30 novels in 30 years – Happy 30th anniversary to the Anita Blake series!
October of 1993 Guilty Pleasures hit the shelves. It was the very first Anita Blake adventure. After over two hundred rejections from almost every publisher possible and moments when I wasn’t sure I’d ever publish another book, I finally had the first book in my series published, and better yet I knew there’d be at least two more, because I had my first multi book contract. When I signed on the dotted line the contract was for three Anita Blake novels. I still remember the thrill of knowing there would be at least three books in the series! I’d already had one series end with the first book, Nightseer, because like most first novels it hadn’t sold well enough for the editor to buy more. It was supposed to be four books and now it would never be, but Anita would get at least three novels. I was giddy with the just that.
Anita Blake lives in a modern-day America where everything that goes bump in the night is real and everyone knows about it. The first book starts two years after Addison v Clarke had changed the definition of life and death by declaring vampires were legal citizens with all the rights that entails except for the right to vote. If you see a zombie on your street the police will come and keep you safe until an extermination team arrives with flame throwers in hand. I actually got rejected by a couple of publishers because my monsters were out of the closet. The editors said that without the mystery vampires aren’t scary. I’ve been proving them wrong on that for thirty books now. Another publisher offered to buy my book if I would make all my monsters a secret like every other horror novel I’d ever read. Anita Blake works full time at Animators Inc, where she raises the dead for her money hungry boss, Bert Vaughn. She consults with the police on supernatural crime part time and is one of the new legal vampire executioners because once a vampire starts to murder people for blood, they don’t stop. There was no way to go back and change Anita and her world, so I just kept collecting my rejection slips until then Penguin Putnam said, yes without wanting to change a thing. They bought me because it was something new that they’d never seen.
I had no idea that Guilty Pleasures would launch my career, or that I would ever get a chance to write the thirtieth Anita Blake novel, Slay that’s coming out November 7, 2023. My goal was to be able to support my family. I had no ambitions beyond that, because what was the point? All I knew then was that I was contracted for three books and if it all fell apart, I’d have at least a trilogy under my belt. If I’d told myself how successful I’d be as a writer way back in 1993 I wouldn’t have believed myself. I wouldn’t have believed a lot of things. The first three books have pagers and telephone booths as the high tech. Somewhere in The Laughing Corpse, or Circus of the Damned Anita gets a cellphone, but it’s nothing like the smart phone that we all live on and through now. It wasn’t just my career I couldn’t have foreseen, but the changes in technology that would reshape the world. Not a single science fiction writer, or even scientist saw that coming, so I don’t feel too bad. I would arbitrarily update all the tech in the series somewhere in the middle novels. It’s a tradition in long running mystery series that the main characters don’t age as fast as the rest of the world, and that you update history to keep the main character current with the present like changing their military service from Korea to the Middle East. I say mystery instead of horror, or fantasy, because at the time I was creating Anita, I had to turn to mystery series to read twenty books or more with the same character, no other genre had that at the time. Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, Robert B. Parker’s Spenser, John D. McDonald’s Travis McGee – none of them ever age out of being able to outthink, out fight, or just be tougher than anyone they’re up against. If it’s good enough for the greats of the genre, it’s good enough for me. I do have the added benefit of Anita Blake’s supernatural powers helping her age slower than normal, or perhaps she’s stopped aging at all, we’re really not sure yet.
People keep asking me if each book is the last Anita Blake novel, because a lot of my fans are from horror, fantasy, romance, and not as much mystery, so they’re used to series stopping at three, four, maybe six books if you’re lucky, but that wasn’t the template I used when I was planning my series. I went to mystery and studied some of the longest running series out there at the time. There are 21 Travis McGee novels, so I’m already ahead. Robert B. Parker wrote 40 Spenser novels before he passed and other writers were invited by his estate and publisher to continue the series. Ace Atkinson wrote 10 and has just passed the mantle to Mike Lupica who’s first Spenser book, Broken Trust comes out in November. Just hitting the 40 that Parker did is ambitious enough. Rex Stout wrote 33 novels and 41 novellas and short stories. If you add it all together that’s 74 Nero Wolfe adventures. Now that’s a goal.
26 thoughts on “30 novels in 30 years – Happy 30th anniversary to the Anita Blake series!”
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Congrats to you on all the success you have had over the years. Love Anita and all her stories.
From the very first book I’ve been hooked. I hope this ride never ends!
I have read most of the Anita Blake series multiple times and look forward to #30! Thanks for being so diligent in your craft!
I have enjoyed every one of these books. I’ve saved the last one so I can read them one after the other.
Congratulations on thirty books in thirty years
I started reading Anita Blake when I was 12 or 13 years old (don’t remember now) and since have not missed a single release. I have loved every one in their own way and they have walked along with me through most of the hardest times in my life so far. I got my first copies from the library and once I got older I was able to buy all the books in hardback for myself as well as all the audiobooks, which was so great for me because I finally felt like I could support Laurell K Hamilton like her work has supported me.
Is it weird to say that the Anita Blake series has/continues to be almost a third parent? In the sense that it’s taught me one chapter at a time how to be a better adult and appreciate the people around me? I can honestly say there is not a single series (of thousands) that comes close how impactful it’s been on my continuing development as a person.
I’ve loved Jean-Claude since the beginning in Guilty Pleasures and watching the growth and love in their relationship, and the dynamism in Edwards relationship and impact in the story probably created their own smile lines on my face just from how often I smile when I read it.
If Laurell K Hamilton ever reads this I want to say thank you. THANK YOU! You and Anita Blake have saved lives because I know you saved mine. When I was on the edge and suicide was the knife I held to my wrists every night, you gave me the place I needed to escape and sparked love within me for the people in my life.
I look forward to every book more than you know, and the only thing I would ask is for more and faster! (Only as you healthily can of course…) I wasn’t even born when you first created this series and I’ve reread it more than is probably strictly necessary, but it will always be a favorite more precious than gold to me.
God Bless you and your family in your personal lives and in your work, and be encouraged that you put good into the world. You’ve taught me more about respect, honesty, honor, communication, life, and love than any class or conversation ever could.
Happy book-iversary! I’m looking forward to finally meeting her family on page. The teaser in the last book has me VERY excited.
Thanks for sharing your imagination all these years. I toast to many more.
I’m a newly fan for some years and so proud to see your success. I have so much fun reading your series that I have to tell my friends about and to see the joy when their reading it.
I am super glad you did write it and didn’t give up. Cause I feel in love with Anita and all her men from the first book. And yes I have them all! Well I will after I get the new one. But yes not only did I own them in hard cover books but when I got my nook I had to get them on that. Then I got my Audible and I have them all from that as well. So yes thanks for this series and these characters. Love them all don’t ever stop writing new adventures for Anita and the gang. Love you. And thanks so much for this series.
The Anita series is my first time enjoying the first person viewpoint in a book. I usually skip books that are in first person. I love all the personalities and descriptions. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, found the sex off the hook hot. It comes across as real as actual life is. I look forward to every new adventure Anita has.
I’ve just finished Slay, cant wait for the next one. As always the book was amazing.
I am still loving the series have been reading Anita Blake for 23 years, and still want more.
Anita Blake is my favorite world. My mom and I read them, she got me onto you, and we have our own book club to talk about everything. Thank you for not giving up and not changing Anita.
Thank you for sharing this background. The Anita Blake series is my favorite series to date and has helped me start my healing process. Hearing about its beginnings fascinates me. As long as LKH keeps writing this series, I will continue to read and collect them.
I love all your books and I’m so grateful you shared them.
Anita has been a comfort for me for so many years, congratulations on all your success and may Anita live on to fight another fight and continue to share her love abundantly.
Thank you for not give up through the rejections and pushing through until you could share your characters with us.
And thank for Richard. He can be an ass, but he’s still one of favorites!
I hope you beat everyone’s record by at least 100 books. Now that’s something to try for. I know that every Anita book you write is one I can’t wait to read so I would love it if you wrote a ton more. I eagerly await Slay on Tuesday, November 7th.
I fully expect you to out pace all of them Your books have been on my shelves – or Kindle – since Guilty Pleasures and I’m an ardent fan.
Thank you for being persistent and getting your books published.
Hi Laurell I first picked up Guilty Pleasures maybe late nineties, honestly cannot remember exactly, I just fell in love with Jean-Claude instantly. I had a small stash of Vampire fiction, Nancy Collins amongst them. Since Childhood I’ve loved the fantasy genre. Read the hobbit at eight and The lord of The Rings at 11, Phillip K Dick, Gibson…The Neuromancer, you get the idea. So then I met my own Jean-Claude and being French and catholic, he freaked when he saw my vampire collection and tossed them Out! Anyway true love will win out, this year 20 years later I went to the biggest book shop in Melbourne to pick up a couple of beautiful embroidery books I had ordered…and to my amazement there was Guilty Pleasures book 1. I have fallen in love all over again with Jean-Claude and Anita and am now reading and collecting. I have just finished Skin Trade….Wicked Truth…mm yummy what can I say! I have ordered Scorched and Slay and waiting with great anticipation! So congratulations to you all the way from Australia, lots of best wishes, what a wonderful achievement. Thankyou for the many hours of delicious guilty pleasures.
I grew up an Anita Blake. I started reading in middle school I’m 35 now. Thank you
30 books is too much,the quality has degraded.
Not sure how old you are, but please stay healthy and keep writing. I’m going on 75 next month and have been with you all the way, even have hubby of 20 years hooked.
Will there ever be another Gentry book?
Have already signed up for Slay, and the new series with Zaniel.
For some reason I thought Slay was the last Anita. I will be very happy if I am wrong. I am looking forward to the next Zaniel installment.
My adult son is involved with a woman who has a poly group. I tried to explain to my daughter that I understood more than she thought because of your books. Thank you for the education.
You are amazing, I can’t wait to get to the 75th Anita Blake Novel!!!
When oh when are you announcing who is next? Merry? Zaniel? I can’t wait I love all 3!!!
I have never felt so invested and drawn to a series in my life. I grew up not being able to read and when i could finally I hated it. But this series changed my life when it comes to reading and enjoying litature. Im so greatful that you keep writing more.