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I kept getting asked what is BLOOD NOIR about? What is the book about is one of my least favorite questions, because I’ve always been bad at describing something long in a short space. I’m more an essay answer than a quick quote kind of person. I am working on it, and getting better at it, but since this is a question I’m getting a lot in interviews lately I’ve decided to practice.
BLOOD NOIR is about friendship and love, and telling the difference even when the boundaries are pretty blurred by conventional standards. It’s Jason’s book, and he’s been my imaginary friend since book five, BLOODY BONES. Now, yes, his first appearance was in book four, LUNATIC CAFE, but he was just a bit player to me then. I had no idea he would show up again, even once, let alone that he would be one of the most constantly appearing characters in my series. It was BLOODY BONES where Jason became a person for me. Strangely, that was also the book where Jean-Claude began to be a person and character to me and Anita, and not just a vampire that we needed to avoid.
BLOOD NOIR is the book that took twelve years to be ready to be written. Jason first appeared as a character in 1996, well, it’s 2008, so over a decade of character development, growth, and just plain growing up for both him and me. Jason was always cooperative as a character, in fact, one of the least argumentative imaginary friends that I had. But he kept his secrets. I knew almost nothing about his background. Richard, who fights with me at ever turn on paper, was very open with his family, his childhood, and all sorts of back story that I’ve never found a way to put on paper. But Jason, my happy, cooperative, boy, never shared his family, or his childhood. He left me guessing.
Then I had this idea for a small book, like MICAH, but with Jason in it, as the main character. But after so many years, Jason wanted a big book, not a little one. I couldn’t argue that he’d earned it, so we set off together to write his big book. Anita and I both realized, only during the writing of this book, how little we both knew about one of our supposedly closest friends. A real flesh and blood friend for her, and imaginary for me, but still, we thought we knew Jason. BLOOD NOIR taught me, and Anita, that we didn’t know all that much. That, though Jason seemed like an open book, in fact, he’d kept most of his past hidden, at least from Anita and me. Did Nathaniel know more? They are like best guy friends, so maybe Nathaniel knew more, but neither of the men shared it with Anita. Of course, she did the girl sin, she didn’t ask. To be honest, it never occurred to me to have her ask about Jason’s past. He was just always there, our friend, our confidant, and sometimes lover for Anita.
By the time I finished writing BLOOD NOIR I knew more about Jason’s past than I do about any one’s but Anita, Richard, and Jean-Claude. Admittedly, with our vampire boy, centuries of life mean that there are huge gaps, but I do know a lot of background on all three, that I’ve never found an excuse to use on paper. I’m still hoping, but Jason got his book first.
I guess, it’s perfectly Jason, that he keeps his past so close, and doesn’t talk to me, but he gets the deep background revealed. Interesting, because the only other character that’s gotten a book that was about them, with Anita sort of tagging along was Edward. The book was OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY. Edward is another character that doesn’t talk to me, and keeps loads of secrets. What Anita learns is about what I know on him. The same is true of Jason. Two, such very different characters; one assassin to the undead, and the other every one’s best friend and bed-buddy, but they are two that do not share. There are others who don’t, but no one that’s been around for so many books.
So, what is the book about? It’s about love, and friendship. It’s about family and the damage they can do to you. It’s about forgiveness. It’s about how far you would go for one of your best friends, and what you’d do to keep them safe. Yeah, there’s sex in the book, and it’s damn good sex, thank you very much. But it’s not what the book is about. There is violence in the book, and killing, and kidnapping, and torture. But that’s not what the book is about either. People get hung up on the sex and violence in my books, but just like real sex and violence, it seldom is what defines your life. Violence can define your death, but seldom your life.
What’s the book about? It’s about love, and honor, and the price the innocent pay for the stupidity of others. It’s about Jason letting Anita into more of his world, and taking me along for the ride. It’s about a character that has been my imaginary friend for twelve years, finally being ready to tell me his story.