About the Curse Keepers
The wall between our world and that of vengeful spirits has protected
humanity for more than 400 years. It’s about to come crashing down.
Ellie Lancaster has lived her whole life by the site of the mysterious Lost
Colony of Roanoke, the Virginia settlement that vanished without a trace around
1590. Only the descendants of the two men who banished the spirits of an enemy
tribe from the material realm know what really happened to the colony. Ellie is
one of those descendants—a Curse Keeper. Her father took pains to teach her
what he knew of the curse and the responsibilities of its guardians. He taught
her that if the two Curse Keepers ever meet, the curse will be lifted, the gate
will open, and the raging Native American spirits will be unleashed to seek
their revenge.
Despite her father’s seriousness, Ellie has always taken the legend for a
harmless fairy tale. Until she meets the darkly handsome, but downright
infuriating, Collin Dailey and realizes everything she was told is true. For
when they meet, it’s like the air is sucked from the room. Collin’s presence is
electrifying… and it’s not just attraction Ellie feels, but the inexorable pull
toward her destiny. The prophecy is real, and now Ellie and Collin must battle
supernatural forces and their loathing—and passion—for each other to set things
right.
The Curse Keepers are all that stand between the world and its destruction.
Today we have a interview with Denise on how Curse Keepers was brought to life
1) Is everything entirely fiction or is
it actual myths/legends/or story-based
The beauty of THE
CURSE KEEPERS it that it's a mix of fact and fiction. The Lost Colony is real.
Everything I've written about Manteo, the Croatan Indian who befriended the
colonist, is true to the best of my knowledge. (Although, I speculate much more
about Manteo in my short story THIS PLACE IS DEATH that tells how the curse was
created. It will be released in February 11, 2014) When possible, I've
used actual Algonquian Indian gods and spirits, but so few are known, I've had
to create names for some (like the wind gods--they are recorded but without
names.) But the creation story that Ellie experiences is part recorded
beliefs mixed with my own imagination.
2) Then following the
first question, why did you pick this certain myth/legend. or story-based?
I was planning the
last book of my popular urban fantasy series, Chosen, and I knew I wanted to
write another UF series when it was done. The problem is that while I like
reading about vampires and shifters, I don't want to write about them. So a my
crit partner suggested I base it on the disappearance of the Lost Colony of
Roanoke. Why did it disappear? Why DID it disappear? I wanted something completely
unique so I decided to focus on the Algonquian Indians that were in
the area when the colonists landed. When I read that
the Algonquian's believed they got their strength for war from their
gods and spirits and knowing the Native American tribes were hostile, I knew I
had a motive to make the colony disappear.
3) How long does it
take to research on the Curse Keepers?
Hours and hours and
hours and hours. I'm serious. I started researching for the series months
before I wrote THE CURSE KEEPERS and a ton while I was writing it. The
biggest problem is that there's so little information about the Algonquian
Indians I'd read pages of text to find a sentence that helped me. If I had to
take a stab at how many hours I've spent researching, I'd guess a minimum of
fifty hours. And I'm sure that's on the low side and doesn't count the two
trips I've made to Roanoke Island and the town of Manteo.
4) In the Curse Keepers you mention gods, which one do you find the most
scariest?
Okeus. And you'll find
out why in the second book, THE CURSE BREAKERS. In the short story, THIS PLACE
IS DEATH, Ananias Dare (also a real historical character--the son-in-law of
Virginia governor John White) struggled to accept believing the Algonquaian
gods existed since it went against his devout Christian beliefs. Manteo likens
the gods to Christian beliefs, calling Okeus Satan.
5) What's next for the Curse Keepers Series?
47North has contracted
three books and three short stories for the series, although I have at least
two more books planned. THIS PLACE IS DEATH, the short story showing the
creation of the curse comes out February 11, 2014. THE CURSE BREAKERS, the
second book releases on May 20, 2014. I'm about to begin writing the
second short story-- which will be told entirely from Collin's point of
view.
Random questions
6) If you could have a power, what would it be?
I think I'd like to
fly. Not very original, but I could get places faster. It's all about time
management. ;)
7) Coffee or Soda?
Are you serious???
You're making me choose??? Okay, coffee. But you'll have to pry my Diet Coke
from my aspartame preserved hands.
8) Print or Ebooks?
I used to grudgingly
read eBooks. Now I read them almost exclusively. I love being able to always
have my book on my phone if I don't have my Kindle or my iPad.
9) Favorite Chocolate?
Anything dark
chocolate. ... Now I craving chocolate.
Thanks Denise for stopping by and answering my questions, and don't worry I'm exactly the same way with my Diet Coke but I don't drink coffee. However I make my diet coke by sodastream, its been a very efficient move on my part :-)
As far a Ebooks, I much rather have the printed version it something you can touch and feel the paper and binding.
About Denise Grover Swank
New York Times and
USA Today
bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and
lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy,
living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years
before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of
Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion
period. Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and
dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her
offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the
ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two
minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable
tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads
you to believe.
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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was
born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was
nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four
states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back
to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese
which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her
hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in
her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her
offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the
ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep
within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform
many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn't lost her
sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.
