By
was Shadowfever, a New York Times #1 bestseller, Karen
Marie Moning is back with Iced, a new
urban fantasy set in the world of the Fever series, picking up
immediately where the last book ended. At its center is Dani O'Malley, the
powerful, tough-talking teen sidhe seer who has stolen readers' hearts.
For anyone who somehow hasn't heard of Moning's books, Dani plays
by her own set of rules in a world overrun by Dark Fae, helped by rare talents
and the all-powerful Sword of Light. But now, amid pandemonium, her greatest
gifts have turned into serious liabilities. Dani's ex-best friend, MacKayla
Lane, wants her dead; the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her
head; and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and
will stop at nothing to get it. What's more, people are being mysteriously
frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy
tableaux. From there, it just gets worse"”and more exciting.
According
to Moning, in an exclusive interview for Omnivoracious, the biggest difference
between the prior novels and Iced is
that "the reader gets multiple points of view, rather
than experiencing everything through Mac's eyes. I know some readers will miss
having interaction with Mac and Barrons but I've got an incredible journey in
store for the reader and a lot of great stuff up my sleeve."
Since the first five Fever books came to Moning fully formed, Iced was challenging precisely because
she is moving beyond the comfort zone of Mac and Barrons"”"two characters my
readers love so much""”and delving into other characters, "some of whom are
deeply conflicted, like a sexy Highlander turning Unseelie prince. But because
the series continues the story where the Fever series left off, with the same
core set of characters to me, this isn't a 'new' series at all. It's a sideways
look at the same world through different eyes."
Omni asked Moning to choose a favorite scene or scenes from the
new novel. "Two scenes: First, the one where the reader finds out what happened
that made Dani the way she is (equal parts a cold-blooded assassin and a
ferociously optimistic young woman) and second, when the main characters all get
into a pissing match over each others' musical taste. While the world is
melting down around them."
Moning has a devoted readership, many of whom she calls "smart,
funny, strongly opinionated, vocal. Did I say strongly opinionated and vocal?
LOL." She loves "hearing reader feedback. I love getting the opportunity to
meet with a group of fans, or host a chat and pick their brains. However"”and
this is a big however"”I never let that feedback change the story I'm telling in
any essential way. I realized early in my career that precisely what one reader
doesn't like is what another reader loves. Collectively, any writer's audience
presents a mishmash of expectations that can never all be met. What one-tenth
of my readership may not be crazy about the other nine-tenths savors. The
moment you start altering a book or a painting or any type of art as if it's a
public collaborative, you crucify its soul. I'd rather irritate a few people
and delight a lot than touch no one."
Moning never had any idea that she would one day reach such a
fever pitch of popularity. "When I first began writing, I'd been working long
hours in insurance arbitration/litigation, and my goals were simple: I wanted
to make enough of a living that I could avoid alarm clocks and rush hour traffic
for the rest of my life. I never thought past that. I never dreamed I might one
day hit bestseller lists. I certainly never imagined the enthusiasm and
devotion I've received from readers. Fifteen books later, I still find it
startling, amazing, and humbling. I doubt I'll ever get used to it."
Indeed, Moning notes, "Writing is such a solitary experience" that
after spending "long months alone, working on a book, introverted to an
extreme, getting to spend time with the readers I'm writing for is endless fun."
She recently hosted a fan event in New Orleans to celebrate the launch of Iced, with a book signing followed by two
Q&A chats the next morning and "it was fantastic to spend intimate time
with a few hundred die-hard fans and talk all things Fever. I'm always aware of
how lucky I am to get to do what I do for a living. Events like that are icing
on the cake."
