Author D.N. Simmons Interview and $25.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest Event LIVE Here
BBB: Tell us 3 things not in your bio we don’t know about you that might make us leery of befriending you. LOL
D.N.S.: Wow, where do I begin… would it set off alarms if I said I was a stalker? Just kidding, LOL. Let me see, I enjoy wrestling; I don’t think I’ve mentioned that in my bio. When I was a child, I nearly ate an entire bottle of 30-day Flintstone vitamins in less than a week because they tasted so yummy. That just proves children will get into anything. I became obsessed with vampires at the age of five when I watched “Fright Night” for the first time.
BBB: What actors would you choose to play some of your characters if your books were made into a movie or a TV show?
D.N.S.: I have wondered who would be the perfect actors to portray the characters of the KOTDC. I honestly believe that the perfect actors are still up-and-coming. However, I have a few select choices. I think Catherine Zeta-Jones would make a lovely Elise. For Warren, either Tyler Hoechlin from Teen Wolf or Joe Manganiello from True Blood.
BBB: How do you keep track of your world building?
D.N.S.: Before I begin a new book, I go back and re-read the other books. I want to make sure that the story is consistent. Readers remember your world very well and they’ll notice if there’s an inconsistency and I always want to give my readers the very best.
BBB: Please tell us more about Unholy Alliance the 6th and final book in the Knights of the Darkness Chronicles and the storyline that drives it.
D.N.S.: Everything that has happened throughout the series comes to a boiling point in Unholy Alliance. All of the tension that’s been brewing between the supernaturals and the humans finally comes to an explosion. I like to describe it as the calm before the storm. The beginning of Unholy Alliance picks up right where The Lion’s Den left off. So the characters have to deal with the aftermath of everything that took place in that book. And just when they try to get their lives back in order, all hell breaks loose. Without giving too much away, the supernaturals’ quest for equality leads down a frightening path.
BBB: What was behind Warren’s decision to defy his pack leader and enter the police department?
D.N.S.: Warren is a very honorable man and his integrity is what drives him to want to use his abilities to save lives. His traumatic childhood experience also plays a large part for why he chose to become a cop. After witnessing his family’s slaughter at the hands of hunters, he wanted to protect innocent people and other supernaturals from those who take pleasure in the pain they cause.
BBB: How did Darian become so powerful? Was it merely his age or is there something else that makes his status so high?
D.N.S.: Darian, when he was human, was fortunate enough to be chosen by a very powerful vampire Master, Kysen, who is considered among his kind to be an ancient vampire. Also, Kysen was turned by a Fount, who are the most ancient and powerful vampires in existence. On top of all that perfect genealogy, Darian is over fifteen-hundred years old. Needless to say, he can get a little arrogant. LOL.
BBB: Now that this world has come to a close, what are you focused on? Will there be any offshoots of this world into a secondary series?
D.N.S.: I do have plans to write more books involving the characters of the KOTDC. But before I delve back into their world, I want to finish writing the new series I’ve been working on. It’s going to be terrifying, exciting and above all, extremely entertaining.
BBB: Did you do any kind of research to determine the details of your characters lives / lifestyles?
D.N.S.: I did, especially when I had to create flashbacks for Darian and Kysen’s characters. Even though the world I created is fictional, it’s still based in reality. I believe that’s what makes it so alluring. So I wanted to make sure certain details held a level of authenticity.
BBB: Are you a plotser or a panster? or a Planster (a combo of both – lol)
D.N.S.: I have an idea in my mind of what I want a story to be. I create scenarios and then I write the plot in a way that connects each significant scenario. I see the story play out inside my mind as if it’s a movie and when I’m writing, it just flows.
BBB: What types of creatures can readers expect in your world?
D.N.S.: Since the Knights of the Darkness Chronicles is an urban fantasy series, readers can expect to see sexy, intelligent and dangerous vampires. Fierce, seductive and powerful shifters and courageous, smart and sensual humans.
BBB: What’s coming up for you in 2012 and 2013?
D.N.S.: My new series that I’m working on, not yet titled. But it’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!
Books in The Knights of the Darkness Chronicles in the order they should be read:
Desires Unleashed
The Guilty Innocent
The Royal Flush
Hostile Territory
The Lion’s Den
Unholy Alliance
Author Bio:
I was born in the little, but big bustling city of Chicago, Illinois. I still live there today, and loving every second of it … Except for those harsh cold winters. I started writing short horror stories when I was eleven years old. It wasn’t until 2004 that I decided to take the plunge into the professional literary world when I wrote Desires Unleashed.
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Learn more about D.N. Simmons below:
Read Reviews of her work here
Newsletter: http://www.dnsimmons.com/NL.html
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http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1396694.D_N_Simmons
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This is a series I’m unfamiliar with but definitely off to check it out. Thanks BBB for continuing to help me discover my next fav read.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Ooh, my guilty pleasure…. seafood. I love crab, shrimp and lobster. Just about whatever comes out of the ocean, it’s a good chance I’ll eat it. Lol.
Sound like my hubby. He loves sea food..and complains because he can not get it regularly.
Who could blame him. Hehehe. You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted Rock Lobster dipped in melted butter.
You have won one million dollars what is the first thing that you would buy?
The first thing I’d do is take some of it an invest it. The second thing I’d do is give some to charity. I just wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t share my good fortune with those less fortunate. There are so many people in the world who need help, I’d be more than happy to spread the wealth. Then after that, I’d have to indulge in a 100in TV screen. Can you imagine watching True Blood on that?
What
I really enjoyed attending the Romantic Times Book Convention in April. I also enjoyed seeing The Avengers, simply because I’ve waiting years for that movie and it didn’t disappoint.
If you could be any kind of supernatural creature, what would you be and why?
Definitely a vampire as it would give an excuse to be up all night reading and the time to read all those books on my wishlist
Being the vampire fan that I am, I’d had to agree.
Ever thought about creating a compendium for your world? Kenyon, Ward, and Larissa Ione did one. Thought they are awesome idea. There are probably more authors that done it. But I’m blanking right now
Hello Raonaid, so nice to meet you. I can’t say that I have, at least not on their very detailed level. What I did create was a character bio that gives a brief description of each character and it’s broken down by species, if you will. I had a lot of fun creating it and I hope visitors to my website enjoy reading them.
If you could be any kind of supernatural creature, what would you be and why?
Dangerous question.. Very dangerous! Um… Can I say drow? Have had an interest in dark elves for several years now. Friends know me as a drow geek because I studied D&D’s info about them. * grins *
Mmm, shape shifter would be nice too. Would love to be a druid. LOL.
Very interesting, indeed. What magic powers would you have?
Mm. You had to ask about the powers didn’tcha? Wow, there are many out there. And the all sound so damn neat
Okay, I’m so interested in what you’d pick. Name three powers that you’d possess.
If you had the Silvertongue ability (as in Inkheart – where you could read characters, animals, etc out of a book) which book would you read and who/what would you drag out? Why?
In all honesty, I’m quite fond of the Knights of the Darkness world, even though I created Darian Alexander, I’d love to meet him in person. The second would be Lestat, Armand and Marius from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles’ world. I think they are so intriguing and, dare I say, sexy.
If you could live in any book (even yours though don’t you already? Mentally? I know I live in my worlds a lot mentally) which would you choose? And what would your role be there?
I’d actually love to live in the world of the KOTDC. It would be different because then I’d have no power over what happens, once I’m a part of it and not dictating it. I just hope I don’t end up someone’s dinner. LOL.
Second to my world, I’d love to live in Jeaniene Frost’s world where one of her dangerous and sexy alpha vamps could sweep me off of my feet.
The Buffy verse seems far too dangerous unless you’re Buffy or Willow, don’t you think?
If you could be any kind of supernatural creature, what would you be and why?
Ooh, I definitely choose to be a shapeshifter! I suppose that might not be a shock, since I pout how much I love shapeshifters any chance I get! I just always think how immeasurably cool it would be to be able to shift into the form of an animal. Preferably shift in the painless way! But to be honest I’d probably still want to do it.
Would you like the ability to be able to shape change into different people and mimic their voices?
Ooh, like Mystique from X-men.( Yes, I am a comic book geek too!)Hmm..I’ve never thought about that! I always think about shifter in the sense of an animal not a person. For some reason I think the shifting into another person might freak me out a little bit. Unless I was born with it and used to it, it would kind of freak me out to look in the mirror and see someone else. I know! Weird logic, but there it is!
Mystique is one of my favorite X-men characters. wolverine would be my favorite. There’s something about the way Huge Jackman portrays him that makes his character irresistible.
SO now that you’re at the end of this particular series, looking back to the beginning of it are you surprised with how it ended? Or did you always know generally how it would end?
Thanks!
I always knew how I wanted the series to end. However, I did create characters that I had intended to kill off, but didn’t. During the writing process, I fell in love with their personalities and didn’t want to see them go. Some books required a slight rewrite just to save certain characters and I think it made the story stronger and more entertaining. It certainly gave my readers more characters to love as well.
I would be a Valkyrie because they are kick a** females!
I just love these interview / giveaways when they introduce me to an author whose books I have yet to read. Thanks.
I’m very honored to be here with all of you wonderful people. I want to thank Rachel and everyone here at BBB for this lovely opportunity.
So if you could choose one type of supernatural to be from your books, what would you choose?
Hello Rae, it’s nice to meet you. I’d choose to be a vampire because I don’t think I’d want to go through the painful change my shifters have to endure. I cower in the face of pain.
If you could be any kind of supernatural creature, what would you be and why?
- Hmmm. it all depends on the universe. In some I like the vampires, in others I like the werewolves or other shifters… I also like magic users. I guess that generally, I would want to be essentially humanish but with extras. Whether magic or shifting ability or added talents of some kind.
You know, in retrospect, I probably should have asked something like: If you could have any super power or ability, what would it be? I’d love to have Magneto’s ability but Superman’s is more like it.
I would be a werewolf. I love wolves. Or maybe some sort of chimera that is several different animals such as a wolf, a cougar, a bear. And also a witch.
Hi, I was wondering if you get to choose the titles of your books?
Hello Bethany,
As a matter of fact, I did chose the titles. Each title represents the overall main plot of the book, or something very significant in the story. For instance, Desires Unleashed is the name of the club Darian owns. But more importantly, it’s a place where the patrons can unleash their darkest and most hedonistic desires, hence the name.
I think if I could be a supernatural, I would choose to be some super powerful type of fae. I just really dig the fae.
This is the first I have heard of your books. Thanks for sharing today!!
I always had a love of wolves so I would be a werewolf.
If I could be a supernatural creature, I’d like to be a dragon, because they’re invincible and beautiful creatures. And they can fly.
What was your favorite childhood book?
My favorite childhood books would be The Cat in The Hat by Dr. Seuss.
Have you ever written fan fiction? For what series?
That’s an interesting question. I don’t think I’ve ever written fan fiction, although I’ve enjoyed reading some, particularly Final Fantasy 8 fan fiction… Oh wait, I do remember one fan fiction I did write. It was a Highlander fan fiction involving Methos and Duncan, hehehe. I have no idea where it’s at now, I started it, but never finished it. I have a hard time trying to create something new out of a world that’s already beautifully crafted.
I think about this quite regularly. I’d be a shapeshifter with a lot of options. Practically any variation of man or beast would suit me.
If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?
“The Rose Has Thorns”
Would you rather be a giant hamster or a tiny rhino and why?
A tiny rhino because I think people would want to trap a giant hamster and put it on display, study it, etc. And if they couldn’t trap it, they’d kill it. But a tiny rhino, I may be small enough to get away, and if I couldn’t escape, I’d be handled gently because I wouldn’t pose a threat. I can look all adorable until I plan my escape. Or I could make someone a cute little pet and they’d (hopefully) take good care of me. But I wouldn’t want to be out in the wild, because I’d be vulnerable to larger predators.
Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters?
Superpredators by Massive Attack (just the instrumental, like in the movie The Jackal)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgwyjwgB0Ns&playnext=1&list=PLD7B111E64E14D8E0&feature=results_video
I think this represents my characters and series perfectly. It’s sexy, violent, raw and menacing.
I’d be a shifter b/c I dont want to give up full human side
In an alternate universe where you are NOT an author, what do you do?
I’d probably be an actress. I really do enjoy entertaining people and performing. I think it’s fun to be a lot of different characters and bring someone’s scripted idea to life.
If we looked under your bed, what would we find?
Hmmmm, I’m looking under my bed right now. There may be some dust bunnies and a box with misc nicknacks.
What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?
When I took a ride on a roller coaster. I don’t really like them, it’s a little too thrilling for me. I do prefer water slides.
If you could be any Disney charactor, who would it be?
Hmmmm, which Disney character would I be? Donald Duck. He’s one of my favorite Disney characters.
Do you have any unusual or special talents excluding your storytelling abilities?
I’ve composed classical music which I’ve won national awards for. I also dabble in graphic and website design.
What do you do “to color outside of the lines”?
I don’t limit my creativity. I don’t like to follow the “rules”, if you will, of storytelling, especially in urban-fantasy. So many books are written with two principal characters, male and female leads… I wanted to break away from that pattern. I wanted to create a series that had multiple main characters that way I can take the story in all sorts of directions, give the reader different viewpoints. You’re not grounded by just what one character is doing the entire book. I find it very freeing and exciting to tell a story from various characters, even the villains.
The Knights of the Darkness Chronicles is an one of a kind series with many twists and turns that is sure to keep the reader on the edge of their seats. It’s a sexy, dark, action-packed ride you don’t want to miss.