lukewarm over. I have to be dying to write it or it's shelved.

I think every book has a point where as an author I feel like I've lost my way and that it stinks to the point it's unsalvageable. Every book has a point where I want to throw my hands up and run for the want ads and forget that I ever wanted to be a writer. But then my best bud kicks me in the rump, slaps me around and tells me to get over it. Then I head back and stumble onward to the conclusion which is never what I thought it'd be. My endings always surprise me for some reason.

As for a favorite, nope. I love them all equally. Honestly, I do.

Donna: You still have one of the busiest websites and email groups on the internet. What do you think about all of the guessing and speculating over who will be Ash's mate (some even believe that it could be Artemis)? Can you give us a new clue? A little something that you haven't revealed to anyone else?

Sherri: Umm... no ;) Sorry, they'd stone me if I did or they'd speculate even more. LOL. I marvel every day at the way the series has caught fire in so many other people's imaginations. I honestly can't believe it and I'm truly grateful for it.

Donna: As you know, we love Ash and Simi. They have been voted Hughies for Favorite Secondary Characters for three years in a row. For the first time, in your last Dark-Hunter book (UNLEASH THE NIGHT), Ash and Simi were very low-key. Was this for a reason?

Sherri: They didn't fit in the book. I never put characters in a book just to have them there. They have to have a reason to appear and they have to add something to the plot. Since Wren's book dealt with the inner workings of the Were-Hunters and Ash was never that close to Wren, it didn't make sense for either him or Simi to be in it. Ash returns in DARK SIDE OF THE MOON though, and has a very important role in that one. And Simi will be in Arik's book in January.

Donna: In Wren’s book, we saw a side of Mama Peltier that we hadn't seen before. I think that most of us had always thought of her as more benevolent to the other dark and were-hunters. Did she change, or had we just misread her?

Sherri: No, she didn't change. You just saw another layer to her personality and you saw her in a much bigger role than she'd had previously. In the past books, she was only a walk-on character. In this one, she was primary.

And at the end of the day, she's an animal and she will sacrifice one child to save the others. If caught in a trap, she'd gnaw off her own limb to escape. It's basic "Bear 101." As for Wren, he never fit in with them and never tried. She was only trying to protect her den and her family from a creature who never hid his distaste of them. Her feelings for Vane are still strong even though he, too, betrayed her, and her hatred for Fang is very real. She's just a complicated character and isn't one-dimensional. There are those in her house, such as Colt, that she would lay her life down to protect and then there are others she can't stand but tolerates because she has to. That's why she has the warning whenever Ash comes in, so that they can all be on their toes and not do something that could get them into trouble. She doesn't particularly like Ash either, but she tolerates him. She's just a real person with likes and dislikes, faults and foibles. There are times when she's hard and times when she's soft. You'll see more of her complexity in Aimee's book.

Remember, the first time we met Acheron, he wasn't nice either. He was very mysterious and harsh. It wasn't until later that we got to see and understand his character better. Nicolette is the same way. You just saw a new side to her, but it's not her only side and her appearance is equally tainted by the fact that Wren never liked or trusted her.

Donna: Have you met many people who have gotten a Dark-Hunter tattoo? Got to admit, it's pretty cool. If I were going to get a tattoo, that would be what I want. Have you given it any thought yourself?

Sherri: I adore whenever I'm at a signing and someone shows me their DH tattoo. I love it! The best was a bookseller who dropped her pants to show me her hip. But when it comes to me ... ouch! I don't do pain ;) I'll put the temporary ones on, but that's it. I have a major needle phobia from all the allergy shots I had to suffer as a child.

Donna: You have made us care about both the Arcadians and the Kataraia. Will they ever find peace and be able to exist together?

Sherri: I don't know. I hope they do, I really do, but I don't know how that'll end up.

Donna: We even got to know the Apollites, and came to care about them. Is there any hope for them? Some way to break their curse?

Sherri: Again, I don't know :) It's why I'm writing the series. I want to see how it ends too.

Donna: About those MacAllisters - I don't suppose you could give us a little clue about Kieran? Is he alive or is he going to show up one day as a Dark-hunter?

Sherri: Oh I know the answer to this, but can't comment since it would be a spoiler. I'm hoping Lochlan will come out of hiding soon and we can have his book and move on to Phantom and Damien. Drat you Lochlan, drat you!

Donna: Any date yet for Lochlan's book? Why is he being so stubborn? Do you already have a heroine for him?

Sherri: Again it gets back to the burning passion. I have the idea for him, but I don't feel it yet and until I'm dying to tell his story, I know it won't be what it should be. I promised myself years ago that I would never give a book to a publisher just for a paycheck. Every book to me is a personal contract with my reader. I put everything I have into each story and I will never release a book that I don't believe is the best it can be. Much to my publishers' chagrin, I don't write to deadline. I write to hear my characters' sing. I write for pleasure and for discovery and I take as much time as I need to carefully craft every book. I wish I could just yack Lochlan's story onto the page. I hate to ever tell a fan that the story isn't there, but I would hate more writing a book just to meet a deadline or to have it out there. I want to love his book and I don't think it's fair of me to ask someone to part with their hard-earned cash for something I didn't absolutely love. So until I feel the love of his book, we're all waiting. I want to choke that man! But hopefully he'll come around soon and we can all be happy.

Donna: How many other countries have your books been released in? All of the book covers are beautiful, but why do they change them when the books are released elsewhere?

Sherri: Twenty-four or twenty-five. It might even be twenty-six. I'm getting them all confused now and I have a hard time keeping up with it. I'm just too grateful to question it. ;)

They change covers because of the different publishers and their belief in what their readers are looking for. Some of the countries think the US covers are too risque and in others they don't look romancy enough. Many of them I can't even begin to fathom, such as KISS OF THE NIGHT in the Czech Republic. What *is* on that cover? And then there's the Korean cover which features a stick man. Very strange, but hey - if it works, it works.

My coolest news is that the Lords of Avalon are going to be released as graphic novels starting this summer. I can't wait to see that!

Donna: Your out-of-print books are still very popular on eBay. Any word on whether or not they will get reprinted?

Sherri: YES!!! St Martins has, in fact, bought the out of print backlist and they will be reissued soon. Best of all, they're allowing me to go back into the League Series and make it a cohesive whole again. Originally, the books were sold to three different publishers, and, as a result, they had to be changed so as not to compete with each other. Now I can change the names back and have the series make sense. I'm so excited! I don't know the date yet, but as soon as I do, it'll be on my web site.

Donna: Sherri, its always great to spend time with you. Thank you for the wonderful stories and characters you have given us. All of us at RBL wait eagerly for each new release and enjoy the time you spend with us on the board. And THANK YOU for all the times you acknowledged RBL Romantica in your books. But most of all, thank you for being a part of RBL.

Sherri: No, thank you! You guys have always been a welcomed refuge for me. Some place I can go when I'm feeling down and I will never forget how kind all of you were when my mother died. There's nothing I love more than meeting ReBeLs at signings and spending time with all of you. You guys rock!!

Sherri's Website

Kinley's Website



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