Yesterday, I posted a bit of an interview I did with author Erin Kellison.  Continuing today, I post the next installment.

When interviewing Ms. Kellison with these next questions, I focused on her characters and inspiration.

11.  Are the characters in the series based on real people in your life?

Nope. Occasionally I steal names if I am desperate in the moment. Later I have to go back and switch some so I won’t incur the wrath of friends and family. But actual people in my life only have a moment or two in the books, and then only as an inspiration, not as a true-to-life depiction.

12.  Did any of your characters surprise you as they emerged- actions, characteristics, etc?

Every single one and all the time, which is why I only go into a scene with an idea of what I want to accomplish.  For example, I tried many times to delete the character of Custo from Shadow Bound. But he just kept asserting himself into the story, alive in my brain. I had no idea of his sacrifice in the latter half of the book. When I finally reached that point, I bawled. And then I knew I had to totally rip Adam’s heart out for him to do what he needed to do. Custo became the foil for Jacob; Custo’s death was a major turning point in the story.

13.  A comment:  Some of my favorite parts of the book are when Talia screams as the Segue group is being attacked, and Shadowman hears her, then  makes his appearance.  The setting and tone switches directly from a modern urban scenario (Talia’s world) to a very flowery, romantic type of scenario (Shadowman’s world) right before he crosses.  I like how you did that!

Thanks! That was one of my favorite parts to write. I knew it would come at the midpoint and was racing to get there through the first half of the book. And I am so glad the tone shift worked for you, because I really wanted to have both a contemporary voice, and one that evoked fairy tale.

14.  Do you identify yourself with a specific character in Shadow Bound?  If so, who?

Only slightly Talia, and just because she has an academic background. Otherwise, nope. There are bits of me scattered through all my books, but not concentrated into one character.

15.  I find Shadow Bound hard to describe.  It seems to fit into several categories.  It is a romance, no doubt, but it is also a lot more.  If you had to describe Shadow Bound to someone who was deciding whether to read it or not, what would you say to them?

You’re not the only one who has trouble describing it. The term I think you are looking for is cross-genre. In fact, my first publisher had it shelved in fantasy and sci-fi at Barnes and Noble, and in romance elsewhere. I call it a contemporary dark fantasy romance, though I might highlight different aspects depending on the interests of the person who asks. I’ve also been called paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and horror.