Jane Yellowrock is a shape-shifting skinwalker who always takes care of her own—no matter the cost…

When Evan Trueblood blows into town looking for his wife, Molly, he’s convinced that she came to see her best friend, Jane. But it seems like the witch made it to New Orleans and then disappeared without a trace.

Jane is ready to do whatever it takes to find her friend. Her desperate search leads her deep into a web of black magic and betrayal and into the dark history between vampires and witches. But the closer she draws to Molly, the closer she draws to a new enemy—one who is stranger and more powerful than any she has ever faced.

Things you need to know about Jane and Faith Hunter!

My sex scenes suck. Wait… Not what I meant. Actually, I am very picky about sex scenes and I want them to fit who Jane is and who she is going to be. I don’t want Jane to do something that is counter to her beliefs and to her subconscious knowledge of the people around her, and what they want out of her. I want her to make a wise decision the next time she takes someone to her bed.

12. So far you have SKINWALKER, BLOOD CROSS, MERCY BLADE, RAVEN CURSED, DEATH’S RIVAL, BLOOD TRADE, and now BLACK ARTS. How many do you plan to write?

I have contracts for two more, which will bring the series to ten. If the sales are there, perhaps I can see as many as 15 total. But there will certainly be an end to the series. And then? I don’t know. Traditionally, spinoffs are not successful and publishers tend to avoid them. But… I’d LOVE to write Angelina’s story. Love me some Angie Baby! And Rick’s story. Even after BLACK ARTS and his actions there, he is HOT!

18. What is next on your schedule? Anything else we should keep our eyes open for?

I have KICKING IT, an anthology I edited with Kalayna Price (and wrote a story in). Then the JANE YELLOWROCK WORLD COMPANION that I wrote with Carol Malcom, both which come out this year! BLACK ARTS in Jan 2014. The ROGUE MAGE, the Role Playing Game, is out now, and the MONSTERS part just came out in .pdf form and can be purchased online! The Game Master’s Guide will be out around December (fingers crossed). I also plan 2 new shorts into the world of Thorn St. Croix, probably as e-books.

i. This is a great question, and a difficult one for me. The perfect kick-butt heroine should be strong. Readers want to read about a character who can kick bad-guy’s butt, but who also knows when to fight, and when to walk away, which is sometimes harder than a good fight. A character who is violent for no reason, or whose first and *only* response to violence is more violence, is boring. While violence against women is unacceptable, violence from a woman, at a man, when it isn’t self-defense, is just as unacceptable. Sometimes a character who takes a licking should just walk away. I know, “Gasp!” But think about it, if a fight is always the only option, a character could become predictable or two dimensional. A character who drops her weapon and walks off is still in control, and is not being controlled by her opposition. (Like that line in that line the old song, “Know when fold ‘em.”) A character should be able to surprise readers to keep them interested.

ii. She should not be a super woman. She should have weaknesses, maybe be broken emotionally somehow. Readers like to see characters who have flaws, problems, empty or dark places in their souls, people who are fighters and who push through the darkness no matter what. It can give closure to a damaging event in their lives, when they see that a character’s life is hard, but she keeps on fighting for success. If a broken character can do it and find joy, then maybe that broken reader can too. I think that’s why I write broken characters. I’m broken. Healing, but broken.

iii. She should be tender. A character who is too hard is a robot. A character has to care for someone, and in Jane Yellowrock’s case, there are a lot of secondary characters that she loves—most noteworthy Angelina (Angie Baby and Little Evan). Without tenderness, a character is just a psycho killing machine. Something has to make her weep. Children make Jane weep. And then there is Bobby, who was reintroduced in Blood Trade. And Molly, an ongoing witch character. And even Big Evan. He’s gruff and gripey, but Jane claims him as family.

iv. She should be capable of love, even if she fears it. She should be willing to try a committed relationship, even though she’s scared. And yes. Jane gets that chance in book eight, as yet untitled. (grins happily)

Is Jane all that? I think so. Despite Beast’s *little problem* which happened in RAVEN CURSED Jane is Beast-strong. She is broken by her past but is pushing through. She loves Angie Baby and Little Evan and Molly, her godchildren and best friend. She wants to love. Even though it hurts. And she pushes on, no matter what, even when it would be much easier to give up and die.