As I turn to ash
It is a strange craft
We all master in the end
The art of dying
Acknowledgements
Ending the Reapers Inc. series has felt like the longest goodbye of my life. Lana’s been my favorite imaginary friend for almost ten years now, and I know she’s been a fun imaginary friend for many of my readers too. I can’t even begin to tell you how much that means to me. I am so eternally grateful to each and every one of you.
I know Lana didn’t always end up with your favorite guy *cough* Maalik. And I know that sometimes you hated me for killing off your favorite characters (though I did bring Josie back for a small cameo in Pre-Mortem so maybe I’m forgiven? Just a little?). All of that aside, I hope you found the series conclusion satisfying, and I hope this collection of short stories helped ease the disappointment of the series being over.
As always, I owe a special thanks to those who have helped edit and proofread my work, and those who have provided so much feedback and encouragement over the years. That list includes (but is not limited to): my husband, my critique group the Four Horsemen of the Bookocalypse, THE Professor George Shelley, Chelle Olson of Literally Addicted to Detail, Justina Roquet, Andrea Cook, Robin Philips, Bruce, Matt, Brad, Tara, Jill, Darla, Deb—oh boy, this list goes on forever! You guys know who you are. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
The Illustrated Guide to Limbo City is still in the works, and it’s coming along wonderfully. I really adore Christi Wells’ vision and artistic talent. She’s doing a fantastic job, and we’re hoping to have the guide ready in time for a late April release. Once the guide is out, I’ll have to truly say goodbye to Lana and Limbo City, and then head off into the sunset to brave new frontiers.
Following is a short Q&A of some of the most frequent questions I receive about Lana and writing in general. If you have any lingering questions that are not answered in the interview, please feel free to email me at [email protected] I love hearing from readers!
Q & A with the Author
Q: Were you inspired by other fictional reapers like those in Dead Like Me, Reaper, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, Darynda Jones’ Charlie Davidson series, etc.?
A: I had not seen or read much in the way of reapers until after writing the first Lana book. I did read John Kendrick Bang’s A House-Boat on the Styx, and in case you’re not familiar with the book, it is set in the afterlife and features a bunch of famous dead people. It was clever and comical, and when I combined that with my love of urban fantasy and feisty heroines, Lana was born. Later on, after readers began asking about these others works, I did end up reading and watching many of them. So good! Thanks for the recommendations, guys!
Q: How much hate mail do you get from religious zealots? Does the (insert name of evil hate group) have a permanent campground set up in your front yard, or what?
A: This is the question I’m always afraid to answer… *knocks on wood* I have been very lucky to have such open-minded readers. Sure, there have been a few negative reviews where a reader stated they were not a fan of my blasphemous fictional afterlife, but even those readers have been mostly stable and were content to say my book was not their cup of tea and move on. Also, no one has ever camped out in my front yard with a picket sign. If it ever comes to that, I have a garden hose and I know how to use it.
Q: Why 7 books? Why not 10 or 20 or 312?
A: I’ll be honest. When I wrote the first Lana book, I didn’t really know where I was going with the story. My agent at the time suggested that I add an extra chapter to lead into the sequel. To which I replied, sequel??? The Lana series was like a first child—I figured out how everything worked on the fly. Writing and publishing was so new to me, and to complicate matters further, ebooks had recently made their debut. The publishing landscape was a changin’. Now that the dust has settled (mostly) I’m anxious to make a fresh start. Lana will always be dear to me, but there are so many new characters and worlds I’d like to put to paper, and I’m eager to see if what I’ve learned over the last decade makes for a smoother journey. I hope you guys are looking forward to coming along!
Q: I want to be an author too. Will you read my unedited manuscript and tell me if it’s any good?
A: I really wish I could say yes to every one of these requests, but it’s getting harder and harder to. I organize several teen writing workshops over the summer and provide budding authors with writing feedback. I work with my personal critique group and we read each other’s WIPs throughout the year. I also read for a few close friends who are established authors. I don’t really have the time or patience to do much more raw reading than that, but it never hurts to ask. Even if I can’t read your manuscript, I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction. My suggestion to aspiring writers is to check out Facebook groups specifically for finding critique partners or circles. The internet has made social networking so ridiculously easy. Put your toes in the water. There are so many amazing resources out there.
Q: What can we expect from you next?
A: I am most excited about Blood Vice, the urban fantasy series I have coming out this August (2017). My new leading lady, Jenna Skye, is very different from Lana in a lot of ways, but they have a few similarities. They both kick ass, of course. I suppose the biggest differences are that Jenna is human—or at least she starts off that way—and she lives in St. Louis, rather than a fictional city. I’ll be giving away a handful of advanced reading copies of Blood Vice in May (2017) to members of my new street team on Facebook. Interested in checking it out? Join the team HERE.
Detective Jenna Skye bombs her first day on the St. Louis Vice Squad when she's bitten by a vampire in a supernatural brothel. The night only gets worse from there. She wakes up a few hours later in the morgue and discovers that her partner is dead. Before the sun rises, she realizes she is too. With her partner's killer still on the loose, Jenna vows to continue their investigation until justice is served, but a shifty squatter, an unexpected visit from her estranged sister, and a nosy FBI agent stand in her way. Not to mention her fresh aversion to sunlight and a thirst for something a little stiffer than revenge.
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Angela Roquet is a great big weirdo. She collects Danger Girl comic books, owls, skulls, random craft supplies, and all things Joss Whedon. She's a fan of renewable energy, marriage equality, and religious tolerance. As long as whatever you're doing isn't hurting anyone, she's a fan of you, too.
Angela lives in Missouri with her husband and son. She's a member of SFWA and HWA, as well as the Four Horsemen of the Bookocalypse, her epic book critique group, where she's known as Death. When she's not swearing at the keyboard, she enjoys goofing off with her family and friends and reading books that raise eyebrows. You can find Angela online at www.angelaroquet.com
If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review. Your support and feedback are greatly appreciated! Be sure to sign up for Angela’s newsletter, The Reaper Report, for updates on new releases, book sales, freebies, and more!
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Limbo City Lights (Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc.) Page 15
