A Lords of the Underworld Companion



I, CRONUS, KING OF THE TITANS, powerful warrior god, defender of the people, hereby command you to read and enjoy this guide. I am not mentioned nearly enough, but that is neither here nor there. What you will find in the pages that follow: an interview with Gena Showalter herself, conducted by the one and only New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole; notes from those vile fools, the Hunters; once-missing chapters from Gena's first attempt at writing about these immortal warriors (she thought she tossed them, but I, all-powerful god that I am, dug them up); interviews with the Lords of the Underworld, as organized by that irreverent whelp William the Ever Randy; a candid discussion about the Lords of the Underworld among their women; answers to questions readers have been dying to know; a preview of the upcoming novel The Darkest Passion; and an intimate look at my very own sacred scrolls.



As I said, you will read and you will enjoy. That is your mission. Nay, your honor. Do not disappoint me. You will not like the results. Just ask Aeron, keeper of the demon of Wrath. Bad things tend to happen.



Yours in the heavens,



Cronus

KING OF THE TITANS





TWENTY(ISH) QUESTIONS WITH KRESLEY COLE





I met the amazing Kresley Cole at a writers' conference many years ago. I'd just read her very first book, The Captain of All Pleasures—and by "read" I mean "devoured"—and approached her with drool on my mouth to tell her so. Tall, blond and gorgeous—and witty and talented and brilliant—this girl charmed me completely. Somehow, some way, she liked me, too. (Sucker!)



Now she can't get rid of me. She's one of my dearest friends, a sister of my heart and a bright star in the romantic fiction world. Recently, we sat down together and chatted about the Lords of the Underworld (among other things). We hope you enjoy the results!



* * *





Kresley Cole (KC): When I was younger, I would do anything to get out of writing—did you always like it, knowing you'd want to be an author when you grew up?



* * *





Gena Showalter (GS): Yes and no. (I know, right? Of course I'd kick things off with a non-answer. Oh, stop shaking your head, Cole. This is typical Gena, and you know it!) I wrote in junior high and high school, but only for myself. And the friends who paid me. Publication wasn't even a blip on my radar.



So, in college, I dabbled with nursing, phlebotomy and microbiology, but never ended up finishing. Like, any of them. After a heart-to-heart with myself—and by "heart-to-heart" I mean slapping myself repeatedly and telling myself to finally get in the game—I realized that writing was what I loved, and the only thing I could see myself doing for the rest of my life.



I decided to go for it, to finally try for publication, no matter how long it took me. Which, as it turned out, was about five painful years.



* * *





KC: I'm delighted phlebotomy—a word which I totally and completely know the definition of—lost out to your career in writing. [furtively searching Google for "phlebotomy" on cell phone] So what made you decide on the paranormal romance genre? For me, I moved from historicals to paranormals because I couldn't get Lore creatures out of my head. Did character possession affect your decision, or was it something else?



* * *





GS: Oh, yes. Phlebotomy. PB, as I called it. When my family would give me strange looks, I would then add: Pulling Blood. Out of people. With needles. I'll stop there. You look pale.



Moving on to PR. I picked paranormal romance—after first trying to write a historical, a couple contemporaries and several series romances—because anything I could imagine, I could write about, and the only limitation was my mind. And yes, I hate my mind for not coming up with the Immortals After Dark first. Damn you, Kresley Cole, you brilliant goddess you! But I do love my mind for envisioning the oh, so seductive Lords of the Underworld. I don't know if they possessed me so much as completely seduced me. The way they tell it, I'm easy.



Anyway. Having all of that beefcake inside my head is pretty delicious some days. Although, to be honest, most of the time they are unbelievably stubborn. And opinionated. And bloodthirsty. (Maybe they were once phlebotomists?)