Get Lost in a Romantic Fantasy with Jane Kindred

Jane Kindred began writing romantic fantasy at the age of 12 in the wayback of a Plymouth Fury—which, as far as she recalls, never killed anyone…who didn’t have it coming. She spent her formative years ruining her eyes reading romance novels in the Tucson sun and watching Star Trek marathons in the dark. She now writes to the sound of San Francisco foghorns while two cats slowly but surely edge her off the side of the bed. Jane is the author of The Devil’s Garden (Carina Press/June 2011) and The Fallen Queen (Entangled Publishing/December 2011), Book One of The House of Arkhangel'sk trilogy.

You can find Jane on Twitter: @JaneKindred

on Facebook: www.facebook.com/somewherebetweenheavenandhell

or on her website: www.janekindred.com

The Fallen Queen

Heaven can go to hell.

Until her cousin slaughtered the supernal family, Anazakia’s father ruled the Heavens, governing noble Host and Fallen peasants alike. Now Anazakia is the last grand duchess of the House of Arkhangel’sk, and all she wants is to stay alive.

Hunted by Seraph assassins, Anazakia flees Heaven with two Fallen thieves—fire demon Vasily and air demon Belphagor, each with their own nefarious agenda—who hide her in the world of Man. The line between vice and virtue soon blurs, and when Belphagor is imprisoned, the unexpected passion of Vasily warms her through the Russian winter.

Heaven seems a distant dream, but when Anazakia learns the truth behind the celestial coup, she will have to return to fight for the throne—even if it means saving the man who murdered everyone she loved.

CAT:  What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

JANE:  Epic fantasy, no contest. I love to be swept away into another world and time, and I love the unique systems of magic that each author comes up with. I’m also a big fan of urban fantasy, because that touch of the modern and familiar mixed with a hidden world underneath is a fabulous escape. And if there’s a little bit of a love story mixed in there, all the better.

 

CAT:  What’s the first book you remember reading? 

JANE:  Big Little Kitty, by Jan D. Biggers. It was a picture book about a girl named Karen Kay and her kitty Muffin. It had just the right amount of conflict and adventure with a happy ending. And kitties. What more could you ask for in a story?

CAT:  What’s your favorite fairy tale?

JANE:  Beauty and the Beast is my favorite classic fairytale. There was something so romantic about the poor enchanted Beast. My favorite modern fairytale, however, is The Princess Bride. Buttercup isn’t exactly the strongest of female characters, but Westley and the others more than make up for it. Plus, it has R.O.U.S.es. And true love.

CAT:  Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release?

JANE:  Not exactly a playlist, but Kate Bush’s Aerial was on constant rotation in my iPod while I was writing The Fallen Queen, and while the lyrics don’t particularly go with the story, the episodic progression of the ethereal music seems to fit.

CAT:  What was the first story you remember writing?

JANE:  I may have written earlier stories, but the first one I remember was when I was 10, for a school assignment. We were supposed to create a mythical creature out of two common animals, and mine was called “Spat”…about a half-spider/half-cat. (What the heck?? I don’t even know.)

CAT:  What’s your favorite movie of all time?

JANE:  I have a lot of favorite movies, so it’s always hard to pick just one. It’s A Wonderful Life is probably my all-time favorite, but it’s seasonal. I have to watch it on Christmas Eve. Have. To. But one that seems to make me the happiest whenever I’m feeling low is Real Genius. Val Kilmer’s Chris Knight has a certain appealing joie de vivre, and the music and story remind me of a less complicated time in my life. Neither of these movies ever disappoints, no matter how many times I’ve seen them.

CAT:  Who’s your favorite villain?

JANE:  I often find villains more interesting than protagonists. I guess my favorite at the moment would be The Snow Queen, of Hans Christian Andersen’s story of the same name. She provided the inspiration for my villain Aeval in The Fallen Queen. The Snow Queen seems to have her own morality, and is simply doing what she does, like the winter itself. If someone happens to get hurt in the process of getting what she wants, it’s nothing personal.

CAT:  If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go and specifically why?

JANE:  I’d love to travel to Imperial Russia at the beginning of the 20^th century and see what it was really like. I’m sure I have a very romanticized view of it, but it would still be fascinating.

CAT:  Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?

JANE:  I drink both, but if I had to choose one it would be tea, and how I take it depends on how and where it’s being served and what variety. If it’s Chinese tea, I have it in a Gaiwan cup with loose leaves, and nothing added. If it’s English tea, I take it with a little bit of cream, and maybe just the tiniest bit of sugar to bring out the flavor if it’s something with rose or bergamot (my favorites). If it’s Russian tea, I take it like the Russians do: sweet, with no cream. Sadly, I’m extremely sensitive to caffeine so I can’t have it often, but a really good tea is worth the side effects.

CAT’S GOTTA ASK:

If you were a t-shirt, what color would you be and why?

JANE’S GOTTA ANSWER: Black, because I’d fit in everywhere, and no one would be able to see what a mess I was. ;)

GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?

The question about my favorite villain got me thinking: Does the villain make the story? Are there stories without a strong, complex villain that you love anyway, or do all the really good stories have a really good (or rather, evil) villain?

JANE is giving away a copy of The Fallen Queen to one commenter, ebook or print, their choice.

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