I love this tradition. Every time I release a new book, a few weeks after I get to give the readers a fun dose of behind-the-scenes knowledge. It’s all about the Easter Eggs, those little treasures hidden throughout the books. Read on for the deets, but do so with caution, as River Song would say…”Spoilers…”
Enter the Werewolf Whisperer – Want more of the werewolf whisperer? You’re in luck. The mention of the werewolf whisperer in Book of the Lost was a trial run. I’m working on a new trilogy based on the idea of a werewolf whisperer that walks the line between two Hatfield-&-McCoy-style feuding werewolf packs. First book expected to be out in 2014 after House of Gammen, of course!
August & Calandra – What was up with that? August has been around a long time, and he’s always been the adventurous type. I imagine he’s had a torrid love affair or two. Maybe this is a novella I’ll write another day.
Brun & Broo – Did you catch what he did right before he closed the coffin? He was looking for her Atlantis token. Re-read the end of Chapter 2 if you missed it.
The Whisperer’s so grundy – You know I love opposites. Calandra was so beautiful, I thought it would be fun to write him as her opposite. Also, I hope it showed that she was with him for what was inside…buried deep, deep under crusted layers of ick inside.
Calandra’s accent – I listened to Sofia Vergara on old episodes of Modern Family as I wrote Callie’s dialog. However, beta readers told me that the accent was too strong, so I backed it off considerably for the final release.
Nana’s powers – In Of Sun & Moon, we learned that Nana is a kitsune with five tails, meaning five special powers. It was also revealed in that book that she has the power of possession and shapeshifting. Brun reveals a third power in chapter five of BotL. She can astro-project.
Head of Household – In Shadows Rising, Arden notes that Keira had introduced him to reality shows. In BotL, Keira refers to Brun as the “head of household” a reference to Big Brother.
What’s up with Eric Jansen? – He’s aloof and his eyes flash red at danger. There’s definitely something up with Eric. Well, here’s the scoop. This is a crossover gig for him. Eric is the main character in a Mothman novel I’ve been working on.
Jumper’s tee at graduation practice – Jump always finds a fun way to support his girlfriend’s time traveling talents. He wore a Save the Clock Tower t-shirt to graduation practice, a nod to Back to the Future.
Jump’s Twilight reference – Also at graduation practice, Jumper asks Arden, “How long have you been nineteen?” Of course, Arden doesn’t get the reference.
1805 or 1803? – The question on Keira’s American History final was What year did Ohio enter statehood?
Rubrae Cliffs – The mogdoc language is based in Latin. Rubrae is the Latin word for Red as the cliffs are composed of clay.
Chakram – I’ve been asked why I chose a chakram as Ann’s weapon for the final chapters. To this I reply, “Chakram’s are cool. Xena carried one.”