Julie Kenner's Backstory

So here I am, thinking about what to write in response to the question: How did the story for CARPE DEMON: ADVENTURES OF A DEMON-HUNTING SOCCER MOM come about? There's backstory, and then there's backstory, and the trick is to figure out what to say.

Over the last few months since advance copies started going out, I've been frequently asked about how much of me there is in Kate Connor, the demon-hunting heroine of the book. It's an interesting question, and one that's difficult to answer. I mean, should I explain that Forza Scura's been around centuries, a secret arm of the Vatican tasked with the single goal of fighting the demons that plague the earth? I could say that, of course, but then I bump up against that whole "secret" part of the equation.

Really, it's quite a conundrum.

But by saying nothing, am I failing all those retired Demon Hunters who want their story told despite a vow of silence? Who want to share their secret past with their families? Who want their story to be out there?

Not that I'm talking about myself or anything. I mean, that would be breaking a vow of silence, now wouldn't it?

I'm just talking.

Writing fiction.

Yeah, that sounds reasonable .

Which means that in regard to the question of "backstory," the best plan is to simply tell the true story (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) of how the book came about. And that story starts with the mortgage. Yes, it's as mundane as all that. I was getting close to a contract renewal, and was trying to come up with an idea for a paranormal romance series. Specifically, I wanted something focused on a team of very alpha men, each who would have an adventure and, of course, get the girl.

At the same time that idea was bouncing around in my head, I also knew that I wanted to try to write "mommy lit," which at that time had no moniker, but I was a new mom, and wanted a mom protagonist.

So one day I was doing an IM brainstorming session with one of my critique partners. We bounced around a ton of ideas, and at one point, I came up with the idea of making my alpha guys demon hunters. And then, almost instantly, we both had the same spin on that idea: a demon-hunting soccer mom! (It was only after I'd written the thing that I realized the similarities to Buffy, though I'm sure there was subconscious influence going on. I can be dense and tunnel-visioned sometimes!)

Once the idea hit my head, I sat down at the computer and pretty much channeled Kate, the heroine. The book wrote very fast (it also sold fast on proposal and the film rights were snatched up as well, both of which were very gratifying). In writing the book, I wanted to do more than tell a demon-hunting tale. I wanted the demons to be real villains for Kate to fight, but I also wanted them to be a metaphor for the demons that moms have to battle every day. I was also doing quite a bit of genre stretching. Ultimately, the book was sold in as fantasy (and is shelved in most stores in the sci-fi/fantasy section), but it's most definitely a "mommy lit" book (albeit paranormal mommy lit). It's also a mystery, as are the other books in the series. I'm a huge mystery fan, and the book was definitely influenced by that (most particularly by Sue Grafton's alphabet series).

I've been extremely gratified by the amount of fan mail I've gotten, particularly from moms who tell me how much Kate's life reflects their own (without the demons!). All in all, in writing Kate, I found a new "friend," and one I hope to write about for a long, long time!

Carpe Demon is USA Today Besteslling Author Julie Kenner's lastest novel. She's been writing fiction since 2000.

Comments

[Allison Brennan]

Julie, CARPE DEMON is a fantastic book and while I'm only 2/3 done because of deadlines (the story of my life, LOL), I totally relate to Kate. I went into the book reading it because we'd met and I felt I had to; I continued to read because the story sucked me in from page one.