Yesterday on Twitter I complained about having to write introductions of the characters for the 10th thousandth time. Eventually, as a result of the discussion, I ended up posting a couple of descriptions. Here they are – this way you don’t have to hunt for them on Twitter.
Curran:
He must’ve been out of the Keep, because instead of his regular sweatpants, he wore jeans. When you looked at him, you got an overwhelming impression of strength. His broad shoulders and powerful chest strained his T-shirt. Carved biceps bulged on his arms. His stomach was flat and hard. Everything about him spoke of sheer physical power, contained but ready to be released. He moved like a cat on the prowl, graceful, supple, and completely quiet, stalking the Keep’s hallways, a lion in his stone lair.
If I didn’t know him and I saw him coming in a dark alley, I’d make myself scarce. But his real power was in his eyes. The moment you looked into his grey irises, you knew he would tolerate no challenge to his authority, and if his eyes turned gold, you knew you were going to die. In a fit of cosmic irony, he had fallen in love with me. I challenged his authority on weekly basis.
Derek:
A young man walked up and stopped in the doorway. He moved with complete silence, like a ghost. Still lean, but on the way to filling out, he had short brown hair and the kind of face that made you stop in your tracks. He used be pretty, almost beautiful, with huge brown eyes that possessed the power to make any girl under twenty swoon. Back then Jim had used him for covert work. People had discounted Derek Gaunt as a boy toy, but he missed nothing. He’d survived more horrors by the time he was eighteen than most people ever see in their entire lives. He was ruthless, hard, and disciplined, and he dedicated himself to the task completely.
Then bad things happened and Derek’s face lost the innocence. The good bones were still there, but trauma had thickened his clean lines and stripped any remnants of softness from his features. He looked like a man who’d cut his way through too many fights to count. His brown eyes had turned hard and distant and when he decided to be unfriendly, they went completely flat. I’d seen that kind of stare from veteran pit fighters. It said you weren’t a human being. You were an object to be removed.
The stare worried me. Derek was a friend. Even if the entire Pack turned on me, he would stay in my corner. But the humor, the spark that used to make Derek who he was, was growing dimmer and dimmer. If it disappeared, Derek would be in a bad place. I’ve been there and it was hard to claw your way out of that hole.
Dude, now I’m super worried for Derek. Hope he makes out of the novel alive.
Thanks for writing the intros ten thousand times. I love being reintroduced to the characters in a fresh way with each new book. These look great!
Liz, I know what you mean, I’ve been worried for him for ages!
This is all made worse by the fact that I am a hard core romance novel reader, so it’s obvious to me he needs a good woman to sort him out!
Or a good man. That would be quite the plot twist.
Ooh!! I think Barbaras would be up for the task. He’s funny, he will bring the spark right back to Derek’s eyes!
I can understand how this would be a drag for you, but from our side of the fence, it’s always a pleasure. Yes, we like these characters that much.
Exactly! I love this description. I can close my eyes and he’s standing in front of me.
…. I wish I could read Kate’s books for the first time again =D
Thanks for posting the snippets!
I’ve been rereading all of them this week and am amazed that I still catch new things in them. Can’t wait for the next one!
very very cool !! thanks for that.
But surely each intro can be at least a little bit different, because Kate’s view of the character will have developed and/or her character will have developed? Is there not some enjoyment in reflecting that each time?
Thanks for the snippets!
Oh man, I am super excited about Derek’s character!
I know it must be a drag for you but you always do such a great job! These are not only descriptions of the characters but they reveal some of the changes that have occured for these folks since the series began. It also hints at things to come. It makes me very excited to read Magic Rises — and a bit worried for Derek.
I agree whole-heartedly, Gingko-girl. The statement “It said you weren’t a human being. You were an object to be removed” is such a far cry from the earlier descriptions of Derek (both before and after his character changed). Even if some things bear repeating these authors sift words like they’re mining diamond shards through soot–changing angles, scrutinizing through squinty eyes, getting second/third opinions…gee, I’m so enthralled with these characters.
Oh boy….
Your pain is our good fortune. Just like the other said, we all know the characters but they have gone thru many changes and Kate’s perception changes and thats always fun to read! Thanks for posting!
Thank you, now I have to worry about my fictional people!
Sooo, confession: I am a skimmer of descriptive passages. I see a two-paragraph description of scenery, a room, or a character description I’ve read in a previous novel in a series (many authors rinse and reuse), I’m going to skim it and move on. I do not skim your descriptions. The information you give, whether of a character or a scene, is pertinent and is sensual enough to really get the reader involved in the story. There are certain things you do reiterate in your character descriptions, but they’re necessary- and maybe flawless.
~ I know you two tend to dislike flattery, so I’ll stop. All to say that even though you might find it tedious, we don’t mind reading your character descriptions in each book! We looovvveeeesss.
Me too … but I skim nothing in Gordon and Ilona’s books! There’s no need to. Everything is either important or so well written that I don’t want to miss anything.
I wish I could click “like” on all the responses above. I especially like the “I wish I could read these books for the first time again” They are SO awesome. In fact, for me, I now listen to them almost exclusively b/c I so enjoy Renee Raudman bringing these characters to life. Still, Ilona Andrews’ books are my absolute FAVORITE series (all of them). Thanks for bringing all of your characters to life. (Now I can’t wait for the Clean Sweep series to come out in book format. I look forward to having the whole story in one place so I can sit down, clear my mind and really get immersed in their world.
Ok, now I’m totally concerned for Derek. IT’s going to be a long wait until the next story comes out.
Funny thing is Renee Raudman has become the inner “voice” I hear whenever I read a Kate story. She is Kate’s voice in my head.
i thought the challenge was more on a daily basis, they must be getting on well
Curran and Derek, two of my fave fictional males! <3
Thanks for the snippets!
Ditto… You never fail to make them fresh and remind us why we love these characters and the books so much. Blessings!
Love the new Fire-y art!!!!
Wooooooooo…. I shivered reading Derek’s description. This is why I love your work. Other people use the English language as a club; you use it as a scapel.
Having read all the books multiple times, these don’t even *feel* like introductions to me. Which is awesome. I don’t get the uncontrollable urge to skip them as information I already know, but rather I read them with rapt attention and feel that I come away knowing the character a little bit better, even if my mind is just filling in the blanks.
So, while it may be redudant to you, I’m glad you’re skillful enough to not make them boring!
Didn’t mean to gratuitously flatter, either. I’m not generally a fan-girl or a gratuitous flattereerer. So, it means something when I come out of anonymous land to say it!
Exactly! LOL
Thank you for caring so much about your readers. Snippets are always enjoyable to read.
i always marvel at how you keep introductions fresh while still essentially giving the same information again. It is appreciated.
Also anytime I read your descriptions of Derek I almost want to cry for him. So wonderfully sad and complex.
Derek. My dear sweet Derek. Sigh. I have to say that I love how while doing this tedious chore, you have managed to capture my imagination and make my heart break just a little. Goodness Gracious! You are talented.
oh no! Count me in on the “worried for Derek” club. I’m typically a skimmer of descriptions of people I already know in books but sometimes you drop hints in them (like how Kate’s perception towards a character has changed from the last book) so now I must. read. all. words.
It’s one of the things I love about your writing: it’s never perfunctory, even when you’re going (necessarily) over old ground, or giving backstory.
Your writing in Kate’s POV is so well done, showing how the character has grown and how she thinks differently now and WHY she got to thinking the way she did, that it is a pleasure to read pretty much anything.
Complain away BUT NEVAH EVAH STAHP!
I really appreciate that you write a new description each time – I can think of several series I’ve read in the past that cut and paste the description from one book to the next, exactly word for word.
I don’t care how many times you have to re-introduce Curran, each time I’ll love it and drool a little!
I second that!!!!
I’ll third it!
Curran … *thud* ( that’s the sound of me swooning)
Quick! Move over….heading to the floor too!
I love the Derek tweet. The description just added layers to him character. You may be frustrated with the descriptions, but we love them and thank you for them! I love learning more about the characters, and I never find your descriptions static. They evolve as the characters do, and don’t make me feel like I’m reading a serial novel where nothing except the “current mystery to be solved” ever changes, and bad (or good) events have no impact on the characters.
I love to read, and often go back and re-read series from the first book, just to be able to rediscover the characters. It’s a little obsessive, I know, but it’s like rediscovering a long lost friend.
Ahh Derek. That man is in desperate need but I am not sure of what. I appreciate the descriptions as they bring the characters to life again in my mind after not visiting with them in awhile.
Thanks for the character intros. I agree with everyone else that it’s always a kick to re-acquaint ourselves with the characters. That’s especially true when they’ve changed or Kate’s perception of them has changed.
I loved Derek like my kid from the get go and every time you re-describe his face, my heart breaks a little. That was such a brutal attack, I put the book down for a week after I read that part. AND. NOW. I AM WORRIED about Derek’s future.
In general I become annoyed with re-intros, descriptions and past plot explanations, but Ilona you and Gordon do such good job at keeping things fresh. I agree with Alyssa about the copy and paste aspect of many descriptions in other series I have read, but what really annoys me is when something in the protagonist’s appearance or background changes three or four books down the road. Drives me crazy!
I never get bored with your descriptions of characters because they’re never repeats. And count me amongst those worried about Derek.
Oh, noes! I worry for Derek! As I said on FB I really appreciate the effort you make to make each book original with new description. It really helps flesh out the changes each character has gone thru as the events of each book effects them.
Thanks
I have to say, you guys have the right amount of intro/reintro of characters. I have a couple of other authors, whom I love as well, that I religiously read who overdo the intro of either the character and/or the ability. I know it seems like a chore, but I have been known to ‘discover’ a good book/series after reading the 8th book, and purposefully bought all in series based just on that book.
Thank you. It was wonderful, and I am glad you posted here because I still haven’t figured out twitter. And while it might frustrate you to keep telling about your characters – it is sort of your fault for making them such GREAT characters. I would probably buy a book of yours if it was just descriptions of your characters from your perspective. You are wonderful!
In many series, I end up skipping those “redescriptions” of the characters, but I can honestly say yours never stick out to me as an “Oh I’ve already read that” moment. Thanks for the little bits, to tide us over, and of course I can’t wait for this book!!
I just got shivers reading those descriptions…good ones about Curran and worried ones regarding Derek. Both men are really worth a second/third or more look.
Thank you for the reminder on how to make someone swoon when reading!
Two of my favorite posts were/are the twitter funnies of Kate ,Curran, and Jim basically tweeting to each other. I keep hoping to see more of those (nudge, nudge).
Thank you
Thankyou hun
Jess recently posted..Mother Gaia’s Love and Remembrance
Isn’t it funny how sometimes the people who most need a hug, say like how Derek is described, are the ones who may not be able to accept them. Makes my heart go out.
I know some good jokes ;]
Let me borrow Derek for a evening^^
Beautiful bad-ass, Ilona. That is all.
He needs a girlfriend. How old is Julie, again?
Shiloh Walker recently posted..Another snippet from BEAUTIFUL SCARS…
Julie post rough time of it + Derek post rough time of it = spin off? Please.
As long as Curran and Kate are fighting together and are in love, I can take anything.