Jacqueline Carey's Official Author Site

January 2012

Amaryllis at Jacqueline's house A belated Happy New Year!

In all the bustle of the holidays, and then the relaxing bliss of taking a few days of down-time, I completely forgot to write a timely site update this month. So, better late than never!

As a first order of business, I want to give a shout-out to an organization co-founded by a dear friend of mine, Anka Rising, dedicated to helping eradicate modern-day slavery. The more I've read about this issue, the more I've come to realize what an immense and underreported problem it is. In fact, President Obama declared this January to be National Slavery and Human Trafficking Month. You can also like Anka Rising on Facebook to keep up with their coverage. There are far too many real-life Daršangas out there.

Which puts me in mind of a question that was posted on my own Facebook wall, then vanished before I had a chance to respond. For the record, I maintain a reasonably active presence there and I try to respond to all inquiries posted on the wall (although I'm sure I miss some in the comments). At any rate, there was a question regarding what it was like to write the Daršanga sequence in Kushiel's Avatar. Hands down, that was the most difficult sequence I've ever written. There may have been individual scenes that were harder, like writing the tragic deaths of beloved characters, but the prolongued, unrelenting grimness of the Daršanga sequence was like no other.

I don't regret it - it was what it had to be, the apotheosis of the dark aspect of Phèdre's nature, which makes the brightness that follows all the brighter. But yes, it was grueling, and it definitely took a toll on me.

Since the release of Naamah's Blessing, the final volume in Moirin's trilogy, a lot of readers have asked if I plan to return to Terre d'Ange. As I've said here before, that book is the last, if not necessarily forever, at least for the foreseeable future. But I love every single one of those books, and I've had a wonderful time exploring such a rich, complex setting. The amount of research that's gone into that oeuvre over the past decade staggers me when I think about it, and I've learned so much about our world in creating mine.

And of course, as I keep saying, never say never. Some day I might be compelled to return to it; to check in on Moirin and Bao's fat, happy babies, or to tell the story of Phèdre and Joscelin hiding the Lost Book of Raziel, or to discover if Melisande ever found a way to meet her grandchildren. Or I might not. All I know for certain now is that it's time for me to walk away.

That said, I'm having a delightful time working on a world of wonder, whimsy and creepiness in my new urban fantasy project. We're calling the series Agent of Hel, and the first volume, Dark Currents, will be out in October. I hope my readers are looking forward to joining me on a new journey. In the meantime, check out the Tattoo Gallery for two lovely new entries.

Best wishes to all for a peaceful and prosperous year to come!