We definitely had a few questions for Jennifer L. Armentrout after finishing the de Vincent series a week or so ago. She was kind enough to give us a couple answers.

For anyone who had a couple questions about the de Vincent series, the future of NOPE, and how her upcoming books Storm and Fury and The Burning Shadow are coming along, you will definitely want to check out this short little interview.

Don’t forget to check out our reviews of the de Vincent series books: Moonlight Sins, Moonlight Seduction, and Moonlight Scandals.

All about the de Vincents (minor ‘Moonlight Scandals’ spoiler warning!)

It seems like you had a lot of fun with the spookiness of this series, while always keeping just on the right side of being truly scary. Can we expect more romances like these from you in the future, even if they aren’t de Vincent related?

Oh, I’m sure. There are some scenes in my upcoming YA paranormal/fantasy books that will have some downright creepy scenes in them. Creepy scenes are fun!

I was taken in by all the characters you created for Rosie’s NOPE team. Is there any chance that you may have ideas for a book for any of them? Maybe a de Vincent spinoff series in New Orleans?

Not currently, but that would be fun to write a series around NOPE. There are plenty of areas for them to investigate in NOLA.

Rosie’s backbone gives her generally affable nature some true fire. Did you have any specific inspirations for her?

Not any specific inspiration, but I knew that Dev’s love interest was going to have to not only have one hell of a backbone to deal with him, but also be empathetic and kind. I didn’t want her strength to be a shield or a weapon that kept her from connecting to other people, which is a trope I myself often fall into when writing extremely snarky, very mentally and/or emotionally strong characters and you often learn that the toughness is hiding vulnerability. That can be a fun character to write too, but not for this story.

Dev is an alpha (not an alpha-hole, you come to realize) and he needed an alpha female. Both are on equal footing where one cannot dominate the other without allowing it. Because of who Dev is and his story and secrets, I wanted to make sure Rosie was someone who could stand beside him, not behind him.

I really love that Devlin has some truly dark parts to him, not just perceived darkness. Characters like him deserve happy endings too, especially when they feel like they are serving a greater good. What was your favorite part about writing Devlin’s story?

Probably those darker parts you mentioned. I have no idea who said this, “Sometimes good people do bad things,” but that stuck in my head throughout writing this. It makes for a very complex character to develop. I also liked exploring the whole idea of doing something unthinkable for the greater good and how readers may process and/or relate to that.

You’ve talked a bit about the de Vincent mansion and how it was inspired, but did you know it’s ultimate fate when you started the series?

Yes. I always pictured the end in my head and I always knew that it would be Devlin who would do it.

Are there any surprising scenes or character traits (for any of the characters) you initially thought about including, but ultimately left on the cutting room floor?

Well, I almost left the biggest twist in Moonlight Scandals on the cutting room floor. I was worried it was TOO MUCH and it is TOO MUCH (haha), but that whole family is a whole lot of TOO MUCH and my editor, who I thought would’ve said, “What the hell, Jen?” actually loved it, so it made it into the final version.

A few just for fun Q’s:

Your fans know you have a busy year ahead, but have you had any time for reading? Any recent 5-star recommendations?

Oh man, my TBR has taken a hit due to my deadlines, but some of the 5-star books I’ve read recently are A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, Up to You by Daisey Prescott, and all of Kerrigan Byrne’s historical romance books.

How about any teases or hints about Storm and Fury or The Burning Shadow?

So, for Storm and Fury, I really think readers are going to love Trinity. She is simply badass and possibly the most dangerous and powerful being in a world full of demons and gargoyles. She shares the same disability that I have in real life, so it was quite the experience developing her character around her vision impairments, and I hope through Trinity, readers will have a better understanding of what disorders like retinitis pigmentosa is like.

With The Burning Shadow, you’re going to get a lot of answers of what was done to Evie when she was cured all those years ago plus insight on what it had been like for her and Luc in the past. There’s a lot more familiar faces in TBS, and everything pretty much hits the fan in that book. Big changes are coming in that novel.

How are both of those incredibly anticipated releases coming along?

Good, I guess? Haha. Storm and Fury is already in galley form, so some people have received ARCs, and The Burning Shadow should be hitting galley form soon too. EEK.

Any movies or TV shows that you are obsessed with at the moment?

ER. For some reason, I started watching ER all over again, and since I’ve forgotten nearly everything from that show, it’s like watching it for the first time.

Pre-order Storm and Fury on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, or Book Depository and add it on Goodreads.

You can also pre-order The Burning Shadow on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, or Book Depository, and add it on Goodreads, too!