Questions Asked on Facebook

Q: Are you given a page limit by the publisher?

A: There is no page limit but most authors develop a natural length when it comes to telling a story. That length is usually a product of their style. My books are dialogue driven rather than narrative or description driven. A book that is heavy on dialogue, by its very nature, tends to be a tad shorter. I write with an emphasis on dialogue because that is the way the story comes to me — through the voices of the characters.

Q: Are any of your characters loosely based on someone you know? If so, can you tell us who and why?

A: I never base characters on anyone I know. The people in my stories come out of my head, not off the street. But having said that, I do try to give my characters interesting problems and quirks that feel at least somewhat realistic.

Q: As a talented and prolific author, who has been involved in the romance field for 30 years, what style trends you have noticed?

A: Great essay on the changes in romance (see Discussions tab on Facebook Page). Thanks for taking the time to write it. There isn't room to respond to all of your comments here but I'll take a shot at a couple of your questions. First, I would like to point out that it is impossible to nail down style and story trends in this field. This is a genre that is constantly experimenting and reinventing itself. That is one of the reasons I love writing it.

Q: I've always been rather curious about the public disdain for romance as a genre, and how defensive women who read them must be to remain intelligent in the public eye. I've never understood why a book needs to be depressing and disturbing to qualify as literature. Why do you suppose that is? Have you felt the need to defend your career to others? Are you ever approached with the opinion that you could be a "real" author if you stopped focusing on romance? Of course, perhaps at this point you're universally respected, but how about earlier in your career?

A: It's true that the romance genre traditionally has not been highly respected. But it turns out that the authors in other classic genres such as mystery, suspense, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, etc., sense the same lack of respect. Just ask 'em! The bottom line is that genre fiction, in general, is not highly regarded by the literary and academic establishment. That is because our kind of fiction gets its power from the ancient, heroic archetypes and storytelling traditions — not modern angst. In genre fiction, the characters are troubled and flawed, just as they are in modern literary fiction. But in genre fiction, the heroes and heroines don't take the victimhood approach to life. They are expected to overcome their problems with the ancient, heroic virtues: courage, determination and a belief in the healing power of love. In the end, they must do the right thing. They are not allowed to whine!

Q: Are there some books or forums you might recommend to me for a more academic discussion on the romance genre?

Q: I'm an unpublished author, writing eco-thrillers/thrillers, and hope to get published in the future. Any tips for me?

Q: What attracted you to writing Victorian era romances?

A: I chose the Victorian era for the Arcane stories that take place in the past because the fog-and-gaslight atmosphere seemed a perfect landscape for a secret society dedicated to the study of the paranormal.

Q: What is the hardest part about writing in the Victorian era?

A: Describing the women's clothes! They wore so many of them. A well dressed lady might leave the house wearing nearly forty pounds of corsets, petticoats and heavy skirts. That is why my heroines are all members of The Rational Dress Movement (which actually existed). The RD Movement's goal was to get rid of corsets and lighten the weight of female attire. Their motto: No lady should wear more than seven pounds of undergarments. Don't laugh. It was considered very progressive, very feminist thinking at the time.

Q: How do you choose your names? I love some of them like Fallon - but I have never heard of that name in real life...

A: Fallon is a real name, believe it or not. I found it in a "name the baby book". That is where I get most of the names for my characters. Let me tell you, there are some very odd names in some of those books! The thing about names for characters is that they have to feel "right". There's just a click when you find the perfect name.

Q: Which book would you consider to be the best to recommend as an introduction to Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick?

Q: I was just wondering if you will be writing any new books as JAK that are not in the Arcane series.

Q: When will your next Jayne Castle book come out?

Q: Since you have so intricately woven the thread of psychic abilities throughout your books, I was wondering if you have any. If so, what? And if not, what attracted you so to this area?

A: I love working with the psychic element because it adds a wonderful layer of intimacy and connection between the hero and heroine. I also like it because it allows me to do some interesting things with the plot. I think of psychic talents as being just "one step beyond" intuition. I don't claim to have any paranormal talents but I do have a sense of intuition. I think most people believe that they have some degree of intuition. That's what makes it possible for readers to step into my Arcane world.

Q: Are the Jayne Castle books a part of the Arcane Series?

Q: Why was Jones & Jones established?

Q: Will we be seeing more of the Arcane Society on Harmony?

Q: Have you heard from the 'daughters' of Vanza?? I believe there is more to come out of the school then just well bred young ladies.

A: Don't worry, you'll be hearing from a daughter of Vanza soon! I loved doing that story (LIE BY MOONLIGHT under my Amanda Quick name) and I'm so glad you were intrigued enough to ask about those young ladies.

Q: Is it possible we may meet any of the girls trained in the art of Vanza in future books?

A: Vanza was one of my early attempts to sneak a mysterious, secret society into some of my books. In fact, it was one of the inspirations for my Arcane Society series. Vanza, as I conceived it, is a mysterious martial arts philosophy. The heroes in three of my Amanda Quick books are members of this clandestine group (I THEE WED, WICKED WIDOW, and LIE BY MOONLIGHT). In the last story, LIE BY MOONLIGHT, I ended the book with the hero and heroine teaching the arts of Vanza to a school full of orphaned girls. And in answer to your question, we might, indeed, meet one of the young women in a future book or at least one of her descendants....

Q: Will you write anymore under the Amanda Quick name?

Q: How did you choose the pen name Amanda Quick?

A: Ha! That was easy. I went into a bookstore and checked out the romance bookshelves. At the time there were very few writers under "Q". Figured I'd have the entire shelf to myself, heh, heh. Sadly, that did not last long. I chose Quick because after a few years of watching publishers try to squeeze Jayne Ann Krentz onto a cover, I wanted something short.

Q: Is Charmed out of print?

Q: Do you have any plans to write more books like SWEET STARFIRE?

A: I'm still doing futuristics like SWEET STARFIRE but these days I write them under the name Jayne Castle. My Harmony/Ghost Hunter series are novels of romantic-suspense set in the future on another world. You can find out more about the series by clicking on the Harmony link to the left.

Q: Will we ever see Lavinia and Tobias or Miss Emmaline and Anthony again?

A: Probably not. I left that series as a trilogy because, frankly, it didn't sell well. People stood in line around the block not to buy those books. I have since left that publisher. I can tell you, though, that it was doing Lavinia with her gift for mesmerism, that helped inspire my Arcane Society series.

Q: Where did you get the idea for the dust bunnies?

A: I love including animals in my books and in the case of the futuristics it is just too much fun to pass up. They add a whole different dimension to the story. The dust bunnies are particularly useful in my Jayne Castle books because they act as a bridge between humans and the mysteries of Harmony. They were actually inspired, in part, by a parakeet named Ferd who lived with us for ten years. There was something whimsical and clever and a little dangerous about Ferd. I think it was those dinosaur genes. He forever changed the way I view birds and animals in general.

Q: Will Caleb Jones, the founder of Jones & Jones, the Arcane Society's psychic investigation agency ever get his own story?

Q: Will you be writing Fallon Jones's story?

Q: Do you have plans for a signing in CA?

Q: Do you have plans for a signing in Savannah, GA?

Q: Do you have any Seattle area book signings planned for this summer?

Q: I so enjoy reading a good book. I've wondered if writing would be as enjoyable? I make up fun characters and stories if I can't do anything else (traffic, planes, etc) just to entertain myself. Would it transfer over as a usable skill or should I stick to reading? As much as I read, I can't get enough "new blood" that I'm interested in reading. I value your opinion.

Q: Do you have a list of your book available on MP3?

A: Unfortunately, I don't have a complete list but I can tell you that all of my current titles, including all of the Arcane Society novels are available on MP3. Also Brilliance Audio has picked up both my Amanda Quick and JAK backlist. They are releasing the books very rapidly in that format.

Q: I've been enjoying the Twitter posts from Fallon Jones. Are those going to be integrated into a book? Or are they teasers for future books? In particular I am thinking of today's mention of the "illusion talent in Seattle" who gave Fallon chills.

Q: Are there going to be any more books in the Ghost Hunter Series?

Q: Are there any women hunters in the Arcane society? I wonder because you still have applied more traditionally "feminine" talents to the female characters in your books. I would really like to see a female hunter.

Q: Has Nikola Tesla featured prominently in your research?

A: Tesla is a fascinating character. I have not done much research on him and I can't quite see him as a hero in one of my books (maybe it's the haircut). There's a bit too much of the "mad scientist" vibe there. On the other hand, some of his theories certainly fit in neatly with Arcane Society research!

Q: Perfect Poison is Book 6 in the Arcane series, but there's a new series coming out that's a continuation of the Arcane series that's not called the Arcane series but the Dreamlight Trilogy? Does that mean the first one is going to be Fallon's story, or is that an entirely different book? And why isn't Dark Light considered part of the Arcane series (or at least mentioned)? Is Obsidian Prey going to continue the revelation of the Arcane Society on Harmony or was that a one-shot head-nod to the AS fans, sort of like you did with the Cabinet of Curiosities in After Dark as a nod to Lie by Moonlight? Is Midnight Crystal in the Harmony series or something totally different?