Interview: Kate Hill

The Silver Hearts Series by Kate Hill

Silver Hearts Book 2

Arturo – As a mortal, I was a hitman. I’m not proud of it. Since becoming a vampire, I’ve done my best to turn my life around, but violence is in my nature. When demons take over the world, I jump into the rebellion against them. Then I cross paths with a sexy young vampire with more attitude than an alpha werewolf. Like me, she’s no stranger to betrayal, but that won’t stop me from winning her heart.

Sofia – Demons destroyed my world. Now I dedicate my life to the rebellion against them. I’m temporarily partnered with a gorgeous vampire from Boston who exasperates me, mostly because he’s impossible to resist. I’ve been betrayed before, but is it time to take a risk for love?

Note: Sofia’s Silver Bullet is a short paranormal age-gap romance with a bad boy turned good hero, a kick-butt heroine, and a HEA.

Interview

What inspired you to create the world of demons, witches, vampires, and werewolves in the “Silver Hearts” series?

I’d written several books set in the same universe, although some were written under the name Saloni Quinby. Some of the characters appeared in multiple books and their stories intertwined.  Pandemonium developed from there. Now I have several more books planned. As both a reader and a writer, I love paranormal romance, so it was easy to get swept up in writing a series like Silver Hearts.

Can you tell us more about the Pandemonium universe and how it connects to the events in the series?

Pandemonium is basically an alternate universe in which demons, angels, ghosts, vampires, witches, and wolves exist in our world. The stories in Pandemonium span centuries. In Pandemonium, demons have always lurked in our world, but eventually they manage to take it over completely. Most of the characters in the Pandemonium stories have been fighting demons right along.

Both books in the series feature strong, unique heroines. What was your approach to developing these characters, and what challenges did you face in their creation?

I’ve always loved kick-butt heroines and heroines who stand up for themselves, believe in themselves, and don’t fit into a particular category. Sam and Sofia both have supernatural powers and they’re determined to do their best to use those powers to protect the world, even though they’re struggling with issues of their own. Just about every character is challenging in their own way at different times and for different reasons. With Sam and Sofia, the challenge was to balance their personal/supernatural issues with romances that neither expected.

“Sam’s Silver Wolf” explores an age gap paranormal insta-love story, while “Sofia’s Silver Bullet” features a bad boy turned good hero. What motivated you to explore these particular character dynamics?

All the heroes in the Silver Hearts series are older guys with younger women. It’s taken the guys some time to overcome the past and find someone they want to commit to. Paranormal stories are my favorite to write, and I love bad boys turned good. That’s been a theme in several of my other books, as well. I love a good redemption story.

How do the themes of love, loyalty, and betrayal play out in the series? What messages or ideas do you hope readers take away from these themes?

The stories are paranormal romances, so love is really important, and for these characters who are protectors in a dangerous world, loyalty is a huge factor in their love stories. Sofia in particular is hesitant to trust anyone because of a past betrayal.

I don’t necessarily want readers to take away a particular message because everyone has their own experiences and opinions, so what I get out of a story might be completely different than what someone else sees in it. Most of all, I hope they enjoy the characters and the world of paranormal creatures living alongside normal humans. I hope they find excitement in the idea of these characters not only falling in love, but being part of an epic battle.

Can you share any insights into the world-building process for the series? How did you approach blending supernatural elements with the post-apocalyptic setting?

Even though the entire Pandemonium universe wasn’t planned from the very first, demons and angels have been an underlying part of all the stories. Once the characters and their worlds entwined, it was easy to see the direction it was headed. With every story, new characters and new facets of the Pandemonium universe have opened up to me. At this point, I know how the final battle will turn out. I have outlines for several more stories completed. They include stories about secondary characters as well as further stories about couples who have already been established in previous books.

What was the most enjoyable part of writing the “Silver Hearts” series? Were there any specific scenes or characters that stood out to you?

Definitely! In Sam’s Silver Wolf, the scene in the trash receptacle is permanently burned into my mind and always makes me smile. In Sofia’s Silver Bullet, I’ve gotten attached to Arturo’s “fear” of tarot and oracle cards, and the scenes with Sofia and Zahara also get to me. It was hard to write the outcome of that maker/offspring relationship because in my heart I wanted it to go a different way, and because of that, it made it easier for me to empathize with both characters.

One character I feel especially close to in not only Silver Hearts, but in the entire Pandemonium universe, is Lucas Kishida. He’s been an important part of the rebellion, and has touched the lives of several characters, including Arturo, Sofia, Shauna and Daniel in Silver Hearts, Orion in Wild Witches of Beaver Bay, and Cupid in Confessions.

Are there any particular challenges you faced while writing this series? How did you overcome them?

For me there are certain points in each book where I know what needs to happen, I have the outline, but for some reason I have trouble writing the scene. When that happens, I put the story aside for a while and work on something else. Eventually, I start writing the difficult part and then it’s over before I know it.

Can readers expect more books or stories set in the “Silver Hearts” universe in the future?

Oh yes! Currently I’m working on Shauna’s Silver Swordsmith. This story starts in the late 1600s, jumps to the 1920s, and goes right up to the rebellion against the demon masters. The heroine is Shauna Silverlock who appears as a secondary character in the Confessions series. During the demon occupation, she’s working for Lucas at his club the Savage Sage. Outwardly, she’s an assistant to hotel management, but she’s actually part of the rebellion against the demon masters. She’s an expert in swordsmanship, among other things.

Finally, what do you hope readers will find most memorable or satisfying about the “Silver Hearts” series?

I hope they’ll feel for the characters, and I hope they’ll enjoy the variety in the whole Pandemonium universe. I can’t wait to continue this series. If readers have comments or questions about the books or suggestions about what they’d like to see in future stories, I would love to hear them.

Visit Kate Hill online at kate-hill.com.