I love it when books don't disappoint me. Hell's Belles, the debut novel of Jackie Kessler, is a fun, engaging read with imagery so vivid it sticks with you long after you finish reading. And so it was my pleasure to interview Ms. Kessler, a fresh and creative new voice in the "paranormal romance" sub-genre. Here, she talks about some of her inspirations for the novel as well as advice she'd like to pass on to aspiring writers.
R&T: A lot of other dark fantasy/romance novels center around vampires, witches, or fairies. Although Hell’s Belles has a witch character in it, most of the main characters in the book are demonic forces. What made you decide to write about them?
Kessler: Going into it, I just knew I wanted to write about a demon. At the time, I hadn’t read many other dark paranormals about demons—especially demons as the protagonists—so I thought it would be fun and different. Looking back at the terrific demon books that came out around the same time, including Richelle Mead’s Succubus Blues and Meljean Brook’s Demon Angel, I think we all share the same demonic muse.
R&T: The imagery in Hell’s Belles seems to come from a variety of sources, such as Dante’s famous Inferno and Greek mythology. Why did you choose the aspects of each source that you did, and was it easy to combine everything into one setting?
Kessler: When I sat down to create the mythology of Hell for the book (and series), I picked the aspects of religion, mythology and literature focusing on Hell that really resonated for my story. Most of it worked really well; I tossed what didn’t and filled in the gaps with my own ideas.
R&T: Hell’s Belles seems to blend two popular but unrelated genres – dark fantasy and chick lit. Do you think that these genres work well together? Is it ever a challenge to include aspects of one or the other into your stories?
Kessler: All hail MaryJanice Davidson for paving the paranormal chick-lit way with her Undead series! Yes, I think the snarky, sassy first-person narrator works very well in a dark fantasy setting. I think you have to be a wiseass to deal with paranormal crap on a daily (or nightly) basis—ultimately, it’s not so much paranormal chick-lit as it is humorous dark fantasy.
R&T: Do you think that blending chick lit or romance makes dark fantasy or horror more appealing to a wider female audience, or do you think that women are naturally drawn to these genres anyway?
Kessler: Naturally drawn! Heck, anyone who’s read any story with a princess who hooks up with her prince after they (either together or individually) defeat the Forces Of Evil And Nastiness has been reading paranormal romance. We just called them “fairy tales” when we were kids.
R&T: What other dark fantasy/romance authors are you a fan of? What books and/or movies inspire you?
Kessler: I am a huge fan of many, many authors, including (but definitely not limited to): Rachel Caine, Richelle Mead, Caitlin Kittredge, Meljean Brook, Colleen Gleason, Jaci Burton, MaryJanice Davidson, Cathy Clamp and CT Adams, and Gena Showalter. My god of writing is Neil Gaiman ((fans self)), and I adore Chris Moore (he’s a seriously funny man). What inspires me? Any gripping story that makes me want to keep reading no matter what. Whenever an author makes me forget about all the other stuff I have to do because the story I’m reading is just that good, man, that’s an author I want to emulate.
R&T: Where do you do most of your writing? Any particular time of the day or night that works best for you?
Kessler: I have a home office, so I do all of my writing on my handy dandy Macintosh. I have a day job as well as a family with two young children, so I do the bulk of my writing first thing in the morning and last thing at night. My Loving Husband usually gives me a kiss around 11 pm and says “Good night,” and I say “I’ll be right there,” and two hours later I crawl into bed. (I don’t get a lot of sleep.)
R&T: I’ve often compared short story writing to a sprint, and novel writing to a marathon. Was the transition for you, from short stories to novels, an easy one? Who or what helped you get through writing your first novel?
Kessler: I still write the occasional short story, but my focus now is primarily on novels. For the longest time (cough, 16+ years) I was hung up on writing the Great American Novel. When I finally got a clue (after triple-digit rejections—really) that this particular book wasn’t there yet, I started concentrating on short stories as I fiddled with a different novel (which also wasn’t ready for prime time, alas). I sold a handful of short stories before I wrote Hell’s Belles. Those sales helped my confidence immensely, and they were fun to write.
R&T: What is the writing life to you?
Kessler: As necessary as breathing.
R&T: Have you ever experienced writer’s block?
Kessler: God, yes! Usually I get writer’s block when I’ve taken the story in a direction that just isn’t working, but my conscious (read: stubborn) mind hasn’t picked up on that crucial fact yet. Ugh. The only thing worse than writer’s block is trying to figure out what went wrong. (And this is why I love my critique partner!)
R&T: What advice do you have for new writers?
Kessler: Cindy Procter King (who wrote Head Over Heels) once said that to be successful in writing, three things need to converge: talent, persistence, and timing. I completely agree. Above all, you have to have the skill to write a compelling story—as Martha O’Connor (who penned the amazing The Bitch Posse) says, you should write like there’s no one watching. And you have to steel yourself for rejection (because unless your name rhymes with Daris Dilton, you’re probably going to get at least one “NO” in your writing career). And it’s important to keep tabs on the marketplace to see what’s selling to whom—yes, you’re writing for two years out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t glean important information from current deals. Joe Konrath (author of the Jack Daniels Mystery Series) once told me that if you want writing to be your business, you have to treat it like a business—and that means you have to study the market. It’s not as frightening as it sounds…and if you do your homework, you could learn a hell of a lot.
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Read a review of Hell’s Belles and other books reviewed by The Rose & Thorn at Roses & Thorns Book Reviews.
Want more information about Jackie’s favorite books and authors? Succubus Blues by Richelle Meade and Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman are reviewed at Roses & Thorns Book Reviews
Meredith Lopez is currently on extended leave of absence as prose editor and the senior newsletter editor for The Rose & Thorn. She lives in New York City with her husband and two houseplants.
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