Forget rainy days --
Roxanne Dent's The Janus Demon is the perfect read for any day or night, regardless of the weather. The author’s paranormal dark fantasy, which
travels a gritty roadmap from New York City all the way to Fey-ville and back,
tells the tale of detective Mick Grimaldi, a private eye dogged by more than
one dark secret. Grimaldi’s world is
populated by demons and a vengeful vampire crime boss, Kryak, responsible for
murdering Mick’s parents. From the
moment readers enter the detective’s office – finding it overturned by a
third-rate demon thug in search of information – they are treated to a nonstop
thrill ride. Soon on, Grimaldi crosses
paths with his first love, Jasmine, who leads him deeper into a myriad of
dangers. Gorgeously written, even at
its bloodiest (ie, the roasted white elves and theater scene battle between
shape shifters), Dent's latest novel, released by the fine folks at
Great Old Ones Publishing, is a must-have for any bookshelf!
I first met Roxanne seven summers ago, almost to the day, and was instantly smitten with both the author and her flare for telling stories. It was my pleasure to sit down with the brilliant scribe and genuinely lovely lady to discuss Mick Grimaldi, his world, and hers.
Mick Grimaldi and his world are spectacular! Take us into
the genesis of your novel, The Janus Demon.
I have a
great many favorite authors in different genres, but the ones who influenced me
to write The Janus Demon, are Jim Butcher, George Martin,
Charlene Harris, Ann Rice, Robert Jordan, J.R.R. Tolkien and Ann
McCaffrey. As a child and teen, I also
read fairy tales. Once I started reading adult paranormal novels, I couldn’t
stop, often reading until the wee hours of the morning I liked them so much, I decided to write one
myself, and began collecting information on myths and legends of ancient
Ireland, Celtic names (I’m a quarter Irish), elves, the Fey, demons, witches,
Griffins, shape shifters and all things magical.
You’re what I’d call a born writer. Share with
us the Roxanne Dent story.
Although
English was always my favorite subject in school, I didn’t start writing
creatively until I was in my teens. Instead, I created stories in my head. When
I’d see a movie or television show I loved, I’d act out the different parts
with me in the starring role. If I didn’t like the ending, I’d change it. This
might have something to do with my early upbringing by two actors. My mother
would act out dramatic roles, usually Shakespearian tragedies in order to entertain
me. As a child, I loved adventure stories, which included westerns, pirate
movies and mysteries, although Peter Pan left an indelible impression on me
that lasted for years. Later on, I became addicted to shows like Twilight
Zone, Alfred Hitchcock, Star Trek and Outer
Limits. Growing up, I avidly read National Geographic
magazines and watched shows dealing with foreign cultures or ancient
civilizations. They fascinated me. When I began writing, my love of foreign and
dead cultures led me to place many of my stories in other time periods.
In High
School, I began writing poetry. For the most part it was sad, tragic and full
of teenage angst. However, I wrote a poem “The Devil’s Disciple,” which tackled
racism in and around New York City. I entered it in a statewide competition.
When it was accepted, I began to think for the first time about the possibility
of becoming an author. I wrote my first story, “Karine”, a Regency novella for
my sister Karen who was a teen and addicted to Georgette Heyer Regencies. A
year later, I sold my first two novels, Island of Fear, a
Gothic mystery and The White Fog, a Gothic paranormal to
Avon Paperbacks.
What’s your process? How do you work?
Since I’m
an early riser, I get up every day by 6 or 7 a.m., make a pot of French Roast,
check out my e-mails and Facebook for about forty-five minutes, walk with my
sister for about three miles before I start writing. I always have several
projects in the works or a new idea to work on. I never lack for ideas. If I
don’t have one, don’t wake up with one and am not inspired by something on the
news, I will troll the internet to see what contests are out there and appeal
to me. I keep a deck of playing cards by my side to shuffle when I’m stuck or
just looking for the right word. If my sister, Karen, also a very talented
writer, who has recently completed her first novel, A Case to
Kill For, a paranormal Noire, is not on her way to work in
Boston, we head out to Panera’s or Starbucks to write. I love this as I often
get a lot more accomplished than at home. There’s something about smelling the
food and coffee, the murmuring of the people around us, while free of guilt
over chores not done that spurs me on to write. If Karen’s at work, I’ll
sometimes grab my laptop and walk around the corner to the awesome café,
“Wicked Big,” and write there.
You are prolific and juggle multiple projects,
in multiple lengths and genres. How do you manage to maintain your consistent
level of quality?
Perhaps
it’s because I’m a Gemini, but ever since I first started writing and selling,
I’ve always written in different genres, including Regencies, mysteries,
westerns, fantasies, sci-fi, horror and YA, short stories and novels. I’ve also
written screenplays, one of which The Pied Piper, won first prize in Fade-in
Magazine. Karen and I also collaborated on plays together, which were put on
at the Firehouse Theater in Newburyport, Massachusetts and collaborated on short stories. When
we lived in NYC, we belonged to “The Sunday Club,” a group of independent
filmmakers who gathered together to write and direct short movies made in one
day. Out of this came Valentine’s Day, a three-minute thriller
which won the Audience Choice Awards at the Bare Bones International Film
Festival. Whenever I begin to write in a new genre or form, I find it exciting
and inspiring and sometimes nerve wracking but always interesting and a great
learning experience. My father once
said if you’re a writer – write. I’ve taken classes, workshops, attended conferences
and belonged to critique groups and support groups. They are all helpful and
enriching, but I also believe if you keep writing, you will get better and
better. It’s the nature of the beast.
Is there a sequel to the novel in the works?
Beyond the Iberian
Sea, Book Two of
The Janus Demon, is in the works.
It shifts between Mick Grimaldi, the lonely, sardonic, shape shifting NYC
detective and Bronagh, the bitter, vengeful daughter of a Volk King. In
addition to
Beyond the Iberian Sea, I’m nearing the
end of a Steampunk novella. My short horror, “The Haunting of Jemima Nash,”
based on a poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, was accepted into an anthology for
the Whittier Museum. It’s debut is September
26
th at the Whittier Museum. I’m proud to say my story “Heart
of Stone,” was in the fabulous horror anthology,
Enter At Your Own Risk: Dreamscapes Into Darkness by Firblog
Publishing, which was recently released.
