The Jinni and the Guardians: An interview with Liz Schulte

Today I'm talking with urban fantasy and paranormal romance author Liz Schulte about her book Choices.

1) Tell us about your book.

Choices is the second book in the Guardian Trilogy. The story picks up where the first book left off and dives back into the lives of the three main characters: Olivia, a new guardian who is heartbroken and confused; Holden, a jinni who is channeling his own heartbreak into a destructive path; and Quintus, a very old guardian who finds himself slightly out of his depth when he is tasked with mentoring Olivia. Meanwhile guardians are disappearing and possibly being murdered and all three of them have to find out who is doing this for their own reasons.

2) What inspired this book and the trilogy?

The original inspiration for this trilogy came from a dream, which is actually in the first book. But it has since grown into its own world with seemingly its own life and voice.

3) What are the fundamental themes your story explores?

There are several themes in the trilogy. It looks at love and whether or not love is truly enough. How much of another’s actions can be forgiven for love. Can love change you? It also looks at the idea of good and evil and whether it is as black and white as that. There is a lot of duality in the book. Where there is light, there is darkness. Where there is despair, there is hope. It also deals with destiny.

4) Urban fantasy and paranormal romance are popular, if somewhat saturated, genres. What sorts your books apart?

My characters while living in a paranormal world are very human. I try very hard to keep their reactions and responses believable and even at times maddening. Perhaps it is my background in psychology, but I very much like write characters who are tangible and who can be explored through their actions and words.

5) Oh the bad boy. As Bronte's Heathcliff demonstrates, this is a hardly a new phenomena. What's the enduring appeal of this particular character type?

I love the bad boys. Heathcliff is one of my favorites. I believe the notion started taking wind with Lord Byron and his Byronic heroes. There is something about the anti-hero that makes you root for them and girls weak in the knees. It’s that idea that someone so coarse, so rough round the edges can be so soft and gentle underneath because he has been touched by love. I think it appeals to the romantic in all of us.

6) What do you have in store after the completion of this trilogy?

I have my second mystery novel coming out next, round October. Then in December another trilogy will start called Easy Bake Coven that takes place in the same world, the Abyss, as the guardian trilogy.

7) What got you interested in writing to begin with?

The first I remember writing stories was in junior high school. I think most of those were inspired by R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series. I have always enjoyed making things up so this seems like a natural outlet.

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Thanks, Liz.

You can read more from Liz at http://www.lizschulte.com/.

Choices is available from Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.